The "I am currently reading" thread

[hauxwell 243]

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier.

 

It’s an historical fiction novel about a Quaker lady who emigrates to America in 1850’s.  

I’m nearly at the end of the book. It’s not bad but not the most enjoyable book I have read.  

[mikeG 16]

'Reach for the Ground'.  The downhill struggle of Jeffrey Bernard.

[wearysmith 140]

'To Throw Away Unopened'

Viv Albertine’s follow-up to the excellent ‘Clothes Music Boys’.
Book deals mainly with the disintegrating relationship with her sister and the lead-up to and aftermath of her mother’s death.
Not a barrel of laughs but a compelling read nonetheless.

 

[feargal 21]

On 01/11/2020 at 15:34, wearysmith said:

'To Throw Away Unopened'

Viv Albertine’s follow-up to the excellent ‘Clothes Music Boys’.
Book deals mainly with the disintegrating relationship with her sister and the lead-up to and aftermath of her mother’s death.
Not a barrel of laughs but a compelling read nonetheless.

 

I've got this one on the "to do" pile.  I read her earlier one, "Boys, boys, boys, music music.."? Very good! 

 

I've just finished Orphea by Joanne  Harris, which was short, but great.  Beautifully illustrated as well.   Also done and dusted this month was "Thin Air" by Ann Cleves.  This was OK, but she's obviously running out of scenarios for murder in the Shetlands.   I also ready "Not Dead Enough" by Peter James... his Roy Grace books are so samey, that it wasn't until I reached about 3/4 through that I realised I've ready it before!  

 

Need a quick charity shop to stock up for lockdown 2!

Edited November 2, 2020 by feargal

[mikeG 16]

'The Dinner' by Herman Koch. Dutch author but fortunately translated into English.  I'm up to page 67 and its a good read.

[jane2008 15]

I'm reading 1984.  Never read it before. Started reading it then realised I was reading it with hindsight.  So I've started reading it again, in my mind trying to pretend I've never heard ot it before.  Where I'm up to now if I'd have read the first edition in 1948/49 I would have thought it was just somebody writing a story as though the German's had won the war and thrown it away after the first 40 pages.  

[wearysmith 140]

Felt nostalgic for some Terry Pratchett. Past 2 weeks I've re-read (for the umpteenth time) 'Thud!', 'Going Postal' and 'Making Money'. 

Doesn't matter that I know them all word for word. With him, it's more of a comfort-read. Old friends. 

[Rollypolly 51]

Just finished reading Chart Throb by Ben Elton after seeing someone on SF recommending it. Also it was on offer on Kindle. Thought it was very poor. Halfway through I was tempted to give up but I persevered until the bitter end. The characters were all obnoxious and even though I'm sure X Factor etc are all rigged and pre planned I can't believe the judges and production team are as cynical as the characters in this book. I've read a few Ben Elton novels and I find them either very good or very poor. Sorry to whoever recommended it but it's a big fat no from me 😃

[feargal 21]

The first couple of Ben Elton novels were excellent - Gridlock, and Stark in particular. 

 

I've just finished "The girl who takes an eye for an eye" which is David Lagerkranz's second 'sequel', to Stigg Larsson's Dragon tattoo series.  Very weak, with the characters all being everso slightly wrong... There was none of the dramatic build up of the originals, just rattling through a plot about the separation of identical twins for a nefarious psychological test. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by feargal

[metalman 21]

This month's list:

 

Haruki Murakami - The Strange Library. More of an illustrated short story than a novel, but full of the surreal strangeness that is typical Murakami.

Terry Pratchett - Making Money. Still catching up on some of his later ones and while they're still a good read, I do feel that they got somewhat more formulaic.

Anthony Morton a.k.a. John Creasey - The Baron at large. Art dealer John Mannering is also the Baron, an international jewel thief. In this early entry in the series he's still not quite entirely straight (in the criminal sense). Good old-fashioned thriller.

Edgar Wallace - The Clue of the New Pin. Another good old-fashioned thriller.

Simon Brett - The Hanging in the Hotel. One of his series of cosy mysteries set in the Sussex town of Fethering with the sleuthing done by two middle-aged women. OK but I felt it ended a bit abruptly.

Robert B. Parker - Sea change. After a woman's body is fished out of the harbour of Paradise near Boston, police chief Jesse Stone uncovers nasty goings on. Excellent and fast-paced as usual.

Jack Vance - Planet of Adventure. Omnibus edition of the four books in this series: City of the Chasch, Servants of the *****, The Dirdir and The Pnume. Typical Vance hero Adam Reith is stranded on the planet Tschai with a variety of alien and indigenous races and, assisted by a couple of companions he recruits on the way, needs to acquire or build a spaceship to get home. The title of the second book includes a word which the forum won't let me include; apparently Vance was unaware of its British meaning and some later editions changed it to Wannek (there's a clue there). As usual, good escapist SF.

 

[taxman 12]

War and Peace.

 

I've exhausted my "to read" pile, and I can't re-read my Pratchet's and  M. Bank's for an eigth time....so I saw Ade Edmundson on some book programme saying this was his favourite so I borrowed it off some one I just knew would have it.

 

It's very enjoyable...but the writing is tiny and the book is massive so it's completely unreadable in bed before sleep. I can't hold it up or squint at the words.

 

Enjoying the story though when I get to read during the week when I'm supposed to be working.

[feargal 21]

14 hours ago, taxman said:

War and Peace.

 

I've exhausted my "to read" pile, and I can't re-read my Pratchet's and  M. Bank's for an eigth time....so I saw Ade Edmundson on some book programme saying this was his favourite so I borrowed it off some one I just knew would have it.

 

It's very enjoyable...but the writing is tiny and the book is massive so it's completely unreadable in bed before sleep. I can't hold it up or squint at the words.

 

Enjoying the story though when I get to read during the week when I'm supposed to be working.

I've got a carrier bag full of crime novels and thrillers if you can make use of them Taxman. They've been round our reading circle, and are destined for the charity shop next.   Just PM me an address and I will drop them off.