This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Paddy Samurai · 26-06-2011 10:52pm

While not McCammons usual type of book I am about 300 pages into it , and enjoying it more than I thought I would.

Speaks the Nightbird is the finest novel this author has yet produced, and considering his other works, such as Boy's Life, Gone South, and the epic Swan Song, that's saying something. The novel concerns the coming age of a Magistrate's squire in a struggling colonial town, and a witchcraft trial which will forever change his life. The book richly evocates it's setting, and it's obvious McCammon has done a great deal of research into his subject matter. Although not an out and out horror novel, this has it's fair share of grisly moments, but bottom line it's an intensely involving and absorbing read with (unusually in this reader's experience) a richly rewarding climax. Not only that: but the book, despite being a fantastic stand alone work, manages to offer the tantalising prospect of a sequel. Robert McCammon is simply one of the finest authors working today. Read this, you will love it.

ValJester · 27-06-2011 9:26pm

Started The Fall by Albert Camus.Don't think it's as great as The Outsider or The Plague,but still fairly good.

flyaway. · 27-06-2011 9:44pm

The Rapture by Liz Jensen

bnt · 28-06-2011 8:27pm

tim_holsters wrote: »

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks.

Not bad but not as good as the first two. I think I'll take a little break from the Culture.

What a coincidence - I've been reading this too, and finished it half an hour ago. The "twist" at the end wasn't quite as effective as it could have been, I thought. I've read the first three Culture novels in the last month, and also fancy a break.

So the character we've known as Cheradenine, all through the book, was actually an imposter - but that means that we never got to learn much about the original Cheradenine. He was the "good guy" in a couple of flashbacks, and that's about it.

Conversely: the imposter (Elethiomel) is, we learn at the end, a genuine sociopath who murdered his cousin and made her bones in to a chair - but in the remainder of the book he doesn't show much sign of that. If anything, he's riven by guilt, no longer the sociopath he was before. The most violent scene in the book (by far) involved the drone (Skaffen-Amtiskaw) and its "knife missiles".

tim_holsters · 28-06-2011 11:19pm

The Junior Officers' Reading Club by Patrick Hennessey.

Soldiering in the British army at home and abroad, pretty good but not as good as I was led to believe.

AnnyHallsal · 29-06-2011 11:01am

Euripides Alcestis/Hippolytus/Iphigenia in Taurus.

Love a good Greek

Cottontail · 29-06-2011 3:28pm

Confessions of an ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire. An interesting twist on Cinderella!

emeraldstar · 29-06-2011 5:29pm

^^^ Yeah, it's one of his better ones.

Asphyxia · 30-06-2011 1:57am

I picked up Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult so I'm excited to start reading it

She is one of my favorite authors.

smokedeels · 30-06-2011 1:02pm

Synopsis: Hopeless individuals playing the part of cogs.

My favourite piece of prose from the book so far: "....watching the hard brilliance of the stars, enjoying the incredible hazy swarm of a star cluster, like a giant conglomeration of fire-flies caught in mid-motion and stilled forever"

Callan57 · 30-06-2011 3:06pm

The Postmistress by Sarah Blake

ThunderApple · 30-06-2011 9:30pm

Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome. It's the second time I read it and it's still funny and exciting.

flyaway. · 01-07-2011 2:03pm

One Day by David Nicholls

Callan57 · 03-07-2011 6:27pm

The Blindfold by Siri Hustvedt

tim_holsters · 04-07-2011 9:40pm

A Week At The Airport: A Heathrow Diary by Alain de Botton.

I'm a sucker for de Botton's philosophical musings.

Callan57 · 04-07-2011 10:08pm

'Started Early, Took My Dog' ... Kate Atkinson

Travel is good · 06-07-2011 1:30pm

I normally try to finish one book before I start another, but somehow I've now got 3 on the go:

Ghostwritten by David Mitchell

Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

Nemesis by Jo Nesbro

Caros · 06-07-2011 1:48pm

Have two on the go at the moment

The hare with amber eyes by Edmond de waal

and Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.

evercloserunion · 06-07-2011 4:36pm

This week I picked back up Les Miserables. I've been at it for ages now, but that's mainly due to reading about half of it and then not picking it up for months (final year college exams). I was considering starting again or even reading from a few chapters back but the general plotline up to the point I'm at is surprisingly fresh in my mind now that I have read the next few pages. It's a really great book, but I have no idea where the story is going from here (which I guess is part of the quality).

x_Ellie_x · 07-07-2011 12:29am

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

Bevvie · 07-07-2011 12:34am

Lately I've started reading Thud! by Terry Pratchett.
It's an excellent read and I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't start his books sooner.
So funny yet true in places and a bit sad too.

