This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Belle E. Flops

Finished The Lord of the Flies last night. It is a good story but I didn't particularly like it.

Going to start The Lies of Locke Lamora tonight.

Wyldwood

Rereading The Diary of Anne Frank as I'm off to Amsterdam again shortly.

Rothko

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

Finished The Lord of the Flies last night. It is a good story but I didn't particularly like it.

Going to start The Lies of Locke Lamora tonight.

Yeah, I felt the same. I was a bit disappointed after I read it.

SarahBM

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

Finished The Lord of the Flies last night. It is a good story but I didn't particularly like it.

Hated that book took me AGES to read, simply because I dreaded picking it up. I made my self read it , but it was torture!

Im not reading at the moment. carrying Roll of Thunder round in my hand bag, praying I'll get a few mins to get started on it, but alas, Masters is taking over my life.

Im hoping I will get to read a chunk of it this wknd on the train home. I will probably end up having to read for college though

a0ifee

Belle E. Flops wrote: »

Finished The Lord of the Flies last night. It is a good story but I didn't particularly like it.

Going to start The Lies of Locke Lamora tonight.

i was really disappointed by the lord of the flies. Thought the premise was excellent but the story itself was disappointing..especially the ending. Some parts were quite good though. Not a favourite.

Busi_Girl08

Finished Doctor Sleep last night. Enjoyed it. It was a decent follow-on from the Shining but would still work ok as a standalone.

Started The Girl With All The Gifts this morning. Liking it so far.

Callan57

Finished Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafón - superb gothic story set in Barcelona, loved it.

Now it's How's the Pain by Pascal Garnier

bnt

Just started The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy. It's the first of his L.A. Quartet set in the late 1940s. All I know about that world is from the film adaptation of L.A. Confidential (the 3rd in the Quartet, one of my favourite films), but I'm already getting hooked. Not much action so far, but a heck of a lot of foreboding, the feeling that things are going to get horribly complicated at some point.

The narrator, a former boxer, is ambitious to move up in the L.A. police force, but he's been tainted by his German father's membership of the German American Bund during the war. So he's had to do some unsavory things to get anywhere, such as snitching on some Japanese friends (who were interned), and agreeing to fight another (bigger) officer who was also a boxer. If you've seen the film, you'll have some idea of how corrosive the environment was - the turf wars, in-fighting (political or not), casual institutional racism, and so on.

ancapailldorcha

Working my way through Memories of Ice at the moment but I've put it down in favour of the Pevear/Volokhonsky translation of Crime and Punishment as I'm heading to St. Petersburg and Moscow in April for a bit. Shame they've left the street names blank but I've only just started it and the language flows very nicely IMO.

minnow

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

I've started The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Bit daunting given the size of it, I think I could literally kill someone with it, if I wanted to. Very early days but so far so good.

Just 100 pages in myself and really enjoying it much as I did The Secret History and The Little Friend. Wonderful style of writing...

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

minnow wrote: »

Just 100 pages in myself and really enjoying it much as I did The Secret History and The Little Friend. Wonderful style of writing...

Yeah, I like the writing a lot. Haven't read any of her other books but I might have to give them a go after this.

Censorsh!t

Reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt at the moment. Really like it, absolutely flying through it!

EDIT: Haha! Never even noticed the posts before my one about her books! Coincidence!

Callan57

Finished How's the Pain? in one sitting ... fantastic little book. Can't believe it 4 equally brilliant books in a row - not often that happens

Now I'm on to The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

DazMarz

The Wolf Of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

The story of the meteoric rise and ignominious fall of one of the most unscrupulous, degenerate and criminal stock brokers ever to ply his trade on Wall Street. So many sordid tales, so little time. Quite a good read, but it gets a bit samey-samey at times. Recently adapted into a brilliantly funny film by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the eponymous Wolf.

also started reading:

You're OK, It's Just A Bruise by Dr. Rob Huizenga

The story of a team doctor for the NFL team, the L.A. Raiders (now the Oakland Raiders), from the mid-1980's up to the mid-1990's. Not far into it, but it's intriguing; how a doctor must battle with his own intuition and his principles in order to ensure that players can play, regardless of risk of serious injury. Keeping them doped up with painkillers and steroids and pumping them with hydrating fluids to keep them on the field. How far would you go to risk a person's health in order to keep them playing?

