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What book are you reading atm?? CHAPTER TWO

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    #362
    Barna77
    Registered Users Posts: 3,271 ✭✭✭Barna77


    Finished Dracula.

    I had read it many years ago and I had loved it. This time I read it in English. The second half felt to drag on, and the end rushed in a few pages. Didn't like Mina on the second half either. For a strong woman with "a man's brain" she was quite happy to be the damsel in distress protected by them brave men.


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    #363
    TheRepentent
    Registered Users Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭TheRepentent


    Reading the long earth by Terry Pratchet And Stephen Baxter..easy readand enjoyable enough.

    Also Reading V forVendetta , the graphic nove(do they count? :) )l. Good as well only ever having seen the movie


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    #364
    quickbeam
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    The Long Earth was interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

    Of course graphic novels count!


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    #365
    TheRepentent
    Registered Users Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭TheRepentent


    quickbeam wrote: »
    The Long Earth was interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

    Of course graphic novels count!
    It is interesting and you can see Terry Pratchets comdey genius in it too


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    #366
    Alejandro68
    Closed Accounts Posts: 412 ✭✭Alejandro68


    Ten Men Dead: The Story of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike by David Beresford, Peter Maas. It is very tragic and infuriating at the same time so far.


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    #367
    LillyLin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 16 ✭LillyLin


    The Nickel Boys
    by American novelist Colson Whitehead
    It was based on the real story of the Dozier School
    I just started reading
    as I finish reading I will update my comment))


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    #368
    Tauriel
    Registered Users Posts: 30,340 ✭✭✭✭Tauriel


    The Note Through the Wire by Doug Gold.

    It was alright. Based around the true story of how the authors parents in-law met. I found myself being more interested in Josefine's partisan exploits than anything else.


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    #369
    Loafing Oaf
    Registered Users Posts: 16,008 ✭✭✭✭Loafing Oaf


    In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny by Daisy Dunn

    Actually a sort of interwoven life of the two Plinys

    Must-read for other ancient history buffs


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    #370
    Tigerbaby
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Tigerbaby


    breezy1985 wrote: »
    Small God's might be his best book in the series standalone or otherwise.

    Unrelated to Prachett I would highly recommend the recently deceased Carlos Ruiz Zafons series Cemetery of Forgotten Books which begins with "Shadow of the Wind" outside of a cracking story the man had a real love for books

    Breezy,

    How many times can I thank you for recommending "Shadow of the Wind".

    Dear Mother of God, incredible.

    reminds me of when I encountered "100 years of solitude" for the first time.

    Tigerbaby


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    #371
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,358 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Tigerbaby wrote: »
    Breezy,

    How many times can I thank you for recommending "Shadow of the Wind".

    Dear Mother of God, incredible.

    reminds me of when I encountered "100 years of solitude" for the first time.

    Tigerbaby

    “Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”


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    #372
    Tigerbaby
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Tigerbaby


    I suspect (know) that there will be many re-reads for me. This is such rich soup to taste slowly and savour each mouthful.

    Must re-read "Ghosts of Spain" again. "Shadow of the Wind" has re-kindled my interest in the Civil War.


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    #373
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,358 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Tigerbaby wrote: »
    I suspect (know) that there will be many re-reads for me. This is such rich soup to taste slowly and savour each mouthful.

    Must re-read "Ghosts of Spain" again. "Shadow of the Wind" has re-kindled my interest in the Civil War.

    Another fine book. Im just about to start "Farewell Spain" written by Limericks Kate O'Brien about her experiences in Spain in the 30s and also written to raise awareness and money for the republic during the civil war.

    And lucky you theres still the 3 sequels to Shadow to get through


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    #374
    Barna77
    Registered Users Posts: 3,271 ✭✭✭Barna77


    Tigerbaby wrote: »
    Must re-read "Ghosts of Spain" again. "Shadow of the Wind" has re-kindled my interest in the Civil War.
    Is that the one by the former Guardian correspondent in Spain?


    Check out The Spanish Holocaust, by Paul Preston.
    God it was a harrowing read. So many things I didn't know about the war.

    There's a mention of what happened to a woman who had made a republican flag.
    My grandparents are dead so I never had a chance to ask them about their memories of the war. I asked my father and he told me the story of a girl friend of my grandmother who had made a flag... little did I know that she was the woman in the book!


