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squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain

Joined June 2017

Speed-reader who's trying to slow down...
review
squirrelbrain
The Paris Express | Emma Donoghue
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Pickpick

I had an ARC of this so started it in (digital) print but wasn‘t drawn in. The audio was much better, although there were too many characters so it was difficult to get to know / care about some of them.

The storyline had me gripped though, and I was desperate to find out the ending.

However, I‘m also slightly disappointed as I expected more (something quirky, unusual or clever) from this author and this felt like a fairly standard HF.

TrishB Pre-warned! 2d
62 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
I Will Crash | Rebecca Watson
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Mehso-so

Ah, the perils of buying books online after reading a great review! If I‘d have picked this up in a shop and flicked through it, I wouldn‘t have bought it.

I just didn‘t get on with the experimental (poetic?) writing style, which meant I didn‘t connect with the characters at all.

Rosa hasn‘t seen her brother for 6 years when he turns up on her doorstep. A tragedy means she is forced to confront their shared past. Too much ‘hinting‘ for me.

sarahbarnes Bummer. 😞 3d
62 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
Sweat | Emma Healey
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Pickpick

This was over-hyped for me. Probably the wrong time to read it - I‘m so over #menbehavingbadly #gaslighting #toxicmen books, which seems to be every other book at the moment.

Liam and Cassie certainly had a toxic relationship but she manages to break free from him. Two years later he turns up at the gym where she works, having gone blind.

The whole premise was a bit far-fetched and the ending 😲 but still a good read, in a trashy sort of way.

BarbaraBB You don‘t really sell it 😜 4d
TrishB But a great photo! 4d
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @TrishB - I‘m pretending that I keep fit! 🤣 4d
67 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Show Me Where It Hurts | Claire Gleeson
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Pickpick

Wow - the best fiction book I‘ve read this year (should have been on the #wpf25 list).

Rachel and Tom live a seemingly normal, average life with their two kids, until the day Tom swerves his car off the road with the intention of killing himself and them.

The story veers between ‘before‘ and ‘after‘ - should Rachel have known beforehand, and how she copes afterwards.

Difficult to read but impossible to put down.

TheKidUpstairs High praise! Definitely stacking :) 5d
Oryx Stacked! 5d
LeahBergen Ooo, stacked! 5d
CarolynM Sounds confronting but great. Stacked🙂 5d
78 likes16 stack adds4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I don‘t think I loved this as much as many early reviewers, but it *is* very good. Like the author‘s previous two books it takes a horrific situation but deals more with the emotions around it, rather than explicitly covering the crime / event itself. (Doesn‘t mean it‘s not scary as hell though!) 😧 😱

Isabel and Edward suffered a terrible crime and are now forced to confront what happened to their relationship then, and in the decades since.

BarbaraBB I am curious about this! 1w
Cathythoughts Stacking. 👍🏻❤️ 1w
56 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I‘m glad, after reading this, that I‘ve never used anything Meta (no SM at all apart from here! 😏).

I knew bits of this story, but was still shocked at the depth and extent of the immorality and degeneracy of the company and its people. More so with Sandberg actually - I‘d only ever really seen good stuff about her, probably because I wasn‘t previously interested enough in her to learn more.

Shocking and sobering - scary stuff!

BarbaraBB Hi Henry 🙋🏻‍♀️. The books sounds sobering indeed! 1w
69 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Last but one from the #wpnf25 longlist. (Half of Tracker to go)

This started off well, but became quite repetitive. I also don‘t feel that the author achieved what she set out to do. At the start she said that newly discovered papers have refuted the negative review of Gauguin, but didn‘t really demonstrate that to me.

I didn‘t know much about him prior to this - other than that I understood that he was a colonialist who liked young girls. ⬇️

squirrelbrain Towards the end of the book he did seem to try to defend the islanders against colonial rule, but he was offered and accepted neighbours‘ daughters in their early teens, more than one of whom became pregnant. 2w
quietlycuriouskate My daughter is strongly Team Vincent, so he's called "f?ckin' Gauguin" around here. 2w
65 likes2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Somewhere Else | Jenni Daiches, Sara Trevelyan
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Pickpick

This was my last book from the #wpf25 longlist. I liked it but didn‘t love it - a fairly standard family saga for me.

It felt too long (nearly 14 hours on audio), with a lot of unnecessary detail and a tendency to over-dramatise, leading one to think something was about to happen. Eg, one of the characters is in Spain, reporting on the Civil War. He‘s in a cafe writing a letter home, when 3 people burst through the door making a lot of noise ⬇️

squirrelbrain ….and then they sit down and order coffee. 🤷‍♀️ Lots more examples like this. 2w
BarbaraBB I really liked this one, just because of it being so straight forward. I guess I just needed that kind of book! 2w
squirrelbrain Yes, I can see that @barbarabb - particularly with the rest of the longlist! 2w
59 likes3 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Let's Go Camping! | Jan Mader
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These are my nominations for #camplitsy25. I‘m excited to see what everyone else nominates - and I‘m prepared for the #tbrexplosion!

If you‘ve not heard of #camplitsy and want to know more, head over to look at @BarbaraBB ‘s recent post or ask any questions here.

squirrelbrain For some reason I can‘t tag you @BarbaraBB - which could be an issue. 😬 2w
squirrelbrain Thanks for mentioning Elegy @Oryx - I may have stolen the idea from you. ☺️ 2w
TheKidUpstairs Audition was number five on my list 🤣 great choices! 2w
See All 15 Comments
squirrelbrain Great minds….! @TheKidUpstairs 😊 2w
Cathythoughts I‘m looking them up 👍🏻😁❤️ 2w
Ruthiella Katie Kitamura‘s is going on my list too! Such an interesting writer. 2w
BarbaraBB Oooh you‘ve shared your choices already! Super excited. I am looking forward so much to checking out all those books that people nominate! 2w
squirrelbrain I couldn‘t help it @barbarabb - I was too excited! 🤣 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures Luminous looks so good, all of these look so good! I like how I think ohh what is this then go to my TBR and it is already there.... :) 2w
Deblovestoread So glad to see Audition on here! And the others look great too. 2w
squirrelbrain I‘m really looking forward to Audition! @Ruthiella @Deblovestoread 2w
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - our TBR lists are just TOO big to remember! 🤣 2w
sarahbarnes Elegy and Audition are on my TBR! 2w
Megabooks So glad we're doing this again this year friend! Can't wait to see what is chosen! 2w
Centique Ooh ive heard such good things about Audition! 7d
74 likes15 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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A rather sinister news item featured in many UK press publications this week. Scary timing for those of us who have recently read the tagged book.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/08/uk-creating-prediction-tool-to-i...

charl08 I missed this. 😱 2w
TrishB I saw this- very frightening! 2w
julesG Err, what??? It's not a piece of news from April Fools day? 2w
See All 9 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures This is what makes Dream Hotel so scary. It all is so much closer than we want to think. 2w
BarbaraBB That is so scary - and indeed very relatable when reading Dream Hotel 2w
Oryx I'm reading this book at the moment, and it is so scary and plausible. Even more so now 2w
squirrelbrain No @julesg! I actually checked the date too, hoping it was an April Fool. 😬 2w
Cathythoughts Stacking book 👍🏻❤️ 2w
squirrelbrain Looking forward to your review! @Oryx 2w
54 likes9 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Posting these snippets from Nova Scotia House for @JillR - and for anyone else that may be interested. 😊

It‘s a very unusual prose style - lots of missing punctuation that creates a stream of consciousness style.

As I mentioned before, on audio this came across very differently- it lost its flow and became very choppy and staccato.

