What Are You Reading Showing 4,101-4,150 of 6,935

[Paul]

I'm a much bigger fan if Guards Guards myself. I love Vimes rise across all the books. The tongue in cheek take on fantasy tropes are brilliant in it. I agree that the wit in Colour of Magic and Light Fantastic really shines despite the meanderung plot. I might reread the various watch books starting with Guards Guards in the coming months .

[Trelawn]

@ Emma I am in the same boat. I am plowing my way through the English classics at the mo. I have only one novel by Forster left to go. God that man could write. Enjoying Mary Elizabeth Braddon at the mo.
@ Neil keep us posted on The Idiot.

[Neil]

" Neil keep us posted on The Idiot. "

Will do :)

[Elaine]

@Paul I'm reading the books in publication order, as you can see I'm not *that* far into the series, partially because the first two weren't quite enough to totally hook me and for a long time I wasn't interested in reading further. I couldn't quite see why people were so enthusiastic about them until I read Mort, Wyrd Sisters etc – it gets fantastic from there on.

[Paul]

Mort really is a great book. Death is just so good in it. Wyrd Sisters is great fun.

[Trelawn]

@Emma which one will you read next?

[Trelawn]

Well I look forward to hearing what you think of it.

[Elanna]

After The Colour of Magic, I'm listening to The Light Fantastic right now, so this conversation comes very welcome!
Plotless or not, I'm really enjoying the listening: Nigel Planer is a great interpreter, and my vague memories of Pratchett's prose as hilarious and subtle were quite precise.
When I read of Pratchett's death I was listening to the book at the gym, and I just glanced at the TV screen on the wall. It was a strange feeling...
In the meantime I'm crawling through Ulysses, the Italian translation to help myself with the hardest bits, and The New Bloomsday Book: A Guide Through Ulysses. It's a slow and painful pleasure.

[Kevin]

I'm there with you on Ulysses, Elanna. I'm just gonna take my time with it and hope that someday I'll wake up to see it no longer on my bedside locker :)

[Paul]

Elanna I've been told Planers Audio versions of Pratchett are brilliant. I think he only did the early books though, with Stephen Briggs and Tony Robinson doing the later ones . Stil good I'm tols :-)

[Paul]

How are you finding Broken Homes . Its one of my favourites in the series. Some great twists in it.

[Trelawn]

I hope you enjoy it Emma. I am reading Lady Audley's Secret http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58.... It is a Victorian "sensation" novel and I am enjoying it so far. Braddon has an easy style, a little tongue-in-cheek. It's a bit of a monster so I'll take my time with it.

[Paul]

Emma, I think hes going for the general Detective book approach in that the books will keep coming as long as there is a story to tell. I have a link to a Gollancz podcast somewhere in which he answers the question better than i have

[Allan]

Emma, wasn't The Third Policeman a quarterly read at one stage? I didn't read it at the time, but from memory, it was a bit of a Marmite book with people-one that you 'should' read, but in reality is a struggle.

Having finished two books yesterday / this morning, I have a clean slate to start the weekend, and indeed my fortnight's break from work, so have great intentions and plans reading wise. Today, I'll be starting Brian Moore's The Luck of Ginger Coffey (why do so many of Moore's books have rubbish titles?), as well as Ordinary Grace on audio, which I'm looking forward to, having read Susan's and Barbara's positive reviews for it.

As for the rest of the break, I definitely want to read at least one of the books on my shelf that's a translation-probably My Brilliant Friend, although Iron Gustav: A Berlin Family Chronicle or Boyhood Island: My Struggle Book 3 may well get a rattle.

So many books, and for once, so much time...! :)

[Seraphina]

The third policeman was a struggle for me Emma, I'm sure the man was a genius but I just didn't enjoy it at all

[Trelawn]

@ Allan if you do read Iron Gustav be sure to let me know what you think. It's ome that's on my radar I'm just not quite sure whether or not to pick it up.

[Allan]

It was described as 'one of the finest novels any of us will ever read' by the Irish Times, which brought it to my attention, but I've left it so far, due to its imposing length, at over 600 pages.

I enjoyed Alone in Berlin though, so hopefully this will be the same.

[Colleen]

I just finished Every Dead Thing and it was very graphic but his writing draws you so I had to keep reading.I would never have guessed he was Irish if I hadn't known it before hand.However the only think they rang untrue about Charlie Parker was he called a sweatshirt, a jumper.That made me smile.I order the next one .

[Paul]

Its compelling reading all right. Its nightmare stuff but a great story. His friends who help him are great characters as well

[Paul]

I've just started Retribution by Mark Chanon Newton. Its the sequel to Drakenfeld , a locked room mystery novel in a sort of Historical / fantasy setting

[Barbara]

Emma - I switched from the print to the audio of The Third Policeman and really enjoyed it in that format.

