What are you reading?

I keep forgetting to post what I am reading, but currently it is "The Scarlet Letter" It is another of the books I always meant to get around to and never did.

Currently reading "The Great Gatsby".  It's OK, but not spellbinding, but maybe because I'm not getting enough time to read.

Previously I read "A Night in Lisbon" by Erich Maria Remarque, who wrote "All quiet on the Western front".   Against my expectations "A Night in Lisbon" was a great read and much less macabre than "All quiet".

Next up is "Treasure Island".   I gave up on that as a boy so time to have another go.

I'm excited about the 'new' Harper Lee book. 

Currently reading "The Great Gatsby".  It's OK, but not spellbinding, but maybe because I'm not getting enough time to read.

I was reading A Moveable Feast recently (which is both wonderful and just about as self-delusional as a work can be) and Hemingway, who was very sceptical (and scathing) about Scott and the constant drama that accompanied him (though they may have been lovers), says after reading Gatsby:

When I had finished the book I knew that no matter what Scott did, nor how he behaved, I must know it was like a sickness and be of any help I could to him and try to be a good friend. He had many good, good friends, more than anyone I knew. But I enlisted as one more, whether I could be of any use to him or not. If he could write a book as fine as The Great Gatsby I was sure that he cold write an even better one.

I am in the camp that Gatsby is as good an American novel as can be written. My favourite part is that when Jay and Nick finally go to meet Daisy and Tom, Gatsby wears a mauve suit. It is such a misstep, knowing he will be compared to the solidness of the Buchanan household.

The part that always bothered me was that Daisy and Tom had a child and she was never really mentioned or seemingly thought about. Perhaps that was just the way of the super rich back then. But the last time I read it, I understood the importance of that crucial scene at the meeting, where Daisy makes a point of bringing the child in and she and Tom make quite a fuss over her. They were a family. Gatsby should have just folded it in there and a lot of grief would have been avoided.

I'm excited about the 'new' Harper Lee book. 

Me too!

I just finished the Hunger Games series and have started on  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

The part that always bothered me was that Daisy and Tom had a child and she was never really mentioned or seemingly thought about. Perhaps that was just the way of the super rich back then.

I have avoided reading your post until today since it contained spoilers.   I agree the child is glossed over, but if you watch Downton Abbey that's also the way on that show.   I get the feeling that children were raised by servants and didn't feature much in the lives of the parents until older (college age).

I've very nearly finished the book (Great Gatsby) now and I'm still a little underwhelmed, but glad to cross it off the list.

American Sniper.

Oh dear - I can't really say I'm 'reading' this book because all I've read is the short sample sent to my Kindle, but I don't think I can continue with it.

Even just in the first few scenes, the following happens:

A non-EU (Russian) citizen is applying for ILR to stay in the country via the 10-year long residence route, except that apparently her work visa AND her passport were taken away from her 9 months ago. But it's okay, because she's somehow still been allowed to stay in the UK and is now volunteering in an Oxfam shop 3 days a week... which is fine because apparently it doesn't violate the terms of the visa she doesn't have because they aren't paying her.

Her ILR application contains a letter saying that she needs to be granted ILR because of her personality - because she knows all the moves to Steps songs, because Prince Harry would want to marry her if he ever met her and you can't deny a future princess, because she's an integral part of the local pub quiz team etc.

Oh, and the guy working at the Home Office who is reviewing her ILR application (but for some reason is just an office guy, not an immigration officer and can't make a decision on the visa anyway) apparently doesn't know his own agency's immigration rules because he talks about how most of the visa applications he gets (which apparently only arrive on Monday mornings) are from EU citizens wanting to apply for student and work visas to stay in the UK.

The ILR is refused of course, but not because she's an illegal overstayer and working illegally in the UK... it's refused because she has spent more than 450 days outside the UK in the last 10 years (which isn't even correct because the allowance is 540 days in 10 years for Long Residence ILR) and then the refusal letter gives her 3 months in which to leave the UK (don't know how she can leave though, since apparently they took away her passport)!

It's like the author has sort of done a bit of research into visas and terminology so it sounds good, but actually has no idea how the system really works  .

All the light we cannot see by Anthony. Doerr.   I'm. Struggling with it 

All the light we cannot see by Anthony. Doerr.   I'm. Struggling with it 

Did you finish it? I read it last year and loved it. Don't recall if it was difficult to get into.

Just finished reading Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. Although a few things were a bit unrealistic, I still really enjoyed it. Not nearly as good as Gone Girl, but it did keep me guessing until the end.

Not nearly as good as Gone Girl

I enjoyed Gone Girl...but the funny thing is is that my book swapping buddy said, "Oh, if you liked Gone Girl, you'll love We Need to Talk about Kevin".

And it wasn't at all like Gone Girl....

Just finished "Gone Girl" which I thought was a good read until the damp squib of an ending. Currently reading "Bombyx Mori" by Robert Galbraith. Its really gripping so I'm rationing myself to a few pages a day.

I love Historical Fiction, so I picked up Philippa Gregory's "The White Princess", about Elizabeth of York and Henry VII. I thought it was pretty good at first but now it's reached an uninspiring plateau.

If anyone else is into Historical Fiction, I'd love to get some recommendations!

Just finished "Gone Girl" which I thought was a good read until the damp squib of an ending. Currently reading "Bombyx Mori" by Robert Galbraith. Its really gripping so I'm rationing myself to a few pages a day.

Yes!  Gone Girl was just a bizarre ending.  I think the author just needed to wrap it up and that's what she did!

My aunt recommended All the Light...  hopefully I won't struggle.

I've just started The Husband's Secret.

If you enjoyed Gone Girl you might like The Prettiest One by James Hankins (a bit more dark)or The Girl with no Past by Kathryn Croft.

Though if you haven't read Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects, you might like that one too.

I've been reading a lot of zombie books lately, not my usual genre or the thrillers, but I can't seem to find a great fantasy novel to sink my teeth into lately either. So I'm bumming around a few other genres.