This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 25-09-2013 10:20AM

emeraldstar wrote: »

I found Far From The Madding Crowd to be a bit of a drag. Although I've not got around to reading it yet, I'm sure Nicholas Nickleby will be a great deal better. Dickens is one of my absolute favourites!

I vaguely remember seeing bits of the Julie Christie film of FFTMC years ago and finding it very depressing, but then I was quite small when I saw it so I probably didn't really understand it.

I love Dickens too. I find him so easy to read compared to other writers of the same period.

Gonzovision · 25-09-2013 06:43PM

Just starting Dr. Sleep, can't wait to get stuck into it.

Redhenrun · 25-09-2013 06:51PM

I`m enjoying "Parnell: The Uncrowned King of Ireland" by Katherine O`Shea. Yep, she`s the famous Kitty O`Shea, who became involved with CS Parnell having separated from her husband Capt O`Shea.

The book is beautifully written, apart from being a fascinating story and also marking a major turning point in Irish history.

FloatingVoter · 25-09-2013 08:49PM

"Berlin Diary 1934-1941" by William Shirer. 0.99 on the Amazon Kindle deal of day thingy. Addictive even though I know how it ends.

Tom Joad · 25-09-2013 09:53PM

Callan57 wrote: »

It just always seems so repetitive to me

Yeah I can understand where you are coming from on that with the different sally's. I found that a bit tough at the start - its like driving from Cork to Dublin but turning back at Fermoy the first few times and starting over again.

There is an abridged version available that cuts out some of the stories that are not directly relevant to Quixote or Sancho Panza which might be easier to get through.

Ronomono · 25-09-2013 10:00PM

I'm re-reading the Dark Tower series by Stephen King,
I'm on The Gunslinger at the moment.

Neil McCauleys Cooler Brother · 25-09-2013 10:53PM

"Bring Up the Bodies", Hilary Mantel.

Callan57 · 25-09-2013 11:08PM

Neil McCauleys Cooler Brother wrote: »

"Bring Up the Bodies", Hilary Mantel.

Brilliant book IMO

Spanish Eyes · 26-09-2013 01:33AM

Just finished Tess of the D'Urbervilles, again after many years. It is such a great read IMO.

Wouldn't you want to shout at Tess and rail against her plight?

But hindsight is foresight, it was written in an age.

I thought the baptismal scene was so poignant. And all the rest of it too. Including the harrowing work picking turnips. Funny what remains in your head after reading.

As for Angel Clare...well once is enough for Tess thanks.

salacious crumb · 26-09-2013 09:02AM

Saw a trailer for Filth last night, so decided to re-read Irvine Welsh's Filth before the movie comes out...

Aenaes · 26-09-2013 11:56AM

Aenaes wrote: »

Now on to Jospeh Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Done with this. Short but good. Interesting story particularly when you take into account when it was written. The edition I read had notes to signify passages, phrases etc. that I wouldn't have realised myself, so that was handy.

I'm going to start Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy next since it was mentioned/recommended here a few times.

Saorenza · 26-09-2013 02:56PM

I finally finished Michelle Paver's Dark Matter. I read the first nearly 200 pages, then put it then, before finishing the last 50. I felt it lagged a bit but that was probable due to me putting it down. Lovely descriptions of the Arctic and a creepy ghost story.

I started and finished Standing in Another Man's Grave by Rankin. I love the Rebus novels.

I had the flu and found it hard to concentrate but I read Shimura Trouble by Sujata Massey, light but enjoyable detective story (I have read several others in this series). I also read The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones. I had already read the standalone sequel.

Now I am reading Longbourn by Jo Baker- the story of Pride and Prejudice from the servant's perspective - and Pompeii by Mary Beard. The Pompeii book is excellent - engaging and scholarly at the same time:)

Callan57 · 26-09-2013 11:38PM

Finished Cry, The Beloved Country - absolutely brilliant.

Almost finished Winter of the World

Next for me is Under a Blood Red Sky by Kate Furnivall

ulinbac · 26-09-2013 11:52PM

Just finished Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galraith aka J.K. Rowling.

I love crime and having never read her Harry Potter stuff I thought this to be very good and well worth the read.

Pretty annoyed she was runbled on thus as Strike is a brilliant character!

Honey-ec · 27-09-2013 09:48AM

Started Raymond Feist Magician yesterday. Haven't read any fantasy in a good while.

