This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Joe_ Public

Swiper the fox wrote: »

I actually really liked 'the dinner', I've been tempted to read his latest book for a while.
I don't think I posted about finishing The Mark and the Void, God it was hard work, some very funny scenes but quite painful on the whole, not a patch on Skippy Dies, I'm currently reading Trainspotting, I'm almost sure I read it when it came out but I can't say for sure:pac:

I remember reading Eileen Battersby's slaughtering of The Mark and the Void in the Times and thinking, god she sounds a bit OTT there, almost as if it was personal. Then I read the book and thought she wasn't hard enough.

Swiper the fox

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I remember reading Eileen Battersby's slaughtering of The Mark and the Void in the Times and thinking, god she sounds a bit OTT there, almost as if it was personal. Then I read the book and thought she wasn't hard enough.

It was hard work but few passages were among the funniest I have ever read in any book, I had tears in my eyes when the Russian sidekick fella was involved, he was an incredible character.

Joe_ Public

Swiper the fox wrote: »

It was hard work but few passages were among the funniest I have ever read in any book, I had tears in my eyes when the Russian sidekick fella was involved, he was an incredible character.

I wouldn't go as far as saying funniest ever, but there are some funny moments alright. The Paul character is so outrageously absurd that he veers violently from being funny to being just patently daft almost from page to page. The plot is so thin, though, that I doubt even Flann O'Brien-standard comedy could have rescued it.

Callan57

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Xofpod

Gonzovision wrote: »

Finished a couple of books this week. Have taken a break form non-fiction for a while and thought I'd read a few crime/thrillers.

First up was 'The Hollow Man' by Oliver Harris, it's the first book in his detective Nick Belsey series. It started off quite promising, decent writing, some nice character development but about half way through it became cliched, your typical detective novel. Somewhat disappointing but I still may read the second one as I found the main character quite interesting, on his journey to self destruction.

Finally got around to reading 'Career of Evil' by Robert Gailbraith. I enjoyed the first book, but wasn't overly taken with 'The Silkworm', the story didn't do it for me. I have to say I really enjoyed most of this one. Even if the story is well trodden at this stage, there's something about Rowlings writing that I quite enjoy. Will continue reading the series as the books are released.

And finally I read 'The Dinner' by Herman Koch. I have to say it is one of the worst books I have ever read. Absolute contrived rubbish. I know the narrator was intended to be an ass, but it really put me off from the outset. I never bought into the story, it just felt overly staged, to elicit a reaction from the reader. I felt nothing (ironic I suppose). Couldn't wait to get it finished.

I think next up for me is 'Burma 44' by James Holland. Hopefully up to the standard of his previous WW2 books.

I'm reserving final comment until I finish The Dinner but still enjoying it at the halfway mark. Got sidetracked by Submission, by Michel Houllebecq.

Joe_ Public

Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea. Over 70 pages in. Gripped.

Fathom

Girl that kicked hornets nest, by S Larrson

heathledgerlove

Wind in the Willows, the parts with Toad are side-splitting !

eire4

Finished a re read of Bram Stoker's horror classic Dracula. Given the novel was written in 1897 it is interesting although obviously to be expected how the victorian attitudes in particular towards the women in the novel are very marked.

Swiper the fox

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of Bram Stoker's horror classic Dracula. Given the novel was written in 1897 it is interesting although obviously to be expected how the victorian attitudes in particular towards the women in the novel are very marked.

1897, was that the last time you read a book for the first time:pac:

Loafing Oaf

A History of London by Stephen Inwood

Nearly halfway through the 1,000+ pages

eire4

Swiper the fox wrote: »

1897, was that the last time you read a book for the first time:pac:

Hahha I like it. The answer by the time I finish though will actually be about 5 years!!!

Birneybau

Finished 'I Am Pilgrim' , I don't know how many times an author can finish a chapter with the same cliffhanger 'It was something I'd regret forever', 'Little did I know...'. Execrable.

