This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

ivytwine · 18-01-2017 12:55PM

implausible wrote: »

How does it compare to The Goldfinch? Looking for something to get my teeth into.

I think it's far better than the Goldfinch.

Callan57 · 18-01-2017 01:12PM

implausible wrote: »

How does it compare to The Goldfinch? Looking for something to get my teeth into.

Oh way way better IMO ... I found Goldfinch tough going & IMO it would have benefited from tighter editing

Joe_ Public · 18-01-2017 01:18PM

Been a bit disappointed with Donna Tartt since the great debut novel. I like that she doesn't hammer a book out every year or every other year, but the long wait between books just heightens the sense of anticipation and I thought The Little Friend was only alright and The Goldfinch probably the weakest of the set. At least I will have tempered expectations before the next one so might enjoy it more

SarahBM · 19-01-2017 09:23AM

Finished Graham Norton's book Holding which I have to say was very good! I really enjoyed it!
So then I started Kingdom by Robyn Young. But I left it at home yesterday. I was stuck in town with no book. So I had to buy one. I got Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land. It's good. I'm about 40 pages in but I'm hooked.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 19-01-2017 11:18AM

Have started My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. It's the first in a series of 4 books. They've been wildly popular of late so I said I'd give them a go. So far it's okay, the only issue I have is with the translation from Italian to English. There are quite a few parts that don't seem to read right. You can still tell what it's saying but it doesn't flow very well. Not enough to put me off reading them.

Wyldwood · 19-01-2017 09:15PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Have started My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. It's the first in a series of 4 books. They've been wildly popular of late so I said I'd give them a go. So far it's okay, the only issue I have is with the translation from Italian to English. There are quite a few parts that don't seem to read right. You can still tell what it's saying but it doesn't flow very well. Not enough to put me off reading them.

I have that lined up next on my kindle will be interested in your final verdict

Harry Angstrom · 22-01-2017 08:54AM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Been a bit disappointed with Donna Tartt since the great debut novel. I like that she doesn't hammer a book out every year or every other year, but the long wait between books just heightens the sense of anticipation and I thought The Little Friend was only alright and The Goldfinch probably the weakest of the set. At least I will have tempered expectations before the next one so might enjoy it more

I liked The Goldfinch more than The Little Friend (although The Little Friend is as good a novel as any normal writer could ever hope to produce). Problem is, The Secret History is a masterpiece, and anything subsequently written by her will probably be compared unfavourably against it.

PMBC · 22-01-2017 09:01AM

Just finished re-reading Strunpet City by James Plunkett; what a book

Callan57 · 22-01-2017 10:39AM

Nearly had a panic attack last night ... thought I'd have to make an emergency appointment with Amazon!

Then I found The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh

at the back of the bookcase - I really must do a tidy up of my bookshelves!

50 pages into The Glass Palace & it's shaping up to be a good one

IvyTheTerrible · 22-01-2017 10:43AM

Callan57 wrote: »

Nearly had a panic attack last night ... thought I'd have to make an emergency appointment with Amazon!

Then I found The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh at the back of the bookcase - I really must do a tidy up of my bookshelves!

50 pages into The Glass Palace & it's shaping up to be a good one

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but I feel it lost it's way towards the end (I think this is because it's based on a true story).

Callan57 · 22-01-2017 01:42PM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but I feel it lost it's way towards the end (I think this is because it's based on a true story).

Didn't know that ... thanks

Joe_ Public · 22-01-2017 05:25PM

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I liked The Goldfinch more than The Little Friend (although The Little Friend is as good a novel as any normal writer could ever hope to produce). Problem is, The Secret History is a masterpiece, and anything subsequently written by her will probably be compared unfavourably against it.

A propos nothing much, I never knew Tartt was associated with the literary brat pack until reading a newspaper piece about it recently. She writes all the others into a cocked hat.

What you say is spot on, though. I have a similar thing going with Don De Lillo. I consider Underworld a literary masterpiece and wish I had read nothing from him since.

Harry Angstrom · 23-01-2017 02:44AM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

A propos nothing much, I never knew Tartt was associated with the literary brat pack until reading a newspaper piece about it recently. She writes all the others into a cocked hat.

What you say is spot on, though. I have a similar thing going with Don De Lillo. I consider Underworld a literary masterpiece and wish I had read nothing from him since.

