This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Xofpod

Started Ragtime, E.L.Doctorow. Don't know much about his writing except that he wrote Billy Bathgate, the movie of which I remember being hugely disappointed by years ago...
The book is good so far.

Wyldwood

Finished The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Highly recommend it.

Next up Wild by Kristin Hannah.

otnomart

Callan57 wrote: »

Sarah's Key by Gilles Paquet-Brenner & on audio The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves

I watched the movie from Sarah's Key and loved it.


Big fan of Shetland and Vera here, but haven't read anything by Ann Cleeves, yet. I have recently bought The Long Call and will get to it soon.

Boulevardier

I have just finished The Searcher by Tana French.

I am a big fan of this writer, but I found this book deeply unsatisfying.

The plot resolution is disappointing. French's novels often have a sense of tragic loss, but they usually also have some sort of acceptable closure. This one does not.

Also, the writer's normally good knowledge of Irish dialogue and terminology has let her down, for example the untypical use of the term "townland", and a tendency towards paddywhackery on the part of some of the local characters.

eire4

Finished a re read of Herge's Adventures of Tintin Book 5 which featured The Land of Black Gold and the 2 part Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon. Always fun to have a re read of my favourite graphic novels growing up.

Wyldwood

Finished Kristen Hannah's Wild, didn't live up to the premise. I think Hannah peaked with The Nightingale.

Next up 10 Minutes 38 seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak.

Callan57

A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne

Xofpod

Life, Keith Richards.

eire4

Finished book 3 of Kelley Armstrong's otherworld series. This one focusing on the witches introduced in the previous book and another fun read.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Started reading The Psychology of Time Travel this afternoon. Got through nearly 100 pages in one sitting. I already think it's going to be one of the best of the year for me.

Wyldwood

Finished 10 minutes and 38 seconds in This Strange World. Very interesting premise brilliantly executed. Highly recommended.

Next up Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris, author of Chocolat.

eire4

Took in a re read of my favourite graphic novels with Herge's Adventures of Tintin Volume 6 which includes The Calculus Affair, Red Sea Sharks and Tintin in Tibet. Still a fun read.

Just finished the Arnold Schwarzenegger autobiography and have moved onto The Sun also Rises.

Been keeping with alternating fiction and non-fiction pretty religiously this year.

Sinister Kid

I finished The Queen's Gambit a few days ago, for a book about chess it flows surprisingly well. It was an enjoyable read.
I watched the forst episode on Netflix yesterday & I can already see where they have changed little details.

I'm currently reading my cosy Christmas book, One Day in December - I follow a lot of book clubs & bok bloggers on Fb/Insta & this book has a decent following. I'm about two thirds in & I'm not sure I'm convinced.

cloudatlas

I just finished John Banville's new book 'Snow'. I liked it, I love his writing and the way he captures how Irish people speak the cadences etc., Lovers of crime novels I guess will be more critical as it's not a very intricate plot line but I enjoyed it none the less and good read especially for the season that's in it.

otnomart

cloudatlas wrote: »

I just finished John Banville's new book 'Snow'. I liked it, I love his writing and the way he captures how Irish people speak the cadences etc., Lovers of crime novels I guess will be more critical as it's not a very intricate plot line but I enjoyed it none the less and good read especially for the season that's in it.

Thanks, I was very curious about it - but put off buying it as I didn't like The Sea (although I liked one of his Quirke novels). Might get it now.

cloudatlas

otnomart wrote: »

Thanks, I was very curious about it - but put off buying it as I didn't like The Sea (although I liked one of his Quirke novels). Might get it now.

You don't need a dictionary for this one, it's kind of a cross over between Banville and Black I guess.

otnomart

cloudatlas wrote: »

it's kind of a cross over between Banville and Black I guess.

Good to know !
I couldn't warm to The Sea, at all !

Wyldwood

Just finished A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Gríofa. It's a superb read. A retelling of the story of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonnaill & Art Uí Laoghaire woven into what appears to be the semi-fictionalised tale of Doireann's own life.

Next Donal Ryan's Strange Flowers

Infinite Jest

HalloweenJack

I have about a hundred pages to go in the Orphan Master's Son. It's a fascinating story and I found that I'm getting more into it as it goes on. There's just enough slow release of details to keep upping the intrigue.

eire4

Finished book 4 of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series this one bringing vampires into the mix along with witches and werewolves as well and it was another fun read.

Wyldwood

Finished Donal Ryan's Strange Flowers, enjoyed the first half but was disappointed in the second half. It seemed to lose its way and a random biblical story was thrown in which appeared to have no relevance other than as filler material.

On to The other half of Augusta Hope

Busi_Girl08

Finished Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Mostly enjoyed it, there were some stories/fables that came off as a bit dull for me, but others I enjoyed as Black Mirror-esque romps.

Onto The Unforgetting now, enjoying it so far.

Daisy78

The Salt Path by Raynor Wynn.

eire4

Finished Bartholomew Gill's The Death of an Irish Tinker. First time for me reading the author and must admit I thought it was pretty average fare.

cloudatlas

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke one of the best books I read in 2020 and I don't normally like magical realism/ fantasy.

gogo

Finally finished Shogun by James Clavell, Bought it years ago and never got around to starting it, enjoyable read, looking like I’ll stick with the rest of his Asian series for the duration of my Christmas leave. Book 2, Tai-Pan ready to go...