I "finished" (about 10 pages left) Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth for my book club today. I thought because it was hard to get through, despite it's short length of 216 pages, we'd have a small group. We had our largest meeting yet - 16 people showed up. There were 2 visitors, but a number of people who come one month and not the next, all showed up. The majority (65%) of the group were African American women. I was worried that some Christians might be offended by the book, but then again, this is a progressive book group so even those who struggled with a book about the historical Jesus rather than the divine, got a lot out of the experience of reading it. It opened up my eyes to the power that a book can have. Personally, I found the book very hard to read. Being raised Catholic, one usually knows a lot less about all the ins and outs of the Bible, including the people, places and events. But in the end, pushing through to read this book, got me to the gathering which was quite amazing. Next month we are reading The Spinning Heart which should be interesting as no one in the group except me knows much about Ireland, and the context of the novel.

Now that I am done with Zealot, I can finish Harbor and Black Dance. Black Dance is very strange being set partly in Brazil, as well as Canada and Ireland. The Irish part is during the Easter Uprising and the whole story is written as though it is a film - odd, but I will get through it.
Finally, I am almost finished listening to my first James Salter book Light Years. He writes gorgeous prose, and the characters are interesting. When I read more of him I will do so in print so I can reread the sections where the language grabs me.

[Seraphina]

So would you recommend zealot to others Barbara or who would it be of interest to do you think?

[Allan]

Barbara, I had James Salter's A Sport and a Pastime, in what I assume is a new edition, in my hand in Waterstones last week, but I resisted temptation, knowing the extent of my tbr shelf already. Interesting to find out that you are finding his prose enjoyable to read.

[Allan]

I was intrigued to find the 1964 film version of The Luck of Ginger Coffey on YouTube today.

The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964): https://youtu.be/BvPek9LBnPc

[Kevin]

Barbara, how is it that your group chose The Spinning Heart as their next read, is Ryan's work well known in the States or are you just very convincing? :)

[Thomas, Moderator]

I have recently finished 2 books: The Stand by Stephen King I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It is 1141 pages of text.

Second book The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction book. I give it 4.5 stars(rounded up to 5). It is an story of adventure, travel and romance and historically authentic.
I borrowed a kindle version from my local library.

[Thomas, Moderator]

@Cphe I have added Swan Song to my tbr list, but I am embarrassed at how large it is.

[Thomas, Moderator]

I was referring to my ever growing tbr list not the book.

[Barbara]

Kevin wrote: "Barbara, how is it that your group chose The Spinning Heart as their next read, is Ryan's work well known in the States or are you just very convincing? :)"

Well Ryan did a tour here and did a reading at one of the locations of Busboys and Poets that sponsors our book group. He spoke there thanks to the Irish arts group Solas Nua. I venture it will be quite different from what people imagine but I described it as a book about the crash of the Irish economy through the eyes and stories of different people it effected.

[Barbara]

Allan wrote: "Barbara, I had James Salter's A Sport and a Pastime, in what I assume is a new edition, in my hand in Waterstones last week, but I resisted temptation, knowing the extent of my tbr ..."

I finished today and will write a review tonight or tomorrow...

[Paul]

@Emma , Trelawns friend is still angry at the ending months later. Catches you right out doesnt it .

[Trelawn]

@Emma it's a brilliant and devastating twist.

[Trelawn]

I'm not holding out much hope but it's a possibility. You've only one book to go and then you're up to date.

[Paul]

My money is on a Snape type twist as well Emma.

[Barbara]

Seraphina wrote: "So would you recommend zealot to others Barbara or who would it be of interest to do you think?"

I think it is a book for people interested in the historical context of the Bible, and Christianity. People who are fundamentalist in their Christian beliefs, Protestant and Catholic, may not like the challenges that the history poses to their reading of scripture. So there are not many people I'd recommend it to because if they're believers, it challenges their view of things and if they're not, it 's hard to make sense of.

[Seraphina]

Ok sounds interesting Barbara. I was raised catholic but have my own questions about certain issues so may give it a go

[Paul]

Nothing like a book that slaps you in the face at the end

[Sara]

Seraphina and Barbara another title you might both like is one I've had on a slow burn (meaning it's not the kind of thing to be digested at all at once, but instead in small pieces). Evolution of the Word: The New Testament in the Order the Books Were Written which also does a great job of grounding the Bible its historical roots. As a practicing Catholic, I find it challenges my beliefs but in the process deepens them. On the other hand, I'm far from a traditionalist to begin with!

I'll have to add[ book:Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth|17568801] to my TBR list. As Barbara and other group members from the U.S. may remember it also engendered quite a bit of controversy when it first came out of the variety of "How dare this guy from a Muslim background write a book about Christianity?"

[Thomas, Moderator]

Cphe wrote: "Thomas wrote: "I was referring to my ever growing tbr list not the book."

@Thomas - my bad

I incorrectly read your post"

that's ok

[Sara]

So March has been an audiobook heavy month for me. I've read three and have two more in progress. Most months I only read one, but this month my temp assignment was a lot of data entry work on a computer...a great environment for audiobook listening.

