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75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Nancy's 2009 85-ish		163	alcottacre, Yesterday 3:18pm
50 Book Challenge : TheGoodbyeGirl's 2009		36	TheGoodbyeGirl, Wednesday 2:17pm
100 Books Challenge for 2009 : Berly's 2nd Thread, Aiming for 100 in 2009		140	bonniebooks, Tuesday 12:47pm
Group Reads - Literature : The Group Reads Coffeehouse		247	nannybebette, Saturday 2:24pm
50 Book Challenge : sushidog's first 50		77	sushidog, December 5
100 Books Challenge for 2009 : MsMoto's 2009 literary ambitions		39	avatiakh, December 3
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Lorie's 2009 Book Reads, Part 3		144	Whisper1, November 28
50 Book Challenge : Jintster's 50 book birthday challenge		56	jintster, November 25
The Prizes : 2010 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award		16	avatiakh, November 17
50 Book Challenge : elliepotten's 50 book challenge 2009		223	elliepotten, November 13
Alphabet Challenges : Wendyrey's ABC		7	remusly, October 10
100 Books Challenge for 2009 : teelgee tackles 125 in 2009		275	teelgee, September 18
100 Books Challenge for 2009 : Berly's 100 for 2009		275	Berly, September 13
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Kidzdoc's 75 Book Challenge for 2009 #4		253	kidzdoc, September 9
Book of the month club : August Books		10	FicusFan, September 6
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Cait86's Reading, Take 2		312	Cait86, September 6
999 Challenge : Wendyrey's 999 chalenge		12	wendyrey, September 6
Club Read 2009 : Kimb Read Thread :-) - Eat into Mount TBR		37	KimB, September 4
The Prizes : The James Tait Black Memorial Prize		16	kidzdoc, August 22
50 Book Challenge : merry10's 2008 challenge		222	merry10, August 17
What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the week of July 4, 2009?		312	simora, August 8
TBR Challenge : Wonderlake's TBR		25	wonderlake, July 31
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Laura's Books for 2009		73	lbucci3, July 21
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : FlossieT's Common Reading: Further Confessions		229	FlossieT, July 16
Book talk : Another Silly Game Part 22		407	moibibliomaniac, July 8
What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home- June 2009		331	mckait, July 1
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Lorie's 2009 Book Reads, Part 2		250	loriephillips, June 30
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Cariola's 2009 Challenge		260	Cariola, June 26
What Are You Reading Now? : I need a recommendation		19	arubabookwoman, June 8
What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home, May 2009		241	nzurisana, May 30
The Prizes : Irish Book Awards		9	amandameale, May 6
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : FlossieT's Confessions of Another Year's Common Reading		320	suslyn, April 24
What Are You Reading Now? : What You Are Reading the Week of 4 April 2009		192	kara1560, April 21
Reading Globally : Where In The World Are You Now - March 2009		131	catarina1, April 5
Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now - February 2009		125	KimB, March 12
Club Read 2009 : Nancy's 2009 Reads		41	kidzdoc, March 4
What Are You Reading Now? : Favorite 5 Fiction Reads of 2008		109	pm11, March 2
What Are You Reading Now? : Books that came home with you in February		267	crazy4reading, February 28
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : The Crafty Librarian's 2009 Booklist		4	drneutron, February 26
Reading Globally : Nancy's Slow Journey Around the World		12	nancyewhite, February 25
Reading Globally : Where in the World Are You Now - January 2009		174	MrAndrew, February 9
75 Books Challenge for 2009 : Belindav's 2009 Challenge		24	alcottacre, February 3
What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of 24 January, 2009?		189	koalamom, January 31
What Are You Reading Now? : Your BEST BOOKS of 2008		174	MissTeacher, January 18
75 Books Challenge for 2008 : Alaskabookworm's 2008 Challenge		390	alaskabookworm, January 4
75 Books Challenge for 2008 : The Best of Books, the Worst of Books		19	Whisper1, January 3
75 Books Challenge for 2008 : FlossieT's 75 for 2008		188	flissp, January 3
50 Book Challenge : Donna828 is feeling challenged in 2008		101	Donna828, January 2
Club Read 2009 : Your 2008 Reading - Looking Back		51	Nickelini, January 2
250 book challenge : Dyrfinna's 2008 Reading		36	Dyrfinna, January 2
50 Book Challenge : amandameale 2008: 55 books		258	lindsacl, January 1
50 Book Challenge : jfetting's 50 book challenge - 2008		176	jfetting, January 1
75 Books Challenge for 2008 : AlcottAcre's 2008 Reads		576	Oklahoma, January 1
What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today?--December 2008 #2		115	richardderus, January 1
50 Book Challenge : Judylou's at it again in 2008		245	merry10, January 1
50 Book Challenge : laytonwoman3rd Starts a New Year		305	tiffin, December 2008
75 Books Challenge for 2008 : The Bookie Awards!		10	FlossieT, December 2008
50 Book Challenge : Kiwidoc's 2008 books		215	zenomax, December 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of 29 November 2008?		174	DevourerOfBooks, December 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What Are You Reading the Week of 8 November 2008?		152	heliophobe, November 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What books came into your home today? August, 2008. Number 2.		410	IaaS, November 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Left Your Home Today? October 2008		157	iwillrejoice, October 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 20 September 2008		216	mckait, October 2008
The Prizes : The Booker		210	Nickelini, October 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : Top Five Books 3rd quarter 2008: July - Sept.		78	MarianV, October 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 27 September 2008		232	koalamom, October 2008
Girlybooks : What books by and/or about women are you reading Sept.		98	urania1, October 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What are you reading the Week of 13 September 2008		203	mckait, September 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 30 August 2008		191	cameling, September 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 23 August 2008		240	Morphidae, September 2008
50 Book Challenge : FlossieT's 2008 books - 100 book target!		1	FlossieT, August 2008
The Green Dragon : July's New (or Used) Books		89	WillSteed, August 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What Books Came Into Your Home Today? - #2: JULY. 2008		231	IaaS, August 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 21 June 2008		193	Whisper1, June 2008
What Are You Reading Now? : What You're Reading the Week of 14 June 2008		227	Talbin, June 2008

