Tips, links and suggestions: What are you reading this week?

Your space to discuss the books you are reading and what you think of them

Welcome to this week's blog. Here's a roundup of your comments and photos from last week.

FrDuffyFighting69th said:

I am reading 'My Imitation of Christ' by Thomas A Kempis - ca 1420. It was written to provide a handbook on Christian devotion for his fellow religious brothers. However, as the foremost example of instruction on Devotio Moderna, I find it sublimely beautiful and extremely salient for modern day Christians seeking a deeper understanding of their Faith. It is one of those works that transcends the ages, and indicates that the author had spent many hours in prayer and meditation. I highly recommend it, that is if there are still any contemplative Christians out there who read the Guardian.

My long anticipated copy of Midnight, Dhaka a collection of poems by Mir Mahfuz Ali - has finally arrived. I had every intention of savouring this book slowly, dipping into it and letting the rich loam of his imagery soak into my mind in measured portions, but I couldn't do it. It's wonderful, every bit as good as I imagined it would be. I can't even describe how talented this man is. Insert half a dozen superlatives here...

Superb thriller set in London in 1927 about a former solider, Fred Rowlands - who has lost his sight during WWI - becoming involved in the cover-up of a murder. During his work as a switchboard operator, he overhears that his boss, (and former commanding officer), is having an affair with the wife of a wealthy and powerful socialite. This leads to murder and a game of cat & mouse, which Fred is an unwitting participant in... A really gripping murder mystery. Very filmic. Made me think of Hitchcock and 'The Lives of Others.'

Sent via GuardianWitness

By JamesCV84

27 May 2014, 15:21

I've been reading Out For Blood by Margot Adler; it's a Kindle Single asking why vampires are so popular in contemporary pop culture, especially literature, and for someone who's never read a vampire book it's fascinating! Every chapter offers a different theory (Power, Sexuality, Spirituality) while linking it to Adler's own views on paganism and environmental activism. It's a really thoughtful piece and as a result Anne Rice has raced up my to-read list.

I bought this in 1987 and I've read at least 15 times since then. It's a fantastic fantasy quest through Ireland, funny and scary. It never gets tired.

Sent via GuardianWitness

By hoodedpigwoman

27 May 2014, 20:35

I'm a bit obsessed with Steinbeck. Though a big fan of Dickens, Miller, Shakespeare, Conrad, Hemingway amongst others, I connect to his voice more than any other. This is a collection of his early stories and you can see his style and subjects forming into what would later become his masterpieces. No one author seems to appreciate, celebrate and understand our soul, nature and connection to the living world like him. Social justice, truth and human promise - feels like the world would be a lot smarter and more peaceful if everyone appreciated his observations - and Gove could do with working a few shifts on a farm crew before making anymore decisions!

Sent via GuardianWitness

By James Stokes

28 May 2014, 9:50

I have to confess I'm a little scared of her. There are so many collections in my library that I don't know where to start and I'm also put off by her reputation. Worried that I'm not going to get her.

The great thing about Alice Munro's writing is that I don't think there is anything to get in the deep sense of the word. Her writing is very accessible and free of pretentiousness. Most of her stories are about very everyday people leading unremarkable lives yet she makes them interesting.

I agree with Isabelle Ileinster. No need to fear Alice Munro's stories. Eloquent, wise and succinct, she observes, with deceptive simplicity, human nature with all its quirks and foibles. For me she has the defining ability to express so much in so few words. I don't think you would regret reading any of her collections, I have enjoyed them all, and was particularly cheered that, at turned 80, her magic is still evident in Dear Life.

A TBR list is a bit like a financial debt. It weighs on you. And then it gets out of control and you find yourself in a spiral. And this place? Its like the pub or the bookmakers on the road between the ATM and the supermarket. Im almost flinching away from this weeks postings: Alice Munro, did several people say? Something about midnight in the capital of Bangladesh? Something about Gujarat, and some stories from the place they now call Mumbai? Get away from me! Be gone you foul temptresses! I have a stack of unread books climbing towards the ceiling already, and work to do!

Continue reading...