This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 30-01-2017 12:24PM

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Arghus · 31-01-2017 03:08AM

PMBC wrote: »

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

Fantastic book, it received a bit of attention again with the centenary of The Lockout a few years back, but I'm amazed how unknown it is generally; I've never met anyone else who has read it. One of the key works of Irish Literature in the twentieth century without a doubt - definitely the most humane.

Recently finished Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. Aye, a pretty good read. Ten chapters about ten different regions of the world, dealing with how physical geography shaped their development, history and will continue to influence their futures and relationships. It doesn't contain too much earth shattering revalations about the current state of Geopolitics, at least not if you follow the news. It's more entertaining and broad than incisive, but at least it tries to flesh out the historical context and long game aims that underpin what's going out there in our increasingly confusing world.

I don't think the book wholly lives up to its professed aim of showing how basic facts of Geography determine everything before economics and politics eventually come along. No doubt there's truth in that, but the book isn't as intellectually curious about that thesis as it could be: there is as much written in each chapter concerning realpolitik as there is about actual Geography. There probably is a better book that could be written about the subject, but this certainly isn't a bad place to start if you are curious.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 31-01-2017 03:19AM

I'm reading a book called Beyond the Horizon by Ryan Ireland. I picked it at random from the library. I thought it was a western type thing and the bit on the back cover says it's about a man and his pregnant lady living out in the wilderness, an injured stranger shows up and tells the man he better go to the nearest settlement to register the woman as his wife and register the child too. When the man leaves the stranger murders the woman and the baby and sets out after the man.

So i'm expecting a revenge story or a murder mystery type thing but suddenly the stranger is jumping into wells and travelling through time or some crazy **** like that. I have no f**king clue what this book is about. I think it's some sort of elaborate metaphor for something but so far it's going way over my head.

Callan57 · 01-02-2017 01:21PM

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

Xofpod · 02-02-2017 11:33AM

La_Gordy wrote: »

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

Finished the Year of the Flood and while I enjoyed it, it certainly didn't measure up to O&C. It just felt a bit unnecessary, retreading large parts of the first while not really expanding on things.

I'll definitely read the third, I just won't be racing to pick it up like I did with this one.

ahlookit · 02-02-2017 03:37PM

Finished All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan - excellent writer, though the subject matter was tough going at times.

Half read Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse by David Mitchell (the comedian, not the writer). A collection of his guardian articles, OK to dip in and out of, not something I'd read from cover to cover.

Started Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. Hope its up to his usual standards!

Birneybau · 02-02-2017 06:46PM

Am torn between 'The Little Friend' by Donna Tarrt and 'City On Fire' by Garth Risk Hallberg. Have started both, and whilst I WILL finish both, I'm looking to be grabbed by one of them right now.

Belle E. Flops · 04-02-2017 09:00PM

Finished 'The Lies of Locke Lamora' Thursday night. I loved it as much this time as I did the first time I read it.
Yesterday I read 'Slade House' by David Mitchell. I id enjoy it, read it in a day, but I didn't love it.
I've started 'His Bloody Project' by Graeme Macrae Burnet. I'm only about 20 pages in so far but I think it could be good.

Rumpy Pumpy · 05-02-2017 10:23PM

Conclave by Robert Harris. It's possibly his worst novel, and the ending was preposterous, but I did find myself staying up until 3am in the morning reading it from cover to cover.

Callan57 · 05-02-2017 11:01PM

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

Conclave by Robert Harris. It's possibly his worst novel, and the ending was preposterous, but I did find myself staying up until 3am in the morning reading it from cover to cover.

Agree 100%

Xofpod · 06-02-2017 02:51PM

Started Moonglow by Michael Chabon. I'm a fan of his stuff but nothing really grabbed me about this book. Then I caught his book reading in Dublin a few weeks ago and it leapt to the top of the pile. Very smart, very charming, sold the hell out of that book for me.

marienbad · 07-02-2017 09:45PM

I Shall Bear Witness - The Diaries of Victor Klemperer 1933-1941

The life of an German Jew under the Nazis . I am up to 1938 right now .

