This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. A similar meme, This Week in Books is hosted by Lipsyy Lost and Found.
Why not join in? Just answer the following three questions in a post and then put a link to that post in the Comments over at Taking on a World of Words.
The questions are:
- What are you currently reading?
- What did you recently finish reading?
- What do you think you’ll read next?
As always, clicking on the cover image will take you to the book’s Goodreads page.
1. What I’m reading at the moment
The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent
I requested this from NetGalley after seeing Yvo’s review and was delighted to be approved. As I expected, so far my experience of this book is very similar to Yvo’s – in other words, very positive. And it’s only 250 pages long which, after Outlander, is exactly what I needed 🙂
The blurb: Guylain Vignolles lives on the edge of existence. Working at a book pulping factory in a job he hates, he has but one pleasure in life …Sitting on the 6.27 train each day, Guylain recites aloud from pages he has saved from the jaws of his monstrous pulping machine. And it’s this release of words into the world that starts our hero on a journey that will finally bring meaning into his life. For one morning, Guylain discovers the diary of a lonely young woman: Julie. A woman who feels as lost in the world as he does. As he reads from these pages to a rapt audience, Guylain finds himself falling hopelessly in love with their enchanting author…
2. The last books I read
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Absolutely beautiful and brilliant. Get your hands on a copy. See if your library has it. Here’s my full review.
The blurb: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’ mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.
But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
AND
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
It is with a very heavy heart that I was unable to give a full thumbs up to this book. Don’t get me wrong, it has a lot of things going for it and I understand why so many readers love it. But I found myself unable to forgive it for what I saw as romanticised spousal abuse and homophobia. Here’s my full review.
The blurb: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord…1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
3. What I’ll read next
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
My experiences of the first two books in this series have been mixed. If you haven’t seen them, here are my reviews for The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Silkworm. However, there’s been an upward trend in my ratings, so I have high hopes that JK will finally get in her stride with this one, particularly as the blurb promises us more Robin!
The blurb: When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.
Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible – and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.
With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them…
Have you read/are reading any of these? What are you reading? Let me know! 🙂
And elsewhere on the blog…
Last week I made cherry cake. Simple sponge cake with red glacé cherries.
Claire Huston / Art and Soul
I read your review of Outlander and agree with you on it being too long. I also found some of the themes offensive but I don’t think it bothered me quite as much as it did you. I think I put a lot down to the time period and shoved it out of my mind. Hopefully you’ll enjoy your current reads more.
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I think Outlander, of all the books I’ve read recently, has been a good reminder to me of just how differently everyone experiences a book.
I might have been able to put it behind me, but the book kept dwelling on the specific incident and corporal punishment in general! I started to wonder if the author had some weird obsession with physical punishment!
My current book is the perfect thing to read now: a total contrast. Contemporary, French and very short!
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I have to admit to giving up on Outlander after the first book. They’re just soooo long I can’t face them. Short works well for me and my limited attention span 🙂
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I just went to request The Reader on the 6.27 myself and it has now been archived. boo! I’ll have to track it down, though, it sounds gorgeous.
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It’s one of those books which sneaks up on you. It plods along at first and you think, “Oh, I guess this is ok” but then suddenly you realise you’re really in to it and you’re sad when it ends. Such a lovely little book. And definitely one for book lovers!
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The Reader on 6.27 sounds lovely 🙂 I’m not Outlander is for me and it’s just so LONG! Will read your full review on it shortly
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Outlander has its good points… but a couple of strong negatives really stuck with me and I couldn’t forget about them. A shame, because Gabaldon is a great writer.
The Reader of the 6.27 is great, particularly for book lovers 🙂
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I also love the sound of The Reader on the 6.27 – what a shame it’s been archived! Hope you enjoy it right to the end….
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I now feel very fortunate to have got a copy of this book just before it was archived. It’s such a lovely little story and perfect for book lovers.
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6.27 sounds like such a great story. I would like to read that. I have the Cuckoo’s calling but I have just seen your review and adjusted my expectations:-) I haven’t read HP series by JK but I know how much of a hit those books are so I was intrigued when I found out that she has written some thrillers.Ill try get the series though. Happy reading and as usual,your baking is just too good. That cake has me drooling.
Happy reading.
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Thank you! The cake was lovely. So simple too.
The 6.27 is a lovely short book, I can’t imagine any book lover wouldn’t enjoy it 🙂
Thanks for visiting my post and happy reading!
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Pingback: WWW Wednesday 29th June 2016 | forthenovellovers
Nice selection of books. I’m going to see about getting a copy of The Reader on the 6.27. I have a copy of Outlander on my e-reader, but have yet to try it because of its length. Many of my friends have enjoyed it and the TV adaptation. Also have the first Galbraith novel on my e-reader. So many book, so little time.
