This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Wyldwood · 19-12-2016 02:25PM

SarahBM wrote: »

I am 40 pages into a Man Called Ove. Not really getting into it. I think it may be one of those over hyped books that everyone seems to be gushing over this year. It's a short enough books so I think I will stick with it.
Any opinions?

I loved Ove it brought out every emotion in me. I know several real people who are just as eccentric as Ove and I also was a huge fan of Victor Meldrew in One Foot in the Grave way back.
On the other hand, if it's not grabbing you by the first 50 pages then maybe give it up, there are too many good books out there to waste time struggling with one not to your taste.

Just finished Washington Square by Henry James. It's a lovely old-fashioned story of the relationship between a father and daughter. The play based on the book The Heiress is running at the Gate at the moment. Pity I'm not in Dublin.

Belle E. Flops · 19-12-2016 06:39PM

I've just started Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie. I read my first of hers in January and I was so surprised that I loved it because I wouldn't really read 'whodunnits' all that often. I'm hoping I'll enjoy this one as much.

bobbyss · 19-12-2016 06:51PM

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

I've just started Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie. I read my first of hers in January and I was so surprised that I loved it because I wouldn't really read 'whodunnits' all that often. I'm hoping I'll enjoy this one as much.

I have never read her, but your enthusiasm is catching so I will dust her down and give her a try.

quickbeam · 19-12-2016 06:55PM

I love a little Agatha Christie. Such a simple read, especially if I've just come off a door-stop novel.

Belle E. Flops · 19-12-2016 06:59PM

bobbyss wrote: »

I have never read her, but your enthusiasm is catching so I will dust her down and give her a try.

'And Then There Were None' was the one I read back in January. And just as I was coming to the end of it, it the BBC broadcast the mini series of it. You'd swear I had planned it.

Fathom · 19-12-2016 07:23PM

Zero-G
by Rob Buffard

kirk buttercup · 19-12-2016 08:14PM

bobbyss wrote:

Also a great read, but can't remember the title, was an account of the first trek to central Australia by two men one of whom was an Irishman called Burke I think (and Willis?).

Burke and Wills - The Dig Tree

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 19-12-2016 08:17PM

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Burke and Wills - The Dig Tree

Is this a good one? I Googled it after that post but there's quite a few books about the same people/expedition.

kirk buttercup · 19-12-2016 09:09PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote:

Is this a good one? I Googled it after that post but there's quite a few books about the same people/expedition.

It's long ( about 350 pages or so) but it's good. I Grew up in Australia so we learnt alot about them in school . This Book goes into alot of detail but its a good read if you're intrested in exploration .

bobbyss · 20-12-2016 10:49PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Is this a good one? I Googled it after that post but there's quite a few books about the same people/expedition.

Yes, I think so. Am away from my book shelves for a while so can't check. The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes (?) is a long long story of Australia. And of course lots of Irish interest too.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 20-12-2016 11:03PM

bobbyss wrote: »

Yes, I think so. Am away from my book shelves for a while so can't check. The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes (?) is a long long story of Australia. And of course lots of Irish interest too.

I think Goodreads has recommended The Fatal Shore to me a few times.

bobbyss · 21-12-2016 08:17AM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I think Goodreads has recommended The Fatal Shore to me a few times.

I sometimes dip into Goodreads and often wonder who writes the reviews. The first review is often a very lengthy summary of the book itself as opposed to an actual review. I wonder is it a regular Joe Soap who does that or the book company because who would sit down and write lengthy summaries of books?

However I am always open to what other people are reading and what they think of stuff. I am always amazed at the breath of peoples' interests.

adox · 21-12-2016 05:47PM

Safe With Me by K.L. Slater

Prenderb · 22-12-2016 07:38PM

SarahBM wrote: »

I am 40 pages into a Man Called Ove. Not really getting into it. I think it may be one of those over hyped books that everyone seems to be gushing over this year. It's a short enough books so I think I will stick with it.
Any opinions?

I read it a while back and really enjoyed it, actually. Hope you do, too, if you're sticking with it.

Callan57 · 24-12-2016 09:58PM

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan

Callan57 · 27-12-2016 08:01PM

Winter Flowers by Carol Coffey

Kurtosis · 27-12-2016 08:21PM

Finished It's All In Your Head by Suzanne O'Sullivan on Christmas Eve, a great insight into psychosomatic illness.

