What Are You Reading Showing 3,651-3,700 of 6,935

[[deleted user]]

Well I seem to be in holiday reading mode now. My latest audio download from the library is The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters. It's a long time since I read any of her books, but they were always engrossing reads on the dark side of the human psyche.

[Barbara]

Theresa wrote: "Well I seem to be in holiday reading mode now. My latest audio download from the library is The Devil's Feather by Minette Walters. It's a long time since I read any of ..."

Walter's mysteries are the kind I like most.

I'm reading The Walnut Tree on my kindle which is supposed to be Chrismasy but so far is just about World War I.

[Susan]

I am enjoying The Christmas Club after the first part. Is that a true story about the two corporals being beaten to death? I hope not. That was horrific. I think I'm a little in love with Singer.

[Allan]

Unfortunately, the story is completely true, and was the culmination of one of the darkest fortnights of the Troubles. If it isn't too upsetting, watch this documentary on the time, which will give you an idea of the NI that Singer had to get away from, but also explains the shoots of peace that were beginning to become evident, even on these dark days.

Info on the programme

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r7v48

YouTube link

How Fr Alex Reid helped end the Troubles - 14 day…

http://youtu.be/fA1X4kp4woQ

[Susan]

I will try to watch it sometime not so close to bed time (it's 1 am). It was very disturbing to read and I can understand him wanting to take pictures of something besides War.

[Allan]

The real life pictures are in the documentary, as is the person who took them. Also, 'war' is how some would have described the situation in that area at that time. I'm glad you're enjoying the book-I'll be aiming to start my reread today at some stage.

[Barbara]

Though it's no longer available (at least on this side of the pond) on BBC Player, I see it is on YouTube. Will have to watch soon.

Susan - though this is the What Are You Reading thread, I can make this comment relevant. I am still working my way through the book The Shetland Bus: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Adventure and currently my local PBS station has started broadcasting Shetland. I should add it's our PBS UK channel, which I love. The one I just saw - Pt 1 - is about the Shetland Bus. So in addition to being linked to the Ann Cleeves book (and I am not sure which one), it is linked to the history I am reading.

[Allan]

Barbara, the documentary is graphic and upsetting, but you can't fail to be moved by the compassion shown by Alex Reid, who of course became such an important part in the peace process in the years following this fortnight.

[Allan]

I'm just over 100 pages into my reread of The Christmas Club, and just like Susan, I'm loving it. Given much of it's setting, both time wise (ie the end of December) and location wise (far north of Donegal with all that entails weather and landscape wise) it's an extremely evocative novel, perfect for reading on a miserable winter's day.

Audiobook wise, I have around 30 minutes left of my reread of The Absolutist, which is such a great novel, and, in keeping my promise not to listen to any of my recent purchases, so as not to spoil my SS gift, I'm going to listen again to my copy of Dubliners, thereby having the original book in mind when reading Dubliners 100: Fifteen New Stories Inspired by the Original, which I intend to do at some stage over the break.

It's great to be off and have an extended period of quality reading time...

[[deleted user]]

December 2014 Reading So Far:




The Adventure of the Crooked Man,The Adventure of the Primary School


Started hoping to finish before the end of the month

[Allan]

Funny, that wasn't the extract of Joyce they read on the Open Book Christmas podcast-they read an extract from 'Portrait' instead.

[Sara]

Well I just hopped onto say that The Sleeper and the Spindle (graciously given to me by Paul) was the perfect non-Christmas book to read on Christmas. Neil Gaiman's tale is imaginative and contained an ending twist I was not suspecting. The art by Chris Riddell fit the tale. I particularly like the gold flecked bits.

[Trelawn]

I really couldn't decide which of my new books to read and I also want to pick up copies for the classics challenge so I retreated back to Scotland Street. I am on the third installment, Love over Scotland. I am really enjoying this one, more so than the second one. Espresso Tales, for me, was carried by the stories of Bertie. This one is more fleshed out with a range of characters getting the spotlight and the story is well paced.

[Paul]

Glad you liked the book Sara ☺

[Allan]

I'm not sure whether I ever sold The Christmas Club as a book which leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling, but I'm glad that you enjoyed it all the same, Emma!