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    #375
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 12,957 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Loafing Oaf wrote: »
    The doctor-turned-comedian/comedy writer seems to be a thing in the UK: Phil Hammond, Paul Sinha, Harry Hill. I wonder is a medical career a different sort of 'ghetto' that these guys are desperate to escape from...
    In an ironic twist, I finished This Is Going To Hurt in hospital, while recovering from surgery on my right eye last weekend. You only need one eye to read a book on a screen, thankfully. I also finished God, No! by Penn Jillette, which I had started earlier but got distracted from. Despite the title, religion (or lack thereof) is only part of the book - an early section is about how he accidentally became a mentor to several people who were struggling with their religious upbringing - but it also has many anecdotes, such as developing an appreciation for Richard Nixon's sense of humour, and a particularly intimate mishap with a hair dryer.

    So I've been off work, meaning more time to read, so I tackled Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan. He's since written a sequel, simply called Food, which I skimmed and don't think I need to read in full. With the new Dune movie coming up, I think I need to reacquaint myself with the original book.

    From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch’.

    — Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut



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    #376
    Gervais08
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,612 ✭✭✭Gervais08


    Got both John Bercow’s memoir and the new Strike novel by Galbraith aka Rowling.

    Looking forward to both!!


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    #377
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,358 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Barna77 wrote: »
    Is that the one by the former Guardian correspondent in Spain?


    Check out The Spanish Holocaust, by Paul Preston.
    God it was a harrowing read. So many things I didn't know about the war.

    There's a mention of what happened to a woman who had made a republican flag.
    My grandparents are dead so I never had a chance to ask them about their memories of the war. I asked my father and he told me the story of a girl friend of my grandmother who had made a flag... little did I know that she was the woman in the book!

    I had a friend whos grandmother wrote a book about her childhood where her family fled civil war Spain around 37 for the safety of her mothers home town in Germany. Real out of the frying pan stuff. Sadly the book is only in Spanish and German


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    #378
    Tauriel
    Registered Users Posts: 30,340 ✭✭✭✭Tauriel


    Gervais08 wrote: »
    the new Strike novel by Galbraith aka Rowling.

    Looking forward to both!!

    Got this myself yesterday as well. It's a monster of a book :eek:


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    #379
    Alejandro68
    Closed Accounts Posts: 412 ✭✭Alejandro68


    Peter Freestone's cookbook. Some very tasty dishes I must try.


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    #380
    Barna77
    Registered Users Posts: 3,271 ✭✭✭Barna77


    Back on the Spanish civil war, I forgot to mention that I started reading last week For Whom the Bell Tolls.
    I'm not getting into it. Hope it gets better.


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    #381
    Gervais08
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,612 ✭✭✭Gervais08


    mustang shelly wrote: »
    Got this myself yesterday as well. It's a monster of a book :eek:

    Oh it’s a biggun!!!!


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    #382
    breezy1985
    Registered Users Posts: 24,358 ✭✭✭✭breezy1985


    Barna77 wrote: »
    Back on the Spanish civil war, I forgot to mention that I started reading last week For Whom the Bell Tolls.
    I'm not getting into it. Hope it gets better.

    He is the most overrated writer I have come across and a twat of a person too


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    #383
    EmmetSpiceland
    Registered Users Posts: 10,527 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    ‘The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939’ by Antony Beevor is a good read on the subject. Bit of a “tome” but very well done.

    The tide is turning…



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    #384
    mariaalice
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭mariaalice


    Dark Beauty: Hidden Detail in Harry Clarke’s Stained Glass. I got it for my birthday.

    Its more a flicking through book as opposed to reading from beginning to end.


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    #385
    Foweva Awone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭Foweva Awone


    I'm reading a book that was actually recommended to me by my psychiatrist!! "In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts" by Dr Gabor Mate. It's probably the best book about addiction I've ever read ... Would highly recommend for anyone who'd like to understand addiction better.


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    #386
    JasonStatham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 548 ✭✭✭JasonStatham


    Ride the Wind by Lucia St Clair Robson

    It's about Native Americans. The first few chapters are pretty graphic, yeah...not for the faint hearted.


