This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

aliceayres

Stardust, as a continuation of my rather hit and miss Neil Gaiman odyssey.

midgetflynn

Swiper the fox wrote: »

Can't you at least tell us if you liked them, this thread is pointless if it's just a random list of books.

I started The Spinning wheel last night and am absolutely loving it, would have read it in one go but it was very late.

Wow, how pointlessly rude. If you really wanted to know if I liked them or not, a simple 'hey, what did you think of them?' would have done, instead of that snippy sentence. I would have gladly replied back with an answer. Jeez, and I wonder why I don't bother to post much on here.

I enjoyed Life After Life. It's about Ursula Todd, someone who is constantly dying but being reborn in the same life, giving her a chance to change her future. They book has the same basic story over and over but with changes, so you can see how her life changed from a very simple decision.

The Guinea Pig Diaries has the author A.J. Jacobs trying something new each month in each different chapter, be it unitasking, radical honesty, doing everything his wife wants. I liked it, wasn't amazing but a short, interesting enough read.

Happy now?

a0ifee

update on at swim, two boys: the writing is excellent and the characters are interesting, but the history/setting is completely flying over my head..:o

Monkeybonkers

a0ifee wrote: »

update on at swim, two boys: the writing is excellent and the characters are interesting, but the history/setting is completely flying over my head..:o

I love the ghost thing in your sig

a0ifee

it's a quote from welcome to night vale - great podcast!

Gonzovision

I've finished Joyland by Stephen King, which I really enjoyed, apart from the ending to be honest. Next on the list is Imperium by Robert Harris, the forst of the Cicero books.

wantacookie

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb - was recommended to me by a friend I love Dragons

Honey-ec

Gonzovision wrote: »

I've finished Joyland by Stephen King, which I really enjoyed, apart from the ending to be honest.

I really enjoyed Joyland too, although more because of the characters and the "feel" of the book than for the actual plot, so I know exactly what you mean. It worked best as a guy's bittersweet memoir of a particular time of his life rather than as a ghost story. And, tbh, I think where that's where King is at his strongest; with character and tone. He definitely doesn't get enough credit for his writing, imo.

Anyway, back on-topic, I'm reading Bloodland by Alan Glynn. Just found it randomly down in the sitting room while on the hunt for something to read. He's a young Irish writer. Anyway, I started it at about 9pm last night and eventually forced myself to put it down, about halfway through, at 1am so I could get some sleep. Fast paced, rollicking crime caper that I'm dying to finish just so I can see where it ends up, because there are so many different story strings.

Glynn has two previous books published, and I'll probably seek them out once I finish this.

Hermy

About half way through A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry.
Horrible stuff but brilliantly written.

AnnyHallsal

Read The Slap and didn't like it at all. Thought The Old Devils and The Famished Road were ok.

Callan57

Finished Desert by J M G Le Clézio - it was OK but I got a bit fed up of all the descriptions of the hot desert by day and the cold desert by night.


My next read is The Punishment of Virtue by Sarah Chayes ... it's a factual book about Afghanistan

Belle E. Flops

Finished 'The Cuckoo's Calling' by JK Rowling. It was grand, an easy read but crime fiction isn't really my thing. I only read it out if sheer curiosity.

I have just started 'Northern Lights' by Philip Pullman. Even though it's supposed to be a children's book I am really enjoying it so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Almost finished Benediction by Kent Haruf. Loving it nearly as much as Plainsong and Eventide.

Aenaes

Okay, I normally don't do this but I gave up on Naked Lunch. Just freaky, no real story just a random bunch of thoughts and scenes. I realised even if I did finish it that I would never really remember it so there didn't seem any point.

So I started on Makers Of Rome: Nine Lives by Plutarch, a Penguin's classic version translated into English. Oh, how great it is to have structure within a book again!

Swiper the fox

Haven't logged in here in a while, my last post wasn't very popular, didn't mean for it to be an attack on any poster, phrased it badly, just doesn't really interest me to read what books people are reading without any comment, apologies again.

