Goodreads Ireland discussion
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What Are You Reading
I have just finished "A man called Ove" and would put it down as one of the best books I have ever read. I am in a book club and we are meeting tonight and it was I who suggested the book so I am waiting with bated breath to hear the review of the other members. I would describe Ove as Victor Meldrew for anybody who has seen "one foot in the grave", however, I agree with quite a bit of his thinking but probably wouldn't be as proactive and fort right as Ove is. I would definitely recommend this book to readers of all ages and it gets 5 stars from me.
Siobhan I'm planning Ove soon. I've heard a lot of good things about it. Hope it goes down well with your bookclub. Mine has not liked any of my picks :-( Ah well, can't please all the people...
Siobhan, that looks really good!
Siobhan wrote: "I have just finished "A man called Ove" and would put it down as one of the best books I have ever read. I am in a book club and we are meeting tonight and it was I who suggested the book so I am w..."I have read his other two books and loved them. He has a really unique style and I feel happy when I'm done with them. Let me know how the book club discussion goes.
BTW, on a personal note, how would you pronounce your name?
Hi SusanI didn't do too badly at the bookclub meeting. I am currently in second place behind "The accidental tourist". I much preferred Ove and not because I picked the book. I have downloaded "My grandmother sends her regards and apologizes" on my kindle so looking forward to reading that. What were the 2 books that you read?
We don't have any "v's" in the Irish language so my name is pronounced like "Shiv aun" and is irish for Joan/Joanne/Johanna
Glad your book went down well Siobhan. I must read is soon ;-)
Thanks Margo. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I will keep you posted about My grandmother sends her regards and apologizes.
I just finished A Great and Terrible Beauty. I really liked it. I jumped right into Shakespeare's Trollop . It's a genre flip lol.
Siobhan, I checked out the reviews on A Man Called Ove and thought it looked great. I added it to my To Read shelf.
Siobhan wrote: "Hi SusanI didn't do too badly at the bookclub meeting. I am currently in second place behind "The accidental tourist". I much preferred Ove and not because I picked the book. I have downloaded "M..."
Thank you, Siobhan. Your name sounds lovely. I never would have guessed it was associated with Joan.
The two books were My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry and Britt-Marie Was Here. Britt Marie was my favorite. I was just filled with joy when I finished it.
Now, what do you mean about coming in second at the book club? Is it a vote for selection or how much you like it? Sorry to be nosy but I am curious.
Hi SusanWe rate our books out of 10 as to what we feel that the book was worth overall/would we recommend it to a friend/what we liked or disliked about the book etc. Sometimes, as I am sure with most book clubs, you would have one take on the book but once we start discussing it one would see another side to the discussion.
We meet in a bar as the owner/manager is a member of our club and they sponsored a plaque which is presented each year to the overall winner. Its just a bit of fun but it also puts a bit of competition and thinking into picking the book for the month.
Sounds like a fun bookclub siobhan. Where's it based?
Siobhan, that sounds so interesting. I've never heard of doing that but it sounds fun. I love that you meet in a bar. I bet that perks up the discussion. We are such dull, old people that we meet in the library. Yours sounds more fun. Although three of the old ladies are major pot growers so we do have a spark of rebelliousness in us.
Susan I'm shocked lol Better hope Trelawn doesn't see that - you might lose you flower girl position. Nobody wants a stoned bridesmaid on a scooter!! Think of the havoc :-p
It's days like this when I think this group here would be fun in person.
Susan wrote: "Siobhan, that sounds so interesting. I've never heard of doing that but it sounds fun. I love that you meet in a bar. I bet that perks up the discussion. We are such dull, old people that we meet i..."It sounds fun to me too. I wish they had book clubs here in NYC that met in a bar. It might get more of my neighbors to start reading books again.
Our bookclub meets in an the pub on occasion. The last time was when the member who was due to host had an child with chickenpox so couldn't let anyone in. We find the atmosphere not as good. I guess it depends on the place in question. Your local, where the owner is a part of the club, sounds ideal Siobhan.
It would need to be a fairly relaxed place though for a bookclub meeting. You wouldn't want to be in a restaurant/cafe that's really busy and trying to rush tables and a bar would want to be fairly quiet too. I like the idea of the trophy for whoever picks the clubs favourite read
True plus people will add on teas/coffees and cakes....mmm....lol
What kind of bars do you go to, Seraphina, where they serve cake? My goodness. At the bars here you are lucky to get peanuts.
Ah you'll have to come over to find out Susan, alot of the bars here serve food. Keeps people drinking for longer. And if there is a match on tv, you'll sometimes even get free food!
Emma wrote: "If you've got a big enough group they don't rush you. They're making enough money off the table anyway."I think that's a good point Emma, they like customers to stay buying and as Seraphina said people always add teas and coffees! I'm really hoping that we'll find a good location for my online club for next month as finally all of the members are moving to the one place!
I haven't really been reading much this month as there was too much happening with planes, trains and automobiles, so I plan to get on the Night Circus as soon as I get home to Ireland. I have been
rereading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, currently on book 2, to pass some time as light reading. It's not as good as I remembered it though.
