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Read any good books lately?
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Yes, exploding Grandmother in Crow Road is a corker.
Also Moby Dick - "Call me Ishmael!" and The Towers of Trebizond - "Take my camel, dear", said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.
Both books went downhill from there for me, didn't like either of them.
2nd of all i kinda read....a lot, so will take all sorts of recommendations (must read last 25 pgs!) just finished reading 19th Wife by,,,,,, sorry got it from the library, about polygamy and it's effects, great start but by 3 quarters of the way through i got v bored, could have ended sooner but interesting read.
Just taken out rebecca (D d maurier) seen the film about 10 times so felt i should read the book! Last night i dreamt i went to Manderlay again! hmmmm lovely!
I presume there are many recommendations here for Ken Follett and his pillars of the earth duo? Best books i've ever read (bar Jane Eyre - and old choice but bugger me it's good!)
What about talking books? I quite like the idea of someone reading to me as I drift off to sleep.
Any recommendations there?
I also have Jeremy Paxman's book on Royalty. He's quite witty in places but again I find I'm skipping pages to get to the more juicy gossip. His book entitled 'The English' was quite good though.
Finished The Road yesterday - wow!
It's bleak and scary and it has a v. terse style, especially the dialogue, but it really is a beautiful, haunting book. It's also one of those rare books that makes you think about the world differently. I found myself thinking about the fragility of our society and how meaningless most of our possessions would be.
Highly recommended!
I'm going to try No Country for Old Men next as the film was fantastic. I'm interested to see if any of the weird bits in the film are due to the way the book was written.
I read the road after reading about it on here, it is pretty bleak isn't it?
No country for old men is pretty good, a great thriller.
Currently reading the Iron Rose by Peter Temple, with the new John le carre next.
Yep, it's definitely bleak
I would never have tried this book if it wasn't for this thread, it's been great at getting me to try "new" authors who I would never normally read. Maybe I'll give John Le Carre a whirl one day!
Oh dear! Just came back from my hols where I read a Chris Ryan, Stella Rivington, Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reich.
After seeing what you lot have been reading I feel like I've been watching CBeebies while you have all been watching BBC4!
The secret intensity of everyday life: William Nicholson
Excellent
I was clumsily trying to say it's a shame when we draw a line between the hard going, clever stuff and popular fiction. Some stuff is just SO clever and I for one can't handle it - James Joyce "Ulysses" is one for me. I've got more chance of a sub three marathon than finishing that book. BUT everything else is books, and books is good!
Tracey I agree with you about drawing the line between hard core clever stuff and popular fiction.
You read what fits the need at the present time, there shouldn't be snobbery about books, though I do giggle at some of the Mills and Boon titles. (I work in a library )
just finished 'Therese Raquin' by Zola but I have to say it became a bit of a forced read after a while.
Now reading a very entertaining biog I found in a library clearance sale of Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson (for those not in the know, Paine wrote 'The Rights of Man' and expressed fundamental ideas on democracy etc that were behind the American Revolution).
"Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst; every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity."
Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)
At the moment I am reading the Rough Guide to Andalucia.
I recently came across a very handy book called Who else writes like...? by Roy & Jeanne Huse.
It's an alphabetical listing of authors which tells you who else writes like them, as well as other names they write under. Useful if your favourite author dies, or doesn't publish books very often!
I also like Phillippa Gregory - think I have read most of them - nice to get a bit of history in even if it is fictionalised (if that's a word!).
I also love Rebus - great books!
For those that loved The Time Traveler's Wife, whatever you do, DO NOT SEE THE FILM!!! It is utter rubbish. I wish I hadn't watched it.
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak Really enjoyed it but a sad story. Not sure why I picked it up in the Library but it has lots and lots about food - in fact each chapter title is a food relevant to the story contained within it.
Just Finished White Tiger by Aravind Adiga - last years booker prize winner. pretty gritty but a good read.
Have just started The Partisans Daughter by Louis de Bernieres. He was an obsession for a while but I didn't even know this existed. I loved his Senor Vivo, Don Emmanuel & Cardinal guzman series - as well as the obvious....