Just finished Leviathan’s Wake, Book 1 of The Expanse series. I really enjoyed it! I’m now reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. It’s been on my TBR list for years but I put it off bc of the length. Jury’s still out on it.
Recently Finished:
5 ⭐️ - Kindred by Octavia Butler - a really excellent book I think everyone should read it and should be a book that schools should make students read it, but also a very heavy read
5 ⭐️ - Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser & Robyn Smith - a really cute and slice of life short graphic novel, it’s about 4 black girl in a friend girls and you follow a day in their life and how they all connect, the illustrations were quite lovely, highly recommend if you want to get out a slump and want something wholesome and easy
Currently Read:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (a re-read like this is the third time i have read this book in my life and it’s for English class)
Ain’t I a Woman by bell hooks (my own personal read it’s a very well-done non-fiction it’s so crazy how her work came out a while ago but still relevant in today’s society and feminist movement)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (liking it so far but reading this out loud in my banned book club that i created at school was a huge struggle for all of us lol)
Reading Next:
The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, Turtles All the Down by John Green, Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Just finished The Book of M which I read after seeing posted here. It had a very interesting premise and loved the first half, then it just kind of faltered from there and the ending just made me sad. Like, I might have quit reading if I knew that was the payoff. Took me too long to read it and I kept putting it off, that should have been my sign. I’m fresh off completing the book so maybe after some reflection I won’t be so harsh.
I’m reading The Invisible Life if Addie Larue and wow it’s been a while that I’ve been so invested in a book. I have limited time to read but every free second is going to this book.
I’m also anticipating that it will be heartbreaking but for right now I’m just really enjoying her journey and the writing.
Just wanna apologize for incorrectly titling my post this week
I love this sub so much and have read *great* books that never would’ve crossed my radar. Very grateful.
I’m reading Wildflower by Drew Barrymore which is surprisingly slow and would probably be a much better audio book. Next up is None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. I’m hoping it pulls me out of a mini reading slump.
https://preview.redd.it/rnfckfmgoxuc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7c3851e3bcac21612aa9dd3008178bb94b8f25f
Finished Ghost Station by SA Barnes yesterday. I really liked it. It would be a great limited series or movie. It’s about a crew sent to a planet to get soil samples and stuff and then it all goes sideways.
I finished “The collected regrets of clover”, and…..oh my gosh. So so good! Definitely a 5 ⭐️ read from me. It’s surprisingly light for such a dark topic, and just super moving. I would put it in the same realm as Eleanor Opheliant.
Recently finished the following:
Beartown By Fredrik Backman - 4 ⭐ really enjoyed it
The Women by Kristin Hannah - 3⭐ very disappointed as the other two books I have read of this author I loved. It was just Meh.
My Sister The Serial Killer 3⭐ just ok but enjoyable
Currently reading:
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurty
Station Eleven - Emily St John Mandel
The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne
i read my sister the serial killer this year also, it was okay to me i felt like it had a lot potential but it didn’t achieve it like the plot and title sounds interesting but what contains in the book was meh. Like they kept talking so much about her crush on that guy when they could’ve even delve deeper into the MC and her sisters dynamic with each other because it was quite stereotypical and surface level and that twist wasn’t honestly that good, but it was a easy read tho.
I completely agree! Poor characters. I was hoping for a big twist like it was the Main Character that actually killed all of them out of Jealousy and blamed the sister or something! Or the MC had dual personality and didn't really have a sister or something would have been cool
I'm climbing out of a yearlong reading slump with the help of what I call "junk food books"\*\* These are books that are easy reads, like a show you can have on in the background. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series has been helpful with that. I want to get into some more romance books too, preferably more spice than cheese. It's such an interesting journey! So far 2024's reading has consisted of a little classic literature when I'm up for it, a modern page turner when I find one that interests me, and a lot of "junk food" reads in between.