JillR Hmmm now I can see it I remain unsure I could read a full book of it! I guess it depends if you can get into the flow. I‘m going to keep this one in mind, but perhaps library or Kindle offer rather than a physical copy 2w
squirrelbrain Yes, definitely a #borrownotbuy if you‘re not sure @JillR 2w
38 likes2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

Not yet in database.

Beautiful but devastating. Johnny still lives in Nova Scotia House, 24 years after his lover, Jerry, died from AIDS. A block of flats is being built, that will cast its shadow over Jerry‘s beloved garden, leading Johnny to look back and reflect on their time together.

This is told in a stream of consciousness style, with a lack of punctuation in the printed word. This flow wasn‘t reflected in the audio, which was very ⬇️

squirrelbrain staccato, almost list-like, which didn‘t work for me. (Loved the author‘s voice on audio - just not the delivery). I started with audio then switched to digital print halfway through, where the writing style was *much* more impactful and appropriate. Loved the ending! 2w
TrishB Sounds good 👍🏻 2w
JillR Oh, I was thinking I‘d read this at some point, but stream of consciousness…(and no punctuation…) 2w
squirrelbrain I‘ll post a picture of a page @JillR - see what you think. It worked for me in print actually, and I‘m a stickler for punctuation. Oh, and it has some rather graphic sex which I *hate* on audio. 2w
64 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Room Above a Shop | Anthony Shapland
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Pickpick

A short, sparse, sad story of two men in a village in South Wales, still with memories of the hardships of the Miners‘ Strike and against the background of Section 28, AIDS and homophobia. B and M work together in M‘s family hardware store, and live together in the small room upstairs, but have to hide their real selves.

If you liked Andrew McMillan‘s Pity - you‘ll like this. I loved it.

squirrelbrain @TrishB - I think you‘ll love this one too. 3w
TrishB Thank you 👍🏻 on the list. 3w
TrishB Just started this today! The writing is beautiful and I‘m only a few pages in. Thanks for recommending. 4d
squirrelbrain Oh I‘m so glad you‘re loving it too @TrishB Although you‘ve probably finished it by now -it‘s only a short read! 4d
TrishB I have finished 😢 4d
71 likes5 stack adds5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Dream Count | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Pickpick

Another one from the #wpf25 longlist that I was halfway through when the shortlist was announced. After reading the second half, this has slid way down my own longlist.

It‘s a pick but only just and it‘s certainly no Americanah. Billed as a novel about 4 women, it‘s more like 4 separate stories, with the women being only tangentially linked. Upon finishing, I could only remember 3 of the women - I‘d completely forgotten the 4th and her story.

BarbaraBB No Americanah… That‘s a pity because I wanted it to be just like that! 3w
ImperfectCJ I agree with @BarbaraBB that it's a disappointment it doesn't measure up to Americanah. I guess I did the right thing waiting for the library hold instead of purchasing. 3w
quietlycuriouskate Oh god, I am currently*40th* in line for this at the library and was really hoping it would be worth the wait 😕 3w
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ @quietlycuriouskate - hopefully you will all like it better than me. The first half was promising, but then it just didn‘t go anywhere. 3 of the 4 were rich b**ches complaining about their exes. There was one storyline I appreciated reading but it didn‘t fit with the others. Definitely a #borrownotbuy so stick with those library holds! 3w
JillR I‘m seeing such mixed reviews for this. 2w
71 likes5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Persians | Sanam Mahloudji
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Pickpick

I was halfway through this on audio when the #wpf25 shortlist was announced. It wasn‘t on my shortlist and I haven‘t changed my mind since.

I actually quite enjoyed it on audio - mainly vacuous rich people being obnoxious - but I don‘t understand why it was on the list. There was no ‘important message‘ and I didn‘t learn anything and, as is the trend these days, the book just ended with no resolution for most of the characters.

ChaoticMissAdventures I thought there were too many POVs. I mostly only cared about Elizabeth and Bita. 3w
TrishB I have it on the pile but won‘t be racing to read! 3w
BarbaraBB You liked it better than I did! 3w
See All 8 Comments
quietlycuriouskate What's with the list this year? I've read hardly any so far but, from the reviews I've seen, the vibe I'm getting is "meh" ? 3w
squirrelbrain Yep, that‘s exactly the vibe @quietlycuriouskate - very disappointing. 🤷‍♀️ 3w
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - those two were the best storylines, I agree. 3w
squirrelbrain @trishb - no, not your thing, I don‘t think. 3w
ChaoticMissAdventures @quietlycuriouskate & @squirrelbrain I think I am so disappointed because there were so many amazing choices they could have picked. I read this one thinking it would make it and was blown away much more than I liked any of the ones that made the list 3w
65 likes8 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Women's Prize For Fiction | Women\'s Prize For Fiction
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Here we go…! My #wpf25 list in order. I‘ve *nearly* finished all the books - see comments below. ⬇️

Overall it‘s a distinctly average list this year, IMO. The Safekeep made my favourites list of 2024 - only books 2 and 3 could possibly make the 2025 favourites.

On the flip side, I didn‘t absolutely hate any of them - damning with faint praise there! ☺️

The Artist came higher up the list as it was so unexpected - I read it before the ⬇️

squirrelbrain longlist announcement and it was a lovely surprise. Conversely I expected Nesting to be my fave but I think I over-hyped it in my mind. 3w
squirrelbrain I‘ve read around half of Dream Count (and educated myself around the author‘s inflammatory comments) and, whilst I‘m really liking it, I feel that less well-known authors should be on the list. I‘ve also listened to 50% of the Persians (I‘ll listen to another couple of hours tomorrow) and around 15% of Somewhere Else - both are ‘fine‘ but that‘s all. 3w
AnneCecilie I‘ve hardly read anyone. The Safekeep when it was on the Booker list last year, and The Ministry of Time. I find it interesting that one of my favorites, is also one of yours. Ministry has faded a little for me, and I see that‘s far down on your list. I‘ve just started Nesting. I didn‘t get all the fuzz around Americanah, so I‘m in no rush to read this. (edited) 3w
See All 16 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures Our lists are going to be fairly similar. I agree, it was fine, but not a great list compared to other years. 3w
quietlycuriouskate I've only read Safekeep (from the Booker list) and Ministry of Time. I have several more reserved from the library but I was never intending to read the whole list, and am certainly not going to oblige myself to do so now. 3w
BarbaraBB Thanks for sharing this! I‘ll check out The Artist. I didn‘t like Nesting as much as you did. I am reading and enjoying Somewhere Else much more than I thought I would. Dream Count I have on audio but not started yet. (edited) 3w
charl08 Wow, impressive as ever. I've not got half as far as you but Ministry of Time was always going to be hard to beat for me. 3w
Gissy I am beginning with the list because I‘m still in the process of waiting for the books. I guess I will read them eventually🤷🏽‍♀️I liked Safekeep because of the twist and writing style but I think it was repetitive in those intimacy scenes🙄I also think that is a dysfunctional relationship. But you never know what the judges are looking for...I think I am looking for a story like Brotherless Night for next winner 😂I need to move on🤣 3w
squirrelbrain Interesting that you‘ve both read the same 2 books!☺️ @quietlycuriouskate @AnneCecilie 3w
squirrelbrain There‘s nothing to compare to Brotherless Night this year @Gissy 🤷‍♀️ That was my favourite last year too. 3w
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB -I think you‘ll really like The Artist - @TrishB loved it too. 3w
squirrelbrain Thanks! @charl08 ☺️ Ministry of Time just didn‘t work for me though. 😬 3w
BarbaraBB That‘s good to know. If it makes the shortlist I‘ll read that one. And the Adichie which is for free on Spotify! 3w
Hooked_on_books For the shortlist, they appear to have picked from all over your list. And I‘m deeply annoyed they‘ve put AF on the shortlist. This year‘s judging panel doesn‘t have much credibility for me. 3w
squirrelbrain I‘m so disappointed @Hooked_on_books - no idea what rationale the judges used - for either the longlist or the shortlist. 3w
sarahbarnes Good to know your ranking! I‘m still looking forward to a couple of books from the longlist - Nesting and The Artist. 3w
52 likes16 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Nesting | Roisn O'Donnell
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Pickpick

#wpf25 Book 13

This was one of those books that leaves you breathless - that you don‘t want to look away from, but you really want to run away from. I never look at the end of a book, but had to in this case, just to know.

