This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 20-11-2015 08:35PM

Starting The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell ... really looking forward to this one

Aenaes · 20-11-2015 09:25PM

I finished "A woman in Berlin".
It was a book I had always looked at in my pile and wanted to read. It seems wrong to say I was looking forward to it because of the subject matter.

I've always been interested in WW2 and as a memoir about being in the ruins of Berlin of May 1945 alone it was great.
Reading about the mass rapes and "hunting packs" of rapists in such a personalised account was sickening.
Edit:The reception the book got on it's first publication was despairing too. I felt so sorry for the author as it seemed to affect her more than the rapes considering she asked for the book to be only re-published after her death.

The thing that stood out for me most though was the black humour of the Berliners. Some guy fled to the West and so they said "He's American now" and nicknaming the guy who still believed in Final Victory, "Siegismund" really cracked me up.

Anyway, now I'm about halfway through "Nimitz Class" by Patrick Robinson even though I told myself I wasn't going to read it.
It's about the disappearance of a United States Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, so not exactly a small thing. I was going to read it just as far as the author describes the disappearance but now I'm kinda skimming and probably gonna finish it.

It was published in 1997 but is set in 2002. I'm getting fed up of the great American heroes in it though and how they can do no wrong.

minnow · 21-11-2015 06:44PM

Just finished Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn. Beautiful writing, but horrible characters. Won't read other follow on novels, happy to have it behind me.

Belle E. Flops · 22-11-2015 09:24PM

Finished The Half Blood Prince last night. I just love curling up in front of the fire with a HP book.

Moved onto 'Star of the Sea' by Joseph O'Connor this morning after seeing so many great reviews of it on here. I'm only about 2 chapters in but I am in love with his use of language. He writes so beautifully, I've actually gone back and reread certain sentences just because they are so well written.

Also this is book 35 of my 35 book Goodreads challenge. yay!

Fathom · 23-11-2015 06:24PM

Gray Mountain, by John Grisham

SarahBM · 23-11-2015 06:36PM

I am nearly finished My Husband's Sin. I have put the Player of Games to the side for the moment. I was thinking of reading something nice for xmas like Harry Potter or Artemis Fowel, just something not too serious because it's xmas. I cannot wait to start the other two books in the Silo trilogy, but I have a mental busy month ahead, so I may save them for that quiet period after xmas when I am broke and cannot afford to go outside the door.

Do other people read specific books round xmas?

Fathom · 23-11-2015 06:39PM

SarahBM wrote: »

Do other people read specific books round xmas?

No. University assigned. Or random.

SarahBM · 23-11-2015 06:42PM

Fathom wrote: »

No. University assigned. Or random.

It must be hard having to read what you are told to all the time. Or would you say it has surprised you, that you liked books you were assigned that you thought you would not like?
I found with book club I have read books I would have never picked myself and then ended up loving them!

Fathom · 23-11-2015 06:46PM

SarahBM wrote: »

I found with book club I have read books I would have never picked myself and then ended up loving them!

Happens too at University

Aenaes · 23-11-2015 07:17PM

I'm a couple of chapters in to Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and finding it funny so far.

Dibble · 24-11-2015 02:12PM

I'm currently reading The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

Absolutely loving it!

Hrududu · 24-11-2015 02:57PM

Just started All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Looks like a goodun' so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 24-11-2015 03:07PM

I've been re-reading Under The Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna.

Had it read to me as a child and then read it myself when I was a bit older. It's very much a young kids book so I'm flying through it (which helps with my Goodreads target

). Still a good read though.

SarahBM · 25-11-2015 04:13PM

Last night I finished My Husband's Sin. very good, I enjoyed it and decent for a debut novel!
I started After the Crash. 40 pages in, but I'm intrigued so far.

Wyldwood · 25-11-2015 08:48PM

Read We Were the Mulvaneys by Oates and while the story is very well told I found a lot of the descriptive passage way too long and overly detailed. Could have been cut by a third easily. However, worth a read.

Followed that with Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture which has been on my to-read list for ages. This was a great read on the whole, although very depressing subject matter. A quite good social history of the repression of women in the early 20th century in Ireland and the priest driven attitude of small communities. Unfortunately, an extremely contrived ending ruined the book for me.

Now on to Tartt's Secret History.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 25-11-2015 08:52PM

Wyldwood wrote: »

Read We Were the Mulvaneys by Oates and while the story is very well told I found a lot of the descriptive passage way too long and overly detailed. Could have been cut by a third easily. However, worth a read.

Followed that with Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture which has been on my to-read list for ages. This was a great read on the whole, although very depressing subject matter. A quite good social history of the repression of women in the early 20th century in Ireland and the priest driven attitude of small communities. Unfortunately, an extremely contrived ending ruined the book for me.

Now on to Tartt's Secret History.

I agree. Could have done without that "twist".

Ice Storm · 25-11-2015 09:21PM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I agree. Could have done without that "twist".

I remember The Secret Scripture winning an award and even the judges admitted that they had chosen it despite the terrible ending!

echo beach · 25-11-2015 11:40PM

I'd say the ending to A Secret Scripture let the book down but it didn't ruin it, at least not for me. I'd still rank it as a 'must read'.

