Goodreads Ireland discussion
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What Are You Reading
My reading plans are to finish Beyond the North-West Frontier, which is about one woman's travels in the Hindu Kush during the 1980s. Then I'm looking forward to reading about how our stateside members celebrated the Fourth of July.
I read One Summer last year Allan and thorougly enjoyed it. A really interesting read. This weekend I am doing a reread of Mr Penumbra's 24 hour Bookstore and continuing with Busman's Honeymoon.
I've listened to quite a few Bryson books over the years, which he narrates himself, so listening to this audiobook is like meeting up with an old friend. I love the way he ties so many interesting facts together, and injects dry humour into so much of his work. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get to this one, but better late than never!The McKeon novel is interesting in the way it's an Irish novelist covering a completely different place, I suppose like McCann and Boyne have done over the years. I'm not too far in yet, but should make good progress over the weekend.
His way of tying diverse facts and events together in a natural, seemless way is brilliant. From trans Atlantic flights, to baseball, crime and the banking crisis it all seems to interconnect and impact on each other. So interesting.
Hopefully I'll get to start Penumbra early in the week. Trelawn has comandeered our copy. If she is still reading I might read a few short stories from my Anthologies while I'm waiting. I've only dipped into one called Rogues and their are plenty of authors I like in it
Trelawn wrote: "His way of tying diverse facts and events together in a natural, seemless way is brilliant. From trans Atlantic flights, to baseball, crime and the banking crisis it all seems to interconnect and i..."I'll have to put One Summer on my list. I've read a good number of his books over the years, and I think he's such a talented writer; he always seems to have a million little facts swirling around in his head--and then writes little stories within his chapters that make sense of them all. The first book I read of his was In a Sunburned Country and I laughed out loud throughout the whole book. I like his low-key, observational, often self-effacing humor. He must be fun at a barbecue :)
The first Bryson I read was Notes From A Big Country and I laughed out loud at it so many times. I have reread it three or four times.
I'm going to start Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore sometime this weekend. I'm almost done with Trent's Last Case, one of the earlier detective novels. I had read that Dorothy Sayers admired and was inspired by his work, and that he was best friends with G.K. Chesterton who wrote the Fr. Brown mysteries. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a go because the last book I read, What Was Lost, was a little too depressing. Well-written but very melancholy. Like Harriet the Spy meets Camus.
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Peter Leonard has his father Elmore's gift of writing criminal dialogue and putting you inside the mind of criminals. The story revolves around Karen Delaney's plan to get back the $300,000 stolen from her by Samir, a loan shark criminal. She recruits 4 men to help her steal the money and then steals it from them. The rest of the book revolves around the all of these people trying to find her and the money.
I do have one complaint. One of the people murdered is killed with a crowbar, p.106. On p.141, the author has a news reporter reporting that this man was killed by a gunshot wound, linked to another murder. There is never any followup explaining why the reporter got it wrong. I don't ever remember a lapse of continuity in any of Elmore Leonard's books.
I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
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This book is an interesting study of old crimes that generate new crimes through genealogy. Reykjavik Police Inspector Erlendur is called to the scene of a murder of an old man, Holberg. He discovers that the man was accused of rape back in 1962 and that there was a child.
Erlendur follows the investigation while at the same time dealing with his drug addict daughter. She tells him that she is pregnant and is trying to give up drugs. He is divorced from his wife and tries to help her on his own.
I enjoyed reading this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. The translation was very good.
Allan wrote: "I've listened to quite a few Bryson books over the years, which he narrates himself, so listening to this audiobook is like meeting up with an old friend. I love the way he ties so many interesting..."I really like Bill Bryson and listening to him must be quite an experience. I have been reading him in public and laughing so hard that people stare at me. Oh well.
Trelawn wrote: "The first Bryson I read was Notes From A Big Country and I laughed out loud at it so many times. I have reread it three or four times."Trelawn, I also found the book very very funny! I haven't read any of his others though.
I finished Ulster: A Journey Through The Six Counties - absolutely excellent and a gem of a book. Bryans/Harbinson was a beautiful writer. He just died in 2005, and it's sad he's not still around.
I'm about to start The Enlightenment of Nina Findlay a Scottish novel I bought last weekend.
