rhian_of_oz Reads in 2026 - January to June

I'm Rhian from Perth and this is my eighth year in Club Read. My participation last year reflected my reading where I reckon I read the least number of books ever (well certainly in recent memory). I am hoping to improve on both in 2026.

I think I’m going to continue creating monthly plans as I enjoy the planning and find that it is a lot less overwhelming to choose something to read from a dozen or so books rather than nearly two hundred. I’m also going to have another go at a weekly reading diary in lieu of “proper” reviews - at a minimum I’m going to try star ratings.

My intention is still mainly to shrink Mt TBR, which at the beginning of 2026 was 204.

Currently reading:
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Cold House by A G Slatter

Might pick up again:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Old Lie by Claire G Coleman
Nock Loose by Patrick Marlborough
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Exordia by Seth Dickinson

Next up:
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

CR BBs

Heartwood by Amity Gage (japaul22)
Esperance by Adam Oyebanji (AnnieMod)
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (Julie_in_the_Library)
Death in a Budapest Butterfly by Julia Buckley (WelshBookworm)
The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier (arubabookwoman)
Endurance by Alfred Lansing (bragan)

Bookclub Recommendations

Wishlist from other sources
The Overstory by Richard Powers (author)
A Forest Darkly by A G Slatter (author)
The General Hospital by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion (series)
Whistler by Ann Patchett (author)
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle (BSB)
The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong (author)
The German Ward by Pip Williams (series)
The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (series)
The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon (Stefen)

Quarter 1
January

1. Bewilderment by Richard Powers


2. Talking To The Dead by Harry Bingham


3. Hovering by Rhett Davis


4. The Language-Lovers Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn

February

1. Gallowglass by S J Morden


2. Orbital by Samantha Harvey


3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro


4. In The Margins by Gail Holmes

March

1. Stolen in Death by J D Robb


2. The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett


3. The Formidable Miss Cassidy by Meihan Boey


4. The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin


5. The Second Chance Book Club by Stephanie Butland


6. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky


7. Homecoming by Kate Morton

Top 5
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
In The Margins by Gail Holmes
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin

QTD
Owned pre-2026: 12 (80.00%)
Acquired in 2026: 2 (13.33%)
Borrowed: 1 (6.67%)

YTD
Owned pre-2026: 12 (80.00%)
Acquired in 2026: 2 (13.33%)
Borrowed: 1 (6.67%)

TBR: 199

Quarter 2
April

1. Bird Deity by John Morrissey


2. The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams


3. The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong


4. A Tempest At Sea by Sherry Thomas


5. A Ruse Of Shadows by Sherry Thomas

May

1. On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle


2. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi


3. Last One Out by Jane Harper


4. The Final Target by Nora Roberts


5. Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce


6. The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson


7. Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent

June

1. A Forest, Darkly by A G Slatter


2. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts


3. Book Three

Top 5
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle
The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
A Forest, Darkly by A G Slatter
Last One Out by Jane Harper

QTD
Owned pre-2026: 3 (21.43%)
Acquired in 2026: 6 (42.86%)
Borrowed: 5 (35.71%)

YTD
Owned pre-2026: 15 (51.72%)
Acquired in 2026: 8 (27.59%)
Borrowed: 6 (20.69%)

TBR: 214

Looking forward to see what you read in 2026!

I'm not at all an organized reader, but it's always so neat to follow along with those who are :D. Looking forward to following your thread this year.

I see Bewilderment as your current read. Hang in there. I mean, the book is terrific, but this reader's world outlook came out sore and bruised. I like the more diary, less reviews plan. Personally, because I'm very interested in your reading experiences. And I think it's nice and motivational to take something in our reading and share it, without needing a whole proper post. hmm... too much opinion from me here. Sorry. Wish you a great year over near my antipode.

>7 WelshBookworm: Same to you. I didn't read through all of your plans in detail, but a few that I've already read made me go 'Oooh'.

>8 JesseMC: I think my use of the word 'plan' makes me sound more organised than I am 🙂.

>9 dchaikin: I'm just under halfway through Bewilderment and I can see what you mean. Poor Robin, he's not wrong in his worldview, I guess most of us manage to not be overwhelmed with despair by not thinking about it.

Never too much opinion from you Dan. I'm looking forward to sharing more about my reading, even if I don't manage quite the level of thoughtfulness you achieve. This is a compliment 🙂.

Planned January reads:
Bookclub - Gallowglass by S. J. Morden
DecadeCAT (50s) - Homecoming by Kate Morton
ArtsCAT (Painting) - The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
HomeCAT (Bathroom) - Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov
NonfictionCAT (Science) - Science Is Golden by Karl Kruszelnicki
MysteryKIT (Female Detectives) - Talking To The Dead by Harry Bingham
RandomKIT (Secret) - If I Tell You by Alicia Tuckerman
SFFKIT (Adaptations) - The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins
AlphaKit (E and F) - The Book Of Etta by Meg Elison, Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler
Coloured CoverKIT (Orange or Garden) - Ithaca by Claire North
CultureKIT (Collectors) - The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn
ScaredyKIT (Isolated Location) - Hovering by Rhett Davis
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

>13 rhian_of_oz: Thats a nice arrangement of books. Hope you enjoy those quirky stories that make up The Illustrated Man

>13 rhian_of_oz: I loved the Great Cities series, but I live in NYC, so it has a special resonance.