I read the Spinning heart by Donal Ryan and I have to say it is outstanding, I don't think any Irish reader could fail to enjoy it.
Currently reading Blood Horses by John Jeremiah Sullivan, this has received amazing reviews and I'm really loving it, very funny at times and you have no idea whats coming next, he goes off on the longest and most brilliant tangents, you don't need to be a fan of horse racing at all.

a0ifee

finished at swim, two boys, absolutely loved it. Onto the bell jar (sylvia plath) now. Tried to read it before, gave up after awhile, but after doing her poetry in school I felt like I should try it again. I try to never stop reading books in the middle, its not like me!

SarahBM

finished Unplugged by Eoin Colfer, really enjoyed it. Some LOL moments too which I quiet enjoy when Im reading a book. reading the Hunger Games after giving into peer pressure from my friends. nearly finished the first one, its very good.

a0ifee

SarahBM wrote: »

finished Unplugged by Eoin Colfer, really enjoyed it. Some LOL moments too which I quiet enjoy when Im reading a book. reading the Hunger Games after giving into peer pressure from my friends. nearly finished the first one, its very good.

the second hunger games book, catching fire, is the best in the series I think!

emeraldstar

a0ifee wrote: »

the second hunger games book, catching fire, is the best in the series I think!

Reading it at the moment - The Hunger Games was definitely better, IMO.

x Purple Pawprints x

I read the first two Hunger Games books and loved them. I must read the third.

I started Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner and I just couldn't get into it at all for some reason so I gave up. Maybe I'll try again sometime.

About to start The Red House by Mark Haddon.

Callan57

Finished The Punishment of Virtue by former NPR reportedSarah Chayes - a brilliant expose of Afghanistan and the forces at play there post-Taliban(?)
A must for anyone interested in that country & its misfortunate people.

Next for me is Dreams of Joy by Lisa See .... I absolutely loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan so I am looking forward to Dreams of Joy.

Monkeybonkers

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

a0ifee

emeraldstar wrote: »

Reading it at the moment - The Hunger Games was definitely better, IMO.

I'm biased, my favourite character's introduced in the second :pac:

SarahBM

Well Im just getting started on Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) so we will see how it goes. I havent read much today due to Cork winning , and Leeds being on TV etc. so Ive just made a pot of tea and broke out the biscuits, so plan to read for the night.

as regards a previous post about not being able to get into a book and putting it down. I did that with Sense and Sensibility. The first time I tried to read it, I hated it after about 30 pages and stopped. When I went back to it about a year later I loved it and its me 3rd fav Austen book.
Now, having said that, I put down Gone with the Wind, Rob Roy and Dr Zhivago, and I havent brought me self to giving them a second chance yet

wantacookie

The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

judgefudge

A clash of kings by George R.R. Martin

Enjoying the series so far!

a0ifee

SarahBM wrote: »

as regards a previous post about not being able to get into a book and putting it down. I did that with Sense and Sensibility. The first time I tried to read it, I hated it after about 30 pages and stopped. When I went back to it about a year later I loved it and its me 3rd fav Austen book.
Now, having said that, I put down Gone with the Wind, Rob Roy and Dr Zhivago, and I havent brought me self to giving them a second chance yet

I always feel weird if I don't finish a book, no matter how terrible it is I try to keep going!

emeraldstar

a0ifee wrote: »

I always feel weird if I don't finish a book, no matter how terrible it is I try to keep going!

Same! Which is a real pain.

salacious crumb

Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo - Oscar Zeta Acosta

VanillaLime

I always try to finish a book too, even if I'm not loving it!

Just finished The Cuckoo's Calling, enjoyed it but not outstandingly brilliant.

Currently reading Sue Grafton's V is for Vengeance - nice and light!

Have The Bat by Jo Nesbo and Before I met You by Lisa Jewell for after that.

SarahBM

On to Mockingjay, really enjoying the series!

emeraldstar

SarahBM wrote: »

On to Mockingjay, really enjoying the series!

Just finished Catching Fire and don't have this one yet

SarahBM

emeraldstar wrote: »

Just finished Catching Fire and don't have this one yet

I got the box set so I wouldnt have that problem.

Honey-ec

a0ifee wrote: »

I always feel weird if I don't finish a book, no matter how terrible it is I try to keep going!

emeraldstar wrote: »

Same! Which is a real pain.

