This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 05-04-2013 8:41pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

Nearly finished Lolita by Nabokov - amazing book despite the subject matter. Incredible use of language by a non-native English speaker - its incredible that at times despite being such an odious character that I actually felt sorry for Humbert.

Only a few pages to go and will then tackle Love in the time of Cholera - interested to see how this goes as I detested 100 year of solitude..

I too did not like 100 years but loved Love in the Time of Cholera - hope you like it. Agree with you also on Lolita, an amazing book.

Full.Duck · 06-04-2013 6:34pm

Just finished The Kings Buccaneer - Raymond E Feist. Half way through Shadow of a Dark Queen. Im Addicted.

r3nu4l · 07-04-2013 8:46am

Still reading Andrew Marr's AHistory of modern Britain. Very interesting read that is a very good starting point for recent British history. Thankfully it isn't completely absorbed by the Troubles. I'd recommend it as a good read for understanding howcurrentBritish Society came to where it is now and aglow source for reference material for further reading on topics you are interested in.

Swiper the fox · 07-04-2013 9:50am

I'm currently flying thru East of Eden for the first time since I was about 18(long time ago), absolute genius, 350 pages in 3 nights which is leaving me about 5 hours to sleep, can't wait to get it over with to be honest:pac:,
Steinbeck is amazing, I'm sure Tom Joad(the poster) will agree.

Tom Joad · 07-04-2013 9:04pm

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I'm currently flying thru East of Eden for the first time since I was about 18(long time ago), absolute genius, 350 pages in 3 nights which is leaving me about 5 hours to sleep, can't wait to get it over with to be honest:pac:,
Steinbeck is amazing, I'm sure Tom Joad(the poster) will agree.

Amazing and absolute genius - couldn't agree more :pac:

marienbad · 07-04-2013 10:46pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

Amazing and absolute genius - couldn't agree more :pac:

I must confess I always thought he was grossly over rated.

Censorsh!t · 07-04-2013 11:05pm

Reading the second book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, The Drawing of the Three. About half way in and really like it, a lot better than the first book I think, and whereas I was still a bit iffy after the first book, I know now that I'm totally hooked!

Also reading Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy, which explores raunch culture among women. Some good points in it.

MaggieNF · 07-04-2013 11:36pm

currently reading "Hitler's Hangman: The Life of Heydrich", only a few pages in, really liking it already though

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 07-04-2013 11:44pm

Tom Joad wrote: »

Amazing and absolute genius - couldn't agree more :pac:

marienbad wrote: »

I must confess I always thought he was grossly over rated.

I personally loved East of Eden. I would consider myself a Steinbeck fan. However I think he was a bit hit and miss. Books like Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday are, in my opinion, superb.
However, the likes of To A God Unknown and In Dubious Battle are at the opposite end of the spectrum.

eire4 · 08-04-2013 5:58pm

Finished a re read of Michael Connelly's Angels Flight over the weekend.

Callan57 · 08-04-2013 10:16pm

Finished Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd ... not his best effort IMO

Now I'm starting Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

AnnyHallsal · 08-04-2013 10:23pm

The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Been meaning to read it for ages and absolutely fascinating it is. Influences the way you see and interpret the word. Recommended!

Monkeybonkers · 09-04-2013 2:53pm

Flashman and the Tiger by George MacDonald Fraser

highlydebased · 09-04-2013 8:32pm

baconsarnie wrote: »

Read that last year. Had high hopes post-Underworld, but this really disappointed me. I spoke to a friend who was also underwhelmed by this, so would be interested in seeing how this goes for you.

Finished it. Found it fairly compelling but, yes, it disappointed me a little bit. There were a couple of chapters that were rather drawn out and had better potential. I have ordered Underworld so will see how that goes

Going to start into C by Tom McCarthy. Last attempt was unsuccesful

[-0-] · 10-04-2013 2:57am

Currently reading To Hell or Barbados by Sean O'Callaghan.

I highly recommend it.

Merkin · 10-04-2013 6:44am

Have just started Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

buck65 · 10-04-2013 12:48pm

The Fun Stuff and other essays by James Wood.

vepyewwo · 10-04-2013 7:56pm

Just finished City of Thieves by David Benioff - the story of two boys who are given the impossible task of finding a dozen eggs for a colonel daughter's wedding in 5 days during the siege of Leningrad in WWII. I loved it, a great tale of friendship and adventure.

I am now in the middle of A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. An enjoyable enough read so far, but the writing is quite dated and there's a lot of casual racism in it, mainly against the Aborigines (it was written in 1949).

Callan57 · 12-04-2013 9:55am

Last night I finished off Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (nice read) & now I'm going to start on a quick re-read of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers .... read it many years ago & remember it fondly

Call Me Jimmy · 12-04-2013 2:53pm

Callan57 wrote: »

Last night I finished off Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson (nice read) & now I'm going to start on a quick re-read of The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers .... read it many years ago & remember it fondly

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, just from the title I might pick it up!

adrian522 · 12-04-2013 4:13pm

Started reading Derby Day by DJ Taylor.

Booker nominated a few years ago. Seems interesting, based in 1800's London, about a horse running in the Epson Derby and how the race will have differing effects on various characters.

The start at least is very interesting.

Sephiroth_dude · 14-04-2013 6:37pm

The Dresden files small favour.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 14-04-2013 7:30pm

Still reading Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway.

Every chapter seems to jump around in time, and between characters, and they're really long chapters too, so you kind of forget that your reading a memory rather than the actual story and get quite into the timeline of that particular chapter and then it just jumps back to the present or to a different character. Kind of annoying.

SarahBM · 14-04-2013 9:01pm

Finished 1984 - absolutely mind blowing!

