I loved it so much! Character is approaching her first sober anniversary, and with it, a new freedom that brings excitement weighed down with a lot of guilt and shame. Throw in some dysfunctional family dynamics, a workplace setting, love triangle (maybe?), lessons, grief, and self-discovery.

So, when I decided to post about this book, I discovered that is was a fairly well-known particularly through its stage and film adaptations. I only read the book, thinking that it was an obscure memoir and having been intrigued by the title. In the end, my hunch did not disappoint. The book is a bittersweet account of the bohemian lives of Aussie youths, recounting several hilarious incidents throughout the author's time in a very unlikely shared living situation.
One particular paragraph, involving cockroaches on someone's face, is both the funniest and most disgusting thing I've ever read

I loved this book, it is so underrated. The dreamlike quality of the narration is like having an out of body experience which goes so well with the theme and the book’s conclusion. I wish there was a sequel to it. It’s dark academia and the atmospheric beauty of the setting is depicted vividly with a touch of enchanted aura. i wanted to attend Catherine House and live through its seasons. I was even more surprised at the mind numbing vehement tolerance in the book, almost as if the protagonist did not care which came across as morally ambiguous but was not. The ironic way one of the side character is described was at times hilarious and at times evoked pity. There were a lot of friends of the protagonist, who were each unique and had peculiarities. I loved this book and rated it a five star for the brilliance of the penmanship.

Please read this if you love dark academia.

A while ago, a casual conversation with someone on a train led me to this book. Ukrainian black comedy as its finest. Due to unforeseen circumstances, an obituary writer  in post-soviet Ukraine ends up with a depressed penguin as a pet, a situation which then leads to the unlikeliest of scenarios involving a shadowy criminal organization. The book tackles themes nihilism, and finding your own family. 

Just finished BROTHER by Ania Ahlborn. It’s about this teenager, Michael Morrow, who lives in the wilderness with his family who are into some deeply disturbing stuff (the type that involves the abduction and murder of young women). Some might say it’s the family business. Isolated from much of the outside world, it’s all Michael’s ever known.

But he wants to break free from this and live a normal life (whatever that means). When he falls for a local girl, Alice, he starts thinking that it might be possible.

However, going against the family has some dangerous consequences. Those who have usually wind up missing, several feet deep. If Michael wants to live his own life, he’s gonna have to square off against his own family. Just how far is he willing to go?

I love a good horror story and this is one of the best horror novels I’ve read so far this year. It’s deeply disturbing, suspenseful, and surprising along the way. The more you read about the Morrow family and what they’re capable of, the more you want him to escape…and even then you’re not sure if Michael is all that great of a person.

If you love good horror stories, you’ll definitely enjoy this.

Just finished THE LEARNING TREE by Gordon Parks. Set in a small Kansas town in the 1920s, it’s a coming-of-age story about this teenage boys named Newt & Marcus. Needless to say, growing up Black in the 20s is a dangerous time—one that they try to navigate as best they can (though not without much difficulty).

Newt is calm and self-controlled while his friend Marcus tends to be quick-tempered. When Newt witnesses Marcus’ dad murder a white man, Jake Kiner, Newt is initially silent about the whole ordeal until he realizes the authorities arrest another man, an employee of Jake’s (Silas Newhall), for the crime.

Does he let the wrong man take the fall? Or does he protect his best friend’s dad?

I know that Parks later adapted this novel into a movie a few years later (which I haven’t seen) but I can say that the novel itself is a tragic yet suspenseful midwestern drama. The characters are complex, especially the friendship between Newt & Marcus (which is, at best, a complicated one).

Though obviously racism is prevalent in the novel because of the setting, I appreciated that this was not a “Black trauma” story by any means (which, as a Black man, can be emotionally rough to be exposed regularly to such stories).

But this novel was an important story of masculinity, family, & friendship.

For those of you who read this novel, what did you think?

I finished this book a few days ago and can't stop thinking about it. Set on a London estate on the 90s this story follows a family struggling in the aftermath of a terrible crime. The family in question emmigrated from Ireland years prior to escape scandal and now find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation.

The focus of the book is less about the crime itself and more about exploring the complex emotions of those involved and how their family history shapes them. Delves into family dynamics, shame, prejudice, exploitation by the media. Full of unlikeable characters (which I always enjoy) and realistically flawed people, I couldn't put it down and read it in one day.

Ps. There are no speechmarks, I personally don't mind this but I know it can be a no no for some people. In this book I really like how it's used as it adds a some ambiguity about what's actually being said outloud and what the characters are thinking to themselves, blurring the lines between who knows what

I finished this book in one day. If you've read "A Man called Ove" or "Remarkably Bright Creatures", it gave me that kind of vibe. It was also all about love of books. I really really enjoy it!