Read Muriel Barbery The Elegance of the Hedgehog Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Geraldine Brooks People of the Book Eleanor Catton The Rehearsal (New Zealand Best First Book Award 2009) Kate de Goldi The 10pm Question (NZ Post Children's & YA Book of the Year 2009 & ...

... the read ones in categories LOVED: Netherland by Joseph O'Neill Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry The Northern Clemency by Phillip Hensher The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante The Spare Room by Helen Garner The Elegan ...

... Irish civil war which is not well known about in England but was very nasty indeed (c.f. Sebastian Barry's excellent The Secret Scripture). But what really shines out is Tobin's wonderful prose. Every sentence is crafted so that there is not a word out of place. There is precision and ...

... nov 2009 N) Real Food Fast Nigel Slater Dec 2009 O)Olivia by Olivia aka Dorothy Strachy sept 2009 S) The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Sept 2009 T) Nation Terry Pratchett oct 2009

... kids at night) 36. Last Night in Montreal, Emily St John Mandel ****1/2 35. The Last Bridge, Teri Coyne ****1/2 34. The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry **** 33. Handle with Care, Jodi Picoult **** 32. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon *** 1/2 31. Spiderwick Chronicles, ...

#176: That's a good way to put it Rachael, "cleverness over literature". The Secret Scripture would have been a deserving winner, and I also liked Netherland, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, Sea of Poppies and (awaiting howls of protest) The Enchantress of Florence far better than The White ...

... didn't think much of The White Tiger either - mistaking cleverness for literature, IM(not very)HO. But then I also loved The Secret Scripture so still kind of think Barry Woz Robbed.

... (UK children's award, roughly equivalent to the Newbery) with Bog Child which sounds fantastic. Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture is one of my personal favourites, although it's not to everyone's taste - I hear that he's consistently very good, although I haven't yet read any of ...

