This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

14-01-2021 8:47pm

I'm still reading Infinite Jest. I didn't start it thinking I wanted to tackle one of the great unreadables, I started because it seems to cross my path every so often and I am interested.

I saw advice many times advising that after about 20% you will really begin to love it. I often get stressed with a long book thinking I'll be forever reading it and I don't have too much time to dedicate these days, but I decided that with this book I'd just enjoy the ride, who cares if I'm reading it for months.

Ann when I read the first 50 pages or so, I thought that would be quite an easy approach. It read like a number of brilliantly written short stories, ones that you knew would have a link but you didn't know it yet. And I could get on-board with that as I like short stories, and I liked the writing.

Then it started getting technical... Impressively so given the amount of "stuff" DFW seems to know on a range of subjects. But it can make for hard reading. I felt like giving up at times but then you get hit with another on those amazing short story type chapters and you think it's worth it all!

Another thing that is very impressive is what a writer he is. The book is over 1000 pages and beautifully written throughout. Who has the time to craft that many words? I don't think you can, I think it is inherent and intuitive, effortless in his case.

So I'm about a quarter way through, and I am enjoying it in a weird way, but I am also beginning to think of, and maybe regret, all of the other books I could have read with this time and effort. Many advise just doing ten pages a day and reading something else simultaneously. I think if I started something else then I wouldn't come back.

I'll keep reading it till the weekend and see how I feel. I've been saying that for a fortnight.

cee_jay · 14-01-2021 9:44pm

I started The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett this morning.

Xofpod · 15-01-2021 1:06pm

eire4 wrote: »

I know exactly what you mean. The boys are without doubt best in the original full format so to speak.

There's a good book by Harry Thompson, Tintin:Hergé and his creation - well worth a read for a bit of background.

eire4 · 15-01-2021 6:28pm

Xofpod wrote: »

There's a good book by Harry Thompson, Tintin:Hergé and his creation - well worth a read for a bit of background.

Thanks i will have to check it out sounds interesting. A few years ago while I was on holiday in Belgium I took a day trip to the small college town of Louvain where the Tintin museum is located. Well worth a trip if your ever able to manage it.

The White Feather · 16-01-2021 12:33am

Just wanted to say I loved all the Tintins too and read them all last year and reviewed them here on boards in my reading log. Great fun.

Saw this too, a The Blue Lotus print by Herge sold for 3.2 Million the other day!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55667043

Wyldwood · 23-01-2021 12:50pm

Finished Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. It's a highly enjoyable read. Twin girls born in a fictional Louisiana town where the population is "cream". The twins take polar opposite paths through life. Highly recommended.

cee_jay · 23-01-2021 2:16pm

Wyldwood wrote: »

Finished Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. It's a highly enjoyable read. Twin girls born in a fictional Louisiana town where the population is "cream". The twins take polar opposite paths through life. Highly recommended.

I finished this 2 days ago - I thought it was an excellent book. I found it so compelling, and it was written beautifully.

This morning, I started the first book in the Dark Iceland series by Ragnar Jonasson - Snowblind.

cee_jay · 25-01-2021 6:01pm

Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - First book in the Dark Iceland series, and we are introduced to Ari Thor. Through him, we feel the cold, darkness, isolation and claustrophobia of northern Iceland. Twisty mystery book - just how I like them! 4/5

I have since started Disaster Inc. by Caimh McDonnell - the 1st book in his McGarry Stateside trilogy. This trilogy follows on from the Dublin Trilogy, first book in that being A Man With One of Those Faces, which was a funny, hilarious read that I found perfect for pandemic reading.

Xofpod · 25-01-2021 7:10pm

Just started Byzantium Endures, Michael Moorcock, the first of his Colonel Pyat series

Busi_Girl08 · 25-01-2021 8:06pm

I'm 3 chapters into Mexican Gothic, really enjoying it so far.

25-01-2021 8:54pm

Re-reading Dune. Looking forward to the film this year.

Sinister Kid · 25-01-2021 10:15pm

Busi_Girl08 wrote: »

I'm 3 chapters into Mexican Gothic, really enjoying it so far.

This is on my TBR pile!

I'm about a third of the way through Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

Also about a third through Invisible Girl by Lisa jewell on audio.

Enjoying both so far.

New Home · 26-01-2021 12:24am

A Saucerful of Secrets by Jane Yardley

Daisies · 26-01-2021 10:52am

Wyldwood wrote: »

Finished Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. It's a highly enjoyable read. Twin girls born in a fictional Louisiana town where the population is "cream". The twins take polar opposite paths through life. Highly recommended.

Finished it at the weekend and really enjoyed it.

