What Are You Reading Showing 1,751-1,800 of 6,935

[Trelawn]

@ Barbara Joe Cleary was one of my English lecturers at college. I studied A Midsummer Night's Dream in his class. I didn't know he was the editor of the Cambridge Companion of Mod. Irish Culture

[Barbara]

Declan wrote: "@Theresa. Is there a reason you're reading so many short stories or is it just a coincidence?

@ Barbara. Some writers still bring out hardbacks or a mixture of HB and trade. And as far as I'm awar..."

Glad it's a good read! At 1100 pages it'd be nearly impossible to get through something that wasn't.

[Barbara]

Trelawn - I think the book is published by Oxford University Press. I got it as a reference book second hand. I like keeping track of my progress on GR and it can even push me to read a bit more so I can show I've read a decent % of a book.
JamieLynn - I haven't been going to the library as much as it causes me to bring even more books home and then I don't read from my vast piles. Last week I HAD to go to renew my library card and got 2 books. One I've read already (only 3 stars) but the other is on my TBR list.

Allan - you can assure your better half that you are probably responsible for me bringing home at least 8 of the books on my list after posting the lists of the best books from NI and also recommendations. The first on the list was a recent read and recommendations of Teresa in this group. The four Garcia Marquez books are due to the fact one of my book clubs is reading one of his this summer and my determination to read at least one book in Spanish, and maybe one in Portuguese. Luckily the 8 e-books don't take up any physical space. And due to your poor review, I may not read The Secret History - life's too short to read books that one doesn't enjoy.

And for those unfamiliar with airlines in the US, Southwest is the only one I know of that still doesn't charge you to check a bag. While some other airlines have gone to the other extreme, charging to use overhead bins inside the cabin. Jeez. Last fall I went all the way to California for 4 days plus with only a carryon. I bought my son a hoodie from his favorite record shop (Amoeba Records) so had to wear multiple layers on the way home.

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "@Barbara. It looks like you have acute bibliomania; as for myself it is the chronic variation but it does flare up from time to time and has been exacerbated by joining Goodreads Ireland......it is..."
Hope you spotted your influence on my recent purchases:)

[Barbara]

Emma - I think it's Frontier Air that is charging for overhead bins. Yes, I haven't flown Ryanair since 2002 and even then they were bad. I was appalled I had to pay for something to drink. But RA wasn't so awful back then as there were 3 of us family traveling together and in Dublin the guy helped us resort our stuff so we'd pay much less in overage. But now even Aer Lingus charges for water on their flights in Europe. But I love AL because after British Air just laughed when I missed the last flight to Dublin from Heathrow and told me to go out of Heathrow and find a hotel, AerLingus put me on their flight to Dublin for free and forced BA to transfer my ticket - this was fall of 2012. A friend had such an awful time in 2009 trying to get from Belfast to Glasgow, she just took the loss on her ticket and switched to another airline. It cost her less than what Ryanair was going to charge for her bags. When I have the $$$, I upgrade on long flights for more legroom. I can't stand being cooped up and crammed in a seat for 8 hours.

Jamielynn- I love the library. I grew up a military brat so we couldnt accumulate stuff due to moving so much. The library was essential.

[Susan]

Barbara, your plane travel stories are so depressing. I fly Southwest domestically so have had good luck. Do they charge you for bags internationally? Last time I went they did not but they may have changed. I can't bear to pay for water. Terrible. I wish I only had an 8 hour flight. It's like 13 hours for me. Still not as bad as Australia. That was 19 hours. We were so bleary eyed when we landed that when we lined up for the bus we were on the wrong side. We forgot the Australians used the other side for driving. Talk about jet lag.

[Barbara]

Theresa - despite 5 years of studying Irish, I had to look that one up - perfect! BTW google translate has Irish.

Susan - I travel a fair amount, mostly related to work which is how I get it paid for. Airlines started charging for the second bag on international flights in May 2009. I remember this because I went to Belfast that summer. Because I had bought my ticket before May, I was able to come back with a second bag which was full of books. By the time I left Derry, I could barely handle my luggage. I took the bus to Dublin airport, checked into my hotel, and went into the city to buy more books.
I think that plane travel have become more difficult and as consumers we try to figure out which airlines are more customer friendly. I find the customer service at Aer Lingus, at least on the other side of the pond, to be quite good. From DC, I have flown through both JFK and Boston to get to Dublin. I don't like going via JFK though,at all. The Jet Blue terminal is really inconveniet. But a friend flew over from DC to the conference I went to recently and thanks to her I discovered a direct flight from Dulles airport that leaves at 10:30 at night and gets in at 10:30 in the morning rather that 4:30 am like Aer Lingus. It cost more but considering I'd save a whole day and get in at a time that lets me check into my hotel when I get into Dublin, it's actually a bargain. Last month I had to leave my house at 7 am for a 10 am Jet Blue flight and wait in Boston til 6 pm for my flight to Dublin. Time IS money.
One reason I hesitate flying to Australia or New Zealand is the long long flight. I also get confused when I am in a country where they drive on the other side of the road. I have discovered a homeopathic remedy for jet lag called No Jet Lag. It works for me. I am tired when I arrive but not jet lagged. They sell it lots of places included REI.

[Allan]

Susan, when I was 23, my mate and I went out to Australia to visit a couple of our friends from school who were living there at time. We flew from Belfast - London - LA - Auckland - Sydney, with only a break of about an hour between each flight. It took, from what I remember about 35 hours straight.

Amazingly, when we got there, we were able to survive two full days before the jetlag finally caught up with us-I remember going for a doze in the hostel before supposedly heading out for drinks in Coogee, and waking up nearly a day later!

I have to say that I think it's a lot easier for us coming to the US to drive than it is the other way around for two reasons-the automatic cars and the excellent road network. I love driving in the US, and have even splashed out for a convertible a couple of times, though last time in Vegas it was so hot, we had to keep the top up for most of the time! :-/

[Trelawn]

I've just started reading The Severed Streets by Paul Cornell. It' a follow of from London Falling which was excellent. I'm going to try to enjoy this over the next week as I have my holiday reads organised and am trying to resist starting any of those.

[Susan]

Barbara, I really appreciate the low down on flying although it makes me want to get on one. When I was in England, I bought so many books that I went to the PO in the wonderful cathedral town of Wells, the lady looked at me and said, "Don't they have books in America?" I was so lucky to pick up wonderful cook books for my son, the chef, that we can't get in America. When I was in Ireland, our group stayed one night in Dromoland Castle which is one of my travel best moments. So wonderful. It was like a storybook and since we were all travel agents, they pulled out the stops for us. I got their cookbook there and it is my son's prized possession.

Allan, I love the idea of you in a convertible. My friend has one we really enjoy. I loved the Vegas story. One year in college I got an internship over the summer there. I remember we made $3.50 an hour from the federal government and couldn't tell the other employees as they made minimum wage of $1.65 an hour. Anyway, it was so hot there that you would buy the cardboard to cover the windows and drape towels over the steering wheel so you could touch it to drive. They would get these torrential rain storms that would come to the top of your tires. They had no drainage but an hour later the water would be completely gone as it evaporated in the heat.

[Allan]

I've been to Vegas a couple of times, Susan, and it really is too hot for me, but somehow we've always managed to entertain ourselves! My folks are actually going out after Christmas this year for my dad's 65th-I think he's going to go for the pickup truck and cowboy hat combo rather than the convertible though when it comes to a hire car!

I've a slightly different week in work this week, given that I'm going with the kids to Edinburgh for our annual trip. The joy of this trip for me is the travel time, when I get loads of extra time for reading.

At present, I'm reading and loving one of the books that Barbara kindly brought to Belfast as a gift, 'Lost in the City', a series of short stories by Edward P Jones, as well as listening to 'Smiley's People', the last in the Karla trilogy by John Le Carre. While away, I'm hoping to make a dent in my TBR pile by reading the latest Donal Ryan novel, 'The Thing About December', as well as 'Butchers Crossing', by Stoner author John Williams. I might even get on to the Brian Moore novel, 'The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne'. Ambitious, I know, but who knows!

And of course, I'll also be working very hard in between times! :)

[[deleted user]]

As a no-gambling teetotaller, I still plan on going to Vegas. I'd happily spend a week just taking in shows.

@Allan. Myself and LMM are planning a trip to Edinburgh in thr coming months. I think I'll have loads of questions to ask you as a seasoned traveller.

[Barbara]

Declan - Vegas these days is very entertaining and people go just to see the fantastic hotels - Belagio, and others. And they go to eat! Fantastic buffets. I went once for a conference. I know a family that goes once a year. However, I don't like heat and super hot weather. I lived in the Caribbean with no AC, and most of the days we had no electricity through the day, and spent a month in the summer in Havana studying Spanish - one fan in a bedroom with 3 women, and one insisted she have the fan pointed at her bed. Really?? Of course we shut that plan down. Funny the things you remember. I also lived in Brazil for 5 months, BUT it was the end of July through late Dec. in the far south where it is cold in June to August. Now I couldn't survive without my central AC in the hot months. Don't come to Washington DC in the month of July - it's unbearably hot and humid. '
Allan - one of my book groups is reading The Thing About December later this year so I'll wait. Judith Hearne' is probably Moore's best.

I'd say that hiring cars in the US is a bargain compared to the prices in Ireland. Of course, you get the best rates here if you reserve ahead. Last night I happened across a program - Billy Connolly's Route 66 and it was actually THE Billy Connolly. It really made me think about how fascinating the western US is, especially to people on the other side of the pond. I haven't seen as much of that part of the country as I wish, but everytime I'm out there I'm awed. Northern Utah and southern Idaho, northern New Mexico, the San Juan islands in Washington state - not to mention the East Coast.

[[deleted user]]

@Barbara. I'm not a big fan of hot weather but I'd be quite happy to brave some for Vegas. I won't ge going in Summer, though, and even then I'd be putting s lot faith in AC. Thr hottest places I've been were California an Florida, which I visited in May and Feb, respectivelt. California had 40°C, dry heat and Florida 34°C. Both were unusually warm for that time of year, so I was told and the Florida humidity was intolerable, so I think I'll heed yout warning about Washington.

What the hell was thar woman in Cuba thinking!? Still, it must have been an amazing experience in spite of the heat?... and her.

[Paul]

I finished the Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury and there were some fabulous short stories in it. I love both Bradburys style and his twisted stories. The last two stories,Invasion and The Playground properly freaked me out. One of the stories,about rain on Venus seemed pointless alongside the rest and peed me off to be honest, aside from that a great read. My next short story read will be The End is Nigh edited by John Joseph Adams and Hugh Howey. Should be good. It contains a prequel to Wool by Howey which I loved.

[Susan]

@Barbara, you have the most interesting travel stories. It seems like you've been everywhere. What was that woman thinking?

Las Vegas is so much fun. It really doesn't matter how hot it is because most people don't leave the casinos. I neither gamble or drink but always have a blast. Last time I was in Vegas I saw Craig Ferguson and Sir Spamalot which I've seen and laughed at numerous times. I stayed at the Paris Hotel and the inside was designed to be like a street in France. I also stayed at Treasure Island where our room overlooked the pirate ship so we could watch the battle every half hour or so. Lucky us- it was so annoying. Back when I lived there, the buffets used to be a bargain. Now it has become a culinary haven and they are expensive.

[Paul]

@Theresa I do like a good short story. Ive a nice collection of anthologies and collections and like to have one on the go most of the time. I recently read a collection of Kate Mosse short stories which was very good as well.

[[deleted user]]

@Susan. When I go to Vegas I'm going to stay at The Paris Hotel. I love the sound of it.

@Paul & Theresa. I've read and enjoyed a lot of short story anthologies, but I've never felt an urge to dive back into more.

[Susan]

Paul, they are going to show a TV mini series on Mosse's book, The Labyrinth this week. I enjoyed that book so I'm looking forward to it. I will try her short stories now that you recommended it.

[Paul]

They showed the mini series here last year Susan. I'll tell no spoilers but the books a lot better. Ive read a fair few of her books and the short stories are up to her high standard.
Declan, I find a lot of readers arent readily drawn to short stories but I like the bitesize chunks at the end of a long day.

[[deleted user]]

@Paul. Maybe I just have some ghost in my mind that put me off short stories for no good reason. Maybe I'll make a conscious effort to read more of them.

[Paul]

There are some great collections out there. For an Irish set John Connollys Nocturnes has some very good ones in it including a Decent Charlie Parker one, The Reflecting Eye . Worth a read.

[[deleted user]]

That's one of the few I've read, Paul. I really enjoyed it. I've read The Illustrated Man too. I meant to say that in my first message but forgot. I've also read Banks's The State of theArt, Kevin Barry's Dark Lies the Island and Ian Rankin's Beggar's Banquet. They were all very good but I always looked forward to getting back to novels. It's been a long while since I've even considered reading another collection.

[Paul]

I tend to have a novel and a collection or factual book on the go at a time and go with my mood when ive time to read. you've read a few i'd have recomended already. :-)

[[deleted user]]

I'll get hold of a good collection soon. When I do I'll post about it here and let you know how it was.

[Barbara]

Declan wrote: "@Barbara. I'm not a big fan of hot weather but I'd be quite happy to brave some for Vegas. I won't ge going in Summer, though, and even then I'd be putting s lot faith in AC. Thr hottest places I'v..."

I believe my tolerance for heat was higher before I moved "south" to Maryland and got central AC. Spring and fall are beautiful in Washington, and even Christmas time can be a good time.

[[deleted user]]

Actually, I think Autumn would be a lovely time of year to visit. It's my favourite season and i think Washington would be really gorgeous then.

[Sara]

@Declan I agree with Barbara's assessment. Autumn is my favorite season too,and D.C. is lovely then. Of course many places have lovely decorations around Christmas which makes that a good time to visit too.

[Sara]

On short stories:

I haven't read as many short stories as I would like. Today, however, I was out and having coffee and neither of the other things I'm reading (A People's History and Queen Lucia) struck my fancy, so I started McSweeney's #46 which contains short crime fiction from Latin American authors. The first short story, "The Face" by Peruvian writer Santiago Roncagliolo was absolutely top notch. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of the stories in the book. The author of the face also appears to have a couple full length books available in English, including a crime novel, Red April with the same main protagonist as the short story. I find short story anthologies to be an excellent way to take risks on authors I wouldn't otherwise encounter. Of course then my TBR list gets longer...

[Susan]

I always wanted to go to D.C. in the Spring when the cherry blossoms bloom. I think that would be so lovely. Although after the winter you've just had, I'd be nervous about snow. I spent two summers in D.C. interning for Sen. Alan Cranston from CA. I thought I'd die from the humidity. Still in the Capitol you don't get out much as you use the underground tunnels connecting the buildings most of the time.
I was 18 at the time so it was 1971. We loved to eat in the cafeteria at the Senate office building as it was so cheap. I can remember meeting Sen. Ted Kennedy and getting my pix taken with him. It was like meeting a rock star.
My roommate had a connection to John Ehrichlman so we got a private tour of the White House. I have a lovely picture of us in the Oval Office. I tried to sit in the President's chair but the Secret Service would have none of that. I was only 18 and knew no better. We met Ron Ziegler and other Watergate figures. Looking back on it, I realize they were in the middle of Watergate and yet had time to give two college girls a special tour. You got to wonder about priorities.

[[deleted user]]

@Sara. I think you and Barbara have made my mind up for me. When I finally get to DC it'll be in the Autumn.

I think I'll give McSweeny's a go. I'm sure they can be bought separately without subscription, can't they?

@Susan. You really have to write that book. Interning at the Whitehouse during Watergate!? Come on! How can you deprive us?

[Barbara]

Susan wrote: "I always wanted to go to D.C. in the Spring when the cherry blossoms bloom. I think that would be so lovely. Although after the winter you've just had, I'd be nervous about snow. I spent two summer..."

Susan - you have probably seen more of the political side of Washington than I have in my 21 years living here. A friend who works at the Library of Congress used to see Ted Kennedy all the time and is a great admirer of his. She once saw him rush to help someone having a medical emergency when no one else moved to help. I have a picture of Ted in a Red Sox jacket just about to toss the first ball - this was after he was already diagnosed with brain cancer. Spring is gorgeous but the blooming of the cherry trees is very tricky to predict. There are loads of school trips at that time of year but you just have to be careful when you book your hotel so you can get some sleep. I do think it's great that school kids come to see the nation's capital, but I don't want to be in the same hotel.
Declan - autumn is a great time also to visit Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home which is in a gorgeous setting on the Potomac River, and Baltimore. I always promise friends who visit a tour of Baltimore. When they want to see DC, I drive them to the Metro (subway) :) Though a drive around the Washington monuments at night is lovely.

[[deleted user]]

That all sounds lovely, Barbara. There's so much to do, though, I really should get my license before I leave.

[Paul]

My recent favourite scifi one was Brave New World's edited by John Joseph Adams. Its pretty much dystopic stories but none too technical . The Anthology Im starting is the first of three parts with each writer contributing a story to each one. The first part The End is Nigh will deal with the build up to an Apocalypse, the next part is the Apocalypse itself and the final part is the aftermath.

Ive a lot more Fantasy Anthologies than scifi to be honest and a few good ones there.

[Paul]

Meant to say most of the stories in Brave New World's arent technical sci fI.

[[deleted user]]

@Theresa. Iain M. Banks's The State of the Art was very good, and it contained sci-fi only.

tor.com is also a good place to find sci-fi and fantasy shorts. They released a free ebook last year with loads of them.

[Sara]

I also like Lightspeed (http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/).

[Allan]

I was always under the impression that short story collections sold poorly in comparison to novels, but it seems like sales are on the rise. This article from the Daily Telegraph a couple of days ago is about 'the irresistible rise of the short story'.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo...

[Paul]

wow an article on short stories that completely ignores sci fI and fantasy in favour of 'Literary' writers. One if the biggest selling books if the year is Dangerous Women edited by George RR Martin but its ignored. And no British Short story writers. Try Neil Gaiman, one of the most productive and succesful short story writers and editors.
That article is slightly tainted wuth literary snobishness I think.

[[deleted user]]

@Sara. Thanks for the link to Lightspeed. I'd never heard of it before. :) I'll reading that in the future.

Re. Shorts: Didn't Amazon start selling 99¢ shorts last year. I remember Stephen King released one and it was seen as a big deal. I reckon that did more for shorts than any literary prize could.

[Michael]

[Barbara]

Allan- great article on short stories. Actually before I even read it, I read Declan's comment and thought that there's load of scifi short fiction which he'd probably enjoy. I was happy to see Alice Munro at the top but of course thanks to the Nobel Prize she is now one of the first we think of.
An exquisite short story writer that didn't make the list was Maeve Brennan, a Dubliner who went to NY, wrote for the New Yorker, and sadly ended her life penniless in NY. In 2012, Emma Donoghue wrote a brilliant play "Talk of the Town" about her that was a hit at the Dublin Theater Festival. I saw it on the last day it played to a completely full theater:http://www.irishtheatremagazine.ie/Fe...

I am going to start 'The Effect of Her' by Gerard Stembridge, am listening to an audiobook 'Involuntary Witness' by Gianrico Carofiglio, and an ebook - an Icelandic mystery 'House of Evidence' by Viktor Arnar Ingólfsson.

[[deleted user]]

@LMM. I think it'll pick up for you soon, but what you might think of the ending is another thing.

@Barbara. I think I'll have to read The Effect of Her soon. I.think there'll be enough of us then who've read it to have a good discussion.

[Sara]

@Paul I definitely want to read the Dangerous Women anthology edited by George R.R. Martin.

@Declan I sponsored a Kickstarter awhile back that the reward for was basically a 1 year subscription to Lightspeed, a bunch of back issues and some other stuff. The issues come as links to e-pub files that I can read on my Nook. For the newly published issues, I get access to the whole thing before everyone else (on the website they roll out a few stories at a time each week of the month). You might also be interested in Asimov's magazine, which I'm also subscribed to the online version of.

[Paul]

Sara it looks very good. The ASOIAF novella is neatly enough on its own to tempt me.

[[deleted user]]

@Sara. I'm going to check out Asimov's magazine too. I'll have plenty to read for the next few weeks.

[Barbara]

I know this probably belongs in the ereader thread but I like the size of my Nook better than the kindle. And the kindle is constantly trying to sell me something - yuck.
I just got The Luminaries on Audible but at around 29 hours I am saving it for a long driving trip.

The American book market doesn't seem to like Gerard Stembridge - his books are only available through third party seller coming from the UK. They are very rooted in Irish events and personalities that I think you have to know to appreciate. I just finished a description of the famous Gay Byrne's Late Late Show episode about women's liberation. There are some Late Late show episodes online in the RTE Archives but I didn't find this one. Here's one on the famous contraceptives train episode.
http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibition...

[Seraphina]

Currently reading Sherlock Holmes and was really surprised to read that Holmes took cocaine? They don't mention that in the tv versions!!...

[Seraphina]

I've watched the BBC version which I really enjoyed and never picked up on the drugs aspect, I just though he was a social recluse. I'm obviously not too observant lol

[Seraphina]

And it was cocaine that was used which I think is what surprised me the most. I'm reading the short stories, different to the novel.