Fiction- What are you reading? Part 2 Showing 1,501-1,550 of 4,585

[Marina]

OMG Laura you're totally right! I've seen such horrors before!

[Esther]

The Hobbit was originally translated to Hebrew by Israeli combat pilots while they were being held POW by Egypt in the early 1970s.
There are other 'professional' translations but consensus when I worked at the library was that the pilots' version is the best.

[dely]

LauraT wrote: "Translations of those years are so terrible that soemtimes are funny! I remember - and that I couldn't read in original language sionce it's German! - the one of the La montagna incantata by Thomas Mann, where, as usual for those periods, also the name were translated: Hans became "Giovannino" AARGGG
"

Lol, this is terrible! I could find such books too but thankfully not a lot :D

[Joan]

Any opinions about Neville Jason as a narrator of audiobooks? I have to choose between him and Frederick Davidson for Jude The Obscure.

[Chrissie]

Joan, I do not know about Jason, although I probably have listened to him, but anyone is better than Frederick Davidson. Definitely pick Jason!

I checked my review of Jude the Obscure--"I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephen Thorne. I was not pleased with the women's voices, and you could not tell who was speaking. The tone was disagreeable, but so were the characters."

[Joan]

Chrissie, thanks - I had forgotten how limited Davidson was. I enjoyed his reading of The Three Musketeers; his supercilious tone suited that - but it’s the only tone he seems to have.

[Chrissie]

I have begun Wallace Stegner's All the Little Live Things and like it very much right from the start. The prose is just so good!

[Chrissie]

Joan, definitely go for the other narrator. I sort of remember your saying you tried him with Les Misérables and you heard how terrible he was. Maybe that was somebody else?

[Joan]

Chrissie, I liked him for one but had really disliked his reading for others. I had forgotten because I always forget things I dislike - I saw one movie that I hated 3 times because I kept forgetting I’d seen it.

[Chrissie]

Joan wrote: "Chrissie, I liked him for one but had really disliked his reading for others. I had forgotten because I always forget things I dislike - I saw one movie that I hated 3 times because I kept forgetti..."

That is pretty funny. Well, the reason why I do not remove books that I have considered reading by have decided against is that I forget what I have decided and analyse it several times. Now I put such books on a not-to-read list! Movies rarely stick in my head.

[Chrissie]

Phew. I just finished All the Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner. Writing a review for a book you love never feels up to match. I will try and write something now.

I will soon start And the Birds Rained Down. The book deals with the survivors of Matheson's Great Fire of 1916, northern Ontario The heat of the fire was so intense that it killed the birds in the air; they rained down on the ground below. It is a French novel that has won several prizes and has been translated into English.

[B the BookAddict]

I finally started my second book of the year; The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton

[Greg]

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "dely, I loved The Grapes of Wrath, but if you read it in Italian, be sure to grab a copy of the latest translation which came out a couple of years ago (if I'm not mistaken). The ol..."

How fascinating about the translation Marina! As a book so opposed to the fascist perspective, I wonder what they did to it?!

[Greg]

Esther wrote: "I am reading The Consuming Fire.
I was supposed to be reading other things but as soon as it arrived in my post box I couldn't resist.
I enjoy Scalzi's writing so much it is always ..."

I really enjoy his books too Esther!

[Esther]

Greg wrote: "Esther wrote: "I am reading The Consuming Fire.
I was supposed to be reading other things but as soon as it arrived in my post box I couldn't resist.
I enjoy Scalzi's writing so muc..."

I have just finished and I kind of feel bereft. I enjoyed it so much I wanted it to go on forever.

[Marina]

Greg, actually I have no idea, I'd need to read the original version to be able to answer. Which I will do one day.

I am currently reading The Call of Cthulhu along with Infiltration: A Novel.

[LauraT]

Greg wrote: "Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "dely, I loved The Grapes of Wrath, but if you read it in Italian, be sure to grab a copy of the latest translation which came out a couple of years ago ..."

Simply cut the most political parts!

[LauraT]

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "Greg, actually I have no idea, I'd need to read the original version to be able to answer. Which I will do one day.

I am currently reading The Call of Cthulhu along with [book:Infi..."

Are you liking Lovecraft Marina? We've had an evening on him and his works in my Circolo dei Lettori of Perugia some 6 months ago!

[Greg]

LauraT wrote: "Greg wrote: "Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "dely, I loved The Grapes of Wrath, but if you read it in Italian, be sure to grab a copy of the latest translation which came out a couple ..."

Ah, I see Laura. In that book, it means they must have cut quite a lot!

[LauraT]

I suppose so! Still it can show more of how Italy worked at that time... and to be ashamedof it!!!

At the moment I'm reading Homeland: A Novel by Fernando Aramburu. Liking it really a lot!

[Marina]

Laura, yes, I'm loving it! I've already read a couple of anthologies of Lovecraft's tales as I was a teen or in my early twenties at the very latest.

[LauraT]

Interesting author ...

[Esther]

I have tried Lovecraft but although the ideas are appealing his descriptions are too much for me and even make me slightly nauseated.

[LauraT]

Esther wrote: "I have tried Lovecraft but although the ideas are appealing his descriptions are too much for me and even make me slightly nauseated."

Interesting, but I can't say I love him!

[Chrissie]

I have begun another by Nevil Shute--Pastoral.

