I've just finished The Women in Black, Madeleine St John. It's set in Sydney in the 1950s, essentially a love letter to old fashioned department stores (David Jones etc), and so wonderfully crisp and entertaining that I've bought all three of her other novels. Highly recommended, especially to anyone whose mother, like mine, got dressed up in her "costume" and gloves to visit Smith & Caughey..
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7580...n_in_Black
I think I may have seen the movie - though of course, the books almost always better.
I've started The long knives, Irvine Welsh. Its about an especially nasty murder with possibly more to come. I don't often read murder mystery books but I love his sense of humour.
"There's been a murder, of an MP. A Tory MP"
"So all of Scotland will be helping with enquiries then."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/a...-interview
(07-01-2023, 06:18 PM)Lilith7 Wrote: [ -> ]Currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, really enjoying it but difficult reading in places. A re-imagining of David Copperfield set in one of the poorest parts of America.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/n...ns-updated
Isn't it great! It took me a few chapters to get into the dialect, then I was riveted through to the end.
(07-01-2023, 07:48 PM)Olive Wrote: [ -> ] (07-01-2023, 06:18 PM)Lilith7 Wrote: [ -> ]Currently reading Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, really enjoying it but difficult reading in places. A re-imagining of David Copperfield set in one of the poorest parts of America.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/n...ns-updated
Isn't it great! It took me a few chapters to get into the dialect, then I was riveted through to the end.
Its brilliant -I'm close-ish to the end & find myself trying to ration reading it. Probably a lost cause though.
I'm having trouble trying to comprehend how anyone can deliberately target people they know are struggling, with the motive of making their situation considerably worse, knowing it will certainly mean deaths & doing it anyway, in order to make money.
I've read some of her earlier books & enjoyed them but it was a while ago.
Having read & loved Demon Copperhead I thought I'd have a bash at the original so am now reading David Copperfield. I can't remember whether I've read it before or just the classic comic version, but I'm enjoying it despite the older style of writing.
I've just started reading Byron C Clark's Fear - the story of the far right in Aotearoa. It's going to be fascinating and very educational I suspect. The movement started with "Gamergate", which I knew nothing of: the male gamer backlash against female game designers.
(16-02-2023, 11:59 AM)Olive Wrote: [ -> ]I've just started reading Byron C Clark's Fear - the story of the far right in Aotearoa. It's going to be fascinating and very educational I suspect. The movement started with "Gamergate", which I knew nothing of: the male gamer backlash against female game designers.
That sounds really interesting - I'd heard a bit about the male backlash against female gamers & designers, might have to add it to the long list of books to read.
Hope I make it before I fall off the perch!
Sometimes, you've finished a book & moved on to another, but keep thinking about the first book. I recently finished Our missing hearts, Celeste Ng & find that I'm still thinking about it, every now & then - possibly because of the subject which was about the cruel practise of stealing children from those who bump heads with authority for whatever reason.
Set in an authoritarian future America, its seems far too possible given some practices by the USA.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/o...e-dystopia
I started to read Metro 2033, getting inspired by the latest news.
And then what did you do?
Please recommend something for me to read.... I just finished my science fiction stories and need something to capture my attention again
(23-04-2023, 12:18 AM)Choppy89 Wrote: [ -> ]Please recommend something for me to read.... I just finished my science fiction stories and need something to capture my attention again
You could try Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. Its a re telling of David Copperfield (which I read again after reading Demon Copperhead) set in one of the poorest parts of America & I really enjoyed it.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/n...ns-updated
Demon Copperhead is wonderful. It is compelling on several levels, not the least of which is that it's an entertaining page turner, and no knowledge of Dickens or other novels from his period is necessary.
I loved it too & found the characters easy to recognise despite not having read David Copperfield for decades; I really enjoy her writing.
Presently reading this, a different outcome to WW2, & another reality. George & Wallis are about to be crowned, the royals & their children having 'vanished'. An anti reading, anti knowledge & education world, especially for women who must be kept ignorant - not so different to the Taliban.
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-re...idowland-1
Dean Koontz, The Big Dark Sky...
The man has a way with words.
Accidentally stumbled across this excellent book of short stories by a writer I've not come across before & really enjoying them; they're not really like anything I've read before.
Lucia Berlin certainly lived a life; she was married three times, had four sons & had a constant battle with alcohol addiction.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/s...rt-stories
Well my younger have recently found some good books on medieval history, unteresting topic for me