This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Aenaes

Yeah, I saw that. I've read A Feast For Crows now though and don't fancy going back to it. It's alot slower paced than the previous books.

I'll pick up A Dance With Dragons near the end of May.

Callan57

Finished Tigers In Red Weather - very absorbing read.

Now I'm going to go with the much talked about The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Busi_Girl08

I'm nearing the end of Kafka on the Shore at the minute. It's been...quite the journey.

Aenaes

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

I'm nearing the end of Kafka on the Shore at the minute. It's been...quite the journey.

Kafkaesque?

eire4

Finished a re read of Morgan Llywelyn's Finn Mac Cool.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Just finished reading The Bloodied Field by Michael Foley. A thorough account of events leading up to and surrounding Bloody Sunday (1920)

It sheds a lot of light on the state of Ireland at the time, the complete lack of interest the British government actually took in governing us, events that led to the introduction of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries. It also tells the stories of the people who were killed that day. Michael Hogan obviously gets a lot of the attention on that front but it also delves into the lives of all the other victims of that day, something that you don't really hear about when people discuss the event.

What is especially good about it is that it just sets out to present the facts. So much research must have gone into this book. There are extracts from diaries, parliamentary meetings, GAA county board meetings, witness statements, official military accounts of events and lots more. You can come to your own conclusions at the end of it.

Callan57

Finished The Girl on the Train - enjoyed it a lot

Next is Hanging with the Elephant byMichael Harding

minnow

Just finished Slaughterhouse Five, really enjoyed it and completely different to what I had expected.

I have heard it compared with Catch 22 in terms of an anti-war message, that is the only similarity. Catch 22 is a superior read IMO, definitely funnier.

SarahBM

I gave up on the Book of Evidence. I just couldn't continue with it. I hated it.
I have Wonder in my handbag, but to be honest I don't quite feel like reading anything at the moment

kirk buttercup

Going on holidays next month any suggestions for a good holiday read ( young kids will be taking most of the time up so something light that can be read for an hour at night)?

eire4

Finiahed a re read of Morgan Llywelyn's Pride of Lions. Focused on the life of Brian Boru's son Donough Mac Brien in the years after the Battle of Clontarf.

SarahBM

I finished reading Wonder this morning. It's a wonderful book, excuse the pun. I'd highly recommend it.
I forgot to bring another book home with me for the wknd so I borrowed Child 44 from a friend. Looking forward to it.

Swiper the fox

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Just finished reading The Bloodied Field by Michael Foley. A thorough account of events leading up to and surrounding Bloody Sunday (1920)

It sheds a lot of light on the state of Ireland at the time, the complete lack of interest the British government actually took in governing us, events that led to the introduction of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries. It also tells the stories of the people who were killed that day. Michael Hogan obviously gets a lot of the attention on that front but it also delves into the lives of all the other victims of that day, something that you don't really hear about when people discuss the event.

What is especially good about it is that it just sets out to present the facts. So much research must have gone into this book. There are extracts from diaries, parliamentary meetings, GAA county board meetings, witness statements, official military accounts of events and lots more. You can come to your own conclusions at the end of it.

I really looked forward to this as it combined two of my enduring passions, Irish history and the GAA. I have to admit that I found most of it boring and the bits I liked were probably fictitious accounts of events that were unlikely to have been recounted by anyone in the detail Foley goes into. In saying all that I learned quite a bit about Bloody Sunday that I hadn't known beforehand.
I think the authors other book Kings of September is one of the finest and best researched books I've ever read.
Right now I'm rereading Friday Night lights, one of the best sports books ever IMO

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I really looked forward to this as it combined two of my enduring passions, Irish history and the GAA. I have to admit that I found most of it boring and the bits I liked were probably fictitious accounts of events that were unlikely to have been recounted by anyone in the detail Foley goes into. In saying all that I learned quite a bit about Bloody Sunday that I hadn't known beforehand.
I think the authors other book Kings of September is one of the finest and best researched books I've ever read.
Right now I'm rereading Friday Night lights, one of the best sports books ever IMO

I found the very detailed accounts of the football leading up to the match quite boring. I suppose he had to create some context for the match but it felt at times like he was just trying to get the word count up.

Overall though I think the book fills in a lot of gaps in knowledge about that day and that's no bad thing.

