This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 03-02-2019 11:44am

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter by Hazel Gaynor

Dial Hard · 07-02-2019 2:55pm

miamee wrote: »

Currently reading Dracul (Dacre Stoker, J.D. Barker), supposed to be the prequel to Dracula. Enjoying it so far though I feel like it's a bit of a slow mover.

JD Barker must be doing the lion's share of the writing so, because the sequel Dacre wrote, Dracula, the Un-dead was complete and utter excrement!

I'm currently reading last year's Booker winner, Milkman. Can't exactly say it has me riveted.

miamee · 07-02-2019 3:05pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

JD Barker must be doing the lion's share of the writing so, because the sequel Dacre wrote, Dracula, the Un-dead was complete and utter excrement!

I'm currently reading last year's Booker winner, Milkman. Can't exactly say it has me riveted.

To be honest, the pace picked up in the last 20% of the book but it was pretty slow moving up to that. Wouldn't highly recommend it, I thuink I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. I've read very mixed reviews about Milkman so far but haven't read it yet myself.

Ceist_Beag · 07-02-2019 3:05pm

Where the Crawdads sing by Delia Owens. A story about a young girl in 1950s/60s America who grew up pretty much on her own from the age of 7, having been abandoned by her mother and siblings due to an abusive husband/father and then by her father. The story covers two timelines, one following the girl as she comes to terms with her abandonment and how she survives, the other dealing with a murder in the town. Really enjoyed it.

miamee · 07-02-2019 3:06pm

At the moment I am reading "Eggshells" by Caitriona Lally. It is somewhat reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for me (which I loved) though I think Eggshells was written first. I'm about three quarters of the way through and although it's mostly enjoyable, I fear that not very much is going to happen before the end.

Callan57 · 07-02-2019 3:54pm

Starting Tombland by C J Sansom ... looking forward to getting back to Tudor England in the company of Matthew Shardlake.
800+ pages so "I may be sometime"

Xofpod · 07-02-2019 4:33pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

JD Barker must be doing the lion's share of the writing so, because the sequel Dacre wrote, Dracula, the Un-dead was complete and utter excrement!

I'm currently reading last year's Booker winner, Milkman. Can't exactly say it has me riveted.

I'm enjoying Milkman so far (70 or so pages in) but the word meanderingdefinitely applies

Foweva Awone · 07-02-2019 6:05pm

Couldn't get into Milkman at all, don't think I got past the first few pages.

Joe_ Public · 07-02-2019 6:33pm

Thought Milkman was excellent, not the easiest of reads but not every book has to be Celia Ahern (every offence meant). It was funny, challenging and a worthy prize winner imo. Will be rereading some time this year.

Wyldwood · 07-02-2019 8:22pm

The Sun Does Shine, Anthony Ray Hinton's biography.

It's an amazing story about 29 year old Ray Hinton, a poor black guy in Alabama who was arrested for a murder he couldn't have committed but was convicted and sent to Death Row where he spent 3 decades trying to prove his innocence. It's a story that will have you swinging through all the emotions and seriously highlights the amount of corruption that exists in the US legal/judiciary system.

Highly recommend.

eire4 · 08-02-2019 5:30pm

Finished Game of Thrones Book 4 by George RR Martin A Feast for the Crows. Brilliant as I hoped it would be. I did not know thought till I finished that book 4 and most of book 5 are all essentially the same book he just had to split them as there was so much which is crazy as both books themselves are very long.

Arghus · 09-02-2019 1:46am

Finished Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler.

Really good, kinda terrifying in places.

miamee · 09-02-2019 9:30am

miamee wrote: »

At the moment I am reading "Eggshells" by Caitriona Lally. It is somewhat reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine for me (which I loved) though I think Eggshells was written first. I'm about three quarters of the way through and although it's mostly enjoyable, I fear that not very much is going to happen before the end.

Finished this last night. A lovely kind of read in one way, very sad in another. As predicted not much happened before the end (or at all really).

New Home · 09-02-2019 9:50am

I've been reading Roar by Cecelia Ahern. Not a fan at all, it got so irritating I put it aside, and I never do that.