It was rather similar to Manguso‘s Liars, both in subject matter and the way it made me feel, and there was a bit more heart in this one.

For me, certainly in the top half of the (slightly disappointing) longlist.

BarbaraBB You liked it much more than I did! Glad you did. I‘d prefer Liars to this one. (edited) 4w
julieclair Great review! 4w
Hooked_on_books Wow, 13 done! You‘re a champion! 4w
See All 7 Comments
sarahbarnes Just got this from the library. Great review. I‘m curious what I‘ll think of it. 4w
Caroline2 I‘ve just got this in from BorrowBox. Bit nervous as I‘m just done with tragedy porn and Evil men doing Evil deeds! 😒 (I‘ve just finished listening to John Boyne‘s Water….Brilliant but hard going) 4w
squirrelbrain Yeah, it is definitely of the ‘Evil Men‘ genre but give it a go -you‘ll soon know! 3w
Caroline2 I‘ve returned it to the library. 😂 I‘m bailing before I‘ve even started!! I need a break from bleak books for a while. 👍 3w
69 likes1 stack add7 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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An article from today‘s Observer magazine, covering the Fundamentally author‘s background and her reasons for turning to stand-up comedy and comedic writing.

I found this rather interesting and, having just finished the book, it definitely added context.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/mar/30/the-death-of-my-friend-insp...

BarbaraBB Thanks. That‘s very interesting 4w
57 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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Pickpick

I‘m torn on this one. At first I found it wickedly funny and irreverent, but later on the MC acted really immaturely which served to diminish and over-simplify a really serious subject. (De-radicalisation of Isis brides)

I also felt that Islam was portrayed in a really negative way, with only 1 Muslim character having any redeeming features.

Ultimately, this is a pick, saved by its ending and the audacity in tackling the subject in such a way.

Jas16 I even more curious about this one now. 4w
CarolynM Your review makes me think of Yellowface - I wonder how much influence the publisher/editor had on it turning out that way? 4w
BarbaraBB I get what you mean. I agree on the subject being simplified by a too ignorant narrator. On Islam I am not sure, I think that‘s the point she wants to make - it is her pov and I assume it‘s her experience but I am not sure of that. 4w
See All 12 Comments
LeahBergen I‘m still intrigued! 4w
squirrelbrain I agree @BarbaraBB - I do think the author was making her point about Islam, but it concerned me that it wasn‘t nuanced enough and it would reinforce the views of readers who already have a negative perspective. (edited) 4w
squirrelbrain Interesting thought @CarolynM ! 🤔 I feel that the author has so much experience IRL of the subjects covered that it was her views alone. It would be interesting to know if the publishers tried to tone anything down though. 4w
squirrelbrain @Jas16 @LeahBergen - it‘s certainly like nothing I‘ve ever read and would provoke great discussions- would have been a good one for #camplitsy, don‘t you think @barbarabb ?! 4w
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Yes, it‘s a typical #CampLitsy book! Thinking about that longlist already 😇 4w
squirrelbrain So am I! @barbarabb 🤪 4w
Suet624 I just finished this and feel exactly the same way as you describe. 3w
squirrelbrain I‘m glad 😌 @Suet624 - it‘s always good to have someone agree with one‘s opinions, but when it‘s you - even better! 2w
Suet624 💕 2w
65 likes12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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Pickpick

Book 9 #wpf25

This was a scarily prescient read, particularly in the current political climate. Sara is pulled aside on her way through LAX and ‘detained‘ in a facility (not imprisoned!) due to her dreams indicating she *might* commit a crime in the future.

I liked the interactions and the menace in that facility - where the inmates can‘t do anything right so their retentions get extended. I felt that more could have been made of ⬇️

squirrelbrain Eisley and her role in Sara‘s story - it felt like a bit of an add-on. I also thought the ending could have been a bit stronger after all the building-up. But still 4 ⭐️ and a strong contender for my shortlist. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures It really creeped me out. I kept thinking of those brain implants Elon keeps trying to get people to have. No thank you. I am so paranoid right now I am taking a burner phone through TSA. 1mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 and definitely full of scary stuff that‘s not a million years away. 1mo
See All 12 Comments
Suet624 After reading a very depressing Women‘s Prize longlister I‘ve decided to return this book to the library. I can‘t read yet another book right now that will bring a potential reality into sharp focus. It will do me in. 1mo
squirrelbrain @Suet624 - it‘s nothing like as depressing as Crooked Seeds but it‘s really very sinister and too close to home. 1mo
AmyG Good review. Thanks! 1mo
Jas16 Great review. Totally agree about Eisley‘s story. (edited) 1mo
BarbaraBB Great review. I just started this too. 1mo
charl08 I don't read a lot of dystopia but finding this book terrifying. 4w
squirrelbrain It‘s because it‘s so close to the truth, I think @charl08 😬 4w
JillR I just finished this one, with identical thoughts! What was with the odd dipping into DreamSaver Inc but then not giving us more? I also kept thinking of the School for Good Mothers so didn‘t find it wholly original, and feel a prize longlister should be. Enjoyed it a lot overall though, and am liking this author, so I‘m aware I‘m being nitpicky. 2w
squirrelbrain Ah, yes @JillR - I‘d forgotten all about School of Good Mothers and you‘re right, it is rather similar. 2w
82 likes1 stack add12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Mehso-so

Book 8 #wpf25

I didn‘t expect to love this, after all the comments by Littens I respect, when it made the WP #longlist.

I actually didn‘t mind the first half but then it grew just a bit silly and repetitive, around the introduction of the ‘strange machine‘.

I found I didn‘t care for any of the characters and just wanted it to finish. #listcompletist 🙄

ChaoticMissAdventures I agree. I was shocked to see it in the list, having already read it and felt meh about it 1mo
TrishB No reviews have made me want to read this! I‘m reassured by yours that I still don‘t want to read it. 1mo
julesG @TrishB you're definitely not missing out. 1mo
See All 10 Comments
BarbaraBB I decided to skip this one as well 1mo
CarolynM Doesn‘t appeal to me, either. Thanks for confirming my lack of interest😆 1mo
TheKidUpstairs I tried this one as an ARC a while ago and couldn't get into it. Reviews like yours make me even more confident in my decision! It's interesting to see it get so much award love, when most readers I've spoken to (or seen on here) are so lukewarm in their opinions. 1mo
squirrelbrain Yes, it‘s odd @TheKidUpstairs - makes me wonder if the judges read it before including it. 😬 4w
JillR I just finished and adored it! The writing pulled me in from the very start. I‘ve seen mixed reviews though, it‘s so interesting to see people are polarised on it. I get the silliness of the overall premise but maybe I just fell too hard for Commander Gore for that to be an issue 😆 2w
squirrelbrain It‘s funny isn‘t it @JillR how we all have such different opinions on the same book?! 2w
JillR @squirrelbrain definitely, and it certainly seems the case around this years WP listed books, so interesting to see what works for some and not for others 2w
78 likes10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
A Little Trickerie | Rosanna Pike
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Pickpick

Catching up with reviews so apologies in advance! 🤪

Book 7 #wpf25

I loved this, having not expected to, not being a huge fan of ‘Tudor‘ HF. That‘s all down to the MC, Tibb, who is innocent but wise and has the pottiest mouth.

