Jamaica Inn = TBR list! Reading Daphne de Maurier is like taking a grad class in building suspense. Her best student was Catherine Gaskin, whose books I need to re-read.
LOVE this idea of sharing what your friends are reading! It has a lovely community feel 🤍 I read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop last month and really enjoyed it - it was definitely perfect to sit and read it in the spring breeze on my lunch breaks.
I sometimes read seasonally, but I have to be really in the mood for it. I read all horror/thriller last October and enjoyed that but my brain was mashed by the end of the month 😂
So many good ones!! Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop was soooo good. And Braiding Sweetgrass is an all-time favorite, I read that last spring— perfect for the season.
I have lots of these on my TBR too, very eager for The Vegetarian and The Memory Police.
Yes, my friends have excellent taste! Hyunam-Dong was one of my favourites last year, and I've added Braiding Sweetgrass to my TBR too. Are you reading anything spring-themed this year?
Same! I highlighted and dog-eared so many pages in that one.
I recently read Ready or Not, which felt very springy! I'm also listening to Entangled Life-- nature non-fiction books always feel perfect for spring, too. And I'd love to get to The Hobbit!
I'm excited to read "Mexico: The Great Theft", which I'd never heard of. Although I note when I Google it that Roberto Bolaño called the writer "Mexico's greatest woman author." Ugh!
My TBR list continues to expand! I'm flattered to be included, thank you :)
I definitely want to get to Memory Police soon and I've been putting off Iris Murdoch for so long now, not sure why. I have at least 4-5 of her books I want to read.
I Served the King of England is a great book and also has a great film adaptation (and to complete the trifecta, I've even seen the play!)
It's hard to say re: movie adaptations. The conventional wisdom is that the book is always better than the film. I've seen plenty of film adaptations where I haven't read the book so I'm none the wiser. But when I have read the book, there's always plenty to nitpick.
I think an interesting question is, when is the film better than the book? People are divided on A Clockwork Orange - I'm a huge fan of the book and the film and can honestly not decide on which I prefer. The Godfather is cited as an example where the film is better. Trainspotting is another interesting case - as great as I found the book, the film was brilliantly adapted too.
The Sheltering Sky, as perhaps my favourite book, is another intriguing example. People told me to never watch the film, and I foolishly ignored the advice. I thought, it's a Bernardo Bertolucci film, it must be good. It wasn't. It's dire and totally tarnished the book for me. Wish I'd listened to my friends. (btw, the film Babel with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is very loosely based on The Sheltering Sky)
Yes, it’s such a minefield with these things. I’ve never watched those movies (or read those corresponding books, actually) so can’t comment on them. I’ve watched some theatre adaptations, like for To Kill A Mockingbird, and I’m much more willing to accept differences there. What helps is that it’s such a different form that I don’t expect it to be faithful at all; I think with movies, I do have a higher expectation of the adaptation to be faithful.
I have limited experience in Dublin. My mother is from Belfast and I spent much of my life there, and occasionally made trips to Dublin. But my visit last October was my first since 2007 and I can't say I have a favourite bookstore (but plenty of favourite pubs for sure!). I had read an article about the Lilliput Press in the Guardian sometime ago and wanted to check it out. I went in and asked the guy working to recommend any two books, 1 fiction and 1 non, and I was definitely buying both. Turns out I was talking to the owner and he's actually featured in that book I plan to read (or I think his father was on the yacht too).
So many interesting reads! Glad to know I’m not the only one who’s not a seasonal reader 😂
You're definitely not the only one!! Only a couple of these are actually seasonal reads!
@jamc Have you read I Was the President's Mistress? It got me excited to read more stuff by Filipino writers, so I will check out the Glenn Diaz book.
I haven’t yet but I keep seeing it in bookstores. Is it good? I just finished The Quiet Ones a couple of days ago. Loved it. It’s a quiet book.
Yes I really liked it. Each chapter is told by a different character and the author does a great job of capturing people's self-justifications.
nice. thanks, Ashley. I’ll add it to my list and see if it’s available in paperback now.
Amazing list. Thank you for curating it, Alicia!
Thanks again for contributing to it! :)
You're in for a real treat with Jamaica Inn.
Can't wait!
So many brilliant recommendations here – I'm in great company! And now my TBR has grown even bigger...! 😂
Likewise - I'm not sure whether to love or hate these lists 🤣😭 - so many more great books to check out!
Definitely love these lists. ;)
You're in great company indeed! Haha I know, my TBR is buckling. 😂
Jamaica Inn = TBR list! Reading Daphne de Maurier is like taking a grad class in building suspense. Her best student was Catherine Gaskin, whose books I need to re-read.
