April:
Occupation Diaries - Raja Shehadeh
Woman at Point Zero - Nawal Al Saadawi
Palestinian Walks - Raja Shehadeh
Memory of Departure - Abdulrazak Gurnah
Also,
Circe by Madeline Miller
There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
The Voyage Home by Pat Baker
#booksky #books #readinglist25 #read
Book 24
The Secrets of Blythswood Square by Sarah Sheridan
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Loved this! Thought The Fair Botanists was excellent but this was even better. Was easy to read and I was so keen to see how everything developed. Definitely recommend.
#ReadingList25
Book 23
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
⭐⭐⭐1/2
I found this tricky to get into but, once hooked, really liked it. Like nothing else I have ever read. Bit difficult to follow at times but overall recommend.
#ReadingList25
Book 22
The Bell in the Lake
⭐1/2
I absolutely loved Sixteen Trees of the Somme so had high expectations but this just didn't meet them at all. Book Club pick so I'm unlikely to read the rest. Maybe it went over my head?
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Book 21
Yardsticks for Failure
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Much deeper than you expect it to be, but made me properly laugh out loud too. Highly recommend listening to it - Ivo does an amazing job.
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Book 20
James by Percival Everett
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Outstanding. Love when a short book packs a powerful punch. Read it in about 4 sittings.
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Book 19
Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fascinating story! Can't believe it's true. Great to have such an honest account. It's amazing what people are capable of.
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Book 18
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a powerful book, so subtle but says so much. Keen to see the adaptations now, heard great things.
#ReadingList25
Book 17
What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama
⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a lovely book! Loved the separation in the chapters but the subtle links between each story. Fab little book, a really pleasant read.
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Book 16
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Brilliant. Definitely recommend as an audiobook, too. So interesting and honest, learned a lot and made me think.
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Book 15
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fascinating! Really interesting looking at one person's perspective in so much detail.
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Book 14
Why Can't I Just Enjoy Things? by Pierre Novellie
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Loved this! Really funny and relatable. Felt a little called out sometimes, though? Definitely recommend, no matter if you're neurotypical or neurodivergent.
#ReadingList25
Book 13
Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson
⭐⭐1/2
Hmm, liked and didn't like this one. Lots of relatable sections but felt the storyline got a bit lost at points - I did find myself rooting for the main character.
#ReadingList25
Book 12
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
⭐⭐⭐1/2
A refreshing take on dystopian future. Quite an easy and engaging read.
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Book 11
A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown
⭐⭐⭐1/2
This was such an enjoyable read. A refreshing look at the life of HM, quite funny too! A few sections were a bit long/weird for my liking though.
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Book 10
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
⭐⭐⭐
First audiobook of the year. Not quite sure I get all the hype about it but I did enjoy it.
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Book 9
The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr
⭐⭐⭐1/2
What a lovely read! Nicely paced, quite funny and with characters you cared about. Great for an easy read to make you smile.
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Book 8
East West Street by Philippe Sands
⭐⭐⭐1/2
A hell of a read. Both in the sense that it covers a monumental piece of history and that it is a long and difficult read. But definitely still recommend.
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Book 7
News of the Dead by James Robertson
Enjoyed this one! Recommended by a friend, not what I'd usually pick up but became really invested in the story and characters. Made you question your narrator at points...
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Book 6
The Laird's Ladle by Yvonne Vincent
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Really enjoying listening to this series on Spotify. Ridiculously Scottish with plenty of humour as well as twists and turns to keep you guessing. Makes car journeys disappear!
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Book 5
A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan
⭐
First book club book of 2025! 15 years ago I would've loved a book like this - but not now. So predictable, lacking in meaningful dialogue and, at times, laughable.
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Book 4
How They Broke Britain by James O'Brien
⭐⭐⭐1/2
An important but difficult read. Outrageous. Also, wildly funny at points? Maybe only because you'll cry otherwise.
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Book 3
The Wager by David Grann
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
What a brilliant book, and it's true! Grann expertly handles weaving this story. Fascinating.
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Book 2
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
An excellent novel, powerful. Definitely recommend.
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Book 1
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
Wow, what a read. Absolutely gripping. Feels scarily relevant.
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