And I just cancelled by hold on H is for Hawk because 1) I won't have time to read it in the next 3 weeks and 2) the libraries are closed for 3 days due to the holiday which makes it hard to pick up. It's in paperback on your side of the pond so i may pick it up over there.
Hi guys ! I'm happy to tell you that I'm reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I finally took it out of my TBR (It was in it since more or less one year).
I finish my exams and I should be here more. I know the results tomorrow !
Have a nice evening.
I hope you like Outlander as much as I did.
Good luck with the results Pauline :-)
Well I've decided to re shelve Ulysses since I've forgotten the first hundred pages as it has been so long... I think I'm just not quite ready for it yet but WILL return to it eventually :) I'm currently reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio and it is proving to be a great read. Obviously the writing is very accessible due to the target audience but the story itself still packs a strong punch. Auggie is a beautiful character and I'm looking forward to tearing into the rest of it soon.
Wonder sounds like an interesting read Kevin. I always end up crying at those books though :-)
I'll have to face the beast someday Paul :(Trelawn, I'll probably end up bawling at the end of it myself. You should still read it though, I've never read anything like this before and it's wonderful. Pardon the pun :)
Trelawn wrote: "Wonder sounds like an interesting read Kevin. I always end up crying at those books though :-)"A good one Kevin. And good for you trying Ulysses!
Just started Return to Killybegs by Sorj Chalandon and it begins well. My Xmas present from Allan :)
I hope you enjoy it, Theresa-it was chosen because you said that you were interested in reading more fiction set in NI, but it'll also fit in with your reading around the world, given that it's by a French author and has been translated to English. It gave me a good insight into a community that I hadn't necessarily read a lot of fiction about before.Having really enjoyed both the McKeon and Bryson books I was reading over the weekend, I'm now on two very different novels. Emma Who Saved My Life, is set in 1970s NYC but is a funny rather than gritty read, and one of the books recommended by Guardian readers in response to the feature on best books about the city last year. Audiobook wise, I'm listening to The Miniaturist, which I got halfway through today while clearing out my roofspace, and whose narrative has surprised me at times already.
Allan wrote: "I hope you enjoy it, Theresa-it was chosen because you said that you were interested in reading more fiction set in NI, but it'll also fit in with your reading around the world, given that it's by ..."
Loving it so far (on p56), Allan. It has a good pace and captures the complexities well. The translation is so good that it doesn't read like a translation.
The Booker is to award a prize for translation as they feel it is under recognised. Pleased to hear it :)
Loving it so far (on p56), Allan. It has a good pace and captures the complexities well. The translation is so good that it doesn't read like a translation.
The Booker is to award a prize for translation as they feel it is under recognised. Pleased to hear it :)
I am trying to read a few Scottish titles. I have had some of James Kelman's novels on my shelves and started Mo Said She Was Quirky but put it aside for now to read How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World and Everything in It. This book is proving fascinating! Listening to A Thousand Splendid Suns a novel about Afghanistan which is very good.
I have read the last two books you mentioned and loved both of them. I have seen Khaled Hosseini speak after all three of his books were published. He is from the Bay Area and has an amazing story of his own. He's a Dr. and his wife is a lawyer. Their two kids are very cute and personable.
Susan wrote: "I have read the last two books you mentioned and loved both of them. I have seen Khaled Hosseini speak after all three of his books were published. He is from the Bay Area and has an a..."I am glad I am finally getting to A Thousand Splendid Suns thanks to Audible. I've had the book for a couple of years but so many books...
Did you mean you read How the Scots Invented the Modern World? Lots of references and overlaps with Ulster and the history of Northern Ireland - of course.
I am taking it easy and reading some love stories as well as other books.
