What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

ChrisJ84 · 26-01-2021 9:08pm

silliussoddius wrote: »

Child of God was the one I was thinking of reading. I kind of feel bad about recommending The Road to my elderly mother in law.
Another bleak book I read a few years ago was On the Beach, by Nevile Shute. It wasn't as dark as McCarthy's stuff, but bleak in the nicest possible way (if that makes sense).

The mother in law?!? That's pretty hilarious in fairness! :eek:

All the Pretty Horses and The Road are the two I always recommend.

Talking about grim and bleak, I've been reading some John Steinbeck and George Orwell recently, and they're not exactly a barrel of laughs either. I think it's time to switch to something more lighthearted, but I might just check out On the Beach first!

gutenberg · 26-01-2021 11:37pm

silliussoddius wrote: »

Child of God was the one I was thinking of reading. I kind of feel bad about recommending The Road to my elderly mother in law.
Another bleak book I read a few years ago was On the Beach, by Nevile Shute. It wasn't as dark as McCarthy's stuff, but bleak in the nicest possible way (if that makes sense).

I’ve read The Road, and have heard that Blood Meridian is a modern classic - but I don’t know if I can bring myself to read it as it’s always described as horrific and nightmare-inducing.

Neville Shute also wrote A Town Like Alice, which I read a few years ago and really liked.

nialler1978 · 27-01-2021 1:24pm

I am reading 'The Body Keeps The Score' by Bessel Van Der Kolk. It was given to me as I was in a serious car accident 8 years ago, I made a full recovery, or so I thought. The book deals with trauma, I thought I was heading into reading a self-help book (which it is) but it is also a fascinating read. I would recommend to anyone, even if you have not sustained any kind of traumatic experience.

https://www.easons.com/the-body-keeps-the-score-bessel-a-van-der-kolk-9780141978611?gclid=CjwKCAiAu8SABhAxEiwAsodSZAL7d179LaMSu5S1rMYka3XgK3iqE9MCgEkjAdOSP6CJ8vsic8tnmxoCYHgQAvD_BwE

Danger781 · 28-01-2021 11:46pm

I've started reading The Stand by Stephen King and it's not what I expected. The first 20%-25% of the book was SO BORING but I pushed through because I knew it was going to get good at some stage. After all it has been hyped as being among his greatest ever works. I'm about 45% of the way through and while it's definitely improving I'm still not entirely sure if I'm enjoying it. Slow burn...

Doctor Roast · 29-01-2021 2:59pm

Just started Hobo by Eddy Joe Cotton

"On a cold, gray day in 1991, a young man named Eddy Joe Cotton (aka Zebu Recchia) left home with nothing but a warm jacket, some well-worn boots, and a few crumpled dollar bills. His father had just fired him, not for the first time, but for the last. He didn’t see his father again for two years. But this is not the story of a runaway - it is a tale of an unorthodox road to adulthood. By taking to the trains, Eddy Joe Cotton learned the difficulty of life lived on the margins, the fading importance of a once-celebrated American folk hero, and the ultimate meaning of freedom."

JeffreyEpspeen · 30-01-2021 3:23pm

Deleted User wrote: »

There's a good follow up documentary which they coupled with old recordings of her and interviews with people she knew.

Her widower Patton Oswalt comes across as extremely creepy and narcissistic. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it came out that he was involved in her death somehow. Marrying someone else about a year after she died is another huge red flag.

appledrop · 30-01-2021 3:31pm

Up next is East West Street by Philippe Sands.

I really enjoyed the Ratline except for very last section so looking forward to this.

gutenberg · 30-01-2021 5:19pm

appledrop wrote: »

Up next is East West Street by Philippe Sands.

I really enjoyed the Ratline except for very last section so looking forward to this.

Loved East West Street. I think it’s better than The Ratline.

30-01-2021 5:29pm

appledrop wrote: »

Up next is East West Street by Philippe Sands.

I really enjoyed the Ratline except for very last section so looking forward to this.

Just about to start this too!

appledrop · 30-01-2021 6:47pm

gutenberg wrote: »

Loved East West Street. I think it’s better than The Ratline.

Oh brilliant! I did enjoy Ratline but it dragged at the end part I thought.

appledrop · 30-01-2021 6:47pm

bubblypop wrote: »

Just about to start this too!