Hidalgo

adrian522 wrote: »

I finished this today, I really liked it, the last chapter was a bit dis-jointed or rushed or something but the book as a whole was very satisfying. As I said above I love the writing it almost reads as poetry.

Anyway, enough of Star of the Sea, I'm moving onto Friday Night Lights by HG Bissinger

I'm a fan of the movie and have heard good things about it and need some sort of american football fix in the off season.

One of my favourite sports books I've read, largely because it doesn't concentrate solely on the sport in question (and I'm a huge sports fan myself) but also examines wider issues.


Another American Football book I'd recommend is 'The glory days and party days nights of the Dallas Cowboys' by Jeff Pearlman. Brilliant insight into the Cowboys dynasty of the early 90s and some of the antics players got up to

Tom Joad

Just finished Vanity Fair and absolutely loved it. Next up is Chandler The Big sleep which I'm already 1/4 off the way through and enjoying it.

zyanya

"People Of Forever Are Not Afraid" by Shani Boianjiu.Young girls, Israeli military service. More thoughs and sensations that you'd think. Liking it lots so far.

adrian522

Hidalgo wrote: »

One of my favourite sports books I've read, largely because it doesn't concentrate solely on the sport in question (and I'm a huge sports fan myself) but also examines wider issues.


Another American Football book I'd recommend is 'The glory days and party days nights of the Dallas Cowboys' by Jeff Pearlman. Brilliant insight into the Cowboys dynasty of the early 90s and some of the antics players got up to

Yeah I enjoying it, I've read a fair few American football books, and this is right up there.

Xenophile

Just finished "The Turn of The Screw" by Henry James...........for me, I never finished second level education it was heavy going but I can see now why it is still in print and will be for a long time to come. Anyone tell me if this is Third Level reading or Second Level maybe?

Jijsaw

Just finished 'A Clash of Kings' by George R.R Martin. Found it tedious and boring around pages 250-450 but then it picked up again.
About 100 pages into 'Battle Royale' by Koushun Takami, enjoying it so far.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

I'm still reading The Goldfinch, it's a long auld read. Last night I was in bed nice and early so I thought I'd read a few pages before going to sleep, two hours later I was still going! And I'm still only about half way through!

I'm enjoying it although last night was the first time I actually struggled to put it down.

I've only read 2 books in the last year that I couldn't put down and finished in 2/3 sittings so as of now The Goldfinch isn't up to that standard but it's close.

Callan57

Loving by Henry Green

Heard this one recommended by John Banville last week on radio so have to give it a go

Rothko

Just starting to read Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sleep? by Phillip K. Dick. It's my first novel of his that I've tried to read.

SarahBM

about half way through Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. not really blown away by it, but its ok. Considering that its a school book I thought I would fly through it, but Im a slow reader.

eire4

Finished a re read of Norman Davies Europe a History this week.

kam3qnwvebf4jh

vepyewwo wrote: »

I stayed up until 3 am finishing this, so tired now but really enjoyed it. There are two more books in the series - The Secret Speech and Agent 6.
It has already been made into a film starring Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace, think it's due out later this year.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014763/

Started into "Child 44" last week based on recommendation above and am absolutely hooked. Powerful writing from such a young author about a time in history he wasn't even witness to.

Callan57

One of my favourite authors Kate Moss - The Mistletoe Bride

Tom Joad

Finished Chandlers The Big Sleep and really enjoyed it - nice style of writing and great turn of phrase. Started on The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne - another relatively short read.

paddyh117

Finished Ian Rankin's Saints of the Shadow Bible - usual enjoyable easy-read from him.
Now well into Colum McCann - TransAtlantic, and enjoying it very much so far

Huzzah!

paddyh117 wrote: »

Finished Ian Rankin's Saints of the Shadow Bible - usual enjoyable easy-read from him.
Now well into Colum McCann - TransAtlantic, and enjoying it very much so far

I loved Transatlantic. One of the few books that I stayed awake into the wee small hours to finish.

binncheol

I'm currently reading 'Shift' by Hugh Howey. It's the sequel (well actually it's a prequel) to the fantastic Wool omnibus. So good!

