What books are we reading at the moment ?

[Legs]

Why God's name would anyone ever re-read a book that they'd not enjoyed the first time, when there are so many new and different books to read?  The mind boggles...

[T42]

That said, it's okay so far (page 50 or so), and far better than I remember Hardy: I was required to read Far From The Madding Crowd at secondary school. What idiot thought that long descriptive passages of the countryside and weather would turn teenage boys on to literature? It's a wonder I ever picked up another book.

Hah.  We read "Woodlanders" in Eng. Lit., and when we reached the first such passage the master said "we'll skip the next bit, it's just Hardy blathering on about nothing much".  As it happens, the whole book is just Hardy blathering on about nothing much.  Fortunately we were never examined on it because it was remarkably hard to discern a story or remember anything that happened.  That was the first and last Hardy book I ever read.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Ronnie Wood's autobiography.

[tonyh]

That was the first and last Hardy book I ever read.

(You might yet take him up later... "The Woodlanders" might be worth leaving aside though.)

[Ruthie]

The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year by Sue Townsend.

I really liked it, having effectively gone to bed for about four months earlier this year myself.  It's a lovely book, easy to read.  The central characters are all recognisable as types from reality, hyperbolised for the sake of the story.  Funny and sad.

[Ruthie]

Oh, and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.  He wrote the screenplay first, and this is a final draft/novel version of the TV series.  Never having seen the TV series I don't know whether the book is as good, but in a world without Terry Pratchett this was a cracking, comforting read, absorbing and imaginative, distorting the everyday world and making it into another place in a strange time.  Very good.

[Quint]

The man from Beijing by Henning Mankell, it started off quite well then slowly but surely the main character a woman judge started doing things no one would do that had half an ounce of sense let alone things a mature experienced judge would do, it became completely implausible by half way through so it goes back to the Cancer Research shop on Monday.
         Now starting Paul Torday "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" a promising start which had me chuckling which is something after three sleepless nights, we shall see.

[T42]

Noonday by Pat Barker. 3rd in her war artist trilogy.  Not far into it yet, OK so far.  2nd in trilogy, Toby's Room, was excellent.

On the tablet, Peter Watts' Firefall. Great if you're into biochem, neurology, genetics & space opera, which I'm not (apart from space opera) but it's readable enough and it's still fascinating. Next bit's sort of a spoiler so

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Oh, and it's got bioengineered Pleistocene vampires on the side of the goodies. And if you've got this far, look up Portia spiders. Woo hoo.

[Ruthie]

         Now starting Paul Torday "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" a promising start which had me chuckling which is something after three sleepless nights, we shall see.

I absolutely adored that book, however, for the first and only time ever, I prefer the film.

[Jakob W]

On the tablet, Peter Watts' Firefall. Great if you're into biochem, neurology, genetics & space opera, which I'm not (apart from space opera) but it's readable enough and it's still fascinating.

Is it as cheery and life-affirming as the rest of his oeuvre? I think he'sa great writer with some fantastic ideas, but don't pick his stuff up if you're a bit down in the dumps...

[T42]

This was the first of his I've read. I found it more intriguing than depressing - after all, all SF that claims to take a [semi-]realistic look at the next 100 years is depressing.  As is all the literature that takes a realistic look at the last 100.

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I rather hope he'll bring out What Portia Did Next before long.

Rather sorry about Valerie, by the way, I was just getting to like her.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Ronnie Wood's autobiography.

Not as good as Keef's, but made me laugh when he described being at an awards show and asking a young girl if she was lost or needed help to find her parents. She was Kylie Minogue.

[citoyen]

Why God's name would anyone ever re-read a book that they'd not enjoyed the first time, when there are so many new and different books to read?  The mind boggles...

People change as they get older, acquire more life experiences and perhaps become more world weary. I can think of plenty of books that I would have hated when I was younger but love now. I've also had the opposite experience where I've reread books that I enjoyed when I first read them as a callow youth but not so much the second time when more mature and maybe even a little wiser.

There are also books that you enjoy in a different way at different times of life. I loved the Adrian Mole books when I was 13, I loved them in a completely different way when I rediscovered them in my 20s, and I loved them in yet another way again in my 40s when I introduced my son to them. In fact, I'd say they've got better as I've got older.

Also I have very poor memory for details in books, so I've usually forgotten most of what I did or didn't like about any book I read more than a year or two ago.

