This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Xofpod

Exiles, Jane Harper. Enjoying it; seems like more of a straight-up whodunnit than the last book of hers I read (the Lost Man - brilliant).

eire4

Finished John Connolly's A Song of Shadows a thriller from his Charlie Parker series. This one is a bit different in that it is a transitional book in the series carrying directly on from Parker's near death in the previous book and setting the stage for whats to come with in between Parker becoming involved in looking into a series of murders involving neo nazi's centered around the small seaside town he is rehabbing in.

That They May Face The Rising Sun

eire4

Finished Michael Connolly's The Black Box another of his Bosch series crime thrillers and enjoyed it.

Xofpod

The Trees, Percival Everett. Dark, funny, upsetting - probably the book I've enjoyed most so far this year.

Went straight out and picked up his most recent book, Dr. No.

eire4

Finished Isaac Asimov's third and final Galactic Empire novel Pebble In The Sky. Not as good as the first 2 in the series I felt but still well worth the read. 

Xofpod

Fairy Tale, Stephen King. Not his best but still worth a read.

Red Alert, Bill Bowder

eire4

Finished Anne Rice's The Mummy. So sad that she passed away at the end of last year. Truly one of my favorite writers and loved this stand alone book of her's. It is very much in her horror/super natural historical fiction tradition.

eire4

Finished Michael Connelly's The Gods of Guilt which is from his Lincoln Lawyer crime series and another good read in that series.

Hermy

Recently started Wolf Hall and am really liking it so far.

Have been on a long non fiction run so needed something i knew was a good story.

I'm re-reading Any Human Heart. Absolutely love this book.

I think I'll read Paddy Clarke ha ha ha next

eire4

Finished John Connolly's A Time of Torment. Another very good entry in his Parker Thriller series.

New Home

"As it is in heaven" by Niall Williams. I love it, so far. I'm split between devouring and savouring it, so I end up devouring it and then leaving it for a few days to make it last.

Mr.Nice Guy

Finished 'The Stories of Ray Bradbury' which contains a hundred of his short stories. I never read him before and came away a big fan. Quite a few of them are set in Ireland as well which was a nice surprise.

Fahrenheit 451 seems to be his best known work, so I'll have to get around to reading that at some stage.

Hermy

Taking a break from Wolf Hall which is a slow burner and will take me some time to finish and instead reading Music on Clinton Street, Pat McCabe's second published work, his first being the children's story The Adventures of Shay Mouse. It's a slim volume so shouldn't take too long to read and then back to Tudor England.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120755449#Comment_120755449

I will have to get a hold of that Ray Bradbury stories book. Sounds interesting. I have read his Fahrenheit 451 and would highly recommend it an excellent anti authoritarianism book.

Xofpod

Read a few recently:

The Queen of Dirt Island, Donal Ryan. Loved it. Slightly different style/structure to his other books. Also kind of a follow-up to his previous book, Strange Flowers.

Record of a spaceborn few, Becky Chambers. Good, positive sci-fi. Looking forward to working my way through the rest of her books.

The assassination of Margaret Thatcher, Hillary Mantel. Short stories, bit of a mixed bag but she's a wonderful writer. Her third Cromwell book is still glaring at me from the shelf. I know I'll enjoy it when I read it but just have to get in the mood....

Currently reading Dr. No, Percival Everett - great so far.

eire4

Finish Tana French's The Witch Elm. Another really good mystery novel from her. She really gets in lots of twists and develops the characters really well. What was extra interesting in this one for me was how much I disliked the constant self indulgent self pity of the main character. One of her best books I have read so far.

eire4

Finished Laurell K Hamilton's Bloody Bones from her Anita Blake Vampire hunter series. It was the first of her books for me and I have to say it was pretty mediocre stuff.

Mr.Nice Guy

I finished The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. I wasn't sure about it early on but I grew to enjoy it. I gather there is a Netflix series based on it coming out in a few months.

I might read the sequels when I get the chance.

Hermy

Currently back reading Dracula, one of a number of books on my shelf that I started reading and then stopped but haven't given up on.

It's such a famous story that I'm determined to finish it but I'm not loving it to be honest.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120924802#Comment_120924802

Must I have read it a few times and loved it. I assume your referring to Bram Stokers?

eire4

Finished Ken Bruen's Green Hell. Classic noir from the Galway author with his Jack Taylor PI character. A short but great read.

Hermy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120931943#Comment_120931943

Yes, I am referring to the Stoker original.

It's a great story, but I'm not generally a fan of books with multiple narrators, and though it's interesting the way it's told through the correspondence of the various characters, much of that correspondence, especially that of the female characters, is so gushing and flowery, that I found myself skimming over it to get on to something more substantive. If only the whole book were in the manner of the opening four chapters told through Harker's journal then we would have had quite a book. But instead the plot continually grinds to a halt while characters endlessly prattle on in the most exaggeratedly earnest tones about how much they love and respect one another. I'm sorry to say but much of this book has been utter tedium.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120933359#Comment_120933359

Fair enough. I can see where your coming from there. Personally I really liked it and have read it multiple times but I can see what your saying there.

Hermy

Ah, don't mind me - if you like it then that's all that matters.

I think I'm just annoyed with the book cause it's one I would have liked to have liked more than I do.

miamee

Currently reading Every Dead Thing by John Connolly. I hadn't read it or any John COnnolly books before but a writer I admire a lot recommended it at a festival event so I added it to my TBR. I'm more than halfway through it but finding it hard going at times. There are so many different things going on that I feel like I have definitely missed out on some bits/connections. I'm not in the greatest form for reading the last while so have been sticking with 'easy reading' but I usually love a crime drama...this one maybe a bit more gory than my usual reads. Has anyone else read and enjoyed it? It's the first Charlie Parker novel.

Xofpod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120964749#Comment_120964749

My wife and my brother both love this book and the whole series, and they normally have decent enough taste, but I could never get into it. I found it was trying a bit too hard to be gritty/gory/noire-y and didn't really land it.

The series goes off in a kind of a supernatural direction so if that's of interest, may be worth sticking with them.

miamee

Thanks @Xofpod I think you're right, there is a bit of a try hard element to fit a lot into the book. As a result I am a little bit lost (or wasn't paying full attention at some important bits!) I'll finish it but I am not sure I will be looking to read the next one. We'll see!