What Are You Reading At The Moment? May/June 2007

Currently reading When we were Bad by Charlotte Mendelson - son of a matriarchal rabbi bolts on his wedding day. Fall out and repercussions in close Jewish family. Atmospheric.

Conjurer's Bird - Martin Davies - brilliant read....

Just finished Wives of Bath by Wendy Holden - very good and witty.

Now reading The Secret of Crickley Hall - James Herbert.....OK but not as good as thought it was going to be....

BecauseI'mWOrthIt - Lee Child - great read. Bought one for DH to read two years ago on hols - went out next day an bough the lot & we read 'em back to back - even have broken my golden rule and bought' em in hardback -couldn't wait for paperback - perfect escapism.
Have just finished 'The patience of the Spider' by Andrea Camilleri - originally his Inspector Montalbano books were recommended to my by a MNer - reading them just makes me feel like i am also a maverick Sicilian detective..
Yesterday ordered Alison Weir's latest bigraphy 'Innocent Traitor' on Amazon. Actually didn't even notice who it was about - her bigraphies are so engrossing - my fave book of all time is her biog of Eleanor of Acquitaine.
Oh, and picked up 'Remembrance of things lost' by Proust in the oxfam shop today. Will probably go on the shelf gathering dust like the french version I have started 10 times over the last 20 years since Uni and never finished...

ploughing though 'we need to talk about kevin' by lionel shriver. it's deeply depressing. well written but would not say i was enjoying it!

need something to cheer me up afterwards-any recommendations?

lilymaid-cloud atlas is FAB

wheresthehamster-just read that bill bryson, really enjoyed it

Marina, I just had a gastro bug and felt too weak for Suite Francaise. I read The Painted Veil instead. Terrific stuff. And also Jolly Super, an old collection of Jilly Cooper columns from 1971, which was just the ticket.

I wasn't too impressed by 'the island'.
But I reccomend highly 'the possibilty of an island' . It inspired some very deep and meaningful conversations for myself and DP. It is rare you find a book that you would call life changing, but this one was for me

Currently reading Ihe Impressionist, about to start Phillip Roth's Everyman, but as one to dip in and out of I am reading Easy Riders, Raging Bulls.

I read Suite Francaise last year when my book group had the translator around to discuss it. It is beautifully written and the appendices are so sad - especially all the letters her DH sent when she was already dead and he was about to be transported.
I shall soon be re-reading "Tractors" for my second book group so hope it is funny second time round. I have also got to wade through Cloud Atlas, which may be difficult (told that it was all to do with philosophy of Nietsche - heck!)

I've just finished "Sovereign" and thought it was a good read.

Now on "Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson - some of the stuff is familiar from his earlier books but funny all the same.

Received this morning from Amazon "The Last Days of Dogtown" and am looking forward to reading it on the recommendation of some MNers

Just finishing Afternoon Men, Anthony Powell's first novel. It is very funny, with scenes strongly reminiscent of books in the Dance to the Music of Time series.

The cover price is 3/6 (Penguin 1963 edition), but it cost me £2.

I'm coming to the end of Sunbathing in the Rain, on bakedpotato's recommendation, though I've "dipped" rather than read it cover-to-cover. She's a very good writer . I'm doing Hidden Lives, by Margaret Forster for my book group - anyone read it?

Finished "Sovereign" by CJ Sansom, loved it so have also read "Dissolution" and am now reading "Dark Fire". Highly entertaining and a fun read.

Bakedpotato, I read Suite Francaise while on holiday. What a wonderful writer she was and how sharply she depicts characters and situations. Have you finished it yet? I found the appendices about the fate of Nemirovsky and her family almost unbearable to read

blimey i love reading and as a result am reading

the sculptress bargain bin sale
tenth circls god delusion how to be good

I love this thread! Got lots of ideas from it. I have just finished The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult. I couldn't put it down and now it is finished I still keep thinking about it. I would really recommend it. I just reread the tenant of wildfell hall after a gap of about 16 years, and liked it much more this time. Margaret Atwood is another favourite of mine - Alias Grace and the Robber Bride are 2 of my favourites.

|Am reading "About Beauty" by Zadie Smith... not sure will keep going.

I'm reading "the Good Guy" by Dean Koontz... it is brand new and got delivered just the other day.

I love Dean Koontz, but if I wasn't 100% sure that this is a brand new book, I would be fairly convinced that I had already read it.

Have just discovered Lee Child - crime/thrillers - and having devoured the first one, was delighted to discover that he's written 10 books about the same character (Jack Reacher).

Will not win the Nobel prize for literature but they're great stories and I can't wait to get my hands on the last 3 I haven't read!

Twilight Children by Torey Hayden

Flippy floppy fun

Reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian atm for my book group. About 40 pages in and enjoying it so far.

Restless is the next book group title, but that meeting is early September so will read plenty more in between!

Restless by William Boyd. I like most of his others and this is supposed to be a goodie.

Just reading Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier. Now I love DdM and was delighted to find that there was one that I hadn't read - so it was a complete treat and delight for me.

It's her last novel and unfortunately i don't think it's her best. Well frankly I think it's her worst. It's a bit odd, set in England in the 70s but an England that's been annexed by the US. There's bits of it that are witty and percipient but parts of it that are just bad. I've nearly finished it now, and it's heading for the charity box.

I've recently managed to get hold of a couple of new releases from the library: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and Over by Margaret Forster. Liked them both, though much preferred Atonement to Chesil. Keep meaning to reread it.

Not enought time to read, have piles of unread books waiting for me to find time, including Suite Francaise.

Loved Oryx and Crake.

Just started "Human Traces" by Sebastian Faulks.