[dely]

I've started The Saffron Kitchen and I don't like it that much. I haven't read a lot, but it's a kind of writing I don't like (pretty easy and predicatable, as if a child is writing the story). I'm pretty sure that I also won't like the story because from the first 20 pages I think I already know what will happen. I hope it will turn better as I think, but till now I'm pretty sure it will only be a tear-jerker.

[Pam]

I am reading 4 books:

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell - Close to finishing.
Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation - Read 1 story but may put it on hold until next year so I can finish some other books.
This House is Haunted by John Boyne - Love John Boyne's writing!
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak - I had planned on reading this book in 2019 but I lent it to my dad and he DNF'd it, which encouraged me to read it. It's YA so I can see why he didn't like it. It's youthful and I'm intrigued, so I'll finish it. It's a quick read.

Regarding the Lovecraft discussion, I read one of his books and decided he is not for me! Too creepy.

[Greg]

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "Laura, yes, I'm loving it! I've already read a couple of anthologies of Lovecraft's tales as I was a teen or in my early twenties at the very latest."

I like them too Marina - very dark but also unique

[Greg]

Pam wrote: "I am reading 4 books:

Children of God by Mary Doria Russell - Close to finishing.
Invisible Planets: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction in Translation ..."

What are you thinking of Children of God Pam? Is it as good as the first one?

[Laurel]

I just finished Britain Begins which was one of the Random slips I drew out of my stash for this year. That made me realize that I have fallen behind on current theories/research about the origins of the Celts, which I've always been interested in, so I've just started The Origins of the British: A Genetic Detective Story, and added Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland to my TBR.

On audio, I have finished my book club read quite early in the month - The Life We Bury - so I am freed up to listen to whatever I want. Several online groups are already discussing Lethal White and I didn't want to be spoiled with spoilers so I used my Audible credit this month on that. Enjoying it so far. I've also recently purchased the TV series Strike and watched that.

For next year, one of goals is to read most of Madeleine L'Engle's fiction and I have started Ilsa, one of her earliest works.

Thinking about what I want to finish by the end of the year, and I have a number of "leftovers" to try and get out of the way. Next book club book is Mary Poppins - that will be nice light reading during the busy holiday season. I found a cheap Amazon offering of the first four Mary Poppins books all in one, so we'll see if I manage all four!

[B the BookAddict]

I am midway thru my second book of the year, The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton. Having not read for a year, I have started with light fiction and will progress to my normal fare as I go along.

[Angela M]

Bette , good news !

[Nichole]

I just started Old School by Tobias Wolff. Promising, so far.

[Pam]

Nichole- I read Old School several years ago and thought it was pretty good! Hope you enjoy it!

[Pam]

Greg- I finished Children of God and recommend it, if you want “the rest of the story”. I didn’t like it as well as The Sparrow but it’s still a good story! I felt like there were too many characters and too much back and forth in the timeline. My opinion is she tried to do too much with the book. But, it’s still worth reading. There is one major plot development in The Sparrow that was intentionally misleading. It is clarified in this book. It’s revealed fairly early in the book.

She has another 2 book series (Doc and Epitaph) about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp that I plan to read in 2019. I like her writing style and am interested in reading something that is not SF. Maybe someone in the group would be interested in doing a buddy read??

[Greg]

Pam wrote: "Greg- I finished Children of God and recommend it, if you want “the rest of the story”. I didn’t like it as well as The Sparrow but it’s still a good story! I felt like there were too many characte..."

I would certainly like to join in a buddy read of the other series! Just let me know when you are thinking. January?

[Pam]

Greg- I could do January, as long as it’s available at the library! Buddy read would be awesome!

[Greg]

Pam wrote: "Greg- I could do January, as long as it’s available at the library! Buddy read would be awesome!"

Perfect! I see it's available on Audible too which works well with my commute. It's Doc and then Epitaph, right? I will look forward to it!

[Nichole]

Pam wrote: "Nichole- I read Old School several years ago and thought it was pretty good! Hope you enjoy it!"

Thanks!

[Diane]

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

[Beth]

Diane wrote: "Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I'm reading Jimbo: A Fantasy. I love Algernon Blackwood! And I don't agree with the many reviewers who say this is not one of his best boo..."

So far I've read The Willows and The Man Whom the Trees Loved but nothing else by him. I have The Complete John Silence Stories on my TBR.

[Marina]

Beth, I'd recommend Blackwood's The Wendigo and The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories. If you have an e-reader, you can find them both for free at Project Gutenberg. I have yet to read his John Silence stories, which I have on my Kindle.

[Marina]

I'm almost finished with Infiltration: A Novel and have started The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

[Diane S ☔]

Started Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

[Chrissie]

I have begun Everything Beautiful Began After.

[Marina]

I have started The Snow Child. Many of my Goodreads friends loved it so I'm intrigued. It seems good so far.

[Tamara]

Marina (Sonnenbarke) wrote: "I have started The Snow Child. Many of my Goodreads friends loved it so I'm intrigued. It seems good so far."

I loved it. I also enjoyed Ivey's To The Bright Edge of the World. Very different from The Snow Child but also very good.

[Diane]

I'm reading Light in Shadow by Jayne Ann Krentz ❤❤📚📚

[Marina]

Good to know, Tamara. I'm enjoying Ivey's writing and the story. I might consider reading her other book if I like this one.

[Chrissie]

Saul Bellow's More Die of Heartbreak has pulled me in right from the start. I l love the humor. I appreciate humor in writing.