I'm going to read 'Ruthless' by Ron Miscavige, son of the head of Scientology David Miscavige, next. About getting out of that cult and what happened inside. Having read (and highly recommend 'Going Clear'), I'm looking forward to it.

Fathom

Steal the Computer Book 4.0, by Wang.

Callan57

Finally, finished A Little Life last night ... very repetitive & IMO would have benefited from a culling of 200 pages

Not it's on to The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Fathom

The Silmarillion by J. Tolkien

Callan57

Upstairs at the Party by Linda Grant

Xofpod

Young Skins by Colin Barrett.

Xofpod

Also, read and loved Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill.

ahlookit

Xofpod wrote: »

Young Skins by Colin Barrett.

What was that like? Heard him reading at Electric Picnic last year and meant to look him up after that, but forgot about it until your post just reminded me

Xofpod

ahlookit wrote: »

What was that like? Heard him reading at Electric Picnic last year and meant to look him up after that, but forgot about it until your post just reminded me

Good so far. I don't think it'll measure up to Donal Ryan's The Spinning Heart and the Thing about December but maybe the comparison isn't fair.

ahlookit

Xofpod wrote: »

Good so far. I don't think it'll measure up to Donal Ryan's The Spinning Heart and the Thing about December but maybe the comparison isn't fair.

yeah, you're setting the bar pretty high with those two books. Will definitely look Barrett up, thanks.

Kerrydude1981

Sent off for "The Hurley Makers Son" after reading about it at the weekend,should be a good read.

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-hurley-maker-s-son-by-patrick-deeley-review-the-making-of-a-poet-1.2603454

eire4

Fathom wrote: »

The Silmarillion by J. Tolkien

Along those lines I finished a re read of Tolkien's classic The Hobbitt the other night.

SarahBM

Got the Hours for cinema book club. only like 20 pages in but I don't think it isn't really my cup of tea.
The other book I am reading at the moment is Insurrection. I really like it but it is a bit heavy going. I also have Sapiens on the go, but it can get a bit boring.

Aenaes

I finished Wuthering Heights. I struggled a little at the beginning to get invested in the story, mainly because of the confusing (for me, at least) inter-family relationships.
Overall, it was a well written and interesting story. I found it slightly depressing but my main gripe was

don't talk to Heathcliff, don't listen to Heathcliff, don't help Heathcliff, don't follow Heathcliff and don't TRUST Heatchliff!

Now I'm reading The Red Room by Nicci French. I think I've read one book by the author before and I found it poor. I'm inclined to think the same of this one.
A psychologist/psychotherapist is brought in by the London police to look into a murder. She listens to a tape of a man supposedly confessing and she tells them it's inadmissible as evidence. They believe her rather than knowing themselves having conducted thousands of investigations or consulting their legal advisors first. Sure, let's just believe the doctor.

Dial Hard

Academic year finally finished last Tuesday and the reading for pleasure began in earnest; I've read two-thirds of Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam trilogy and am about a third of the way through the last book. As with most of Atwood's dystopian fiction, it's scarily plausible and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Up next after this is Michael Punke's The Revenant and after that I think I might re-read the Song of Ice and Fire series.

Callan57

Finished Upstairs At The Party ... tedious enough reading to be honest

Now it's on to City of Veils by Zoe Ferraris

Xofpod

ahlookit wrote: »

yeah, you're setting the bar pretty high with those two books. Will definitely look Barrett up, thanks.

Finished Young Skins - excellent stuff and really marks him out as a writer to watch.

Fathom

Aztec by Gary Jennings

Fathom

Fathom wrote: »

Aztec by Gary Jennings

Poor choice. Returns.

Xofpod

Reading in the Dark, Seamus Deane.

HamsterFace

Xofpod wrote: »

Reading in the Dark, Seamus Deane.