Wyldwood · 26-11-2015 03:23PM

echo beach wrote: »

I'd say the ending to A Secret Scripture let the book down but it didn't ruin it, at least not for me. I'd still rank it as a 'must read'.

Mea culpa! I guess I exaggerated when I said it ruined the book, maybe spoiled might be a better word. I agree it's definitely worth reading.

ivytwine · 26-11-2015 09:40PM

I actually didn't mind the ending of the Secret Scripture at all. Which makes me into a minority of one

Finished Elizabeth is Missing last night and it's a great book. Very sad, and Healey is a very skilled writer.

I need to find something cheerful now but my to-read shelf is full of gloom!

minnow · 26-11-2015 09:53PM

100 pages into The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and really enjoying it.

SarahBM · 26-11-2015 11:35PM

ivytwine wrote: »

I actually didn't mind the ending of the Secret Scripture at all. Which makes me into a minority of one

Finished Elizabeth is Missing last night and it's a great book. Very sad, and Healey is a very skilled writer.

I need to find something cheerful now but my to-read shelf is full of gloom!

read a YA book or Roald Dahl. Always cheers me up. Sometimes you need something lovely after reading a heavy or tough book. After the Count of Monte Cristo I read Matilda.

Have you read the 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared? Its lovely!

heathledgerlove · 27-11-2015 12:13AM

Wyldwood wrote: »

Read We Were the Mulvaneys by Oates and while the story is very well told I found a lot of the descriptive passage way too long and overly detailed. Could have been cut by a third easily. However, worth a read.

Followed that with Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture which has been on my to-read list for ages. This was a great read on the whole, although very depressing subject matter. A quite good social history of the repression of women in the early 20th century in Ireland and the priest driven attitude of small communities. Unfortunately, an extremely contrived ending ruined the book for me.

Now on to Tartt's Secret History.

I didn't like the Secret Scripture either, made Sligo look like such a kip!!

*crickets*

It's not THAT bad!

But really I thought it was more Irish misery-lit. Can't imagine the movie will be a bundle

heathledgerlove · 27-11-2015 12:14AM

SarahBM wrote: »

read a YA book or Roald Dahl. Always cheers me up. Sometimes you need something lovely after reading a heavy or tough book. After the Count of Monte Cristo I read Matilda.

Have you read the 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared? Its lovely!

Someone has been recommending that to me for ages, might check it out so if it's lovely!

echo beach · 27-11-2015 12:28AM

SarahBM wrote: »

Have you read the 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared? Its lovely!

I would second that recommendation. It does require you to suspend disbelief but I'll be very surprised if you don't enjoy it.

ahlookit · 27-11-2015 12:56PM

heathledgerlove wrote: »

I didn't like the Secret Scripture either, made Sligo look like such a kip!!

*crickets*

It's not THAT bad!

But really I thought it was more Irish misery-lit. Can't imagine the movie will be a bundle

Haha, its not that bad. I'm originally from about 20 miles away from there. First came across Sebastian Barry's books in Keohanes lovely shop in Sligo. The old guy who owned it recommended his stuff to me (he always had some great recommendations any time you went in). He said Sebastian Barrys father was from Sligo I think? He's certainly set lots of his books in the area, so he seems to have a good connection to the place.

kirk buttercup · 27-11-2015 01:03PM

echo beach wrote:

I would second that recommendation. It does require you to suspend disbelief but I'll be very surprised if you don't enjoy it.

It was recommended to me by my local bookshop ,they are usually brilliant with recommendations but I didnt like . it could be just me but I thought it kind of ripped off forest gump

IvyTheTerrible · 27-11-2015 01:13PM

ahlookit wrote: »

Haha, its not that bad. I'm originally from about 20 miles away from there. First came across Sebastian Barry's books in Keohanes lovely shop in Sligo. The old guy who owned it recommended his stuff to me (he always had some great recommendations any time you went in). He said Sebastian Barrys father was from Sligo I think? He's certainly set lots of his books in the area, so he seems to have a good connection to the place.

Not sure how much he visited Sligo, some of the details about Strandhill were a bit "off" (like there is one part of the story where the main character is on the strand and she can see the cairn on Knockanarea, it's impossible to see the cairn from there).

ahlookit · 27-11-2015 01:44PM

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

Not sure how much he visited Sligo, some of the details about Strandhill were a bit "off" (like there is one part of the story where the main character is on the strand and she can see the cairn on Knockanarea, it's impossible to see the cairn from there).

Maybe it was a *very* clear day

Actually, a quick bit of research shows it was his mother who was from Sligo...
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/11/sebastian-barry-booker-prize

From the article

The story of The Secret Scripture came, as so often with Barry, via his mother, who once pointed out to him a ruined hut in her home town of Sligo and told him that his great-uncle's first wife had lived there before being put in a lunatic asylum by the family. She knew nothing about the woman except that she was beautiful and in some way "no good". She thought the two things were related.

IvyTheTerrible · 27-11-2015 01:50PM

ahlookit wrote: »

Maybe it was a *very* clear day

Actually, a quick bit of research shows it was his mother who was from Sligo...
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/11/sebastian-barry-booker-prize

From the article

She played Eunice Phelan in Fair City, fact fans!

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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