I'm reading Rebel Angels by Libba Bray. I seem to gravite to historical fiction/fantasy and sometimes YA in that combination. I'm enjoying this series.
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my review, 3.5/5 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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Water Tossing Boulders: How a Family of Chinese Immigrants Led the First Fight to Desegregate Schools in the Jim Crow South
my review, 5/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Yukon, Canada mystery
Strange Things Done
my review, 4/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm currently reading a book for school, it's hard to read and not really a pleasure... I don't know the English translation, but in French it's "Les Tragiques", written by Agrippa d'Aubigné, in 1616 ! A bit.... Old-fashioned
I recently finished reading The Guns of August. It's amazing the extent to which the world we live in today was shaped by the events that occurred in the first month of World War I. Tuchman is a superb historian and I was especially impressed by the way she made sense of the movements of vast armies across the map of Europe.
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I already have Guns of August as as an audio book and as a physical book and plan to get around to reading/listening to it this year. I found that in my American history education, we did very little on WW1.
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Sara wrote: "Thomas the court book sounds fascinating and I'm adding it to my TBR list.I already have Guns of August as as an audio book and as a physical book and plan to get around to reading/listening to i..."
I think you'll enjoy The Guns of August, Sara. It's compulsively readable. There's so much drama that it's almost like reading a novel.
Pauline wrote: "I'm currently reading a book for school, it's hard to read and not really a pleasure... I don't know the English translation, but in French it's "Les Tragiques", written by Agrippa d'Aubigné, in 16..."I checked out the summary of Les Tragiques, Pauline, and doubt I could get into it myself. I don't know, though, if it's only because it's so old. I remember reading Villon, who's even in earlier, in my French literature courses and enjoying his work immensely.
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I already have Guns of August as as an audio book and as a physical book and plan to get around to reading/listening to i..."
Sara, I think that you will enjoy it. Publication date is 10-16-16.
Frank : it's not because it's old but because it's hard to understand... But the historical context is really interesting and the poetry too
Pauline wrote: "Frank : it's not because it's old but because it's hard to understand... But the historical context is really interesting and the poetry too "Sorry if I misunderstood, Pauline. d'Aubigné himself seems an interesting character from what I read on Wikipedia. His father was involved in a plot to kidnap the French king, wasn't he? The article didn't make clear, though, the extent to which his Huguenot affiliations influenced his poetry or his opposition to the Pléiade school whose chief poet Ronsard, I know, was often attacked by the Huguenots.
I'm in the middle of Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders (Gaiman) and Small Wonder (Kingsolver). I've trying to decide on my next novel.
Yes Frank, you're right. D'Aubigné is very interesting by his opposition with the royalty; and depicts the royal court and the middle-class men, in his second book untitled "Princes", and derides the prince Henri III. In the first one, he draws up the portrait of ravaged France, "Misères". It's hard to read because of the old words, alexandrines and the old-fashioned verses, and specially the reversed subjects-verbs. Yet, it's understandable and admirable (and quite appreciable too :D). D'Aubigné took part on many of these wars and was against the royalty, and the regent queen Catherine de Médicis... Historically fascinating !
Unfortunately, most of my knowledge of French history comes through reading Dumas père. Right now I'm finishing The Man in the Iron Mask and it's interesting to try to determine how far the author's characterizations of Louis XIV, Fouquet and Colbert differ from reality.
I'm enjoying my re-read of The Night Circus. My memory waned on some of it. It's just as good the second time around. I think I missed a few things the first time.
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There is a book about the real life model for Dumas' characters
The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
I just finished Academy Street and it was a very interesting and fast read . Very sad .Not sure how I feel about the ending.
Thank you, Thomas. That's an excellent suggestion. I've added The Black Count to my To Read list.My big problem, though, isn't so much with Dumas's fictional characters as with the historical figures who turn up in his novels. His characterization of these necessarily reflects his own interpretation of past events which might be quite different from that of professional historians.
I finished reading Brideshead Revisited while locked inside my apartment during the heat wave this week. I was really surprised what a great novel it was, on a par with the best works of Virginia Woolf and Angus Wilson. I've always had an admiration for writers who so dispassionately describe the lifestyles of the English upper classes.
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My big problem, though, isn't so much with Dumas's fictional characters as with the historical fig..."
You're Welcome
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Vanish my review,5/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One False Move my review, 4/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Outsider in Amsterdam my review, 4.5/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Badlands my review, 4/5
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've a copy of the Cursed Child as well but have decided to hold off until I see it performed. A few friends of mine have seen it prior to release and have had a "magical" experience. They seem to be very innovative in how they portray the magic etc. with the whole theatre lighting up at certain points etc. Almost a 4D experience.
I read Outsider in Amsterdam years ago, Thomas, and would also give it a high rating. van de Wetering is an unusual author - I think he studied Zen for a while - and his books are offbeat and highly entertaining. I thought the best of the series, at least that I read, was The Maine Massacre
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I agree with you, Trelawn. It's one of the best books I've come across as well. It's rare, for me at least, when a book lives up to all the rave reviews it's gotten, but this one certainly has. I've already picked up a copy of The Angel's Game and am really looking forward to reading it but will probably wait a little while so I don't burn out.