Daisies · 09-02-2019 2:49pm

2/3 of the way through A Handmaid's Tale. Only started on Monday.
Next up is I'm No Longer Talking to White Peoble about Race

miamee · 11-02-2019 4:41pm

Started 'Skin Deep' by Liz Nugent over the weekend. Enjoying it but I think I read too much hype about it and was expecting too much

I'm about a third of the way through it.

Callan57 · 15-02-2019 1:37pm

Finished Tombland .. love the Matthew Shardlake series. The research & detail of the Tudor period is incredible.

Next is The Memory of Music by Olive Collins

neris · 20-02-2019 12:22pm

Just started Bean Counters by Richard Brooks. A book on the big 4 accounting firms which I hope is going to be boring like accountants. Had just finished a book called West of the West by Mark Arax. Good read about California and the parts we dont hear about

miamee · 20-02-2019 1:32pm

Currently reading The Shoemaker and his Daughter (Conor O'Clery) which I have high hopes for but which is a bit bulky for carrying around so I am also reading Plague Pits & River Bones on the kindle app (Karen Charlton).

Xofpod · 20-02-2019 2:05pm

Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut.

I read a few of his books a long time ago and thought I had read this. I hadn't; it's incredible; I might need to seriously check my memory as to what other stone cold classics I've only imagined reading.....

antietam1 · 20-02-2019 6:55pm

Was reading some Peter F Hamilton trilogy, going to read Conan Doyle for the defence.

Daisies · 20-02-2019 10:52pm

About half way through "Turning the tide on plastic" and it's making me lose hope for the planet.
Just about to start "The Power"

Callan57 · 24-02-2019 12:29am

When All Is Said by Anne Griffin ... I've heard so much about it, hope it lives up to the hype.

Busi_Girl08 · 25-02-2019 2:26pm

It took me nearly ten years (bought it in 2010 and abandoned it 60 pages in) but I am nearly finished Skippy Dies. Largely the story is good, but it's so unnecessarily rambling and padded, and feel if it were 200 pages shorter it would be much better.

otnomart · 25-02-2019 6:26pm

a gem !
Forever Words: The Unknown Poems by Johnny Cash

Callan57 · 01-03-2019 1:16am

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Xofpod · 01-03-2019 10:29am

The Axeman's Jazz, Ray Celestin

branie2 · 01-03-2019 12:45pm

To Kill the Truth, a thriller by Sam Bourne

neris · 01-03-2019 1:40pm

No real interest in American Football but reading a book 1st published in the late 80s called Friday Night Lights by H G Bissinger. About high school football and the players and people of a small town in west Texas where the author spent a year.

LionelNashe · 01-03-2019 8:47pm

Almost finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene on Audible - never heard of him before, somehow, but I'll probably try a couple more of his books.

batgoat · 01-03-2019 9:40pm

LionelNashe wrote: »

Almost finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene on Audible - never heard of him before, somehow, but I'll probably try a couple more of his books.

Our Man in Havana is great too, but very different. Everything by him is wonderful.

Ipso · 01-03-2019 10:00pm

LionelNashe wrote: »

Almost finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene on Audible - never heard of him before, somehow, but I'll probably try a couple more of his books.

I enjoyed The Quiet American and on the back of that started Brighton Rock, I couldn't finish it.
As mentioned Our Man in Havana is supposed to be great, thanks for reminding me on that one and I had always meant to read The Power and the Glory.

Lefty Bicek · 01-03-2019 10:02pm

LionelNashe wrote: »

Almost finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene on Audible - never heard of him before, somehow, but I'll probably try a couple more of his books.

Travels With My Aunt, I enjoyed.

Callan57 · 02-03-2019 11:17pm

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore ... read it years ago but just came across it on the shelf & decided it deserved another read.

Tell me how · 03-03-2019 12:38am

Just finished Milkman by Anna Burns.

Really had to struggle to finish it. It was given to me by someone who had given up after 100 pages. I found the structure of it very intense but I actually enjoyed it between about pages 50 and 300. It was like trying to listen to conversations on 3 radios playing all at once, each sentence had to be considered did it refer to the plot line, the societal environment of the locality or the main characters thoughts on her own existence. Turning each page to see another two pages with barely a break for dialog or paragraphs added to the sense that an awful lot was going on.