Im not sure what Im in the mood to read next.

Callan57 · 14-04-2013 9:29pm

The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Call Me Jimmy · 15-04-2013 12:13am

SarahBM wrote: »

Finished 1984 - absolutely mind blowing!

Im not sure what Im in the mood to read next.

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and mind-blowing is right! Keep the aspidistra flying is a good rom-pov (romantic povertry, coined!) by Orwell. He is not known for warmth in his books but this book made me want to strip my life down to a packet of cigarettes, a plant and a damp bedsit. Must read it again actually.

AnnyHallsal · 15-04-2013 4:28pm

Shaun Ryder's biography Twisting my Melon. Good fun.

Callan57 · 15-04-2013 10:27pm

Got a lend of Broken Harbour by Tana French today - looking forward to it.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 15-04-2013 11:09pm

Callan57 wrote: »

Got a lend of Broken Harbour by Tana French today - looking forward to it.

Found it to be a bit of a let down. Although I didn't like Faithfull Place much either. She peaked with The Likeness, in my opinion

MagicMarker · 15-04-2013 11:16pm

Started on Wild Swans by Jung Chang.

Only read the first chapter but I have a feeling I'm going to really like it.

[-0-] · 16-04-2013 1:21pm

SarahBM wrote: »

Finished 1984 - absolutely mind blowing!

Im not sure what Im in the mood to read next.

It really is a wonderful book. You should give Orwell's short stories a go if you haven't read those yet. There's a few books on Amazon which have his combined works. Well worth reading.

eire4 · 16-04-2013 5:39pm

Finished a re read of Michael Connelly's Angels Flight over the weekend.

M1dlander · 16-04-2013 5:48pm

About halfway through 'Staring at Lakes', really good. Very witty and is a page turner even though it's about depression!

What's the name of the Stephen King book due out nowish-it's the prequel to The Shinning, or is it out and if so has anyone read it?

SarahBM · 16-04-2013 8:59pm

Call Me Jimmy wrote: »

I thoroughly enjoyed it, and mind-blowing is right! Keep the aspidistra flying is a good rom-pov (romantic povertry, coined!) by Orwell. He is not known for warmth in his books but this book made me want to strip my life down to a packet of cigarettes, a plant and a damp bedsit. Must read it again actually.

Thanks a million for the suggestion. Adding it to the list (the ever growing list)

I must give the short stories a go too. I enjoyed 1984 so much more than I was anticipating, and its the first book I have read in a while that I really didnt have to force my self to read it.

Have started the Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer. I loved Kane and Abel so I cant wait to get stuck into this

Callan57 · 21-04-2013 6:19pm

Finished Broken Harbour by Tana French ... liked it a lot must follow up the rest of her books.

Now I'm starting The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford

AnnyHallsal · 21-04-2013 6:26pm

Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier. It's amazing how little the lot of the unemployed (and those who vilify them) has changed. As usual, beautifully write, beautifully compassionate, filled with piercing insights.

MaggieNF · 21-04-2013 7:30pm

Currently reading A Higher Form of Killing: The Secret History of Chemical and Biological Warfare

Enjoying it so far

ulinbac · 21-04-2013 7:50pm

Game of Thrones, book 2 - A Clash of Kings. Better than the series, but the series is still brilliant!!

Swiper the fox · 21-04-2013 8:37pm

In a few minutes I will be starting Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, never read any of her stuff before but it's an interesting premise.

Callan57 · 22-04-2013 10:11pm

Summertime Death by Mons Kallentoft

thalia_13 · 22-04-2013 10:29pm

Gone Girl. MAJOR letdown. Bad ending, infuriating. Felt like doing a book fling like Bradley Cooper did in Silver Linings Playbook!!

Reading the auld reliable HP Lovecraft now to cleanse the brain

Ruu · 23-04-2013 2:32am

Have a book of short stories by Harlan Ellison (Alone against Tomorrow), used to play the game I Have No Mouth and Must Scream so reading the short story. Have to look very deeply to find any hope.

eire4 · 23-04-2013 4:20pm

Finished a re read of Michael Connelly's A Darkness More Then Night last weekend.

baconsarnie · 24-04-2013 12:10pm

Lolita. It really is an amazing book

Monkeybonkers · 24-04-2013 8:26pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

Started on Wild Swans by Jung Chang.

Only read the first chapter but I have a feeling I'm going to really like it.

I read it recently myself. I learned a lot about how things were in China under Mao.

Busi_Girl08 · 24-04-2013 8:31pm

Nocturnes. A collection of short stories by John Connelly. There are some brilliantly freaky stories in there.

Merkin · 24-04-2013 10:17pm

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

eire4 · 25-04-2013 3:11pm

Finished a re read of another very enjoyable novel by Michael Connelly in his Harry Bosch series City of Bones.

Swiper the fox · 25-04-2013 3:21pm

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of another very enjoyable novel by Michael Connelly in his Harry Bosch series City of Bones.

Apologies if this sounds smart arsey but I've noticed that you seem to be re-reading all these crime thrillers, I could never read one twice particularly when there are so many other books out there to be read, do you really love them that much? How can you enjoy them when you know how they end?

marienbad · 25-04-2013 6:23pm

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Apologies if this sounds smart arsey but I've noticed that you seem to be re-reading all these crime thrillers, I could never read one twice particularly when there are so many other books out there to be read, do you really love them that much? How can you enjoy them when you know how they end?

Germ of a discussion here, do you reread any books ? I too have noticed eire4 is on a Harry Bosch binge and I must confess I too have reread quite a few of Michael Connelly's books, particularly the early ones .

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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