Snap we can compare!

breezy1985 · 30-01-2021 8:33pm

appledrop wrote: »

Snap we can compare!

I should be starting next week

TheRepentent · 30-01-2021 8:47pm

The Crusades through arab eyes by Amin Maalouf

Just read a book about the knights teamplar so hopefully this will give a different perspective

happyday · 31-01-2021 2:22pm

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa.

Autobiographical about a young mother's love of an ancient poem by Éibhlín Dhubh Ní Chonaill.

A beautiful read.

the purple tin · 31-01-2021 2:23pm

The Witness- Juan Jose Saer

pottokblue · 31-01-2021 8:45pm

Me and sister bobbie- the Nelsons, a creative bond sibling relationship biography between a piano player and songwriter/living legend!

EmmetSpiceland · 31-01-2021 8:46pm

pottokblue wrote: »

Me and sister bobbie- the Nelsons, a touching sibling relationship biography

I think I understand your meaning but that reads terribly.

bocaman · 31-01-2021 8:51pm

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.
A memoir of the young Hemingway's time in Paris in the 1920's.Before he became unbearably famous.
Joyce, Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound are just some of the writers to appear in this lovely books.
Wonderful evocation of the time.

Collie D · 31-01-2021 8:59pm

Danger781 wrote: »

I've started reading The Stand by Stephen King and it's not what I expected. The first 20%-25% of the book was SO BORING but I pushed through because I knew it was going to get good at some stage. After all it has been hyped as being among his greatest ever works. I'm about 45% of the way through and while it's definitely improving I'm still not entirely sure if I'm enjoying it. Slow burn...

I think it’s one of his best. I’ve a ton of King stuff - only got into him a few years ago and find he can be very hit and miss. Read one too many duds and went off him for a while but just started The Institute today to hopefully get back into him.

the purple tin · 31-01-2021 10:00pm

Collie D wrote: »

I think it’s one of his best. I’ve a ton of King stuff - only got into him a few years ago and find he can be very hit and miss. Read one too many duds and went off him for a while but just started The Institute today to hopefully get back into him.

It was Under The Dome that got me back into his stuff again. Great read.

TV series is shocking bad though.

py2006 · 31-01-2021 10:17pm

With regards King, he had a dip in form after he was nearly killed when run over and his confidence in writing was knocked big time. The first few books after his accident weren't his best. Some people reckon the same happened after he got off the drugs and alcohol.

gmisk · 31-01-2021 10:28pm

I recently finished the invisible life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab.
It was excellent.

I think probably best to go into it not knowing too much, I can see why some people compared it to the time travellers wife, but I have to say I much preferred it to that one.

It's a really sweeping cinematic type of book I can see why the film rights have been snapped up already.

I think the blurb gives away too much but basic intro is below.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

gmisk · 31-01-2021 10:30pm

Collie D wrote: »

I think it’s one of his best. I’ve a ton of King stuff - only got into him a few years ago and find he can be very hit and miss. Read one too many duds and went off him for a while but just started The Institute today to hopefully get back into him.

Oh I read that one.
I really liked it!
One of the better recent Stephen King books, I ploughed through it.

31-01-2021 10:40pm

py2006 wrote: »

With regards King, he had a dip in form after he was nearly killed when run over and his confidence in writing was knocked big time. The first few books after his accident weren't his best. Some people reckon the same happened after he got off the drugs and alcohol.

I generally found the Dark Tower books to be consistent even after his accident, a lot of people disagree on that one though. His non tower books were pretty bad post accident.(Including the awful Under The Dome) Think he generally has been pretty on the ball since around 11/22/63.

pavb2 · 31-01-2021 10:45pm

I’m reading The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart, a gentle read.

py2006 · 31-01-2021 10:48pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I generally found the Dark Tower books to be consistent even after his accident, a lot of people disagree on that one though. His non tower books were pretty bad post accident.(Including the awful Under The Dome) Think he generally has been pretty on the ball since around 11/22/63.

I tried the first Dark Tower book 3 times and just had to leave it. Big king fan but its not for me.

carrollsno1 · 31-01-2021 10:57pm

Not able to phystcally read a boom due to time constraints but i sm listening to two audiobooks at the moment.

