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What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,285 ✭✭✭✭Collie D


    “The Psychopath Test” by Jon Ronson

    Only a couple of chapters in but I like the premise and reckon it will be interesting. I think I’ve read one of his other books (friend is a big fan and apparently she gave me both?) - Them: Adventures with Extremists - but I genuinely can’t remember one bit of it.

    Just finished “The Mountain Shadow” by Gregory David Roberts after months. Awful ****e. And I loved his first one “ Shantaram”.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,789 ✭✭✭KH25


    Taking the opportunity to read Macbeth and enjoying it so far. I’ve always wanted to read it but just never got around to it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    I've read so many in the last few weeks that I couldn't possibly cover them all here.

    At the moment I'm reading the sequel to Under the Hawthorn Tree, 'Wildflower Girl'.. When I read Under the Hawthorn Tree (I came to it late) the reviews of its sequel's here wasn't great so I avoided them. But this morning I downloaded Wildflower Girl, and have almost finished it and loving it.

    But probably the stand out book for me during the lockdown has been 'The Forgotten Highlander', a story of a young Scottish lad conscripted into the Gordan Highlanders at the beginning of WWII.

    Sent to the far East he was on a cushy number until falling prisoner to the Japanese, then the horror story begins.. His story of imprisonment, hardships, torture, starvation and survival for the next 3 years was like something I've never read before.

    After capture he survived working on the infamous bridge on the river Kwai, he was being shipped to another work camp when his ship was torpedo'd by an American sub.. He survived this and floated on a raft for a week before being rescued by a Japanese fishing trawler and taken to Japan where he was again imprisoned in a POW camp.. Then he survived the bombing of Hiroshima and eventually he was freed by American troops.

    An incredible story and highly recommended.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,270 ✭✭✭Barna77


    Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi. Picked it randomly in a charity shop.

    You'd think a book with so many geographical references would include a map or two... Nope.


  • Registered Users Posts: 439 ✭✭paddythere


    With all this time on my hands I've finally decided to get stuck into the enormous "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William Shirer.. Excellent so far, wonderfully written.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Barna77 wrote: »
    Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi. Picked it randomly in a charity shop.

    You'd think a book with so many geographical references would include a map or two... Nope.
    It's out of copyright. You could make a version with handy maps.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭Foweva Awone


    "Station Eleven" by Emily St John Mandel.

    It's about survivors of a global flu pandemic (apt, eh?) ... it's something different, it's disturbing and beautiful and really well written. Worth a read!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,654 ✭✭✭ablelocks


    Stasi Child - David Young

    first in a series of tormented detective in cold war east berlin gets sucked into investigations with distinct political overtones. the series was reduced on kindle books a couple of weeks ago so bought them all.

    edit : actually still £0.98 or free on kindle unlimited, which is on a 30 day rather than 7 day trial


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,307 ✭✭✭✭Tauriel


    The Templar Salvation by Raymond Khoury.

    This is the follow up novel to The Last Templar and was very enjoyable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 555 ✭✭✭JeffreyEpspeen


    Been a while since I read a book. I love George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane books. The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy is probably the best book I ever read. Strangely enough it's the only Ellroy book I've read. I started LA Confidential, and it was good, but I got interrupted, forgot where I left off, and I hate starting over.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 33 Jackoflynn


    This is happiness
    By Niall Williams.
    Beautifully written, gorgeous words. Old school Irish tale of ordinary lives. Funny and heart - warming.
    Touching and unique.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,686 ✭✭✭Danger781


    Finished
    Sam Harris - Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion
    Disappointed overall in this book. Left a 3 star review on Goodreads. I'm a fan of Harris. I've listened to every single episode where he appeared on the JRE podcast and become absolutely engrossed hearing him speak. I bought this book immediately after, and suffice it to say, it probably wasn't the best introduction to Harris' books. I do intend of delving into some of his other materials despite my feelings toward this one as I'm confident the others won't disappoint.

    Currently Reading:
    Cibola Burn (The Expanse, #4) - James S.A. Corey
    Enjoying this one so far. Was not a fan of #3 in the series. This seems like an improvement but time will tell as the book progresses (I've about 25% read).


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,266 ✭✭✭✭bodhrandude


    Just read the two books about Afghanistan called The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini which were amazing and traumatic at the same time, especially the passages about the Taliban. Just now I've started another book by author Christy Lefteri called The Beekeeper of Aleppo that is as equally good based on refugees fleeing Syria and settling in the UK, also about Isis and Assad destroying that beautiful city, definitely an Eastern journey I'm in at the moment.

    If you want to get into it, you got to get out of it. (Hawkwind 1982)



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,995 ✭✭✭Ipso


    Been a while since I read a book. I love George Pelecanos and Dennis Lehane books. The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy is probably the best book I ever read. Strangely enough it's the only Ellroy book I've read. I started LA Confidential, and it was good, but I got interrupted, forgot where I left off, and I hate starting over.

    LA Confidential is better. A beast of a book. If you like his stuff you should try American Tabloid.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,431 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    Just finished ‘King Goshawk and the Birds’ by Eimar O’Duffy. A very funny, satirical, book.

    If you’re one of those who can’t handle any “criticism”, or jokes, of all things Irish steer clear. An excellent read.

    Going to start ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman next, on the recommendation of an esteemed “contributor“ to this very thread, no less. The fact it’s not set during World War 2, in a concentration camp or some godawful drivel set in “Roman times“ already stands to it.

    The tide is turning…



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    Going to start ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman next, on the recommendation of an esteemed “contributor“ to this very thread, no less. The fact it’s not set during World War 2, in a concentration camp or some godawful drivel set in “Roman times“ already stands to it.
    It's a good read, though I liked Anansi Boys better.


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,307 ✭✭✭✭Tauriel


    Survival in Auschwitz: If This Is A Man by Primo Levi.

    Again another text recommended by the Auschwitz Memorial. It wasn't great to be honest, so far out of the recommended readings, I've only enjoyed Night by Elie Wiesel.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    Reading 'Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans Von Luck

    A fantastic read. Col Von Luck fought in just about every theater of war in Europe and north Africa, then fought the invading allied forces on D.Day.. Commanded German forces at Pegasus Bridge and many years after WWII while lecturing college students on WWII he met his opposite number, the commander of British forces fighting him at the bridge, they immediately struck up a friendship which was to last to their dying days.

    The both describe each other as best friends.

    It some bloody read.

    A thank you now.. A few months back I was undecided on getting a Kindle and a few gave me good advice, I got one and have loved it since. But right now its been a God send, during CV-19 I'm devouring books on it, thank you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,322 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    Re-reading one of my favourite books:
    The Boys of Everest by Clint Willis.

    All true Tales of climbing & feats of madness and daring over the past century - amazingly written and now with the internet you can google the places they talk about and see them and look them up on youtube documentaries - great way to kill a covid 19 week or two and a really un-put-downable read that keeps you clenched on the edge of the couch.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,883 ✭✭✭megaten


    Started The Encahted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. Only on chapter three but it seems fun.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Re-reading one of my favourite books:
    The Boys of Everest by Clint Willis.

    All true Tales of climbing & feats of madness and daring over the past century - amazingly written and now with the internet you can google the places they talk about and see them and look them up on youtube documentaries - great way to kill a covid 19 week or two and a really un-put-downable read that keeps you clenched on the edge of the couch.

    Nice one. Love the Everest books. Into the Silence and Into Thin Air two other excellent sources on the subject.


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,693 ✭✭✭Lisha


    Just finished Normal people by Sally Rooney, saw loads of praise in twitter. It just made me sad to be honest. Too many self destructive people. But I’m very sad today so many I’m
    Judging it wrong/harshly.


  • Registered Users Posts: 30,307 ✭✭✭✭Tauriel


    I finished The Devil's Elixir by Raymond Khoury, which was book three in the Sean Reilly series.

    I didn't particularly enjoy this offering due to it a). being fiction written in the first person and b). it wasn't a great story and didn't really have that historical aspect that the first two novels had.