Mr.Nice Guy

I've been reading At Swim-Two Birds by Flann O'Brien but I may have to quit it as I'm finding it tough to get through. I liked the early parts and in particular the interactions involving the uncle, but it becomes difficult to follow as it continues. Well, for me at least.

Part of the problem might be that I've a few other books to get through so I probably needed something lighter than this.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I've been reading At Swim-Two Birds by Flann O'Brien but I may have to quit it as I'm finding it tough to get through. I liked the early parts and in particular the interactions involving the uncle, but it becomes difficult to follow as it continues. Well, for me at least.

Part of the problem might be that I've a few other books to get through so I probably needed something lighter than this.

I started reading this a few years back but couldn't follow it at all. Gave up after about 20 pages.

Hrududu

I finally finished The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, which I've been picking at for ages. For the most part it was enjoyable, but the problem with stories that have 'time travel' is that for the most part when you think them through they unravel a bit. I had a problem with the ending

It seems ridiculous that he would send Vincent a letter telling him everything before he died. Firstly he has no proof that Vincent told him the truth about his real name or origin. And secondly Vincent has previous with getting older people born before him to do his dirty work. With all the information Harry gives Vincent at the end he has all he needs to have someone older go back and kill Harry before he's born. It just made no sense that he would show his hand in that way.

Callan57

Over the weekend I read The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis - difficult but absorbing read.

This morning I started The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop

eire4

Finished a re read of Morgan Llywelyn's Pride of Lions which is the sequal to Lion of Ireland and is focused on Brian Boru's son Donough.

Aenaes

eire4 wrote: »

Finiahed a re read of Morgan Llywelyn's Pride of Lions. Focused on the life of Brian Boru's son Donough Mac Brien in the years after the Battle of Clontarf.

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of Morgan Llywelyn's Pride of Lions which is the sequal to Lion of Ireland and is focused on Brian Boru's son Donough.

I'm not trying to be smart here but did you do a re-read of a re-read with only a few days in between?

I have the book in the to-read pile. Looking forward to tackling it eventually.

mejulie805

Reading Two Brothers by Ben Elton. I like his style and it flows well but not sure about it!

eire4

Aenaes wrote: »

I'm not trying to be smart here but did you do a re-read of a re-read with only a few days in between?

I have the book in the to-read pile. Looking forward to tackling it eventually.

Haha good spot. No I just didn't realise I had already posted reading Pride of Lions again. Hope you enjoy the book when you get around to it. I know I certainly did although not enough to read it twice in a week:)

Fathom

Darkest Evening of the Year, Dean Koontz.

Callan57

The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry

Aenaes

I finished Berlin: The Downfall 1945 by Antony Beevor. It's well researched and tells the story well, as to be expected by Beevor it seems. I'll have to check out his other works in the future.

I started The Bridges Of Madison County by Robert James Waller. About 50 pages in (which is about a third) and it's gripped me.

Esterhase

I haven't had nearly as much time for reading as I'd like over the last few weeks, but I got through 25% of Gregory's 'The Other Boleyn Girl' on a long bus trip this morning. It's a trashy read with flat characters, but easy for my 6am brain to cope with. I'll finish it off over the weekend and then I can move on to Dark Eden by Chris Beckett, which I picked up on a Kindle deal the other day.

Aenaes

I finished The Bridges Of Madison County. A nice, simple story but I didn't like when some of the descriptions turned ethereal.

Now I'm reading The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales by Forrest Carter.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm reading Shame and the Captives by Thomas Keneally. It's about the POW camps in Australia during WW2 and based around a real life break out of Japanese prisoners from a camp near a small NSW town. There's also an Italian prisoner working on a local farm who is having an affair with the wife of an Australian soldier who has been a POW in Europe for that last 3 years.

It sounds interesting but it's actually quite boring.

Belle E. Flops

Finished 'The remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro. Nothing exciting happens but it is a really lovely story. Throughout it I wanted to shake the main character while at the same time feeling really sorry for him. Really enjoyed it.

Read Neil Gaiman's short story 'The Sleeper and the Spindle'. Surprisingly, i didn't think it was great and I'm a big fan of his.

I've just started 'Anne of Green Gables' and really enjoying it so far. It's been on my to read list with ages.

ivytwine

On Tickle Me Elmo's recommendation, I finished The Girls At the Kingfisher Club the other day. Hugely enjoyable.