Aussie Readers discussion
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What Are You Currently Reading? (doesn't have to be an Aussie book)
Brenda wrote: "Jo wrote: "I am having trouble getting into The Red House by Mark Haddon. I enjoyed his Curious Dog in the Nightime and A Spot of Bother."I couldn't get into The Red House either, but liked The C..."
I have the Red house here, bought on sale but haven't felt the urge to pick it up yet, though loved the Curious Dog in the Nightime.
I'm half-way through The Memory Keeper's Daughter
by Kim Edwards. It's quite an easy read, but also provides some food for thought. A doctor who delivered his own twins in the 1960's gives one to the nurse to take to an institution as he recognises she has Down's Syndrome. He tells his wife that their little girl died and as a result of his action that night, his family is slowly destroyed through the years. His motives were good (his sister was very unwell and needed a lot of care growing up before dying aged 12 and he felt it took too great a toll on their mother) but the consequences of his action are that he has hurt the people he loved most.
Kathryn wrote: "I'm half-way through The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It's quite an easy read, but also provides some food for thought. A doctor who del..."The Lake of Dreams is another one of hers but completely different. I found her writing style differs in this one.
Bette wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I'm half-way through The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It's quite an easy read, but also provides some food for thought. ..."It sounds good, Bette. I've added it to my TBR. Which did you prefer?
Kathryn wrote: "Bette wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I'm half-way through The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It's quite an easy read, but also provides some food ..."I liked The Memory Keeper's Daughter better. The writing invoked an almost dreamlike feeling for me. The storyline stuck in my head for a long time afterwards: such an awful situation to be in. I debated with other readers long afterwards whether the father was right or wrong even if he made his decision out of love for his wife.
Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr., I am reading this for the book made into a movie challenge. I saw the movie years ago and thought it was quite powerful
Bette wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Bette wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "I'm half-way through The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. It's quite an easy read, but also pro..."Yeah, it is an awful situation and his motives were good, but I think he made the wrong choice. Of course, I say this now with the benefit of 50 years more medical research and interventions and having had a friend who has a third child with Down's and who is absolutely precious to them. But looking at the doctor's crumbling life, and his family's, his decision seems like it was the wrong one - I can't imagine their life would have been worse (even in that day and age, and even if the child's condition had been more severe than it was) than that if they'd kept the child. I'm due to discuss it with someone in another book group who has also read it, so it should be an interesting discussion!
"IT" by Stephen King..... Such a large book and finding parts of it hard to get through....
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I read It many, many years ago Kelly. It was certainly a hard slog, but enjoyable:)
Had to stop The Transit of Venus as it had to go back o the library. Found a copy in an op-shop to have a go some other time. Now reading The Stars' Tennis Balls by Stephen Fry.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.......it has me a little intrigued so far!
Amy wrote: "Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.......it has me a little intrigued so far!"Hoping to get around to this one soon. Be interested to see what you think once you've finished Amy.
Amy wrote: "Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.......it has me a little intrigued so far!"Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Just put up reviews for The Meryl Streep Movie Club and The Son-in-LawYou can find them here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... andhttp://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Michelle wrote: "I just started reading 
and I have mixed feelings about it so far....."Michelle, Brenda I've just finished listening toNever Let Me Go this morning. Amazing story but oh so tragic and sad.
@Michelle it definitely does get better. How are you going with it?
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and I have mixed feelings about it so far....."Michelle, Brenda I've just finished listening toNever Let Me Go this mornin..."
Glad you enjoyed it Mish, and yes, you are right...will you do a review for it?
Brenda wrote: "Mish wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just started reading and I have mixed feelings about it so far....."Michelle, Brenda I've just finished listening toNever Let Me G..."
Yes I will...Review to come soon :)
Thirst by L.A Larkin-who I get to meet Friday at a conference :)
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I met her back in March at our Newcastle Writers' Festival. She was really interesting:)
I notice you are new to the group SK, welcome:) If you'd like to pop over here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/3... and introduce yourself, the other members all like to say HI too:)
Brenda wrote: "Thirst by L.A. LarkinI met her back in March at our Newcastle Writers' Festival. She was really interesting:)
I notice you are new to the group SK, welcome:) If you'd like to pop over here http:..."