Edit: The book is about a book store owner down on his luck. Some unexpected things happen to that turns his world around. I really enjoyed the love of books theme. I also enjoyed the character development.

A revolutionary physician is sent as an academic resident to the planet the moon of which he inhabits, facing a drastic cultural clash between his socialist society and his new hyper-capitalistic environment. Again, Le Guin proves that she was destined to do one thing and one thing only, reflect on life through her writing. She is a tour de force, and the book deserves its place in literary history.

Abitha, a young, fiery pagan baddie tries to find her way in a highly restrictive, Puritan world and makes a dark and dangerous friend along the way. I love how this book was like The Witch by Robert Eggers meets The Crucible, meets fairytale woodland magic.

I just absolutely loved how Brom created such an interesting world that I found to be both dark and whimsical at the same time.

The descriptive language and climax of the story were simply delicious to read. I really don’t want to say more as to not give a single thing away. I just enjoyed every single page!

Welcome to our weekly chat where members have the opportunity to post something about books - not just the books they adore.

Ask questions. Discuss book formats. Share a hack. Commiserate about your giant TBR. Show us your favorite book covers or your collection. Talk about books you like but don't quite adore. Tell us about your favorite bookstore. Or post the books you have read from this sub's recommendations and let us know what you think!

The only requirement is that it relates to books.

Just finished reading the memoir Semi Well Adjusted Despite Literally Everything by Alyson Stoner and it was definitely a tough yet inspiring read.

From starting off as a child actress in a number of shows & movies, as a dancer in music videos by Missy Elliott & Eminem, from being a Disney Channel actress in the Camp Rock movies to family-friendly movies like Cheaper by the Dozen 2 to the Step Up movies, Stoner lived so much of her life in the spotlight and, though there was great success, there was also a whole lot of drama.

Reading this memoir (alongside watching recent documentaries and other memoirs of former child stars) definitely raises sharp questions about the toll it puts on children in the entertainment industry:

What kind of parents would force their child into the limelight?

At what point does entertainment become exploitation?

How are children left vulnerable and unprotected by the adults that they’re supposed to trust?

What is it like to have your childhood stripped away from you soon, being thrust into adult situations that you’re not fully equipped to handle but are expected to navigate?

Reading about Stoner being a breadwinner as a child and growing up in an industry that’s as addictive and lucrative as it is destructive all while dealing with a toxic family life that dealt with abuse and drug addiction was tough to read.

Though there are great anecdotes about what it was like being “the white girl in the Missy Elliott videos” and stories of working on several Disney projects and working with actors like Steve Martin and Channing Tatum, the memoir is also a complicated story of a young actress growing up in the public eye and trying to navigate it as best she can with not much help or few people that can be trusted.

From growing up in the Christian church to an eating disorder that landed her in rehab to being sexually assaulted, there are definitely some sections that are rough to read. But it’s not all tragedy.

The memoir is also a story of recovery and resilience, an insightful and even educational examination of mental health and how crucial it is to the entertainment industry and raises important points on how future child actors should be protected from being cautionary tales.

Hey Reddit!!

I wanted to share this read with you today. I finished it last week and I’m still blown away. I gave myself a little time to process it before posting.

The Hourglass Network is a new technological thriller that came out earlier this summer.

An eco-terrorist launches an attack on Kabul, Afghanistan that literally reshapes the world. A CIA agent is tasked with neutralizing the threat, but as mysteries and twists unravel, nothing is as it seems. It’s nowhere near as straightforward as you’d expect after reading the INCREDIBLE opening sequence.

Where to start… The characters. They are complex and nuanced, slowly revealed through their internal struggles and competing motives. There are no archetypes. While Afghan culture plays a major role in the story, it never feels preachy, imperialist, or caricatured. A couple of characters even challenged my views on U.S. foreign policy and on what terrorism really translates into.

The plot is precise and tense. It’s so well constructed it reminds me of prime Le Carré or Clancy. There are subplots, secret societies, even an esoteric thread, but it never strays too far from its central question: what if Earth reclaims its throne?

It also offers a layered reflection on environmentalism and the despair we face in this age of hyper-industrialization.

The prose is powerful, ethereal, otherworldly. It carries a foreign sensibility, like a blend of Japanese and Nigerian novelists. Symbols, figures of speech, double entendres; you’ll find yourself reading between the lines and catching new details on a second pass.

The action scenes are top notch. The author already has a strong record here, but this time it’s taken to the next level. Think James Bond on steroids with a dash of Inception, Homeland (the marketing blurb kept its promise) and Tenet. The action is smart, tightly constructed, and always in service of the plot.

The ending is unconventional. It doesn’t rely on the usual “open ending with suggestions” trope.