But, I found it meandered to an ending and I couldn't say I got anything from the part where her mother became the focus with her anxieties and worries. And she never challenged or explored the experience she observed with her maybe boyfriend or what it meant to their relationship retrospectively.

Oops69 · 03-03-2019 2:41pm

A farewell to Arms , Ernest Hemingway , Definitely over- rated in my opinion , having read 4 of his so far ,I'm reserving my personal judgement on Hemingway unit I've read For whom the Bell tolls and Death in the afternoon ..I did enjoy Fiesta .

Callan57 · 04-03-2019 6:18pm

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe ... came across it while doing a bit of tidying

eire4 · 05-03-2019 4:53pm

Finished John Connolly's The Wrath of Angels. Classic Connolly merging the supernatural into the story line alongside his main PI character Charlie Parker. Really enjoyed this one as I usually do with his books.

is_that_so · 05-03-2019 4:55pm

eire4 wrote: »

Finished John Connolly's The Wrath of Angels. Classic Connolly merging the supernatural into the story line alongside his main PI character Charlie Parker. Really enjoyed this one as I usually do with his books.

Cool. Just getting into this at present.

eire4 · 05-03-2019 5:10pm

is_that_so wrote: »

Cool. Just getting into this at present.

If you like John Connolly you will like this one for sure I would think.

is_that_so · 05-03-2019 5:15pm

eire4 wrote: »

If you like John Connolly you will like this one for sure I would think.

Actually my first of his books. Plot looked unusual. Let's see how it goes for me.

eire4 · 05-03-2019 5:18pm

is_that_so wrote: »

Actually my first of his books. Plot looked unusual. Let's see how it goes for me.

OK well then I would say expect a real mixing of the supernatural with the storyline and if you like it I would go back and read his first book Every Dead Thing and go through his books from there as there is a gradual building up of the main character Charlie Parker and those around him and a kind of back storyline that carries forward through the series.

Callan57 · 06-03-2019 1:39pm

Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

miamee · 07-03-2019 11:21am

Tombland - C.J. Sansom. Looking forward to reading it.

Vetch · 08-03-2019 2:54pm

Tell me how wrote: »

Just finished Milkman by Anna Burns.

Really had to struggle to finish it. It was given to me by someone who had given up after 100 pages. I found the structure of it very intense but I actually enjoyed it between about pages 50 and 300. It was like trying to listen to conversations on 3 radios playing all at once, each sentence had to be considered did it refer to the plot line, the societal environment of the locality or the main characters thoughts on her own existence. Turning each page to see another two pages with barely a break for dialog or paragraphs added to the sense that an awful lot was going on.
But, I found it meandered to an ending and I couldn't say I got anything from the part where her mother became the focus with her anxieties and worries. And she never challenged or explored the experience she observed with her maybe boyfriend or what it meant to their relationship retrospectively.

I have the audio book version of Milkman and what you're saying here comes through on it as well. It's very intense narration and difficult to listen to, and it's like there is no let up in it at any point.

blondeonblonde · 09-03-2019 10:34am

LionelNashe wrote: »

Almost finished Brighton Rock by Graham Greene on Audible - never heard of him before, somehow, but I'll probably try a couple more of his books.

I really enjoyed The Human Factor, one of his spy ones. Very good read. Tried twice to read The Heart of the Matter but couldn't get through it, v bleak. As others have said, the Quiet American is also good although I preferred the Human Factor.

Currently reading Lolita on the strength of a recommendation on here. It's like nothing I've ever read before. It's beautifully written but it's engrossing, repulsive & hilarious all in one breath.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 09-03-2019 1:01pm

Just finishing up 'Our Souls at Night' by Kent Haruf.
A lot simpler than some of his other books but he somehow manages to convey so much with quite sparse writing.

miamee · 11-03-2019 10:52am

miamee wrote: »

Tombland - C.J. Sansom. Looking forward to reading it.

Since this is such a tome and not suited to carrying to and from work, I am also reading The Wall by John Lanchester - interesting so far.

Callan57 · 13-03-2019 1:22am

A House in Norway by Vigdis Hjorth

Tell me how · 13-03-2019 10:21am

Anthony De Mello - Awareness

So far it is one of those books of someone telling you to pay close attention to what he is telling you to do, which is, to not pay close attention to what anyone tells you to do.

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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