Hi everyone! Happy Sunday ☀ Even though we have English Read-Alongs on Bookcircle, I do think that there is way more in the “English” book world than what we are offered here so I figured I’d start this conversation with you guys! Although I was born and raised in Switzerland, I prefer reading in english way more - I don’t know why… The only times I read in German is when the author is German or Swiss but that’s about it. 🤔 Most trends are followed from TikTok (or so called “BookTok”) 🎵📱which inspires a lot of us to dive in to reading more international/english authors which in turn could lead to reading more english books (but not always! Of course a lot of times the readers wait for German translations of those books.) Anyways, my recent and current reads: Just last month I have read my first book by Ernest Hemingway (A Moveable Feast) and now I am reading “Hamnet” by Maggie O’Farrell - What are you guys reading at the moment? ALSO my friends and I keep up to date with our reading goals and stats through Goodreads and some through StoryGraph - how do you guys keep track of your books? Do you also use these websites/apps or a completely different approach? I’m looking forward to a great conversation with everyone!😊

FlakiM Hii 🙂 So cool to read that you enjoy English literature aswell 🙂 At the moment, I’m reading “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott and “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” by J. K. Rowling, though I don’t have as much time as I used to because of studying 🙁 - Hamnet is a book I’d like to read soon too. To keep track of what I read I also use goodreads and StoryGraph and I made my own book journal which is my pride and joy ;P

stephiesheena Classics! Are you Re-reading HP or is it your first time?? This year is Harry Potter’s 25th Anniversary! A great opportunity to read the books tbh! I was thinking of starting a reading journal but I feel like it’s “double the work” since I add it to goodreads anyways 😂

stephiesheena I loved Little woman 😁 Anne of Green Gables And authors like James Herriot and Gervace Phinn

FlakiM like you I read (and listen) mostly in english. Except for german originals. I‘m native swiss, but was born and lived for the first eight years in Africa. When my family returned to Switzerland I refused to speak english anymore. It was only when our son was grown up, that I started reading english books. With some difficulties at first. Now I often dream in english and when I search for a word, mostly the english term comes in mind first. I‘m fond of Cozy Mysteries, family books, historical fiction and much more. No Thrillers or Fantasy, but I liked Harry Potter and Tintenherz-Trilogy The best audiobook I listened to lately was ,Die Bibliothek der Hoffnung‘ - The little wartime library by Kate Thompson. For once in German because it was on skoobe I list all my books in Excel, here (Annina58) and on goodreads (Annina) I’m not good in writing reviews and mostly just rate a book currently I‘m reading: Pudding up with murder by Julia Buckley (on kindle) A soufflé of suspicion by Daryl Wood Gerber (Hardcover) Verstrickt nochmal - Mordversuch mit Tücken vom Mirjam Wiesemann (Tolino) Lost books and old bones by Paige Shelton (audible)

FlakiM I read both German and english books. I work in childcare and it‘s useful for English speaking familys. I learn a lot from the English books. I like crimes, thriller and novels. I liked the me before you, after you by jojo mojes Nora Roberts is a great author The wonder by Emma donoghue Nicholas sparks did write a lot of interesting books: the notebook, the longest ride, see me John grisham: gray mountain, rogue lawyer

Annina58 FlakiM I keep track of my books here. I have a handwritten folder at home where I take not of author and name of the book.

Annina58 That sounds amazing! It’s nice to know you have found yourself back to English in form of reading books as well! I am really curious on how you keep track on your books through an Excel Sheet? Author - Book - Rating? I’m going to make sure to add everyone on GoodReads! Your book recs so far sound great 🙂 @Corina94 Jojo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks have been one of the first authors where I read multiple books from! I loved their stories and even today when I see a new book from Jojo Moyes specifically I cannot hold back and need to buy it but I did find myself less interested in their books lately - maybe a phase? None the less they are both amazing authors!

FlakiM Hey I read english as well german books. Recently I had a reading slump, but just with english books. I really love to read in english, bc some translations are not that good as the original and the books are mostly thinner and cheaper. Also I can improve my skills and learn new words. My CR is the botanist by M.W. Craven and the gild series. Autumn leads me back to thriller, but I also read fantasy, dark romance, new adult and I try some horror/ science fiction stuff. I track my reading with the reado app, I like it more than goodreads, bc of it’s statistics and it lookes more visibly attractive I think.