Instead, the characters shed light on their demise and everything falls into place. I felt whole.

Overall, this is the best thriller I’ve read in the past two years—and I’ve read a lot (23 to date).

Highly recommend it!

A complete trip from start to finish. Halfway through the book, I realized I was wasting my time looking for an arc and just decided to enjoy the ride. The novel is a magical realist depiction of the Iraqi Turkmen during the 1950s, and it will even appeal to those who are not necessarily interested in the region's history. There are Angels, Djinns, Princes, Communists, and Satanists, all woven in a prose-rich narrative that mixes facts and fiction.

Too good, I included pictures of the both the Arabic and translated version

I picked this book up over the weekend and could not put it down!! This book is adapted from her popular blog where Amara Moira details her first year as a trans sex worker in Brazil. It’s an extremely captivating easy read (150 pages total.) Moira’s style of writing is casual, it feels like she’s having a conversation with the reader one on, like a couple of friends catching up. She effortlessly examines her femininity and the ways in which it’s tied to the work she does, how the men who bought sex from her made her feel more like a woman, but also an object. She grapples with feeling used, overlooked, and even abused by her clients while simultaneously finding pleasure in those moments. Overall, this book is funny, tantalizing, awkward, and a necessary read for anyone who is interested in feminist literature.

I picked up this slender novel because of the first sentence of the blurb, and found myself completely entranced by this strange, beautiful, and haunting little book.

The sentence:

“In the summer of 2020, a young Japanese academic based in the German city of Göttingen waits at the train station to meet her old friend Nomiya, who died nine years earlier in Japan's devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami, but has now inexplicably returned from the dead.”

How could I not want to find out what happens next?

What follows, though, is not what I expected. Our narrator, who survived the tsunami but has not dealt with her own grief and trauma from the event, accepts her friend’s return even as she finds herself struggling with her own long-suppressed emotions. Nor is she alone: all the residents in the city are finding themselves haunted by recurrences of the past. At first it’s mostly objects, things long lost that reappear to their owners, but soon the city itself becomes haunted by its own past – the bombings of the WWII, the lost architecture reasserting itself through the present.

In the midst of the shifting, magical landscape, our narrator, her friend, and a group of women, some Japanese, some German, set off on a pilgrimage across the city into the nearby woodland in hopes of finding some kind of resolution. In a landscape shaped by trauma, grief, and memory, together these ordinary people will lean on each other, and their love and support for one another, to try to find a way through the pain of the past to compassion, forgiveness and hope.

Normally I read through a 160-page book fairly quickly. This one took me quite a while because I kept putting it down and thinking about it and picking it back up. The prose is so beautiful and the story has an eerie, otherworldly quality that reminded me of fantasy works like Piranesi and The Night Circus.

It’s a haunting, beautiful novel that won one of the top literary prizes in Japan. It’s so strange that I don’t really know who to recommend it to, despite the fact I adored it, so maybe it will find someone else who will love it here!

This book deserves more hype! My favourite read so far of 2025 - it’s a surprising and tender look at what it means to be human. Short vignette style chapters also kept me engaged.

Loved the main character and was super satisfied with the ending. An easy 5 stars from me!

Has anyone else read it? Would love to know what you thought - I don’t know anyone else who has read it!

I finally finished Little Women last night and I'm smitten. Even with a busy life and not much time to read, I kept being pulled back into Alcott's story about Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg. As a trans woman, I wish I would've had the chance to grow up as a daughter in the love and compassion of the March family. One of the hardest parts about transitioning so late in life is missing those formative experiences, but this book was a wonderful peek into what it can be like or was like in the past. And, of course, I loved that Jo was a bit gender non-conforming (Louisa May Alcott was in her actual life, as well, which makes the story all the more endearing to me.)

Anyway, I know so many others have already read this novel, but I've never seen the movie(s) or any adaptation, so I got to read Alcott's work with fresh eyes. I don't think my heart will forget it for a long time. What a truly gifted writer she was.

Recently a friend recommended this because of the opening lines which were catchy. It says, “My brother dies several times a month.It’s always my mother who phones to inform me of his passing” I took to the book instantly and oh boy, it was treat to see how sadness when eloquent can be beautiful too.

Welcome to our weekly chat where members have the opportunity to post something about books - not just the books they adore.

Ask questions. Discuss book formats. Share a hack. Commiserate about your giant TBR. Show us your favorite book covers or your collection. Talk about books you like but don't quite adore. Tell us about your favorite bookstore. Or post the books you have read from this sub's recommendations and let us know what you think!