Hard to believe she'd be bunched in with Bret Easton Ellis, who's been writing the same jaded novel over and over again since the beginning of his career.

Prenderb · 23-01-2017 08:36AM

I've recently finished "A little life" by Hanya Yanagihara. A long, powerful book - tough to read in spots, but I really really enjoyed it. Well written, too, didn't feel as long as it is (c.800 pages!).

Bookseller said she didn't enjoy it. Was glad I picked it up anyway

Xofpod · 23-01-2017 10:44AM

Finished and enjoyed Oryx and Crake, so on to the second in the trilogy, The Year of the Flood.
Also reading Irish Blood, English Heart, by Sean Campbell - a study of second-generation Irish musicians in Britain in the 80s (the Pogues, Morrissey, Marr, etc.) Great stuff so far.

ivytwine · 23-01-2017 10:45AM

The Essex Serpent.

Joe_ Public · 23-01-2017 02:20PM

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Hard to believe she'd be bunched in with Bret Easton Ellis, who's been writing the same jaded novel over and over again since the beginning of his career.

I think its an accident of circumstance more than anything else: went to the same college, had the same professor and the same agent and publisher. Beyond that, they have as much in common as night and day. If she actually deigned to do interviews, I'd wager she'd be faintly embarrassed by the association.

Kurtosis · 23-01-2017 05:23PM

Finished reading The Nix by Nathan Hill over the weekend, I thought it was a great read, multilayered story-telling with its fair share of laugh out loud and tear jerker moment.

Have now started City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, which is the final part of the Passage trilogy, and at about a third of the way through, can confidently say it's living up to the quality of the first two entries in the series.

SarahBM · 26-01-2017 11:33AM

Finished Good Me Bad Me by Ali Land. It's a great read. Met her at the Rick O Shea book club event in Dubray Books last night. Very interesting lady.
Next I'm starting A Little Life.

La_Gordy · 26-01-2017 11:46AM

Xofpod wrote: »

Finished and enjoyed Oryx and Crake, so on to the second in the trilogy, The Year of the Flood.

Oryx and Crake is excellent. Ahm interested to hear how you get on wi the trilogy!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 27-01-2017 01:02AM

Wyldwood wrote: »

I have that lined up next on my kindle will be interested in your final verdict

Finished it there tonight. It's pretty good, I definitely feel like reading the next one but I wouldn't say I feel compelled to start reading it immediately.

Noveight · 27-01-2017 02:09PM

Cracking on through Wuthering Heights this week. Excellent stuff

Ipso · 27-01-2017 05:02PM

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Really enjoying it, I was expecting it to be heavier.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 27-01-2017 05:06PM

Noveight wrote: »

Cracking on through Wuthering Heights this week. Excellent stuff

Ipso wrote: »

East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Really enjoying it, I was expecting it to be heavier.

Two of my absolute favourite books. Good choices

Fathom · 27-01-2017 09:12PM

The Flame Bearer
by Bernard Cornwell

Ipso · 28-01-2017 12:53AM

Fathom wrote: »

The Flame Bearer
by Bernard Cornwell

Loved that series. I was a bit worried that with so many books they would get repetetive but he managed to mix things up a bit.

Harry Angstrom · 28-01-2017 03:40AM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I think its an accident of circumstance more than anything else: went to the same college, had the same professor and the same agent and publisher. Beyond that, they have as much in common as night and day. If she actually deigned to do interviews, I'd wager she'd be faintly embarrassed by the association.

I think she's left the likes of him well behind. Last time I heard her being interviewed was by Kirsty Wark. You can tell Kirsty is a big fan of her work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiL1dIXAQKo

HistoryMania · 28-01-2017 04:57AM

Ireland since 1939: The Persistence of Conflict, by Henry Patterson.

Great, educating read.

Fathom · 29-01-2017 06:37PM

Ipso wrote: »

Loved that series. I was a bit worried that with so many books they would get repetetive but he managed to mix things up a bit.

Agree!

Joe_ Public · 30-01-2017 12:16AM

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

I think she's left the likes of him well behind. Last time I heard her being interviewed was by Kirsty Wark. You can tell Kirsty is a big fan of her work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiL1dIXAQKo

Don't know if it's a sub-conscious thing but it's noticeable how much of her original southern drawl she's lost. But she's good to listen to nonetheless. Comes across as a very nice person.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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