This deceptively simple story covers all sorts of areas - queer love, religion, prejudice, grief and found family.

Definitely on my shortlist!

Ruthiella This is the book from the long list along with The Safekeep that I‘m definitely going to seek out and read. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures Reading this now! I have struggled a bit to get into it but still have high hopes. 1mo
TrishB I like the look of this one 👍🏻 have dropped big Mother‘s Day hints. I was waiting for all your reviews 😁 1mo
See All 13 Comments
squirrelbrain I think you‘ll like it @TrishB @ruthiella (edited) 1mo
squirrelbrain I hope it starts to fall into place for you Shawna @ChaoticMissAdventures 1mo
BarbaraBB Lots of love for this one. I‘ll read it if it makes the shortlist. I have so many longlisted books to read first 😅 1mo
CarolynM Now this one does appeal. Stacked🙂 1mo
squirrelbrain It‘s really rather unusual @CarolynM - in a good way! 1mo
Leniverse I'm reading it now. I had a sinking feeling when I opened the book and saw 1500, but it's so much better than the Scottish one from last year. But maybe that one was 1600s? Don't really care for either century, normally! 4w
squirrelbrain Which was the Scottish one Leni? @leniverse The Maiden? If so, this is much more quirky - that one was rather plain in comparison. 4w
sarahbarnes I‘m intrigued by this one based on your review! 4w
squirrelbrain I think you‘d really like it @sarahbarnes 4w
Leniverse Yes, the Maiden. That one was so over-hyped. 4w
70 likes4 stack adds13 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Women's Prize For Nonfiction | Women\'s Prize For Nonfiction
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Here‘s my #wpnf list, in some kind of order. I‘ve read them all, nearly! (1/3 of Wild Thing and 1/4 of Tracker).

I have a definite top 5, the top line, shown in order. Then, any of the second row could be book 6, again these are in approx order but I‘m still a bit torn between PR and Agent Zo.

Much as I loved Neneh‘s book, I don‘t think it should make the shortlist - it‘s a fairly ‘standard‘ memoir, not like Babylon last year. ⬇️

squirrelbrain Therefore I‘m going to sub in Ootlin as what I think *should* be on the list, because (a) it‘s another memoir and (b) I think it‘s a very important read. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures Ohhh Babylon what a fantastic book that was. I have been surprised at the reactions to Cherry's book. Lots of people really loving it but then lots DNF'ing and not enjoying. 1mo
57 likes2 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Crooked Seeds: A Novel | Karen Jennings
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Pickpick

This #wpf25 book is one of those where it‘s difficult to recommend to anyone - I listened to it with a ‘bad smell‘ look on my face throughout. The MC, a white South African amputee, is completely obnoxious and we learn all about her bodily functions as she liberally uses the f-word.

Having said that, I did appreciate this book and can see why it‘s on the list - it‘s challenging and I learnt something new about South African history.

LeeRHarry I‘m in the middle of this one atm and yes it‘s pretty raw but is holding my attention. 1mo
squirrelbrain It certainly held my attention! @LeeRHarry 1mo
Jas16 I so agree. I cannot imagine recommending this one to anyone. 1mo
sarahbarnes Great review. 🙃 1mo
63 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Book 11 from the #wpnf25 longlist.

All about what damage humankind is doing to the oceans, and thus to global ecological structures, this was alternately depressing and slightly hopeful.

This is one occasion where the author reading their own book really worked - you could hear her passion and enthusiasm shining through.

TrishB I‘ve seen her talk on campus! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I think this is going to be my next on the NF list. It has been sitting on my table for weeks now. 2mo
youneverarrived Book 11 🤩 have you got any stand outs? 1mo
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - my favourites so far have been Story of a Heart (I know you don‘t want to read that) and Sister in Law, followed by Neneh Cherry. 1mo
63 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Raising Hare: A Memoir | Chloe Dalton
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Pickpick

Book 10 of the #wpnf25 longlist.

In this heart-warming book the author finds an abandoned leveret at the start of COVID lockdown. I appreciated that she was unsure initially whether to even take it in or not and it never felt like she was ‘playing God‘ throughout the book.

I particularly liked how she was able to watch the hare at such close quarters that she turned accepted/assumed knowledge about hares upside down.

On my shortlist for sure!

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I need to know before I pick it up.... does the hare die? The one she is raising? 2mo
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - not the one she is raising, we never find out what happens to that one. There are other deaths though - some out in the fields (to be expected) but also another leveret. 2mo
See All 10 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain Thank you!! I think I can handle that. :) 2mo
squirrelbrain It *is* sad @ChaoticMissAdventures but the author is philosophical about it and it feels like the circle of life more than anything too traumatic. 2mo
charl08 I have ordered this one at the library, but despite loving H is for Hawk, not one I would normally pick up. 2mo
squirrelbrain I haven‘t read H is for Hawk yet @charl08 so can‘t compare - it‘s been on my shelf for years! 😳 2mo
youneverarrived Great review! Do you think it would be a good one for audio? (Nearly finished Ootlin and thinking of my next listen) 1mo
squirrelbrain Yes, definitely @youneverarrived - I did audio and thought it worked really well. 1mo
youneverarrived Good to know, thanks! 🩷 1mo
65 likes3 stack adds10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
BIRDING. | ROSE. RUANE
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Pickpick

Book 5 of the #wpf25 longlist.

This is one I hadn‘t heard of and I was excited to read it from the blurb, but it didn‘t *quite* live up to my high expectations. The writing was very descriptive and expressive but sometimes a little TOO much. I loved one of the characters and her story arc - the other, not so much.

Another quibble below, that could be slightly spoilerish.

Still a great read, but not likely to make my shortlist. 🤷‍♀️

squirrelbrain Perhaps I should have read the blurb properly (these two women might never meet) but it felt like two separate narratives with barely anything to link the two parts of the story together. 2mo
TrishB I nearly started this today but decided not to! 2mo
sarahbarnes I am interested in this one! Glad to know to temper my expectations a bit. 2mo
See All 8 Comments
squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @TrishB - I think I was expecting a hidden gem as good as this (not only for the title, but the subject matter) and it wasn‘t quite. 2mo
BarbaraBB I was excited for this one and have ordered it but it won‘t be out here until May so based on your review I might skip it. 2mo
charl08 Interesting! Hoping to get hold of this soon. 2mo
JillR This is next up for me. Hoping to make a real dent in the longlist this year after reading nothing last year! 1mo
squirrelbrain I‘ll be interested to hear what you think! @JillR 1mo
73 likes8 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I sobbed my way through this book this afternoon, but Henry looked after me. I loved Dear Life by this author and had read extracts of this one in the press, so I knew I‘d love it. The author has a way of making medical discussions accessible and turning the heart-rending into heart-warming (yes, deliberate choice of words for this book) whilst being sensitive to all parties.

I especially admire Keira‘s family, in particular her sisters. ❤️

ChaoticMissAdventures I fear this is too much for me at the present. I know it is incredibly good but I think I will skip it. Good in you for crying your way through! 2mo
Leftcoastzen 🐶👏 2mo
TrishB That sounds incredibly sad! 2mo
See All 11 Comments
BarbaraBB I haven‘t heard of this and Litsy has no blurb so I have no idea what it‘s about but I am super intrigued 2mo
squirrelbrain @barbarabb - it‘s from the WP for NF longlist and it‘s about 2 children and their families. One boy needs a new heart and the little girl dies in a car accident and her family donate her organs. 😭 2mo
BarbaraBB Oh no that sounds very sad! 2mo
youneverarrived Great review! I don‘t think I could read it 😢 2mo
sarahbarnes This sounds so heartbreaking indeed. I‘m glad that cute baby was there to comfort you. ♥️ 2mo
squirrelbrain No, Katie @youneverarrived - I don‘t think you should even try. 😭 2mo
Jas16 Even though your review warned I was still not prepared for the emotional toll of this one. 1mo
squirrelbrain @Jas16 - such a good book though, one of my favourites from the list. 1mo
70 likes1 stack add11 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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Rather relevant, timely and apposite introduction to this book about Richard II and Henry IV (who were both born in 1367)!