>13 rhian_of_oz: love the picture. A book every other day! Ambitious. Happy New Year, Rhian!

>14 baswood: Thanks. Short stories aren't my preferred length, but I usually enjoy them when I read them.

>15 ELiz_M: I started to read the first one a while ago and it was so well written I felt too scared to continue 😀. I'll need to try and push through that this time.

>16 dchaikin: Ambitious? More like impossible! 😀 I think maybe I should use another word rather than 'plan' because I don't expect to read all of these books in January. Rather this is the subset of Mt TBR that I'll select to read from.

>19 rhian_of_oz: and here i was thinking you were crazy 🙂 (or suddenly of those 200 books a year peeps)

>20 dchaikin: If I win the big lottery draw this weekend then I would happily become one of the 200 club!

>21 rhian_of_oz: if winnings were extra time…

>13 rhian_of_oz: That Ghost Empire sounds fascinating. Added to my TBR...

>23 WelshBookworm: My initial interest in this book was because the author was a member of the Doug Anthony All Stars, an Australian provocative comedy music group in the 1980s and 90s. This is why I attended his session at a writers festival where he talked about Ghost Empire.

He currently co-hosts a radio interview show called Conversations on our national broadcaster.

If he is half as good a writer as he is an interviewer, this book should be excellent.

Hi there! Love the idea of reading diary entries, and I like seeing your reading options all lined up on a shelf!

>25 ursula: It is very satisfying to hunt out and arrange the books each month 🙂.

I'm going to do my "diary" entries on Sunday (even though it's not a whole week into the year yet, aargh!) because it is the day I'm most likely to have the time.

Currently reading:
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Language-Lover's Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn

Bewilderment is incredible though the further I get the more I'm anticipating disaster which makes it slightly stressful.

I'm only a chapter into A Promised Land which I've put aside for The Language-Lover's Lexipedia which is a library book and due back on the 6th.

The Language-Lover's Lexipedia is a lot of fun but I'm rushing through it so I'm going to buy my own copy so I can take my time. I know, I know, I could return it and re-borrow it but I don't wanna 🙂. Also this means I'll be able to read the other two (and yes I recognise a self-justifcation when I see it!).

>27 rhian_of_oz: i like this format. And I’m intrigued by your update on Bewilderment. I thought a promised Land was excellent.

>28 dchaikin: I finished Bewilderment after my update and what I feared would happen happened as foreshadowed by the Flowers For Algernon reference early on though the author went even further. Sore and bruised indeed.

>29 rhian_of_oz: hugs. I remember this feeling. It’s so powerful. It was hard to recover any optimism about the world afterwards.

I ended up purchasing The Language Lover's Lexipedia so I can now take my time with it. And wouldn't you know it I bought some other new books as well!

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Table For Two by Amor Towles

>29 rhian_of_oz: Urgh. (Not clicking the spoiler.) I really like Richard Powers and want to read the book but...

>30 dchaikin: In 2009 I read Earth Abides and at the time I considered it sad and depressing. I'm thinking I might give it a reread because all this time later I don't find the idea of humankind being wiped out quite so bad.

>32 qebo: Hmm, given what's going on in the US at the moment I would suggest holding off for now.

>33 rhian_of_oz: that’s a little funny

>13 rhian_of_oz: Beautiful looking selection for January. I read Time Shelter when it was translated and found parts of it very interesting and the second part a bit of a slog.

>36 labfs39: Not long after I bought it I read a mixed review on CR so I have tempered expectations.

Greetings! I noted your "might could" reread of Huck Finn in your first post. I reread the book last year in, as for many others, preparation for reading James. I found Twain's novel, which I hadn't read since grad school in the early 1990s, to be quite fascinating. Others were not so enamored, however. At any rate . . . happy reading in 2026.

Waving hello - happy reading!

>38 rocketjk: Thanks Jerry. I also started Huck Finn as preparation for James. I'm reasonably sure I haven't read it before. I got up to the bit where they're going to steal from the girls whose dad died and I reached my limit of reading about such distasteful people. I reckon I may be able to finish it if I intersperse it with something cosy.

>39 markon: Hello back! Do you have a thread yet?

>40 rhian_of_oz: I wonder how I would react to Huck Finn now. I read it in 10th grade for school, so that would have been ... 1987?

>42 ursula: Do you recall how you reacted to it back then?

>41 rhian_of_oz: I do have a thread here.

I read Huckleberry Finn as a child, and I have a block against reading it again, though I'm sure it makes reading James more interesting. (I hated the part about the Duke ad the King - you'll know them when you get to them.)

>44 markon: Turns out I'd already dropped a star. My only defence of forgetting is how busy CR is at the start of the year 🙂.

The part where I've stopped is about the Duke and the King so I know exactly why you hate it.

>44 markon: >45 rhian_of_oz: I persevered past the Duke and the King, but then I hit Tom Sawyer's reappearance and horrible treatment of Jim. I quite disliked HF.

>43 rhian_of_oz: Honestly, I don't remember having any strong reactions to it (unlike The Scarlet Letter, which we read at the same time). I don't know that I was a very discerning reader at the time, unsurprisingly.

>43 rhian_of_oz: >44 markon: >46 labfs39: >47 ursula: etc - I re-read Huck with audio before reading James. I thought it was a magnificent novel until the Duke and Dauphin show up. And, yes, Tom Sawyer makes it even worse. That’s, or course, half the book, and James dispenses with all that quickly (he cathartically discards it!)

However, one cute note is that Louis XVI did float down the Mississippi when he was Dauphin in the 1700’s. Seems Twain must be toying with that.

Here's an article by Toni Morrison on her response to The adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I believe it's her introduction to an edition of the novel, published in the 1990s after or during controversy over whether this should still be taught in schools. I wonder if anyone could teach it now in the USA.

>49 markon: i’m not quite up for reading that full essay, but what i did read was fantastic

>49 markon: Thanks so much for the article. Before reading it I was undecided about finishing Huck Finn, and now afterwards I definitely will.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Language-Lover's Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn
Hovering by Rhett Davis

I'm about a chapter behind with A Promised Land if I want to finish it in January but I keep telling myself I can make it up when I'm on holiday. I ended up buying The Language-Lovers Lexipedia so I didn't have to rush and think I'm going make it a commute book. I'll alternate it with Hovering which I'll either need to finish this week (seems achievable) or extend my loan from the library.

Finished this week
Bewilderment by Richard Powers
I finished Bewilderment not long after my last "diary" entry so I've had a week to reflect. This was a BB from Dan (dchaikin) and his review covers a lot of my thoughts. Robin is seen to have a problem because he is (quite rightly) upset about the state of the planet but doesn't ignore it like almost everyone else. This is not a judgement on "everyone else" as I count myself among their number. I find the state of the world is so shit that if I think about it too much I want to curl up in a ball, so I try not to think about it. I strongly admire those people who continue to fight what seems like an unwinnable battle.

I strongly recommend not reading this spoiler if you haven't already read the book. I think Powers foreshadowed part of the ending by his reference to Flowers For Algernon as I wasn't surprised when Robin's treatment ended and he reverted back to his previous behaviour. When reading I *was* surprised by Robin's death, but on reflection it's like where else could the author have gone?

This is my first book by Richard Powers so now I feel like I need to add The Overstory to my wishlist.

Talking To The Dead by Harry Bingham
This was an indirect BB from Margaret (wandering_star) from 2023 and is the first in the DC Fiona Griffiths crime series.

It's a little bit trope-y - Fiona's an outsider at work, and she put herself in a couple of questionable circumstances, but it was a pretty solid police procedural. There is a crime to solve but I would say this book is mostly about getting to know Fiona. It's written in the first person which usually results in me being entirely sympathetic to the POV character but in this case Fiona made me uncomfortable. She is certainly an interesting character and the reason I'll continue with this series.

>13 rhian_of_oz: Happy New Year, and a nice list of planned reads! The only one I have read, too, is The Illustrated Man - I hope you enjoy it. Conversations sounds like an interesting podcast, I've saved a few episodes to listen to! Bewilderment sounds like a very challenging read...

>52 rhian_of_oz: Glad you enjoyed it. I read the series to the end and stayed interested, and I think it was because of Fiona as a character.

>52 rhian_of_oz: thanks for mentioning me. It looks like you had the full impact of the book. So, hugs? 🙂 I haven’t read the famous book in your spoiler comment, and so didn’t get the hint.

I hope Obama is treating you well

>53 rasdhar: Happy New Year to you too.

I'm not sure if I'll end up getting to The Illustrated Man this month as I still need to read Gallowglass for bookclub and am running out of days. There's always next month 🙂.

I hope you enjoy Conversations if you manage to listen to any. I must confess I haven't listened to many myself. The only time I sit still long enough to listen is on long car trips. I'm unfortunately not one of those people that can listen and do something else at the same time.

Bewilderment was challenging but worth it I think. Though I feel like you need a reasonably positive frame-of-mind going in.

>55 dchaikin: A Promised Land is very well written and therefore easy to read. I can't help but feel slightly cynical as I read it, keeping in mind that he has his own reputation and that of POTUS to maintain. So not so much warts-and-all but more like freckles-and-some 🙂. But it still interesting to get a glimpse inside a presidential campaign and the sheer resources required.

>57 rhian_of_oz: all that makes sense to me. It’s oddly open

>52 rhian_of_oz: I've had The Overstory on my list for so long now I can't really remember anything about it or why I put it there, but it sounds like Powers is worth getting to.

>59 valkyrdeath: >52 rhian_of_oz: Overstory is a splitter. Love and vast frustration rants from equally admirable readers. It’s a bit on the long side, which makes is part of why I haven’t read it yet.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Language-Lover's Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn

Next up:
Gallowglass by S J Morden

I'm still behind with A Promised Land to finish in January but I'm finding a chapter at a time is enough and so need to resolve myself to going into February. I am quite enjoying The Language-Lovers Lexipedia, reading it in between my other books. Gallowglass is for bookclub on February 3rd so I'm going to start that tomorrow to give myself plenty of time.