... Got Wrong 7 Life in Victorian Britain 8 The Master of Illusions 9 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day 10 The Secret Scripture 11 The Bloody Chamber 12 The Lost Book of Salem 13 Memoirs of Emma Courtney 14 The Bradshaw Variations 15 The Lost Throne 16 Muti ...

Thanks to toolatedave for making us aware of the award announcement. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry is this year's winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. The biography winner is A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and ...

... a book title use the square brackets on your keyboard located to the right of the key for the letter 'P'. I really enjoyed The Secret Scripture ... glad to hear you are enjoying it as well!

... June: 56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars 57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars 58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars 59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars 60. The P ...

... June: 56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars 57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars 58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars 59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars 60. The P ...

I got this week Song For The Butcher's Daughter, The Secret Scripture, The Spies of Warsaw, The Story Sisters and I think thats it. Someone please stop me from going into Borders...

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Listened to it on audio two or three months ago.

Book 23 was Mohawk by Richard Russo Book 24 is The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

#205 I thought The Secret Scripture was a beautifully written book but that the ending let it down. I'm definitely keen to read others by Sebastian Barry but find I need a break from Irish lit as a lot of it seems to be depressing. I did the quiz as well and like you, I'm a dedicated reader ...

BOOK 57 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry 300 Pages This is the story of 100 year old Roseanne McNulty who has spent more than 60 years in the Roscommon Regional Mental Hopital in Silgo, Ireland. The hospital is about to be demolished and her psychiatrist, Dr. William Grene must ...

... by Heinz R. Pagels Corsets to Camouflage: Women and War by Katie Adie Life in Cold Blood by David Attenborough The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Lottery by Patricia Wood Bilgewater by Jane Gardam The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm ...

... May was a very good reading month for me. I expect some good reads in June, just not as many. I'm currently reading The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (it's beautifully written), and just started A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.

... His novel The Blackwater Lightship is set in 1980s or 1990s Ireland; I haven't read it yet but will later this month. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, which won the Irish Novel of the Year award last month and was shortlisted for last year's Booker Prize, is very good. And Anne ...

Out of that list I have read A Mercy and The Secret Scripture and personally preferred the latter. In the non-fiction pile, I really like the look of the Chagall biography and the Holroyd book. I would love to hear if anyone has read any of the list.

... Caledonia by Andrew Crumey Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry The Guardian has an article about the announcement: elliepotten in What Are You Reading Now? : Books Brought Home, May 2009 (May 13, 2009, 6:16pm)

... Attenborough The Cosmic Code: Quantum Physics as the Language of Nature by Heinz R. Pagels (British Heart Foundation) The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Lottery by Patricia Wood Bilgewater by Jane Gardam The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm ...

IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2009 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry

... kids at night) 36. Last Night in Montreal, Emily St John Mandel ****1/2 35. The Last Bridge, Teri Coyne ****1/2 34. The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry **** 33. Handle with Care, Jodi Picoult **** 32. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon *** 1/2 31. Spiderwick Chronicles, B ...

... PI blog. "Technical glitch", apparently... >11 I've only read The Secret Scripture myself so can't speak to his other books (yet), but I really loved it. Despite all the prizes it hasn't really been massively hyped over here - don't ...

... that many people holding chunky Faber hardbacks around the place, so I probably looked fairly eccentric. Brief note on The Secret Scripture (Sebastian Barry), which I'm not counting towards my total as I only read it for the first time last year. Still love this book, and find it easier to ' ...

... next breath admit to a re-read, but it's for Sebastian Barry's Guardian Book Club event tonight (vvv excited about this as The Secret Scripture was one of my absolute favourite books from last year).

>127: I've just started re-reading The Secret Scripture (going to a book club event on Wednesday). I completely share your point of view (and that of just about everyone else) on the ending but... for me, the language is just so incredibly beautiful that I ended up giving it four stars - even ...