Take Me Under by Rhyannon Byrd
Make Me Yoursby Rhyannon Byrd
Keep Me Closerby Rhyannon Byrd
Other Reads
The Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen Chbosky
A Slight Trick of the MindbyMitch Cullin
Take Me Under by Rhyannon Byrd
Make Me Yoursby Rhyannon Byrd
Keep Me Closerby Rhyannon Byrd
Other Reads
The Perks of Being a Wallflowerby Stephen Chbosky
A Slight Trick of the MindbyMitch Cullin
Barbara wrote: "I am trying to read a few Scottish titles. I have had some of James Kelman's novels on my shelves and started Mo Said She Was Quirky but put it aside for now to read [book:How the S..."I did read how The Scots etc. I liked it very much. I really like Scotland. I was "stranded" for an extra week by the Iceland volcano and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Susan wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I am trying to read a few Scottish titles. I have had some of James Kelman's novels on my shelves and started Mo Said She Was Quirky but put it aside for now to read..."Lucky you! It is proving to be a fascinating read though not quick. I have never been able to keep the Scottish and English Kings and Queens sorted out especially those who changed names and thrones. Those sections are harder to get through. I suspect it is because I am deeply anti-Royalist though I think the Royal babies are adorable.
Barbara, the blurb of the Farrell book makes it sound pretty bizarre-is it?
Allan wrote: "Barbara, the blurb of the Farrell book makes it sound pretty bizarre-is it?"It is so far. He's a writer that The Stinging Fly has published. As my book club reads new Irish writers, we get into all kinds of stuff.
I just finished reading Queen Margot, or Marguerite de Valois. Alexandre Dumas was such a fabulous author when it came to writing historical romances. It makes perfect summer reading.
Frank, I wonder if you'd like The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1 by Robert Merle, which has been recently published in US for the first time, and is set at the same time as the Dumas novel. It's supposed to be an excellentr read. I've bought it and intend to read it over the summer at some stage.I'm just about to read my signed copy of The Good Son by Paul McVeigh, which has received excellent reviews, and am listening to Paul Auster's The Brooklyn Follies, which is a novel that I know Barbara enjoyed recently.
I'm interested to hear what you think of the Good Son. Sounds like a book Trelawns Dad would really like.
As we're halfway through the year I was wondering how parricipants are getting on with their Classics Challenge? Is there any you particularly liked or disliked? I have reread Great Expectations which I still love. I also read A Passage to India. While it wasn't my favourite Forster it spurred me on to read more of his works. I've only one of his novels left; The Longest Journey. I particularly enjoyec Maurice, such a great read. I had already read North and South which is probably Gaskell's best work. I just have George Elliot's Mill on the Floss to read before the end of the year.
I'll have to read a second one at some point
Emma I don't think he has anymore Italian ones unless Italy features in The Longest Journey. Howard's End is a decent end though.I will definitely get round to The Mill on the Floss though. I have read a few classics outside the challenge as well which I'm happy about because I had been reading more modern fiction in the last few years. I have two Virginia Wolff books lined up for the latter part of the year, I don't know what to expect but we'll see.
Those are the two books by Woolf that I have. I have read a decent chunk by the Brontes and have enjoyed most of them. I'll have to catch up with you on Gaskell at some point :-)
Allan wrote: "Frank, I wonder if you'd like The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1 by Robert Merle, which has been recently published in US for the first time, and is set at the same time as ..."No, Allan. Actually, I have to admit that before reading this Dumas work I'd known almost nothing of the religious wars in 16th century France. It's rare that I read historical fiction in the first place. I'd made an exception for Dumas because I so enjoyed his works when I read them as a child.
I'm sure Susan will be delighted to hear that I'm painting today. Of course, this task is made a lot more bearable because of audiobooks, and having finished The Brooklyn Follies, I took Barbara and Sara's recommendation and downloaded Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS and should get a fair bit through it before I finish all I have to do today. Given the size of the job this time though, I expect to get through a few audiobooks this week...
Trelawn wrote: "As we're halfway through the year I was wondering how parricipants are getting on with their Classics Challenge? Is there any you particularly liked or disliked? I have reread Great Expectations wh..."I have read Great Expectations and only have the last 2 novels left of The Chronicles of Narnia then I plan to move on to A Passage to India,The Mill on the Floss and then finish up with North and South
I am reading Revival and I'm enjoying it .
Trelawn wrote: "You're doing well so Colleen"Thank you Trelawn .
Just finished reading Not That Kind of Girl which I was disappointed with to be honest. Now reading The Bees by Laline Paull. Interesting so far. Really, really want to start with Outlander though as well!
I have only managed two from the classics challenge so far but have two on my kindle for holidays. The thoughts of great expectations is slightly daunting, just the weight of it alone.
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Any exciting reading plans for the weekend / long weekend, depending on where you are? :)