I'm on holiday at the moment and yesterday visited one of my favourite bookshops (Text and Co in Dunsborough) and only bought three books:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans - wishlist
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe - preparation for the group read of The Hours
The Book Forger by Joseph Hone - impulse buy

Finished this week
Hovering by Rhett Davis
This is the author's first novel which I read based on enjoying his second novel Arborescence. They are both a bit weird, but I found this one almost a little too surreal for my taste. I definitely enjoyed the stories of Alice, Lydia, and George - individually and together. I would read something else by this author because I think his ideas are interesting.

>61 rhian_of_oz: Vacation and bookshops. Sounds lovely.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Gallowglass by S J Morden

Next up:
Start compiling my potential reads for February.

I'm still on holiday and as is usual for me I haven't been reading much.

In A Promised Land I'm up to where they were developing and enacting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the politics around it made me feel slightly ill. I suspect President Obama's job isn't going to get any easier, and given current events I'm a little reluctant to immerse myself in that world.

I began Gallowglass which started off quite action-packed and slightly stressful. I'm confident I'll be able to finish it in time for bookclub.

Finished this week
The Language-Lover's Lexipedia by Joshua Blackburn
This was a lot of fun. It does seem a somewhat random collection but I guess that it part of it's appeal. It's well-named as this is definitely one for language lovers.

>49 markon: with the release and success of James, I suspect it would be taught to compare

I strongly suggest you read a time of our singing my favorite power book from the description "A magnificent, multifaceted novel about a supremely gifted -- and divided -- family, set against the backdrop of postwar America On Easter day, 1939, at Marian Anderson's epochal concert on the Washington Mall, David Strom, a German Jewish emigre scientist, meets Delia Daley, a young Philadelphia Negro studying to be a singer. Their mutual love of music draws them together, and--against all odds and better judgment--they marry. They vow to raise their children beyond time, beyond identity, show

>59 valkyrdeath: I would like to sugggest you read a time of our singing this is from the descriptipn "A magnificent, multifaceted novel about a supremely gifted -- and divided -- family, set against backdrop of postwar America On Easter day, 1939, at Marian Anderson's epochal concert on the Washington Mall, David Strom, a German Jewish emigre scientist, meets Delia Daley, a young Philadelphia Negro studying to be a singer. Their mutual love of music draws them together, and--against all odds and better judgment--they marry. They vow to raise their children beyond time, beyond identity,steeped in song. But their three children must survive America's brutal here and now. Jonah, Joseph, and Ruth grow up during the Civil Rights era, come of age in the violent 1960s, and live out adulthood in the racially retrenched late century. Jonah, the eldest, "whose voice could make heads of state repent," follows a life in his parents' beloved classical music. Ruth, the youngest, chooses a militant activism and repudiates the white culture her brother represents. Joseph, the middle child and the narrator of this generational tale, struggles to remain connected to them both. The Time of Our Singing is a story of self-invention, allegiance, race, cultural ownership, the compromised power of music, and the tangled loops of time that rewrite all belonging. it is my all time favorite Power. very well written and current I think youll like it enjoy!!!

>66 cindydavid4: That does sounds interesting, I'll try and check it out!

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Next up:
Assemble my potential reads for February.

I've been home from holiday for about a week but I still haven't been reading a heap. Summer in Perth means Fringe festival and I've already spent two nights out just for that.

I've made a little progress with A Promised Land and am managing to remain a bit more detached about it. I would like to finish it this month but I haven't yet calculated how likely that is.

I began Orbital this morning, I'm about 10% in and the word that springs to mind for it so far is 'quiet'. I'm not sure my work commute is the best place to appreciate this, certainly not the morning trip with the schoolkids.

Finished this week
Gallowglass by S J Morden
I read this for bookclub and am interested in hearing why it was chosen for us. I found it ... immature is the best I can come up with. This isn't this author's first novel so it's not that. The blurb mentions "Ridley Scott's The Martian" (interestingly NOT "Andy Weir's The Martian") so maybe the author has cinematic aspirations.

This wasn't *bad* but so often I would be drawn out of the story by some implausibility (and I mean that in the context of the story). I have read and enjoyed books written like an action movie (e.g. Matthew Reilly), and I also thoroughly enjoyed The Martian (book and film) so it's not that this wasn't my thing. And the ending ... ugh.

I am looking forward to the discussion about this and seeing whether there's something I missed. But based on my current view I won't be rushing out (or even walking very slowly) to read anything else by this author.

Better late than never.

Planned February reads:
Bookclub -
Group Read - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe
DecadeCAT (10s) - The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
ArtsCAT (Artist Biographies) - Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby
HomeCAT (Living Room) - Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov
NonfictionCAT (Medicine and Disease) - Elixir: A Voyage into Alchemy by Kapka Kassabova
MysteryKIT (Clerical Detectives) - The Unmourned by Meg Keneally
RandomKIT (Hospitals) - In the Margins by Gail Holmes
SFFKIT (A Little Romance) - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
AlphaKit (O and B) - The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett, Orbital by Samantha Harvey
Coloured CoverKIT (Blue or Item of Clothing) - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
CultureKIT (A Book in Translation) - The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker
ScaredyKIT (Ghost Stories) - Beloved by Toni Morrison
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

I love the photos of your planned reads. Of the ones on deck for February, I loved Beloved and Never Let Me Go (read back in the day when I had no idea what the spoiler was), liked Time Shelter, and didn't care for The Twin. Several others are waiting on my shelves or on my wishlist. We have a lot of overlap this month.

