Bookworms 2020

dolly84

Am I the only person reading?

Just finished The Great Gatsby, read this years ago and loved it just as much this time around.  It resides in my permanent book collection.  I am currently reading Midnight's Children, Rebecca, One Hundred Years of Solitude and Full Wolf Moon.  I like to have multiple books on the go including something non challenging for bedtime (Full Wolf Moon in this case but I am not loving it).

Rowan9

I’m reading. 

I really enjoyed The Grapes of Wrath, reread more recently. 

Didn’t enjoy Midnight Children but know others have. 

Just finished The History of Wolves which I enjoyed. 

Now reading Kathy Reichs, easy to follow and interesting. 

I also like something non challenging at bedtime, often about nature. Soothing and more easy to put down. 

Charly27

Dolly I’m still reading. I’m now on the last of the first 5 books by Laura Ingalls-Wilder, ‘By the Shores of Silver Lake’. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading these again. I re-read ‘The Great Gatsby’ last year, I still didn’t get it. It left me feeling sad. Loved One Hundred Years if Solitude though and Rebecca is on my list as I’ve never read it. I never finished Midnight’s Children. I tried twice and that’s enough for one lifetime. 

WMF I have enjoyed the Kathy Reichs books I’ve read. I don’t tend to read before bedtime as I stitch whilst watching TV. 

No idea what to read next. Have a few books on my Kindle App but they are all non-fiction.  Can’t read those later in the day - my brain can’t take it in 

elsien

One hundred years of solitude confused the life out of me with all the similar names before my brain turned to Covid mush.
At the moment I'm ploughing through Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman. She references Laura Ingalls-Wilder quite a lot (although tbf she references pretty much everything.)  It's taken me 200 of the 1000 pages to decide to stick with it, and if the bookmark ever falls out I'm completely stuffed. The main issue is the size of the blasted thing - it's a proper book not a kindle one and it weighs a ton . No chance of reading it in the bath. All I can say is, it's a good thing the libary is closed so there's no rush to take it back. 

dolly84

wmf said:

I’m reading. 

I really enjoyed The Grapes of Wrath, reread more recently. 

Didn’t enjoy Midnight Children but know others have. 

Just finished The History of Wolves which I enjoyed. 

Now reading Kathy Reichs, easy to follow and interesting. 

I also like something non challenging at bedtime, often about nature. Soothing and more easy to put down. 

I used to enjoy the Kathy Reichs books also used to enjoy the Patricia Cornwell ones, the early ones particularly.

Charly27 said:

Dolly I’m still reading. I’m now on the last of the first 5 books by Laura Ingalls-Wilder, ‘By the Shores of Silver Lake’. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading these again. I re-read ‘The Great Gatsby’ last year, I still didn’t get it. It left me feeling sad. Loved One Hundred Years if Solitude though and Rebecca is on my list as I’ve never read it. I never finished Midnight’s Children. I tried twice and that’s enough for one lifetime. 

WMF I have enjoyed the Kathy Reichs books I’ve read. I don’t tend to read before bedtime as I stitch whilst watching TV. 

No idea what to read next. Have a few books on my Kindle App but they are all non-fiction.  Can’t read those later in the day - my brain can’t take it in 

Yes 'The Great Gatsby' leaves me feeling very melancholy.  I'm not sure how I will get on with 'Midnight's Children' it isn't grabbing me so far but I have only read a bit of it. 

dolly84

elsien said:

One hundred years of solitude confused the life out of me with all the similar names before my brain turned to Covid mush.
At the moment I'm ploughing through Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman. She references Laura Ingalls-Wilder quite a lot (although tbf she references pretty much everything.)  It's taken me 200 of the 1000 pages to decide to stick with it, and if the bookmark ever falls out I'm completely stuffed. The main issue is the size of the blasted thing - it's a proper book not a kindle one and it weighs a ton . No chance of reading it in the bath. All I can say is, it's a good thing the libary is closed so there's no rush to take it back. 

I was the same with all the weird names in 'The Hobbit' and gave up on that, DD has read it and loves it but she says it took 3 attempts at it, I think she was only about 14 when she read it.

pollypenny

dolly84 said:

Have finished 'Of Mice and Men', this is one of the 100 books to read before you die, it is a quick and easy read but in all honesty I don't see what all the fuss is about, I just wanted someone to throttle Lennie all the way through.  Grapes of Wrath is on the list too, hope that is better.

Charly - I know what you mean about hunting, I am vegan and I know that choosing to do that is a luxury, I don't disagree with hunting for survival and know if push came to shove I would do it, I have mixed feelings about eating animals and animal products, on the one hand I think who the bliddy hell do we think we are and on the other I know that so many people rely on the industry for their livelihood, I am a realist I suppose, we should be doing it better and not to excess.

😲. Of Mice and Men is wonderful. The language, the structure and, of course, the relationships.  I'm sure other people would have wanted to throttle Lennie, with his learning difficulties, but George cared for him. And their dream kept them going in the Depression.  That's the point. 

I've had pupils cry during the reading of the last chapter. 

pollypenny

Two updates from me: 

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield - a long, engrossing read set on a background of the Thames in the 19th century. 

Breaking and Mending by Joanna Cannon. A memoir of her time as a student, then a doctor. Quite short, but again, engrossing. 

Charly27

I’m now on ‘By the Shores of Silver Lake’ #5 in the Little House on the Prairie series. I’m finding the descriptions of food and daily life literally mouth-watering but I still think life was so hard. All of a sudden there’s another sister for Mary, Laura and Carrie. Where did she come from? I’m not sure Ma was even pregnant! Sometimes I just want to throttle Pa - despite his fiddle-playing I’m not sure I’d have her faith. 

Is there enough time to read all the amazing books in the world? pollypenny I now want to read ‘Once upon a river’. Also if ‘Breaking and mending’ is as good as ‘when breath becomes air’ and ‘this is going to hurt’, I might also have to read it. 

Confession alert - I’ve now ordered the next four books in by Ingalls-Wilder. No hope for me.

Happycas

I love Of Mice and Men.  My favourite book to teach to disengaged Y10.  Worked like a charm every time.

I read Great Gatsby when I was about 20.  Didn't get it.  Tried again a few years ago, thinking maturity would lend understanding.  I'm afraid it didnt.  I still don't get all the fuss, but am happy to put it down to my fault!I

Have recently read Once Upon a River and really enjoyed it. It has a distinctive style that drew me in.

I seem to be rereading more and more at the moment.  The reassurance of the familiar, I think.  Dorothy L Sayers, Anya Seton, C D Lewis etc.  Things I last read many years ago.