What are you reading?

**Rai** · 10-07-23, 17:38

I'm one of those people who always has a book on the go and recently I've actually had two or three books I'm reading. The perils of working in a charity shop where you can pick up 2 books for a £1 and on top of that, we allow staff (paid and volunteers) to take donated books home & read them with the understanding they're brought back to be sold. I got in the habit of taking a book from the shelf and reading during my lunch break and then also took them home to complete. With my internet recently having been down (the power cable had what looked like a bite mark through it, probably due to a certain fur ball going by the name Snitch), I took a new book home even though I was still reading one I had bought. I have managed to finish both of them and started a new one.

We have a thread in Art and Entertainment about what we're watching, so I thought it would be fun to see what we're reading. Though with the internet/social media taking up time, maybe books aren't as popular anymore. People have become a lot more visual and interested in something that can give a 'quick fix' to entertainment. Whereas books can take up a bit more time to read and digest.

The two books I have finished over the weekend are:

The People on Platform 5, Clare Pooley: a quaint story about how a group of people who before a certain event, had often seen each other on the train but had never broken the unspoken rule of never talking to fellow commuters, become friends and how their lives start to entwine. It was a pleasant read that I kept at work for a while to read until I took it home. Nothng ground breaking, but an interesting concept. It's not the genre of book I'd have chosen had I been in a bookstore, but I'm glad I tried it

Sister Sister, Sue Fortin: A thriller ( think). Clare lives with her mum, husband and two daughters quite happily with only one thing missing - her long lost sister who was taken by their father when Alice was just 4 and never seen again. When the sister gets in contact after 20 years, Clare's life begins to unravel. Despite a lull in the middle, the hook kept me interested enough to want to keep reading.

What have you read recently or are reading at the moment. Do you read often? Let us know below!

**TRfan23** · 10-07-23, 18:04

I had a period several years ago where I really wanted to get back into reading books, as I've spent a good chunk of my life (as most) looking at screens. So I never really read any books since being a young teenager.

In 2016-2017 I read the Jurassic Park novel (which is more gruesome than the film) and The Stand (uncut edition) by Stephen King, how I finished that book I'll never know since it really dragged lol. I think there was another book, but I couldn't get into it, and gave it back to my brother.

Then during covid 2020-2021, I would go to bed early to read The Hobbit and LOTR. Sadly I'm still on Two Towers and not even halfway and been stuck there for the past year or two, sometimes I'd pick up the book and read it when I feel like it and finish a chapter or two. My bookmark is still in the book

I didn't realize that J. R. R. Tolkien wanted LOTR to be published in one physical book, but couldn't so spilt them into three volumes with 2 "books" in each one.

perryloo · 10-07-23, 18:41

I am right into trying to know what is on the other side, are'int we all

It is the big unknown, the 'life after death' question, and having been to a number of live large audiences with mediums, I am still perplexed, and wondering if mediums are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes, and earning more than a few quid from us all.

One of the most accurate mediums in the UK at present is Gordan Smith, so have bought a few of his books off Ebay secondhand. These are...

Gordon Smith through my eyes, and Gordon Smith life changing messages.

I have only just started the books, and want to see if any of my questions are answered.

I have seen Gordon Smith on TV with an audience, and I do see leading questions which is the way mediums seem to work, like saying there is a guy from the other side called peter, and when he gets no response he then says maybe it is paul, LOL, or was your father a ship builder while the show is playing in a ship building town, where obviously 50% of the population works on building ships LOL.

I used to watch on TV 'Long Island medium', a USA medium living near New York, and her show was interesting as she did get things right occasionally, but is the show just fixed? i wonder.

So maybe these books will help, and tell if he and other mediums, are just at it, real or fakes?

Lukass · 10-07-23, 19:49

I was never fan of Harry Potter, I think I saw just one film and that's it. Something in me changed tho' and I purchased HP and the Philosopher's Stone book last week. I must say, it's brilliant reading

I was stupid avoiding that. I can imagine buying the whole series.

I finished reading a book called Les v domě (Forest/Wood inside the house) from Alena Mornštajnová, who is Czech writer. The story is about a little girl, who's mother is alcoholic and so she grow up with her grandmother (who is terrible and I mean it) and grandfather (who is even worse). It's a story full of hatred, despair, family warmth absence and there is one alarming and disgusting thing going on in the house, a sexual violence. I finished reading this book with my mouth open wide. I will remember this forever.

Maybe that's why I picked up HP to read, because I desperately needed something nice and funny.

snork · 10-07-23, 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rai

With my internet recently having been down (the power cable had what looked like a bite mark through it, probably due to a certain fur ball going by the name Snitch),

lol - so, that "snitch" person, what is it? I lately am somewhat obsessed by "Tanuki" ... yes, we have them here, but I have not (yet) achieved to see one in the wild...

ps - I am happy that our "social shop" here avoids any such by everything being completely free of charge - the 1£/€ would not really make a difference whatsoever BUT in the accounting/ managing / etc. (nightmares)

- - - - - - -

Last thing I started to read was "City of Glass" (New York trilogy) by Paul Auster. (flee market for free - but I still payed 1€)
I once watched a film by/ after Paul Auster which I liked - an incredibly tired (and old-ish) looking Mira Sorvino in B&W was sooo attractive

, but after 70 or 80 pages into City of Glass it seemed it would go way-too-smartass for it's own good. (but so far good! writing

)

If maybe someone who read it all already could assure it really being worth it / not overly indulging or completely loosing itself in it's own smart(ass)ness ...
I really do not need/want sth. that just masturbates over how smartly set up it is, and this got me worrying that's just what it will be.