Thanks I will
I'm very excited to meet her! And I don't think the numbers for The Whitsunday Writer's Conference' this weekend are very high so hopefully I'll be able to drive her nuts with questions!
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Enjoy! I'm sure you'll have lots of fun:)
Kim wrote: "Jan wrote: "Don't you love discovering a new author. At the moment I'm caught up with Hans Fallada. New to me but he's been around since 1930s. It's all WW2 Germany and you would think that's a tir..."Thanks Kim. He sounds very interesting. I'm putting him on my to read list.
Mish wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just started reading and I have mixed feelings about it so far....."Michelle, Brenda I've just finished listening toNever Let Me Go this mornin..."
@Mish, I just didn't like this book at all. I just couldn't get over how boring and slow it was and felt like I was reading some mundane diary pages rather than a story. There was no point at all where it seemed to pick up for me and I was seriously glad when I finished it so I could move into something else.
It really wasn't my cup of tea at all.....
Michele wrote: "Dark Places by Gillian Flynn"Hi,
I loved it. A great Who dunnit - no peeking at the end!
Michelle wrote: "Mish wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I just started reading and I have mixed feelings about it so far....."Michelle, Brenda I've just finished listening toNever Let Me G..."
That's fair Michelle. You gave it your best shot :)
For all poetry lovers, I have just posted my review of Gestures of Love the latest poetry book by Andrew Lansdown. You can find it here. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
My reading mojo is back! Oh how I missed this place. GROUP HUG!Trying to get through Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan but too be honest the writing is not as incisive and crisp as The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, which I loved.
This one has interesting historical and scientific tidbits about, well, cooking, but the prose is rather dull and got repetitive at times, you feel like watching one of those exploratory cooking shows, which I actually enjoy. I guess the book either could use visuals or Pollan's writing isn't descriptive enough to actually grip me.
I want to finish this book because I don't want my $15 go to waste! And I have high hopes that things pick up in the subsequent chapters.
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Brenda wrote: "Welcome back Dhitri! Great to have you onboard again;) How's your running going? Having a break during Canberra's extremely cold winter?"Brenda this must be the fourth or fifth time you welcomed me back *hangs head in shame* running is going strong, training for my 2nd marathon in October *pumps fist*
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Brenda wrote: "Wow! How long will the October marathon be? Don't worry....at least you come back;)"42.195km :)
I came back because I miss fiction, but for some reason picked Pollan's non fiction work :/
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That is long!!! You are amazing to be able to do that...good on you:)
Dhitri wrote: "My reading mojo is back! Oh how I missed this place. GROUP HUG!Trying to get through Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan but too be honest the writing is not as incisive..."
((o)) could that be a group hug - any better?
Here is what my 12 yo niece would've used for "hug": (ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)
Dhitri wrote: "Here is what my 12 yo niece would've used for "hug": (ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)"
:)
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(ɔ ˘⌣˘)˘⌣˘ c)"
That's cute Dhitri! A definite "copy and paste" there;)
Phrynne wrote: "Just starting Changes by Jim Butcher. I think this is number 13 or thereabouts of his Dresden Files series. Only a few more and I will have read them all :("Number 12, and you are so close to being up to date. That will be annoying but have you tried other authors that are similar? curious to know if there are any good ones.
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Number 12, and you are..."
No I haven't found anything which is quite like the Dresden Files. I did really enjoy the Kingkiller Chronicles byPatrick Rothfuss but each instalment is a long time coming!
I've liked Ben Aaronovitch's series (first book Rivers of London) and Tad Williams's series (first book The Dirty Streets of Heaven). They are similar or if you need something more geeky try Geekomancy by Michael R. Underwood
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Thankyou thankyou thankyou!!!
The first two sound exactly what I like to read. Tad Williams even has a glowing review written by Patrick Rothfuss.
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Aussie Readers
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Thank you Kim. Your comment has prompted to me to have a look at Christopher Isherwood and his books. What a fascinating man and such an interesting life. I've added A Single Man and The Memorial: Portrait of a Family to my TBR.