I Read Therefore I Am discussion

Ok Lee and I are planning to read this one from the Booker shortlist - if any one else would like to join us, pleas do?

Lee - when do you want to start it?

Three reservations against this at my library so it will be a while before I have a copy to read :(

@ Laurel Anytime from next month onwards is good for me
@Ellie have you tried to borrow any E-books from the library? I don't know if the selection is any good but you can definitely do so at Cheltenham library.

Ellie - that's a shame - we aren't starting straightaway so let us know when they come back in or if you can loan it on your -reader. Lee and I can always read a bit more of Mason & Dixon in the meantime lol!

Little is definitely the word - I love it but 5-10 pages at a time seems to be my limit!

I've searched the e-library and can't find it :( Happy for you guys to go ahead without me, though, as I have rather loaded myself with things to read as it is!!

When do you want to read this? I've got a copy out from the library so can start anytime.

Tomorrow? I've nearly finished the book I'm on at the moment :0)

Ok, I will probably finish Mistborn either today or tomorrow and will start We Need New Names > then

Excellent

Just got to the end of chapter 2 - what an amazing book - it gripped me from the very first page and I love Darling's voice.

Oh good, glad you're enjoying it. I haven't started yet as had to do some baking this afternoon but will make a start either tonight or tomorrow (have only got 4 more chapters of Mistborn left)

I haven't even got to the end of the first chapter and my heart's already breaking for Chipo!

It sounds as though this is a better read than Testament of Mary. You're beginning to tempt me.

Definitely far better than A Testament of Mary -but it's a book of 2 parts. If it had ended after the game at the graveyard I would have given it 5 stars- up to that point you can't stop reading it-it's very moving it shocks you and makes you think about the kind of things you tend to try and blank out when they're on the news - but so far I'm not quite as impressed with what happens after Darling moves to America

I'm about 100 pages in, it's brilliant so far - have just got to the bit where the people from Paradise have started attacking the white people's houses.

I've just finished this now, really liked it (much more so than Mary). Lee, I agree it does lose it's way a little after she moves to America but I found some of those chapters very moving as well (view spoiler)[ the bit with the guy who was in the nursing home when he goes crazy and also when she rings home and speaks to her old friend Chipo (hide spoiler)]

What I really liked about it was the way that the author managed to describe such awful events from a childs point of view (view spoiler)[ I thought the description of the way Darling's little group went from being terrified by the mob destroying the contents of the house to mucking about in the wreckage once they'd left was particlarly well done (hide spoiler)] and I think the description of the game played after the funeral was one of the most shocking and brilliantly written scenes I've ever read.
I'm just not so convinced by the second half - when I reread it (which I definitely will) I think I'll stop at that point.
All in all an amazing book, definitely worthy of being on the short list.

Yeah that bit (in your spoiler) was written brilliantly and so was the game (view spoiler)[ I really thought for a second they were actually beating Bastard up instead of just pretending (hide spoiler)]. Really enjoyed it, I gave it 4 stars in the end.
I also read somewhere (maybe one of the reviews) that the first chapter, Hitting Budapest, was originally a short story that had won a prize or something. It was certainly a very good opening chapter.