>70 labfs39: Thanks. I quite like having them set out neatly away from the rest of Mount TBR.

I've chosen Never Let Me Go as my commute book. I didn't know there was a spoiler to be aware of so here's hoping I don't inadvertantly stumble across it online before I encounter it in the book 🙂.

I picked up the The Twin at a secondhand shop and I can only assume it was on a display because it wasn't on my wishlist. I'll set my expectations accordingly.

>71 rhian_of_oz: Don't take my word on The Twin too seriously. Many others, including Darryl/kidzdoc and Dan/dchaikin loved it. Interestingly, two of my women friends on LT, Monica/trifolia and Deborah/arubabookwoman, cared for it less. A gender divide? Too small a sample size to say for sure, but I did find the male protagonist difficult to relate to or like. The writing was good though. I'll be curious as to your impressions.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Next up:
In the Margins by Gail Holmes

I'm not sure how I spent my time last week but it clearly wasn't reading given it took me the better part of the week to read Orbital. I've made up for it already this week, finishing Never Let Me Go in a couple of days.

Finished this week
Orbital by Samantha Harvey
It took me longer than expected to finish this, not because it was hard to read but because I wanted quiet to read it and my main reading time is on the bus in peak hour. This was beautifully written, somehow quiet and introspective. Many reviews I saw complained about a lack of plot, and I can see what they're talking about, but for me this was a feature not a bug.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I was sure this was a CR BB but I managed to dig out an old wishlist that lists the source of this recommendation as Good Reading (is an Australian magazine). I found this a very compelling read. I didn't know anything about the story going in, but the "big reveal" seemed obvious to me so it was less of a twist and more confirming what I already suspected.
I find the idea of creating clones for the purposes of organ donation to be a ridiculous solution to the problem of curing disease from a practical perspective, so I had to not think about it while reading. I also found the explanation about why the students were encouraged to be creative didn't make sense, nor did the rationale for why the school was closed down.
Looking back at my opinions about other books I have read by the author it seems I have a problem with his endings 🙂 so I'm undecided whether to add The Remains of the Day to my wishlist.

>69 rhian_of_oz: Does having the books together like that help keep you motivated (looking for motivation myself here)?

I just finished Beloved yesterday for my book club tomorrow.

>74 SassyLassy: It makes it easier to select my next book to read because my choices are limited (though I suppose technically I can still read any of my books 🙂) and having them separated (as opposed to having a list but the books still being in Mt TBR) means I can pick them up and start reading them to see if they're what I'm in the mood for.

I've already picked my next book, but I might read Beloved after that.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Next up:
Not sure, need to do my March planning.

I don't understand how it's already March, and how it's been nearly three weeks since I last posted. I'm still slowly making my way through A Promised Land. My reading pace is less due to the book and more to do with the topic and the current state of the world.

Finished since last time
In The Margins by Gail Holmes
I'm reasonably certain I bought this with a voucher I received for my birthday and initially picked it because the cover was pretty. This novel is inspired by Frances Wolfreston, though the author is very clear that what she has written is a fictional representation. I enjoyed this a lot. It shows what I'm guessing is a reasonably accurate portrayal of life in England at the time. The overall mood is what I would call mildly oppressive - there is a sense of foreboding through most of the story but it's not so bad that you feel like there's no hope.

Stolen In Death by J D Robb
This is number 62 in the series and is a pretty solid addition. If you haven't read any of these then I wouldn't start here 🙂, and if you've read the series this far then I think you'll enjoy this one.

The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett
I loved the author's Divine Cities series (CR BB from bragan) as well as The Tainted Cup so when I saw this in a second-hand bookshop I grabbed it. One of the main tags for this is Horror which is not a genre I normally read or enjoy so I'm glad I didn't know beforehand otherwise I would've left it in the shop.
I didn't enjoy this as much as the aforementioned books, but I think his worldbuilding in this is still pretty incredible. I also liked how I would think I knew where this was going and then it would head in a completely different, but still internally consistent, direction.
Overall my feeling about this is positive, though I'm not entirely sure who I would recommend it to.

Planned March reads:
Bookclub – Bird Deity by John Morrissey (missing from photo as not yet acquired)
Group Read - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe
DecadesCAT (80s) - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
ArtsCAT (Let’s go to the movies) - Halfway To Hollywood by Michael Palin
HomeCAT (Attic) - Homecoming by Kate Morton
NonfictionCAT (I want to learn about …) - Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler
MysteryKIT (Nordic) - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
RandomKIT (Person’s name in the title) - The Formidable Miss Cassidy by Meihan Boey
SFFKIT (Classic pre-1975) - The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin
AlphaKit (V and R) - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Coloured CoverKIT (Green or greenery) - Telling The Bees by Peggy Hesketh
CultureKIT (Close to home) - Nganajungu Yagu by Charmaine Papertalk Green
ScaredyKIT (Haunted Houses) - The Cold House by A G Slatter
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

76 This is number 62 in the series Wow.

>77 rhian_of_oz: I struggled to get through Huck Finn, but loved Anxious People, I've read it twice. I thought Remarkably Bright Creatures was okay, but not great, although most of my book club loved it. Mrs Dalloway is on my to-do list. After I finish Kuang's Poppy War trilogy, I might check out Jemisin. Do you have a recommendation for a good starting book of hers?