    I'm not looking forward to the fourth book as that is also written in the first person.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,023 ✭✭✭✭Joe_ Public


    Lisha wrote: »
    Just finished Normal people by Sally Rooney, saw loads of praise in twitter. It just made me sad to be honest. Too many self destructive people. But I’m very sad today so many I’m
    Judging it wrong/harshly.

    Incredible unfathomable hype. Just dont get it at all with this novel.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,743 ✭✭✭appledrop


    gutenberg wrote: »
    Getting through Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel in anticipation of the new one. Read Wolf Hall last week. I'd forgotten how good they are, and I recall liking Bring Up the Bodies even more than Wolf Hall when I read it first, so let's see if it stands up to that...

    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.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 161 ✭✭LeYouth


    Dune Messiah.

    It's book 2 in the Dune series by Frank Herbert

    What is it about? It's got to do with worms.

    Would I recommend it. Absolutely!


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    LeYouth wrote: »
    Dune Messiah.

    It's book 2 in the Dune series by Frank Herbert

    What is it about? It's got to do with worms.

    Would I recommend it. Absolutely!
    I think I actually like it slightly better than Dune. Where Dune is a hero's journey, Dune Messiah is a tragedy. There's more meat to it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭The Tetrarch


    Baffert, Dirt Road to the Derby (1999)
    Bob Baffert is an American horse trainer.

    Kentucky Derby 1996
    Coming to the three-eights pole, I see that he is moving well. and we're all starting to get excited. Turning for home, I say to myself, "He's gonna hit the board." Now I'm really getting excited. He's gonna run third or fourth. This is great. Then, Unbridled's Song begins to drift out to the middle of the track, and Cavonnier starts moving - fourth, third, second. All of a sudden, he takes the lead at the eight pole. I was not prepared mentally for that. You think you are, but when it really happens, you realize you're not. Again I'm going, "Oh my God! I can't believe this." And we just explode in the box. My whole life is now flashing before my eyes. I'm pleading with God to give it to me. I'm promising to go to church every day. You just can't describe the feeling. It's like an out of body experience.
    I look back to see what's happening, and there's one horse coming at us. I check where the wire is. I'm thinking, "Come on, get there already." When I look back, I see that it's the Overbrook colors, so I know it's a good one. He's coming and coming, and I can tell that Chris doesn't see him. But he never stops riding Cavonnier, When they hit the wire together, I was at a bad angle, and Grindstone was so far out in the middle of the track.
    [Grindstone beat Cavonnier a nose].


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭1huge1


    1:Title of Book
    American Dirt

    2:Author
    Jeanine Cummins

    3:whats its about
    Journey of two Mexican migrants (A mother and Son) as they travel across Mexico to try and illegally enter the United States after their whole family was murdered by the cartel in their home city.

    4:Would ya recommend it.
    Just onto the second last chapter, I would absolutely recommend it, the characters are gripping.

    The only reason I heard about this book in the first place was due to the controversy it caused after it was released.
    Essentially, because the author had never experienced what she was writing about, nor was she from a Latin American background, made her a target from the twitter mob. Absolutely ridiculous in my opinion, which made me want to support the writer and read the book all the more. I'm glad that I did.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 5,743 ✭✭✭appledrop


    1huge1 wrote: »
    1:Title of Book
    American Dirt

    2:Author
    Jeanine Cummins

    3:whats its about
    Journey of two Mexican migrants (A mother and Son) as they travel across Mexico to try and illegally enter the United States after their whole family was murdered by the cartel in their home city.

    4:Would ya recommend it.
    Just onto the second last chapter, I would absolutely recommend it, the characters are gripping.

    The only reason I heard about this book in the first place was due to the controversy it caused after it was released.
    Essentially, because the author had never experienced what she was writing about, nor was she from a Latin American background, made her a target from the twitter mob. Absolutely ridiculous in my opinion, which made me want to support the writer and read the book all the more. I'm glad that I did.

    This is one of the best books I have read this year. Outstandingly well written. Who cares what naysayers say.


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