I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.
-J.K. Rowling
You know how sometimes you can’t find anything good to read? Well, I’m having the opposite problem- I feel like I’m practically being buried under an avalanche of books I can’t wait to read. But I can’t start any of them until I finish Troubled Blood, the fifth book in Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling pseudonym) Cormoran Strike mystery series.
I’m loving this book SO MUCH. My only complaint is that it’s extremely … heavy. I was leaving a comment on The Birchwood Pie blog post (more about her in a minute) and I accidentally referred to it as a “900 pound book,” ha ha… I meant 900 page. But a 900 page hardcover library book is seriously uncomfortable to hold for long periods of time. I’ve developed a system where I prop it up on two pillows while I sit on the couch so I don’t tire out my hands.
Meanwhile, three library holds have come in.
I actually don’t remember anything about these books, but I read about them on other blogs and apparently they sounded so good I put a library hold on them. I’m torn between never wanting Troubled Blood to end, and wanting to finish it quickly so I can start these!
Furthermore… the aforementioned Birchwood Pie shared this list of “best” thriller books… and they all sound so good! The only one on this list that I’ve read is The Push and I’m excited to check out some of the others. I’m not allowing myself to request any more library holds until I finish my 900 pound book and start the other three I already have, though.
And then… as if that’s not enough, I found this list of the 20+ books J.K. Rowling recommends reading. J.K. Rowling is possibly my favorite author of all time, so I found this list fascinating. I’ve read five of them: Emma, Little Women, Catcher in the Rye, Ballet Shoes (yes, there are some kids’ books on her list) and The Casual Vacancy- interesting choice there, as she wrote that one.
Some of the others I don’t really have any desire to read, like The Odyssey and Tale of Two Cities (I’m not a Dickens fan.) But I think I have to check out The Woman Who Walked Into Doors because Rowling says Roddy Doyle is her favorite living writer. And Rowling says of The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, “Perhaps more than any other book, it has a direct influence on the Harry Potter books.” Whoa! Intriguing.
You guys, I just want to sit down and inhale all these books at once. I wish I didn’t have to go to work so I could just read all day! At this point in the post I would normally ask what everyone is reading now, but I don’t want to risk that- I can’t add any more books to my list!
If you had to pick a favorite author of all time, who would it be?
Are you in a reading glut now, or a reading drought? Or somewhere in between?
28 Responses
Oh my goodness. That book DOES look like 900 pounds. There is something so nice about a book you’re enjoying lasting so long, though. I felt that way about the longer Harry Potter books. I know I’ve read a good book when I’m sad it’s over. (Sometimes a really good book ending sets off a reading slump. I’m just so disappointed that book is over!)
Reading material is such a fickle “friend.” I’m coming off a few weeks of MANY disappointments in my reading selections. Then, in the last two weeks, I’ve had a series of solid reads.
I do have to plug A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens can be a bit of a slog, but of all the Dicken’s I’ve read, that is probably my favourite! (Absolutely NO pressure to read it of course. Life is too short to read books we don’t enjoy).
As you know, I’m excited to read Ballet Shoes 🙂
Yes, that’s what happened to me after I (re)read the Harry Potter books this summer- I was SO sad they were over, and literally didn’t read anything for a couple months! Luckily I snapped out of that. I’m definitely glad this book is so long- I’m enjoying it so much and I know I’ll be sad when it’s over. Since this was published in 2020 I’m hoping she comes out with the next one soon.
I really hope you like Ballet Shoes! I loved it as a kid.
That IS a big book! I’m having a similar issue with Snow Widows by Katherine MacInnes, which is a book about the women the explorers on Scott of the Antarctic’s tragic expedition left behind. I thought it would be a slim volume when I accepted a review copy but its a big old hardback! I also have The Virago Book of Women Travellers, another big hardback, coming up, and a massive floppy paperback volume of Icelandic sagas on the go!
I just finished a much smaller Larry McMurtry, The Desert Rose, a bittersweet novel about a fading Vegas showgirl, which was lovely. He is a favourite, but Iris Murdoch is my absolute favourite author ever and I’ve read her 26 novels 3-4 times!
Always seems to me JKR drew more inspiration from Diana Wynne Jones’ Chronicles of Chrestomanci, just saying …
Oh boy… your books always sound fascinating. That’s a strong endorsement of Iris Murdoch- I read some of hers a very long time ago- I should go back to her again now.
I know what you mean, this week I had ten library books sitting on my table. Ten! But I’m working my way through them.
My favourite authors: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, David Sedaris, Katherine Heiny, Elizabeth Strout, Thrity Umrigar, EM Delafield, Jane Austen. I was probably the one who recommended The Story Hour. I’m reading her book Honor right now!
