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This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

194959799100292

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,121 ✭✭✭Censorsh!t


    Finished I, Claudius by Robert Graves the other day. It's a really good and entertaining way of learning about Ancient Rome. I had previously heard of Caligula and his wild antics, so I really enjoyed reading about him in this.

    I'm now reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I was never one for fantasy (except LOTR and The Hobbit), but I've recently been reading A Song of Ice and Fire and getting more into the genre. And so far, this one looks good. And gets great reviews, so hope it lives up to that


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,844 ✭✭✭Honey-ec


    Started This House is Haunted last night, and I'm halfway through already. Proper, good old-fashioned ghost story :)
    Censorsh!t wrote: »
    I'm now reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I was never one for fantasy (except LOTR and The Hobbit), but I've recently been reading A Song of Ice and Fire and getting more into the genre. And so far, this one looks good. And gets great reviews, so hope it lives up to that

    I loved The Name of the Wind, I've read it three times at this stage, I think. I wasn't as enamoured with the follow-up (the name of which escapes me right now), but I would like to read it again, as I only read it once.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,844 ✭✭✭Honey-ec


    Well, finished This House is Haunted last night. As I said, it's a good old-fashioned ghost story. Not actually scary, mind you, but still very enjoyable as a bit of brain-fluff.

    Raided the work library yesterday as I'm going on hols next week, and got John Connolly's Dark Hollow, Michael Connelly's 9 Dragons and Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim.

    I'll probably pick up another couple in the airport.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,906 ✭✭✭SarahBM


    Struggling a bit with East of Eden, but enjoying re-reding the Witches.

    I wonder, would I be likely to read more if I had a Kindle/e-reader?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 670 ✭✭✭123 LC


    Wanted to get back into reading so I joined the library (literally I've only read harry potter, twilight and the hunger games in the last few years :o )

    so I took out The Stand by Stephen King - this is very long but I've made a start at it anyway, but i'm not sure if this is the right genre for me

    I also took out Jane Eyre which i'm more looking forward to reading


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,118 ✭✭✭AnnyHallsal


    City of Bohane. So far finding it irritating. The Pat McCabe/Martin McDonagh cartoonish rural violence seems old hat at this stage.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,160 ✭✭✭Callan57


    The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    Honey-ec wrote: »

    Raided the work library yesterday as I'm going on hols next week, and got John Connolly's Dark Hollow, Michael Connelly's 9 Dragons and Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim.

    I'll probably pick up another couple in the airport.

    Lucky Jim is incredible; it's a very, very funny and enjoyable book...
    City of Bohane. So far finding it irritating. The Pat McCabe/Martin McDonagh cartoonish rural violence seems old hat at this stage.

    Don't give up on Bohane, it's amazing. I think Kevin Barry's one of the very finest writers around at the moment. Actually, I might even read City of Bohane again now. :)

    Have finished a mountain of novels since my last post in this thread but some of the better ones have included:

    Vargas Lloasa's The Dream of the Celt (about Roger Casement): would highly recommend
    David Mitchell's Black Swan Green (far more accessible than Cloud Atlas and quite charming, but in a very different way)
    Howard Jacobson's The Making of Henry (a bit Amis-ish in its style... which is probably why I enjoyed it so much)
    Hugh Leonard's Fillums (enjoys a really promising start but looses its momentum about halfway through)
    John Lanchester's Mr Philips (not bad, but not great - should probably have read his more celebrated Capital as an introduction to Lanchester).
    Vargas Llosa's The Bad Girl (an absolutely remarkable novel; the only romance story I think I'll ever enjoy [and WHAT a romance story it is!])

    Read quite a bit more but can't really remember what just at the moment... hmm, I wonder if that says more about me or the novels?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    123 LC wrote: »
    Wanted to get back into reading so I joined the library (literally I've only read harry potter, twilight and the hunger games in the last few years :o )

    so I took out The Stand by Stephen King - this is very long but I've made a start at it anyway, but i'm not sure if this is the right genre for me

    I also took out Jane Eyre which i'm more looking forward to reading

    Hey, who cares what you read as long as you're enjoying it. :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭Tom Joad


    Plus one on Lucky Jim - great and funny read.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,023 ✭✭✭Meathlass


    Currently reading The best of Myles by Flann O'Brien - a collection of his columns from The Irish Times from the 40s. Some laugh out loud moments but lots of his little hobby horses as well which aren't great.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,775 ✭✭✭✭Slattsy


    The Map and Territory by Michel Houellebecq.

    Only a few chapters in, its hardly gripping but im warming to it. For the good press it received it should be a great read, i love a good satire.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    Slattsy wrote: »
    The Map and Territory by Michel Houellebecq.

