Reading Horizons: Episode 15
Reading Horizons, 27 February 2019
What are you currently reading?
This is the 2018 Booker Prize winner and for once the judges’ decision was considered to be the right one. It’s a strange novel. None of the characters are named (they just get referred to as ‘third brother’ or ‘almost boyfriend’) and the story takes place in an unnamed town in an unnamed country. It’s not too difficult to work out however that it’s set in Anna Burns’ native Belfast during the 1970s, a time of sectarian conflict (known as The Troubles). Thought it’s a relatively slim novel, my progress is slow because it requires a lot of concentration to follow the stream of consciousness style.
What did you recently finish reading?
I enjoyed an earlier novel by Adiga (the Booker prize winning White Tiger) but The Last Man in the Tower didn’t work as well. The plot involves an attempt by Dharmen Shah, the head of a construction company to build two prestigious apartment blocks which will transform the fortunes of a slum area of Mumbai. He offers vastly generous compensation offers to people who occupy some run down towers that stand in the way. Shah is confident he can win the tenants over. But he hasn’t reckoned with “Masterji”, a former schoolteacher who doesn’t want to move, and doesn’t want Shah’s money. The battle lines are drawn.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Given the luggage weight allowance I decided to pack just three books for my trip. The only one left to read is Thirteen Trees of The Somme by Lars Mytting. It’s part mystery part family saga set in the Shetland Islands.
My plan was to replenish the stock by visiting some of the book shops in New Zealand and Australia, particularly hoping to get some local authors that are not easy to come by in the UK.
So far I’ve found just one book shop and the prices are far higher than I expected – about double what I’d expect to pay in the UK. So unless I find some second hand shops I’ll be relying on the stack of e-books I’ve brought with me as back ups.
Reading Horizons is linked to WWWednesday, a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. It involves answering 3 questions:
The three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Karen, I hope you’re having a wonderful time. 🙂
the landscape is spectacular. one thing that surprises us is how early restaurants close
Maybe it is so the restaurant workers get a better work/life balance – Australia and New Zealand are famed for that.
do they get well paid also unlike their counterparts in usa who rely on gratuities to make a living wage
I’m afraid I don’t know. I know there is a higher living cost out there, so let’s hope they do!
I read ‘The Milkman’ a few weeks ago and I really liked it a lot. It is fascinating how Burns manages to transfer the claustrophobic ambiance of the community her main character lives in and the problems the people face in their everyday life. It’s more than worth reading it.
Ok, I shall press on with it in that case
I am currently reading Wintering by Kate Moses, a novel about Sylvia Plath’s last days, because I recently finished her collection of poems, Ariel. Before that I finished Generosity by Richard Powers, good but not quite as great as the other two I read by him. Next up I plan to read the new Tana French, The Witch Elm. (There are Wych Elms in Wintering. I am sure you are familiar with this tree, living where you do.) Soon I too will be reading The Milkman. Fear and trembling, hope I can get through it. It is for a reading group discussion.
Fear and Trembling is a really interesting book and quite short…
Happy travels! I’m sure your Oz readers will be happy to direct you to their favourite 2nd hand bookshops. Elizabeth’s and Bill’s in Fremantle if you’re coming over this side of the country.
Not going anywhere near Freemantle sorry – Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on this trip
Milkman sounds interesting. Have a great trip!
I’m hoping it grabs me a bit more than it has so far
You are definitely not trying easy books these days, lol. I’m listening to Walden, so fascinating to see him as the first minimalist. I didn’t do www this week, as my monthly recap will come this Friday
I’ve read a few other things in between as light relief!
Have heard so much about the Milkman. It is on my TBR list.
I’ll be able to give my thoughts on it in a few weeks _ I think it will take me that long to read it
I like the sound of Thirteen Trees of the Somme. Enjoy them all…and thanks for sharing. Here’s MY WWW POST