Recent reads!

I've just finished reading Notes on a Scandal too and thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down.

Also agree with Littlerach about Lucia Lucia. A nice easy read....good for holiday, I reckon.

I'm just about to start Brick Lane so I'll keep an open mind and see how I get on.

Message for WOG - Was the book about an ante natal class group of women you really loved but couldn't remember the title called Baby on Board by Stephanie Zia? I loved that one. Have just read her new one Keeping Mum about school run mothers, very funny. I also loved Kate Harrison's Old School Ties about schoolday memories, and reading Astonishng Splashes of colour, can't put it down, it's brilliant.

Spykid, that is next on my reading list - sitting nicely just waiting for me to finish my current read!

Which is.... The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. I am really enjoying it, almost finished, although I felt at first I might not get into it I am utterly absorbed. The part on WeiWei's daughter Yuki nearly broke my heart and I can't stop thinking about it That wasn't a spoiler as you will need to read it to see who they are and what happens! This book was one of my charity shop finds but I see it is on Amazon, second hand for 14p - well worth it!

Anyone else like the Dalziel and Pascoe books? I think that the write is really clever in his style. They are so much more entertaining than some other detective writers.

Yes Littlerach, I have just finished the new Margaret Forster. Thought it was a good read. Frustrating that none of your questions could be answered at the end , the diaries left so many gaps that needed filling!!

I've now finished The Reading Group - enjoyed that.

About 60 pages into "Notes on a Scandal" - Zoe Heller and am enjoying it so far.

Whilst I was in town today, got drawn to the book shop and have now bought "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" - even though I've got "Sophie's Choice" and "Astonishing Splashes of Colour" still to read.

Have now read Lucia Lucia, easy toread, and lovely too!! Would recommend it to read in the evenings, as it is quite light.

Has anyone read the latest Margaret Forster one?

I am reading The Rainmaker by John Grisham, he is an excellent writer but my favourite author is James Patterson. He writes murder/mystery but they are page turning, has anyone else read him? I think his first book was Kiss The Girls and then Along Came a Spider......

Must reccomend 'The Time TRavellers Wife. Read it over Easter and it definately rates in my top 3!!! Has anyone else read it?
Also read Star of the Sea, and thought it was incredibaly moving, but hard to get into ...well worth it though!

Doing Eats, Shoots & Leaves for work book club
and v. disappointed with it, though a few interesting anecdotes at the beginning. Agree with her about irritating misuse of ' especially in its, it's etc but a whole book on the subject is too much! Can't believe it's such a best seller. Anyone else read it?

Dinosaur - I didn't understand the end! Maybe I need to read it again!

Not a new book, but I just read The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill - really recommend if you are looking for a spooky story.

lou33, I liked the Lovely Bones but wasn't blown away by it as I had expected to be. I wondered how much of that was to do with my own beliefs on heaven/afterlife, it just didn't do it for me. I have bought her other book, "Lucky", I'll see what that's like. Been on a bit of a book buying frenzy lately so could be a while before I get round to reading it.

I thought it was ok, but nothing special tbh TC. I felt a lot of it was just filling pages , until it was an acceptable lentgh read iyswim. Maybe I am just too hardened by life, lol. I don't tend to read fiction on the whole, as I get this feeling a lot with it.

Sorry i always call it lonely bones, I think that would have been a better title, i meant Lovely Bones.

Just read 'Sexual Life of Catherine M' for my Book club - no-one read it, it's RUBBUSH, BORING , POINTLESS. Promised to be good as it was all about her sex life but was just v boring group anal sex from start to finish!!!!! you think that would be interesting wouldn't you!!!

Now reading 'The Know' by Martina Cole for the book club and waiting to read 'Star of the Sea' by someone O'Conner (Sinead's brother).

I liked Lonely Bones Lou, but only after a 3 hour discussion with the book club, before that I thought it wa okay. We had suchj a good discussion about it that we all came away thinking differently about the book.

I've just finished reading The Lovely Bones. Did anyone else feel this book didn't live up to the hype?

Am about to read A Sunday At The Pool In Kigali now.

I too enjoyed notes on a scandal, and am now reading the bad mother's handbook, which is a very very easy read. can a book be too easy??

Oh thank heavens Demented, I do know what you mean but I'm so glad you don't hate it. I was feeling guilty. It does get better later on IMHO!

Florenceuk, I read an interview with Paul Auster at the weekend that implied strongly that the major events in Siri Hustvdet's book are autobiographical which was a bit gobsmacking.

Just done : ALice Hoffman Blue Diary and Probable Future
Both very good

Now on Mummy's Legs ..... By ?????

Freddiecat - I got half way through "The lake of Dead Languages" nad left it on a plane ... have just got it again to finish ....
Don't tell me the end !

The two best books I have read in the last six months were The Beach and Life of Pi, would highly recommend them both.

I am reading Brick Lane just now and am in two minds, I am just over a third of the way through and although I was quite enjoying it I've got to that 'waiting for something big to happen' bit. Don't want to spoil the plot for anyone who going to read it but the major incident in the book so far has been a bit of a non-event, was bracing myself for tears but the book just moved swiftly on. I like the characters though and want to know what happens to them in the end.

Also just finished The Reading Group and really enjoyed it.

Got "The Lake of Dead Languages" by Carol Goodman from the library and it was excellent. Kind of a thriller but a woman's thriller (if that makes sense). And lots of classical references in a similar vein to The Secret History (although a different type of book)

Slinky, I can recommend Heller's "Notes on a Scandal" - I've just finished it, thought it was good.