The "I am currently reading" thread

Just finished "this must be the place" by Maggie o'farrell. Enjoyable, but took most of the first half to get going, as I couldn't seem to engage with the characters. I've got Black Water Lillies next by Michel Bus so next.

Restless by William Boyd. I've got off to a slow start with this, I've read 3 or 4 others by Boyd and got into them very quickly but this one, not so much. Early days so reserving judgement.

This turned out to be pretty good once I'd got going with it, a spy story which isn't a genre I'd usually choose but I enjoyed this one.

I'm now on Slowly Down the Ganges by Eric Newby. This is classic travelogue and a re-read, I went through an Eric Newby phase 30-odd years ago and I don't know what prompted me to pick this up again but I'm glad I did, even though it does seem very dated now.

I've moved on to Life after Life by Kate Atkinson, which works on the idea that you go through life 'Having another go' if it goes wrong. Its good

Just started The Memoirs of Constantine Dix by Barry Pain, early detective stories from 1905. I've read several books by Pain and enjoyed them all, particularly The Eliza Stories which was reprinted back in the 1980s.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/invisible-ink-no-146-barry-pain-8219358.html

Am rereading 1984. Still relevant today if not more so than when it was published, what with the rise social media. Are you guilty of thoughtcrime?

I've had a stab at The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was offered a free Kindle book and the choice was Stieg Larsson, Stieg Larsson or Stieg Larsson, so I opted for Stieg Larsson. Now I know a lot of people love this book but I didn't get beyond the first few pages, really not my cup of tea at all.

Much more like it is Where My Heart Used to Beat by Sebastian Faulkes. A middle aged psychologist looks back at his experiences in WW2. Very good, but not a happy tale.

Just reading Today's Tip, of a horoscope website 'Your October Love Horoscope: Get Ready for Some Shakeups, Breakups, and Makeups'

 

Much more like it is Where My Heart Used to Beat by Sebastian Faulks. A middle aged psychologist looks back at his experiences in WW2. Very good, but not a happy tale.

Now that I've finished this I have to say it was one of the more upsetting books I've read, central themes of loss and hereditary mental illness and the ending is almost unbearably sad. Very absorbing and beautifully written but oh dear god.

I must be a glutton for punishment because I'm now rereading A Pin to see the Peepshow by F Tennyson Jesse, another one with a harrowing finale.

Just finished Martin Edwards' latest non-fiction book, called The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, which, like his last one, deals with the Golden Age of detective story writing between the wars. To write about 100 detective stories and not give anything away about any of them that spoils it for others to read is quite an achievement in itself. All in all a most enjoyable and informative follow-up to The Golden Age of Murder.

Now onto more trashy horror with Beware by Richard Laymon.

I picked up "The Alexandria Link" by Steve Berry from the charity table. So far it's shaping up a bit Dan Brown, unfortunately. Its fairly short though, so I shall stick with it.

Ive just this minute finished re-reading Stephen Kings IT.

Enjoyed it as much as I did when I first read it, aged 13.

Ive just this minute finished re-reading Stephen Kings IT.

 

Enjoyed it as much as I did when I first read it, aged 13.

I keep meaning to re-read The Dark Half by Stephen King.... I remember loving it at about the same age!