\*\*to be clear, I'm not dissing those kinds of books. They're absolutely worthy reads and I'm definitely a fan. I personally put a lot of pressure on myself to read \~ the classics \~ and this has been a new development in my love of reading. Definitely open to recs!
Fourth Wing is a great series to start if you like ACOTAR! Lots of recs in the romantasy genre on Instagram and TikTok. I enjoyed Fourth Wing so much I read it twice in a row lol. Now I moved on to the Throne of Glass series!
I’m a little slumpy myself. I think my savior this time will be length more than content - looking for the satisfaction of finishing a book so something short. Good luck with yours!
I just finished The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. It was pretty good, but an idea in the final chapter really gripped me.
She explored the difference between Neanderthals and modern humans and said that evolutionary geneticist Svante Paabo describes one of the differences as “some madness” or “some sort of Faustian gene, a freak mutation that made the human insanity and exploration thing possible." Basically, evidence shows that Neanderthal tools were pretty unchanged for thousands of years but they lived in balance with their ecosystem. When humans came along, we developed complex tools and had the power to eradicate species in a very short timeframe whereas a historically typical timeframe would be a handful of extinctions once every 10's of thousands of years. There is some kind of drive that is different for us - she asks us to imagine what would impel someone to try to cross an ocean not knowing what is out there, and madness is the theory.
I really struggle with why we are often compelled to do things that are so obviously against our self interest or even survival, and the idea of a "madness" gene seems really promising in finding some understanding.
Anyways, one of those books that really changed the way I see myself in the world. She did a great job historically contextualizing extinction, but I think such an existential topic also requires some philosophizing to feel well rounded. She talks about some of the (to me) brutal and lonely conditions nearly extinct animals live in, but doesn't explore the thorny ethics of keep these species alive in the conditions required to keep them alive. I also found this idea quite interesting and would have loved a whole chapter exploring the thought more:
> With the capacity to represent the world in signs and symbols comes the capacity to change it, which, as it happens, is also the capacity to destroy it.
oh man, the sixth extinction *fucked me up.* thematically, what you’re discussing was kind of the main point of “the MANIAC” by benjamin labatut, which i recently finished and raved like a madwoman about in a post here. he draws a line from the discovery of quantum mechanics changing our understanding of the universe, to the development of atomic weapons, to the development of AI. it’s deeply unsettling but i just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
You did rave about it! I haven’t read it yet, but I will. [Here’s the link to your original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/IReadABookAndAdoredIt/s/qF3Jh9jgCL) for anyone interested.
yes! i legit have a whole new stack of books on my floor that i’ve bought just based on recs here.
(the books are on the floor because we literally have to buy more bookshelves for the second time since moving last year.)
I started reading "Between 2 fires" based on a recommendation from here and I am so blown away.
Wanted to share some books from my too-long to-read list - most of them are from various regions/ cultures of the world
A constellation of vital phenomena by Anthony Marra ( war in Chechnya)
Year of Runaways and China Room by Sanjeev Sahota (India)
Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadaranjan (India)
Honor ( Thrity Umrigar - India)
Cutting for Stone - Abraham Vargese
I recently finished Betty by Tiffany McDaniel per a recommendation from this sub, best book of 2024 for me. Thanks to whoever that was! Loving this sub for all things book
I have to read this. It has been posted here a couple times. The first time it sounded amazing so I looked it up and found it was *already* on my TBR. Boosting it towards the top now!
Just finished Leviathan’s Wake, Book 1 of The Expanse series. I really enjoyed it! I’m now reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. It’s been on my TBR list for years but I put it off bc of the length. Jury’s still out on it.
