Readers Weigh In: December's Best Books
Tomasz, a lifelong fan of Iris Murdoch, recently re-read her penultimate novel, The Green Knight. He finds her prose "rich, precise, disciplined" and the characters' experiences vividly rendered, with no one appearing two-dimensional.
Author Alan Hollinghurst spent a month immersed in two poets whose work has been part of his life for over 50 years: John Fuller's Marston Meadows and The Poems of Seamus Heaney. Fuller's collection is notable for its wit, agility, and deep feeling as it explores the changing perspectives of old age. Meanwhile, Heaney's poems are a treasure trove of surprises, including previously uncollected and unseen works.
Kelly found herself drawn into Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, particularly during the holiday season. This heart-wrenching story is set at Christmastime in Dublin during the 1980s and follows Bill Furlong, someone everyone deserves to know who fills hearts with hope. Keegan's writing is delicate yet effective.
Samantha Harvey recently read Neel Mukherjee's Choice, a novel of three stories that navigates moral uncertainty and offers no easy escape. She describes it as irresistible writing, elegant and shattering. Meanwhile, she has begun reading Helen Garner's The Spare Room for the first time, finding her descriptions of nature "radiant" and evocative.
Tomasz also re-read Iris Murdoch's Poems from an Attic, which span her life. She found herself fascinated by their unerring soul, frankness, and care. Meanwhile, Samantha Harvey discovered Neel Mukherjee's Choice, describing it as "resistible writing".
Tomasz, a lifelong fan of Iris Murdoch, recently re-read her penultimate novel, The Green Knight. He finds her prose "rich, precise, disciplined" and the characters' experiences vividly rendered, with no one appearing two-dimensional.
Author Alan Hollinghurst spent a month immersed in two poets whose work has been part of his life for over 50 years: John Fuller's Marston Meadows and The Poems of Seamus Heaney. Fuller's collection is notable for its wit, agility, and deep feeling as it explores the changing perspectives of old age. Meanwhile, Heaney's poems are a treasure trove of surprises, including previously uncollected and unseen works.
Kelly found herself drawn into Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These, particularly during the holiday season. This heart-wrenching story is set at Christmastime in Dublin during the 1980s and follows Bill Furlong, someone everyone deserves to know who fills hearts with hope. Keegan's writing is delicate yet effective.
Samantha Harvey recently read Neel Mukherjee's Choice, a novel of three stories that navigates moral uncertainty and offers no easy escape. She describes it as irresistible writing, elegant and shattering. Meanwhile, she has begun reading Helen Garner's The Spare Room for the first time, finding her descriptions of nature "radiant" and evocative.
Tomasz also re-read Iris Murdoch's Poems from an Attic, which span her life. She found herself fascinated by their unerring soul, frankness, and care. Meanwhile, Samantha Harvey discovered Neel Mukherjee's Choice, describing it as "resistible writing".
and I'm still reeling from the food – have you ever had a good bowl of ramen? It's like a flavor explosion in your mouth! I swear, it's one of those experiences that puts everything else into perspective. And speaking of perspectives, I've been reading about how the world's largest snowflake was seen in Montana back in 1887... mind blown 
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. I mean, people can spend years in school studying classics like Iris Murdoch and still not pick up on her subtle themes and messages 
. It just goes to show that there's no one-size-fits-all approach to education - we need to be more inclusive and support diverse learning paths 
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. I think we need to shake things up and prioritize diversity in our literary landscape 
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. Alan Hollinghurst's experience with John Fuller and Seamus Heaney is so cool too - it's amazing how some books can connect us to our own lives, isn't it? 
75% of readers have read novels written by women (Murdoch, Keegan, Garner), while 50% mentioned classic poets (Heaney & Fuller). 22% of readers have re-read a favorite novel from their youth (Tomasz's Iris Murdoch fest!), and 15% are exploring lesser-known authors (Samantha Harvey's discovery of Mukherjee's Choice!). 
The most common emotions elicited by the books are: 
. Iris Murdoch's work is like a warm hug for your soul, you know? I mean, Tomasz's description of her prose as "rich, precise, disciplined" is spot on 
. And I love how Alan Hollinghurst immersed himself in two poets for a month – that sounds like an incredible experience 
. The way they explore themes of aging and hope is really thought-provoking 
. For me, it's all about the characters – if you can't connect with them on some level, what's the point? 
i'm def adding this one to my holiday reading list! 
have you guys read any of these books? what did u think?? 
. That one had me feeling all the feels during the holidays. And have you read any Neel Mukherjee yet? I just devoured Choice and it's blowing my mind 
. Apparently, some towns are having to cancel their holiday events due to severe flooding and weather conditions. It's like the whole world is conspiring against us. And don't even get me started on the fact that polar bears are being spotted in Dublin for the first time ever 
. Just great, another reason to feel hopeless about our planet's future 
. And Alan Hollinghurst reading John Fuller and Seamus Heaney's poems after all those years... it's like he's discovering them for the first time again 
. And Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These is so beautifully heart-wrenching, I can see why Kelly got hooked on it during the holiday season 
and alan hollinghurst exploring john fuller's poems for the first time? yes pls 
I mean, have you read any good trashy novels lately? You know, the kind that makes you feel all guilty and stuff for actually enjoying them? 
Those are the kinds of books I'm really interested in reading.