what book you reading at the moment? (incl poll)

[Matlock]

Heart Bones- Colleen Hoover.

A friend convinced me to read it, because she loves her books. It's truly fucking dreadful. Easy reading so I will only have to suffer it for a few days but fuck me it's awful drivel!

It reminds me of the books from the movie Philomena. "You won't believe what happened next Martin..." ;-)

 

[Stromovka]

I wish I had an original copy but you'd pay hundreds for it. Google have kindly scanned it but reading it on a PC screen/Kindle just doesn't appeal as much as a hard copy. Kindle is good for throwaway trashy stuff (Jack Reacher) that I'd only read once.

Anyhow, as expected, Lady Chatterton had a view of the world based somewhat on being British gentry in those days. Describing the Irish she passed in her carriage as dirty, smelly, half-naked etc. Well, it was 1838. She also described the people she talked to as cultured, musical, bright, artistic and friendly. I've only read the parts that refer to some of the places I know - Bantry, Glengarriff, Beara, Dingle Peninsula etc. I'll read the rest some other time. "Light" reading all the same, if somewhat tempered by the times and social perceptions that were in it.

 

[Stromovka]

Heart Bones- Colleen Hoover.

A friend convinced me to read it, because she loves her books. It's truly fucking dreadful. Easy reading so I will only have to suffer it for a few days but fuck me it's awful drivel!

It reminds me of the books from the movie Philomena. "You won't believe what happened next Martin..." ;-)

I don't mind reading "rubbish" at times (especially on hols) but it's like being in a room where my daughter is watching an episode of Friends and I have a hankering for either decapitating myself with a rusty sardine tin or watching a documentary on why the Universe will eventually become a deep freeze in trillions of years, and we're all going to be well extinct by then anyway.

Allegedly.

 

[Channa]

No Ordinary Assignment. Jane Ferguson. Recommended.

 

[Blue Jasmin]

The Art Of Manliness.

Learning skills such as :

Shave like your grandpa
Be a perfect house guest
Fight like a gentleman using the art of bartitsu
Help a friend with a problem
Give a man hug
Perform a fireman's carry
Ask for a woman's hand in marriage
Raise resilient kids
Predict the weather like a frontiersman
Start a fire without matches
Give a dynamic speech
Live a well-balanced life

 

[Carmona]

Jesus, didn't realise Prophet Song was going to be that dark! Enjoyed it. Quite lyrical at times in style. Intense though.

 

[Matlock]

Jesus, didn't realise Prophet Song was going to be that dark! Enjoyed it. Quite lyrical at times in style. Intense though.

I liked the lyrical style at times and it annoyed me at other times. It felt a little contrived I think (the style, rather than the story).

Reading a book called "Fourteen Days" at the moment. Really interesting concept. The overall structure was written by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston. It tells the story of an apartment building in New York during covid, narrated by the building superintendent. Every night the residents meet on the roof to clap for the hospital workers and then tell each other stories. Each of the stories told is written by a different author. It all flows together really well though, and it is fun to try and guess which writer wrote which story. About 2/3 of the way though and I highly recommend it.

 

[Crisp Sandwich]

Read comedian Ed Gamble's autobiography "Glutton" - started off quite well but soon veered into well-trodden, oft-told tales from his podcast ("Off Menu" with James Acaster)/stand-up act. Turned out to be fairly rubbish by the mid-point. A bit of a shame really, I like his comedy work. Finished it because it was easy.

Gamble's podcast with Acaster has a massive audience - I'm a little bit amazed that he got away with basically culling huge swathes of the show for an autobiography and repackaging it for, I assume, the same audience.

Picked up "Say Nothing" by Patrick Radden-Keefe yesterday. I have heard good things about it.

I never read Radden-Keefe's book "Empire Of Pain" which came recommended to me because I have already read (and raved about to anyone who would listen) Sam Quinones' "Dreamland" and also Beth Macy's "Dopesick" (and saw the TV show) which cover the same subject/territory.

 

[Carmona]

I liked the lyrical style at times and it annoyed me at other times. It felt a little contrived I think (the style, rather than the story).

Reading a book called "Fourteen Days" at the moment. Really interesting concept. The overall structure was written by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston. It tells the story of an apartment building in New York during covid, narrated by the building superintendent. Every night the residents meet on the roof to clap for the hospital workers and then tell each other stories. Each of the stories told is written by a different author. It all flows together really well though, and it is fun to try and guess which writer wrote which story. About 2/3 of the way though and I highly recommend it.

Yeah, I get that. Sometimes I feel Irish writers overdo that 'authentic' voice shite.

 

[doppelganger]

Jesus, didn't realise Prophet Song was going to be that dark! Enjoyed it. Quite lyrical at times in style. Intense though.

Currently reading this. It gets wonderfully lyrical at times but at least 50% of it is banal everyday stuff, like 'She brought the shopping in from the car. She took the tray from the oven, put the fishfingers on the plates and called the kids.' which kind of in its own way works to contrast with all the crazy stuff happening, but in itself does not make for gripping reading. Also, the complete lack of paragraphs gets on my nerves as it reduces the readability.

Also, I couldn't really see it happening in Ireland as it would mean civil servants having to log off the PROC and actually do some work to roll out the auld fascism.