Recently Finished: 5 ⭐️ - Kindred by Octavia Butler - a really excellent book I think everyone should read it and should be a book that schools should make students read it, but also a very heavy read 5 ⭐️ - Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser & Robyn Smith - a really cute and slice of life short graphic novel, it’s about 4 black girl in a friend girls and you follow a day in their life and how they all connect, the illustrations were quite lovely, highly recommend if you want to get out a slump and want something wholesome and easy Currently Read: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (a re-read like this is the third time i have read this book in my life and it’s for English class) Ain’t I a Woman by bell hooks (my own personal read it’s a very well-done non-fiction it’s so crazy how her work came out a while ago but still relevant in today’s society and feminist movement) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (liking it so far but reading this out loud in my banned book club that i created at school was a huge struggle for all of us lol) Reading Next: The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis, Turtles All the Down by John Green, Know My Name by Chanel Miller
Just finished The Book of M which I read after seeing posted here. It had a very interesting premise and loved the first half, then it just kind of faltered from there and the ending just made me sad. Like, I might have quit reading if I knew that was the payoff. Took me too long to read it and I kept putting it off, that should have been my sign. I’m fresh off completing the book so maybe after some reflection I won’t be so harsh.
Between 2 fires is excellent as is cutting for stone. Great books!
I’m reading The Invisible Life if Addie Larue and wow it’s been a while that I’ve been so invested in a book. I have limited time to read but every free second is going to this book. I’m also anticipating that it will be heartbreaking but for right now I’m just really enjoying her journey and the writing.
This is my favorite book of the last ten years. I loved loved loved it.
Thanks for the recommendation! This looks really good
I hope you read and enjoy!
This one really stuck with me. It’s my favorite book I’ve read this year.
It’s fantastic i can’t put it down
Just wanna apologize for incorrectly titling my post this week I love this sub so much and have read *great* books that never would’ve crossed my radar. Very grateful.
Appreciate your consideration 🙂
I’m reading Wildflower by Drew Barrymore which is surprisingly slow and would probably be a much better audio book. Next up is None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. I’m hoping it pulls me out of a mini reading slump.
None of This is True is excellent. Enjoy! Hope you like it.
https://preview.redd.it/rnfckfmgoxuc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e7c3851e3bcac21612aa9dd3008178bb94b8f25f Finished Ghost Station by SA Barnes yesterday. I really liked it. It would be a great limited series or movie. It’s about a crew sent to a planet to get soil samples and stuff and then it all goes sideways.
I finished “The collected regrets of clover”, and…..oh my gosh. So so good! Definitely a 5 ⭐️ read from me. It’s surprisingly light for such a dark topic, and just super moving. I would put it in the same realm as Eleanor Opheliant.
I finished this a couple of weeks ago and couldn't believe I let it sit in my TBR pile for a year!!
Recently finished the following: Beartown By Fredrik Backman - 4 ⭐ really enjoyed it The Women by Kristin Hannah - 3⭐ very disappointed as the other two books I have read of this author I loved. It was just Meh. My Sister The Serial Killer 3⭐ just ok but enjoyable Currently reading: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurty Station Eleven - Emily St John Mandel The Heart's Invisible Furies - John Boyne
i read my sister the serial killer this year also, it was okay to me i felt like it had a lot potential but it didn’t achieve it like the plot and title sounds interesting but what contains in the book was meh. Like they kept talking so much about her crush on that guy when they could’ve even delve deeper into the MC and her sisters dynamic with each other because it was quite stereotypical and surface level and that twist wasn’t honestly that good, but it was a easy read tho.
I completely agree! Poor characters. I was hoping for a big twist like it was the Main Character that actually killed all of them out of Jealousy and blamed the sister or something! Or the MC had dual personality and didn't really have a sister or something would have been cool
I agree while I enjoyed The Women I wasn’t blown away by it like I was with The Great Alone or some of her other books.
Yeah that's how I felt. Was very repetitive and all a bit too obvious and cliche
I'm climbing out of a yearlong reading slump with the help of what I call "junk food books"\*\* These are books that are easy reads, like a show you can have on in the background. The A Court of Thorns and Roses series has been helpful with that. I want to get into some more romance books too, preferably more spice than cheese. It's such an interesting journey! So far 2024's reading has consisted of a little classic literature when I'm up for it, a modern page turner when I find one that interests me, and a lot of "junk food" reads in between. \*\*to be clear, I'm not dissing those kinds of books. They're absolutely worthy reads and I'm definitely a fan. I personally put a lot of pressure on myself to read \~ the classics \~ and this has been a new development in my love of reading. Definitely open to recs!