I've had a few hectic days of socialising / running about etc, but hope to sit down tonight to get a little further with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, one of my SS gifts from Seraphina, which I'm thoroughly enjoying so far. I'm also enjoying my current audio book, Everything I Never Told You, which I bought on a recent Daily Deal on Barbara's recommendation.

[[deleted user]]

Today I'm determined to finish Independent People, which I've been reading on and off (more off than on) for about six weeks. The problem is that I already know enough about hill farming with sheep and although it's extreme hill farming in Iceland it still hasn't enough new for me. So, my last resolution of 2014 is not to log in to the Goodreads site until the book is finished. TTFN. (Old saying here: Ta Ta For Now).

[Sara]

Well my goal for today is to read the last 90 pages ofA People's History of the United States which I actually started way back in April of 2014. I got a third of the way through before putting it down for a long while until a few days ago. I'll also listen to a bit more of Great Expectations while at the gym.

[Allan]

Sara, how are you finding the narration in the Dickens? I noticed that there are lots of versions available on Audible, the cheapest being $4, and if you like the version you're listening to, I might be tempted to pay the $10 for it, given that that's less than a credit-there is the Librivox recording that's free, but the preview didn't sound too hot.

Can I recommend A Constellation of Vital Phenomena to everyone that hasn't yet read it? I know that Barbara loved the book, and I finished it yesterday-one of my favourite books of the year without a doubt. I also finished Everything I Never Told You which has been critically acclaimed, and while it was well written, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the Marra-perhaps it's unfair to compare the two.

I've now started the second of my SS gifts from Seraphina, Amongst Women by John McGahern, which I'm enjoying so far, and have also listened to an hour of James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room, which I know has classic status, and with which I am really impressed so far.

[Sara]

I'm definitely liking it Allan. It's narrated by a guy from Dublin who really gets into character. Here it is, just to make sure you get the right one. I had a $10 credit, so I used that to buy it.

[Allan]

I'd picked up the narrator's name from another one of your posts, Sara, so have already earmarked the edition that you're listening to. I'm glad it's of a good quality, as while I really like the book, I'm not fussed on spending a credit on it, but am most likely to listen on audio.

[[deleted user]]

My first book of the year is Off the Voortrekker Road I know nothing about it so here's hoping it is good :)

My next decision is how many books for this year's reading challenge. In 2015 I joined at the end of April but added some books I'd already read and managed 70. Am I brave enough for a target of 100 which should be achievable with the help of audiobooks? Yet, 80 feels more realistic. Mmmmm.....I

Happy New Year!

[Allan]

Can I thank Seraphina for making my post Christmas reading experience such an enjoyable one-I've read two of the three books she gifted me for SS, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and Amongst Women, and both were easily 5 star reads in my eyes. The fact that I wouldn't have come across the McGahern if it hadn't been a gift makes it all the better for me. Thanks, Seraphina!

In addition to my on going audio title, Giovanni's Room, I've started my NI splurge this morning by reading the first few chapters of TV psychologist Geoffrey Beattie's 1992 book, We are the People: Journeys Through the Heart of Protestant Ulster, and can tell that it'll be another book that I'll both fly through and enjoy.

[Seraphina]

Aw that's good Alan, glad they were good reads. I did spend a while trying to figure out good ones for you cause your so well read

[Paul]

I just finished Providence of Fire by Brian Staveley which is the second part of what is shaping up to be one of the best fantasy series I've read.
Next up is one of my Christmas presents from Trelawn , Going Solo by Roald Dahl. This was one of my favourite books as a teenager so I'm really looking forward to a reread ☺

[Sara]

So today I'm going to brave the cold grey day and venture out to the gym where I will ride the bike and listen to Great Expectations. In the world of physical books I need to focus this weekend on reading a good chunk of The Lies of Locke Lamora for my Thursday fantasy book group. After an engaging prologue, I found the next 50 pages or so slow going, but it's finally starting to pick up again. Some time this weekend I also plan to start one of my "projects"for 2014, Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written. I've always meant to read the entire Bible, and this seems like an interesting approach to the New Testament.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I have just finished Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow

Another satisfying read from Stabenow. This book ends with a cliffhanger. The Shugak series, of which this is book 20,are full of information about Aleutian Indian culture and Alaskan plants and animals. If you read Hillerman or Nevada Barr,you will like this series.

