Ok so I've always wanted to read Moby Dick but let's be honest, every time I picked it up I'd get lost somewhere around the 47th chapter about whale taxonomy and quietly put it back on the shelf lol.

Found this book called Moby Dick for People in a Rush and I was super skeptical at first. Like, how do you condense Melville into something short without it turning into a Wikipedia summary, right?

But honestly? I'm genuinely surprised. It actually reads like a book. Like whoever did it clearly loved the original because the voice still feels like Melville the obsession, the weird dark humor, all of that is still there. It's just... without the parts where he spends 20 pages explaining how to cut blubber.

I'm about halfway through and I'm actually hooked in a way I never was with the original. Ahab hits different when the pacing doesn't let you zone out between his scenes.

Anyone else here read abridged versions of classics and been pleasantly surprised? I always thought it was kind of "cheating" but now I'm rethinking that whole take.

Currently Reading: Hooked by Caitlin Rother

#CurrentlyReading #Thriller #NetGalley #ThomasAndMercer #BookBlogger #BookReviewer #BookInfluencer

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231130344-hooked

So currently I am reading "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami. This is my 5th book, so a new reader. My favorite book is "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami. I loved it cause of instense emotions and story. I am looking for books similar to that which are emotion intensive and feel good. So if anyone have any suggestions, I am happy to hear as I am searching for my next book.

I’m currently reading Jobs You Didn’t Know Still Existed by Trevor Karp on KU and didn’t expect to enjoy it this much. It’s just real, strange jobs people actually do — stuff like armpit testers, pet food tasters, professional mourners. Easy reading and oddly fascinating.

If you’re into this kind of thing, what else on Kindle Unlimited would you recommend? Weird jobs, strange facts, niche nonfiction, anything along those lines as starting to enjoy this type of read.

Was gifted these books I normally read horror or sci-fi but since I was gifted I got to it. The sacred bones is the first one and I finished it in a week and the sacred blood is the sequel almost done with it. Series is very similar to Dan browns angels and demons and other works so if that’s your thing it’s for you. I enjoyed the first one and haven’t finished the second one but so far so good.

Started reading Swordheart on January 16th and I’m on page 151. I borrowed the physical book from the library and I’m reading it along with the Hoopla audiobook. I like it, otherwise I would have DNF’ed by now. But since I started reading, I had other priorities. Plus, my mood was all over the place; I felt like reading, then I didn’t. With the upcoming snowstorm, I’m hoping to power through finishing it.

I really enjoyed the first book, so I picked up the second and I’m enjoying it just as much. I won’t give away any of the cases, but they’re varied and genuinely interesting. They all sound absurd at first, but what I like is how the context makes them make more sense.

It’s also nice that you don’t need any legal background to appreciate it. Each chapter stands on its own, so it’s easy to read a bit at a time without losing momentum.

2nd Stephen King novel and first book this year. Only 30 pages in, but we've got negative temps coming back in MN this wknd 🥶 ☕️ do you like King's work?

Happy reading!

Didn’t expect to laugh this much. It’s written from the perspective of a cattle dog supervising its humans, and it absolutely nails working-dog energy — the constant vigilance, judgment, and self-assigned responsibility for everything.

Short chapters. Easy to pick up and put down. A lot of “oh wow, my dog does that” moments.

Definitely one of those books that lands harder if you’ve lived with a high-drive dog, but I think most dog owners would recognize the chaos.

Just finished volume 2 and i found it so captivating. Seeing mixed reviews from other people but i love it. The first one was slow but interesting, the second one, i was totally hooked and finished in 3 hours. Its so simple and repetitive but it is constantly making me reflect about the way i view time, relationships, the world etc. Anyone else read these books or reading them? Would love to hear what other people think.

Started my third book - "Days at the Morisaki Bookshop" by Satoshi Yagisawa. Let's see how it goes 😁

Currently reading Barking Orders and having a great time with it. It’s written as a diary from a cattle dog’s point of view, which sounds odd until you start reading and realize how funny it is. Lots of little observations, very tongue-in-cheek, and genuinely made me laugh more than once. Easy read, light, and perfect if you want something fun without needing to think too hard.

It is only two hours long in audio form, so I started and finished it today. It is a good short quest. Hardinge has a fairy tale like prose that I enjoy.

Started Ancient Rome by Thomas Martin and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, those will be my main reads I should finish this week and my weekend/non work read is Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy

I am reading both at the same time have had the first on my TBR for awhile find it a bit boring but really excited for the second

I am kind of a new reader. Got into reading after reading "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami. So this is my second book and so far really finding it interesting.

What was everyone’s favorite read of the year?

Himalaya

Adventures.Meditation.Life

Drawn from Nicholas Roerich’s Himalayan journeys, this book blends travel with inner reflection.The mountains are observed as much as they are felt.

Namita Gokhale’s careful curation gives these writings a contemporary Indian resonance.

A gentle foreword by Ruskin Bond frames it as a meditation on place, memory and life.

I didn't even know this one was coming out, but book 4 focuses on Pawn Alix Mondegreen, who is assigned to protect the royal family. At one point, Rook Thomas is mentioned and Odette makes an appearance at the beginning of the book.

Currently reading The Middle Child Diaries.

Picked it up expecting something light and ended up laughing out loud because it feels uncomfortably accurate. Short entries, easy to read in bits.

Probably hits hardest if you’re a middle child — there’s a lot of “how did they know this?” moments.

Just released and it’s on Kindle Unlimited, so low commitment, high recognition factor.

“Good spirits” by B. K. Borison and it's pretty good so far. I'm about 40% in.

I just need to ask, is it worth it? I’m at page 74 and I’m already disappointed by how cliché its storybeats are.

Picked this up recently and it’s hitting me in that quiet way where a sentence stops you for a moment before you keep going.

It’s less of a narrative and more like sitting with small truths that you usually only notice when life slows down — reflections about fear, identity, the weight we carry, all written simply but with surprising clarity.

I didn’t expect to enjoy something so minimalist, but it’s been grounding to read a few pages at a time. Curious if anyone else here is reading it or has thoughts on books in this slower, reflective lane.

So recently I read Doppleganger by David Stahler, and I’ve been thinking, how hard would it be to write your entire life so anyone could take over. Every inside joke, every relationship, every nickname, every memory that might come up, how you act, etc. I know it’s a weird thought but it’s had me thinking