ChaoticMissAdventures I am excited for this one, I don't know a ton about this time period. 2mo
Leftcoastzen Wow 2mo
Lcsmcat Wow indeed. 2mo
See All 10 Comments
LeahBergen Yikes! 2mo
Librarybelle Yup. Very, very relevant. 2mo
TrishB Power never changes. 2mo
bookandbedandtea How apropos 😫 2mo
CarolynM 😢 2mo
youneverarrived Wow. Very relevant 😩 2mo
sarahbarnes Oh wow. 2mo
54 likes1 stack add10 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Untitled
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This is what I‘ve got left to read for #wpnf25 - do you think I‘ll make it before the Fiction longlist on Tuesday?🤦‍♀️

Oh, plus Raising Hare on audio, due in 10 days. I purchased the top 3 after trying a sample first on digital. I‘m actually listening to Wild Sea on audio as it appeared on Everand in the last few days.

I‘ve read 7 and paused on Embers of the Hands for now as it just wasn‘t holding my attention. How is everyone else getting on?

ChaoticMissAdventures How do you like Everand? I used them before they changed to how many books you can listen to, I was going to sign up again for WP books but it looks like I can only get 3 a month? 2mo
LeahBergen Lock yourself in your house with food delivery 😆😆 2mo
TrishB I wouldn‘t bet against you 😉 2mo
See All 16 Comments
squirrelbrain I really like it @ChaoticMissAdventures - but they haven‘t changed the subscription here yet, like in the US. Im not sure what I‘ll do when it does get changed, whether I‘ll stick with it or not. It‘s really useful for books that are difficult to get hold of in the UK, particularly for ToB which is quite US-centric. 2mo
squirrelbrain I might have been able to manage it (kidding! 🤣) if I didn‘t have to work the weekend. @trishb @leahbergen 2mo
BarbaraBB I am panicking just by looking at that stack 😀. I feel the same though, have been getting wild about the International Booker longlist, ordered a lot of them, knowing that the WP fiction list is being announced as well. As if I haven‘t enough unread books already! 2mo
Jas16 You are amazing! I have read one and have a few on hold at the library but I know I will want to focus more on the Women‘s Prize. 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain yes, I used it for things where I was 700th in line at the library. But here the subscription seems almost useless. $12 to rent one book or $16 to rent 3. And they say there are "free" books but I have not found a single one from my TBR to be free, not even classics. I hope you get to keep your subscription! 2mo
squirrelbrain That sounds utterly useless! 🤷‍♀️@ChaoticMissAdventures 2mo
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @jas16 - you see, I‘m definitely *not* reading the NF longlist this year. 🤦‍♀️ 2mo
Ruthiella @TrishB I wouldn‘t bet against @squirrelbrain either! 😂 2mo
LeeRHarry Wow that‘s amazing! Good luck! 2mo
Cathythoughts Go on Helen 👏🏻 2mo
squirrelbrain No pressure! @ruthiella 🤣 2mo
youneverarrived You‘re doing fab getting through them, seeing as you weren‘t going to read the long list 😆 I‘ve read 2, just started why fish don‘t exist, almost finished Neneh Cherry on audio and then I‘ll start Ootlin. Got Agent Zo to pick up from the library too. 2mo
squirrelbrain You‘re doing well too! @youneverarrived - I‘ve just started Fish this afternoon, reading it alongside The Eagle and the Hart. 2mo
59 likes16 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Tilt | Emma Pattee
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Pickpick

I‘m not a huge fan of the ‘horror‘ genre, mostly because I don‘t find such books particularly horrifying. This book, however…. 😱

Annie is shopping in Ikea, at 37 weeks‘ pregnant, when the ‘big‘ earthquake hits. The story follows her over the course of a day as she tries to make her way home on foot.

It‘s truly terrifying as it could really happen and shows us how people could behave in such a situation. A couple of things I didn‘t like ⬇️

squirrelbrain It‘s blurbed as ‘funny‘ amongst other things - it really wasn‘t. Not satirical, not black humour, nothing. I also disliked the ending… no spoilers. But otherwise an incredibly propulsive read - I wanted to look away but couldn‘t. 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I really want to get to this one!! I live here, and we have all my life been warned about "The Big One" (earthquake) so this feels particularly personal! 2mo
squirrelbrain I think I‘d be too scared to read it if I lived there! @chaoticmissadventures 2mo
See All 10 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I spent decades hearing about The Big One (the state even does mock drills) and then I lived in Southern California for years and actually experienced earthquakes. It feels like an apocalypse scenario at this point - a big boogyman. 2mo
BarbaraBB So scary @ChaoticMissAdventures ! I was in Japan last summer when they warned for a mega earthquake. I was so scared! But it seemed the Japanese were used to it. Maybe you get used to it somehow? The book is appealing anyhow! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB you really do. Like anything I guess. Some are scarier than others. I remember just standing there during my first not knowing what to do but after a few you know the ones to ignore and the ones to duck and cover from. 2mo
BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures That‘s probably how things go. You learn to live with it. 2mo
Reggie Horror you said? Stacked! 2mo
Reggie Omg it doesn‘t come to my library until Mar 25 and 9 people are in front of me. Boooo 2mo
squirrelbrain Oh no, @Reggie, not horror in the ‘traditional‘ sense but all the more scary because it could happen. Maybe I should have said dystopia? 2mo
61 likes3 stack adds10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Loved this coming-of-age story set in Doncaster (Donny) and written in Northern dialect. It even took me a while to get into it and I‘m from the North of England! See what you think! ⬆️🤪

Kel, Shaz and Rach grow up in the 1990s in that typical friendship love-triangle when there‘s 3 of you. The changes in timeline and POV tell the story of the girls‘ growing up and apart but will a long-held secret destroy the friendship for good?

#netgalley

LeeRHarry Sounds fab - stacked - spent many an hour in Donny train station as a student on my way to York. 😊 2mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘d love it @LeeRHarry - it came out last week. 😉 I‘ve only been to Donny once (apart from on the train!), on a works night out with a colleague who was from there. It must have been 1993/4 and we actually went to Karisma nightclub, featured in the book. 🤪 I yelped when I read it! 2mo
LeeRHarry @squirrelbrain Love it when you get surprised in a book like that 😊 2mo
66 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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I capitulated and ordered a print copy of this book from the Women‘s Prize longlist. #wpnf25

I had a digital copy on BorrowBox but I‘m trying not to read on my iPad as it makes my eyes sore. I read a few pages and decided it was worth buying, and I‘m glad I did.

It‘s so heavy, due to the thick, shiny, white paper and the images are beautiful. And it smells nice too! 🤪

vlwelser That's the one I have my eye on from the longlist. 2mo
BarbaraBB That looks amazing! 2mo
Cathythoughts Looks gorgeous 🤍 2mo
youneverarrived I‘ve been so tempted to buy this! Looks gorgeous. 2mo
60 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Ootlin | Jenni Fagan
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Pickpick

Brutal. Upsetting. Anger-inducing.

