Your Book Activity 2023

[willoyd]

Finished Travelling In A Strange Land by David Park, a book group choice, also counting for Northern Ireland in my Read Around the World.  More a novella (164 pages), it's a fairly intense read.  4/6 stars.

[lunababymoonchild]

Still reading From The Depths for the BCF group read

[lunababymoonchild]

Having been impressed by Macmillan Collector's Library I have used an Amazon birthday token and bought :

 

The Art of War: Sun Tzu (Macmillan Collector's Library, 108) Sun Tzu, Jonathan Clements (Translator)

Poems for Happiness (Macmillan Collector's Library, 213) Gaby Morgan (editor)

Greek Myths: Heroes and Heroines (Macmillan Collector's Library, 352) Jean Menzies (editor) 

The Analects: (Macmillan Collector's Library, 330) Confucius, David Hinton (Translator)

Greek Myths: Gods and Goddesses (Macmillan Collector's Library, 353) Jean Menzies (editor)

[lunababymoonchild]

11 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

Still reading From The Depths for the BCF group read

Finished

[poppy]

Just finished listening to The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. First read this as a set book at school and may have read it again since. Found the dialogue a little dated, reminded me a bit of Nevil Shute, another author I've enjoyed in the past,  but it’s still a good story.

[lunababymoonchild]

Currently reading Thomas Bernhard, Three Novellas. 

 

I'm still reading Poems of the Sea from Macmillan Collector's Library, so staying in touch with the group read

[lunababymoonchild]

29 minutes ago, Hux said:

Just bought...

 

'Mysteries' by Knut Hamsun.

'Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead' by Olga Tokarczuk.

'The Setting Sun' by Osamu Dazai

'The Appointment' by Herta Müller.

I read Mysteries by Knut Hamsun. Didn't like it as much as Hunger.

[willoyd]

This evening, finished Johnson At 10 by Anthony Seldon and Raymond Newell.  Jaw dropping.  Long been a full on antifan of Boris Johnson, but what we, the public, saw at the time wasn't the half of it, particularly given the focus was more on his competence than his morals.  This was devastating in its critique of his time at no. 10.  Occasionally repetitive, partly down to its thematic rather than chronological structure, but in some ways that only went to make it even more starkly apparent what a disastrous prime minister Johnson was. At the worst possible time too. The referencing underlined the depth of research - considerable is an understatement! 4 stars.

Edited August 22, 2023 by willoyd

[muggle not]

Amazon had a free read for about 10% of a book that sounded interesting, so I downloaded "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride. My wife was also interested in the book so I downloaded it to her account as I can read all books in her account but she can't read any books in my account.

I believe that I will enjoy the book as it starts out in a small town in Pennsylvania in 1919 describing the immigrant Jewish community and the African Americans. The book jumps from one subject to another with an ending that embodies the love in a community, at least I think so. 🙂

[France]

On 8/22/2023 at 11:33 PM, willoyd said:

.  Long been a full on antifan of Boris Johnson, but what we, the public, '

"Antifan" - what a good word! I share your sentiments.

[itsmeagain]

Lovers and Strangers 

by Clair Wills. 

An immigrant history of post war Britain. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by itsmeagain

[poppy]

Adolf Hitler : My Part in His Downfall by Spike Milligan. Read this years ago but all I remembered was repeated mention of 'that bloody awful Warsaw Concerto' and Woodbines 😅

[lunababymoonchild]

Currently reading Maigret Takes A Room, Georges Simenon

[willoyd]

On 8/14/2023 at 12:32 AM, poppy said:

Just finished listening to The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. First read this as a set book at school and may have read it again since. Found the dialogue a little dated, reminded me a bit of Nevil Shute, another author I've enjoyed in the past,  but it’s still a good story.

I'd never tried John Wyndham until a year or so ago, and have read both Day of the Triffids and Midwich Cuckoos since then.  Do agree about it feeling a little dated, but almost surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed both books. 

[willoyd]

Given up on Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperfield after around 200 pages.  I loved David Copperfield upon which this is based, but that was half the problem, as you know what's going to happen to the characters as soon as they are introduced.  Found the narration flat, a monotone, with no real variation in shading (near constant mis-lit), lacking Dickens's lightness of touch, even though matching him in verbosity. Where, oh where, is the humour?  Very worthy.  I can still see why people enjoy this, but I really can't see why it was so lauded for the Pulitzer and Women's Prizes.  I'm not at all surprised that it's been passed over for the Booker. Thought Poisonwood Bible was excellent, enjoyed The Bean Trees, but since then it's been a steady turn-off through Unsheltered, The Lacuna and now this.  Sadly, I really don't think I can bring myself to read any more Kingsolver unprompted.  2/6 stars.

Edited August 30, 2023 by willoyd

[poppy]

10 hours ago, willoyd said:

I'd never tried John Wyndham until a year or so ago, and have read both Day of the Triffids and Midwich Cuckoos since then.  Do agree about it feeling a little dated, but almost surprised myself as to how much I enjoyed both books. 

 

I've always meant to read more of his. I've got a collection that includes all his major works, so no excuse.

[willoyd]

Finished August Is A Wicked Month by Edna O'Brien.  More a novella than a full blown novel (where does the boundary lie?), my first experience of this writer.  It felt very much of its time (late 60s, early 70s), banned in Ireland when it came out for its sexual explicitness, positively tame by today's standards.  An intriguing read, although one where, not untypical of this time, there's a distance between the reader and both author and characters that is never closed, even though the quality of writing demanded close reading. Definitely want to read more of her writing though. 3 stars out of 6, but compulsive.

[lunababymoonchild]

Re-reading Nightshade by E S Thomson, Jem Flockhart 5. I don't remember reading it at all and I do have it listed as read. Jem Flockhart 6 isn't out until October this year and it's been two years since I last read about Jem Flockhart and have been missing the series. I intend to intersperse this with a factual book about the sea, Sea Fever by Meg Clothier and her brother Chris Clothier, for the group read.

[lunababymoonchild]

Currently reading Sea Fever, Meg Clothier and Chris Clothier and By Ash, Oak and Thorn, Melissa Harrison  

[muggle not]

I just started "The Wind Knows My Name" by Isabel Allende. Beginning of book takes place in Vienna as World War II is starting. I am finding that the book describes 3 or 4 different stories and I am anxious how they tie together at the end. Allende is an Author that I enjoy.

Edited September 10, 2023 by muggle not

[lunababymoonchild]

Have abandoned By Ash, Oak and Thorn, Melissa Harrison temporarily and taken up The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke. Sea Fever is fascinating and it also contains poetry and lines from other publications, I'm learning loads and really enjoying it.

Edited September 21, 2023 by lunababymoonchild
spelling mistake

[willoyd]

Finished reading The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah: my book for Ghana around the world.  Moved on to The Restless Republic by Anna Keay, a history of the English Commonwealth in the 1600s.  Very readable so far!

[muggle not]

I am reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I am only about 20% into the book but like it so far. If you enjoyed the film A Wonderful Life then you may enjoy this book.

[France]

Just started The Serpent's Mark by S W Perry a historical set in Elizabethan London. So far very good indeed.

[Madeleine]

40 minutes ago, France said:

Just started The Serpent's Mark by S W Perry a historical set in Elizabethan London. So far very good indeed.

I've heard this is a good series, I have a couple of them on tbr piles.