Aussie Readers discussion
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What Are You Currently Reading? (doesn't have to be an Aussie book)
Phrynne wrote: "Iris wrote: "Anybody else out there liking Susan Elizabeth Phillips ? She's one of my favourite authors, but I have to admit, the last two books have been really disappointing!About to start my n..."
Oh I loved his books so far!
Melissa wrote: "Cloudstreet by Tim Winton. I have been reading it for a while now, I can't seem to get into it but will keep trying."Yeah I couldn't get into Cloudstreet either. I've left it on my currently reading list. I've moved on to other books. I don't know if I'll go back to it or not.
I have finally finished book 6 of the Wheel Of Time series. Now onto boo 7 A Crown of Swords. I really want to finish them so I can move onto something else.
I didn't care for Cloudstreet.Never finished it. Was beginning to think I was the only one. Loved The Riders and liked Dirt Music.
Iris wrote: "Anybody else out there liking Susan Elizabeth Phillips ? She's one of my favourite authors, but I have to admit, the last two books have been really disappointing!About to start my next Lee Child..."
I enjoy Susan Elizabeth Phillips books as they are great fun but did like her earlier ones best. I am also about to start the latest Lee Child and am really looking forward to it.
Dale wrote: "My review of The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton os npw up at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."Thanks, Dale! I already had it pre-ordered, so I was always going to read it, but now I'm looking forward to it even more!
Janine wrote: "Iris wrote: "Anybody else out there liking Susan Elizabeth Phillips ? She's one of my favourite authors, but I have to admit, the last two books have been really disappointing!About to start my n..."
Agree - the Chicago Stars book were definately my favourites!
Which Lee Child are you reading ?
Iris wrote: "Janine wrote: "Iris wrote: "Anybody else out there liking Susan Elizabeth Phillips ? She's one of my favourite authors, but I have to admit, the last two books have been really disappointing!Abou..."
A Wanted Man
Janine wrote: "Iris wrote: "Janine wrote: "Iris wrote: "Anybody else out there liking Susan Elizabeth Phillips ? She's one of my favourite authors, but I have to admit, the last two books have been really disappo..."oh you're well ahead of me ... I think I'm about to start #8
Just finished Celtic Blood, here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I'm now reading, Dracula and Risk
I'm now reading, Dracula and Risk
Sabina wrote: "Dale wrote: "My review of The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton os npw up at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."Thanks, Dale! I already had it pre-ordered, so I was always going to read it..."
Don't think you'll be disappointed Sabina
I've just finished The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which puts one in mind of The Holy Roman Empire (which was neither "holy," "Roman" nor "an empire"). Diaz' book is interminable, fathomlessly tedious, the very antithesis of "wondrous"... and, no, the dysfunctional übergeek protagonist's name was not really "Wao," though it hardly matters. Much of the book is in a mixture of untranslated Spanish (in which I'm fluent, but you could imagine it might piss off someone who wasn't, and who'd purchased the book under the misapprehension that it might be intelligible), geekese, and footnotes of book-length duration. It goes without saying that it won the Pulitzer Prize and earned Diaz a MacArthur Genius Award. (I read it under duress from the members of a book club, who all agreed that it had been 300 pages of unremitting agony to read, but might have been redeemed by two or three pages of uplifting poignant redemption at the end. You know, even as it's good to be hit by a train if you subsequently find an uneaten candy bar on the track.)
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Not your most favourite book Mark;P
Brenda wrote: "Mark wrote: "I've just finished The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which puts one in mind of The Holy Roman Empire (which was neither "holy," "Roman" nor "an empire"). Diaz' book is interminab..."Oh, it was significantly better than Mein Kampf, or being crushed by a piano. :) Of course, I have to admit that Diaz may not have benefited from my current frame of mind. On the other hand, a MacArthur Genius Award? Díaz teaches creative writing at MIT. If there is a single one of his colleagues in the sciences who isn't more properly a genius than Juniot Diaz is, then I'll eat my partial differential equations. Literary geniuses do exist. Shakespeare was one. James Joyce. Cervantes. Marcel Proust. Jane Austen. T.S. Eliot. George Eliot. Probably even Thomas Pynchon and arguably, Kurt Vonnegut. But Juniot Diaz??? Which one of these does not fit? All over Massachusetts Institute of Technology, legitimately brilliant people must be tearing their hair out.
Mickey wrote: "Currently reading, listening to audio-book, The Pillars of the Earth"
Oh I hope you like it Mickey - I did. I still haven't got to World Without End which is waiting patiently on my Kindle.
Oh I hope you like it Mickey - I did. I still haven't got to World Without End which is waiting patiently on my Kindle.
Thanks Michael - once I've finished, I will post my review and let you know.
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by Helen Goltz"Michael wrote: "I will be interested to read your thoughts on that one Marcia."
Me too;)
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I won't repeat my views on The Pillars of the Earth. Suffice it to say I have not given up yet. But it has come close several times.............
Phrynne wrote: "Mickey wrote: "Currently reading, listening to audio-book, The Pillars of the Earth"I won't repeat my views on The Pillars of the Earth. Suffice it to say I have not given up yet. But it has come..."
I find Ken Follett misogynistic, prolix and annoying. But that's probably only because he is. Reading The Pillars of the Earth has this going for it: it took (slightly) longer to build the cathedral. All of that said, the novel wasn't actually intolerably boring.
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No it isn't intolerably boring, just slightly tedious. Usually a character in a book has a drink. Follett's characters grasp the wooden cup in their strong, sun burnt right hands and raise it slowly to their parched lips.
Is he misogynistic? Example???
Jen wrote: "Mickey wrote: "Currently reading, listening to audio-book, The Pillars of the Earth"
Oh I hope you like it Mickey - I did. I still haven't got to World Without End which is waiting patiently on my..."