Yes, clearly, it‘s an incredible difficult read, as the author grows up in the Scottish care system. It is beautifully lyrical in places but, maybe because of this dichotomy between the beauty and the horror, I felt a weird disconnect from the writing, like I was skimming the surface. Or maybe the author is distanced from her experience for her own safety / sanity. I‘d be interested to hear what others think.

squirrelbrain It‘s still a pick, though, as it‘s necessary to put ourselves through our own (minor) discomfort to read such important books. 2mo
TrishB I watched the author talking about this with Samantha Morton, they both had harrowing stories 😢 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures This one has been hard to get my hands on in the US. Might have to order it from Blackwells when the fiction list drops... Glad to hear you got something out of it even if the topic is hard. 2mo
See All 14 Comments
Lindy Glad to see your review. I enjoyed Fagan‘s Panopticon and Luckenbooth, so I immediately wanted to read her memoir when I saw it on the Women‘s Prize Nonfiction list. Hopefully it will be released in North America soon. 2mo
Hooked_on_books It‘s always interesting with books relating harrowing experiences. Different styles of approaching it work for different people. I usually avoid books related to childhood abuse, but I think this one might be a bit of a variation on that, so I‘ll give it a try. I‘m sure it‘ll infuriate me regardless. 2mo
youneverarrived I‘m going to listen to this when I‘ve finished A Thousand Threads. Did you do print or audio? 2mo
squirrelbrain @TrishB - Samantha Morton had a terrible childhood too. 😞 2mo
squirrelbrain I hope you can both get hold of it soon. 🤞@ChaoticMissAdventures @Lindy 2mo
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - only read it if you can get hold of it relatively easily - I wouldn‘t buy it, if I was you. 2mo
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - I read it in print. I think it might work better on audio as it‘s quite ‘stream of consciousness‘ which I prefer listening to rather than reading. 2mo
Hooked_on_books But what about being a completist?! 2mo
squirrelbrain Ah, yes, there is that! @Hooked_on_books Even though you‘re probably not going to read any of the NF list this year. (Me neither.) 🤪 2mo
Hooked_on_books Now, I never said I wasn‘t going to read any of the list. Silly Helen. I just wasn‘t going to go full bore into it (she says after nearing completion of the 4th book and having 6 more available to start reading with designs on the rest). 😬 2mo
charl08 Just picked this up. Harrowing stuff. 2mo
78 likes14 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Artist | Lucy Steeds
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Pickpick

Set in the 1920s, Joseph, an aspiring art critic, travels to Provence to try to interview Edouard Tartuffe, a notoriously difficult, reclusive artist who lives an isolated life with his niece, Ettie.

This was such a beautiful, sensory book with its depictions of beauty (a Provençal summer, the food) and horror (The Great War) and the questions of what is art, who is an artist and what do we see when we actually look?

LeeRHarry So stacked!! 😊 great review! 2mo
youneverarrived Sounds great. Stacking 🤍 2mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2mo
See All 7 Comments
TrishB Just finished this- I didn‘t think I was going to love it as much as I did! I‘m always in the woman escaping/finding herself corner. 1mo
kspenmoll Sounds wonderful! 1mo
squirrelbrain It‘s fabulous isn‘t it?! @TrishB You should definitely try it @kspenmoll 1mo
TrishB It is! And I love the cover. 1mo
73 likes5 stack adds7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Another amazing book from the #wpnf25 longlist. The author has spent her legal career challenging the police, the govt and other legislative bodies, often in the cases of women who have been victims of male violence or abuse.

Wistrich writes in an engaging, accessible way, without too much legalese, despite the complexity of the cases she talks about. The book made me furious but also grateful that she (& others) are trying to upend the system.

Hooked_on_books Nice! The audio of this one was relatively cheap on Libro, so I picked it up there. I only have my hands on a few of the books. 2mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2mo
Jas16 This sounds great. 2mo
See All 18 Comments
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @Jas16 - it‘s focused on the British legal system but I still think you‘ll both find it fascinating. It should work well on audio, Holly, with distinct chapters and clear explanations. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Important books do invoke fury! Several on this list have the potential to do so. 2mo
squirrelbrain And yet we should still read them @Chelsea.Poole - if we don‘t we won‘t learn and understand. (Preaching to the converted here, I know!) 2mo
Hooked_on_books Cool. It‘s always interesting to see how other legal systems compare. 2mo
youneverarrived Imagine it will be a tough but very important read! It‘s one I would have wanted to read even if not on the longlist. 2mo
TheKidUpstairs @Chelsea.Poole I love that the list really confronts the world we find ourselves in and doesn't back away from the fury and rage. And also celebrate beauty and creativity and wonder. Sometimes all of it in the same book. 2mo
Hooked_on_books So…I *may* have gone to the library today and picked up a couple…okay, three, of the WPNF titles. Oops. Don‘t tell my husband. 😬 2mo
squirrelbrain Ohhhh, you *are* naughty! @Hooked_on_books Which ones did you get? 2mo
Hooked_on_books I got The Story of a Heart, which I‘ve started and the writing is fantastic, Neneh, and the Scales (I‘ve read and liked her before). I also snagged Wild Thing and Raising Hare on NetGalley. I requested Peepshow as well, but no response on that one yet. None of those are out yet in the US. And Ootlin and Tracker don‘t appear to have US pub dates, so I‘ll have to order them from Blackwell‘s after the move. 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘ve read extracts from Heart in the UK press and it seemed really good. I picked up 4 more from the library the other day, including Heart and the Scales. I‘m loving Neneh on audio which I‘ll *nearly* finish tomorrow. @Hooked_on_books 2mo
TheKidUpstairs @Hooked_on_books I'm reading Story of a Heart right now, too. It's so good, I can't put it down, but I'm reading through tears! 2mo
Hooked_on_books @TheKidUpstairs I just finished and I was thinking it would make a lot of people cry! 2mo
TheKidUpstairs @Hooked_on_books she handles Max and Keira's stories with such compassion, it's really beautiful. And I'm loving how she balances it with the history of medical advancements that lead to their care, she handles it really well for moments where you can breathe away from the sadness and appreciate the science. I'll probably finish tonight! 2mo
Hooked_on_books @TheKidUpstairs I agree. It‘s beautifully crafted and approached with such gentleness. It‘s really pitch perfect. It‘s completely worthy of this list. 2mo
86 likes2 stack adds18 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

#wpnf25

A very scary book, particularly in this current political climate. Ostensibly looking at how governments in countries such as Russia, Venezuela, Nigeria and North Korea enable each other in their pursuit of autocracy over democracy, it only serves to demonstrate how such policies and actions are now found in so-called democracies. (See quote above)

I would recommend reading this rather than listening to- I found it hard to follow on ⬇️

squirrelbrain …audio due to the sheer volume of ideas and the need to re-read passages. I also struggled to discern a narrative thread from beginning to end, it felt more like a bundle of ideas - not the book, I‘m sure, but the format. 2mo
TheKidUpstairs Good to know, I was going to listen. Will see if I can borrow a print copy! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures that is good to know about the audio. I am waiting for my copy from the library, and I am already scared. This quote in particular feels like our current news cycle in the US. 2mo
Jas16 Great review. Put it on hold at my library even though I said I wouldn‘t succumb to the nonfiction list. 2mo
Hooked_on_books I have this one on hold. And looky there, avoiding politics is exactly what I‘m doing right now with our non-clothed emperor and his enablers. 2mo
77 likes3 stack adds5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

A very character-driven book that quietly meanders along until the very end when everything happens all at once. (Actually I didn‘t love the ending)

Two neighbouring couples, a doctor and a struggling farmer with both their wives pregnant, struggle along in a harsh 1960s winter. The isolation and cold draw the women together but also draw out worries and secrets that will change all their lives. Beautifully written!