I still haven't read any books by Daphne du Maurier, which I'm getting the sense is a massive gap in my education thus far!
Yes, at least read Rebecca. So many references to it in other literature.
It is high on my list!
LOVE this idea of sharing what your friends are reading! It has a lovely community feel 🤍 I read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop last month and really enjoyed it - it was definitely perfect to sit and read it in the spring breeze on my lunch breaks.
I sometimes read seasonally, but I have to be really in the mood for it. I read all horror/thriller last October and enjoyed that but my brain was mashed by the end of the month 😂
Thanks Soph, that was exactly why I wanted to do this post! :) I'll hopefully do a summer edition as well—I can reach out to you then if you'd like?
If you liked Hyunam-Dong, I've just finished reading The Bookshop Woman and it has a very similar feel with a different story. You might enjoy it too!
Hahaha horror/thriller around Halloween is very thematic!
Ooh yes please do if you’d like to! I’d love to get involved 🫶
Will add The Bookshop Woman to my list! I love those sort of hopeful reads.
I’ll keep you in mind!! It will likely be early June that I reach out, for a post in mid-late June. :)
Ooh amazing, thank you!! <3
So many good ones!! Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop was soooo good. And Braiding Sweetgrass is an all-time favorite, I read that last spring— perfect for the season.
I have lots of these on my TBR too, very eager for The Vegetarian and The Memory Police.
Yes, my friends have excellent taste! Hyunam-Dong was one of my favourites last year, and I've added Braiding Sweetgrass to my TBR too. Are you reading anything spring-themed this year?
Same! I highlighted and dog-eared so many pages in that one.
I recently read Ready or Not, which felt very springy! I'm also listening to Entangled Life-- nature non-fiction books always feel perfect for spring, too. And I'd love to get to The Hobbit!
I'll check both those out, thank you! Hmm you're right—I read The Hobbit years ago and now that you've said it, it is rather springy!
I'm excited to read "Mexico: The Great Theft", which I'd never heard of. Although I note when I Google it that Roberto Bolaño called the writer "Mexico's greatest woman author." Ugh!
That sounds like an interesting book as well! I'm sure she's a great author, period, rather than a great *woman* author.
My TBR list continues to expand! I'm flattered to be included, thank you :)
I definitely want to get to Memory Police soon and I've been putting off Iris Murdoch for so long now, not sure why. I have at least 4-5 of her books I want to read.
I Served the King of England is a great book and also has a great film adaptation (and to complete the trifecta, I've even seen the play!)
You're more than welcome, and thanks again for contributing!
I keep hearing about Iris Murdoch and need to read her books soon.
Oh, I didn't know that's been adapted! Do you tend to like the movie adaptations of books?
It's hard to say re: movie adaptations. The conventional wisdom is that the book is always better than the film. I've seen plenty of film adaptations where I haven't read the book so I'm none the wiser. But when I have read the book, there's always plenty to nitpick.
I think an interesting question is, when is the film better than the book? People are divided on A Clockwork Orange - I'm a huge fan of the book and the film and can honestly not decide on which I prefer. The Godfather is cited as an example where the film is better. Trainspotting is another interesting case - as great as I found the book, the film was brilliantly adapted too.
The Sheltering Sky, as perhaps my favourite book, is another intriguing example. People told me to never watch the film, and I foolishly ignored the advice. I thought, it's a Bernardo Bertolucci film, it must be good. It wasn't. It's dire and totally tarnished the book for me. Wish I'd listened to my friends. (btw, the film Babel with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett is very loosely based on The Sheltering Sky)
Yes, it’s such a minefield with these things. I’ve never watched those movies (or read those corresponding books, actually) so can’t comment on them. I’ve watched some theatre adaptations, like for To Kill A Mockingbird, and I’m much more willing to accept differences there. What helps is that it’s such a different form that I don’t expect it to be faithful at all; I think with movies, I do have a higher expectation of the adaptation to be faithful.
Daniel, it's exciting that you went book shopping in Dublin! I lived there for ages. Did you have a favorite bookstore?
I have limited experience in Dublin. My mother is from Belfast and I spent much of my life there, and occasionally made trips to Dublin. But my visit last October was my first since 2007 and I can't say I have a favourite bookstore (but plenty of favourite pubs for sure!). I had read an article about the Lilliput Press in the Guardian sometime ago and wanted to check it out. I went in and asked the guy working to recommend any two books, 1 fiction and 1 non, and I was definitely buying both. Turns out I was talking to the owner and he's actually featured in that book I plan to read (or I think his father was on the yacht too).