iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Started this one yesterday and I am indeed hooked 😁

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

The French novel is this one. I am a big fan of Foenkinos so loving it.

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

I have not been posting my reading of late but will endeavour to do better. Anyway, here is my September reading: I was in France for a while and it shows in my reading. Some gems there so tricky to pick a favourite but reading 2 graphic novels reminded me how much I love them. #booksky 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

A little late but her is my August reading. A tough month workwise so the escapism was welcome. Elif Shafak and Benjamin Wood delivered the most in a series of pretty good novels overall. #booksky 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Book 79 of 2025: The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride. There is no doubt that McBride is one of the most talented writer around but she is also not for the fainthearted. This is a hugely traumatic novel which I found difficult at times but the beauty of the writing will carry you. #booksky 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 22/06/2025

Book 75 of 2025: Birding by Rose Ruane. This book was quite slow to start but in the end it was much more profound than I expected and I really enjoyed it. A poignant and warm look at the impact of the post #metoo movement on women of all ages. #booksky 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Book 73 of 2025 and wow ... just wow. Hard to believe this is a first novel. An absolute tour-de-force: clever, beautifully written, heart-breaking with two unlikable characters you will end up rooting for. A sensuous novel, full of rage and desire which fully deserved the Women's Prize. #boosky 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Sadly had to DNF the Tsitsi Dangarembga one: not sure what was not working for me but it just wasn’t. On the other hand started The Safekeep last night and I can’t put it down. Funny how some books have a hold of you and some just don’t #booksky 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Lovely to finally meet you in person and to discover @liznojanbooks.bsky.social Only one book bought for me but I think it will be a good one 📚📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Book 68 of 2025: On the Calculation of Volume II by Solvej Balle. I cannot explain how much I love this second novel in a planned series of 7. A clever, philosophical and somewhat dreamy novel which is difficult to explain but that you should absolutely read immediately 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Day 10 and that was quite a challenge. I don’t often cry with happiness at a book but actually I did he first time I read Possession. Still my second favourite book of all times but I no longer cry at the end 😁📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

Day 9: depends who I am giving it to but the one I have given the most recently has been Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 📚📚📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Day 8 and that is super easy. Everyone in the world should read the Tales of the City series by Armistead Maupin … 11 novels spanning 5 decades of LGBTQ life in San Francisco. A series I have read more times than I can count. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Day 7: anything by Marian Keyes as long as it is also read by her. Would keep anyone entertained and engaged for a long journey. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

Day 6: The one hundred years of Leni and Margot. A beautiful and hopeful story which nonetheless left me heartbroken. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Day 5 and that is really tough. I am going to go with Jane Eyre but it is like asking me to choose between my children 😁. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

April was a good month: 12 books read including a non-fiction and a collection of poetry. Some stunners in there: Brotherless Night, A Town Called Solace and Pity being the standouts. No real dud but did not love The Women as much as everyone else seemed to. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Day 4: The whole Little House in the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I must have read these about 100 times each as a child. Lovely stuff 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Ooos I missed a day so 2 in 1. Day 2: Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. She is definitely one of my current favourites and I love this book. Day 3: Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi. I know there is a lot of love for this one but I could not get on with it 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

One for all of you lovely lovely book nerds out there. Day 1: The Year of the flood by Margaret Atwood, second in the Madaddam trilogy and the best of three although admittedly I love them all 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

How have I got to the grand age of 53 without having read any Mary Lawson? This goes right to the top of my 2025 list and I am off to buy everything she has ever written. Stunning novel which stole my heart. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 29/03/2025

Book 40 of 2025: It took me a little while to get into this one as all the characters are just despicable and irritating, but it did come good and I really loved it by the end. An excellent if uncomfortable study into the effects of narcissism on these around you. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

Book 38 of 2025: In the 1950s, Erdrich's grandfather fought against the Indian Termination policies of the US government. In this fictionalised version of the story, she brings to life the reality of life on the reservations: the poverty, the hardship but also the sense of community. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Book 32 of 2024: I am obsessed with Tales of the City and this 10th instalment did not disappoint. Reuniting Mona and Mouse, this is a tamer book than previous ones. Was it the best book I have read this year? No. Did I read it in one sitting and love it all the same? Absolutely. 💙📚

Mona of the Manor by Armistead Maupin. The cover of the book shows an old country house with a woman drinking in the front garden under a white umbrella.

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Book 29 of 2025: I do love a weekend away where I can read a book in 2 sittings. Longlisted for the #womensprizeforfiction Nesting is the story of one woman's fight to survive and thrive with her children in a flawed system. A stark description of housing in Dublin but ultimately a book of hope. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Book 28 of 2025: a collection of short stories by Andorran writer Teresa Colom. I adored this weird, quirky and incredibly touching collection of stories of unusual children and the effect they have on those around them. Sadly does not appear to be available in English yet. Maybe I should do it 😉💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

Book 25 of 2025: James by Percival Everett. I was expecting great things from this one as I am a massive fan of Everett but I feel it missed the mark somehow. In its effort to remain close to the original, this novel loses its way and its voice a little. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

This is what a leader looks like. Outraged on his behalf and on behalf of the world. I still can’t believe what happened.