There is a lot going on in this murder mystery--3 murders, drugs and whiskey smuggling, and a blood feud between two bush Alaskan villages. There is also a Romeo and Juliet love story.
This book is more about Alaska State trooper Jim Chopin than Kate Shugak.

[Paul]

Sara Interesting approach on the Bible. I read most of the old testament for my degree but have read next to none of the New Testament

[Paul]

Thankfully I just missed having to do religion as an exam subject by a couple of years. Oddly I started reading the old testament as part of a study of concepts of the body. Leveticus is full of rules about what you can or can't do with or to your own or others bodies. Very interesting and in some cases worrying stuff .

[[deleted user]]

Thomas wrote: "I have just finished Bad Blood by Dana Stabenow

Another satisfying read from Stabenow. This book ends with a cliffhanger. The Shugak series, of which this is..."

Thanks for that Thomas as Dana Stabenow fits nicely into my theme of books from around the world, I haven't read her before and my local library even has a couple of the series as ebooks.

[Trelawn]

@ Emma I'm glad you're enjoying The Miniaturist so far, I look forward to hearing what your overall opinion of it is.

[Sara]

I've heard good things about Dana Stabenow's stuff before Thomas. Glad you had an enjoyable read!

[Trelawn]

Very true, and I should point out I really did like the story and got quite attached to the characters. For a debut it is very impressive.

[Colleen]

I just finished To Kill a Mockingbird and loved it as much if not more so then when I read it in school.I need to re watch the movie now.I have now started Great Expectations

[Thomas, Moderator]

To Sara and Theresa, if you can, it is better to read Shugak series in order. A Cold Day For Murder is book one

[Susan]

I really like the Dana Stabenow series. I agree with Thomas that you should start at the beginning but they are very good as stand alones too.

[Paul]

I started the second John Scalzi Old Mans War book , Ghost Brigades yesterday and I also started reading the Rogues anthology .
I went straight to the Gillian Flynn story off Kevins reccomendation, I might start a buddy read thread if Kevin wants an in depth chat on this and the other stories . This particular story was very good. Great twists and cheekily dark

[Kevin]

It was very good wasn't it? There is no way you could have guessed what way the story was going by reading the first page. The con-man being played by a con-man.

[Kevin]

I'd be up for a buddy read as well. Sara has plans to read it too so it would be worthwhile Paul.

[Paul]

Man that kid was sinister. The whole thing seems like a well written decent but standard ghost story and bang it twists left then right. The start is quite funny. Flynn does the shock factor quite well to draw you in. I never read any of her stuff before and thats part of the fun of a good anthology ☺

[Paul]

I'm going to try read a story from it every two or three days so If you have any suggestions for the next hit .

[Kevin]

Either Gaiman's or Martin's stories Paul. When you get around to Rothfuss, don't take it as an example of what The Name of the Wind is like. I thought this story was pretty lazy on his part.

[Paul]

Some writers are very strong in short form and others great writers can't manage it.

[pauline_nlp]

Hi everybody ! Happy New Year to all ! I was not present the last months, and I want to catch up my "lost" time...
I had many exams and so on... And I'm happy to tell you that I have a 16/20 in Literature !
I'm currently reading an Icelandic book by A.Indridason : "The King's book".
I hope I can read 25 books this year or more maybe :)
Have a great evening and see you soon :)

[Trelawn]

Hi Pauline, welcome back. 25 books is a good goal especially considering you are busy with school work. Best of luck with it.

[Paul]

Happy new your Pauline. Glad to see you back ☺

[Paul]

Cphe , I do enjoy a good atmospheric tale

[Paul]

Interesting list of authors

[Allan]

I have abandoned a book for only about the third time in recent memory, the audio version of Augustus proving impossible for me to follow-too many similar sounding Latin names-I found myself having to rewind full chapters to try to work our what was going on - definitely one for the physical book, but I'll not be rushing back. Thankfully, Audible returned my credit with no quibble.

I have instead started Fourth of July Creek, which was critically acclaimed last year, and is proving to be a much more enjoyable listen...

[Allan]

As did I Cphe-Stoner is also a great book. I just found this one confusing on audio...

[Susan]

Allan, we haven't heard much from you since school started. Are the kids full of pent up energy?