FlakiM I write my excel sheet by author, serial number and year, Title, Series, format and where from I bought or got it

Lor Gosh I had a slump just until recently because of my school! Slowly getting back into it so I’m hoping it’ll stick haha and you also made a fantastic point: English book do tend to be cheaper than the German edition! Of course, considering that the book had to be translated at first but as we all are aware: Books rom Swiss Authors can get crazy expensive sometimes! I definetly need to check out the Reado App because I am trying to let go of Goodreads slowly since it hasn’t improved at all! Same layout, same works - everything stayed the same and it just is so dated! I am pretty sure it has something to do with Amazon buying GoodReads…. what a shame. I don’t have any “must read authors” with thrillers - anyone you can recommend me? @Annina58 That’s AMAZING I love it! What a wonderful way of keeping track of your books. I saw a funny video/reel/tiktok (I don’t remember) of someone using a barcode-scanner for their books and those pop up on an excel sheet as well!

English Books & Friends

FlakiM

Eysturoy_19 Oh that’s fantastic you sure inspired me to add some more! I am not so familiar with excel so I hope it works out the way I imagined it 🙈😂

@book_dragon

I define the Genres either by the information I get online or just personal preference. I don’t do it too complicated anyways. It’s Fiction, Non-Fiction, Biography (I have more than I thought!), Fantasy, Self Help/Lifestyle and Thriller - that just covers my books (so far)

I think I am just not really into Dystopias? Because I haven’t read the Divergent series and never really had the curiosity to do so in the future 🤔

book_dragon

FlakiM I love Dystopias! They make me appreciate my life 😆 And I also have a taste for young adult books. I prefer YA because I’m really not that into intricate love stories and the descriptions of physical relations that come with it. I mean, Hunger Games had one (or two?) love stories but beyond some kissing we don’t really have to suffer through more action 😅 I also like the story of Outlander but there are so many sex scenes that you can’t really skip because there are snippets of important information woven in that you almost have to suffer through the descriptive parts. Somehow I also find adults in books very hard to relate to. Their life is always perfect except for that one factor which will eventually be fixed. And my life is such a mess and there’s like one thing that’s perfect 😆 (my cat, in case you were wondering… at least sometimes)

Eysturoy_19

book_dragon In a more adult-ish setting have you tried to read following?

Love to Share, Beth O’Leary (romcom)
Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood (dystopia)
Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel (dystopia)
American Gods, Neil Gaimon (dystopia/fantasy - quite dark)

Anyway, cats are the best. 🙂

FlakiM

Eysturoy_19 Today I finally got the chance to continue on with my spreadsheet! I had quite a busy week (surprisingly to be honest lol)

How has everyone been? Any Reading updates, new finds? I am still currently reading “Hamnet” but I am hoping to finish it this weekend. I am actually going to “Zürich Liest” this weekend - anyone going as well??

book_dragon I used to LOVE and almost exclusively read YA books but I am trying out more and more genres at the moment just to see what seems to tickle my interests the most haha
I completely understand your point though because you’re SO right: Why are adults in books Adulting so perfectly??? I feel like I am just floating from one thing to the other that needs to get done on my day-to-day life and at home I can relax surrounded by my books (and my dogs! also the only perfect thing in my life)

book_dragon

Eysturoy_19 I have not but I will happily add them to my virtual TBR 😃

FlakiM

Eysturoy_19 I am super interested in reading some of Margaret Atwood works but not sure where to start! Most of my friends are telling my I Have to start at “the handmaids tale” - what do you think? Should I jump in or is there a better one to start with?

Kessy

Eysturoy_19 I also like dystopian books and dark fantasy. Loved Station Eleven and American Gods!!

I have not read Oryx and Crake yet but I liked The Handmaid’s Tale and have The Testaments on my shelf.

Have you read A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C. A. Fletcher (post-apocalyptic YA)?

stephiesheena

FlakiM
I will be at “Zürich liest” tomorrow, since my mum, a publisher, will be there with an author.
It’s the reading at 6pm > 18:00 Uhr Buchlesung mit äthiopischem Buffet

Maybe I’ll see some of you there, that would be so cool 🙂

Eysturoy_19

FlakiM

I just started to read Just So Stories from Rudyard Kipling again. There is one short story I absolutely loved, but I think it’s in the Jungle Book - before the Jungle Book part. It’s a beautiful collector edition with gold coloured edge.

Random fact, I’m a millenial and adulting is sometimes super hard and very traumatising. It makes me wish I enjoyed the childhood/teenager years in a different way 😟

I haven’t read a lot by Margaret Atwood, but you should start with the book you feel most attracted to. The Handmaid’s Tale is amazing, but also very “orwellian” in a way. I’ve found this article, maybe it gives you some insights in where you want to start the journey: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/g41939304/margaret-atwood-books/

stephiesheena That is so cool! Good luck for your mum and have fun 🙂 I’ll be visiting my mother, so unfortunately not around for Zürich liest.

stephiesheena

Eysturoy_19
It was nice, thank you - and the food was amazing! 🙂
I hope your meet-up with your mum was good too 🙂

FlakiM

Eysturoy_19 Thank you so much for the link! I will definitely have a look today!

