This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

sadie06 · 02-03-2017 01:10PM

The Sellout by Paul Beatty

GLaDOS · 02-03-2017 01:15PM

Fathom wrote: »

Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman

Prenderb wrote: »

Please let us know how you get on!

I too would appreciate feedback afterwards

eire4 · 02-03-2017 06:27PM

marienbad wrote: »

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 .

Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree then. I think the work of Tim pat Coogan and George Morrsion in this book was excellent. Well worth a read and viewing.

marienbad · 02-03-2017 06:32PM

eire4 wrote: »

Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree then. I think the work of Tim pat Coogan and George Morrsion in this book was excellent. Well worth a read and viewing.

He just has no credibility among reputable historians so why would I read him . If a writer ( I hesitate to call him a historian ) doesn't have that I see no point in reading him or her .

Birneybau · 02-03-2017 06:41PM

Finished 'Salem's Lot' last night, enjoyable enough.

Now reading Donal Ryan's 'All We Shall Know', like it, bit grim though.

eire4 · 02-03-2017 06:57PM

marienbad wrote: »

He just has no credibility among reputable historians so why would I read him . If a writer ( I hesitate to call him a historian ) doesn't have that I see no point in reading him or her .

Like I said we will have to agree to disagree. Your dislike of Tim Pat Coogan is obvious and your opinion not a statement of fact. There is no question that he writes from a nationalist perspective so I guess if your a revisionist then your not going to like Coogan for sure.

Jimmy Iovine · 02-03-2017 07:43PM

marienbad wrote:

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

I bought this for my dad years ago. Picked it up when I was at home. Will get to it over the next few weeks.

marienbad · 02-03-2017 07:56PM

eire4 wrote: »

Like I said we will have to agree to disagree. Your dislike of Tim Pat Coogan is obvious and your opinion not a statement of fact. There is no question that he writes from a nationalist perspective so I guess if your a revisionist then your not going to like Coogan for sure.

It really has nothing to do with revisionism or nationalism , he wrote some interesting stuff in the early days but at this stage he is little more that a caricature and his self referential regard is laughable . Have you read any reviews of his last few books .

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/1916-the-mornings-after-review-tim-pat-coogan-s-arrogant-travesty-of-irish-history-1.2438119

Thomas__ · 03-03-2017 10:00AM

marienbad wrote: »

eire4 wrote: »

Well I guess we will have to agree to disagree then. I think the work of Tim pat Coogan and George Morrsion in this book was excellent. Well worth a read and viewing.

He just has no credibility among reputable historians so why would I read him . If a writer ( I hesitate to call him a historian ) doesn't have that I see no point in reading him or her .

I´ve read some books by Coogan myself and I don´t share your opinion on him. His works are, in regards of the subjects he writes about, interesting, just that I don´t find his writing style that convenient to my taste of reading. For that reason I prefer the books written by T. Ryle Dwyer, but I as for historians and their books, I never picked any booky by Ferriter to buy and read cos I regard his works as too thick in volume and from the extracts I have read, it rather comes across like a hard reading. Books which are written in a too much of an academic style are not my preference except when there is no other work that covers and tells about the subject of my interest.

Aside from Irish authors, best reading (for my taste) is always that of Winston S. Churchill, the books he has written himself. But alas, he wasn´t a historian by profession himself, but also a journalist, which is just one part of the many skills he had. In some cases, journalists are better story tellers than academic historians, it always depends on the author himself.

marienbad · 03-03-2017 08:25PM

Today I finished Selected Essays by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill - just a brilliant book .

eire4 · 04-03-2017 06:28AM

marienbad wrote: »

It really has nothing to do with revisionism or nationalism , he wrote some interesting stuff in the early days but at this stage he is little more that a caricature and his self referential regard is laughable . Have you read any reviews of his last few books .

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/1916-the-mornings-after-review-tim-pat-coogan-s-arrogant-travesty-of-irish-history-1.2438119

Again your opinion not fact. In any case I simply made a post about the book the Irish Civil War for which Coogan wrote an overview section to start the book and explanations on each page for George Morrison's photographs. I think it was a very interesting account of that momentous time. You however chose to jump in on a simple few line post and bash the author Coogan in general not this book you never having read and looked at this book which is in fact mostly an account of the Irish civil war in pictures. My original post was in no way shape or form anything other then a few lines indicating what book I had just finished reading and that I liked it and thought it was well done. I enjoy reading and following this thread as there is a tremendous range of books mentioned on here and what peoples opinions are on the various books good bad or indifferent they having read the book.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 04-03-2017 10:35AM

OKAY. TIME TO MOVE ON FROM THIS PARTICULAR CONVERSATION. BACK ON TOPIC PLEASE.