Book 1
Kings in Grass Castles
Mary Durack
The story of Irish Emigrant to Australia Patsy Durack around The Famine times and how he built his way up to being on of the major cattle kings of Australia at the time.
Yes would 100% reccomend, even though not half way through yet.

Book 2
Relistening after reading Allen Carrs Good Sugar, Bad Sugar
Allen Carr
The easyway developed for smokers but applied to bad sugar.
Yes, had a great impact on my overall health but the festivities threw me off course and im getting back into it by listening to this book now.

farmerval · 31-01-2021 11:14pm

Pale Blue Dot wrote: »

I'm inclined to agree. What Frankl and others went through was unimaginable and the strength it took to survive, incredible. But as a book I thought, like you, that it had offered its message within a few pages and then the same idea, just in different scenarios, repeated itself.

If you haven't already, I'd very much recommend The Choice by Edith Eger. Unlike Frankl who was already an established physician in his late 30's when he was sent to a camp, Eger was a teenager. But she also survived, moved to the US and became a psychologist. She even met Frankl a few times later in life. Her time in the concentration camp is covered in the first third of the book and the rest is about her subsequent life. She talks about how her time in the camps influenced the rest of her life and often even in how she delivered therapy to her own patients in the US. It wasn't all perfect from arrival in the US either and liked how candid she is about her own life - for example, her marriage struggles. Overall I just felt it offered 'more' than Frankl's book.

But again take nothing away from anyone who can survive what they went through and have the courage to publish a book about it afterwards.

I agree with you both. I read Victor Franklin's book first and a few years later Eger's book. I definitely enjoyed the Eger book more. I suppose Franklin was pushing a particular point relating to his work, Eger was more simply relaying her life.
As it happened I read two or three more true life tales from the concentration camps in the last year and the weird thing is that as true stories even like something like 12 years a slave, they lack drama. Everything is real, what happened was so beyond our ability to comprehend what they went through, but because they just slogged on the tales are less dramatic than fiction would be. The boy who followed his father into Auschwitz is a good example. Truly harrowing tale of what man can do to man.

31-01-2021 11:20pm

py2006 wrote: »

I tried the first Dark Tower book 3 times and just had to leave it. Big king fan but its not for me.

I'd recommend getting through the first, doesn't fully gain its personality till book number 2.

An Ri rua · 31-01-2021 11:48pm

Cat Sense, by John Bradshaw.

Trying to better understand my 2 monkeys. Twins but chalk and cheese.

JeffreyEpspeen · 01-02-2021 3:40am

I thought Mr. Mercedes started very promisingly but veered off a cliff. Can't remember if I read the second one. I found the characterisation very poor TBH.

nigeldaniel · 04-02-2021 10:57am

Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, halfway there and I would say that those old school books from a bygone-era can be grim and sad reading sometimes. I think I will try something more uplifting next.

Barna77 · 04-02-2021 11:49am

nigeldaniel wrote: »

Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, halfway there and I would say that those old school books from a bygone-era can be grim and sad reading sometimes. I think I will try something more uplifting next.

Don't go near his Jude the Obscure

happyday · 04-02-2021 3:11pm

Oh yes. Jude the Obscure is the most depressing, grim read ever.

Conall Cernach · 04-02-2021 6:24pm

I'm reading the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski and I'm currently on Baptism of Fire which is the 5th book including the 2 volumes of short stories. I'm not very impressed with them and am just reading them now to finish them off. It all feels very disjointed and I've no idea where the story is going. I think the character of the Witcher is better suited to the short story style where he tackles different monsters rather than the main quest of the series. How the books are so popular is beyond me.

Riddle101 · 04-02-2021 6:53pm

Conall Cernach wrote: »

I'm reading the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski and I'm currently on Baptism of Fire which is the 5th book including the 2 volumes of short stories. I'm not very impressed with them and am just reading them now to finish them off. It all feels very disjointed and I've no idea where the story is going. I think the character of the Witcher is better suited to the short story style where he tackles different monsters rather than the main quest of the series. How the books are so popular is beyond me.

Largely because of the games. I don't think many would have known about the Witcher had it not been for Witcher 3 and the games that came before it. I didn't mind the story myself but I did feel things got a bit boring after Blood of Elves.

Anyway, I'm reading The Silmarillion for the 3rd time right now. I going over Tolkeins books again but this time I'm doing The Silmarillion first, then The Hobbit, and then Lord of the Rings.

Squall · 04-02-2021 8:05pm

On to book 2 of the salvation series by peter hamilton. Was a big fan of the nights dawn and the common wealth saga. First book was interesting... decent characters and some great world setting. Bigger story is starting to pick up now in book 2

Conall Cernach · 04-02-2021 8:08pm

Riddle101 wrote: »

Largely because of the games. I don't think many would have known about the Witcher had it not been for Witcher 3 and the games that came before it. I didn't mind the story myself but I did feel things got a bit boring after Blood of Elves.

Anyway, I'm reading The Silmarillion for the 3rd time right now. I going over Tolkeins books again but this time I'm doing The Silmarillion first, then The Hobbit, and then Lord of the Rings.

I dipped into Unfinished Tales this morning to re-read The Disaster of the Gladden Fields. Poor old Isildur gets a bum rap thanks to Peter Jackson.

McGinniesta · 04-02-2021 8:08pm

Blood Money by John Carreyrou

A good read about theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. Right head the ball

04-02-2021 8:19pm

Reading Hidden Valley Road at the moment, it's fascinating. A family of 12 and 6 diagnosed with schizophrenia, suspect it's gonna get bleak pretty quickly though.

appledrop · 04-02-2021 9:22pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Reading Hidden Valley Road at the moment, it's fascinating. A family of 12 and 6 diagnosed with schizophrenia, suspect it's gonna get bleak pretty quickly though.

Thats one of the next books on my shelf!

Enjoying East West Street so far.

Dial Hard · 05-02-2021 12:03am

I've had to take a break from The Mirror and the Light. It's. Just. So. Long. And taking me way longer than it should to read because it's so unwieldy so I can't read it in the bath, in bed etc.

I started Code Name Lise by Larry Loftis as my break book, it's about the most decorated spy of WWII. Unfortunately it's absolutely terribly written so I'm abandoning it. I'm waiting on a delivery from the evil overlords at Book Depository but have decided to reread The Dark Tower series in the meantime. I need the comfy, familiar, warm dressing-gown cuddle of something I know and love at this point.

4Ad · 05-02-2021 2:42am

John Grisham
A Time for Mercy...

Dont bother...
You'd need time afterwards for thinking why did I waste my time !!

Barna77 · 05-02-2021 10:40am

happyday wrote: »

Oh yes. Jude the Obscure is the most depressing, grim read ever.

I read it when I was in college. Grim but I remember I liked it

Riddle101 wrote: »

Anyway, I'm reading The Silmarillion for the 3rd time right now. I going over Tolkeins books again but this time I'm doing The Silmarillion first, then The Hobbit, and then Lord of the Rings.

That's a tough one!

breezy1985 · 05-02-2021 10:52am

Barna77 wrote: »

That's a tough one!

Very interesting for hardcore fans as a sort of history text book but it's got no narrative flow and some parts can be a slog

neris · 05-02-2021 10:59am

McGinniesta wrote: »

Blood Money by John Carreyrou

A good read about theranos and Elizabeth Holmes. Right head the ball

Great book. Probably one of the best reads in the last few years.

Riddle101 · 05-02-2021 11:03am

Barna77 wrote: »

That's a tough one!

Yeah, it can be. Although I still quite like it for what it is though.

breezy1985 wrote: »

Very interesting for hardcore fans as a sort of history text book but it's got no narrative flow and some parts can be a slog

Agreed, I love the world that Tolkien created so I mainly read it like a history book. But I still feel it's worth reading to get the lore of Middle Earth.

Tauriel · 05-02-2021 7:44pm

Just finished The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien and will be swiftly moving on to The Return of the King.

JeffreyEpspeen · 05-02-2021 7:57pm

4Ad wrote: »

John Grisham
A Time for Mercy...

Dont bother...
You'd need time afterwards for thinking why did I waste my time !!

Read Camino Island. It was so ponderous it would make you sleepy.

His older stuff is very good, though. I loved The Brethren and The Pelican Brief.

08-02-2021 12:58am

I'm re-reading Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. I can't remember how many times I've read it but I never get tired of it.

What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

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