AnnyHallsal · 07-07-2011 3:26pm

Keith Richards, Life.

Fun. Though how he can remember all that's beyond me, when a clean-living gal like me can't remember last week :pac:

Kiva.D · 08-07-2011 3:51am

I've been perusing a book of poetry: One Landscape Still by Patrick MacDonagh.
The 1958 edition; poems reprinted from The Dublin Magazine.
It's so expressive - I love poetry.

smilerxxx · 08-07-2011 4:31am

Reading the cobra by Frederick forsyth and planning on hitting the Joe nesbo collection next. Must order them asap on TBD.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 08-07-2011 12:16pm

Who Really Runs Ireland, Matt Cooper.

Enlightening, here's hoping Tony O'reilly never gets his paws on boards

AnnyHallsal · 08-07-2011 7:52pm

Orwell, Homage to Catalonia

Callan57 · 08-07-2011 9:16pm

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

Kiva.D · 09-07-2011 4:18am

Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream

emeraldstar · 10-07-2011 2:13pm

I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. Incredibly, it's one I've never got around to reading so I decided that needed to be remedied

Kiva.D · 10-07-2011 4:35pm

emeraldstar wrote: »

I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. Incredibly, it's one I've never got around to reading so I decided that needed to be remedied

Cool! ...I've never read Love Story - I might check it out.

AnnyHallsal · 11-07-2011 1:40pm

Beckett, Complete Dramatic Works

Monkeybonkers · 12-07-2011 7:05pm

Postcards by E. Annie Proulx.

Found this book while visiting my granny during the week and borrowed it.
Here's some of the blurb:

'The richness of America is portrayed with memorable effect in this remarkable first novel - Faulkner springs to mind. Postcards is written from the heart and - for its raspy dialogue, laconic humour and beautiful description of the natural world - deserves to be widely read.'

'.......not since Steinbeck has the migrant worker's life been so evocatively rendered.'

'Loyal Blood is one of those rare, haunted characters who continue to live in the mind after you finish the book.'

I'm only about 50 pages or so into it but already I'm reminded of 'Of Mice and Men'. It has the same kind of feel to it, hence the reference to Steinbeck in the blurb I suppose. Anybody here read it? I already have the feeling that its going to be very enjoyable.

TanG411 · 12-07-2011 7:19pm

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis.

Asphyxia · 13-07-2011 2:57pm

I picked up a few books in the library and started The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd. On chapter 6 and nearly half way through, really like it.

AnnyHallsal · 13-07-2011 2:58pm

War and Peace. This could take a while :pac: Liking it though.

Callan57 · 13-07-2011 10:29pm

AnnyHallsal wrote: »

War and Peace. This could take a while :pac: Liking it though.

It's my current MP3 book for when I go walking .... years since I read it & I think I remember a TV version years ago & a lot of girls named Natasha or Sonya around that time.

14-07-2011 1:47pm

Oryx & Crake.

Excellent so far

Callan57 · 14-07-2011 7:09pm

Starting The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

RayM · 15-07-2011 12:25am

Jon Ronson, The Psychopath Test. Very enjoyable.

Asphyxia · 15-07-2011 4:21pm

AnnyHallsal wrote: »

War and Peace. This could take a while :pac: Liking it though.

Well done for taking up the challenge

I read that book and very glad I did.

I started reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel lastnight, it started off extremely dull but after the first 50 pages it's starting to get interesting and easier to read. I'm going to keep at it and see how it goes

Kiva.D · 15-07-2011 9:41pm

I picked up Dante's Divine Comedy on my lunch break today. It was on someone's reading list and sounded interesting. It looks rather daunting.

x_Ellie_x · 16-07-2011 2:42am

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

flyaway. · 16-07-2011 11:46am

Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

Asphyxia · 18-07-2011 12:06pm

I started Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert I've heard so much about so I said what the hell

So far it's alright.

emeraldstar · 18-07-2011 3:55pm

^^^ Awful awful book

I'm reading The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I love novels set during WWII so quite enjoying it.

Niles · 18-07-2011 6:49pm

Just finished Salinger's Franny and Zooey. I preferred The Catcher in the Rye but it's not too bad all the same.

Laika_ · 19-07-2011 12:03am

The Odyssey by Homer.

Confused by the initial few pages, now totally absorbed!

Asphyxia · 19-07-2011 9:39pm

emeraldstar wrote: »

^^^ Awful awful book

Yeah! It's nothing special I have a few pages left and I'm finding it hard to keep myself in it. On a stranger note I have managed to fall in love with Italy through it haha! :rolleyes:

flyaway. · 19-07-2011 10:11pm

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Really enjoying it so far!

girlonfire · 20-07-2011 12:17am

No and Me, Delphine De Vigan. Thoroughly enjoyable read

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Comments