11. Louis de Bernieres - Captain Corelli's Mandolin

I really loved this. Set during WW2 you grieve not only for the people who die, but for the lives the survivors were forced to live, and the happiness stolen from them. A good reminder of the importance of humanity even in our darkest times.

10. Toby Schmitz - The Empress Murders

I kept waiting for this to get good, and it just didn't. Characters were only introduced to get killed off, and the ending wasn't satisfying or even particularly interesting.

9. Jay Kristoff - Nevernight

While this clearly started as Game of Thrones fan fiction, and never really breaks away from it, it's still cool and fun. The writing style was different than what I expected, but I liked the footnotes expanding the lore rather than forced character dialogue.

Screen shot of the completed audiobook "Things you save in a fire" by Katherine Center

8. Katherine Center - Things You Save in a Fire

Not just a standard "career woman stops caring about her job after she meets a guy" which was nice. It highlights the need not for a man, but for love itself. Also deals with how forgiveness can be a major part of healing.

7. R.F. Kuang - Katabasis

The most enjoyable book of the year so far. I really loved the depiction of "hell", the combination of cultures and myths, and the way the rules of magic worked. Also just a really great story about personal growth, forgiveness, sacrifice, and what is truly important.

6. Jane Harper - The Dry

I always underrated Australian art, I don't know why but I never think it's going to be good, and am always surprised when I like it. This is no exception. I enjoyed the way the past and present intertwined, and the "solve" I didn't see coming at all.

2 bottles of deodorant, 2 boxes of meat pies, a packet of sausages, a single onion and a loaf of white bread being purchased at a supermarket without a bag.

Never has a single shop screamed "my wife is away for the week" louder than this one

In The League Ruxin talks about playing Josh Cribbs as his flex hoping he returns a kick for a touchdown, but being a veteran player he should know that a return TD gives points to the D/ST, not the individual player who runs it in. More proof that all shows and movies need a sports nerd on set.

5. Sara Desai - To Have and to Heist

I've not read a heist book before, and while this was more of a rom-com than straight up heist I really enjoyed it. Funny with an interesting cast of characters each with their own specific skills that felt real rather than forced.

4. Ellis Peters - The Heretic's Apprentice

The story was pretty basic and straightforward, but asked some really interesting questions about faith, and the acceptance of others whose beliefs are only slightly different to our own.

3. Hannah Nicole Maehrer - Apprentice to the Villain

Accidentally started with the 2nd book in the series, and while it was cute and funny at times, I'm probably not going to go back and read the 1st, or continue with the series.

2. Haruki Murakami - Kafka on the Shore

One of those books that I'm glad I read but probably never will again. Some interesting lines and thoughts on humanity, consciousness, and life, but I felt like it was missing something to make it really land.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms turning into a real Surfboard Dracula... Hopefully it starts to pick up soon.

The McDonagh brothers are what the Coen brothers think they are

I was just looking up how to care for a plant and realised that "root rot" is perfect Australian slang for an STD.

Examples include:

"He was on a roll but then got root rot"

"She really liked him but he gave her root rot"

In Overtime, if the receiver muffs a punt and the kicking team recovers, is that considered a change of posession so the kicking team wins with a score? Or will the receiving team get another chance on offence?

I know it's probably hard in the moment, but if you're a DB on 4th Down you gotta be thinking incompletion instead of interception, unless there's a super clear return. Happens a bit where the team is worse off because of the pick rather than just the TO on Downs. #nfl

Ahhh that makes sense, I assumed it was something like that. Still makes me laugh every time I see it on screen.

The helmet #5 for the Texans is wearing is so funny. He looks like Toad. #nfl

New book thread for 2026.

1. Frieda McFadden - The Locked Door

Fun thriller with a decent twist, but nothing really stands out about it to make it super special. Didn't grab me as much as others either, I didn't feel the absolute need to keep reading like a lot of other similar books.

37. Sarah J Maas - A Court of Wings and Ruin

Finally the main character is cool!!!! I enjoyed this the most out of the 3, you see the full scope of the world, new powers and leaders, and a character who is taking control of her life instead of reacting to everyone else.

A screenshot of "Strong Enough" by Cher being played on Spotify

Completely misinterpreting these lyrics and using it as gym motivation

English batters survive the opening over challenge (Impossible) #theashes

A screenshot of the song "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande on Spotify

A screenshot of the best Christmas playlist on Spotify you'll ever see. None of the boring oldies, just modern pop and country bangers.

You're allowed to listen to Christmas bangers at the gym. Noone can stop you.

A photo of Chris Pine looking hot

A photo of Glenn from Superstore with a similar haircut to Chris Pine from the first photo, but not hot

The photo I show the hairdresser vs what I come out looking like

A photo of the book The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

36. Hisashi Kashiwai - The Kamogawa Food Detectives

If this was the first book of this style I'd read I would have loved it, but felt too similar to others like Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Really made me want to go to Kyoto and just eat everything available though.

A picture of the book "The Gone World" by Tom Sweterlitsch

35. Tom Sweterlitsch - The Gone World

Like pretty much every time travel story it got a bit too out of control with the loops at the end, but a fun ride and some interesting concepts and consequences of travelling forward to find out what happens in the future.

34. Sarah J Maas - A Court of Mist and Fury

World still really cool, main character still really annoying. Although she does get better as this one goes on. Prythian is quickly climbing the list of fantasy worlds I'd most like to visit.

33. Kaliane Bradley - The Ministry of Time

I love movies that switch tone and genre halfway through, Parasite, Barbarian, Sinners... And this felt like that. A love story into a spy thriller with time travel and diving into what makes us who we are. I really loved it.

32. J.P. Pomare - Call Me Evie

The ending to this made me so mad, and made me really hate this whole book. If you're going to write a story like this, don't make that the ending. It's not even about the actual story or how it was written, it's just a shit and gross "twist".