My WWW: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2016/06/www-wednesdays_29.html
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Thank you!
Reading Outlander on e-reader is a good idea. I have the paperback and it’s enormous and the print is tiny tiny tiny. Having it on e-reader would have helped. I’d like to see the TV version to find out what they’ve done with the bits of the plot I wasn’t so keen on.
I’ll visit your post now…
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Cherry cake. Do I need to say more? 🙂
The Reader on the 6.27 was added to my TBR after Yvo’s review, but I promised myself to try and read it in French, so I’ll probably put it off as long as possible!
I picked The Song Of Achilles for our next book of the month for the Hype or Like Friday group. Your review was so good that when I noticed it was among the candidates, I voted for it. And then pushed a little more and it’s a done deal, haha! I hope to like it as much as you did.
I received The Silkworm two weeks ago, it will probably be in my July TBR, but I was a little surprised to see it so big!
Happy reading! 🙂
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I love cherry cake. Not a fan of fresh cherries, but I’ve always like glacé cherries, which is a bit weird…
I always try to read books written originally in Spanish in the original, even though translations are usually excellent. In the case of the 6.27, the translator has done an excellent job and you wouldn’t know it wasn’t written in English originally.
Ooo! I’m so glad you picked The Song of Achilles for your book group 🙂 I’ll be amazed if they don’t like it, it’s so beautiful.
Thanks for visiting my post and happy reading!
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Then I should use the 6.27 for a translation study! Thank you 🙂
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I love the sound of the quirky character in The Reader on the 6.27. And I need more short books to fill in between the longer ones…lol.
Here’s MY WWW POST
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It’s a excellent choice for a “between” book. The author’s managed to pack a lot into a short book which is a relaxing, easy read.
I’m just catching up with WWW posts and will head over to yours asap 🙂
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I’m really excited to read The Song of Achilles now, it’s been recommended to me again since I added it to Goodreads!
Thanks for visiting my WWW: https://sarinalangerwriter.com/2016/06/29/www-wednesday-29th-june-2016/
Happy reading! 🙂
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Hooray! I hope you love it as much as I did 🙂
Happy reading!
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I want the 6.27 now too……going to see if it’s still available…if not…the wish list!! 🙂
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A few people have said they’ve archived it recently 😦 Sounds like I got it just in time!
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The hard part about reading Outlander is taking it in the context of the time period. It was something I had to keep reminding myself while I was reading it because, while it was normal for the 1700’s, it’s completely offensive now. I’m sorry you didn’t end up enjoying it. If it makes any difference, the other books focus less on those aspects as far as I’ve read (I’m on book 5). The content is more adventurous and there’s more of a love story.
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Oh good! I definitely want to give book 2 a try as you’re not the only person to say they’ve enjoyed the series more and more with each book 🙂
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So far Voyager (book 3) is my favorite! It’s the settings that make it cool to read! So Dragonfly in Amber is in France, Voyager is also elsewhere… It’s cool to read about the different areas during those time periods!
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I’m sorry to hear Outlander was a bit of a letdown for you, especially since you’d been looking forward to it for good amount of time.
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I know 😦 That said, now that I’ve invested the time in book 1, I do want to try book 2 (and I have it sitting on the shelf!). I’ll have a bit of a break first, but hopefully I’ll fit it in before Christmas… maybe… 😉
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Im currently still working on book 2, and it is good but I’m just feeling slumpyish
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I’m still so torn on whether I want to read Outlander. I’ll have to check out your review of it.
Thanks for stopping by my WWW Wednesday!
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Oh no…. I don’t think my review will help you make up your mind! Outlander has lots of good things going for it, but there were a couple of things which really upset me 😦 Don’t let me put you off completely because loads of people love it!!
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I might still read it eventually, but ugh. The things you mentioned in that review would definitely get on my nerves. I’m still undecided on it haha
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I’m a little bummed you didn’t like Outlander but I definitely do understand where you’re coming from. I am so excited to read The Song of Achilles in July! It’s been on my TBR for awhile now but your recent read of it has really pushed it back into the front of my mind.
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Yay! I can’t wait for you to read The Song of Achilles either so I have someone else to talk to about it 🙂
I’m going to push on with the Outlander series because there are a few people who’ve told me they get better. And as I have the first 4 books on my shelf, it would be silly not to give her another chance given that she’s an excellent writer and the characters are interesting. Plus, I like the historical settings and details 🙂
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That’s great! I think you’ll like the next few better. My favorite has been Drums of Autumn, book 4. Voyager, book 3 is also great!