Birneybau · 06-03-2017 01:44PM

Still reading 'All We Shall Know' by Donal Ryan but also reading 'Carrie' by Stephen King on the side, an excellent book.

ahlookit · 07-03-2017 06:13PM

Finished Living On The Volcano by Michael Calvin. Excellent book, would highly recommend to any football fans. Will definitely be looking up Calvins other football books later. For now though it's Denis Lehane's Live By Night

Callan57 · 08-03-2017 11:21PM

Finished Idaho ... just loved it

Now it The Dirty Dust: Cré na Cille by Mairtin O'Cadhain translated by Alan Titley

Belle E. Flops · 09-03-2017 09:38AM

I finished Murder at the Vicarage. It wasn't the most gripping story I've ever read but it was an enjoyable read.
I've started 'Nocturnes' by Kazuo Ishiguro and I'm also back reading the Philosophers Stone. I reread the HP books every couple of years. They take me back to my youth.

autumnbelle · 09-03-2017 01:11PM

Finished small, great things- Jodi Picocoult- not majorly impressed with it. Started Sharp objects Gillian Flynn about 150pages into it, Im hoping the ending isnt as predictable as I think it is going to be

Fathom · 10-03-2017 01:40AM

A Clash of Kings
by George R. R. Martin

GLaDOS · 10-03-2017 11:02AM

I finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami last night, absolutely loved it.

Any recommendations for which books of his to read next? I've read 1Q84 as well.

Joe_ Public · 10-03-2017 11:10AM

GLaDOS wrote: »

I finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami last night, absolutely loved it.

Any recommendations for which books of his to read next? I've read 1Q84 as well.

Of those I've read, Kafka on the Shore would probably be the next obvious title on the list. It is of comparable quality.

I've actually gone back to the beginning and am reading Murukami from the start. Just finished his 2 debut novels, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973. Not fantastic but you can see the imagination at work that lead to the subsequent great novels.

marienbad · 10-03-2017 02:48PM

-Stepping Stones -Interviews with Seamus Heaney by Dennis O'Driscoll.
going through the poetry books in chronological order .

- The Vanquished - Why the First World War Failed To End ,1917-1923 . about the chaos at the end of WW1 that is not really understood enough written by Robert Gerwarth Professor of Modern History in UCD ( I bought the hardback as it is nice to support our own )

-The Decline and Fall of the British Empire 1781-1997 by Piers Brandon a fascinating ramble through its subject that is much more objective that I expected and all written with a wry humour .

- Selected Poems by Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill , translated by Michael Hartnett.
One of my favourite poets translated (mostly) by one of my favourite poets

Merkin · 10-03-2017 09:18PM

The Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami is fab.

Reading Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton currently.

Fathom · 11-03-2017 10:30PM

A Storm of Swords, Part 1
by George R. R. Martin

Callan57 · 13-03-2017 09:26PM

North Face of Soho by Clive James

Callan57 · 16-03-2017 11:59PM

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 17-03-2017 12:34AM

I am on the 3rd book in Elena Ferrante's Neopolitan series and am finding it incredibly hard going. My Mum is on the 4th book and says it picks up again so I'll stick with it but it's very boring compared to the first 2.

Fathom · 17-03-2017 10:39PM

Homo Deus
by Yuval Harari

Kurtosis · 17-03-2017 10:42PM

Reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma. Knew it was in my to-be-read pile for a while, checked when I bought it from Amazon...2012!

echo beach · 18-03-2017 12:37AM

Kurtosis wrote: »

Reading Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma. Knew it was in my to-be-read pile for a while, checked when I bought it from Amazon...2012!

Every bit as relevant today as it was then.

Swiper the fox · 18-03-2017 09:18AM

I'm reading a fantastic book called Shoeless Joe which is the novel that Field of Dreams is based on. Absolutely wonderful story beautifully written, it'd help to have an interest in baseball as analogies with the game litter the book. An interesting feature is that JD Salinger is one of the main characters.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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