That’s a big book!
I know what you mean, this week I had ten library books sitting on my table. Ten! But I’m working my way through them.
My favourite authors: Margaret Atwood, Alice Munro, David Sedaris, Katherine Heiny, Elizabeth Strout, Thrity Umrigar, EM Delafield, Jane Austen. I was probably the one who recommended The Story Hour. I’m reading her book Honor right now!
Yes, I think it was probably you. Well, that’s a pretty strong recommendation, if Umrigar is one of your favorite authors. I also love Jane Austen.
(I have no idea why that posted twice, sorry!)
Like you I have too many books I want to read.
Boating gives me the time. Can’t do much else.
Otherwise I’m limited to an hour before bed.
Lots of favorite authors. Now I rely on others recommended ones.
Yes, I really have to fight to get in more than an hour before bed. I’m going to have to find other times during the day to read if I want to get through all these!
I think that you’ve just started the next fitness craze – reading 900 pound books!!!
My normal thing is to read for 20-30 minutes before bed but in addition to the thriller list I also saw the Sarah’s Bookshelves summer reading list so my TBR just got quite long. I may have to carve out more time for reading.
Oh no… summer reading lists are coming out! I’m doomed!
I read that Galbraith book as an ebook – I also hate it when the books are so heavy that they’re hard to hold!
I currently have six library books on top of my bookshelf and two library ebooks checked out and I’m thinking that I should probably order more from the library because my stock is low and I worry about running out of reading material.
Choosing my favorite author is hard. JK Rowling? Robin Hobb? Becky Chambers? Wally Lamb? I don’t know. It’s a good question, but I’m unwilling to take a stand on it.
Oh yes… Wally Lamb is amazing.
So you have eight books and worry you’re running low? That just shows how fast you read compared to me!
So many good books, so little time!
Yes, that’s my motto!
Somewhere in between. I’m really enjoying the book I’m currently reading. Often I go for the Amazon first reads, though (free) & they’re hit or miss.
900 pages! Wow. As a kid I LOVED really long books: Michener, James Clavell, Tolkien. I’d read them again & again. Actually Little Women fell into that category when i was younger. I reread it not that long ago & it was just ok.
Funny you should mention that, because I was thinking of re-reading Little Women- i was also pretty young when I read it. I wonder what i would think of it now?
I adored LW as a tween. I read so many Alcott books! But I tried to read it as an adult and found it preachy and sanctimonious and was so disappointed. It’s crazy how time and place can really impact your enjoyment of a book.
Okay, you’re the second person to say you didn’t really enjoy it as an adult… so I probably won’t reread it. There are too many other things to read!
I go through phases of reading tons of books and not for months. During the summer, I tend to read more. I just started next level by Stacy Simms. I have not re-read any books I read as a kid. I did read the Odyssey with both of my kids when they were in HS. Does that count? 🙂
I would say that counts! I have to admit I’m glad the kids at our HS don’t read The Odyssey.
I would say I am in a reading glut as well, although I almost exclusively read ebooks and I can always delayed the delivery of a book when it becomes available so that prevents me from having too many books at the same time. I used the pause feature for physical books but then I would sometimes forget when a pause expired and then I’d get a bunch of books at the same time, some/most of which I really did want to read!
Favorite authors are Thrity Umrigar and Ann Patchett!
Ooh! Well, I have a book by Thrity Umrigar coming up! I’ve never read anything by her, but a lot of people have been recommending her recently.
The books always come in by the bucket load. I’ve been in a rut but read 1.5 books this weekend so think/hope I’m coming out of it.
900 page/lb books are my nemesis, especially ones that aren’t digital – looking at you Power Broker!
Off to lok at Birchwood’s post — I love me some thrillers especially in summer.
Have you read Daniel Silva? He’s my favorite.
I don’t think I’ve read any Daniel Silva, although I’ve definitely heard of him. I’ll be interested to hear which (if any) books you like off of Birchwood’s list- some of them sound really good.
The glut of good books! That is always my biggest problem. So many good books coming out all the time, and so many older books I have yet to read. I wish I could quit my job for a year and just read every day. But maybe then it would get boring? Maybe the magic is in the way we have to try to fit in reading around our busy lives, and we always find the time for it.
That book is HUGE. I would have probably read it on Kindle… I just can’t do super-big books in print anymore.
Favorite authors: Taylor Jenkins Reid and Kristin Hannah. For romance, I love Lucy Parker and Christina Lauren.
No, I think I would happily quit my job for a year and just read! I’m willing to accept the risk that it could get boring. i finally finished the huge book- a paperback version would have been nice!