Books For The DART

On Monday morning, after three years of setting my own hours and “commuting” every morning from my bedroom to my home office, I will be returning to the world of 9 to 5. Well, at least for the next two months anyway. The job is in Dublin City Centre so I have about an hour’s DART trip each way. I’m not relishing the idea of such a long trip but one thing I am looking forward to is the chance to get some reading done. Two hours of uninterrupted reading is something I’ve not had since I became a mum and, what can I say…I’m a book nerd.

So, I’m looking for your recommendations. What book would you most like to go back and be reading for the first time? Fiction or biography, latest bestseller or old classic. I’m not a book snob so don’t worry if it’s a Nobel prize winner or not, I’ll read a book from any section of the library as long as it’s a good story, well told with engaging characters. If you read it and loved it then leave me a comment and hopefully my commute won’t turn out to be so bad.

20 Responses to "Books For The DART"

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  1. finn

    January 5, 2007 at 8:29 pm

    have you read patrick neate’s City of Tiny Lights? it’s funny and smart, though you may find yourself craving Wild Turkey…

  2. Fi

    January 5, 2007 at 10:49 pm

    Hi Claire, I’ve recently read and loved a book called Ursula Under which I just gobbled up!, it’s about genetic heritage and how it forms us unconsciously! It’s cool believe me! Oh and a book I loved and was surprised that I loved was The Time Travellers Wife! I know I scorned at the title as well but if you like a book with characters that you care about than this is a good one! Good luck in the new job hope it all goes well for you!

  3. Sinéad

    January 6, 2007 at 12:12 pm

    Hi Claire
    Congrats on the job. I’d recommend MJ Hyland’s ‘Carry Me Down’. The blurb will tell you it’s the story of a young Irish boy who believes he detect when people are lying, but it’s much more than that. She’s an excellent writer (born in Ireland, now living in Australia) and CMD was short-listed for the Booker in 2006.

    For the classics – how about getting stuck in to Anna Karenina seeing as it’s on at The Gate at the moment?

  4. gingerpixel

    January 6, 2007 at 9:54 pm

    Thanks Finn, Fi and Sinéad, I’m adding all of those to my list.

    I have read The Time Traveller’s Wife already and I loved it too so that hopefully means we have similar tastes Fi :)

    Anna Karenina is a good challenge for me. I did try reading an old dusty copy when I was a young teenager and I didn’t get very far. Perhaps now that I’m a (good) bit older I might have more luck.

  5. Sherry

    January 7, 2007 at 1:15 am

    Here’s my list of the 68 Best Fiction books ever:

    http://semicolon.reachcoop.org/?p=1034

    I’d love to go back and read any of these for the first time.

  6. Sarah

    January 7, 2007 at 6:43 am

    Claire,

    I’m taking Pride and Prejudice, The Alchemist, and The Milagro Beanfield Wars with me on my trip. I love the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, but have never read the book. Lisa R got it for me for Christmas b/c it is her favorite. The Alchemist is in my top five books, and I wanted to read it again while I’m in Dubai to get that middle eastern ambience. If you haven’t read it, it is inspiring to say the least. My mom read The Milagro Beanfield Wars to me and my dad on a road trip through New Mexico. I wanted to read myself.

    I would also recommend Mutant Message Down Under. It is about an American doctor who goes unexpectedly on walkabout with a tribe of Aborigines. It is amazing what she learns in the process.

    I have to say, I am going to have to check out the Time Traveler’s Wife. It sounds like one to add to the list.

  7. John

    January 8, 2007 at 3:02 pm

    “The Third Policeman” by Flainn O’Brien or “The Wasp Factory” by Iain Banks. The latter can get dark and nasty in places though, so not for everyone, but very funny in other places.

    J.

  8. eithne

    January 9, 2007 at 3:35 pm

    ‘A Goat’s Song’ by Dermot Healy. I could wax lyrical.. Healy seems to have stayed under the radar for whatever reason, he doesn’t have the profile he deserves. If you like it – and I don’t know anyone who didn’t – ‘The Bend for Home’ was fantastic for me too – tho I had to persist initially.

  9. Karen

    January 9, 2007 at 6:57 pm

    I’ll probably be laughed at but I’d read the two Bridget Jones Diary books over again. Yes, Bridget was annoying and ditzy but I found her funny and entertaining too. Just the thing for early morning commutes.

