This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

SarahBM · 07-08-2014 7:33pm

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

Read the 100 year old man... And the unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry lately. Not much to say on them really. Easy, entertaining reads that were perfect for holiday reading.

Starting Tess of the D'Urberville's now.

Tess - I have mixed views on it.
I really enjoyed the one hundred year old man but the Girl who saved the King of Sweden is trying too hard to be like it. I'm about 3/4 way through and a little disappointed.

Huzzah! · 07-08-2014 10:29pm

iwantmydinner wrote: »

She's fantastic. She has done a brilliant Ted talk as well, if you're interested!

Her Ted Talk was published as an essay/short ebook recently by Vintage Books

Ice Storm · 10-08-2014 6:03pm

I'm reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Finding it hard to put down; it's gripping!

Callan57 · 10-08-2014 7:16pm

Ice Storm wrote: »

I'm reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Finding it hard to put down; it's gripping!

I've read that book don't know how many times ... absolutely love it, gripping is certainly the word. Enjoy

Wyldwood · 10-08-2014 8:04pm

Finished Smith's Child 44 and must say it's a great read. Had me gripped form the start.

It's set in the last days of Stalin's rule in Russia and really shows the fear and distrust that simmered amongst the people. Leo Demidov is a ruthless MGB Agent - the State is always right- who has a serious awakening to the failures of the system. When a series of apparently linked child murders are dismissed as accidents by the powers that be Leo decides that maybe the State isn't always right.

Callan57 · 11-08-2014 8:50pm

Cold Sea Stories by Pawet Huelle (translated from Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

SarahBM · 11-08-2014 11:12pm

Finished the Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, I was a bit disappointed.

On to Tuesday's With Morrie.

a0ifee · 11-08-2014 11:13pm

Finished Americanah, really enjoyed it, must get my hands on Half of A Yellow Sun! Onto A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing now, and I'm already entranced by the writing style.

MagicMarker · 12-08-2014 1:07pm

Half way through the first of the 'Wool Trilogy', really enjoying it thus far.

SarahBM · 12-08-2014 10:30pm

Tuesday's With Morrie is a wonderful book.

Artemis Fowel next.

Wyldwood · 12-08-2014 11:12pm

Got half way through The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and am not enthralled. It's ok but going nowhere. It's like a series of short stories with each one describing one of Hattie's many dysfunctional children.
Going to put it aside for the moment as I got The Death of Bees from the library today based on reviews here.

abutler101 · 12-08-2014 11:14pm

Tis' by Frank McCourt, pretty good so far

crustybla · 13-08-2014 11:31pm

I read The Passage ages ago and I've only found out reading the last couple of pages here that it's the first in a trilogy! Can't wait to get my hands on The Twelve!! I may have to reread it though as I remember the first ended with a question or two, but I don't remember the details.
Meanwhile, I've just started A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing. Wasn't too sure at first but I think I'm going to like it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-08-2014 10:09am

Closed Doors by Lisa O'Donnell. I read her first book, The Death of Bees, a few months ago and loved it. This one isn't quite as good so far but I'm still enjoying it.

It's about a young boy in a small Scottish village, the kind where everyone knows everyone's business. Like most kids he listens at doors when he's not supposed to and then he hears something he doesn't quite understand which seems to have changed his whole family.

Like I said, not quite as gripping as DoB but still a decent read.

SarahBM · 14-08-2014 11:44am

Loved Tuesday's With Morrie.

Finally getting to read Artemis Fowel. I know they are kids books but so far Im half way through the first and I like it. I have read Eoin Colfer's adult book Unplugged and really like his style.

Callan57 · 14-08-2014 12:26pm

Starting Conversations in Sicily by Elio Vittorini

eire4 · 16-08-2014 9:47pm

Finished a re read of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho.