Currently reading Everyday Sexism but Laura Bates and After the Silence by Louise O Neill

miamee · 26-01-2021 12:35pm

I'm almost finished The Botanist's Daughter at the moment and really enjoying it.

Wyldwood · 26-01-2021 12:43pm

cee_jay wrote: »

Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - First book in the Dark Iceland series, and we are introduced to Ari Thor. Through him, we feel the cold, darkness, isolation and claustrophobia of northern Iceland. Twisty mystery book - just how I like them! 4/5

Loved those books, very atmospheric. Having been to Iceland I could visualise the setting.

I've just finished Shari Lapena's Someone We Know. Very good read, recommended for those that like a bit of 'who-dun-it'.

eire4 · 26-01-2021 9:32pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Re-reading Dune. Looking forward to the film this year.

Looking forward to the film as well. Excellent book really enjoyed it.

nightie · 28-01-2021 7:44am

Finished The Man Who Didn’t Call by Rosie Walsh in the wee small hours. Loved it

eire4 · 28-01-2021 6:41pm

Finished Broken which is book 6 in Kelley Armstrong's otherworld series. Focused on the original werewolf characters introduced in the first 2 books and an enjoyable read.

NIMAN · 28-01-2021 6:42pm

Hoping to restart Rendezvous with Rama tonight.

Its a book I started a few years back, and never got finished for various reasons.

Hopefully this time round.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 28-01-2021 7:53pm

About 2/3 of the way through Where The Crawdads Sing, and it's okay, but I'm not loving it. Started well, and has picked up a bit again but I got quite bored in the middle.

Busi_Girl08 · 28-01-2021 8:26pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

About 2/3 of the way through Where The Crawdads Sing, and it's okay, but I'm not loving it. Started well, and has picked up a bit again but I got quite bored in the middle.

I remember it dragging a bit in the middle too, it definitely gets better towards the end

ClydeTallyBump · 30-01-2021 2:45pm

The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith.

I really like the Vine Witch trilogy. Easy to read and interesting.

cee_jay · 30-01-2021 3:54pm

I finished Disaster Inc. by Caimh McDonnell last night, and it didn't disappoint. It is the first book of the McGarry Stateside trilogy, which picks up from the Dublin Murder trilogy (in 4 parts).
All of the books I have read so far have been hilariously funny - the dialogue is written in such a natural way, and the humour just jumps off the page. I highly recommend having a look at The Man With One of Those Faces if you are looking for something light hearted to read.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 30-01-2021 4:47pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

About 2/3 of the way through Where The Crawdads Sing, and it's okay, but I'm not loving it. Started well, and has picked up a bit again but I got quite bored in the middle.

Finished it this morning. I liked it overall but I stand by what I said above. Drags a bit in the middle, and didn't quite live up to the hype, but I still enjoyed it and I'm really looking forward to the film/tv adaptation they're doing.

Wyldwood · 03-02-2021 8:25pm

Half way through Lucy Foley's The Guest List but struggling. It's hyped as a great crime novel but it's more a chick-lit. A bunch of self-absorbed 30 somethings gathering on a dangerous island for a celebrity wedding. Can't recommended.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-02-2021 9:06pm

I finished Rebecca Wait's The Folowers in a day. Really great story about a single mum who ends up joining a small, kind of cult-ish, religious enclave on the Yorkshire moors with her 12 year old daughter. Their arrival stirs a few feathers and the whole group starts to unravel. It's really gripping and tense without being overly graphic or a particularly difficult read.

I read Wait's first book, The View on the Way Down, a few years ago and loved that too.

otnomart · 04-02-2021 10:00am

Wyldwood wrote: »

Half way through Lucy Foley's The Guest List but struggling. It's hyped as a great crime novel but it's more a chick-lit. A bunch of self-absorbed 30 somethings gathering on a dangerous island for a celebrity wedding. Can't recommended.

Thanks for that, saved me some money then !

Similar is M.B. Shaw; I have red her Murder at the Castle and was disappointed !

cee_jay · 04-02-2021 10:57am

Wyldwood wrote: »

Half way through Lucy Foley's The Guest List but struggling. It's hyped as a great crime novel but it's more a chick-lit. A bunch of self-absorbed 30 somethings gathering on a dangerous island for a celebrity wedding. Can't recommended.

I wasn't a fan of her first book - The Hunting Party - and my book club rated that as 5/10, with a lot of us saying we wouldn't be inclined to read any more of her books. I don't understand the hype.

I am reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and really enjoying it so far!

miamee · 04-02-2021 11:00am

cee_jay wrote: »

I wasn't a fan of her first book - The Hunting Party - and my book club rated that as 5/10, with a lot of us saying we wouldn't be inclined to read any more of her books. I don't understand the hype.

I am reading Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and really enjoying it so far!

I remember reading the back of both b ook sin Easons one day while browsing...they are practically the same story in a different location judging by the summary on the books. I haven't read either though, they didn't really appeal to me.
On a more positive note, I finished The Botanist's Daughter recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've been findng it hard to read anything less than light hearted since last year (quelle surprise) and found it just the right mixture of modern, historical and engaging.

cee_jay · 04-02-2021 11:05am

I signed up for Kindle Unlimited a few months back on some cheap deal - which ran out at the start of this month, and I was hit with the subscription of £7.99. Once I have finished Hamnet, I plan on getting as much value out of the subscription before cancelling it again!
First up, I will finish the McGarry Stateside trilogy by Caimh McDonnell. Any other recommendations?

miamee · 04-02-2021 11:08am

If you haven't read them, I enjoy Jane Casey's Detective Maeve Kerrigan series. I think there are 9 books in total so not sure if you'll get through them all in a month but you could try!

cee_jay · 04-02-2021 11:11am

Thanks - actually I have read the first one of those before, and enjoyed it, so thanks for the recommendation! Perfect choice.

eire4 · 04-02-2021 9:32pm

Finished The Boy From The Woods by Harlan Coben. A stand alone thriller that does not involve the authors usual characters and I thought a good thriller with quite a few twists.

nightie · 04-02-2021 10:26pm

Don’t know why it took me so long to start The Country Girls (Edna O’Brien). Loved it.

Busi_Girl08 · 04-02-2021 11:23pm

Onto my first non fiction in a while. After enjoying The Midnight Library I started Notes on a Nervous Planet.

It's sort of a collection of mini essays, nearly like a blog all about the author's experiences with anxiety. Finding it very easy to read and am enjoying it so far.

Sinister Kid · 06-02-2021 3:22pm

Currently reading The woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.

Daisies · 06-02-2021 8:16pm

Reading Untamed and not sure where it got it's hype from.

miamee · 08-02-2021 11:02am

Reading Pine by Francine Toon. Not sure what to think of it yet, about 30% in.

otnomart · 08-02-2021 11:45am

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Currently reading The woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.

Have read it a few months ago.
Quite fitting during a lockdown !

cee_jay · 09-02-2021 5:01pm

Finished Hamnet - while it was written beautifully, I found it quite tough to read - the subject matter and being set during a pandemic really didn't enamor me to the book.

So after that, I needed something funny so started The Quiet Man by Caimh McDonnell.

Wyldwood · 09-02-2021 7:41pm

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard, a chilling story told in two strands. The first is by a serial rapist/killer and the second by the sole survivor of his killing spree. Brilliantly executed story but boy, it's enough to keep you awake at night listening for strange sounds.
Recommended for those who like a good crime/psychological thriller.

bobbyss · 14-02-2021 1:37pm

Bleak House. Has anyone read it? Has anyone been tempted to skim over chunks and get to the dialogue? Long descriptions of dysfunctional families getting in the way of advancing the story.

The White Feather · 14-02-2021 6:52pm

bobbyss wrote: »

Bleak House. Has anyone read it? Has anyone been tempted to skim over chunks and get to the dialogue? Long descriptions of dysfunctional families getting in the way of advancing the story.

Yes I have read it before. I found it very hard going and wouldn't want to read it again!

Sinister Kid · 14-02-2021 11:38pm

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Currently reading The woman in the Window by A.J. Finn.

I was a bit underwhelmed by this one... I probably ruined it for myself by figuring out the two major plots lines very early into the book.

Just started book 13 of J.D Robb's In Death series - Seduction In Death.

I read books 1 to 12 pretty much back to back about a year & a half ago, then decided to take a break & read something different before I got totally sucked in...
There is currently 53 books in the series so only 40 to go!!

cee_jay · 14-02-2021 11:43pm

I'm starting The Cows by Dawn O'Porter this evening.

Slightly Kwackers · 16-02-2021 10:50am

I liked Zoo station, it was a good novel. I did start another of his books but I assume they are best read in sequence?

Am i wrong, or is there a suggested path through the works?

SK

eire4 · 16-02-2021 7:18pm

Finished book 7 of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series No Humans Involved and enjoyed it. A good supernatural thriller type fun read

bobbyss · 17-02-2021 1:32pm

The White Feather wrote:

Yes I have read it before. I found it very hard going and wouldn't want to read it again!

The problem is there are so many characters you don't know who knows who or who knows what. Its impossible to keep juggling all that info.

Daisies · 17-02-2021 3:20pm

Started Blood River today. Also have a free pre publication book I got from being an Amazon Prime member Black Boy Out of Time

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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