    Only a few chapters in, its hardly gripping but im warming to it. For the good press it received it should be a great read, i love a good satire.

    What do people make of Houellebecq? I read Atomised and Platform when they came out (geez, that's about 10 years ago now!) and thought they were useless: unpleasant, seedy, salacious, and affectedly controversial. Was I right?

    Recently I bought "Whatever" and am going to give it a go presently. Or should I?

    By the way, I absolutely hate his books' covers!! For a writer who's lauded as an intellectual and innovator, why do his novels all look like something Jackie Collins would put out?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭Tom Joad


    wilkie2006 wrote: »
    What do people make of Houellebecq? I read Atomised and Platform when they came out (geez, that's about 10 years ago now!) and thought they were useless: unpleasant, seedy, salacious, and affectedly controversial. Was I right?

    Recently I bought "Whatever" and am going to give it a go presently. Or should I?

    By the way, I absolutely hate his books' covers!! For a writer who's lauded as an intellectual and innovator, why do his novels all look like something Jackie Collins would put out?

    I liked Platform and Atomised but thought that The Possibility of an Island was awful shíte. Never read Whatever - in fact gave up on him after The Possibility of an Island.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    wilkie2006 wrote: »
    What do people make of Houellebecq? I read Atomised and Platform when they came out (geez, that's about 10 years ago now!) and thought they were useless: unpleasant, seedy, salacious, and affectedly controversial. Was I right?

    Recently I bought "Whatever" and am going to give it a go presently. Or should I?

    By the way, I absolutely hate his books' covers!! For a writer who's lauded as an intellectual and innovator, why do his novels all look like something Jackie Collins would put out?
    I only read Atomised, and I had the same opinion as you. I'm not particularly fond of Houellebecq himself either, I see him interviewed regularly on French tv, and he gives the impression of being pretty sleazy too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,160 ✭✭✭Callan57


    Life Mask by Emma Donoghue


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    Have nearly finished The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain

    Enjoyable enough story and very easy to zip through. Anyone looking for something light-hearted for the beach would probably appreciate it. A pretty accurate review from the Guardian here

    I reckon I'll start Crab Walk by Gunter Grass tomorrow


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,053 ✭✭✭wilkie2006


    Callan57 wrote: »
    Life Mask by Emma Donoghue

    Any use? Didn't think too much of Donoghue's "Room"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 119 ✭✭wantacookie


    I am just finishing A Dance with Dragons by GRRM and I am going to reread His Dark Materials by Pullman when I am done! I haven't read them in a while and am excited :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭another question


    Nearly finished The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka, anyone read it?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,055 ✭✭✭eire4


    Finished a very enjoyable re read of Michael Connelly's The Scarecrow.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭Tom Joad


    Just started Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey - bit slow to get going but enjoying it so far.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 828 ✭✭✭Travel is good


    Nearly finished The Buddha in the Attic by Julia Otsuka, anyone read it?

    I just finished it and liked it. It's the story of the Japanese internees during 2nd World War after Pearl Harbour, in California. It's fiction, so I'd like to read a true history of that event.

    This week I'm reading "Fever" by Mary Beth Keane, enjoying it so far.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭another question


    I just finished it and liked it. It's the story of the Japanese internees during 2nd World War after Pearl Harbour, in California. It's fiction, so I'd like to read a true history of that event.

    This week I'm reading "Fever" by Mary Beth Keane, enjoying it so far.

    I liked it too, in fact I loved it until about halfway through but I thought it went a bit downhill from there and I found the ending disappointing.

    I'm starting Zadie Smith's N-W today.


  • Posts: 5,135 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I started reading Suttree by Cormac McCarthy during the week. It has a lot more humour than the other books of his I've read so far. I'm liking it a lot so far.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,748 ✭✭✭Swiper the fox


    I'd never read Kate Atkinson before but I thought Life after Life was really good, picked up another of her books "Case Histories" and started it last night, amazing how similar the style is to Life after Life.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 138 ✭✭kam3qnwvebf4jh


    Finished "The 100 year old man who climbed out of a window" recently as recommended by an earlier poster and I must say that I enjoyed it tremendously. Kinda like Forrest Gump re-imagined by Quentin Tarantino. Have now just started into I Am Legend and liking it so far.


  • Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 24,016 Mod ✭✭✭✭TICKLE_ME_ELMO


    ^ That 100 Year Old Man... book keeps jumping out at me whenever I'm browsing books lately, it's everywhere I look! Must be a sign. I'll have to check it out.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,118 ✭✭✭AnnyHallsal


    Wolf Hall, finally.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,786 ✭✭✭Monkeybonkers


    The Turing Option by Harry Harrison and Marvin Minsky


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