We did that for our leaving cert! I remember not loving it but think I might give it another go.

ahlookit

Recently finished "all the light we cannot see" by Anthony Doerr. Set during WW2 era in Europe, story of a blind French girl and a German boy genius. Thought it was well written, some parts of the book were a tough read given the subject matter. Definitely worth a look for anyone who likes WW2 set books.

On a lighter note, read the 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared. Swedish novel by an author called Jonas Jonasson, a real shaggy dog story, some very dry humour in it. Very quick and easy read. Currently reading another one by the same writer called the Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. Similar style and sense of humour to his first book. Nice to see Scandinavians also produce books that aren't about grisly murders and alcoholic detectives.

Das Kitty

ahlookit wrote: »

Recently finished "all the light we cannot see" by Anthony Doerr. Set during WW2 era in Europe, story of a blind French girl and a German boy genius. Thought it was well written, some parts of the book were a tough read given the subject matter. Definitely worth a look for anyone who likes WW2 set books.

On a lighter note, read the 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared. Swedish novel by an author called Jonas Jonasson, a real shaggy dog story, some very dry humour in it. Very quick and easy read. Currently reading another one by the same writer called the Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden. Similar style and sense of humour to his first book. Nice to see Scandinavians also produce books that aren't about grisly murders and alcoholic detectives.

I'm currently reading both All the Light We Cannot See and The Hundred Year Old Man.

Loving the first, the second I'm not finding that funny.

Loafing Oaf

Winter Is Coming: The Medieval World of Game of Thrones
by Carolyne Larrington

Joe_ Public

Das Kitty wrote: »

I'm currently reading both All the Light We Cannot See and The Hundred Year Old Man.

Loving the first, the second I'm not finding that funny.

Love World War 2 books, All the Light We Cannot See was a terrific read.

Aenaes

1984 by George Orwell.

minnow

Just finished An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan. Fantastic book!

Callan57

Starting Slade House by David Mitchell

Callan57

Callan57 wrote: »

Starting Slade House by David Mitchell

Brilliant read ... what an original author

Next for me is The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne

SarahBM

Finished Insurrection and I am dying to read the other two books since I discovered at the end it was a trilogy.
Read the Hours for cinema book club and hated it. Hopefully the film will be better.
Back to reading Sapiens again. But want to start something else. And since I did a lot of damage in Chapters and Eason today, I cannot decide.

ahlookit

Callan57 wrote: »

Brilliant read ... what an original author

Must go back at some stage and read all his books in one go - I'm sure I've missed lots of references and characters popping up in the different novels. I love the way all the different stories exist in the same universe.

Loafing Oaf

Uprooted: On the Trail of the Green Man by Nina Lyon, finished this evening

Joe_ Public

ahlookit wrote: »

Must go back at some stage and read all his books in one go - I'm sure I've missed lots of references and characters popping up in the different novels. I love the way all the different stories exist in the same universe.

Only read one, The Bone Clocks, which I have to admit just didn't click with me. Faced quite a struggle to get to the end of it.

ahlookit

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Only read one, The Bone Clocks, which I have to admit just didn't click with me. Faced quite a struggle to get to the end of it.

you wont be waiting with bated breath for this then!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/30/david-mitchell-buries-latest-manuscript-for-a-hundred-years

Joe_ Public

ahlookit wrote: »

you wont be waiting with bated breath for this then!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/30/david-mitchell-buries-latest-manuscript-for-a-hundred-years

No, I don't have that much faith in medical science, but it is very encouraging to know there will be at least one library left in 2016.

Xofpod

Callan57 wrote: »

Brilliant read ... what an original author

Good read, complemented the Bone Clocks very nicely.

Must be one of the worst book covers in recent years though.

Xofpod

Just finished "Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?". Short and a bit preachy but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

eire4

Finished a re read of JRR Tolkein's The Fellowship of the Ring the first book in the classic fantasy trilogy the Lord of the Rings.