------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rai

The People on Platform 5, Clare Pooley: a quant story

quaint? else I don't know - maybe a good example how simple typo mixed with non-native readers ...

**Rai** · 10-07-23, 22:04

@ Snork, Snitch would be my cat. I will have to look up what a Tanuki is. Edit: I did look it up and now I almost wish it had been one of them

.

I did indeed mean Quaint I have corrected it. Thank you for pointing it out.

Cat Woman · 11-07-23, 03:06

Dolly Pardon and James Patterson - Run Rose Run - a novel. A young songwriter on the rise and on the run is determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Just bought Michael Connelly - Desert Star. A Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch novel. Detective hunt for brutal killer(s).

I enjoy most if not all of James Patterson’s books.

Teone · 11-07-23, 14:03

I don't remember which was the last book I read. I feel haven't read anything for at least 10 years.
It probably was The Brummstein by Peter Adolphsen... or maybe that was the last one which left me something inside.
If a book doesn't leave me something inside, I forget it.

I never read at home. I only read on train, metro, medical waiting rooms, parks (if weather permits).
I also rarely buy books (sorry, writers), I always borrow them in the libraries.
The last book I bought is Model Behavior by Jay McInerney but it was not my intention to buy it because it actually sucks. Long story short: I borrowed it from a library in Milan, then I lost it on the Metro and I had to give the money to the library. LOL.

Catapharact · 11-07-23, 16:16

For those who want two good Non-fiction related reads, I want to highly recommend the following:

Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink

A full account on what strategies some of the largest companies in the world had to employ (particularly those whose entire existence relies so heavily on Travel, Tourism and Hospitality) when dealing with the restrictions imposed by the Pandemic. Highly recommend for those out there is the Business/Management/Executive roles in their companies these are good case studies to consider when mitigating fallouts from unforeseen disasters.

And just for a good laugh:

Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State

An amusing look at the struggles of keeping autonomy in an ever increasingly connected digital age. Remember boys and gals; You are not you; You are a collection of thoughts that you posted on the Twitters, the Instagrams and the Facebooks!

snork · 11-07-23, 19:11

That is a really cool name for a cat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teone

I also rarely buy books (sorry, writers), I always borrow them in the libraries.

no need to feel sorry, afaik every time a book gets lent, the library pays to the writer (EU, but I do not know the details).

-----------

lately I read a review of Coetzee's newest work, just like over the years I read reviews for almost all his works, and now noticed: I never actually read one of his books.
So that's what I am gonna look for next, either at our social shop or our tourist info/ townhouse, which both work as high-frequency take-a-book/ leave-a-book places, or else in the library (next one is>20km away).

10-07-23, 17:38	#1
Rai Moderator Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 36,982	What are you reading? I'm one of those people who always has a book on the go and recently I've actually had two or three books I'm reading. The perils of working in a charity shop where you can pick up 2 books for a £1 and on top of that, we allow staff (paid and volunteers) to take donated books home & read them with the understanding they're brought back to be sold. I got in the habit of taking a book from the shelf and reading during my lunch break and then also took them home to complete. With my internet recently having been down (the power cable had what looked like a bite mark through it, probably due to a certain fur ball going by the name Snitch), I took a new book home even though I was still reading one I had bought. I have managed to finish both of them and started a new one. We have a thread in Art and Entertainment about what we're watching, so I thought it would be fun to see what we're reading. Though with the internet/social media taking up time, maybe books aren't as popular anymore. People have become a lot more visual and interested in something that can give a 'quick fix' to entertainment. Whereas books can take up a bit more time to read and digest. The two books I have finished over the weekend are: The People on Platform 5, Clare Pooley: a quaint story about how a group of people who before a certain event, had often seen each other on the train but had never broken the unspoken rule of never talking to fellow commuters, become friends and how their lives start to entwine. It was a pleasant read that I kept at work for a while to read until I took it home. Nothng ground breaking, but an interesting concept. It's not the genre of book I'd have chosen had I been in a bookstore, but I'm glad I tried it Sister Sister, Sue Fortin: A thriller ( think). Clare lives with her mum, husband and two daughters quite happily with only one thing missing - her long lost sister who was taken by their father when Alice was just 4 and never seen again. When the sister gets in contact after 20 years, Clare's life begins to unravel. Despite a lull in the middle, the hook kept me interested enough to want to keep reading. What have you read recently or are reading at the moment. Do you read often? Let us know below! Last edited by Rai; 10-07-23 at 22:01.