Still listening to The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker. I'm trying to start The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry for the second time. I started it earlier but only got a few pages into before I had to return it to the library. Hoping to get more into it this time around.

Nominees for Novel of the Year 2009: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Netherland by Joseph O'Neill The Truth Commissioner by David Park Disguise by Hugo Hamilton

... June: 56. The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride by Daniel James Brown 5 Stars 57. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, 3 1/2 Stars 58. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer, 3 Stars 59. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart, 5 Stars 60. The P ...

24. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. My ...

>92: I'm a sucker for happy endings too, but I had real issues with the ending of this book. I absolutely loved The Secret Scripture, and thought it had so many interesting things to say about memory, history and truth, that to tie it up so neatly almost undermined everything that had gone before. ...

... src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0670019402.01._SX140_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg"> 19. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. I liked this book a lot - until the ending. I was so irritated when I realized where this was going and kept thinking "no, ...

I'm alternating between early 20th century Sligo Ireland and present day Roscommon Mental Hospital, Roscommon Ireland in The Secret Scripture.

... besides voting for books! LOL. I just finished reading The Book Thief which is a stellar book. And now I'm reading The Secret Scripture. Not sure when I'll be starting the group read or if I will for this round. Here in Portland Oregon it's been quite mild with many sunny days. Today ...

... Markus Zusak 2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger 3. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - 4. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry 5. Murder on a Midsummer Night- Kerry Greenwood 6. Underbelly - A Tale of Two Cities -

And a few more 'cos I had to go to Tesco: The Pilot's Wife Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death The Secret Scripture and December Well, I hate shopping (unless it's for books) so I deserved a treat.

6.) The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry 320 pages This book came with so many awards and praise that I thought I had a hit. The book however, just didn't live up to its hype. The ending, however, was interesting and did make the book pick up a bit. 7.) Twentieth-century Britain: A ...

... the Weldon book. I read her years ago, but nothing recently. I am rarely disappointed solely in the ending of a book, but The Secret Scripture was too good to warrant such a fate. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Adichie (4.5/5) Three sentence review: Only naïve ...

20- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry I don't know why I thought I wasn't going to like this novel. Perhaps it was a couple interviews I heard with Barry, I don't know. But I wasn't prepared for how hard I fell for the book. I'm on old softy, apparently.

... or Mudbound -MARCH: Wuthering Heights, or The Birthing House, Christopher Ransom -APRIL: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, or The Shadow of the Wind -MAY: The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato, or The Curious Case of Benja ...

Ireland The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry A book that felt very Irish. Full of melancholy and malevolent priests. It had enough discussion of the Irish Civil War, that I googled it and learned things that I only had a glimmering of knowledge about.

... getting that 6 word memoir book. It seems like a good idea, even though I have difficulty imagining being so concise. The Secret Scripture sounds good, but I hate it when endings disappoint. In my opinion, the end makes or breaks a novel. I have decided to love novels with a good end ...

... but escaped must be advocates for those who didn't. Good for her for realizing that already. She sounds wonderful. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (4/5) Three sentence review: The forgotten elderly with their paper skin may still have led lives full of passion ...

I've moved to Ireland, to the town of Roscommon, and reading The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry.

I've read all three books by Siobhan Dowd all quite different and very good. I read them all last year alongside The Secret Scripture. Bog Child was especially excellent. The London Eye Mystery is for younger readers 10+ maybe.

... She discusses the economic benefit of waging terror. 4/75 (5.3%) 1360 pages Currently over half way in Q and A and The Secret Scripture

I'm putting The Secret Scripture on the pile as well. Thanks for your reviews.

I agree with your comments on The Secret Scripture - I thought it was wonderful. I just picked up a remaindered copy of A Long Long Way this morning so please tell me it's good.

Finished the wonderful and very Irish The Secret Scripture and began Out by Natsuo Kirino. So far it is keeping my attention.

... better parents than Baby, I felt that she really got the details and the feelings that accompany that childhood. 9. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Another very lyrical book. Just beautifully written look at the lives of a very elderly resident of a mental institution and ...

