This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

a0ifee · 24-03-2014 11:39PM

cookiecakes wrote: »

Next on the list are Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.

Please post after you've finished americanah, I just bought it a couple of weeks ago and I'm looking forward to reading it!

Wyldwood · 25-03-2014 05:03PM

I too would be interested in your opinion of Americanah. Nearly bought it but decided to hold off for some readers' reviews.

I've just finished Snow White Must Die by German author Nele Neuhaus. It's book four in a series featuring detectives Pia Kirchoff and Oliver von Bodenstein. It's the first to be translated into English.

Not a bad read, lots of twists and turns. The two main characters are well developed and have an interesting relationship. The subject of the book is a now thirty year old who has spent 10 years in prison for the murder of two girls in a small rural town. He is a naive individual and unprepared for life outside prison.

Hope the other books in the series get translated as worth a read.

On to Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry next.

Belle E. Flops · 25-03-2014 05:56PM

I finished the Lies of Locke Lamora last night, absolutely adored it. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a good while. I must order the rest of the trilogy.

In the meantime I'm going to read the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I'm only a few chapters in but I'm already enjoying it.

minnow · 25-03-2014 11:06PM

Finished A Confederacy of Dunces and really enjoyed it. Now reading a Stephen King for the first time in 20 yrs, Black House.

I still have The Goldfinch on the go in parallel. I love her writing, but the story is developing at a snail's pace. It's inferior to her other books in my opinion.

Swiper the fox · 26-03-2014 02:43PM

Browsing in a bookshop this morning I spotted a new book by Sebastian Barry, couldn't resist buying it straight away. I've loved all his recent books and A long long way is one of my favourite Irish books ever.
The new book is called A temporary gentleman. I'll have to finish I am Zlatan first but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it in a few days.
I believe Joseph O'Connor has a book coming out soon also, another one to look forward to.

Callan57 · 26-03-2014 03:33PM

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Browsing in a bookshop this morning I spotted a new book by Sebastian Barry, couldn't resist buying it straight away. I've loved all his recent books and A long long way is one of my favourite Irish books ever.
The new book is called A temporary gentleman. I'll have to finish I am Zlatan first but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it in a few days.
I believe Joseph O'Connor has a book coming out soon also, another one to look forward to.

Another Sebastian Barry fan here - love to hear what you think of the new one in due course

kirk buttercup · 26-03-2014 04:58PM

I have started Crooked Letter, Crocked Letter by Tom Franklin. As recommended by bridge street books wicklow ( they have never let me down on recommendations)

Callan57 · 27-03-2014 10:29PM

Today I finished The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates and a book of seven short stories, Summer Lies by Bernhard Schlink ... both superb and gripping reads.

Next is I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak (author of The Book Thief) looking forward to it

SarahBM · 27-03-2014 11:45PM

finished Dracula. Very good read, I really like the the letter/journal style of writing.

Next is My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier. I saw this play in the Gate year before last, and it was amazing, so I am really looking forward to reading the book.

Going to see An Ideal Husbund (by Oscar Wilde) next month. I love his plays. I read this a while ago, Im hoping seeing it on stage will let me enjoy it more. Wilde was an amazing writer.

Wyldwood · 28-03-2014 12:09AM

Finished Roll of Thunder. It was enjoyable enough but didn't stand out like How to Kill a Mockingbird.

Starting The Husband's Secret, need something light and frivolous now.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 28-03-2014 12:12AM

Am re-reading (kind of) Lorna Doone by RD Blackmore.

I was 100% sure I'd read this book when I was a kid. The other week my friend was talking about how she was struggling with it because it's soooooo long. I laughed in her face and told her she must be dumb because I read the whole thing when I was like 10 or something. I'll prove it, I said, I still have it in a box at home. I rooted it out and there on the cover, under the title, were the giant words "Children's Abridged Version". It's basically a very short child friendly version of the book. Needless to say I was a tad embarrassed and have now had to get the proper version and try to get through all 680 pages of it.

Anyway... it's okay so far, he does go off on some tangents in the first few chapters but it's getting into the meat of it now.

SarahBM · 30-03-2014 06:21PM

I'm 50 pages into My Cousin Rachel, really liking it so far.
Read Love and Friendship by Jane Auste. An 80 page laugh, the giggling ridiculous young ladies prone to fainting fits that Austen writes about. Just ridiculous. early drafts of characters like Lydia Bennet and Lady Catherine de Burgh!

cookiecakes · 30-03-2014 07:21PM

Finished We Need New Names and have had to pick up something lighter as a palette cleanser. I had wanted to start Americanah straight away but was so devastated by WNNN that I need to keep it light for a while. Am about halfway through Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler and then on to The Interestings and The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. Then hopefully back to Americanah!