    I also like to read thrillers when I’m travelling, cos it’s daylight and no fear of bogeymen jumping out at me! So anything by Michael Connolly, James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, Tess Gerritsen. Any of those are great stories, good twists.

    If you want engaging characters and really thrilling, exciting plots, then I like Jodi Picoult, just fantastic.

    Not terribly high brow, I know, so judge me at your leisure!

  10. gingerpixel

    January 9, 2007 at 11:21 pm

    Thank you Sherry, Sarah, John, Eithne and Karen! I’m going to blow my wages on books, I can see it happening already. I’m happy to say that most of the books suggested here are new to me and many of them are titles I’d never have tried myself so I’ll be breaking out of my comfort zone to read them.

    And Karen, you’ll get no judgements from me, I have read and enjoyed novels by all the writers you mentioned. In fact Bridget Jones came on honeymoon with us and, although Matt will never admit it, he read Edge of Reason and laughed out loud all the way through.

  11. Aoife Greene

    January 10, 2007 at 3:11 pm

    “Deadlines and Dickheads”, by Anne Gildea of the Irish comedy trio the Nualas is well worth a read. Funny, cringeworthy and local (which is always good!).

    Also the bright pink cover helps make the dart a little less dreary !

  12. niall o hara

    January 10, 2007 at 6:53 pm

    “We have to talks about kevin”.very disturbing written like a series of letters to her husband.With a shook the end.

    I hate those train journeys they really bite into your day.It is about it a hour in the morning and a hour back times 5 that’s 20 hours a week that’s a whole other job you have. then throw in a few lates an wellcome to the land of the zombie’s.

  13. ainelivia

    January 11, 2007 at 1:09 pm

    Marsha Mehran – Pomegranate Soup; Lorrie Moore – Like Life; Isabel Allende – My Invented Country; Enjoy.

  14. r2d2

    January 12, 2007 at 3:39 pm

    hi ya. i was sent to your blog to hear the Garda thingy-class!! if you’ve not read it then Haruki Murakami’s ‘Norweigan Wood’ will keep you enthralled on the DART and beyond….

    http://www.randomhouse.com/features/murakami/site.php?id=

    be good

  15. fústar

    January 13, 2007 at 2:51 pm

    Tough one…but I’ll suggest 3.

    1) I am Legend (Richard MAtheson)
    Possibly my favourite Sci-fi/horror novel. Sad, frightening and utterly believable. Makes you realise how immature and shallow a lot of contemporary ‘genre’ stuff is.

    2) The Island of Dr. Moreau (H. G. Wells)
    Wells’ best book in my opinion. In terms of intelligent, visceral horror – never bettered. Genuinely shocking.

    3) Any “Jeeves and Wooster” Novel (P. G. Wodehouse)
    Sadly, I’ve read them all (often many times). There’s nothing quite as depressing as realising there’ll never be any more written by a favourite author. If I had to opt for one then, maybe, I’d say “Code of the Woosters” (though they’re all pretty much the same!)

  16. fústar

    January 13, 2007 at 2:52 pm

    Oops. I seem to have double-commented. Sorry.

  17. gingerpixel

    January 13, 2007 at 3:16 pm

    Great! So many books…I think the library in Greystones is going to be a regular haunt because I will go bankrupt if I keep making lunchtime trips to Waterstones.

    I thought I was a pretty avid reader but I must be pretty rubbish because I’ve never even heard of quite a few of these. So thank you Aoife, Niall, Áine and R2D2. All of your suggestions are now on my list.

    Fústar, I’ll be adding Dr. Moreau to my list because we obviously have similar tastes. I Am Legend is one of my all time favourites and J&W are some of the only books I can read over and over again.

  18. Nicole

    January 16, 2007 at 11:26 pm

    Oooo hard one. . .

    Some of my old favorites that I re-read every so often:

    To Kill A Mockingbird
    Catch 22
    The Princess Bride
    The World According To Garp

  19. gingerpixel

    January 16, 2007 at 11:35 pm

    Thanks Nicole, I love The Princess Bride and To Kill A Mockingbird. A Prayer For Owen Meany is a presonal favourite of mine too so I really ought to give Garp a try!

  20. fústar

    January 16, 2007 at 11:47 pm

    Can’t guarantee that you’ll ‘enjoy’ Dr. Moreau exactly Claire, but it will definitely get under your skin and leave its mark. It’ll linger, like the taste of fine wine (and hopefully not like the stench of a bad fart).