Book Lovers Chat - March 2025
"Let’s be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading." – Lena Dunham
This voiceover is an audio version of my Book Lovers Chat below. It is unedited, so may have some stutters, imperfections, and background noise. I hope you enjoy listening to it anyway!
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Welcome back to another Slow Sunday Letter! I hope you have had a slow and gentle week.
In this month’s Book Lover’s Chat, I share my top tips for getting into reading and creating a regular reading habit and I’ve got some fresh new book reviews for you after a great month of reading. Please do drop a comment at the bottom of this post to share what you are currently reading, I know myself and others get so many brilliant recommendations here from you!
I hope you are sitting comfortably, grab a cuppa, get cosy and let’s settle down for a read together…
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How To Create A Reading Habit
“she read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live“ Ann Dillard
Explore Different Genres
If it has been a long time since you had the time to sit down and read, then you may not know what kind of books you enjoy. This the perfect time to explore different genres to see what kind of books really speak to you. From fantasy to romance, thrillers to mysteries, there are so many options to choose from. I loved trying out different genres when I started reading again, and I did it very intentionally searching for my first five-star read.
Dedicated Reading Time
Finding the time to read, is a stumbling block for so many. This is another reason I think reading and slow living are best friends. Reading epitomises slow living, as you slow down and focus on one thing – the book in your hands. You connect your mind, body, and spirit in this one moment with gentle movement, imagination, and calm.
So, you have chosen your book – now let’s find the time. Set yourself easy and realistic goals. Just read for five minutes or one page at a time. I also recommend having books within easy reach at home, maybe you can read a page while the kettle is boiling or just before bed? I also think it is a good idea to take a book out with you for the day. Perhaps you can read on a break at work, or while waiting for a friend. You will be surprised how much time you can find to read throughout the day.
Create a Cosy Reading Environment
When you have a little more time - I love romanticising reading and really leaning into the wholesome, cosy vibes. Finding your perfect reading spot is gold. I love getting cosy on the sofa with my blanket and a hot drink, lighting a candle and dedicating a good couple of hours to reading. I actually relish bad weather days when I can just stay home and read!
Keep a TBR (to be read) list
Once you build up the momentum of reading your first few books, you’ll want to create a running list of the books that you may want to read in the future. This way as soon as you finish one book, you can quickly scan your TBR list for something new. Jot down any book that sparks your interest. I like to use Notion to save my TBR list and document my progress towards my reading goal.
Set A Reading Goal
When I got serious about reading again – the one key change for me was setting myself the attainable goal of reading one book a month. I knew I could easily achieve this. I really enjoyed planning out my reading and I got such a sense of accomplishment as I moved through the year and realised how easily I was getting through my TBR list.
Seasonal Reading
I have also started to try seasonal reading too, which essentially means you read books that are particularly suited to the current season. Think… cosy Christmas novels during the winter, whimsical and light stories in the spring, like Anne of Green Gables, summer romances like Emily Henry and magical autumn vibes like Harry Potter.
Permission to Stop Reading!
If you don’t like a book or you are not getting on with it – it is okay to move on! If you persist, it can very quickly turn joyful reading into a chore. It is entirely your choice what books you read, and if you aren’t enjoying a book- just stop and move on to the next one.
My February Reads
(all my summaries and reviews will be spoiler free)
Billy Summers - Stephen King
4 STARS
The perfect crime doesn't exist. The perfect getaway . . . that's another story.
Billy Summers is a killer for hire. He's among the best snipers in the world, a decorated Iraq war vet who can blend into any neighbourhood and disappear after the shot is taken. But he'll only agree to a contract if the target is a truly bad guy.
Now Billy wants out. But first he's offered one final job - an offer which is just too big to refuse.
As the days count down to the hit, Billy senses something is wrong. He doesn't yet know just how wrong, or about the woman who will help him try to set things right.
Part thriller, part war story, part lyrical portrait of small-town America, Billy Summers is about a good man in a bad job, with one last shot at redemption
My Thoughts:
I am continuing my exploration into Stephen King books this year, and I have quite a few I want to get through - Billy Summers was at the top of that list. Billy is a hitman, but he only ‘takes out’ bad people - now he is on his last job, lured in by an enormous payout. He says yes, but can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right. He goes deep undercover as a ‘writer’ in a small town, but decides to actually use the time to really write his life story - then the hit happens - simple and quick. But, Billy’s instincts were right and all was not as it seemed, and the money never lands in his account. His ‘employers’ may have turned on him... Now Billy must try to make sense of what has happened, whilst also grappling with own sense of morality and his memories of his painful past. It is a powerful and fast read - I could barely put it down. This is my third Stephen King book and his character building and story are so original and strong, you cannot help but root for Billy. This is definitely a story that stays with you.
This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
4 STARS
Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading.
Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.
Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war. That's how war works. Right?
My Thoughts:
This was the February book from my year of reading book hamper - and so far I am loving the hamper! I have two brilliant books, that I am almost certain I wouldn’t have picked up myself. This book took me totally by surprise, it is a short book at 224 pages, but the character, story and plot are rich and dense, a total ride.