Starting the first of my Christmas acquisitions today, Still The Same Man by Jon Bilbao.

Slideways · 28-12-2016 05:33AM

I loved Ove, it did take a bit to grab me. I think it was the first laugh out loud that sealed the deal for me.

Read Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
I think. It appears to have had decent reviews but I thought it was very very mediocre. Anyone else on here tried it?

eire4 · 28-12-2016 07:40PM

Finished Deirdre Purcell's Sky a nice little thriller that starts in Montana and ends up in Dublin!

Callan57 · 28-12-2016 09:04PM

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Gonzovision · 29-12-2016 11:18AM

Finished 'Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power' by Robert Dallek. Pretty enjoyable overall, tough going at times but glad I've read it.

About 750 pages into 'Truman' by David McCullough, and I just haven't been able to put it down. One of the best books I've read in a long long time. Anyone with a passing interest in American Politics/History, should definitely give it a go.

I got a great selection of books over Christmas, so plenty of reading ahead.

Fathom · 29-12-2016 04:52PM

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
by JK Rowling

mr.anonymous · 31-12-2016 12:51AM

Gonzovision wrote: »

Finished 'Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power' by Robert Dallek. Pretty enjoyable overall, tough going at times but glad I've read it.

About 750 pages into 'Truman' by David McCullough, and I just haven't been able to put it down. One of the best books I've read in a long long time. Anyone with a passing interest in American Politics/History, should definitely give it a go.

I got a great selection of books over Christmas, so plenty of reading ahead.

Loved McCollough's book on the Wright Brothers. Great story teller.

Corkgirl18 · 01-01-2017 10:34PM

I'm over halfway through Huxley's Brave New World but I don't think I can finish it. I'm finding it very laborious.
I wanted to expand my literary horizons so I consulted many of these 30 books to read before you die lists and this book was mentioned fairly frequently.
I'm just not getting any enjoyment from it.

Nekarsulm · 01-01-2017 10:39PM

Started. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 02-01-2017 02:04AM

Corkgirl18 wrote: »

I'm over halfway through Huxley's Brave New World but I don't think I can finish it. I'm finding it very laborious.
I wanted to expand my literary horizons so I consulted many of these 30 books to read before you die lists and this book was mentioned fairly frequently.
I'm just not getting any enjoyment from it.

In my opinion a lot of the books you find on those lists are not great books, they seem to be included simply so you can say you read them rather than for their content. I tried to expand my literary horizons a few times with Russian "classics" and they were mainly just a waste of a few weeks reading time.

Arghus · 02-01-2017 04:20AM

Corkgirl18 wrote: »

I'm over halfway through Huxley's Brave New World but I don't think I can finish it. I'm finding it very laborious.
I wanted to expand my literary horizons so I consulted many of these 30 books to read before you die lists and this book was mentioned fairly frequently.
I'm just not getting any enjoyment from it.

Surprised to hear this. I thought Brave New World was completely engrossing, read it all in one night. I think it's an extremely readable literary classic. I liked it so much I tried to give some of his other novels a shot and none of them compared to Brave New World in my opinion.

Callan57 · 02-01-2017 11:53PM

Finished The Essex Serpent ... really enjoyable read, loved it.

Next is The Reader on the 6:27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent

Corkgirl18 · 03-01-2017 12:48PM

Arghus wrote: »

Surprised to hear this. I thought Brave New World was completely engrossing, read it all in one night. I think it's an extremely readable literary classic. I liked it so much I tried to give some of his other novels a shot and none of them compared to Brave New World in my opinion.

I'm not sure why that didn't happen to me, I just never seemed to get into it. So many people rave about it. I'll come back to it at some stage I think. I've moved on to Fahrenheit 451 and am enjoying that.

Birneybau · 03-01-2017 02:28PM

Corkgirl18 wrote: »

I'm not sure why that didn't happen to me, I just never seemed to get into it. So many people rave about it. I'll come back to it at some stage I think. I've moved on to Fahrenheit 451 and am enjoying that.

Ye see, for some reason I found 'Fahrenheit 451' a slog and 'Brave New World', well, think I read it in 2 sittings.

Anyway, I recently finished Ian Rankin's 22nd book in the Rebus series, was ok, nothing more and am currently reading 'Ready Player One' by Ernest Cline, which I really love and already thinking who I can buy it for.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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