Hello! Just catching up on threads I've missed (blimey what a lot of pages...). I also really loved The Secret Scripture and am thrilled it just won the Costa Award in the UK. And also seriously underwhelmed by Chesil Beach (and I would consider myself a McEwan fan). Looking forward to the rest ...

... but it's healing nicely. I'm hoping we've got all our major accidents out of the way at the start of the year... ETA: The Secret Scripture won the Costa Book of the Year! Justice at last. I am a very happy bunny.

... of Ireland's most successful writers for young adults, and this book is her best-received to date internationally. 5. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. How beautiful a novel! I'm far from the first to say nice things about this book, but reading it was such an involved ...

I am in a decrepit hospital for the mentally ill in Ireland reading The Secret Scripture.

2008 Booker shortlist/longlist challenge The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga (livrecache) - Winner (Read June) The Secret Scripture- Sebastien Barry (dr Chris) Sea of Poppies - Amitav Ghosh (star-light) (Read June) The Clothes on their backs - Linda Grant (tqd) Read Feb. The Northern Cle ...

... with Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill. A lyrical look at the life of a smart street kid. I began The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry last night, and I'm finding myself thinking about the characters here at work which is a good sign. richarderus - I put one ...

... white tiger aravind adiga June 2009 6) how the dead live will self aug 2009 7) the buddha of suburbia Aug 2009 8) The Secret scripture Sebastian Barry Sept 2009 9) The Genizah at the House of Shepher tamar Yellin

I am in Ireland discovering The Secret Scripture in a mental hospital.

Thanks for the reviews. I'm very interested in The Secret Scripture based on your review. I'll be interested in your thoughts on Cloud Atlas, one of my favorite books.

... The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville Europe Iceland - Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason Ireland - The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Sweden - Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson UK - The Uncommon R ...

1. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008. Told through the respective journals of 100yr old, institutionalised Roseanne and her psychiatrist Dr Grene. The institution is closing and over the weeks leading up to this event Dr Grene must decide what ...

Reading now: The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry (re-read) Kabul in Winter - Ann Jones The Rest is Noise - Alex Ross This year's list (decided to dispense with the touchstones as correcting them again every time I added a book was getting old): January

... Trader for the group read. But did I stop there? No, I did not. I also got: Worried All the Time by David Anderegg The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami Kitchen by Banana Yoshi ...

... Perfectly observed, very witty. The Landscape of Love - Sally Beauman. Got to love those unreliable narrators. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry. It's not really about a mad old woman, it's about the nature of truth and history. A pity about the ending, but I forgive him. Fa ...

... the packaging alone if it hadn't been on the Booker longlist, and it was amazing. Book That Should Have Won But Didn't: The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry. I can forgive him the pat ending because the rest was incredible. See you in 2009! grr. edit for typoes.

... Stephen Millhauser Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri Shadow Country - Peter Matthiessen Top 5 Irish Fiction The Secret Scripture – Sebastian Barry Country of the Grand – Gerard Donovan Walk the Blue Fields – Claire Keegan Yesterday’s Weather: Stories – Anne Enri ...

The Plague of Doves The Story of Edgar Sawtelle The Secret Scripture Out Stealing Horses The Master >40 The Brothers K would definitely be on my short list of all-time favorites; also liked The River Why by Duncan.

... Erdrich 2. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski 3. Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill 4. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry 5. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset 6. The Master by Colm Toibin 7. Home by Marilynne Robinson 8. ...

#500 Flossie: Rachael, I was looking for The Secret Scripture at my local library when I discovered Annie Dunne, so it is already on Continent TBR. My library does not have it, so I will have to go elsewhere to get it, but based on my reading of Annie Dunne, I definitely want to read it as ...

>495: Stasia, I was completely blown away by The Secret Scripture this year - also in some ways a character study although there is a plot in there. I'll look out for Annie Dunne.