The book is a sci -fi romance and is framed around letters going back-and-forth between two ‘agents’ of warring factions in a time war. The letters start off as a tease, but soon a real connection and love begins to blossom. They ‘hide’ their letters in the most amazing and fantastical ways for each other to find and then destroy, it feels both playful and dangerous. But as the two agents are on opposite sides, the chances of a happy ending appear impossible… The time war itself is fascinating and so well done - the book leaps in with no real explanation so you do have to figure it out as you - but I loved that side of it. Our characters travel to different times, places and influence events, with many interweaving timelines that form and melt based on their actions. Such an original read. I truly loved it and I can certainly see myself rereading this as I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it.
Twelve Months of Reading Hamper
This was the ‘February’ book from my Twelve Months of Reading Hamper One of the reasons I wanted to try the hamper was to stretch my reading and try books I wouldn't ordinarily pick up. I have set myself the challenge of reading each book from my Twelve Months of Reading Hamper - during the month I receive it. Each book is wrapped up and assigned to a month of the year, so is full of surprises. I hope to find some new favourites and really stretch my reading this year through the hamper. Check back here next month to see what book I receive for March!
Hamnet - Maggie O’Farrell
3.5 STARS
TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART.
On a summer's day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a sudden fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?
Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London.
Neither parent knows that Hamnet will not survive the week.
Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright: a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.
My Thoughts
I have wanted to try Historical Fiction for a while now, and didn’t really know where to start. A friend lent me Hamnet, and it was the perfect entry into the genre. I have read Historical Fiction before, but not a lot, and I wanted to add more to my reading.
The story is split into two parts, before and after Hamnet dies (not a spoiler as we know this is going to happen from the start). The chapters move backwards and forward to cover both Hamnet's illness/death and his parent’s earlier lives.
Hamnet is a hugely emotional story of the love between a son and a mother - Hamnet and Agnes. It is a compelling, moving and beautifully written account of their lives. Interestingly, though heavily implied to be William Shakespeare, Hamnet's father’s name is never mentioned and neither is the family’s name.
I found this an emotional book to read as it explores love, loss, and what it is to be human. I particularly loved Agnes. Maggie O’Farrell really draws a full, endearing, powerful and free spirited woman, encouraging a true and lasting connection between reader and character.
Versions Of A Girl - Catherine Gray
3 STARS
Do we become who we are because of our parents, or in spite of them?
Fern's mother is a social climber and a former ballet dancer who lives a plush life in a London townhouse.
Fern's father only climbs if there's a bottle at the top, has an IQ of 133 and lives hand-to-mouth in Californian motels.
Aged fourteen, Fern has spent equal time with each of her parents. That is, until an unexpected visitor triggers a life-changing dilemma: whether she should get on a plane to London to be with her mother, or stay in California with her father. Here, Fern's narrative splices in two.
Two possible lives, one person. Each Fern will grow in wildly different, but eerily similar directions. Both must determine who they want to be - and how they deal with a thorny problem which threatens to undo them all: a murder.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed Catherine Gray’s debut novel. I part read and part audio booked this one, and I loved the Irish accent in the narration! At fourteen, Fern's life splits into two narratives: one where she stays in California (as Fern) with her loving but flawed alcoholic father, and another where she moves to London (as Flick) with her controlling, social-climbing mother. The writing and character development of Fern/Flick was well done, and kept me engrossed throughout. The parallel lives of Fern/ Flick are explored in depth, showing how their different environments shape their personalities and decisions. It is a sometimes light, sometimes dark look at childhood trauma and family dynamics and what it takes to find yourself, and then have the courage to live your own life. I definitely recommend this, a really compelling and unique read.
From My Book Shelf
Book shopping at home!
In line with my mindful spending year, and attempt to not buy so many books this year. My old feature ‘new on my bookshelf’ is now ‘from my bookshelf’. Each month I will go book shopping at home, searching through my own bookshelves and boxes of books - and I invite you to do the same!
Each month I will search through my own books and find a book I either would like to re-read or one I haven’t read yet.
This month, I chose Stephen King’s You Like It Darker a collection of short stories. I bought this last year, and have only read a couple of the shorts, so I want to try and get a few more read… when I am feeling brave!
What book did you find to read?
Next Up on my TBR List:
Weyward - Emilia Hart
home seeking - Karissa Chen
Bookish Substacks I’ve enjoyed this month…
I hope you have enjoyed this month’s Book Lovers Chat! This is my favourite post to write - I just love putting it together and thinking and talking about books and reading! If you would like to see anything at all featured in Book Lovers Chat, please let me know as we grow this community together.
As always, I’d love to know if you have read any of the books we have discussed here, what you are reading now, or if you have enjoyed any books recently you want to shout about! I’ll see you in the comments!
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I've started reading outside my usual genres, and I'm really enjoying it! I recently read a space horror book, which I loved and felt so unique to me. I also read a thriller that was a police procedural, and tonight I started a collection of short stories that are so powerful and amazing. Exploring new genres can be daunting, but sometimes the results are worth it!
I really like the idea of books around the house I presume you have more than one on the go.
I’m trying to break away from crime