[Nuncio]

Why God's name would anyone ever re-read a book that they'd not enjoyed the first time, when there are so many new and different books to read?  The mind boggles...

If this is a response to

Just finished Tess Of The D'Urbervilles (again).  It doesn't get any better, does it?   

I think you might be misinterpreting CathH. I suspect she was talking about the cruelty of Tess's fate rather than the quality of the book, or her enjoyment of it.

[Riggers]

Geoffrey Household's Rogue Male. After listening to countless repeats of the radio adaption of the book narrated by the superb Michael Jayston, I came across a second-hand book of it. All I can say chaps, is "Excellent."

Most 'similar' to it would be John Buchan's 'The 39 Steps' I suppose.

[Nuncio]

About time for a new TV adaptation I'd have thought.

I read that years ago and meant to read more but forgot. I might try 'Watcher in the Shadows'.

[Paul]

Just finished Tess Of The D'Urbervilles (again).  It doesn't get any better, does it?   

Hmm, having just started this for the first time, and searched here for views, I wonder if -  having turned 50 last year (and therefore presumably having less time left than I've already had) - I should drop it now and read something else

 I'm only reading it now because

1. it was one of the very small selection at the camp site;
2. it was 50p, and;
2. several people have recommended it to me over the years.

That said, it's okay so far (page 50 or so), and far better than I remember Hardy: I was required to read Far From The Madding Crowd at secondary school. What idiot thought that long descriptive passages of the countryside and weather would turn teenage boys on to literature? It's a wonder I ever picked up another book.

Okay, done. I don't regret seeing it through. It was easy to read (I love the short chapters). There wasn't as much (unnecessary) description as I remember from FFTMC. Tess' decisions are odd from 21 C perspective, maddening, even. But probably credible at the time. The story moves along at a reasonable pace and held me well enough. For 50p, it was good. However, I don't feel the need to read any more Hardy just yet.

Oh, and

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was Tess the first/only time anyone had used the crucial-note-under-the-door-that-got-lost-under-the-carpet device? I knew it from somewhere, but don't know where.

[haydenw]

Going to Sea in a Sieve - the Danny Baker autobiography.

Well written, laugh out loud funny with great anecdotes.

[fuzzy]

Lords and Ladies from the Discworld series.

I have just finished Small Gods and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed that read

[Legs]

Why God's name would anyone ever re-read a book that they'd not enjoyed the first time, when there are so many new and different books to read?  The mind boggles...

If this is a response to

Just finished Tess Of The D'Urbervilles (again).  It doesn't get any better, does it?   

I think you might be misinterpreting CathH. I suspect she was talking about the cruelty of Tess's fate rather than the quality of the book, or her enjoyment of it.

Mebbe.  I can't remember.  Maybe I was subconsciously imposing some of my judgment of Hardy (execrably turgid), borne only of GCSE FFTMC, into my interpretation of CathH's comment?

(I got an A* in GCSE English Lit - and got full marks on my coursework - despite only having read a handful of pages of FFTMC.  Among other things, I compiled a list of about 40 adjectives to describe each of Bathsheba, Troy, Oak, Boldwood and Fanny Robin and I inscribed them in tiny handwriting on the insides of the covers.  I suppose I must have paid attention in the lessons to compensate for not doing the reading.)

[Steph]

Danish Girl. Not impressed at all by the writing.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

In Order to Live, by Yeonmi Park - autobiography of a North Korean girl who defects with her family.

[ElyDave]

Re-reading Moonraker with my son, just got to the point where Bond is about to destroy Drax at cards.

Also reading Miss Smilla's feeling for Snow, one of my charity shop £2 purchases of things I wouldn't normally pick.  Makes me want to go to Greenland. I'm, surprisingly engaged despite my prejudice.

[Jakob W]

Finally got round to reading Ann Leckie's Ancillary Justice. Thought it was very well done - can see why it won all those awards.

[Vince]

The Drift by Chris Thrall. Bought because it was 99p and had 30 five star ratings* on Amazon. I can only assume Mr Thrall has 30 good friends! The writing is somewhat naive in style, has technical errors in the sailing descriptions. Oh and has any one ever heard of a sea lion taking up residence in Plymouth Sound?

I do wonder about how people rate books. If you think truly great writing - Dickens, Shakespeare, Pratchet - should rate at 5 stars, most other stuff should surely only rate three stars.