Anyone who thinks the current situation in The USA is in any way similar really needs to get out more .

Callan57 · 08-02-2017 12:13PM

Finished the truly fantastic The Bastard of Instanbul by Elif Shafak ... can't recommend it highly enough

Now it's on to Devoted Ladies by Molly Keane

marienbad · 12-02-2017 04:28PM

To The Bitter End - The Diaries of Victor Klemperer 1942-45.

Tells more about the 3rd Reich then a dozen history books

Fathom · 12-02-2017 06:51PM

Wintering
by Peter Geye

Callan57 · 12-02-2017 10:28PM

Starting On, Off by Colleen McCullough

dizzatron · 13-02-2017 12:34AM

Haruki Murakami - Kafka on the Shore

I love his style of writing and the way he has of reaching out of the dry pages to grab my interest. In a world of distracting technology, that's difficult to achieve!

solo1y · 13-02-2017 12:42AM

"The Assassin's Cloak"

It's a compilation of lots of different famous diarists, organised by date. It's very interesting.

I'm also starting Paul Auster's new book, "4 3 2 1". I really liked a bunch of his other books, but this one is much larger. I could fit a sandwich into it. But I'm hoping for the best.

Fathom · 15-02-2017 03:31AM

Never, Never
by James Patterson

Slideways · 15-02-2017 02:08PM

Born to run by Christopher Mc Dougall

If you're a runner, or any way inclined to go for a shuffle it's a great book. Loved it and wanted to hit the trails despite having done a big run last weekend.

Birneybau · 15-02-2017 02:32PM

Put all my serious books aside and am thoroughly enjoying 'Salem's Lot' of an evening.

Wyldwood · 15-02-2017 03:17PM

Finished Sebastian Faulk's Where My Heart Used to Beat. I love Faulks, even though I'm not a fan of long passages describing battle scenes I can tolerate them in Faulk's books as the story is always so good.

Now reading McGahern's Amongst Women, enjoying it so far.

Ipso · 15-02-2017 04:38PM

Birneybau wrote: »

Put all my serious books aside and am thoroughly enjoying 'Salem's Lot' of an evening.

Excellent book. If you're still in a mood for vampires, I recommend Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

autumnbelle · 15-02-2017 04:42PM

The Stand Stephen King.. great book but soooo long!

ahlookit · 15-02-2017 04:55PM

Ipso wrote: »

Excellent book. If you're still in a mood for vampires, I recommend Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Let The Right One In is brilliant. The fact the author is obsessed by The Smiths and Morrissey is an added bonus

Finished Days Without End by Sebastian Barry, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Currently reading Nutshell by Ian McEwan, which isn't really doing much for me so far. At least its short

Callan57 · 15-02-2017 05:13PM

ahlookit wrote: »

Let The Right One In is brilliant. The fact the author is obsessed by The Smiths and Morrissey is an added bonus

Finished Days Without End by Sebastian Barry, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Currently reading Nutshell by Ian McEwan, which isn't really doing much for me so far. At least its short

Nutshell didn't do it for me either ... though usually I'm a fan of McEwan

ahlookit · 16-02-2017 03:31PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Nutshell didn't do it for me either ... though usually I'm a fan of McEwan

Yeah, I'm a fan of his too, but this (like The Childrens Act) just seems to be trying to be a bit too clever or something.

Fathom · 16-02-2017 11:52PM

15th Affair
by James Patterson

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-02-2017 12:05AM

2/3 of the way though The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. It's alright, feels a bit overly long in places. I'd say it would make a great film or mini series if you got someone to really tighten it up.

Wyldwood · 17-02-2017 02:16PM

Finished McGahern's Amongst Women. It's a superb portrayal of a time when Irish Catholic patriarchs ruled the home with an unbending control and the fear and awe in which the family held them. Thank goodness those days are gone.

On an aside note, I feel like my birthday & Christmas have all rolled into one here. Cork County library was selling off some of the old stock all this week at €1 per hardback and 50c per paperback. I've stockpiled so I may not be seen for a while!

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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