Welcome to this week’s blog, and our roundup of your comments and photos from last week.

And, oh! Look at that beautiful baby. It makes me think there’s hope for humanity, after all.

As do the people who value reading. Among the many life-affirming posts last week came a lovely declaration from a regular reader who has been persuaded to read Dickens for the first time. Our mutual friend conedison has been reading Great Expectations - and seeing that it is good:

Charles Dickens is like a piece of fruit that you pick off the tree at the precise moment of its perfect ripeness - whole and juicy and full of flavour. I’ve just finished volume one and am enjoying Pip’s company mightily.

Another Victorian-themed classic has been picked up by longgone35:

I’ve just finished Samuel Butler’s The Way of all Flesh - and found it astonishingly, interestingly modern, entertaining, and fiercely funny in many parts. A recommend from me.

And another by agoldenarm. This time, the commanding Master George by Beryl Bainbridge:

It’s a meandering little tale beginning on the streets of Liverpool and ending on the bank of the Crimea with am assorted cast of characters nearly all of who come to an unfortunate and early end. It’s very evocative but at the same time a very strange little tale which gets a thumbs up from me.

Also on the theme of Russia, Chris135 has been tackling Life and Fate by Vassily Grossman:

At less than 900 pages, it is a short story by Russian standards. It’s very much the War and Peace of the twentieth century, centred around the battle of Stalingrad. It’s a wonderful read, even though I’m two thirds of the way through and not much has actually happened. Highly recommended so far.

Iceland featured last week too. Spyke123 recommends “anything” by Yrsa Sigurdardottir - “if you like deep and dark”:

Her Thora Gudmundsdottir series is good, but Why Did You Lie. The Undesired and particularly I Remember You” are better. The latter is the most gripping and scary story I have read for a long, long time. But beware, you may find yourself unable to put it down and nothing else will get done until you have finished it!

Talking of deep and dark, Wordnumb suggests The Erstwhile, the second book in Brian Catling’s Vorrh trilogy:

Very much enjoyed it, fantastical without really feeling like a fantasy novel. I’m a bit tired of people using Blake as a cut’n’paste mysticism touchstone, but I suppose voices from up in Cockney trees fits Catling’s story better than most. Very neat ideas about how sentient forests might attack humans if threatened. Erstwhile adds a lot to the first book, things I felt underdeveloped, not realising it was one of three books, have been fleshed out. Looking forward to the third instalment.

Finally, a memento mori from littlemissmolly:

I’ve just finished Past Mortems by Carla Valentine, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Perhaps not a book for the faint hearted, or for those who prefer that death and the processes that follow it be shrouded in mystery, but Ms Valentine successfully walks the tightrope of lifting the lid on what actually happens behind the mortuary doors without descending into gratuitous ghoulishness.

Well written with plenty of (not inappropriate) humour and useful information about the workings of the law, coroners office, funeral directors and mortuaries it was an excellent, informative and surprisingly easy read. I work within the funeral profession, so much of the factual information shared I already knew or have witnessed, but I can’t help feeling that everyone should know this stuff so that their expectations (when confronted with life’s inevitable conclusion) are realistic.

It sounds fascinating. Although, I think I’d probably rather just look at photos of babies reading the paper.

Interesting links about books and reading

• Alexander Nazaryan just listened to Thomas Pynchon’s Mason & Dixon - on 20 cassette tapes.
• Ivanka Trump’s new book isn’t going down very well. Sad!
• On judging a person by their books.
• Read your way around the world with the Booktrail.

If you would like to share a photo of the book you are reading, or film your own book review, please do. Click the blue button on this page to share your video or image. I’ll include some of your posts in next week’s blog.

If you’re on Instagram and a book lover, chances are you’re already sharing beautiful pictures of books you are reading, “shelfies” or all kinds of still lifes with books as protagonists. Now, you can share your reads with us on the mobile photography platform – simply tag your pictures there with #GuardianBooks, and we’ll include a selection here. Happy reading!