I started the month by reading Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living and Yes Please. Their humorous memoir nature was perfect for audiobook listening. Next up wasAnd the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic. I was blown away by it and found myself tearing up at work and in the car several times. I'd definitely recommend the book, but audiobook may not have been the way to go. I'm a little over halfway through Americanah. Like Barbara, I agree that the American accents are horrid, but the other accents are well done. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichiemakes spot on and often hilarious observations about American culture in the voice of her main female protaganist, an immigrant student from Nigeria. For me the book bogs down a bit in the sections that feature the protganist's ex-boyfriend in England. After the last of these sections, I took a break and started The Guns of August. I purchased it awhile back on Audible, and was inspired to finally read it by the MOOC that Kevin and I are taking on Irish history. It's a bit hard to visualize the many military manuvers, but I think if I perserve I'll find it rewarding.

On a tangential point, I'm curious as to what other people learned about WW1 in school. In my experience (at a private American high school/secondary school from 1996-200), I learned very little about WW1.

I'm about to curl up in bed for the rest of the afternoon with some "dead tree" books. I'll report more later!

[Allan]

I agree about the Shilts book, Sara-so frustrating in places, moving in others-one really does go through a roller coaster of emotions reading it. From my point of view, I think that both of Shilts' histories deserve a reread sooner rather than later.

Enjoy your Sunday retreat, and I look forward to reading of your literary exploits later on!

[Sara]

Allan wrote: "I agree about the Shilts book, Sara-so frustrating in places, moving in others-one really does go through a roller coaster of emotions reading it. From my point of view, I think that both of Shilt..."

Have you read the third of them (Conduct Unbecoming: Gays And Lesbians In The Us Military) by any chance Allan? That one is definitely going on my TBR, but I think I need a long breather before tackling it.

[Allan]

I didn't realise that he had written a third one. I know he died of an AIDS related illness, but assumed it was after finishing 'And the Band...'. I'll have to have a look for this one-thanks for the heads up! :)

[Sara]

So according to Wikipedia..."His last book, Conduct Unbecoming: Gays and Lesbians in the US Military from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, which examined discrimination against lesbians and gays in the military, was published in 1993. Shilts and his assistants conducted over a thousand interviews while researching the book, the last chapter of which Shilts dictated from his hospital bed."

[Trelawn]

@ Sara wrt to your tangential point I learned a decent amount about the origins of WW1 and the aftermath of the Treaty of Versailles for Leaving Cert history. The course of the war wasn't really covered in any great detail until I got to college. There I did a module called War in History 1900-45 which covered aerial, land and marine warfare, some of the major battles and technological advances as well as the politics I had studied in secondary school.

[Sara]

And Trelawn it was at one age? Is History a mandatory subject? I generally get the sense that WW1 is covered more in history courses in Ireland, England, and European countries than it is the U.S. We learn vastly more about WW2..and of course there's the Vietnam War for us to cover (which I imagine doesn't get covered as much in Europe).

My general sense of WW1 prior to starting The Guns of August:

(1)Archduke gets assassinated and WW1 erupts
(2)Trench warfare
(3)Treaty of Versailles gives Germany vastly unfavorable terms leading to economic damage, resentment, and eventually the rise of Hitler and WW2

[[deleted user]]

History is less popular as a school subject in the UK than it was in my day when most of my friends took it for our examinations at age 16 and many sat exams in the subject at age 18. Here we study both world wars as history and some will study the literature that grew out of them such as the poetry of WW1.

Which reminds me. The British Library is about to release some letters by the WW1 poet Rupert Brooke, which will help us understand the complexities of his character including his sexuality much better. His most well known quote here in the UK is:

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is forever England.

You could substitute any country for 'England'. It is a very moving poem, all the more so for Brooke's death abroad during the war.

[Barbara]

Seraphina wrote: "Ok sounds interesting Barbara. I was raised catholic but have my own questions about certain issues so may give it a go"

The author is from a non-practicing Muslim family, became an evangelical Christian in his teens and then went on to become a religious scholar. He now identifies as Muslim. He is a meticulous researcher and the history is very detailed. I did learn a lot from reading it and not sorry I did.

[Barbara]

Sara wrote: "So March has been an audiobook heavy month for me. I've read three and have two more in progress. Most months I only read one, but this month my temp assignment was a lot of data entry work on a co..."

Years back I went on a kick reading WWI fiction by women. Not Pat Barker but other classics - titles I forget. However, I found them very moving as I had absolutely no idea what the war had been like. I just watched the first 2 episodes of Birdsong last weekend and was amazed that any of the soliders lived through it.

This afternoon, I returned to my freezing house after a pleasant morning and afternoon - yoga, Sunday brunch at Le Chat Noir with a friend, and a visit to Politics and Prose. At P&P I picked up 3 books including 2 collections of James Salter's short stories. I started the one that won the Penn Faulkner award and read the first story about a Sunday in Barcelona. So, so evocative of that city. I spent a couple of months there in 2006 on sabbatical and Sundays were my favorite day in the city.

[Mara]

KEY OF KNOWLEDGE by Nora Roberts. It's the 2nd book in her KEY OF trilogy.