I originally watched the T.V mini-series: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453159/
I loved it so I bought the book, so I've been reading and listening to the audio-book so I can get through it quicker, as it's a big book. I'm liking it so far and have noticed a few things that are different between it and the mini-series.
Oh I hope you like it Mickey - I did. I still haven't got to World Without End which is waiting patiently on my..."
I originally watched the T.V mini-series: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1453159/
I loved it so I bought the book, so I've been reading and listening to the audio-book so I can get through it quicker, as it's a big book. I'm liking it so far and have noticed a few things that are different between it and the mini-series.
Finished "Rock me" by Cherrie Lynn yesterday my library doesn't have the first book in the Ross siblings series so I'm buying it from BDI'm now reading Voracious by V.K Forrest I'm going to be reading the Clare point books out of order as my library has most of them checked out but owell!!! I'm enjoying it so far :)
Just about to start Elliot Perlman'sThe Street Sweeper. Hope it's better than the last one of his I read. This one is for my in-person book club.
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I hope you enjoy it Michael:)
Tango wrote: "I have to admit that I am really enjoying The Street Sweeper despite my initial reluctance."Glad you're enjoying it. I thought it was excellent. What was the last book you read of his Tango?
Phrynne wrote: "Mark wrote: I find Ken Follett misogynistic, prolix and annoying........All that said the novel wasn't actually intolerably boring.No it isn't intolerably boring, just slightly tedious. Usually a..."
Possibly, Phrynne, I'm being unfair to Follett, but the rape scenes struck me both as gratuitous, and as presented with an abstracted indifference, as in: "these things commonly happened." Well, they did (and they do), but they're not okay, and I'm not sure that historical authenticity motivated Follett more than a desire to appeal to a certain segment of his audience. It's been a long time since I read it, though, so perhaps my impressionistic sense betrays me. Do *you* think I'm being unfair? I suppose I'd tend to defer to your impression over mine, since I have a very low threshold of tolerance for violence of any sort.
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No it isn't intolerably boring, just slightly te..."
Actually one of the things I dislike most about Follett is that he over indulges in nastiness because that was supposed to be how it was at that time. I think I agree with you that he is trying to appeal to a certain segment of his audience.I don't know if you are in Australia but our illustrious leaders here are throwing the word misogynist around very freely at the moment and I am not entirely sure the glove always fits. Anyway you have helped me identify one of the reasons why I cannot like a book that so many other people adore!
Phrynne wrote: "Mark wrote: "Phrynne wrote: "Mark wrote: I find Ken Follett misogynistic, prolix and annoying........All that said the novel wasn't actually intolerably boring.No it isn't intolerably boring, jus..."
Hi, Phrynne. No, I am *shudder* an American, and misogyny has become so well entrenched here, at least on the side of the political divide that apparently wants urgently to restore to women the rights and privileges they enjoyed in the ninth century, that I do always worry. The frequency of use of the word in Australia may, for all I know, exceed what's empirically warranted, but I feel as though the backward social momentum may be global. Howsoever, I think we agree generally about Follett's motives and many of the defects of his craft, and I really appreciate your comment.
Mark wrote: "I've just finished The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which puts one in mind of The Holy Roman Empire (which was neither "holy," "Roman" nor "an empire"). Diaz' book is interminable, fathomles..."Have to agree - I hated this book and not being Spanish speaking some content was also impenetrable - can't see how making your audience feel dumb/shut out is a good idea??
Cathy wrote: "Mark wrote: "I've just finished The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which puts one in mind of The Holy Roman Empire (which was neither "holy," "Roman" nor "an empire"). Diaz' book is interminab..."Hi, Cathy,
I think it appeals to critics, who think it's numinously multicultural and who, having studied languages in prep school, enjoy the feeling of ostensible superiority, even though they probably don't recognize half the words. I read Spanish perfectly well, and I found no instance in which substitution of the English word or phrase -- or providing a gloss, for heaven's sake -- would have vitiated the linguistic virtue of Diaz's work.
Mish wrote: "Tango wrote: "I have to admit that I am really enjoying The Street Sweeper despite my initial reluctance."Glad you're enjoying it. I thought it was excellent. What was the last book you read of h..."
Seven Types of Ambiguity. I thought it was way too long with dysfunctional characters (some with weird fetishes). But it was a while ago ...
Et pourtant, Cathy, since there does parecer to be ein fantastische literary incentive para escribir bøger med beaucoup de untranslated слова, I tænke that yo am going to soumettre this very параграф for six kinds of prix littéraires. Se non è осуществимый, por lo meno, credo quia absurda est. What do you pensar? Should I übersetzen anything, or is this merveilleux just the way it ist?
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Tango wrote: "Mish wrote: "Tango wrote: "I have to admit that I am really enjoying The Street Sweeper despite my initial reluctance."Glad you're enjoying it. I thought it was excellent. What was the last book ..."
Thanks Tango. I was curious to know what his other books were like but I'll probably give that one a miss
I've finished City of Veils: A Novel by Zoe Ferraris, which was excellent, and now I'm reading The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. Joy!
I've finished The Soldier's Wife by Joanna Trollope. Review up nowhttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
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http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13..."
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... :)
Michael wrote: "Finished this one abit earlier. Celtic Blood.
For fans of historical fiction it is worth a read.
Review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Great review Michael.
For fans of historical fiction it is worth a read.
Review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."
Great review Michael.
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Aussie Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Rosamund Lupton (other topics)Kerry Greenwood (other topics)
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Thomas Ligotti (other topics)
Peter Swanson (other topics)
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About to start my next Lee Child..."
I wonder if his books have "Child numbers." :)