This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

salacious crumb

Callan57 wrote: »

I know major lapse in my education - but in my defence I was definitely not the target audience

I have neither read any of the books, or seen any of the movies :pac:

Slattsy

Slattsy wrote: »

Almost finished 1984 (what a book)

Where do i go from here though ??

Went for The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov.

It was a choice between that and A Clockwork Orange, which i'll get next time i think.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm halfway through "The Island Walkers" by John Bemrose. It's basically about a family (The Walkers) in a small mill town in Canada in the 60's. The main focus is on the father Alf, who is offered a promotion by the new owners of the mill if he sells out his friends who are trying to form a union, and his eldest son Joe, who has fallen in love with the new girl at school but is struggling with his working class upbringing and his ambitions to better himself.

I read more when it's sunny so maybe that's why but I've been tearing through this book. It's really enjoyable so far. One of those books that you can see being a great mini series on TV. I always try to picture what I'm reading as a film or TV series and I find my favourite books require very little effort on my part to imagine them that way.

Gamayun

I just finished The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.

It was an enjoyable read, I felt that it dragged in places, and is probably overlong, but the last 80 or so pages sped along nicely. For some reason I imagined it as an anime film in my head as I read it! Good but not great.


Also, just as an aside, this was the third book in a row I've read the US edition of (sheer coincidence, the others being Kinski Uncut and The Unbearable lightness of Being) and I still can't get used to US spelling. When I see mold, molt, dike, ax, mustache, specialty, check (for cheque) etc. I just think "Hey, a typo! ... oh no, wait..."

SarahBM

Putting down the count of Monte Cristo for a while. Reading Heart of Darkness for the light house/chapters book club. It's like 100 pages so should have it read over the weekend.

AnnyHallsal

Just finished The Dante Club. Fun read, beautifully written and I learned a lot about Dante.

Callan57

Finished The Cuckoo's Calling - enjoyed it a lot & I hope she writes more adventures for PI Cormoran Strike & Robin

Now it's on to The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst

Swiper the fox

I read the Guts by Roddy Doyle recently, it was grand, very easy to read obviously but a bit disappointing considering the radio interviews I heard where various radio presenters were fawning over Roddy.

I'm reading Sean Kelly's autobiography which isn't bad, he was a childhood hero of mine so it's nice to track his career as an adult, when I was a kid I never understood why he wasn't winning the tour every year. Very little mention of drugs so far but that's not what I'm interested in this case. Next up is Laurent Fignon's We were young and carefree, going to go on a sports book splurge for a while, I need to fill my sports library.

Belle E. Flops

Was about to start reading Gatsby again. I changed my mind though because I have so many books to get through that I haven't read yet .

Instead I'm starting The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Should be good I think.

Callan57

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

Was about to start reading Gatsby again. I changed my mind though because I have so many books to get through that I haven't read yet .

Instead I'm starting The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. Should be good I think.

Oh that is superb IMO - hope you enjoy

Tom Joad

Finally finished the Count of Monte Cristo and absolutely loved it even if it took me forever to read it . It's definitely in my top five of all time..

Started on Dickens' Bleak House today.. another fairly long one.

emeraldstar

Tom Joad wrote: »

Finally finished the Count of Monte Cristo and absolutely loved it even if it took me forever to read it . It's definitely in my top five of all time..

Started on Dickens' Bleak House today.. another fairly long one.

BH is great! Definitely my favourite Dickens.

Saorenza

Reading Dark Matter by Michelle Paver - a ghost story set in the Arctic. Picked it up in the Oxfam Shop the other day, started it yesterday and have about 50 pages to go.

Merkin

paddyh117 wrote: »

I'm about half way at the moment and loving it - somebody mentioned recently that it was too dark to enjoy, but there's actually some great humour in it - look forward to getting back to it every day!

I've finished East of Eden now and am genuinely curious as to how you found any humour in it? I loved the book, beautifully crafted and so dark, complex, insightful and tragic but I didn't even raise a smile so I'm really curious as to what part of the story you found amusing!!

Have just started August is a Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien, promising so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm still reading The Island Walkers. After tearing through a good 3/4 of it I've started reading it really slowly now because I don't want it to finish

Gamayun

I just finished Phillip Pullman's Grimm Tales: For Young and Old. Loved it.

