This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 18-02-2017 11:59PM

Finished On, Off by Colleen McCullough ... a real gripping read.

Now it's on to The Glass Room by Kate Holmquist

Spanish Eyes · 19-02-2017 12:15AM

A man called OVE. Fredrik Backman.

Reminded me so much of my late and great Dad. He was a legend despite his faults.

I enjoyed it anyway.

cbreeze · 19-02-2017 12:19AM

Wyldwood wrote: »

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!

Hmm - Fingal Libraries leave them out for you to take away!

Kurtosis · 19-02-2017 09:45PM

I finished reading Haruki Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running earlier on. It's a short book covering his musings and reflections on running, and touches on some other topics including triathlons, writing and music. I enjoy Murakami's inimitable style of writing but didn't find this particularly enthralling.

Gonzovision · 19-02-2017 09:49PM

Still ploughing through 'Napoleon' by Andrew Roberts, a really good read. Picked up a few books on Wellington and Nelson on my holidays, which I should get to in about two years...

telpis · 21-02-2017 09:54PM

The Secret Garden

Callan57 · 22-02-2017 10:38PM

Finished The Glass Room .... predictable story line and stereotypical characters.

Now it's The Wrong King of Blood by Declan Hughes

Fathom · 23-02-2017 06:09PM

The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins

Belle E. Flops · 24-02-2017 11:25AM

I joined the library yesterday for the first time since I was a child. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed wandering around browsing through books.
I picked up Agathe Christie 'Murder at the Vicarage' which is the first Ms Marple I think. I'm only in a few chapters but I'm finding very enjoyable.

ahlookit · 24-02-2017 11:40AM

Finished Nutshell by Ian McEwan. Not one of his best by any means.

Starting Living On The Volcano by Michael Calvin. He talks to a selection of managers about their lives managing in the English leagues. It was nominated for the William Hill sports book of the year in 2015.

eire4 · 24-02-2017 08:32PM

Finished Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine a brilliant analysis of the Milton Friedman inspired disaster capitalism which has caused so much misery around the world.

bobbyss · 25-02-2017 09:06PM

Our Mutual Friend ,Charles Dickens.
If only Dickens would cut out unnecessary, rambling narratives.

Joe_ Public · 25-02-2017 10:33PM

bobbyss wrote: »

Our Mutual Friend ,Charles Dickens.
If only Dickens would cut out unnecessary, rambling narratives.

Because Dickens stories were mostly originally published either weekly or monthly, he had a space to fill, they were the soap operas of his day. When you are getting paid by the word, every single one counts!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 25-02-2017 10:51PM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Because Dickens stories were mostly originally published either weekly or monthly, he had a space to fill, they were the soap operas of his day. When you are getting paid by the word, every single one counts!

I'd compare them to American network TV shows where there's 22 episodes per series but they've only got enough story for 15. You end up with filler episodes where nothing at all happens to move the main story on.

Someone should do condensed versions of his stories.

bobbyss · 26-02-2017 01:43PM

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Because Dickens stories were mostly originally published either weekly or monthly, he had a space to fill, they were the soap operas of his day. When you are getting paid by the word, every single one counts!

Yeah I am aware of the serial element to his work but it is such a pity. He is a great writer. The first half is endless, apparently going nowhere and it is only on the almost half way point when things become interesting and all the pieces are beginning to fall into place. The trouble is that you forget who is who at this stage.

Callan57 · 26-02-2017 04:30PM

A Horse Walks Into a Bar by David Grossman (translated from Hebrew by Jessica Cohen)

eire4 · 27-02-2017 06:20PM

Finished The Irish Civil War by Tim Pat Coogan and George Morrison. An excellent account of the tragedy that was the Irish civil war done via the pictures of George Morrison with commentary on the pictures and and overview at the start by Tim Pat Coogan

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 27-02-2017 06:33PM

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'm nearly finished the second book in this series now. It's a very strange book in that the main characters, one of which is narrating the whole thing, are both kind of annoying. One comes across as a bit of a cow, to put it mildly, and the other comes across as a simpering idiot who has no mind of her own and yet.... I can't stop reading.

marienbad · 27-02-2017 07:35PM

eire4 wrote: »

Finished The Irish Civil War by Tim Pat Coogan and George Morrison. An excellent account of the tragedy that was the Irish civil war done via the pictures of George Morrison with commentary on the pictures and and overview at the start by Tim Pat Coogan

I have to say I just can't give any credibility to anything associated with TPC.

autumnbelle · 01-03-2017 12:29PM

Finished the stand Stephen King- definitely recommend, but very long. On to Before the Storm, Diane Chamberlin. Great to be getting back into reading again

optogirl · 01-03-2017 12:38PM

Currently reading The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout - really great so far (about halfway through)

Recently finished

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - historical novel - a real page turner & beautiful writing

The Things We Have in Common by Tasha Kavanagh - a slow burner but worth reading - enjoyed it but left me a little unsettled!

Wyldwood · 01-03-2017 02:20PM

Meridian by Alice Walker. I loved The Colour Purple but Meridian is a very different book. The story is based around the civil rights struggle in Southern US. The writing style is very confusing, jumping back and forth in time and from one character to another. It's very hard to get involved with any of the characters and they are each quite unlikeable. Readable but not an easy read.

marienbad · 01-03-2017 02:30PM

Hanns and Rudolf - the German Jew and the Hunt for the Kommandant of Auschwitz by Thomas Harding

The intertwined stories of Hanns Alexander and Rodolf Hoess from birth until death .

Absolutely extraordinary stuff .

Black Swan - by Nassim Nicholas Taleb , not really doing anything for me yet , the notion that the unexpected is the norm is not really that original .

Thomas__ · 01-03-2017 02:46PM

Essays by George Orwell.

eire4 · 01-03-2017 07:10PM

marienbad wrote: »

I have to say I just can't give any credibility to anything associated with TPC.

Have you actually read the above book? If not you should try it. The collection of pictures alone make it well worthwhile.

marienbad · 01-03-2017 08:04PM

eire4 wrote: »

Have you actually read the above book? If not you should try it. The collection of pictures alone make it well worthwhile.

I don't think he has any credibility as a historian so there really is no point in reading it . I will have a look at the pictures next time I am in town .

Fathom · 01-03-2017 08:52PM

Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman

Callan57 · 01-03-2017 10:01PM

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich

Prenderb · 02-03-2017 09:36AM

Fathom wrote: »

Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman

Please let us know how you get on!

I'm reading The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Good so far.

Xofpod · 02-03-2017 10:25AM

KLF: Chaos, Magic, and the band who burned a million pounds - John Higgs.
An excellent read, full of ideas, and much more coherent than I thought it would be.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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