Swiper the fox · 16-08-2014 9:49pm

I hardly ever reread books but I'm currently at it with Star of the Sea. I cannot stress enough what a great book this is, quite possibly one of the best I've ever read. Essential reading.

ivytwine · 16-08-2014 9:58pm

On a Stephen King kick at the moment- working nights it's the only way I can stay awake

I avoided reading his stuff for years, even though I enjoyed it, because I am such a coward. I think I'm getting better tho!

Anyway I finished 'Salems Lot this morning, great book. Got Joyland from the library so that's up next. Also reading Terry Pratchett's Nation, love it so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 16-08-2014 10:21pm

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I hardly ever reread books but I'm currently at it with Star of the Sea. I cannot stress enough what a great book this is, quite possibly one of the best I've ever read. Essential reading.

Have you read Redemption Falls, it's kind of a sequel but only in the loosest sense of the word. Very good too.

Callan57 · 16-08-2014 10:24pm

The Docotor's Wife by Brian Moore .... I'm loving it

Swiper the fox · 16-08-2014 11:12pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Have you read Redemption Falls, it's kind of a sequel but only in the loosest sense of the word. Very good too.

Yes. Love that also, and Ghost Light. I reckon Joseph O'Connor is one of the best writers alive. Nothing he's ever written has been a disappointment. His most recent effort is another classic.

Wyldwood · 17-08-2014 12:06pm

Really enjoyed The Death of Bees, love the conversational style of writing.
Got Star of the Sea from the library so that's up next.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-08-2014 4:40pm

Finished Closed Doors by Lisa O'Donnell. Nowhere near as good as The Death of Bees. Told from the point of view of a 11/12 year old boy it got a bit annoying at times.

a0ifee · 17-08-2014 6:24pm

finished A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing, was blown away. Really, really loved it. Started Breakfast Of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I have high expectations because I enjoyed Slaughterhouse 5 a lot.

Callan57 · 17-08-2014 6:30pm

a0ifee wrote: »

finished A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing, was blown away. Really, really loved it. Started Breakfast For Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I have high expectations because I enjoyed Slaughterhouse 5 a lot.

It's a super read without doubt

Callan57 · 17-08-2014 11:13pm

Finished The Doctor's Wife by Brian Moore ... superb really enjoyed it.

Now it's Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 by Garrison Keillor

implausible · 19-08-2014 12:16am

a0ifee wrote: »

Onto A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing now, and I'm already entranced by the writing style.

Am halfway through this myself and while the plot is tripping on nicely and the narrative voice rings true, I'm finding myself getting irritated by the writing style. I'm skimming whole pages and I'm not sure if that's the intent.

Will persevere though.

Callan57 · 19-08-2014 11:06pm

Finished Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 by Garrison Keillor ... nice gentle, coming of age story from a more innocent time.

Next is Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 20-08-2014 1:15am

Have just started After The Fire A Still Small Voice by Evie Wyld.

Not very far in but am enjoying it so far. There's something about a lot of Australian writers that I like. Their writing is quite simple but there's still so much in it... if that makes sense.

Wyld is English/Australian but I think she spent her younger years in Australia and her writing definitely reminds me of a few other Australian authors I've read.

Dial Hard · 20-08-2014 11:50am

ivytwine wrote: »

On a Stephen King kick at the moment- Got Joyland from the library so that's up next.

You're in for a treat with Joyland. More of a paean to friendship and coming-of-age than anything resembling horror, but I think King's real talent lies in characterisation anyway.

ivytwine · 20-08-2014 1:40pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

You're in for a treat with Joyland. More of a paean to friendship and coming-of-age than anything resembling horror, but I think King's real talent lies in characterisation anyway.

Yay! I'm looking forward to it!

boccy23 · 20-08-2014 1:52pm

Finished the second of the Game of Thrones. Really is excellent stuff.