10-07-23, 22:04	#6
Rai Moderator Joined: Dec 2008 Posts: 36,982	@ Snork, Snitch would be my cat. I will have to look up what a Tanuki is. Edit: I did look it up and now I almost wish it had been one of them . I did indeed mean Quaint I have corrected it. Thank you for pointing it out. Last edited by Rai; 10-07-23 at 22:08.

11-07-23, 14:03	#8
Teone Member Joined: Jul 2019 Posts: 443	I don't remember which was the last book I read. I feel haven't read anything for at least 10 years. It probably was The Brummstein by Peter Adolphsen... or maybe that was the last one which left me something inside. If a book doesn't leave me something inside, I forget it. I never read at home. I only read on train, metro, medical waiting rooms, parks (if weather permits). I also rarely buy books (sorry, writers), I always borrow them in the libraries. The last book I bought is Model Behavior by Jay McInerney but it was not my intention to buy it because it actually sucks. Long story short: I borrowed it from a library in Milan, then I lost it on the Metro and I had to give the money to the library. LOL. Last edited by Teone; 11-07-23 at 14:43.

11-07-23, 16:16	#9
Catapharact Member Joined: Jun 2005 Posts: 23,249	For those who want two good Non-fiction related reads, I want to highly recommend the following: Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World's Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink A full account on what strategies some of the largest companies in the world had to employ (particularly those whose entire existence relies so heavily on Travel, Tourism and Hospitality) when dealing with the restrictions imposed by the Pandemic. Highly recommend for those out there is the Business/Management/Executive roles in their companies these are good case studies to consider when mitigating fallouts from unforeseen disasters. And just for a good laugh: Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs: A Journey Through the Deep State An amusing look at the struggles of keeping autonomy in an ever increasingly connected digital age. Remember boys and gals; You are not you; You are a collection of thoughts that you posted on the Twitters, the Instagrams and the Facebooks! Last edited by Catapharact; 11-07-23 at 16:18.

10-07-23, 18:04	#2
TRfan23 Golden Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 10,491	I had a period several years ago where I really wanted to get back into reading books, as I've spent a good chunk of my life (as most) looking at screens. So I never really read any books since being a young teenager. In 2016-2017 I read the Jurassic Park novel (which is more gruesome than the film) and The Stand (uncut edition) by Stephen King, how I finished that book I'll never know since it really dragged lol. I think there was another book, but I couldn't get into it, and gave it back to my brother. Then during covid 2020-2021, I would go to bed early to read The Hobbit and LOTR. Sadly I'm still on Two Towers and not even halfway and been stuck there for the past year or two, sometimes I'd pick up the book and read it when I feel like it and finish a chapter or two. My bookmark is still in the book I didn't realize that J. R. R. Tolkien wanted LOTR to be published in one physical book, but couldn't so spilt them into three volumes with 2 "books" in each one.

10-07-23, 18:41	#3
perryloo Member Joined: Jan 2021 Posts: 1,116	I am right into trying to know what is on the other side, are'int we all It is the big unknown, the 'life after death' question, and having been to a number of live large audiences with mediums, I am still perplexed, and wondering if mediums are just trying to pull the wool over our eyes, and earning more than a few quid from us all. One of the most accurate mediums in the UK at present is Gordan Smith, so have bought a few of his books off Ebay secondhand. These are... Gordon Smith through my eyes, and Gordon Smith life changing messages. I have only just started the books, and want to see if any of my questions are answered. I have seen Gordon Smith on TV with an audience, and I do see leading questions which is the way mediums seem to work, like saying there is a guy from the other side called peter, and when he gets no response he then says maybe it is paul, LOL, or was your father a ship builder while the show is playing in a ship building town, where obviously 50% of the population works on building ships LOL. I used to watch on TV 'Long Island medium', a USA medium living near New York, and her show was interesting as she did get things right occasionally, but is the show just fixed? i wonder. So maybe these books will help, and tell if he and other mediums, are just at it, real or fakes?

10-07-23, 19:49	#4
Lukass Member Joined: Jan 2010 Posts: 24,875	I was never fan of Harry Potter, I think I saw just one film and that's it. Something in me changed tho' and I purchased HP and the Philosopher's Stone book last week. I must say, it's brilliant reading I was stupid avoiding that. I can imagine buying the whole series. I finished reading a book called Les v domě (Forest/Wood inside the house) from Alena Mornštajnová, who is Czech writer. The story is about a little girl, who's mother is alcoholic and so she grow up with her grandmother (who is terrible and I mean it) and grandfather (who is even worse). It's a story full of hatred, despair, family warmth absence and there is one alarming and disgusting thing going on in the house, a sexual violence. I finished reading this book with my mouth open wide. I will remember this forever. Maybe that's why I picked up HP to read, because I desperately needed something nice and funny.

11-07-23, 03:06	#7
Cat Woman Member Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,945	Dolly Pardon and James Patterson - Run Rose Run - a novel. A young songwriter on the rise and on the run is determined to do whatever it takes to survive. Just bought Michael Connelly - Desert Star. A Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch novel. Detective hunt for brutal killer(s). I enjoy most if not all of James Patterson’s books.