ClydeTallyBump

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang.

Sinister Kid

Reluctant because of the hype, I caved & read Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens... I have to say, the hype is deserved!

Busi_Girl08

Flew through The Unforgetting. A very interesting gothic Victorian thriller/drama. Loved it.

Starting Piranesi by Susannah Clarke next. Heard a lot of good about it.

bobbyss

Biography of Dickens by Claire Tomalin. Just started and enjoying it.

Daisies

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Reluctant because of the hype, I caved & read Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens... I have to say, the hype is deserved!

I was the exact same. Avoided it but caved and read it over Christmas

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Reluctant because of the hype, I caved & read Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens... I have to say, the hype is deserved!

I've had it sitting on my shelf for a few months, same as yourself, can't be as good as everyone says it is. Read 30 books last year and I didn't really like any of them, so I think I'll just go with the crowd and kick off 2021 with all the most hyped books of 2020.

nightie

Stayed up late to finish Hamnet. Couldn’t put it down.

otnomart

Daisy78 wrote: »

The Salt Path by Raynor Wynn.

One of my favourite books !
A sequel came out in the Autumn: The Wild Silence
Has anyone already read it ?

Sinister Kid

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I've had it sitting on my shelf for a few months, same as yourself, can't be as good as everyone says it is. Read 30 books last year and I didn't really like any of them, so I think I'll just go with the crowd and kick off 2021 with all the most hyped books of 2020.

Let us know what you think!

I'm currently reading Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman - It the second prequel to Practical Magic. Of the three books, I like this one the most.

Wyldwood

Read my first book of 2021, The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. Although fiction, it's an eye-opening tale of what the young girls from primitive Nigerian backgrounds have to endure. Recommended.

Next up Sarah Crossan's Here is the Beehive.

Thanks to Covid I read 72 books in 2020, hope to read less in 2021.

eire4

Finished Haunted book 5 of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series. Another fun read. Haunted like the previous one was focused on witches.

ClydeTallyBump

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett.

nightie

Finished The Salt Path this morning. Inspirational

Sinister Kid

Half way through a Man called Ove by Frederick Backman... I really wasn't prepared for how heartbreaking this book is in places.

nightie

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Half way through a Man called Ove by Frederick Backman... I really wasn't prepared for how heartbreaking this book is in places.

Loved that book. Picked up my nieces copy of Wonder. I know it’s a children’s book but it’s tugging at the heartstrings too.

cee_jay

Sinister Kid wrote: »

Half way through a Man called Ove by Frederick Backman... I really wasn't prepared for how heartbreaking this book is in places.

This is such a wonderful book - heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure, and also quite funny in parts.
His new book Anxious People is also excellent - as is Beartown but that comes with a trigger warning.

Wyldwood wrote: »

Just finished A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Gríofa. It's a superb read. A retelling of the story of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonnaill & Art Uí Laoghaire woven into what appears to be the semi-fictionalised tale of Doireann's own life.

Next Donal Ryan's Strange Flowers

I finished A Ghost in the Throat last week - it took me a bit of time to get into it, especially the historical Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonnaill bits, but I loved it by the end.
I have Strange Flowers on my Kindle to read at some stage.

After binging completely on Bridgeton on Netflix, I have just finished the first 2 books by Julia Quinn on which the series is based - The Duke & I and The Viscount who Loved Me. Easy, lighthearted reads, not my normal type of book.

I have my work book club meeting at 1pm and that will decide on which book I read next - The Midnight Library, Rodham or Hamnet - all of which I really want to read.

eire4

Finished a re read of Herge's Adventures of Tintin book 7 which included The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714 and Tintin and the Picaros. Fun stories as always with the Tintin books.

Xofpod

eire4 wrote: »

Finished a re read of Herge's Adventures of Tintin book 7 which included The Castafiore Emerald, Flight 714 and Tintin and the Picaros. Fun stories as always with the Tintin books.

I meant to ask previously - are you reading these in the small format collected editions? I looked at one previously but found the artwork so squashed that it took all the joy out of it for me.

Swiper the fox

Don't know why i fell for the hype again but I'm very close to the end of Hamnet and it is painful reading, barring the description of the journey of the plague spreading fleas it is absolutely unmemorable.

eire4

Xofpod wrote: »

I meant to ask previously - are you reading these in the small format collected editions? I looked at one previously but found the artwork so squashed that it took all the joy out of it for me.

I know exactly what you mean. The boys are without doubt best in the original full format so to speak.

Wyldwood

Finished Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles. An immensely enjoyable book. Highly recommended.

Next up The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Swiper the fox

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Don't know why i fell for the hype again but I'm very close to the end of Hamnet and it is painful reading, barring the description of the journey of the plague spreading fleas it is absolutely unmemorable.

I enjoyed it but the final fifth was really tough going, it felt like it was ending the entire time (I was on the Kindle so didn't really know how much was left) and I found myself speed reading and getting grumpy trying to finish it.