Katharina_eReaderin

FlakiM

Hi there

I Just finished Hamnet as an Audio Book, such a great Novel.

I am swiss aswell and mostly read in english. I write reviews on here, so maybe you finde some new inspiration there.

I just finished Remarkably bright creatures. It was Great: https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/suggestartikel/A1066913498?sq=Remarkably%20Bright%20Creatures&stype=productName

And now I am re-hearing Fourth wing to be ready for the second book.

greetings

Katharina

aminahaee

FlakiM

Hi, I feel exactly the same as you about English books. Currently I’m reading the Pendergast Series of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. I really do love it so far.

Me and my friends love to keep track of our progress via goodreads.

Greetings from

Amina😁

FlakiM

aminahaee

Goodreads is very easy to use and not as confusing as the others i’ve tried so far - maybe the simplicity of it is what draws everyone towards it?

Eysturoy_19

stephiesheena Yes very much so, I also did find a cosy mystery novel (in French, translated from Polish) at the local bookstore I used to work at 🙈

https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1056558685 that would be the one in its English translation.

aminahaee

FlakiM

Yea definetly. It really turned into a habit. The second I’m done with a book I open the goodreads app haha.😅

FlakiM

Eysturoy_19 ohhh that sounds interesting !!

stephiesheena

Eysturoy_19
Oooh, this sounds very interesting! I’ll put it on my “Merkliste” ;P Luckily, christmas isn’t too far away 😃

FlakiM

aminahaee

Haha i know exactly what you mean! I still catch myself going there first 🙈

How was everyone’s weekend? as mentioned I went to a beautiful reading on Sunday - it actually made me cry! I have emotionally recovered from it but it has left a very big impact

Lor

FlakiM My weekend was spooky fun. I was at a halloween party but haven‘t read much.

Which book reading did you attend?

FlakiM

Lor omg did you have a costume?? If yeah, what kind of costume ?? I think that’s so fun!!

The only halloween “tradition” I have is dressing up my dogs as whatever I think of - this year they were a pumpkin and a spider hahah I got the costumes last year but they were still to small for them so I kept them for this year! (and now they are almost too big for them lol the irony!)

I went to “E wie Erinnern / Diaspora Blues” at Neumarkt in Zürich with Elona Beqiraj and Fatbardh Kiki - they are both German-albanian and talked about their poetry, essays and how it is to life as children of immigrant parents (which I strongly relate to!) and all in all it felt more of a get together than an official reading. I laughed, I cried and managed to sneak some autographs from the authors which is such a win! I had amazing conversations with everyone and a crazy revelation that we are all - in some way - the same and yet so so so unique. I loved it, I have been talking about it non stop!

Llyrian

FlakiM Hello! 🙂

What a great idea, I also thought I’d like an english-speakers corner in the book circle haha

I usually read fantasy and mythology retellings, and I just recently read Lilith by Nikki Marmery, it was sooo good! It reminded me a lot of Circe which is one of my favourite books 🙂

I usually track my progress and books on goodreads too, I tried with Storygraph but the way it works just seems really counterintuitive to me, so I’m sticking to goodreads for now 🙂

FlakiM

Llyrian

I love your input regarding Storygraph because I had the same feeling - I just couldn’t put it into words. I am pretty certain I will stick to Goodreads for in general ratings (because it’s quick and easy) but will keep my spreadsheet for my physical library ! I JUST finished typing in my books into the spreadsheet and now I just have to tweak it here and there and think if I want to add anything else or not.

Doing that I have also put aside a good chunk of books to donate/put it in the Book-Phonebooth nearby!

I actually haven’t read Circe yet but I am making it a must-read for my 2024 books!

Have you guys thought about your “2024 Books” yet or do you guys just go on a whim?

I do like to have a couple books here and there that I like to plan to read - mostly books that have been in my TBR for embarrassingly long haha but my main goal of 2024 is that I want to finish all the series I started but never finished!

1. The Ravenboys (I started book 1 but got distracted along the road!)
2. Six Of Crows (I have had the books for a year or maybe two now…)
3. Silber by Kerstin Gier (I have the urge to finish the last one bc I read book 1&2)

and maybe more to come! who knows?

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