April and May Reading Wrap Up | 2022

[@judegrindvoll8467]

Simon we love the tangents - we're here for the tangents!

[@SavidgeReads]

Awww thank you Jude.

[@cynthibook]

Thank you for that wrap up. It's my favorite type of videos.

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad you enjoyed it Cynthia.

[@witchmojo13]

All I can say is keep on tangent-ing (!) Simon. I love these wandering but always informative videos. Currently reading the delightful Revd Richard Coles' Murder before Evensong and loving it. I I had a great chance at the weekend and met Phil Rickman (a long time favourite author) and he signed my book so that's a lovely thing. I am intrigued by The Kiss so will be adding that to my TBR ;)

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha. I’ll try. This was a bit of a rushed video which I’m not really a fan of to be honest. The mood took me though. Hope you keep enjoying Murder Before Evensong. I love the Reverend. He’s ace.

[@AthynVixen]

Just a massive thumbs up from me for Murder Before Evensong.. absolutely devoured the arc

[@alisongeddes7512]

Love your wrap ups, love your tangents too ❤️

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha good thing as there’s plenty of them. Ha.

[@mradcaqbdb]

I also loved Graham Norton’s The Swimmer. I’m very much looking forward to his next book this fall. Hopefully the audiobook will be out over here at the same time as in the UK because I adore listening to him read his work. His voice is just glorious.

[@SavidgeReads]

I bet he reads the audiobooks brilliantly. I am hoping it’s the same level of love as The Keeper for me. I just LOVED it. Holding I liked. Home Stretch was really meh for me.

[@miaarndt9501]

I concur that we are here for the tangents!! Also, The Promise was already on my tbr but you just moved it waaaay up (now I’m a little annoyed I didn’t pick it up when I was in a bookshop this weekend)!

[@SavidgeReads]

Fingers crossed it’s still at the bookshop when you head back. If not, maybe the library will have it in 😀

[@bookinwithdebra]

Great wrap up. Your wrap ups are always great so please keep doing them when you have time. I've added The Swimmer and The Lost Daughter to my list. Enjoyed Graham Norton's books so far, particularly The Keeper but agreed with you on his last book. Going to read The Lost Daughter before I watch the film. Thank you.

[@SavidgeReads]

A pleasure. Thanks for such a lovely comment Debra. Very much appreciated. Hope you enjoy The Swimmer and The Lost Daughter. Both seaside books. Oooh.

[@lightscamerasashley.]

I've heard so many good things of blue hour ☺ adore your reviews!

[@SavidgeReads]

It’s so good. So dark but so good.

[@cindyhaiken5644]

I really liked Companion Piece, and thought it was a good follow-up to the Seasonal Quartet. I did not love the storyline about the girl from the past but I thought the other parts were strong and her writing and language dexterity just sings. Already eagerly anticipating your WP shortlist video with your mom and whatever you can share with us from the party on Wednesday!

[@SavidgeReads]

The party footage video will be going on Sky Arts Book Club Extra later this week, captioning allowing. I can’t use the same content here as there but will try and do some for a vlog, though also just want to enjoy myself and not work, work, work. Ha. Glad you enjoyed Companion Piece, lots of people have. I just found it a bit rushed. Maybe that’s the word I was looking for. Yes, rushed. I love her language always. Sometimes I need more than just that though.

[@staceyhill9337]

So glad to see someone else feel the same way about Heaven!!

[@SavidgeReads]

Some incredible writing in there. But overall pretty dull and a bit disappointing. Put me in a dreadful book slump.

[@juliewoan298]

Loved The Promise and been reading Galgut since he was first short-listed for the Booker with The Good Doctor. I have just finished The Five Wounds which I can recommend set in Mexico and finishing up Opal & Nev before embarking on Young Mungo. Happy to see your wrap ups back! Keep them coming whilst you have energy to do them.

[@SavidgeReads]

I’ll see how I go month by month. Really don’t want to be putting pressure on myself with videos when work is going to be as busy as it is. I shall look up the Mexican book, ta for the recommendation.