TheKidUpstairs I don't know why, but stories of isolation are like catnip to me, I want to read them all! I already had this one stacked, glad to hear it (at least mostly) worked for you! 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review! I‘d stack , but I already have 👍🏻😁 2mo
BarbaraBB Great review 2mo
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Tamra I might have to break down and buy this one. 2mo
Suet624 Oooh, sounds good. 2mo
Gleefulreader This sounds terrific! 2mo
EmilyM I just finished this last night and really enjoyed it! It reminded me a bit of Amor Towels' storytelling. 2mo
squirrelbrain @TheKidUpstairs - definitely isolation, both physical and mental! 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes, that‘s very true! @EmilyM 2mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘ll like it. @Tamra 2mo
77 likes5 stack adds10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I read an article in the UK press a few months ago about this family and, of course, I‘d seen a lot of reviews on here.

Shari is the eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, an LDS mommy vlogger who presented a perfect family life to the work when, in reality, she was mentally abusing her kids.

I‘m glad that Shari could tell her story, and also that she protected her younger siblings from the glare of social media and other publicity.

68 likes3 stack adds
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This #wpnf25 longlister uses the titular murders to present a wider look at the sociological issues of the poorer side 1950s London, including racism against Black people, prostitution and back-street abortions.

The author looks through the lenses of a newspaper crime reporter and an illness-beset lady crime writer to present different views on the murders, and whether someone was wrongly hanged for one of the crimes.

Engrossing!

Chelsea.Poole Great review. This is one I‘m eagerly awaiting. It publishes in the US May 6. 2mo
fredthemoose Thanks for the review! Went through last night and started plotting how best to get my hands on the women‘s nonfiction list. Looking for to this one! 2mo
jenniferw88 Sounds like you enjoyed it more than me! 😀🤣 2mo
See All 12 Comments
Hooked_on_books Nice! This one sounded interesting from the longlist to me as well @Chelsea.Poole . Alas, we must wait (or order it from Blackwell‘s). 2mo
squirrelbrain Ha! Holly @Hooked_on_books - I was going to suggest to @Chelsea.Poole that she ordered from Blackwells. Great minds think alike! 2mo
Hooked_on_books They do have free shipping to the US, after all! 2mo
Librarybelle I watched her talk about this book through the National Archives of the UK online programming. It sounds so good! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I had to order this one! I am looking forward to it, glad to hear you liked it! 2mo
squirrelbrain @Librarybelle @ChaoticMissAdventures - I passed it on to hubby last night who is also really enjoying it. His initial thought was that it was more of a social commentary on the times (which it was!) so if you like that kind of book you‘ll really enjoy it. 2mo
youneverarrived Sounds really interesting! I like a social commentary sort of book. Thanks for tagging me. This is the most popular of the long list at the library so might be a little while before it gets to me but I‘ll look forward to it. 2mo
squirrelbrain It‘s a shame you have such a long wait @youneverarrived 🤨 2mo
TheKidUpstairs I'm really looking forward to this one! Like @Chelsea.Poole I've got to wait until May, but I'm already on a library hold list for it! 2mo
70 likes5 stack adds12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This was all kinds of crazy and completely OTT, but I loved it!

4 friends in their 30s, who met at uni, attend the baby shower from hell (including a vulva piñata!). They‘re all going through different stages in life so are growing apart.

The mysterious Phoebe turns up, tensions rise, and there‘s a fire, but who started it?

It‘s a very propulsive read but so much so that I felt the ending, with its big whodunit reveal, was a bit of a let-down.

BarbaraBB It sounds crazy 🤪 2mo
sarahbarnes Wow, I‘m stacking it now! 2mo
Cupcake12 This was so good. I love Holly‘s books and I read them all x 2mo
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squirrelbrain It skewed a little bit young for me @sarahbarnes (I‘m not a millennial! 🤪) but still a great read! 2mo
sarahbarnes I am definitely not a millennial! 😆 2mo
CarolynM I like the sound of this. Stacked🙂 2mo
76 likes4 stack adds6 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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Me, last night - I‘m not reading the #wpnf2025 list this year, I‘m saving myself for the Fiction list.

Also me, at 8am this morning - hmmm, these all look very interesting.

Me again, mid-afternoon - oh, I have a meeting *quite* near the library, might just pop in.

Me once more, a bit later in the afternoon - oops - I seem to have made a spreadsheet and reserved or borrowed nearly all of the books!

🤦‍♀️

BarbaraBB Who were you kidding by thinking you wouldn‘t read the NF longlist!? 2mo
Centique Ha ha 😂 Its a kind service to those of us who will just pick and choose from your reviews! 2mo
LeahBergen 😆 I was just reading about Peepshow. I may need it! 2mo
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squirrelbrain Only myself, of course! 🤪 @BarbaraBB 2mo
ferskner You are my people. 2mo
squirrelbrain Why, thank you! @Centique ☺️ I shall do my best! 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘ve just started that one first @LeahBergen as someone else has reserved it at the library already. Only 2 chapters in, but I‘d recommend it so far. 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures So many sound so good!! I love that I had only 2 on my radar! 2mo
TheKidUpstairs 🤣 I also want going to read the long list. I also have about 75% of it on hold right now at the library. 🤷‍♀️ I have no willpower when it comes to the Women's Prize! 2mo
LeahBergen @squirrelbrain Good to know! I‘ll add it to my list 👍 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes @ChaoticMissAdventures - not many on my radar either, although I‘d read extracts from a few in the press here but then completely forgot about them! (The Story of a Heart, Peepshow and Sister in Law) 2mo
squirrelbrain @ferskner - so nice that we can all be book-crazy together! 🤪 2mo
Jas16 I keep stress buying books so am already about to be buried in packages. I cannot succumb to the list. 2mo
Ruthiella Your cunning plan was foiled! 😂 2mo
Suet624 What @Centique said. 2mo
Suet624 @Jas16 I‘m in the same boat. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Good job holding back 😆 these three sound very interesting to me. I was able to borrow 2mo
sarahbarnes Go forth I say! You can never read too many books! 📚 2mo
AnneCecilie I‘m looking forward to your thoughts on all of the pictured books. They sound so interesting 2mo
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squirrelbrain
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Diane @Crazeedi - thank you so much for my lovely card and the beautiful hummingbird!

It‘s so nice to hear from you from all those miles away! Hopefully we‘ll all be able to come out of hibernation soon, once Spring arrives!

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squirrelbrain
Serenity Booksellers Romiley | Stockport, United Kingdom (Bookstore)
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Fabulous day out with @TrishB at a new book festival, Stockport Noir Crime Fiction Festival, organised by the tagged bookshop.

All of the authors were fabulous, witty, informative and fun. Only ‘issue‘ was they made us want to buy *all* the books!

Just a shame that Michael Wood couldn‘t be there (he was in hospital) but two of his fellow authors / friends called him for a brief chat with the audience!

TrishB A great day 👍🏻 with more books….. 2mo
Suet624 So fun! 2mo
Cathythoughts Sounds great 👏🏻❤️ 2mo
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squirrelbrain
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#libraryhaul

Popped into the library to pick up the tagged, which I‘d reserved, and may have accidentally picked up 3 others as well. Not sure how that happened. 🤔 And I definitely haven‘t got enough books of my own to read, or eleventy-seven ARCs. 🤷‍♀️

I hadn‘t heard of In Universes and I‘m not sure it‘s *quite* my thing (not that keen on SF) but it was on the New Books shelf so I thought I‘d take a chance.

