What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

A generation of Irish school children know Marita Conlon McKenna as teachers read to them Under the Hawthorn Tree. Such a well known book even though its quite short

She has a new book called The Hungry Road. Set in Famine times in Skibbereen.

I have the audiobook and the narrator doing the reading is pure Cork ha. I am halfway through and its very well written.

Finished that ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman, a decent fantasy yarn. Or do you people call it “magical realism”?

Been alternating between Mari Akasaka’s ‘Vibrator’ and a beautiful collection of Arabic Poetry by Ghazi Algosaibi called ‘Dusting the Colour from Roses’ since.

Will start into ‘Mockingbird’ by Walter Tevis soon.

Started reading The Big Bang Burger Bar, an unofficial sequel to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It’s surprisingly good so far.

mikhail wrote: »

It has 1 rating on goodreads, and appears to be some kind of copyright law honeypot. Do you personally know the person who wrote it?

On second thought, don't answer that. Anonymity is probably his or her best defence against a lawsuit from Adams' widow.

I’m aware of that. No, I don’t personally know the person who wrote it, I found it through a recommendation on reddit.

It’s free to download- basically fan-fiction. But I think the author does a much better job of capturing Douglas Adams’ voice than Eoin Colfer managed in his version.

There are some issues (poor formatting, and a lack of editing) and it does feel fan service-y at times.

I just finished 'This is Going to Hurt' by Adam Kay after being told it was brilliant and a must read.

I absolutely hated it. I just can't understand how people consider it to be hilarious. I found him to be extremely unlikable, and his humour very forced.

I'm in the minority though as there are thousands of 5 star reviews on Amazon.

appledrop wrote: »

Just finished the new book by Hilary 'The Mirror & The Light'.

I have to say I'm disappointed compared to other two books. Very good at times but at other times I felt it was just repeating same old council meetings etc over + over again.

Anyway, let me know what you think when you get around to it.

I finished it last week. I also don't think it is as accomplished as either Wolf Hall or Bring Up the Bodies: the middle sections rather dragged, while I wanted the end parts to be much longer, unfolding the plots and the ultimate denouement. Having said that, I still think it's one of the best books I've read in a long while and will likely win prizes etc. It's just that in comparison to the other (superlative) two, it pales a little. Some of that may also be the nature of the story: it's easier I suspect to write a convincing, interesting, suspenseful account of someone's improbable rise to power, including how they protect themselves, versus where someone is at the height of their powers for the great majority of the book and so conspiracies etc. seem less threatening. Hence why I felt more was needed to cover the last, say, six months or so, to really explore the nature of power and how it can unravel.

Bring Up the Bodies was/is my favourite and has remained so now that I've read the full trilogy.

The notebook by Nicholas Sparks re reading it again

Just finished Between Breaths by Elizabeth Vargas. Well-written memoir about anxiety, addiction, relapse and recovery. I enjoyed it.

Graveyard clay, its about corpses in the graveyard in Mayo talking to each other

Immortal Starlight wrote: »

Just started the 3rd book in a trilogy from Justin Cronin. It’s called The City Of Mirrors.

I loved that trilogy, amazing.