Callan57 · 30-03-2014 10:53PM

Just starting The Absolutist by John Boyne

Antibac · 01-04-2014 04:07PM

Started Step on a crack by James Patterson. Enjoyable enough so far

Huzzah! · 01-04-2014 07:59PM

Just started the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I can't believe I haven't read this before. So far, so good.

Sleepie · 01-04-2014 08:24PM

Hi all book lovers,

I have just joined this thread. I love reading and everything about books.

Does anyone know of a bookclub in Kilkenny? Or is interested in starting/joining one?!

I have just finished the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is very good and has a certain innocence to it. I'm reading Barbara Kingsolver's Lacuna now. It's good, but it's no Poisonwood Bible which is one of my favourite books ever.

Sleepie

Aenaes · 01-04-2014 10:20PM

Sleepie wrote: »

Hi all book lovers,

I have just joined this thread. I love reading and everything about books.

Does anyone know of a bookclub in Kilkenny? Or is interested in starting/joining one?!

Best places for information about a book club are in the library or notices in a local newspaper.

Wyldwood · 01-04-2014 11:20PM

Sleepie wrote: »

I have just finished the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which is very good and has a certain innocence to it.

I really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society also, reminded me of 84 Charing Cross Road which is another sweet, innocent story told in letters.

MagicMarker · 01-04-2014 11:47PM

Started on Peter the Great: His Life and World, great stuff so far.

Dibble · 03-04-2014 12:51PM

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.

So far so horrorshow

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-04-2014 01:18PM

Lorna Doone is killing me. It's so dull. Has anyone read it? Does it get better or should I just give up?

Callan57 · 03-04-2014 02:42PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Lorna Doone is killing me. It's so dull. Has anyone read it? Does it get better or should I just give up?

Read it years ago & it wouldn't be one I be in a hurry to reread to be honest. So no, it doesn't really get any better.
Gird you loins & labour on - just think how fulfilled you'll feel when you finish it

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-04-2014 03:26PM

Callan57 wrote: »

Read it years ago & it wouldn't be one I be in a hurry to reread to be honest. So no, it doesn't really get any better.
Gird you loins & labour on - just think how fulfilled you'll feel when you finish it

I girded and laboured through Nicholas Nickleby and The Gold Finch and didn't feel one bit fulfilled after. I'll struggle on a bit more and see.

Tom Joad · 03-04-2014 03:43PM

Finished The Scarlet Letter - not the best or not the worst book I've ever read. Ploughing my way through LA Confidential at the minute and really enjoying it. Good story, interesting character's and well written.

Ipso · 04-04-2014 04:34AM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Finished The Scarlet Letter - not the best or not the worst book I've ever read. Ploughing my way through LA Confidential at the minute and really enjoying it. Good story, interesting character's and well written.

Did you read The Big Nowhere prior to LA Confidential? Also make sure you follow up with White Jazz, all three are great books.

Aenaes · 04-04-2014 10:59AM

I finished Surviving The Sword : Prisoners of the Japanese 1942-45 by Brian MacArthur.
Interesting accounts of how some camps were able to provide some protection for the men and keep the death toll down when officers would stand together, work for the better conditions for the men and stand up to the Japanese guards/wardens. While other camps with no leadership or too much military rigidity suffered far worse as there was no-one to stop the Japanese running riot (taking sick men on working parties, random beatings/punishments), to organise better conditions (hospitals, latrines) or to stop profiteering from flourishing.

On to My Ántonia by Willa Cather now.

Tom Joad · 04-04-2014 12:16PM

Ipso wrote: »

Did you read The Big Nowhere prior to LA Confidential? Also make sure you follow up with White Jazz, all three are great books.

Thanks for the tip. LA Confidential is my first introduction to Ellroy but as I like his style of writing will probably read a lot more of his stuff.

Ipso · 04-04-2014 10:10PM

Tom Joad wrote: »

Thanks for the tip. LA Confidential is my first introduction to Ellroy but as I like his style of writing will probably read a lot more of his stuff.

The Big Nowhere gives a bit of background to some of the LA Confidential stuff.
I also recommend The Black Dahlia and American Tabloid.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 05-04-2014 01:19AM

Lorna Doone has just been sitting there looking at me for 3 days now. I think I'm going to have to do the unthinkable and not finish it

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Comments