Books #23 Reading Chats. Unproblematically Pleased With Our TBR Piles

[Caffeine Fiend]

I pre-ordered a book with Waterstones and they’ve just tried to take payment and my card’s been declined, does anyone know what I can do to fix this to still get the book? It was on 50% off so I don’t really wanna go in and pay full price for it! I dunno why it’s been declined as I’ve got plenty in the bank!

They may try and take again.

 

[CommentBelow]

I pre-ordered a book with Waterstones and they’ve just tried to take payment and my card’s been declined, does anyone know what I can do to fix this to still get the book? It was on 50% off so I don’t really wanna go in and pay full price for it! I dunno why it’s been declined as I’ve got plenty in the bank!

The Waterstones help Twitter account is very helpful if you DM them, they’ve solved a missing book and a delayed pre-order issue for me previously.

 

[tam]

They may try and take again.

The card I used expired before I remembered to change it and it said they would try again to take payment. I then changed over card details and it worked. I got the book still.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I did my top 5 but I have read some very high 4.5 / 4 star books this year too and Id recommend them.

The Whispers - Ashley Audrain
Bellies - Nicola Dinan
Close To Home - Michael Magee
Juno Loves Legs - Karl Geary
Strong Female Character - Fern Brady
Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult
Fleishman Is In Trouble - Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Before My Actual Heart Breaks - Tish Delaney

 

[lokp0009]

They may try and take again.

Thanks! I’m wondering if it’s an issue because I’ve used Apple Pay so I’ve gone in and put the card details in and hoping they’ll try again!
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The Waterstones help Twitter account is very helpful if you DM them, they’ve solved a missing book and a delayed pre-order issue for me previously.

Thanks, I’ll try that!

 

[Gem_woody]

I'm on 54/50 so have upped it to 60 now.
I've read a lot of mediocre ones this year

5 favourites:
Yellowface
Zodiac Academy series
Fire And Blood
The Family Upstairs
One True Loves

 

[Katykatykaty]

My 5 favourites so far this year are;

I Who Have Never Known Men
Project Hail Mary
No Exit
The Choice
Maniac Menagerie
But with a special mention to all of the Dr Harper books (I’m a Therapist and My Patient is…. Series).

 

[daisynoon]

I'm on 193 reads so far (with the caveat that three of the books I've read add up to 100 pages combined), which will be my highest total yet.

Five favourites is hard, but:
1. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
2. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
3. The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
4. Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
5. The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

 

[Niknak]

I've read 79 so far, target was 55. Discovering audiobooks last year has really bumped up my numbers.

My top five so far this year:
Such a Long Journey - Rohinton Mistry
Roots - Alex Haley
I'm Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy
Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies - Maddie Mortimer
Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan (although I wish she'd decided to expand this into a full novel rather than it being a short story).

I don't comment often but I love reading all of your posts

 

[SwizzleMalarkey]

My top 5 were quite difficult to choose but I’ve gone for these, and probably in this order:

1. In Memorium - Alice Winn
2. Penance - Eliza Clark
3. Kala - Colin Walsh
4. Beartown - Fredrik Backman
5. Trespasses - Louise Kennedy

Small Things Like These - Claire Keegan (although I wish she'd decided to expand this into a full novel rather than it being a short story).

Yessss, I loved this so much and wish it had been longer! Easily would have made my top 5 if it had been a full length novel.

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

I loved Small Things Like These and thought the length was perfect.

She truly is the master of packing so much into a small book. So much emotion. I loved it so very much. If anyone is on the fence about it, keep it for Christmas

 

[StrawberryBanana90]

I thought I’d struggle picking a top 5 but a surprising number of my 43 this year so far have been meh when I look back!

1. Project Hail Mary
2. The Beartown series (too hard to just pick one without using most of my top 5)
3. What you are looking for is in the library
4. Remarkably bright creatures
5. Tomorrow x3

 

[karry1412]

My target was 30 but I'm on 47. Happy with that. I'll be thrilled to reach 50, especially with struggling to read since last month.

My top five, in no part order:
A theory of expanded love by Caitlin Hicks
Know my name by Chanel Miller
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Daisy darker by Alice Feeney
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
---

I thought I’d struggle picking a top 5 but a surprising number of my 43 this year so far have been meh when I look back!

1. Project Hail Mary
2. The Beartown series (too hard to just pick one without using most of my top 5)
3. What you are looking for is in the library
4. Remarkably bright creatures
5. Tomorrow x3

Love Project Hail Mary too & Tomorrow X3 is my next read!

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

It makes me so happy inside that so many people loved Beartown (and sequels)

 

[Hannahebee]

I'd love to know everyone's top five books they've read so far this year.

My top five (in no particular order):

1. Before My Actual Heart Breaks
2. Beartown
3. Us Against You
4. You Be Mother
5. The Most Fun We Ever Had

My top five (also in no particular order)
1. Last Breath by Robert Bryndza
2. Before You by Kathryn Freeman
3. In It for the Long Run: The Mike Snow Trilogy by A V Turner
4. Don't Make a Sound by David Jackson
5. Moving On by Marcie Steel

 

[twilightgarden]

CARA HUNTER FANS

She has a new book coming out called You Know Who. Not sure if it’s an Adam Fawley or a standalone
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I’m listening to Yellowface on audiobook and I’m not loving it. I thought it started off alright and then I got bored. A lot of reviews have said it’s really funny but I think I’m missing something.

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I’ve gone through my books and this is my top 5 so far this year
1. Bad Men - Julia Mae Cohen
hoping that this will become a series.
2. The Girl Who Cried Wolf - Robert Ferrgino
this wouldn’t be everybody’s cup of tea but I love his writing and pretty sure this was his last book. Highly recommend his assassin series which was ahead of it’s time
3. The Christmas Guest - Peter Swanson
a very short novel but fantastic as usual
4. Little Secrets - Jennifer Hillier
Underrated writer her books are great
5. The Locked Door - Freida Mcfadden
I know her novels are a bit trashy and marmite but I felt this one was more grown up

 

[Lollypad]

My top 5 (no particular order) this year are:
1. the Burnout - Sophie Kinsella
2. The Theory of (Not Quite) Everything - Kara Gnodde
3. Yellowface - R F Kuang
4. I’m Glad My Mom Died - Jenette Mccurdy
5. The Lido - Libby Page

 

[PiesAndLattes]

CARA HUNTER FANS

She has a new book coming out called You Know Who. Not sure if it’s an Adam Fawley or a standalone
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I’m listening to Yellowface on audiobook and I’m not loving it. I thought it started off alright and then I got bored. A lot of reviews have said it’s really funny but I think I’m missing something.

I picked up Murder in the Family over the weekend as it was on the Kindle Deals for $5. I am hoping it is good? Reviews look great! The 470 pages is a bit intimidating though

 

[daisynoon]

Has anyone read Isaac and the Egg? It’s on 99p deals, and I remember my bookshop recommending it earlier this year.
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CARA HUNTER FANS

She has a new book coming out called You Know Who. Not sure if it’s an Adam Fawley or a standalone
---
I’m listening to Yellowface on audiobook and I’m not loving it. I thought it started off alright and then I got bored. A lot of reviews have said it’s really funny but I think I’m missing something.

I think Kuang spends too much time in the early part of the book detailing the difference in the publishing experience if you have the publisher's support vs if you do it on your own (which I presume comes from her own experience with Poppy War vs Babel). She does let up on this though.