Mumsnet Talk

Just finished Brooklyn (April book of month) Im a little slow! on my to read next list is:
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry, Time Travelers Wife - Audrey Niffenegger (never read) and I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith because I had never heard of it and you lot all seem to love it. Any more recommendations out there?

Hello

A few books I enjoyed prior to having my baby (currently 3 months old so haven't read since her arrival!) are

Star of the Sea - Joseph O'connor
On the Black Hill - Bruce Chatwin
The Pleasure of My Company - Steve Martin
Cider House Rules - John Irving
Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

I have just read the Millinieum Trilogy (ie girl with dragon tattoo) in one go, and am dead sad that Stieg Larsson died and there will be no more.

A Fine Balance is (IMHO) amaaaaazing. Heartwrenchingly sad, but amazing. Second the recommendation for Brooklyn too.

Em, James Meek, The People's Act of Love was pretty special, but it's old.

I just finished gorging myself on the Millennium trilogy too and am bereft now.

Hm, perhaps I will try the Dodie Smith one.

Oooh easily Disobedience by Naomi Alderman. Totally amazing read in one sitting kind of book.

wow echops you were busy! thanks for all recommendations, Im kidding myself I will have enough time to read them but love a pile beside the bed!

Hi agree with all the above recommendations except I really wouldn't bother eith the Time Traveller's Wife - it's an awful book

The Forgotten Garden By Kate Morton- couldn't understand why two friends thought it was so fab but got it after the first 30 pages. After that just wanted to have a moment to pick it up and find out the answer to the mystery. One of the best books I've ever read and I don't say that lightly.

The Italian Wedding - By Nicky Pelligrino. Just loved it - very slow starter which on the surface is just a subtle family story/ love story but I found it to be beautifully written, thought provoking and left me with a truly warm feeling inside. Oh and descriptions of 1960s Italy that left me desperately wanting to go ... shame about the car bill, car road tax, insurance, etc, etc....

I have just read The White Tiger (Booker winner 2008) - I really enjoyed it.

It's interesting seeing everyone's recommendations- defintiely horses for courses!

Chrysothei- I can't believe you don't like the Time Traveller's Wife- I adored it and would say it's one of my all time favourite books.

And the White Tiger I didn't like at all- although my husband really liked it.

We Need to Talk about Kevin is one of the most thought provoking books I've ever read- quite a difficult book to read but after I finished it I was dying to talk to someone about it and ended up buying it my friend for her birtday.

The Beach (Alex Garland?)is a fantastic read- Lord of the Flies all grown up.

I'm just on the third book in the Millenium trilogy- they are fairly easy reading and very gripping.

The Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde are all fantastic too - I can't even begin to describe what they're about but would heartily recommend them.

x

One Day; lovely Easter read
Millenium trilogy ;i'm on the last one
The Glass Castle by Jennett Walls..really made me think about how lifes experiences influence you
The Secret Life of Bees

Fave books of the year so far:

Wolf Hall- Mantel
Fingersmith- Sarah Waters
The Grass is Singing - Doris Lessing
The French Lieutenant's Woman - Fowles
A Tale of Two Cities - Dickens

some required more concentration than others but all were unputdownable - did I just make up a word?

I loathed and couldn't finish Wolf Hall but adored the time travellers wife and a fine balance.

Oh Glad I found this thread,
I want a good book,

just finished the Lovely Bones enjoyed it but wasn't sure wiether I liked the end or not,

SIL has the Millenium triology so must borrow them (she has already offered but I was reading some crap from library)

Time Travellers Wife I loved but many either love it or hate it

I quite liked The Help, which I think a few people on here have read.

Bill Bryson's new one, Home, is okay although I didn't like it as much as his travel writing.

I am now reading a new one by Ian Pears but it is v heavy going and irritating so far.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - beautifully written, a lovely story and most enlightening if you don't know much about Guernsey (as I didn't)

The Book Thief - most of my friends thought highly of this, as I did.

Oooh. I finished the help last week, it was brilliant. Didn't like either the lovely bones, guernsey potato peel club or the book thief though. I did enjoy the red tent.

Can't edit I'm afraid, another one I have been dipping in and out of is Charlie Brookers The hell of it. Funny and though provoking and I need funny living in a laughter free zone.

Favourite this year

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (although it's years old)

Favourite book of 2010

The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim by Jonathan Coe

(Book Thief, Lovely Bones, Time-Travellers Wife, Jasper Fforde - :yawn: to all - but always fascinating to see that people love books I've really disliked...)

I second the Guernsey book, dianella. I loved it. I have also just read Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier and am almost finished This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson - both are historically interesting, but still good stories.

I have also read all my teenage daughters Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy books and ds's Percy Jackson and Cherub books . You can tell I have had a holiday abroad this year

is bel canto the one about the hostages and the opera singer?

I've loved 'Small Wars' by Sadie Jones but then her first book 'the outcast' is one of my favourite ever.

@sophable - yes, that's the one. I thought it was beautiful, and thought-provoking.

I read "The Island" by Victoria Hislop on the recommendation of ppl on here, and it was really good. I am intrigued by the Steif larsson ones - can someone post the individual titles please, think I might have read one out of sequence?

Have also enjoyed "Requiem for an Angel" by Andrew Taylor.

Couldn't get on with "The White Tiger".

Currently reading a Margaret Atwood about the Gardeners, but it is a bit too much like Oryx and Crake atm.

This Thing Of Darkness is brilliant.

I couldn't be doing with The Island and absolutely hated The Outcast!

The Help

The Finest Type of English Womanhood

Absolutely anything that Patrick Gale has written

Any Andrea Levy