Aussie Readers discussion
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What Are You Currently Reading? (doesn't have to be an Aussie book)
Gail "cyborg" wrote: "I confess to having given up on Grapes of Wrath. Maybe it was a bit premature, I found it depressing and couldn't see it getting any less so. I abandoned them on the road to California."I am travelling along with them to California at the moment :) It is a bit sad so far but it hasn't disengaged me from the book at all ( I think I am a sucker for a sad story). I guess it is true that the subject matter is a bit depressing but I am finding it interesting to learn that this did happen to hundreds of thousands of people. But human misery is a very prevalent thing throughout history. But there is often great acts of humanity amongst this misery. I am intrigued to see which one will prevail for the Joads. :D
Amy wrote: "I am currently reading 
The Grapes of Wrath by John SteinbeckIt is very intriguing so far. I am not very knowledgable about American ..."
I read Grapes of Wrath years ago. It is a depressing book but does portray the will to continue. East of Eden is another book I really liked by John Steinbeck. I've liked all the books I've read of his. He is a giant of American literature and is so readable too.
Laurel wrote: "I read Grapes of Wrath years ago. It is a depressing book but does portray the will to continue. East of Eden is another book I really liked by John Steinbeck. I've liked all the books I've read of his. He is a giant of American literature and is so readable too."I have East of Eden on reserve at my Library. I am hoping it becomes available over the Christmas holidays. I also plan to read Of Mice and Men at some point.
@Brenda,To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books! It's such a classic. I hope you'll enjoy it.
I'm reading a book by a NZ/Aussie author, Vicki Tyley. I don't have it on the bookshelf because it's a sneak preview :-) Vicki is a fellow author. But I also just finished reading her first book, a suspense mystery, Thin Blood. I love it. See my review on it, if you're interested.Thin Blood
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To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books! It's such a classic. I hope you'll enjoy it.
I'm reading a book by a NZ/Aussie author, Vicki Tyley. I don't have it on the bookshe..."
I have finished To Kill a Mockingbird...love, love, loved it!!! Amazing book, and terrible to think she only wrote the one book! What was she thinking...:)
Thanks for the 'Thin Blood' link, will have a look..:)
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You're welcome, Brenda. If you enjoy reading suspense with good twists, but not the gory bits, then you'll enjoy this book. I normally don't like reading "gory", I'd rather be kept guessing :-)
Just finished "Every man in this village is a liar" by Megan Stack. Well worth reading - an American journalist travels through the Middle East following Sept 11, and has her eyes opened to the truth of war, and it's effects on everyday people. About to read "Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad". Should be reading more for my summer challenge but wanted to read these while they were available at the library.
Just started I Live in the Future by Nick Bilton and am loving it. It is so exciting to read someone who has a grip on the changes we are living through now. Sometimes it all seems a mystery.
Today I started Tales of the Unexpected, one of Roald Dahl's books for adults, It is a collection of fantastic short stories, and so far I adore it :)
I have just finished The Sound of One Hand Clapping - Richard Flanagan. A deeply moving story set in 50's in Tasmania about migrant workers, family, societal issues and troubled family relationships. No wonder the book was so well received when published. Hope to find more of this authors works.
I've just begun Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Only 9 pages in but it's intriguing already.
Maggie wrote: "Just finished "Every man in this village is a liar" by Megan Stack. Well worth reading - an American journalist travels through the Middle East following Sept 11, and has her eyes opened to the tru..."Is this like "Reading Lolita in Tehran"? I forget the author's name, but I was struck by the similarity of the titles! It's about women in the Middle East, very broadly. I read it years ago, so memory's a bit faded...
I read Capote's "In Cold Blood". I thought it was brilliant.
I've just read Sarah Waters's "The Little Stranger". A very good rather spooky story of strange goings-on in an old, crumbling house. The book is set just after WW2 so has some interesting things to say about that period, and about post-war class issues. But the spookiness grows and grows until you shiver at what happen next... An excellent book.
Trish wrote: "Just started I Live in the Future by Nick Bilton and am loving it. It is so exciting to read someone who has a grip on the changes we are living through now. Sometimes it all seems a mystery."Love Roald Dahl's adult short stories. There's always a twist to them. "Lamb to the Slaughter" is prob the most famous -- with good reason -- but I loved them all.