... ng) Memoir - The Smoking Diaries by Simon Gray, In the Blood - a Memoir of my Childhood by Andrew Motion Fiction - The Secret Scripture, Waiting for the Barbarians, The Blue Flower, The Devil's Footprints, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Road Home.

... ter. Followed up with The Appeal but decided I really wasn't into Grisham so gave up after 200 pages or so. Now starting The Secret Scripture by Sebastien Barry and so far, so good. I keep saying this but it's so true. I get so many of my books based on LTers recommendations, and if I didn't ...

... - Stephenie Meyer (563) 308. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith (439) 309. Welcome to Shirley - Kelly McMasters (304) 310. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry (300) 311. Indignation - Philip Roth (233) 312. The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder - Vincent Bugliosi (352) 313. Hur ...

->82...Great to hear from you, kambrogi. The Secret Scripture will definitely be in my Top Ten for the year and is well worth reading. About The T.T. Wife...that was my fault as I pretty much knew that it was not my type of book, and I went ahead with it anyway. Ditto for The Lace Reader. I' ...

#99 The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Sebastian Barry was robbed. Seriously. This book was way better than The White Tiger. Booker committee, why? I mean, I know that last year's selection was also a sad Irish book about death and dying and families and the sea, but still. That's ...

... the group, so I'm catching up on all your past posts. I especially enjoy your quotes, and want to say that I've added the Secret Scripture to my tbr list. It sounds fascinating, the sort of topic I would probably have ignored if I hadn't been led there by your post.

... in my TBR and wishlists, and lots to add to my wish list, too. I think we have very similar tastes. Sorry to see The Secret Scripture is so pricey in the US. Will check the library. I have to admit, I did enjoy The Time Traveler's Wife. To me, it was a delightful beach read -- ...

... more compelling. Also, I can now curse in Spanish. So it was an educational experience. This week the list includes The Secret Scripture and The Mists of Avalon.

I just put The Secret Scripture on my wish list. It sounds a little like The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.

... incident this morning...) Atkinson is also coming to terms with leaving loose ends. After being sorely disappointed by The Secret Scripture's letting-down of its beautiful meditation on the malleable nature of truth and history with an almost Mozartian-ly neat ending, I have developed a ...

Hmm...love this thread. In the last couple weeks I 1) returned The Secret Scripture to the library 2) *gasp* threw away my $2 paperback copy of Maurice because it literally fell apart in my hands as I read it. Turned in for store credit: Scoundrel Time, maigret and the Win ...

Might the fact that The Gathering won last year count against The Secret Scripture - we can't have too many tales of Irish family misery cluttering things up.... maybe I'm being too cynical.

I've read The Secret Scripture and am halfway through Sea of Poppies. Although I enjoyed (am enjoying) both, neither seems to be of the booker-winning type. That is, these novels seem less clever (no disrespect intended) than previous winners. I'm not trying to make an argument ...

56. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Full of the heartbreak, poverty, tragedy and perfidy I've come to expect from Irish literature. At least as a 100 year old woman looking back, Roseanne McNulty does remember childhood happiness, never mind that she had her father, her husband ...

How fortuitous.. To friends local and away The Lieutenant Fingersmith The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Secret Scripture Hotel du Lac The Inheritance of Loss The Lost Dog The Tenderness of Wolves A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian In Defense of Food

I didn't put a quick review at message 183 for the very reason that I didn't quite know how to review The Secret Scripture. I still don't know whether or not I loved it. But I'll jot some observations and let you make a decision. First, there is a minor character whose brief presence in the ...

#183 alaska: What did you think of The Secret Scripture? The reviews on it seem to be a mixed bag.

77. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry.

... is a worthy winner - but saying this after only reading Barry and Hensher's books. Barry is a wonderful writer and I loved The Secret Scripture - my only reservation being the slightly Hollywood reveal ending (enough said to save spoiling it for others). I did like the writing of the Hensher ...

... Daughter by Ismail Kadare Crossing the River by Caryl Phillips The Spare Room by Helen Garner The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

Is The Secret Scripture your favorite for the Booker Prize, Amanda?

