What Are You Reading? October 2013

Brenna · Post by **Brenna** » Fri October 4th, 2013, 3:05 pm

Finally wrapped up Howatch's trilogy ending with Wheel of Fortune which I'm glad I read but I don't know if I would want to repeat the experience.

I also started and finished last night "You Tell Your Dog First" by Alison Pace which is not HF but certainly was a fun read-especially if you love dogs. I thoroughly enjoyed it and ended up laughing so hard, I had tears pouring out of my eyes! Love when I can read a doggy book and things are happy and funny!

Now trying to figure out what I read next...hmmmmm

njslater · Post by **njslater** » Fri October 4th, 2013, 6:08 pm

Time and again by Jack Finney.

Its a time travel fantasy but that is just a rather lame excuse to set a novel in 1880s New York.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sat October 5th, 2013, 3:56 pm

Been on a non historical jag recently, so nothing to report quite yet, although I'm sure I'll be back on track soon!

sweetpotatoboy · Post by **sweetpotatoboy** » Sat October 5th, 2013, 7:27 pm

Not historical, but I just finished "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn for a book group. I'd be intrigued to know what others made of it, even if it is more than a bit off-topic.

Back to HF and I've just started "Death and the Devil" by Frank Schätzing, a crime story set amid the building of Cologne Cathedral in the 13th century. So far it's pretty good and we're reading it for our HF book group at the end of the month. It's so rare for a German historical novel (of which there are many) to be translated into English.

red805 · Post by **red805** » Sat October 5th, 2013, 8:58 pm

Finished Gone Girl a little while ago. A page-turner, but I was fed up before the end.

On to Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin now.

annis · Post by **annis** » Sun October 6th, 2013, 2:36 am

Posted by SPB

Back to HF and I've just started "Death and the Devil" by Frank Schätzing, a crime story set amid the building of Cologne Cathedral in the 13th century. So far it's pretty good and we're reading it for our HF book group at the end of the month. It's so rare for a German historical novel (of which there are many) to be translated into English.

I read this book some years ago (review here) and it was the translation that I had issues with - it was very clunky and for me, it almost spoiled the story (which is a pretty good thriller). German humour often suffers in translation and there is a lot of banter in the story which rather misses the mark because of this. Schätzing also has a habit of tossing in lengthy expositions here and there which can make your eyes glaze over.

I have seen a theory that Schätzing may have modeled the two main protagonists, Jacob the redhaired thief and Jaspar the physician, after two well known characters from Cologne puppet theatre, Tünnes and Schäl.

I agree that it's a shame that more German HF isn't available in English editions.

emr · Post by **emr** » Sun October 6th, 2013, 8:38 am

The Broken Token by Chris Nickson

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Sun October 6th, 2013, 2:07 pm

[quote=""sweetpotatoboy""]Not historical, but I just finished "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn for a book group. I'd be intrigued to know what others made of it, even if it is more than a bit off-topic.
[/quote]
I had to read Gone Girl for a book group too. I disliked it then, and retrospect has only made me dislike it more. In fact, about half of our book group couldn't stand the thing. How did yours react?

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sun October 6th, 2013, 4:01 pm

[quote=""MLE""]I had to read Gone Girl for a book group too. I disliked it then, and retrospect has only made me dislike it more. In fact, about half of our book group couldn't stand the thing. How did yours react?[/quote]

I read it for my other online book group, and I think only one person liked it. Over-rated or what?

HevRob · Post by **HevRob** » Sun October 6th, 2013, 7:32 pm

Due to start Vespasian: Tribune of Rome by Robert Fabbri. It's the first in his series and the first I've read of his, so looking forward to a new author for my list.