[@foxedfolios]

Great wrap-up. The Promise was my top fiction read of last year and thus delighted to see you discuss it here as, despite it winning the Booker, I don't feel it has had sufficient attention. It's such an intelligent, layered book. Galgut is an amazing writer and the fact that the book requires us to 'actively engage' in the reading experience to get the most out of the text is a testament to his abilities. In that respect, I think we can read the title as not only the (unfulfilled) promise made by the patriarch of the family to his dying wife (which, interestingly, we as readers don't witness but are simply 'told' about as witnessed by the young daughter), but 'the promise' of the bright new post-apartheid South Africa, which in many ways, also remains unfulfilled. Such a great book that I have thought about almost every day since I read it... Anyway...apologies, I didn't mean to write an essay! 😅😂 Hope your June reading is going well. 🦊📚🤓 (BTW, while The Promise was easily the best novel I read in 2021, it would have had a run for its money had I read Still Life last year. Read SL earlier this year and bloody LOVED it (although I wouldn't have been sad if the parrot had flown away early on - LOL!). One never knows, but honestly can't see anything topping it fiction-wise for me in 2022. Unless Winman chose not to have her book submitted for the Women's Prize this go around, she was robbed! )

[@SavidgeReads]

Ha. Don’t you poke the bear (aka me) with the Winman not being even longlisted stick. I’m still not quite over it and it may have been the cause of my slight wobble with the prize this year.

[@1book1review]

With Ali Smith I have so many backlog books left I find myself more drawn to than the quartet, not sure why, but not wanting to read about the present chaos sounds probable.

[@SavidgeReads]

That’s quite possibly a good reason. Ha. Also it’s not really a quartet now is it. I do hope we get something else next. Which makes me sound dreadfully ungrateful. Ha.

[@1book1review]

@@SavidgeReads Not ungrateful, just hopeful ;)

[@charitykelly6396]

Love the tangents!

[@SavidgeReads]

Phew. Hahaha.

[@Gagging4Lit]

Just by Looking at Him sounds fun - added to my to-buy list. Hearing you talk about poetry was wonderful too. And loved hearing you read Ali Smith to filth!

[@SavidgeReads]

Did I read her to filth? I hope not as I really like her books overall this one was just a bit of a mixed bag for me… and I’ll always be honest about my feelings on books. Hope you enjoy Just By Looking at Him if you get to it.

[@Gagging4Lit]

@@SavidgeReads everything from Spring onwards seemed rather filthy haha. I have Winter to read and am very much looking forward to it. I enjoyed Autumn but found the The Accidental a drag. Still have How to be Both to get around to but I think I'll give Winter a go first as I remember reading Autumn in a day and feel like How to be Both is going to be a bit of slog.

[@user-qo6tz1oe1v]

Thank you 😊 Simon

[@SavidgeReads]

No problems.

[@sarahg3479]

I read The Lost Daughter on your recommendation and enjoyed it. Hadn't been drawn to any of Elena Ferrante's other books. Have you watched / will you watch the adaptation?

[@SavidgeReads]

I thought I said in the video, but I might have cut it though I didn’t think I had, that I watched it and liked it but not as much as the book. Olivia is very good.

[@sarahg3479]

@@SavidgeReads Sorry I commented as I was watching and had already pressed send 🙈

[@AthynVixen]

What did you make of the historical section at the end of Companion Piece? I enjoyed the book for the same reasons as you did until that section which is where she lost me. I'm not sure if thats just a me problem because I have never been able to gel with Smiths writing style before but I really wasn;t sure what the author was saying / point she was making by including that.

[@SavidgeReads]

Yeah that lost me really. The book lost me at various points. I still loved her writing but it felt, and I felt similarly with Summer, that it was rushed so it could feel timely and I’m not sure that’s for the best.

[@katrinamuritala3207]

I’m doing your tbr this month I’m reading still life missing trees the keeper the prophets and the promise wish me luck xx

[@SavidgeReads]

You need no luck with those books. Well, I don’t think you will. How fab your doing a savidge selection. Ha.

[@fabricnfables7025]

Hello Simon!!! I'm hoping you see this and can give me an answer. What was the book you mentioned with the woman who lost her husband and brought a chicken in the house to care for??? I wrote it down and misplaced my note! I've absolutely torn my house apart looking for it and cannot remember what video in which you mentioned it. Love you and your mom so much!!! ❤️ Thanks for ALL you do and the happiness you bring me and many others!!!!

[@SavidgeReads]

Hey up. It’s had a name change and a rebrand. It’s called Tell Me About It by Sacha Naspini.

[@sandrazuks9017]

On the subject of Starnone, his 1st book 'Ties' is meant to go well with Ferrente's 'Days of Abandonment.' I always plan to reread the Ferrente ( which is brilliantly claustrophobic) & than read 'Ties.' I haven't read Starnone yet, but want too. Just thought it might be a good combo for you too?☺️

[@SavidgeReads]

Ooooh maybe. Could be an idea. I think that Ties is actually his 19th book. First to be translated here though. He’s written bloody loads.

[@sandrazuks9017]

@@SavidgeReads 😎 Love a prolific writer

[@creationspast.janebowell1903]

Great vlog so thank you so much !

[@SavidgeReads]

A pleasure.

[@susprime7018]

I like a good wrap up and rap up too.

[@SavidgeReads]

What’s a rap up?

[@susprime7018]

@@SavidgeReads Rap, as in talking to your fans.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

A recommendation for you The Colony by Audrey Magee ☘️

[@SavidgeReads]

Yes I’ve heard amazing things about this and might head to some Irish fiction when I’m next in Ireland.

[@quirkydee45]

When you were describing Just By Looking At Him, I thought, huh, reminds me a bit of Special (written by and starring a gay man with CP, with a short storyline with a sex worker as well)...just went to add the book to my digital, kind of 'save for later' cart (especially intrigued about how it handles disability+relationships and all that comes with that) and found out it's the same guy!!! So, not sure if it's available yet in the UK (it was on Netflix in the US, and ran for 2 seasons), but maybe look into if you can watch Special! (if you mentioned this when you talked about the book before, sorry, I more remember the 'take shot every time I say penis' of it all :) ).

[@SavidgeReads]

Hahaha. This book will be forever known in some circles as the book that made Simon say penis endlessly on his channel. I have seen special, I loved it. Also loved Ryan’s other book which I’ve recently listened to on audible.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Did you know Keeper by Graham Norton has now been made into a tv series by RTE?

[@SavidgeReads]

Oooh I knew Holding had (didn’t love it) I had no idea Keeper had. How exciting!

[@moominesque6081]

Will look out for this, but I didn't enjoy A Keeper as much as Holding. Although I wasn't keen on Holding as a drama. None of the gentle nuances of the book, which was its strength, and what made it so lovely.

[@GreenBitterfly]

@@moominesque6081 I had so many issues with the TV adaptation of Holding, I only managed the first episode, there was one change I thought was for the better, but the rest of it I hated!

[@kathleenwalsh3556]

Great!

[@SavidgeReads]

Thanks.

[@Lisa-is7px]

I really want to read Ali Smith but I’m a little intimidated

[@SavidgeReads]

I think Autumn is a good way in or There But For The.

[@Lisa-is7px]

@@SavidgeReads great I’ll try those first

[@cathrineboysen1017]

💜📚💜

[@dianedickson6366]

I’m afraid I was disappointed in The Paper Palace I thought there were a lot of cliches and some grotty stuff (e.g. mouse urine) which I felt was put in just because the author thought it was necessary for this sort of book. The scene setting was good though I have to say. Enjoyed The Swimmer very much. I really enjoy Graham’s work and this was as good as the others, I thought. Haven’t read The Lost Daughter but I watched the TV film which was strange but good. P’raps I should look at the book though now. I wonder if Heaven lacked something because it was a translation. A bit like films that are dubbed and you know the original dialogue was probably better. The Promise sounds promising hahaha. Might well get to that soon. Really enjoyed the wrap up - thank you. Have to go now and see if I can find you saying penis!

[@SavidgeReads]

Glad you enjoyed the wrap up. The Paper Palace seems to be a divisive one. I really really liked it though. Heaven I just think lacked a few layers for me. I don’t think it was the translation, it was interestingly translated by two people. I don’t think that happens often.

[@carolewatson2113]

Huge fan of those natural friendly tangents. I hate overly-edited influencer wannabe posts.

[@SavidgeReads]

I normally over edit when I want to take the mickey out of myself. Ha. This was a very rough and ready video. Filmed edited a tiny bit. Uploaded. Done.