In chronological order of reading, my top five for the quarter are: 1. Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner 2. The Secret Scripture -- Sebastian Barry 3. Bleak House -- Charles Dickens 4. The Cellist of Sarajevo -- Steven Galloway 5. The Wife -- Sigrid Undset (Pa ...

Finished The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry - I liked it very much. Now reading Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. (Both books are on the Booker shortlist.)

44. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Roseanne ...

... al: If you like Ex Libris then I recommend another by Anne Fadiman called At Large and At Small. Currently reading The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. Enjoying his writing style very much.

That's a very sturdy defence of The Secret Scripture, FlossieT, and I agree with you completely. I've now finished Sea of Poppies and wouldn't be terribly upset if it won... (It's weird, but my dislike of The Northern Clemency seems to be growing, although I know I enjoyed ...

Oh, I giggled too... but it's just I hate to see everything that was good about it left out. I only read The Secret Scripture because it was on the longlist - having read several reviews, I thought it really wasn't my kind of book, way too misery-memoir in subject etc. etc. When in fact thus ...

104. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry Another Booker shortlist. And yet again I have to say I liked it . . but I didn't love it. I had high hopes for this book. The blurb sounded great and it has been regarded highly here on LT. But I just didn't connect with it. An elderly woman ...

... a kind of malicious glee in his writing that might make a reader feel uncertain about their own responses. I've only read Secret Scripture and I still laughed. I think Sea of Poppies might be his cynical choice!

Thanks Judy. I did like Secret Scripture. You get a sense of how much influence the Church had on day to day life in Ireland. Tragically, in the case of the old inmate. Perhaps it's difficult to feel its relevance here in modern Australia. Yet the old lady had a "goodness" that rose above all her ...

... myself returning (in thought) to it again and again since finishing it. I hope you enjoy it too! I'm currently reading The Secret Scripture but can't say I am enjoying it much. I will definitely finish it though. It is a book that I thought I would really like, but I'm finding myself rather ...

... the SF genre as well! Although I agree with your thoughts on almost all of "in common" books, I am currently reading The Secret Scripture and about 3/4 of the way through it, am finding it hard going. I just don't find any connection to it.

... Garner, 2008 Splendid treatment of the difficulty of caring for the terminally ill and the strain on friendship. 107. The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry, 2008 Booker shortlist 2008. I liked it. 108-111. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe Science fiction/fantasy which ...

... of the recently published that I've read this quarter. The Spare Room, Helen Garner The Road Home, Rose Tremain The Secret Scripture, Sebastian Barry The Lost Dog, Michelle de Kretser Breath, Tim Winton The best of the rest The Road, Cormac McCarthy Fugitive Pieces, ...

Just started reading The Secret Scripture and listening to The Child in Time.

... reproduce the shortlist here: Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture Amitav Ghosh - Sea of Poppies Linda Grant - The Clothes on Their Backs ...

... beforehand. I used to be able to manage it. Sad, but can't be helped. Still hoping to see From A to X, Netherland and The Secret Scripture on the list... The Northern Clemency was an entertaining (and fat!) read, very soap-opera, but not really a Booker winner, imo. I shall try to read T ...

... Interested by your ranking, kidzdoc. I haven't made it through as many as you, but of what I have read, I would say: 1. The Secret Scripture 2. The Lost Dog 3. From A to X 4. The Northern Clemency 5. A Case of Exploding Mangoes 6. The Clothes on Their Backs ... but those ...

... on their Backs. I wanted it to be really great, but it wasn't. It was enjoyable though. I have both Sea of Poppies and The Secret Scripture on the TBR pile. Hope to get to them soon.

... books as I could, and so far I've finished 10 of them. Here is how I would rank them: 1. Sea of Poppies 2. The Secret Scripture 3. The Enchantress of Florence 4. Netherland 5. The Lost Dog 6. A Case of Exploding Mangoes 7. The White Tiger 8. From A to X 9. A F ...

