Books

[andoireabu]

Bit of advice needed.  I'v been learning Irish on and off for a while and was wondering if there would be any basic level story books around to help a bit.  I have a teach yourself book but it gets a bit boring and want something new to try.  Preferably on the Kindle but books are grand too.  Cheers.

Also just finished reading Shantaram and thought it was really good.

Sorry andoireabu, only looking at this now. The state of Irish language publishing is cat. We're as well to be honest about that now.

A lot depends on what you mean by basic level - it's kind of general. Like, if your Irish is very basic reading a book at all won't be easy. I have two suggestions though.

The first is Seán Óg de Paor's autobiography, Lá an Phaoraigh. The Irish isn't difficult, the construction is regular and it's all very standard Irish - there's no difficult colloquialisms in there.

The second suggestion is to read a translation of a kid's book. There are three I can think of off the top of my head, but I have to confess I haven't read any of them. The first is the first Harry Potter book, the second is the Hobbit, which came out last year, I think, and the third is a translation of of Treasure Island I saw in the shops recently. As I say, I haven't read any of these translations but being kids' books the vocabulary shouldn't be too difficult. That's the theory, anyway. Go n-éirí leat leo agus leis an teanga.

Cheers for that.  By basic I mean that I have the stock phrases that everybody gets when they go to the classes and a bit of knowlegde on some grammer rules and prepositions and stuff like that.  With a book I was hoping it would expand the vocabulary a bit more and give an idea of sentence structure and stuff like that.  I don't mind if I need a dictionary beside me when I'm reading it but I think it would be grand if the content isn't too hard.  I'll give it go anyway and see.

[Tony Baloney]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

[Under Lights]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Get him into the writing Tony.

[Billys Boots]

The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Buy him a kindle and join bolt.cd!

[muppet]

Sworn to silence - Brendan Boland

The language is easy to read, while the really difficult subject matter doesn't last too long thankfully. This sort of book ironically can leave you feeling lucky that you or your family never had an issue like the author. But is also shows that you never know what is going on, sometimes in your own home, never mind on your street.

This is a very important book about a very dark period in our history. Like it or not, devout follower or not, for most of us on this island Catholicism is part of our historical and cultural identity. This book indirectly, but profoundly, examines the relationship between families and the protectors of that identity.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sworn-Silence-Brendan-Boland/dp/009195746X Kindle edition £3.32
http://www.obrien.ie/brendan-boland O'Brien €11.99
http://www.easons.com/p-2916240-sworn-to-silence.aspx Easons €8.99 eBook, €10.00 paperback

[DrinkingHarp]

Just finished Sycamore Row by Grisham, picks up on A Time to Kill about 10 years later in Ole Mississippi........finally a book by Grisham that holds up to his first.

[AZOffaly]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Discworld is mostly fine, especially the older ones. Topics like war and death are referenced, but they seem funny. 10 might be a bit young. Maybe 12.

[Harold Disgracey]

After a recent stay in Gougane Barra I am rereading the Tailor and Ansty by Eric Cross, great stuff altogether.

Glac bog an saol agus glacfaidh an saol bog tú.

[Tony Baloney]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Discworld is mostly fine, especially the older ones. Topics like war and death are referenced, but they seem funny. 10 might be a bit young. Maybe 12.

Cheers AZ. Will keep them for another while. He started Hunger Games but didn't like it but wouldn't say why - assume because of the girls and feelings and such like 

[CD]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Discworld is mostly fine, especially the older ones. Topics like war and death are referenced, but they seem funny. 10 might be a bit young. Maybe 12.

Cheers AZ. Will keep them for another while. He started Hunger Games but didn't like it but wouldn't say why - assume because of the girls and feelings and such like 

I'd say he'd be a wee bit young for some of the humour in the Discworld books. The Bromeliad Trilogy by Pratchett along with the Carpet People and the Johnny Maxwell trilogy are a good introduction to the author and could keep him going for a few months.

There's never been a better time to be a ten year old in terms of the books available to them. The Skulduggery Pleasant (Derek Landy) series is currently really popular along with the Young Bond books by Charlie Higson or Alex Rider stories by Anthony Horowitz. These all have 5+ books at this stage so if he reads one of them you'll hook him on a series

[Tony Baloney]

Can any Terry Pratchett readers (stuff like Discworld series etc.) advise on age appropriateness. Have read conflicting views online - which I guess is to be expected based on the individual. The eldest boy is 10 and can't keep him in books.

Discworld is mostly fine, especially the older ones. Topics like war and death are referenced, but they seem funny. 10 might be a bit young. Maybe 12.

Cheers AZ. Will keep them for another while. He started Hunger Games but didn't like it but wouldn't say why - assume because of the girls and feelings and such like 

I'd say he'd be a wee bit young for some of the humour in the Discworld books. The Bromeliad Trilogy by Pratchett along with the Carpet People and the Johnny Maxwell trilogy are a good introduction to the author and could keep him going for a few months.

There's never been a better time to be a ten year old in terms of the books available to them. The Skulduggery Pleasant (Derek Landy) series is currently really popular along with the Young Bond books by Charlie Higson or Alex Rider stories by Anthony Horowitz. These all have 5+ books at this stage so if he reads one of them you'll hook him on a series

Will check the Derek Landy as he has read all the Alex Rider and Young Bond books.

[Harold Disgracey]

Big News!

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/feb/03/harper-lee-new-novel-to-kill-a-mockingbird

[bennydorano]

Buying books left right & centre lately and dropping them all over the house, each with a few chapters read. Pissing myself off.

Did buy, read & finish Faster, by Michael Hutchinson (aka Dr Hutch), a specialist Time Trialist. One for the cycling crowd but a fantastic read & Hutch is a very amusing guy.

Have a few sporting books waiting to be read/finished: Paul McGrath's; AP McCoy's; a biog of Marco Pantani; inside Team Sky; the McRory Cup book & a Dean (r) Koontz novel.

[muppet]

Buying books left right & centre lately and dropping them all over the house, each with a few chapters read. Pissing myself off.

Did buy, read & finish Faster, by Michael Hutchinson (aka Dr Hutch), a specialist Time Trialist. One for the cycling crowd but a fantastic read & Hutch is a very amusing guy.

Have a few sporting books waiting to be read/finished: Paul McGrath's; AP McCoy's; a biog of Marco Pantani; inside Team Sky; the McRory Cup book & a Dean (r) Koontz novel.

The wife banned me buying books and bought me a kindle a few years ago for this reason. I won't throw out good books I've read and definitely won't throw anything I haven't read, which is most of them.

McGrath's is a tough read, but your respect for the man only goes up after reading it.

[Tony Baloney]

Buying books left right & centre lately and dropping them all over the house, each with a few chapters read. Pissing myself off.

Did buy, read & finish Faster, by Michael Hutchinson (aka Dr Hutch), a specialist Time Trialist. One for the cycling crowd but a fantastic read & Hutch is a very amusing guy.

Have a few sporting books waiting to be read/finished: Paul McGrath's; AP McCoy's; a biog of Marco Pantani; inside Team Sky; the McRory Cup book & a Dean (r) Koontz novel.

The wife banned me buying books and bought me a kindle a few years ago for this reason. I won't throw out good books I've read and definitely won't throw anything I haven't read, which is most of them.

McGrath's is a tough read, but your respect for the man only goes up after reading it.

Definitely. McGrath has been down a long hard road since he was a wain.

Reading 'Dispatches' about the Vietnam War. Very good so far and I noticed some of the lines in it were from Apocalypse Now, but when I googled it appears the book was a source for the film!