Sylvia wrote: "@Brenda,To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favourite books! It's such a classic. I hope you'll enjoy it.
I'm reading a book by a NZ/Aussie author, Vicki Tyley. I don't have it on the bookshe..."
I liked To Kill a Mockingbird too. Harper Lee has Scout down to a T. I've often wondered if she was a child she knew. Laurel
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Hi Brenda, I believe Scoutt was based on Harper Lee's own childhood. I'm sure I saw a documentary about it somewhere.
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Hi Brenda,Scout reminds me of me when I was a kid. I was such a tomboy :-) and always getting into scrapes. LOL.
I haven't read To Kill a Mocking Bird yet, it is on my TBR. I love my TBR. Have I said that already? So many quality books to choose from.
Ahhh...No books atm :( I'm trying to dust off my TBR magazine list..Urrggh..It's huuuuuge...Magazines from the late 90's are there even..LOL
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Hi Iris, finished 'Virals' a couple of days ago. It was really good..Kathy Reichs' first foray into YA, and she excelled IMO. Definitely worth a read. I didn't know it was YA until after I had it home from the library, so it's for everyone! (I haven't been a YA for a looong time!) LOL
I was given Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel and a few other books for holidays so have tackled the big one first. Quite interesting so far but have only just started. I also received Virals so will be interested to see the comments. Have read a couple of Kathy Reich' books and enjoyed them.Hope all are having a lovely break and are keeping safe.
Happy reading!
Brenda wrote: "Iris wrote: "virals sounds interesting ... let me know what you think .... thanks"Hi Iris, finished 'Virals' a couple of days ago. It was really good..Kathy Reichs' first foray into YA, and she e..."
Thanks for that, Brenda .... will put the book on my list to read. I am still reading "confession" .... the xmas "stress" doesn't allow me to sit down and read, but only a few days until we leave for our break. :-)
Karyn wrote: "I was given Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel and a few other books for holidays ..."I hope you enjoy Wolf Hall - it took me quite a while to get my head around the choice of language the author chose (ie written in the first person) but once I settled in I found the story to be very compelling.
I am tackling The Pillars of the Earth now, I have 9 days left before I return to work so I have plenty of time to relax and enjoy it.
Ok am going to try Peter Carey again. Parrot and Olivier in America
.Using my free credit from audible.
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Hi Iris, finished 'Virals' a couple of days ago. It was really good..Kathy Reichs' first foray i..."
Hope you're enjoying 'Confession' Iris...enjoy your break away, and happy reading!!! Let me know when you get to 'Virals' what you think..:)
I've actually subscribed to a few Australian literary magazines. Conversations with people in this group have really inspired me to learm more about our local authors, writing styles and the whole literary scene (no matter what genre) in Australia, as well as our culture and society in general. So I now receive: Overland, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine and The Monthly. So far I've just finished Overland and I was really impressed. Great fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and I loved the 2 debate essays so much - great conversation starters.
Just finished Thomas Keneally's 'The People's Train'. It was a bit slow going and gave a different perspective of the period in Russia in the early 1900s. I hadn't realised that there were so many Russian immigrants (refugees from the Tzar's terror) around the Brisbane area.
Im still on Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. I really, really like it, but for some reason its taking AGES to read.
Mandy wrote: "I've actually subscribed to a few Australian literary magazines. Conversations with people in this group have really inspired me to learm more about our local authors, writing styles and the whole ..."Hi Mandy, I had a look at some of the links on line, they look really interesting, I've never read a literary mag before, but I used to inhale the Times Literary Supplement in the UK when I was at uni. If you had to pick one, which would you recommend?
My son, who is anti-twilight, gave me a copy of New Moan: The First Book in The Twishite Sagafor Xmas, which I am reading. Blasphemy ... but it is funny and I still love my son. In the last couple of days (it is amazing how much you can read when you are 'rained in') I read iBoywhich was on my summer reading challenge. Great book for older YA and I really enjoyed it, though there are some really harsh and confronting elements in it.