>76 rhian_of_oz: I loved the author's Divine Cities series (CR BB from bragan)

And very pleased I am to have hit with that particular book bullet! I think there was a period when I was practically pressing a copy of City of Stairs into the hands of everyone I could reach and yelling "You gotta read this one!" :) Which isn't something that I feel moved to do all that often. I wasn't as thrilled with the Foundryside series, although the worldbuilding in that was still very good. I'm wondering if The Troupe is one I should check out. Then again, I still haven't read The Tainted Cup yet...

>78 labfs39: future black history month

>78you can start with her short story collection How Long 'Til Black Future Month? all of the stories are the basis to her novels broken earth trilogy would be my first series of hers, enjoy!
Oh that's fine

>78 labfs39: I have also struggled with Huck Finn, managing to get a bit over halfway through it last year before putting it aside. But someone shared this piece by Toni Morrison which made me decide to pick it up again.

My introduction to N K Jemisin was The Fifth Season which I read for my bookclub which reads almost exclusively SFF. For what it's worth, each book in the Broken Earth trilogy won the Hugo for Best Novel, and I would absolutely recommend them. I agree with Cindy's recommendation of How Long 'Til Black Future Month? as a starting point, especially as it is stand-alone and a short story collection.

>79 bragan: The Tainted Cup made it into my top 10 (out of 63) for last year so I would recommend it ahead of The Troupe.

>83 rhian_of_oz: Handy enough, since I already own that one. :)

>82 rhian_of_oz: Thanks. I had read the Morrison essay, albeit after I read Huck Finn. I guess I'll have to lump HF together with Moby Dick and much of Hemingway: books about which I just don't get the fuss. I hope HF agreed with you more after reading the Morrison piece.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Homecoming by Kate Morton
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin

Next up:
Bird Deity by John Morrissey

I'm still working my way through A Promised Land. The time it's taking me is no reflection on the book itself which is well-written and interesting, but more that reading about politics is not appealing in the current state of the world. It's not helped by the fact that the other chunkster I'm reading (Homecoming) is the more attractive option when having my lunch or dinner (this is relevant because I need to read them sitting at the dining table).

My commute book is The Dispossessed which requires (and deserves) my attention, which is sometimes in short supply after work.

Finished since last time
The Formidable Miss Cassidy by Meihan Boey
This was a bit of fun where the Mary Poppins-like Miss Cassidy arrives in Singapore as companion to a young woman, and is soon revealed to be more than she seems. Set in the 1890s it has a Victorian feel mixed in with the supernatural involving mythologies I wasn't familiar with. I liked this well enough without loving it, and I think if I read the sequel it will be as a library book.

>86 rhian_of_oz: Thanks for your mention of the Formidable Miss Cassidy. I purchased it as an ebook and read it on a night I needed a cosy escape.

>87 markon: Oh lovely. I hope it succeeded in its mission 🙂.

Planned April reads:
Bookclub – Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
Group Read - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
DecadesCAT (00s) - Black Man by Richard Morgan
ArtsCAT (Museums) - The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
HomeCAT (Kitchen) - Heartless by Marissa Meyer
NonfictionCAT (History and Ancient History) - Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler
MysteryKIT (Private Eyes) - Darkness for Light by Emma Viskic
RandomKIT (Royalty or Aristocracy) - Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
SFFKIT (Parallel Worlds) - Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson
AlphaKit (P and J) - The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
Coloured CoverKIT (Yellow or Sun, moon, stars) - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
CultureKIT (Hobbyist Subculture) - The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
ScaredyKIT (True Crime) - The Book Forger by Joseph Hone
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

I love your monthly picks shelf photo. I have Museum of Innocence staring at me from where I sit.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama
The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

Next up:
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I posted. Does anyone else feel like there are so many more things clamouring for your attention than in the past?

It's been a while since I picked up A Promised Land, so maybe it's time to set myself a daily page commitment.

I'm actively reading The Bookbinder of Jericho which I picked up last night to read while eating dinner and got halfway through before putting it aside so I could go to bed at a reasonable time for a "school night".

Finished since last time
The Dispossessed by Ursula K Le Guin
This demanded (and deserved) careful, thoughtful reading. Challenging to my worldview without reading like a lecture. Probably not for those that like their science/speculative fiction action-packed.

The Second Chance Book Club by Stephanie Butland
I was looking for something light and easy to read and this fit the bill.

Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
This is quite different to Children of Time, the only other novel I have read by this author. I enjoyed this and found it managed the line between humourous and bleak quite well. It was maybe a bit longer than it needed to be but I was satisfied with how it ended.