Swiper the fox · 27-09-2013 01:33PM

In keeping with my current sports book craze I've just started reading "Land of Second Chances: The Impossible Rise of Rwanda's Cycling Team". It's written by Tim Lewis who is the former editor and feature writer for The Observer Sports monthly, the best Sports magazine ever produced on this side of the Atlantic. Only read the first few pages last night after finishing Ledley King's(I'm a Spurs Fan) terribly boring autobiography but I've got a really good feeling about it.

stratowide · 27-09-2013 01:42PM

Just finished under the dome by Stephen King.As with most King book's I've read it just peter's out at the end.An enjoyable read all the same.I'm sure there was a message in there somewhere though.

Started filth by Irvine Welsh yesterday.Trainspotting was the only book I've read that has made me laugh out loud.Thought it was brilliant.
This has started well too.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 01-10-2013 01:42PM

Struggling a bit with Nicholas Nickleby at the mo. I'm only about 200 pages in (it's over 800) so maybe it'll get better. It's not that it's bad exactly, it's just nothing's really happening. It's just a series of events so far, a bit like.. this happened, and then this happened, and then this. I know it's full title is The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby so maybe that's all it is?

emeraldstar · 01-10-2013 02:32PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Struggling a bit with Nicholas Nickleby at the mo. I'm only about 200 pages in (it's over 800) so maybe it'll get better. It's not that it's bad exactly, it's just nothing's really happening. It's just a series of events so far, a bit like.. this happened, and then this happened, and then this. I know it's full title is The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby so maybe that's all it is?

That made me laugh. Not sure what you were expecting

Currently reading Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis.

Tom Joad · 01-10-2013 02:47PM

Half way through Bleak House at the minute and really struggling to find a reason to keep reading it! Am I missing something as loads of people recommended it to me

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 01-10-2013 03:56PM

emeraldstar wrote: »

That made me laugh. Not sure what you were expecting

Well take Great Expectations for example. You could argue it's the life and times of Pip Pirrup but it's quite an interesting life and you get caught up in it. Nickleby just seems to be his literal life story with all the unnecessary bits included.

Decuc500 · 01-10-2013 04:15PM

I just read The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. Very powerful story about the effect of war on a soldier, in this case the American invasion of Iraq. A bit bleak and hard to read at times but the writing was poetic. Cormac McCarthyesque I might say.

Callan57 · 01-10-2013 06:26PM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Half way through Bleak House at the minute and really struggling to find a reason to keep reading it! Am I missing something as loads of people recommended it to me

That's a tough one all right.
Why is everyone here reading such depressing books at the moment?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 01-10-2013 06:34PM

Callan57 wrote: »

That's a tough one all right.
Why is everyone here reading such depressing books at the moment?

Is it the weather?

Aenaes · 01-10-2013 06:46PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Why is everyone here reading such depressing books at the moment?

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I'm nearly finished Blood Meridian. It's going alright, not really fond of the way it's written and the lack of quotation marks are annoying.

emeraldstar · 01-10-2013 07:03PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Well take Great Expectations for example. You could argue it's the life and times of Pip Pirrup but it's quite an interesting life and you get caught up in it. Nickleby just seems to be his literal life story with all the unnecessary bits included.

That's how I felt about David Copperfield. Overly long and often rather dull at times.

emeraldstar · 01-10-2013 07:05PM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Half way through Bleak House at the minute and really struggling to find a reason to keep reading it! Am I missing something as loads of people recommended it to me

Oh no, really? I love that book!

I can highly recommend the recent BBC miniseries though...

SarahBM · 01-10-2013 07:10PM

I have never read Dickins and I dont really want to, to be honest. and the posts above are not changing my mind

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 01-10-2013 07:25PM

SarahBM wrote: »

I have never read Dickins and I dont really want to, to be honest. and the posts above are not changing my mind

Great Expectations is pretty amazing, in my opinion. Not that depressing really.... maybe.

SarahBM · 01-10-2013 07:33PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Great Expectations is pretty amazing, in my opinion. Not that depressing really.... maybe.

Ya, you see Im not a big fan of depressing stuff. I hated A Thousand Spendid Suns for Example. But I loved 1984, :rolleyes:

Im apprehensive about starting Misery. I dont think I will like Stephen King.

I am liking the Count of Monte Cristo but my gawd its taking me ages. and I am starting my masters so I will have even less time to read

Damn life getting in the way of my reading.

Sidebar - I heard John Connolly on the radio with Matt Cooper last wk. I really liked him plus I was impressed that he says he reads a book a wk! But he something along the lines that there is no point wasting time reading a bad book. How many of ye would give up on a book if you were not enjoying it?
I feel obliged to finish a book even if I dont like it. Dont know why.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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