SarahBM

Finished Roll of Thunder - it was good, I wouldnt say amazing, but very good.

Started Dracula today, going to try get it finished before the end of the month. I've just read the first chapter, but I like it so far.

minnow

Just finished The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beauman. Very witty and cleverly written, reminded me of early Martin Amis.

Now starting A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.

Antibac

Currently reading 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Only started but so far its excellent

adrian522

adrian522 wrote: »

I finished this today, I really liked it, the last chapter was a bit dis-jointed or rushed or something but the book as a whole was very satisfying. As I said above I love the writing it almost reads as poetry.

Anyway, enough of Star of the Sea, I'm moving onto Friday Night Lights by HG Bissinger

I'm a fan of the movie and have heard good things about it and need some sort of american football fix in the off season.

Just finished Friday night lights, I think it is a very good book. A study of a town absolutely obsessed with HS football.

It covers a lot of ground but the emphasis is on the town and the culture and it works very well.

If you are looking for a re-hash of the (fictional) TV series than this probably won't deliver that, but as a real life sports book, it's as good as any I've read.

Rothko

Antibac wrote: »

Currently reading 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Only started but so far its excellent

I think that's a good book but a bit too long.

Wyldwood

i'm glad someone else feels like that, Suas11. I'm 500 pages in and while I enjoyed the first 300 or so pages, I'm now starting to wish he'd just get on with it. Very good concept though.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

Still on The Goldfinch. Getting a bit bogged down now. There's bits that are great but then there's bits that seem like she was just trying to write a really long book. I've gone from being 1 book ahead of schedule on my Goodreads 2014 challenge to being 1 book behind, all because of The Goldfinch

SarahBM

Im not really into horror and Im only 2 chapters in, but Im really getting the atmosphere in Dracula.

Callan57

Just picked up Alan Bennett's The Laying On Of Hands ... small little book, will read it in a hour or two

IvyTheTerrible

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Still on The Goldfinch. Getting a bit bogged down now. There's bits that are great but then there's bits that seem like she was just trying to write a really long book. I've gone from being 1 book ahead of schedule on my Goodreads 2014 challenge to being 1 book behind, all because of The Goldfinch

I'm the same. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it's getting a bit much for me now!

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

I'm the same. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it's getting a bit much for me now!

Yeah, she spent ages and ages on the Vegas section, it got really repetitive after a while, then she just skips over months and years in the next chapters. I suppose the Vegas section was an important portion of his life and went a long way to shaping the adult he'd become but it dragged so much. I have the feeling that when I'm finished I'll think overall it was a good story but you had to pick the good story out from all the extra stuff. We'll see.

Callan57

The Corn Maiden & Other Nightmares by Joyce Carol Oates

AnnyHallsal

I really liked The Goldfinch. It lost me a little towards the end but overall I was engrossed.

Now reading two non-fiction: Claire Tomalin's biography of Thomas Hardy and Anthony Lane's Nobody's Perfect. Even though I don't always agree with his reviews, the latter's totally moreish.

Wyldwood

Stayed up to the wee hours to finish 11/22/63 and I must say that in spite of a bit of a drag in the middle it's one of the best books I've read in recent years. Maybe the fact that I was a child in the 60s and remember the Kennedy shooting made it strike more of a chord but I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

eire4

Finished a re read of Stephen Donaldson's Lord Fouls Bane.

IvyTheTerrible

I finished The Goldfinch, apart from some parts being over long (and I didn't believe the Boris character), I quite liked it. Tartt writes beautifully.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO

^ I'm so annoyed at The Goldfinch that I haven't picked it up for 2 days. I turned the page to yet another massive time jump and I just lost it! I've never had such a strained relationship with a book before

Callan57

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

Merkin

The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck