Goodreads Ireland discussion
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What Are You Reading
IanieB wrote: "I'm reading 7 or 8 things at the moment, mostly short story collections and fairy tales. Does anybody here just read one book at a time? I also started The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (as if she n..."Ianie- I've said this before that it helps if the different books I am reading are different genres.
I tried the audiobooks of The Luminaries but got lost. Perhaps I should read it rather than listen.
Having finally finished Karl Ove Knausgaard's A Man in Love this evening, I've decided to read a few shorter books over the next couple of weeks, starting with Proxopera by Benedict Kiely, which Colum McCann rates among his favourite ever novels. I also took the notion to listen to One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band, which I got on a Daily Deal a while ago, and while I'm not a fan of the band, I often enjoy these type of bios for their story, the Motley Crue one, The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band being a particular favourite. I must say, so far, so good...
IanieB wrote: "Cathleen: Teachers and educators must be incredibly busy this time of year. What is it you teach? Like you, I tend to be a slow reader, immersing myself completely in any book. Barbara: Thanks fo..."
Ianie - You're right that audiobooks can be hard to concentrate on. I can be somewhat ADD and thinking of other things when the book is playing. But there are definitely stories that lend themselves more to audio. I find mysteries and thrillers goo at keeping my attention. Having said that, I read faster than audiobooks play so have to keep that in mind.
I downloaded The Circle by Dave Eggers today. It's for one of my book clubs. I'm already hooked and glad one of the members recommended the audiobook.I should finish The Thing About December tonight but am a bit bushed after running around today and doing Christmas decorating. Now I am not sure I'm going to go to the book club tomorrow night as I may work at home. I have loads of grading and will save the drive time into work and town - an hour each way.
IanieB wrote: "Cathleen: Teachers and educators must be incredibly busy this time of year. What is it you teach? Like you, I tend to be a slow reader, immersing myself completely in any book. Barbara: Thanks fo..."
Ianie, I teach education courses at a small liberal arts college, so I teach a variety of teacher preparation courses to undergraduates. This semester, I'm teaching four separate courses. One of them is a teaching methods course, and although it's a lot of fun--the students just turned in 4-6 week teaching units, and they each take me about 2 hours to read and respond to. I did several of those yesterday. But today, I spent a chunk of time reading and responding to research essays from first-year students.
And here I have been telling everyone you teach at Harvard. :)
Susan wrote: "And here I have been telling everyone you teach at Harvard. :)"Ha Ha, Susan. I think that would be too much of a pressure pot there for me!
Today I should start Mitosis , a Novella by Brandon Sanderson based on a book he did last year where people getting superpowers all turn evil.Then I'll read the new Ben Aaronovitch Foxglove Summer
I just started Eleven Days, a crime novel set 11 days before Christmas. So far, I really like the structure--it's set up a little differently than the typical crime novel, and I think it will be an absorbing read right before Christmas. I'm also making my way through Tracks, a memoir of a woman's solo trek across Australia. And she travels with camels...definitely a different kind of read for me.
Allan, I'm also a big fan of music star's biographies. I've read loads and am just starting Joe Perry of Aerosmith. I read Stephen Tyler's so it will be interesting to compare the two. They butted heads often as they both wanted to control the band.
I'm a big Aerosmith fan but not sure I'd read the biographies. But I'd say they have led crazy and interesting lives
I haven't read that many music bios in recent years, but find the stories of a lot of the seminal bands really interesting from a social history point of view, even if I'm not a big fan of their music. This is a really well written book so far. :)
I'm reading Secrets of the Flesh, a biography of the French writer Colette. It's amazing to me what outrageous lives writers and members of the demimonde lived in Paris in the early twentieth century, much more scandalous than any contemporary rock star would able to get away with today.
It sounds like it could be a good comparison to a couple of the rockstar biographys group members are reading at the moment
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I've also dipped into the first chapter of The Book of Lost Things. Both books talk about the power of story telling.
Good choice, Colleen. One of my favorite books of all time.
I finally finishedA Christmas Carol and am getting ready to begin Leaving Time. This time of year is so busy that it's difficult for me to pick up a book. Also this musical nonsense is seriously cutting into my reading time.
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Let me know what you think of the Philomena Lee book, Sara. I saw the film based on it and thought it was quite good.
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4 stars for the heart breaking story of what Philomena went through (although I knew most of it from the movie).
3.5 for the stuff about Michael Hess's work life and the role he played in the redistricting etc. legal efforts that were partially responsible for the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress. Most folks would probably be bored by this stuff though. I'm a political geek.
Unfortunately I was about 25% through the book when I read Susan Kavanagh's review discussing how large sections of the book were inaccurate. That leads to a 1 star rating for those parts of the book. It all averages out about 2 stars. I also was disappointed to not learn anything else about Philomena. In particular it would have been nice to learn about her relationship with her 2 husbands and the children she had after Anthony/Michael.
I was quite disappointed in reading Kavanagh's review. Another "non-fiction" that is really fiction. I really liked the movie.
I just finished Leaving Time and am now into Us. After I finish it, knowing what I know now, I'm going back to reread the Jodi Picoult.
Donna I must have miss something lol . What happened that you need to reread picoult?
It's got a really interesting twist at the end but has clues scattered throughout, Colleen. So I want to read it again knowing what I do now.
Thanks when I read it I'll read it carefully for clues :)
It's such a difficult time of year for settling down and reading so I've just finished the audio book of Our Man in Havana. It was so long since reading it last that it was 'fresh' if you know what I mean. Enjoyed it.
Now I need to read three books in order to meet my Goodreads Challenge. At least one of those will be another audio :)
Now I need to read three books in order to meet my Goodreads Challenge. At least one of those will be another audio :)
Today I'm laid up with SGA (Something Going Around), but at least it will be out of the way before the Xmas break. So, it's another audio book :) having enjoyed my first Adrian McKinty I'm going to listen to In the Morning I'll be Gone. Sara won't approve as I've skipped number two in the series as the library's copy is out on loan and I'm too impatient to wait and read them in order.
If it's any consolation, Theresa, I started on Number 3 and then went back and read the first two. It's optimal to read them in order but not necessary. They're enjoyable as stand alone books. Take care of yourself.
I hope you feel better soon Theresa.
Sorry you're feeling under the weather, Theresa-I hope McKinty entertains you enough to help you forget about your SGA!I'm actually going great guns reading wise this last week or so-having just finished and really enjoyed Academy Street, I've started my monthly Brian Moore, this time going for I Am Mary Dunne, one of the books that I bought in Chapters in August, and I'm also already almost through the second Colin Broderick memoir, That's That: A Memoir, which I'm enjoying, despite the author's analysis of the conflict up here being far from my own. Thankfully, as in his previous memoir on his time in NYC, Orangutan: A Memoir, he talks about a lot more than just politics.
Once I'm through with these, I'll be going for a reread of The Christmas Club, and may listen to my audiobook copy of The Absolutist, having promised my SS not to touch any of the audiobooks that I bought in the recent Audible sale...
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I also a little less than 2 hours of listening in my current audiobook read, The Speed of Dark. It was an interesting premise. I don't ever think I've read a book where the protagonist is autistic before. Unfortunately it's petering out plot wise, and I agree with the reviewers who said thatFlowers for Algernon is similar and much better.
Feel better soon, Theresa. The SGA is on this side of the pond as well, my sister is also down and out.
Allan wrote: "Sorry you're feeling under the weather, Theresa-I hope McKinty entertains you enough to help you forget about your SGA!I'm actually going great guns reading wise this last week or so-having just ..."
Allan, I looked up that memoir and it said it was THE book about the Troubles. It seems to me like there are lots of books about the Troubles. Did you find it the definitive book as I think that was what the book description was going for? Would it be interesting for those of us who are not as familiar with the times? I know McKinty's books were troubling but interesting to me. Do you think I'd like this one?
Susan, the Broderick book is the LAST book I'd recommend if wanting to get a fair reflection of what the Troubles were / are actually about here, but unfortunately it'll probably be the ONLY book most US readers will read on the conflict-it's written with them in mind, with US English terms etc. In Broderick's simplified ideology, anyone who isn't Catholic are part of the oppressive regime and should go back to their own country, which is the sort of rhetoric that allowed as much money to be raised in Irish American circles to buy arms etc for so long. For THE memoir about the Troubles, read Colours by Henry McDonald, the Guardian Ireland correspondent, that Barbara is currently reading.
Theresa wrote: "It's such a difficult time of year for settling down and reading so I've just finished the audio book of Our Man in Havana. It was so long since reading it last that it was 'fresh' if..."Theresa it looks like you only have 2 books to go. Our Man In Havana would be a fun read now that Cuba has been in the news here (the American released was local).
Allan - I have That's That on my shelves but will probably do more Christmasy reading this week.
I just started listening to Everything I Never Told You and have resumed reading The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries which is a whopping 654 pages long!
Barbara, having finished the Broderick, I'd say don't bother reading it at all-read Malachi O'Doherty's memoir instead.
Darn you, Barbara. I just bought The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries although I got it on Kindle due to 674 pages. It looks right up my alley. You are bad on my wallet. I am interested in your opinion the Everything I Never Told You book. It has been rated the best book in 2014 by many people.
Susan wrote: "Darn you, Barbara. I just bought The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries although I got it on Kindle due to 674 pages. It looks right up my alley. You are bad on my wallet. I am interested in your opin..."I also have The Big Book on my Kobo due to it's large size. I'm not even halfway through:) I'm 30% through Everything I Told You and so far it's keeping my attention. It's getting to the point where things are getting complicated.
Allan wrote: "Barbara, having finished the Broderick, I'd say don't bother reading it at all-read Malachi O'Doherty's memoir instead."I'll start with O'Doherty. I have it on my kindle and a paperback copy of Broderick. Maybe I should give Broderick to my Sinn Fein loving friend.
PG Wodehouse is one of those authors who I've always meant to read but haven't got around to, so I've started listening to The Code of the Woosters. I also need to write some reviews before the year end; that and finishing off the other books on my currently reading shelf. Should make the Goodreads reading challenge by the skin of my teeth :)
Wodehouse is incredible. I read a 1931 omnibus of his Jeeves stories this year and some of the longer Jeeves books and they are so witty and entertaining.
Allan wrote: "Barbara, don't add fuel to the fire!"Advice taken! I still may gift them a bottle of Bushmills.
Barbara, that sounds like a mischievous gift, given our whiskey conversation the other week!Theresa / Trelawn, Ben Elton was on BBC Radio 4's 'Open Book' last week or the week before talking about his love for PG Wodehouse-quite a few comedians seem to love his work.
Yes, Allan, he's been very popular with comedians down the years which is partly what convinced me to give him a try.
I can see why that is. Wodehouse has a fabulous way with words but he also imagined the most hilarious scenarios and described them with such skill.
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IanieB, your comment just made me laugh. My reading has definitely slowed down this month. It definitely has to do with the time of year--Christmastime, and for me, the end of the semester, so I have stacks of all kinds of grading to do. I'm not an especially speedy reader under the best of times, but December really throws a monkey wrench into all my grand reading plans.