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Book 23 of 2025: Dear Edward by Anne Napolitano. This is a real gem of a novel: beautifully crafted with a main character that will steal your heart. A book about grief and finding yourself when your whole life is upended: surprisingly hopeful and positive. Highly recommended. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 09/02/2025

Book 19 of 2025: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. I am an absolute sucker for a book about grief and this did not disappoint. A young man fighting to stay sober, tries to channel his grief into art. A chance encounter with a dying artist will change his view of the world and of his own life. Brilliant 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Book 18 of 2025: I love magic realism and have a penchant for fables but I must admit I did not understand this one very well. The writing is beautiful and lyrical but the story did not resonate with me. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 31/01/2025

Book 15 of 2025: a strange clever novel about a man fighting demons he does not fully understand while trying to catch the man who murdered his wife. Told from the point of view of animals, including fish and insects, the book explores human-animal relationships. A word of warning: it is gruesome 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Book 13 of 2025: this was an unexpectedly beautiful and lyrical novel about a dead man found on a beach in Ireland and the repercussions for the inhabitants of the village which has already seen its fair share of drama. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

This. This is an autobiography of the author who finds out his father joined the SS during WW2. The book is about him trying to get his head around this while at the same time reporting on the 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie. Difficult but powerful stuff.

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Book 11 of 2025: Shirley Jackson is really the queen of the darkly scary and the unexpected. This is a dark suburban nightmare where children are mean as only children can be and their parents obsess over a need to conform and be seen to be the right kind of people. Amazing. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Book 9 of 2025: A general theory of oblivion by Jose Eduardo Agualusa. Ticking Angola off my list and what a beautiful novel. Based on a true story and diaries, this is a funny and yet tender novel. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Book 8 of 2025: Loved this quirky and dark novel about a woman who pretends to be pregnant in order to avoid doing the tasks expected of her in the office, simply because she is a woman. Over the next 40 weeks, can she keep up the deception and how is this going to affect her? 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Book 7 of 2025: what is a girl to do on a cold rainy day but read a book in one sitting? I could not have put that one down if I tried: it absolutely gripped me from the start and anyway I would read Ali Smith's shopping list if she let me. That woman is an absolute genius. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

Book 6 of 2025: Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. Australian Tim Winton is a magician with words and this is a beautiful novel about family and the love-hate relationship most of us have with our relatives. This is also a novel about friendship, sibling love and the importance of home. Beautiful💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Book 5 of 2024: if you have not yet discovered Warsan Shire, I beg you to go out and buy this collection of poetry: urgent, necessary and beautiful 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 18/01/2025

Book 4 of 2024: My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes. This is just a bit of fun but oh my god what fun ... the Walsh family are fabulous and Anna was a great main character. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Book 3 of 2025: Le Mage du Kremlin (The Kremlin Wizard) by Giuliano da Empoli. Part fiction part truth, this book won lots of prizes in France. It is fascinating from a political point of view but as a piece of literature I did find it very old-fashioned and not all that entertaining. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Book 2 of 2025: Quichotte by Salman Rushdie. This is a fiercely clever and hilariously funny novel and a return to absolute best form by Rushdie. Pointing the finger at the absurdity of current political affairs and exposing the racism and violence across the world, this a must-read. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 01/01/2025

Book 1 of 2025: The Daughters of the House by Michele Roberts. Wet and miserable New Year's Day is meant for a roaring fire and a novel in a day. Starting 2025 as I mean to go on. Not quite sure how I feel about this one: great writing and an interesting story but somehow did not love it 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

Book 118 of 2024: Knife by Salman Rushdie. I am a huge fan of Rushdie the writer (the man not so much) and this does not disappoint. A reflection on the attack which so nearly killed him, this is a touching memoir written in the beautiful style Rushdie is known for. 📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Well that is me done and back at work in a moment. Santa was very generous with the book-giving again this year and I did manage to sneak away in between feeding the 5,000 yesterday to read this little beauty. Book 117 of 2024. 💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Book 115 of 2024: a French thriller set in my homeland of Brittany. Not bad for a debut and a twist I did not see coming. Question is: can I squeeze another read in before tomorrow morning? :-)💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Book 114 of 2024: Wellness by Nathan Hill. I did not expect to love this novel as much as I did but this was excellent and clever. Now to see if I can get another one read before Christmas as I am hoping Father Christmas has brought me book-shaped presents 😁📚💙

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

Book 113 of 2024: Morning and Evening by Jon Fosse. With thanks to @ronanhession.bsky.social for talking about Fosse so much I had to buy this one 😜. If perfection in literature exists, this is surely it. I am now off to buy everything Fosse has ever written.💙📚

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austennerd.bsky.social @austennerd.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Book 111 of 2024: Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor. A surprise present from my bestie and an author I had never heard of. This is a very assured debut and I would be interested to see what she writes next. 💙📚

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