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    #387
    Mars Bar
    Registered Users Posts: 31,817 ✭✭✭✭Mars Bar


    Mars Bar wrote: »
    Turtles All The Way Down - John Green

    Just started it last night so not much to say about it yet

    I finished The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors by Dan Jones and what I will say is that you need to not be distracted whilst reading it.

    An easy read. Not taxing. Not mind blowing either.

    A third of the way through Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. I like it so far even though I'm finding it hard to picture the environment or surroundings.


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    #388
    TheRepentent
    Registered Users Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭TheRepentent


    JasonStatham wrote: »
    Ride the Wind by Lucia St Clair Robson

    It's about Native Americans. The first few chapters are pretty graphic, yeah...not for the faint hearted.
    IS it fiction ? I read ages ago a book called Bury my heart at Wounded Knee...was non fiction but man it was tough going.What happened to the Indians was shocking.Custer was a scumbag.


    A few funny things in it as well. An indian Chief was asked to speak to congress and some poor old indian tracker in the yankee army had to translate for him.....the Chieftan insulted the Congressmen and the translator was telling them the cheiftan was happy to see them etc. :D

    For anyone interested :
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76401.Bury_My_Heart_at_Wounded_Knee


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    #389
    JasonStatham
    Closed Accounts Posts: 548 ✭✭✭JasonStatham


    TheRepentent wrote: »
    IS it fiction ? I read ages ago a book called Bury my heart at Wounded Knee...was non fiction but man it was tough going.What happened to the Indians was shocking.Custer was a scumbag.


    A few funny things in it as well. An indian Chief was asked to speak to congress and some poor old indian tracker in the yankee army had to translate for him.....the Chieftan insulted the Congressmen and the translator was telling them the cheiftan was happy to see them etc. :D

    For anyone interested :
    https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76401.Bury_My_Heart_at_Wounded_Knee

    I think it's based on a true story, but the book itself is a novel.

    I think I'll tackle that book you mentioned as my next read. Cheers.


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    #390
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    JasonStatham wrote: »
    I think it's based on a true story, but the book itself is a novel.

    I think I'll tackle that book you mentioned as my next read. Cheers.

    Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne is the same story but from the the Parker family perspective. It give a good account of the Indian wars and the decline of the Native American tribes as well as the search for Cynthia Ann Parker.


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    #391
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 12,957 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    I’ve just started reading The Guns Of August, by Barbara Tuchman, which describes the first month of World War I and the events leading up to it. It was in the first month that the pattern for the rest of the war was mostly set, with some exceptions such as the development of air power.

    It’s a thoroughly-researched book but a very readable one, with the author not above some pointed language, at one point describing Czarina Alexandra Fedorovna of Russia as “strong-willed but slow-witted”, and Czar Nicholas II isn’t spared her disapproval either. The book won a Pulitzer Prize and sold very well, with some masterful prose such as this:
    Old Field Marshal Moltke in 1890 foretold that the next war might last seven years—or thirty—because the resources of a modern state were so great it would not know itself to be beaten after a single military defeat and would not give up. His nephew and namesake who succeeded Schlieffen as Chief of Staff also had moments when he saw the truth as clearly. In a moment of heresy to Clausewitz, he said to the Kaiser in 1906, “It will be a national war which will not be settled by a decisive battle but by a long wearisome struggle with a country that will not be overcome until its whole national force is broken, and a war which will utterly exhaust our own people, even if we are victorious.” It went against human nature, however—and the nature of General Staffs—to follow through the logic of his own prophecy. Amorphous and without limits, the concept of a long war could not be scientifically planned for as could the orthodox, predictable, and simple solution of decisive battle and a short war. The younger Moltke was already Chief of Staff when he made his prophecy, but neither he nor his Staff, nor the Staff of any other country, ever made any effort to plan for a long war. Besides the two Moltkes, one dead and the other infirm of purpose, some military strategists in other countries glimpsed the possibility of prolonged war, but all preferred to believe, along with the bankers and industrialists, that because of the dislocation of economic life a general European war could not last longer than three or four months. One constant among the elements of 1914—as of any era—was the disposition of everyone on all sides not to prepare for the harder alternative, not to act upon what they suspected to be true.

    From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch’.

    — Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14 Astronaut



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