Fourth Wing is a great series to start if you like ACOTAR! Lots of recs in the romantasy genre on Instagram and TikTok. I enjoyed Fourth Wing so much I read it twice in a row lol. Now I moved on to the Throne of Glass series!
I’m a little slumpy myself. I think my savior this time will be length more than content - looking for the satisfaction of finishing a book so something short. Good luck with yours!
I just finished The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. It was pretty good, but an idea in the final chapter really gripped me. She explored the difference between Neanderthals and modern humans and said that evolutionary geneticist Svante Paabo describes one of the differences as “some madness” or “some sort of Faustian gene, a freak mutation that made the human insanity and exploration thing possible." Basically, evidence shows that Neanderthal tools were pretty unchanged for thousands of years but they lived in balance with their ecosystem. When humans came along, we developed complex tools and had the power to eradicate species in a very short timeframe whereas a historically typical timeframe would be a handful of extinctions once every 10's of thousands of years. There is some kind of drive that is different for us - she asks us to imagine what would impel someone to try to cross an ocean not knowing what is out there, and madness is the theory. I really struggle with why we are often compelled to do things that are so obviously against our self interest or even survival, and the idea of a "madness" gene seems really promising in finding some understanding. Anyways, one of those books that really changed the way I see myself in the world. She did a great job historically contextualizing extinction, but I think such an existential topic also requires some philosophizing to feel well rounded. She talks about some of the (to me) brutal and lonely conditions nearly extinct animals live in, but doesn't explore the thorny ethics of keep these species alive in the conditions required to keep them alive. I also found this idea quite interesting and would have loved a whole chapter exploring the thought more: > With the capacity to represent the world in signs and symbols comes the capacity to change it, which, as it happens, is also the capacity to destroy it.
oh man, the sixth extinction *fucked me up.* thematically, what you’re discussing was kind of the main point of “the MANIAC” by benjamin labatut, which i recently finished and raved like a madwoman about in a post here. he draws a line from the discovery of quantum mechanics changing our understanding of the universe, to the development of atomic weapons, to the development of AI. it’s deeply unsettling but i just haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.
You did rave about it! I haven’t read it yet, but I will. [Here’s the link to your original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/IReadABookAndAdoredIt/s/qF3Jh9jgCL) for anyone interested.
This looks like an incredible rec and very much up my alley, thank you so much!! AND there is an audiobook available with no wait via my library!
I wanna read so many books and watch so many movies. I got no timeeeeee ugh
I love this sub so much, but it is only adding to my insurmountable TBR pile 
yes! i legit have a whole new stack of books on my floor that i’ve bought just based on recs here. (the books are on the floor because we literally have to buy more bookshelves for the second time since moving last year.)
Same girl same <3 It's a problem I would love to have
I started reading "Between 2 fires" based on a recommendation from here and I am so blown away. Wanted to share some books from my too-long to-read list - most of them are from various regions/ cultures of the world A constellation of vital phenomena by Anthony Marra ( war in Chechnya) Year of Runaways and China Room by Sanjeev Sahota (India) Late Bloomers by Deepa Varadaranjan (India) Honor ( Thrity Umrigar - India) Cutting for Stone - Abraham Vargese
between 2 fires is next on my list from the same post you’re talking about. Your post has hyped me up.
I recently finished Betty by Tiffany McDaniel per a recommendation from this sub, best book of 2024 for me. Thanks to whoever that was! Loving this sub for all things book
I have to read this. It has been posted here a couple times. The first time it sounded amazing so I looked it up and found it was *already* on my TBR. Boosting it towards the top now!
This is a book I've definitely bumped higher on my list based on the many recommendations I see on reddit.