I have now finished The Secret Scripture and my perseverance in getting through the book has paid off. The ending made up for lack of enthusiasm I had while reading through the earlier sections of the book. Next up, The Dark Lantern by Gerri Brightwell.

I am still reading The Secret Scripture. It is not captivating me as I had hoped it would, making for slow progress. I have a stack of books in my TBR pile that beckon so I will give the book one last chance to captivate me or else it will be relegated to the 'unfinished' pile.

#75 Kidzdoc - I have just started The Secret Scripture and was glad to learn you found it to be excellent. I have only read the first two chapters so far and can see this being a sleepless night while I plow through the book!

I just finished The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, which was excellent, probably the best of the eight 2008 Booker Prize longlisted novels I've read so far. Later this week I'll start A Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. I've started How Fiction Works by James Wood, and I'm ...

I stopped at a Borders on Copley Square in Boston, and bought The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, another of the 2008 Booker Prize longlisted books. #202 - I read The White Tiger and enjoyed it. He writes well, and the view of the underside of current Indian society is enlightening.

... finished The Physician's Tale by Ann Benson and Mademoiselle Benoir by Christine Conrad. Enjoyed both. I plan to read The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry next and Adieu, Betty Crocker by Francois Gravel as my commute to work book.

... 53. Nevermore - Linda Newbery 54. Morality Tale - Sylvia Brownrigg 55. Man in the Dark - Paul Auster 56. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry

... man 53. Nevermore - Linda Newbery 54. Morality Tale - Sylvia Brownrigg 55. Man in the Dark - Paul Auster 56. The Secret Scripture - Sebastian Barry

Just found this. Don't think I'm going to manage much of the longlist now... I started with The Secret Scripture, which I have to say was excellent, and have bought a copy of The Clothes on Their Backs today. But being somewhat strapped for cash made mistake of ordering a couple of others from ...

... with it and don't understand why. If not, then just let it drop. ----------------------------- I've now ordered The Secret Scripture and The Clothes on Their Backs. Many of them look good.

I hear that The Secret Scripture is very good and I will be reading it ASAP. I very much liked Sebastian Barry's previous novel A Long, Long Way. The gender ratio on the author's list cannot be fluff, since there are as many women as men in this world (roughly). So few women authors on the ...

... too! Today I received: Angelica: A Novel by Arthur Phillips Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler So that ...

Living History Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant from mooch We Have Always Lived In The Castle from Amazon The Secret Scripture also from Amazon Angelica used from Amazon ALL in todays mail.... hooray! I finally bit the bullet and bought the Penguin Classic version of Castl ...

... Gaynor Arnold - Girl in a Blue Dress Sebastian Barry - The Secret Scripture John Berger - From A to X Michelle de Kretser - The Lost Dog ...

#46. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry One of my favorite kind of books...a slow introspective read with wonderful lyrical writing. It's a fictional account about a 100-year-old Irish woman who has spent most of her adult life wrongfully held in a mental institution. I was ...

54. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. This is the second book I have read by Barry (the first being A Long Long Way). This book ties in with A Long Long Way with characters reappearing from a different perspective. He has a wonderful way with words - often poetic, always ...

... I'm in a hurry to get to at the moment. And finally a book we can disagree on! I'm talking about Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture, which I thought was a fine story. The only complaint I had was with the ending. Far be it from me to unplait Barry's carefully braided and ...

I finished Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture the other day, a book I'd expected to like a whole lot more than I finally did, but it just didn't ring any bells for me, and I found it a mostly ho-hum affair, was glad to be done with it. The new Tin House came in the last few days, ...

... to get through it, truly a terrific novel. Right now I'm halfway through Irish playwright Sebastian Barry's novel The Secret Scripture, and all of it's fairly mesmerizing so far. Up next will be David Wroblewski's The Story of Edward Sawtelle, and it looks like a good 'un too. ...

... stole the Booker from Barry a couple of years ago. I hope to finish it this weekend so that I may start Barry's latest, The Secret Scripture, which is due to arrive Monday.