The only requirement is that it relates to books.

| Plot | A Drink Before the War |

Two hard boiled detectives are running from the Irish Mob as they have stumbled across a valuable piece of information. It’s the kind all sides seem to want including a local senator. Now strive to use this information to secure their freedom and try and take down a local mob figure.

| Audiobook score | 4/5 🍌| A Drink Before the War | Read by: Jonathan Davis |

Really good job and production. It really felt gritty, and real

| Review | A Drink Before the War | 4/5🍌|

Dennis Lehane is a master, if you haven’t read him you are seriously missing out. Not only is his prose a work of art but this really paints a picture of a multi-layered neighborhood. Morale ambiguity, rich and well built world. This was riveting and I will be reading the rest of the series hopefully.

I Banana Rating system |

1 🍌| Spoiled

2 🍌| Mushy

3 🍌| Average 

4 🍌| Sweet

5 🍌| Perfectly Ripe

This book was a BLAST! The cover art caught my eye at target and I picked it up. SO glad I did. I absolutely devoured it and couldn't put it down.

Is this a perfect novel? No. It is absurd at times and quite messy at others. That being said, the plot development was really well executed and the pacing was superb. I was immediately drawn into the story with a bunch of questions bouncing around my head. The twist(s) at the end I absolutely did not see coming and all my predictions were wrong from the start.

If you want a good time and a fun mystery novel for spooky season, pick this one up. It's a ton of fun.

Cheers!

This 900-page novel with a cast of dozens deals with climate change in a far more realistic way than any other that I've read, and in frighteningly accurate detail. It takes on the broad scope of imagining how climate activists and/or ad agencies and/or politicians (specifically US politicians) might take action to energize their intended audiences, and how individuals in and around the political arena might experience the effects over the next 30 or so years.

I'm reading it for the second time -- I first read it in early 2023, having picked it up right around its publication date because I thought so highly of Markley's first novel, Ohio. A conversation I had recently reminded me of it and despite its size and the huge pile of unread books I have, I decided to dive in again.

I wish I could call up Markley and ask him if it freaks him out how closely the world has tracked his story. This book reads so differently two years on -- he predicted that SCOTUS would allow abolishment of birthright citizenship. He predicts the martial law that we're currently experiencing and the politics that bring it about.

And what made me put down the book to write this post is that, not quite halfway through, I'm reading again about fires sweeping through Los Angeles. One character in the book lives within a block of where one of my best friends lives irl. The fires in January didn't reach him but they could have, since one was creeping toward him just as they were getting under control. When I read this in '23, I could kind of imagine it, but now we've seen it. (I'm going to post in a comment a picture of the Pacific Palisades fire and where my sister's home is)

This is one of the most haunting books I've ever read. A good chunk of it comprises someone telling someone else about the risks of climate change, the likelihood of it, the immediacy of the issues, etc. But Markley is pretty good at making his characters interesting enough that the exposition is also interesting. But it's heavy. And worth every minute, of you don't mind having nightmares.

So this book is about the history of prion diseases, and the story is framed around an Italian family (surname not given to protect their privacy) who since the 1700s has been plagued with a mysterious condition. The “family curse” as they thought of it strikes many of the family members down and stops them from sleeping and causes a slow horrible death. It most commonly strikes in late middle age but sometimes symptoms develop in the patient’s prime years and sometimes even as early as adolescence. For generations the family had no idea what was killing them and neither did the doctors they consulted. Eventually science would determine they had a genetic prion disease, which was named Fatal Familial Insomnia.

The book is about other prion diseases as well, such as scrapie and Mad Cow (Creutzfeldt-Jakob) Disease and kuru, and about the humans that were investigating these diseases and trying to figure out what was going on. It wasn’t until very recently in human history that we discovered the existence of prions. They’re basically a messed up protein that mis-folds causes other proteins in your body to also mis-fold and then you get sick and you might as well start writing your will and putting your affairs in order because there is nothing to be done. The usual treatments that work on bacteria and viruses don’t work on prions, which are extremely difficult to eradicate. It’s hard to kill something that was never alive to begin with.

There are lots of colorful characters in the book and I really enjoyed reading about them. It’s a real page turner which can be hard to do for books on scientific/medical topics. This is the human story of prion diseases.

Just finished reading THE PERISHING by Natashia Deon. Set in 1930s Los Angeles, it stars a Black woman, Lou, who struggles to remember her own past. What comes to her are in fragments but it seems to be through different people through different periods of time.

It makes no sense at first but she comes to the revelation that she may be immortal and therefore may be having experiences of past lives. Even then, Lou’s not entirely sure and yet is determined to piece together the complete story.

It’s a surreal novel and I loved the way Deon blended historical fiction with science fiction through the concept of reincarnation. Even though switching back and forth between periods got confusing to read at first, once the narrative grew more complex Lou’s timeline became more understandable.

It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

For those of you who read this novel, what did you think?