Pullman looked at all the original (sometimes differing) Grimm editions and picked 53 tales. He reworks them slightly, only where he deemed necessary to aid readability, and adds a small commentary at the end of each. In a few places he adds little touches from other regional variations of the story. He explains his additions in the commentaries and I found that they were all helpful and added to the tales.

All of the classics are there, Rapunzel, Snow white, Sleeping Beauty (AKA Briar Rose), albeit in their original un-Disneyfied versions. Some parts are quite gruesome and the themes quite dark so I can imagine some parents balking at the thought of reading these too their kids!

A easy, fun read though.

eire4

Tom Joad wrote: »

Finally finished the Count of Monte Cristo and absolutely loved it even if it took me forever to read it . It's definitely in my top five of all time..

Started on Dickens' Bleak House today.. another fairly long one.

It is a great book isn't it. I would highly recommend it to anybody who hasn't read it before. Fairly long but well well worth the time to read it.

SarahBM

Finished Heart of Darkness, so back to the Count

Ice Storm

I got the complete works of HP Lovecraft on my kindle a while ago and have been slowly making my way through them ever since with a couple of breaks to read other stuff. Not even halfway through yet.

Honey-ec

Gamayun wrote: »

All of the classics are there, Rapunzel, Snow white, Sleeping Beauty (AKA Briar Rose), albeit in their original un-Disneyfied versions. Some parts are quite gruesome and the themes quite dark so I can imagine some parents balking at the thought of reading these too their kids!

I've had a collection of original Grimm tales since I was about 10 and a lot of people would definitely be surprised to know how dark they are. Cinderella's (aka Ashputtel) sisters chopping parts of their feet off to try and fit into the glass slipper, etc.

I love Philip Pullman, must keep my eye out for this.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I finished The Island Walkers and I loved it so much I hugged the book when I was finished. It's a library copy so I have to give it back but I think I'll have to buy my own copy to keep.

Anyway... what next? I bought The Daughter's of Mars and North and South last week. Will give one of them a go.

Saorenza

I couldn't find Dark Matter last night so I started The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

Merkin

Saorenza wrote: »

I couldn't find Dark Matter last night so I started The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

I absolutely LOVED The Glass Castle - what a totally crazy background Jeannette Walls had! I really enjoyed it.

Saorenza

I am enjoying it. I wanted to read it for a while then I found it in a used book shop attached to a pub in Kinvara during the summer - books and drink - genius!

Merkin

Saorenza wrote: »

I found it in a used book shop attached to a pub in Kinvara during the summer - books and drink - genius!

Bliss!

eire4

Finished a re read of Tim Pat Coogan's compelling The IRA a History this weekend.

maynoothlizard

Staring at Lakes by Michael Harding

Don't think I can finish this one. That hardly ever happens. So much faux-profound claptrap and poor mouth-ing. Laboured poetry as well.

The dealbreaker was when he said an Indian person's eyes were "like two almonds dipped in pools of milk". Nobody looks like that, not unless you're watching Cartoon Network.

Callan57

Finished The Spies Of Warsaw and now moving on to Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong

Honey-ec

Got a bit bored of my zombie collection over the weekend, so abandoned it temporarily in favour of The Tommyknockers. Which is reminding me quite a lot of Needful Things so far, I have to say.

Slattsy

Honey-ec wrote: »

Got a bit bored of my zombie collection over the weekend, so abandoned it temporarily in favour of The Tommyknockers. Which is reminding me quite a lot of Needful Things so far, I have to say.

Whats that like actually, worth a read?

paddyh117

Merkin wrote: »

I've finished East of Eden now and am genuinely curious as to how you found any humour in it? I loved the book, beautifully crafted and so dark, complex, insightful and tragic but I didn't even raise a smile so I'm really curious as to what part of the story you found amusing!!

Have just started August is a Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien, promising so far.

I eventually finished it last night, and there are definitely some funny lines in it - especially in the first half, and mainly involving dialogue between Sam Hamilton and others - It's brief, but it is there.
I would agree however, that it in no way could be described as a "humorous book", but that doesn't mean that it can't contain some lines of wit or humour.

Honey-ec

Slattsy wrote: »

Whats that like actually, worth a read?