Homecoming by Kate Morton
While Ms Morton's works tend to follow a similar structure, I find the characters and subjects different enough to want to keep reading them. I know that her resolutions aren't the obvious ones, but I can still never pick what they are (despite trying) and yet they are consistent with what we've been told. I will happily read her next novel whenever it may arrive.

Bird Deity by John Morrissey
I read this for bookclub which I didn't end up attending. I didn't like this very much, I found it tedious to get through. Another one where it reads like someone relating a dream they had. It reminded me quite strongly of Beneath The World, A Sea which I read for the same bookclub last year and which I felt ambivalent about. I'm not inclined to read anything else by this author.

I always enjoy hearing from you and what you are reading. Bookbinder sounds interesting. I've got something by Tchaikovsky on my TBR. His name seems to come up with some regularity. I've read Obama, but not that one. Ditto Kate Morton. I can never decide if I really like her books or not, but I keep reading them.

>90 labfs39: Aw thanks.

If you want to do a buddy read of Museum of Innocence I'd be up for that.

>92 WelshBookworm: Then I shall try to do better and post more often 🙂.

I am quite enjoying Bookbinder. Have you read The Dictionary of Lost Words? If you have and you liked it then you would probably like this.

I can never decide if I really like her books or not, but I keep reading them.

I enjoy reading them while I'm reading them but then don't give them too much thought once I'm done.

>93 rhian_of_oz: A buddy read would be fun, but I'm in a tizzy this month, and I'm not sure when I will get to it. Instead, I'll use your comments as inspiration. :-)

>95 labfs39: Given it's size I think it's unlikely that I will even start it in April, so the offer of a future buddy read still stands.

ive raed lost word and really liked it untill ..........that i didnt think fair to the chrarater or to the reader. worth the tellin o f the OEB and the fun the young girl has withy words

Despite having a varied selection of books to choose from in my April pile I didn't feel like reading any of them. Fickle moods 🙂. Luckily I have plenty of others to choose from.

Currently reading:
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (I should probably move this to my 'Might pick up again' list.)

Next up:
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (borrowed)
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (in preparation for The Hours)
A Forest Darkly by A G Slatter (for bookclub, not due until 2nd of June)

Finished since last time
The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
I liked this a lot. You could almost describe it as cozy historical fiction, though as it is set in Oxford during WW1 bad things do happen. It has some interesting (though not necessarily new) observations on class/privilege which made me reflect on the supposedly egalitarian society we currently live in. If you liked The Dictionary Of Lost Words then I think this would also appeal. I see Ms Williams has a new novel due out later this year. Hopefully she'll tour this one because I very much enjoyed seeing her discuss TBoJ.

The Teller Of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
This is described on the back as a "cozy, heart-warming fantasy adventure" which is so accurate I can't improve upon it. It is slightly reminiscent of Becky Chambers' The Monk and the Robot series (single person travelling about in a wagon) but also like The Wizard of Oz (gathering companions along the way). I liked it enough that I intend to read the next one.

A Tempest At Sea and A Ruse Of Shadows by Sherry Thomas
These are books seven and eight in the Lady Sherlock series which I gobbled up over a weekend. Sadly I'm now up-to-date and will need to wait until September for the next one.

Purchased since last time
Addition by Toni Jordan (on special)
Gateway by Frederik Pohl (mentioned in my bookclub chat as a book that should be made into a "tv" series)
A Tempest At Sea and A Ruse Of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (purchased online as neither my local or state library has them)
Fresh Water For Flowers by Valerie Perrin and We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (purchased while on holiday from one of my favourite bookshops)
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle (borrowed from the library after reading about #4 in a local bookshop newsletter)
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (lent to me by my MIL)

I will probably still put together a planned book pile for May, though I realise I better get a wriggle on.

I continued to read off plan this week. Tonight's task is to put together the May list so I then have something to choose from for my new commute book instead of picking one of my new shiny books (see below).

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (I should probably move this to my 'Might pick up again' list.)

Next up:
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (in preparation for The Hours)
A Forest Darkly by A G Slatter (for bookclub not due until 2nd of June)

Finished since last time
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle
I would describe this as a quiet and introspective book, which makes sense given the premise and that the narrator is essentially talking to herself. I was so invested that even though I know there are further books, I was still hoping that she was going to escape the loop.
I liked this a lot, so much that on finishing it I went and bought it (originally borrowed from the library) and the next two, and I would've bought the fourth if it'd been in the shop.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
How to describe this? I mostly liked it but I also feel like it's a bit ... something. Smug? Twee? It's heartwarming I suppose, but in a way that feels contrived. I can see that many people would find this comforting in a world that is a bit shit.

Purchased since last time
On The Calculation Of Volume 1 by Solvej Balle
On The Calculation Of Volume 2 by Solvej Balle
On The Calculation Of Volume 3 by Solvej Balle
The Infinite Sadness Of Small Appliances by Glenn Dixon
The Final Target by Nora Roberts
Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway
Sleeper Beach by Nick Harkaway
The Hymn Of Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
A Drop Of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
Or What You Will by Jo Walton

>99 rhian_of_oz: lovely to see about On the Calculation of Volume. Hope you get to Mrs. Dalloway. I may reread it soonish, having learned something by reading what came before. It’s such a dynamic book, despite needing slow reading and wide-awake attention.