I bought my boss a book for Xmas, but after I had bought it, I checked the reviews on Goodreads and they were not too favourable. He has been unwell and absent, so today I decided to exchange the book and buy him a bottle of wine when he returns. However I exchanged the book with gusto and ended up walking out of the shop with books over twice the value of the orginal book. So now I have added a few more books to my TBR list (which really did not need that) and have started reading One Hundred Great Books in Haiku. This is a cute small book. An example of one of the Haikus is ..."Lord of the Flies
William Golding
'Kill him! Spill his blood!'
Marooned lads hold savage rites.
Choirboys learn to prey."
I have just finished reading "Gone" by Michael Grant - it was quite a good story, I want to move onto the 2nd book in the series now "Hunger". I have just started reading "The Hellion and the Highlander" by Lynsay Sands. On Audio I am listening to "Dead Connection" by Alifar Burke and "Bookends" by Jane Green.
I dont believe it, I was waiting whilst downloading some data and read and finished One Hundred Great Books in Haikuin about 20 minutes. Funny book!
Deb wrote: "Mandy wrote: "I've actually subscribed to a few Australian literary magazines. Conversations with people in this group have really inspired me to learm more about our local authors, writing styles ..."I've only just got Overland so far. I would be very happy to post the first mags I receive of each publication to you and you could make up your own mind. I forgot that I also subscribe to "Goodreading" Magazine too which I enjoy and gives me lots of ideas to write about in this group. I'd be happy to send you one of those too but you'd have to put up with the highlighting and notes in the margin!;D
Dee-Ann wrote: "have started reading One Hundred Great Books in Haiku. This is a cute small book. An example of one of the Haikus is..."Love Haiku Dee-Ann. Thanks for that excerpt!:)
is where I am currently at...Something like 99 pages to go...Easy read. Gunna go outside with a beer(s) and finish this off before the sun goes down..*hiccup*
Laura wrote: " is where I am currently at...Something like 99 pages to go...Easy read. Gunna go outside with a beer(s) and finish this off before the sun goes down..*hiccup*"Mmmm... A sundowner sounds good. I think I'll break out the Bundy!;)
I'm finally reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't read the series yet.
Gino wrote: "I'm finally reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't read the series yet."
Ah, naw! I bet you aren't! I only read the first book then dropped the idea of reading the rest. Oddly enough I was offered the other two in the series on Boxing Day, might take em up as it doesn't cost a cent. Enjoy ;D
Mandy wrote: "Laura wrote: "
is where I am currently at...Something like 99 pages to go...Easy read. Gunna go outside with a beer(s) and finish this off before the sun goes down..*hic..."Hahaha...Bundy might of been better...I'm back indoors...The people over the road just moved in and every second word is F this and F that...oh what an annoying thing...I couldn't block em from my head..ugghhh. I will finish it inside with the beers instead! The book is heating up too~!
I have just started 'The story of Edgar Sawtelle' by David Wroblewski.It is an intriguing book centred around a mute boy and the dogs he has been raised with. Its had mixed reviews but I am aware how scathing Goodreads readers are so i'll give it a go.It has won a couple of awards.
I am not long into it so we'll see...
Gino wrote: "I'm finally reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't read the series yet."
There are plenty of people who haven't read it yet. I'm one. I do have a copy of it now though. A friend lent it to me just before Christmas. (I hope they aren't in a hurry for it's return, I have to get through the summer reading challenge first.)
I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't read the series yet."
There are plenty of people who haven't read it yet. I'm one. I do have a copy of it now though. A friend lent it to me just before Christmas. (I hope they aren't in a hurry for it's return, I have to get through the summer reading challenge first.)
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Yay!! The neighbour is moving!!! Yay!! Glad you had a couple of wines with your special friend, Carmel...our thoughts are with her..:)
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Have you managed to start 'Sister' yet Carmel?
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Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Sister (other topics)Saving Fish from Drowning (other topics)
The Zahir (other topics)
The Zahir (other topics)
Libriomancer (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Rosamund Lupton (other topics)Kerry Greenwood (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
Thomas Ligotti (other topics)
Peter Swanson (other topics)
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I will let you know my thoughts once I have finished the book. I am up to about Chapter 16, but so far I am enjoying it. I like the colloquial language of the people. It gives a sort of cadence to the dialogue. These are simple people and they say things simply but there is a world of meaning and thought behind what they say.