I used to force myself to do this, out of some ill-formed sense of duty. Until I finally came across the one book that was so bad, I fired it into the bin in a restaurant one day, and felt nothing but a giddy sense of relief afterwards.

Life is too short to finish shite books. End of.

salacious crumb

Honey-ec wrote: »

Life is too short to finish shite books. End of.

Couldn't agree more. It's very rare that I actually start a sh*t book, but have no qualms putting one down after a couple of chapters.

SarahBM

I agree to a certain extent that you shouldnt waste time reading a crap book, but I think in order to be able to criticize a book, I should have read. that way, if you are arguing with someone about how rubbish a book is, you can at least say that you read the bloody thing. Am I making sense?! (probably not)
I have those few books, that I will one day finish, but at the moment, I am enjoying other books. Im about 2/3 the way through Mockingjay.

salacious crumb

Yeah, you're making sense. It's very, very, very rarely that I will actually stop reading a book, and in fact, I have gone back later on a couple of occassions to re-read a book and enjoyed it, case in point PK Dick is one of, if not my favourite authors, and A Scanner Darkly is one of my favourite and most read books, but the first two times I attempted to read it I gave up after a few chapters

DublinArnie

"The Fifth Wave" by Rick Yancey, really interesting book! Got it on Tuesday and almost finished it, despite it being 490+ pages .

AnnyHallsal

Neil Gaiman's American Gods

salacious crumb

AnnyHallsal wrote: »

Neil Gaiman's American Gods

Great book.

Hells Belle

Finished Sacrifice by Paul Finch, very good thriller/police procedural set in the UK. This is his 2nd book the first being Stalkers. I only paid 3 pounds for both on the Kindle.

I have A Storm of Swords on audio book, I like to listen to it when I'm cooking and about half way through. Really enjoying it.

I snatched a copy of MaddAdam from the librarian today, all shiny and new! It does recap the last 2 books but I'm a bit sketchy on The Year of the Flood so I'm going to reread the last few chapters.

I'll let ye know how I get on :-)

Callan57

Finished Dreams of Joy by Lisa See last night - set in China during the extraordinary period of Mao's Great Leaf Forward when mass delusion & starvation in pursuit of unattainable ends wiped out millions.

Next for me is Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman

a0ifee

reading I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak. It's completely different to The Book Thief, but its brilliant in it's own way - what a fantastic writer

SarahBM

Well now that I have finally read the Hunger Games I can get back to the Count of Monte Cristo. But Im going to read Of Mice and Men over the wknd because I have to give it back to my friend

hairyprincess

A few recommendations, Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes - brilliant reading; one were the kids were neglected while reading!

From Me to You by Jojo Moyes - a serious tearjerker, again another case of kids being neglected! A truly lovely story.

What Have I Done by Amanda Prowse - a brilliant read. It put me through such a range of emotions. Finished abruptly though, and at 87% if I remember correctly, on the kindle.

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb - another excellent read.

The Detectives Daughter by Lesley Thomson - I'm torn on this one, it's a book with a long build up, the way the story is going to unfold doesn't become clear until around 75%, up until that you are introduced to different characters with no sense where they are going to fit in. However the last 25% was very good, so if you can cope with a dragged out beginning and middle then the ending is worth it.

Oh and Michael McIntyres (the comedian) autobiography is hilarious; Life and Laughing: My Story.

SarahBM

I know of Mice and Men is a tiny book, but I am actually struggling. I dont like it at all. Its so boring. Must persevere.

Aenaes

I'd urge you to try and stick with it. It's a pretty straightforward and simple story (yeah, themes and such can be found but let's leave that for LC students) and you have to remember it's not really meant to be action-packed. Those labourers were eking out a living during the Depression, basically working just to get their meals and I think the book tries to capture their boredom and lack of excitement.

Perhaps try and approach the book appreciating what they had to go through, it might help.

SarahBM

thanks I'll try. But after reading East of Eden, I didnt really look forward to this. Im going to try and finish it today.

MagicMarker

I'm nearing the end of A Song of Ice and Fire #2. It's definitely not as good as the first book, I think there's far too many characters tbh, I'm finding myself starting to skim now.

Callan57

Finished Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman .... it was ok but not as good as some of her other books.


Just picked up How Many Miles to Babylon by Jennifer Johnston