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I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying The Reader On The 6.27! 🙂 And I still have to read The Silkworm myself… I think I’m going to wait for your review on Career Of Evil before getting the copies; I wasn’t really convinced by the first book, but if they keep improving I guess the sequels are worth the try. 😉
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It’s such a lovely book! You were spot on in your review 🙂
I’m keeping everything crossed that Career of Evil is a bit better than the previous two. I do wonder whether I would be harsher if they weren’t written by JK Rowling. She’s built up a lot of goodwill with me thanks to Harry Potter!
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I added The Song of Achilles after reading your review. I can’t wait to read this one soon!
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Yay! It’s so wonderful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did 🙂
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You definitely read some books with beautiful covers!
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Thank you! I try not to be swayed by the cover… but I think it definitely influences book choices!
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You’re welcome! Same. Book covers definitely decide whether I even think about reading a book 🙂
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I haven’t tried Robert Galbraith’s books yet, I’ve been back and forth on whether they’re something I’d be interested in. I’ll have to stop by and read your reviews. It sounds like you’ve had a pretty reasonable week reading wise!
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Thank you, I did. The good and the not so good books balanced each other out 🙂 If you like detective stories/murder mysteries, then then Robert Galbraith novels are worth checking out. But they are very long!
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I don’t often have patience for long books, I’ll give them some more thought lol
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I really just need to get my own copy of The Song of Achilles, I loved it so much. I’m itching to reread it again!
Here’s my post for this week. 🙂
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I’m planning to get my own copy too! And then get a copy for my sister as well 🙂
I’ll check out your post asap… just catching up!
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Can’t wait to read Achilles based on your review! I’ve read the Colleen Maccullough Song of Troy but this sounds even better! And I’m saddened to hear you haven’t been turned into an Outlander fan 😦 There is a lot of darkness in the book – in the series – and it gets dense and wordy at times (especially with later books) but I do love the series. Here’s my WWW http://hollykerr.ca/www-wednesday-acomaf-and-the-testing/
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It’s wonderful. I can’t wait to hear what you think! 🙂
I will be continuing with the Outlander series after a break. I’ve been told they books get better as you work your way through, so I have hope!
I’ll visit your post now…
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I always need a break between Outlander books because there’s just so much detail and description. Be warned, the last one in the series is in dire need of editing, but it will take a while for you to get there anyway!!
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I love the cover for The Song of Achilles and it sounds so interesting. I will have to grab it if I see it at the library since you loved it so much!
My WWW: http://www.anovelglimpse.com/2016/06/29/www-wednesday-june-29-2015/
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Please do. I got my copy at my library but now I want to buy my own copy. Such a brilliant book!
I’ll visit your post now…
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I hope you like Career of Evil. I’ve been wanting to read that for a long time. I hope to get to it soon. Happy reading and thanks for participating in WWW Wednesday!
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I hope so too! I’m looking forward to reading more about Robin anyway. And hoping Matthew falls down a flight of stairs – haha!
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Well The Reader on the 6:27 sounds good and so pleased you’re reading was on an upturn. I haven’t read any of the Robert Galbraith books but do have the first one sitting patiently on my shelf.
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I think any book lover would enjoy The Reader on the 6.27. And it’s nice to read something shorter between Outlander which is massive (nearly 900 pages!) and the next Robert Galbraith which is, again, 500 pages. They need to be brave and edit her!
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The Reader on the 6.27 sounds like an interesting book. I have The Song of Achilles on my TBR and can’t wait to read it. I’ve been back and forth on if I want to read Outlander. I think I may just listen to the audiobooks.
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Can’t wait for you to get to The Song of Achilles! I’m looking forward to having to other people to talk to about how brilliant it is 🙂
Thanks for visiting my post and happy reading!
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The Reader on the 6.27 sounds very interesting! I’m sorry a few of the elements of the time period in Outlander put you off of it. Don’t write it off completely – the series continues in a much better light. I am currently in the beginning half of The Fiery Cross and I have loved each book in the series.
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It’s really good to hear so many people say that the Outlander series gets better 🙂 I have the first 4 books on my shelf, so I do want to continue. I’ll have a break and fit a few more books in first… it’s a shame they’re SO enormous!
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I’m glad that you at least had a balance in book quality between Song of Achilles & Outlander! The amazing evens out the terrible 😉
I still have to read the Silkworm, but I hope you enjoy the third one! The first one was a little lacklustre, but I think I remember you saying that the second was better, so I’m excited to try it.
Thanks for stopping by my WWW Wednesday earlier!
Happy Reading 🙂
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It definitely was a week of contrasts! 🙂 And The Reader on the 6.27 was the perfect thing to read after Outlander: such a lovely short novel.
Happy reading!
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I really need to start reading the Cormorarn Strike novels – both because I won the second book during NaNoWriMo and because of that upward trend you noted in your reviews.
Happy reading!
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They do seem to be getting better each time. I haven’t got very far into Career of Evil yet, but the beginning is very good 🙂
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