Absolutely. I think King's greatest strength is characterisation and this is one of his most character-driven novels; getting right into the nitty gritty of the less savoury aspects of human nature. It's also laugh-out-loud funny in parts - particularly the showdown between two of the town's religious congregations.

Ice Storm

Honey-ec wrote: »

Got a bit bored of my zombie collection over the weekend, so abandoned it temporarily in favour of The Tommyknockers. Which is reminding me quite a lot of Needful Things so far, I have to say.

I found The Tommyknockers very frustrating to read but that may have been because I'd overdosed on Stephen King books at the time. I haven't read Needful Things.

It felt like he kept spoiling the book with dramatic statements at the end of chapters

about how somebody would never be seen again etc. And there was one particular chapter about a character who it was already revealed would die and I just found it hard to give a fcuk.

Drove me crazy at the time!

Edit - blocked that out just in case. Wouldn't really consider what I've written to be spoilers though, it's very vague!

Wichita Lineman

Really interesting book on a topic I've not really read much about - the Irish who fought in World War I. The book is by Neil Richardson and it's called 'A Coward if I Return , A Hero If I Fall - Stories of Irishmen in World War I'.

emeraldstar

Recently finished The Hunger Games trilogy and started Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin. Good so far!

Belle E. Flops

I am absolutely loving 'The Turn of the Screw'.
It's the first book in a long time where I've thought 'just one more chapter' before I go to sleep, but I'd get to the end of the chapter and have to keep reading.

Callan57

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

I am absolutely loving 'The Turn of the Screw'.
It's the first book in a long time where I've thought 'just one more chapter' before I go to sleep, but I'd get to the end of the chapter and have to keep reading.

One of my all-time favourite book - so glad you are enjoying it.

SarahBM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Anyway... what next? I bought The Daughter's of Mars and North and South last week. Will give one of them a go.

Is that the Elizabeth Gaskel North and South? I liked that. BBC did a great adaptation of it with Richard Armatidge.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

SarahBM wrote: »

Is that the Elizabeth Gaskel North and South? I liked that. BBC did a great adaptation of it with Richard Armatidge.

That's the one. Someone actually recommended the BBC thing to me and I thought I'd read the book too. Don't know which one to do first though? Read the book then watch the series or other way around?

SarahBM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

That's the one. Someone actually recommended the BBC thing to me and I thought I'd read the book too. Don't know which one to do first though? Read the book then watch the series or other way around?

Lets just say the BBC take a bit of an artistic license. they are a bit different. but very much enjoyed both. will have to read it again, its been a while.

So many books, so little time. The Count of Monte Cristo is getting juicy:D

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

SarahBM wrote: »

Lets just say the BBC take a bit of an artistic license. they are a bit different. but very much enjoyed both. will have to read it again, its been a while.

Oh? Maybe I should watch it first then? If I read the book and love it and then they do something I hate on TV I'll be maaaaad! :mad:

SarahBM

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Oh? Maybe I should watch it first then? If I read the book and love it and then they do something I hate on TV I'll be maaaaad! :mad:

I watched the tv show first. I love it though. BBC do great drama adaptations.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

SarahBM wrote: »

I watched the tv show first. I love it though. BBC do great drama adaptations.

If you ignore Great Expectations *shakes fist*

Callan57

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

That's the one. Someone actually recommended the BBC thing to me and I thought I'd read the book too. Don't know which one to do first though? Read the book then watch the series or other way around?

Read the book first

Miss Mayhem

I'm about half way through Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs.

salacious crumb

Hellboy - Odd Jobs. A collection of short stories by people such as Christopher Golden w/ Mike Mignola, Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy Holder and Max Allan Collins among others.

Slattsy

Slattsy wrote: »

Went for The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov.

This is one weird/****ed up book - but sweet baby Allah its class so far

salacious crumb

Slattsy wrote: »

This is one weird/****ed up book - but sweet baby Allah its class so far

It's actually one of the few books I had to stop reading. There were so many Russian names, I couldn't keep track of who was who :pac:

Slattsy

salacious crumb wrote: »

It's actually one of the few books I had to stop reading. There were so many Russian names, I couldn't keep track of who was who :pac:

I know what you mean, i have to keep looking back, but after page 200 i should be ok now lol

Whippersnapper

Nearly finished Pep Gurdiola's biography by Guillem Balague. Great insight but Guardiola's not the Messiah. Someone should tell Guillem that.