>100 dchaikin: I will probably read something else heading into the weekend, but may pick up Mrs Dalloway after that.

>91 rhian_of_oz: Does anyone else feel like there are so many more things clamouring for your attention than in the past?

I've been feeling that as well, quite a bit over the last year or so in particular.

Planned May reads:
Bookclub – A Forest, Darkly by A G Slatter
Group Read - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe
DecadesCAT (30s) - Babel or The Necessity Of Violence by R F Kuang
ArtsCAT (Colour and Light) - The Crimson Road by A G Slatter
HomeCAT (The Front Porch) - Last One Out by Jane Harper
NonfictionCAT (Archaeology) - Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler
MysteryKIT (Hardboiled/Noir) - Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway
RandomKIT (Dance Like No One is Watching) - Space Opera by Catherynne M Valente
SFFKIT (Western Inspired) - Ninth Life by Stark Holborn
AlphaKit (A and W) - Animal People by Charlotte Wood
Coloured CoverKIT (Turquoise or Jewellery) - The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
CultureKIT (Religious Minorities) - The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
ScaredyKIT (Reanimation) - Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Photo to come.

I was thinking I hadn't read anything off my planned list for May (which I didn't even get around to physically assembling) but when I reviewed it I saw it wasn't quite as bad as that. Will look to do better for June.

Currently reading:
A Promised Land by Barack Obama (I should probably move this to my 'Might pick up again' list.)
A Forest Darkly by A G Slatter (for bookclub, due Tuesday)
The Book Of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

Next up:
Yet to be decided

Finished since last time
Last One Out by Jane Harper
Ms Harper is an auto-read for me and this didn't disappoint. I feel like she perfectly captures the comfort and claustrophobia of small-town Australia, and I enjoy the way her stories unfold. If you like her other work, you'll like this.

The Final Target by Nora Roberts
What I will say about Ms Roberts is that she is consistent and you know what you're going to get. I did feel this one was mostly recycled characters and story line, so maybe there is a limit to the variety you can achieve in the genre of romantic thrillers. Or maybe I need to find a new contemporary romance author.

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce
This is the last of The Wartime Chronicles, books that tell the stories of British women's experiences during WW2. I've quite enjoyed this mostly cosy series.

The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson
I'm obviously on some sort of cosies tear because this is the third in The Tea Ladies cosy mystery series set in Sydney in the late 1960s. I like these as they are filled with interesting characters and unexpected scenarios.

Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent
I'm familiar with Ms Dent from the British Countdown shows so when I saw this in the library I thought I would give it a go. It was the perfect way to spent a wintery day curled up on the couch.

Purchased since last time
The Wall by Marlen Haushofer
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
My Year Of Rest And Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
On The Calculation Of Volume 4 by Solvej Balle
The Overstory by Richard Powers
The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

Borrowed from the library
Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce
The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson
Guilty By Definition by Susie Dent

Planned June reads:
Bookclub – Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang
Group Read - Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe
DecadesCAT (Choose Your Own) - Ithaca by Claire North
ArtsCAT (Ballet and Broadway) - This Much Is True by Miriam Margoyles
HomeCAT (Garden Room) - The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
NonfictionCAT (Animals) - The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
MysteryKIT (Police Procedurals) - Blood & Stone (1) (A Radazan Mystery) by Tamara M Bailey
RandomKIT (Numbers or Symbols) - The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland
SFFKIT (Religion) - Babel by R F Kuang
AlphaKit (H and T) - Telling The Bees by Peggy Hesketh
Coloured CoverKIT (Purple / Food or Drink) - Afterland by Lauren Beukes
CultureKIT (Indigenous Peoples) - Nganajungu Yagu by Charmaine Papertalk Green
ScaredyKIT (Evil Children) - The Cold House by A G Slatter
Series (The Great Cities) - The City We Became, The World We Make by N. K. Jemisin
Biography/memoir - A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Anthology - The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

>105 rhian_of_oz: Wow, I can see why the Obama is taking you some time! And it must be heavy to pick up too!

>106 FlorenceArt: It is a chunkster which is why I only read it at home at the dining table so I can prop it up. The main reason it is taking so long to read is less about its size and more about how much I don't want to read about American politics when it is so much in the news.

>107 rhian_of_oz: I can understand that too.

>105 rhian_of_oz: Such an enticing display, both titles and spines.

>100 dchaikin: theo of golden was twee,predictable contrived and generally a waste of time to read. didnt bother to give it stars. put in our bookstore trade pile see if i get some money back

oh what you will sounds marvelous and fun, just what i need

I am envious that you have a group read of Mrs Dalloway coming up, I recently read it and enjoyed it a lot but definitely felt I would have got more from having people to discuss sections of it with.

>109 labfs39: Thank you. Hopefully it will entice me to read them instead of being tempted by my shiny new purchases!

>110 cindydavid4: The advantage from my perspective is that it was a loan from my MIL so I could hand it back to her once I was done.

>111 wandering_star: Technically Mrs Dalloway isn't itself a group read, rather it's preparation for a group read of The Hours which was discussed earlier in the year.

Oh yes, I'm planning to do that as well! Is there a thread for it yet?