TiredLibrarian That's the beauty of library books; you can take a chance on things outside your norm and there's nothing to lose! 3mo
squirrelbrain Exactly! @TiredLibrarian - I wouldn‘t have bought it, but might end up loving it! 3mo
sarahbarnes I love doing that at the library! Going in to pick something up and browsing around. I haven‘t heard of the tagged but it sounds interesting! And what are those books in the background of your photo? 2mo
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squirrelbrain There‘s been lots of talk about the tagged in the UK @sarahbarnes - it may be a bit ‘millennial‘ for me, but we‘ll see! The little books are a full set of Penguin Moderns. https://penguinmodern.com/ 2mo
sarahbarnes That‘s a really cool set! 2mo
Centique I love the eleventy-seven ARCs 😂😂 Good luck and hope theres some gold in that pile! 2mo
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I clearly didn‘t hate this as much as many Littens - I gave it a pick after all! I found George to be more pathetic than anything, although he did become particularly insufferable at the time he was clearing out his childhood bedroom.

Where I do agree with everyone is why did we need a book about a boring white guy? And I contrast it with Help Wanted, another #ToB book, that was also about the mundanities of life but SO much more interesting.

Bookwormjillk Good to know 3mo
sarahbarnes I think I‘m skipping this one. 2mo
BarbaraBB I just got my copy of this one. Glad it was a pick for you! 2mo
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Is anyone else doing this challenge from Libro.fm? Not gonna say no to a free audiobook credit! (I presume it‘s running elsewhere outside the UK?)

Rather annoyingly someone phoned me (work-related 🤨) when I was driving home last night and I missed about 45 minutes of listening time.

Fortunately @TrishB and I are going to Stockport Noir Crime Literature Festival tomorrow which is 4+ hours of driving and listening for me. ☺️

squirrelbrain @rockpools - have you heard of Libro.FM? It‘s cheaper than Amazon (and it‘s not Amazon! 🤪) and donates to a bookshop of your choice, a bit like bookshop.org. 3mo
TrishB Enjoy your listening 😁 3mo
rockpools Ooh, that‘s cool - thank you! I explored Libro way back, but at the time they weren‘t fully set up for UK users to subscribe. However, as of your link, UK users get 2 free credits when they sign up… which is nice 😁 3mo
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squirrelbrain Yes @rockpools - I‘ve used it for a while as both @Megabooks and @Hooked_on_books have sent me vouchers before but I wasn‘t aware until recently that they were fully set up for UK subscription now. I got the two free credits as well! 3mo
Hooked_on_books Yes, I‘m absolutely participating! I‘ve already started tracking my listening time and books listened to. I love Libro! 3mo
squirrelbrain Hooray! @Hooked_on_books - looking forward to seeing how you do! 3mo
BarbaraBB Enjoy your day with @TrishB ❤️ 2mo
squirrelbrain Thank you @BarbaraBB - we‘ll try to remember to post pics! 2mo
youneverarrived Have a fab day and enjoy your listening! 💕 2mo
squirrelbrain Knowing that you‘re really busy Holly @Hooked_on_books - just a little reminder that this finished yesterday and you have a few days to submit your entry! ☺️ 2mo
Hooked_on_books Thanks Helen! This is something I‘m on top of, and I submitted my entry last night. 27 hours listened during the included period, 6 audiobooks (I listen at 2.5x). How‘d you do? 2mo
squirrelbrain I did 11.5 hours, which is more than I‘d usually do but I did a fair bit of driving. I can‘t listen when I‘m working which is annoying - usually it‘s only on my commute or when I‘m ironing. 🙄 I listened to Shari Franke plus parts of 3 other books. I listen between 1.8x and 2x, depending on the narrator. @Hooked_on_books 2mo
Hooked_on_books Yes, there‘s only so much ironing one can do! Most of my work I can do while listening except invoicing, bookkeeping, and creating shipments. Plus there‘s all the packing, during which my ears were plugged in. 2mo
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review
squirrelbrain
The Boyhood of Cain | Michael Amherst
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Pickpick

#netgalley Pub 13th Feb UK

Hmmm…can‘t decide if this is a very light pick or a so-so. It wasn‘t what I expected and, indeed the chronology was quite different to the blurb.

Daniel, referred to as ‘the boy‘ throughout, attends a school where his father used to be headmaster so feels above everyone else. Then he makes a new friend and a popular teacher shows interest in him, but his mother and father are behaving oddly.

Daniel was very ⬇️

squirrelbrain …unlikeable, his sister was almost invisible and it felt very old-fashioned, almost 60s, despite being set in the late 1990s. By the end, though, I did appreciate Daniel‘s inner voice and understood the way his mind was working, hence the light pick. (edited) 3mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 3mo
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squirrelbrain
Beautyland: A Novel | Marie-Helene Bertino
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Pickpick

Another one from the #ToB list that I loved, although the quirky premise (girl sent from another planet to report back on life on Earth) concerned me. Turns out I loved Adina and I‘d have been one of those holding up the ‘I believe you‘ placards at her readings.

I‘m glad it made the shortlist as the book was so difficult to get hold of here in the UK that I probably wouldn‘t have bothered otherwise and I‘m so pleased I got to experience it.

sarahbarnes Wow, a glowing review of this one! I haven‘t read it yet; I may need to check it out. It wasn‘t speaking to me…. 3mo
Jas16 I felt the same way. I would have skipped it too and am so glad I didn‘t. 3mo
BarbaraBB Beautiful photo. I am glad you loved it! 3mo
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TrishB Great review 👍🏻 3mo
squirrelbrain It wasn‘t speaking to me particularly @sarahbarnes - or to @Jas16 either. If we both loved it I‘m sure you will too! 3mo
Cathythoughts Great review… I‘m wondering about it. Sounds good. 3mo
Chelsea.Poole So glad it worked for you! 3mo
Suet624 I liked this one too. 3mo
CarolynM Another one for the TBR😬 3mo
squirrelbrain Sorry, not sorry! 🤪 @CarolynM 3mo
Hooked_on_books I read this one soon after it published, as it one that popped up at my library and sounded interesting. I really liked it. It‘s received a lot of end of year love here and I‘m glad for that. 3mo
squirrelbrain It was so difficult together hold of here @Hooked_on_books - I ordered it on Amazon at Xmas, as I was gifted a voucher. It was going to take 3 weeks to come, then the day after it was due to be delivered they cancelled my order. 🤷‍♀️ I got a copy on EBay in the end, and now Amazon keep emailing to say ‘Here‘s something you might like‘. 🤦‍♀️ 3mo
Hooked_on_books Well that‘s maddening! Yet another reason not to use the big A I suppose. That kind of wait time (actually more like a month) is routine for Hawaii. It‘s understandable but very frustrating. I‘m glad you managed to track it down. The things we do for books! 3mo
BkClubCare Yay! 👏 I admit that I love the purple of the cover; yours is a lot darker almost black? Anyway, I loved the story. 3mo
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Here‘s a few ideas for books that *may* be on the Women‘s Prize NF longlist. #wpnf2025

I have the top 3 reserved on BorrowBox. Not sure about the Darian but I *think* she has written this in English. Same with Looking at Women, which I‘ve read. I‘ve also read The Lasting Harm.

The rest I‘ve found by poking through various lists and are all books I‘d like to read. Not sure how many I‘ll *actually* read this year - might save myself for fiction!

youneverarrived Lots of interesting sounding books! Looking forward to the Sarah Moss. 3mo
Hooked_on_books I always enjoy when people do predictions. I‘m not good at them, so I don‘t try. These look interesting! I‘ve read the Moss and it‘s good. The writing is quite different. 3mo
Cathythoughts I must look up these books. 👍🏻❤️ (edited) 3mo
squirrelbrain I‘m no good at predictions either @Hooked_on_books ! I would think that *none* of these will be on the list. 🤪 @youneverarrived @Cathythoughts 3mo
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