Reading Jo Nesbo's Cockroaches now. Will probably go back to with Child 44 then and back to GOT after that.

fruvai · 20-08-2014 8:30pm

Finished the Sound and the Fury today - an excellent read. Just after reading that James Franco has made a movie version and cast himself as Benjy :eek::eek::(

Gonna start re-reading Thomas Pynchon's hilarious Inherent Vice

Swiper the fox · 20-08-2014 10:00pm

I picked up a book yesterday called "To rise again at a decent hour" by Joshua Ferris, it's just been published and it's started very well.
Finished Star of the sea for the second time, absolutely fantastic. I may revisit some more of my favourites soon enough.

Callan57 · 21-08-2014 9:32pm

In The Woods by Tana French

SarahBM · 21-08-2014 11:24pm

Finished Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident.

Going to read Stoner by John Williams next.

Aenaes · 21-08-2014 11:28pm

Only recently started The Constant Gardener by John le Carrè. I'm off now to continue it.

minnow · 23-08-2014 12:14am

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

ankles · 23-08-2014 10:57am

Fired through 1927 on holidays, now back to similarly titled but utterly dissimilar 1Q84, Book 3 to finish. Don't think it will get to a totally satisfactory conclusion but the journey is enjoyable

MagicMarker · 24-08-2014 1:18pm

I just finished "Shake Hands With The Devil", a first hand account of the Rwandan genocide written by the UN Force Commander who was in Rwanda on a Peacekeeping mission at the time. It's utterly disgraceful how the world stood by and watched while 800,000 innocent people were slaughtered.

crustybla · 24-08-2014 4:44pm

Finished A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing. I enjoyed it though it took a little bit of getting used to the writing style.

I followed that with Gypsy Boy by Mikey Walsh, found that an interesting read and so sad in places.

Now I've just started The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It seems like a good, handy read. I don't know much about it yet as I just picked it from my Kobo so I'll see where it takes me.

Kurtosis · 25-08-2014 11:01am

Finished the Lord of the Rings last week, having had it on my to read list for about 10 years! Incredible books, seriously regret not reading them sooner.

I've now started the Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, about a third of the way in and enjoying it so far, some of the prose is really beautiful.

Dial Hard · 25-08-2014 12:52pm

Started Justin Cronin's The Passage yesterday, and stayed up til about 2am with it.

Absolutely zonked now.

Pang · 25-08-2014 7:47pm

Just finished Malarky by Anakana Schofield. Very interesting book and set in Mayo of all places.

Starting Tampa by Alissa Nutting.

a0ifee · 25-08-2014 10:03pm

crustybla wrote: »

Now I've just started The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It seems like a good, handy read. I don't know much about it yet as I just picked it from my Kobo so I'll see where it takes me.

I really liked the maze runner, it's not the best book ever but it was enjoyable. Looking forward to the film!

Dial Hard · 26-08-2014 10:23am

Pang wrote: »

Starting Tampa by Alissa Nutting.

The cover of that gained me some very strange looks in work.

I'll be interested to hear what you make of it.

Callan57 · 27-08-2014 6:56pm

The Thrill of it All by Joseph O'Connor

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 27-08-2014 7:34pm

Finished After the Fire, A Still Small Voice

I loved it right up until the end but I'm not sure it really went anywhere? It alternates chapters between Frank, a guy who just broke up with his girlfriend and takes off to a shack by the beach, and Leon, growing up in Sydney in the 70's (I think) who gets drafted to Vietnam. I loved the writing and was invested in both characters stories but I'm just not sure about that ending...

Next up, The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick.

Wyldwood · 27-08-2014 8:23pm

Finished Star of the Sea and I think I'm probably in a small minority of readers not being totally overawed by O'Connor's work. I didn't dislike the book just not bowled over by it.

The novel sets the scene of Ireland in the early 19th century very well. The descriptions of life during the famine for both classes are excellent but I didn't like the style of writing. It didn't flow for me. I dislike books that hop back and forth in time, all the footnotes and clarifications made it feel like a text book and broke the narrative. I also felt the epilogue was far too long and contained a lot of material with little relevance to the story.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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