What are you reading now and next?

Bit of light reading there Buddleja?

Reading Trainspotting now, think I'm going to re-read Clan of the Cave Bear next.

Just started Lord of the Rings and plan to tackle War and Peace after that. Not sure about after that as I haven't planned out my 2011 reading yet

Thank you. Dp brought me a Georgette Heyer from the library today, so that will be my guilty pleasure in the bath tonight!

The Atwood is really interesting, it's a sort of follow up to Oryx and Crake but I liked it much better. O & C was brilliantly done but I found a novel without interaction between living humans a bit lacking in what I find most interesting, whereas in The Year of the Flood the main characters spend time on their own but there's actually quite a cast of characters. I'm going to have to get O & C down as I read it quite quickly after it came out (I go through spells of seeking out bunches of newly published books from the library and other times when I don't get any at all).

Thank you. What did you think to the Atwood? I haven't read it yet.

The Gwynnie 'Emma' was hideous but even that looked like a work of genius compared to the recent TV one.

Purple Hibiscus is Ngozi Adichie's first novel and it's a sort of bildungsroman about a young woman growing up, and the relationships within her family, particularly those of her father in the family and beyond. I found it very powerful reading though quite disturbing in places.

I'm about to start reading a collection of her short stories, as I've nearly finished Atwood's The Year of the Flood and I needed a smaller spare book in my bag to take to work (my planned next read is a very thick trade paperback advance reading copy) and the Atwood book is a largish library hardback.

I did see the film made a few years ago (was it Gwyneth Paltrow??) but already the book is so much better. Only problem is that it is a cheap edition so the font is tiny and soporific!

Marshmallow in a good way? I always envy people reading a JA for the first time. Hope that nobody was put off 'Emma' by the appalling recent TV version.

I have just started Jane Austen's Emma which I have never read before but which is already like sinking into a big marshmallow.

I don't have a pile, I have a bookcase full of presents, impulse Amazon buys and charity shop finds that I plough through slowly (I used to whizz pre-children!). I try to rotate the "type" of book and choose a random letter from the last page of my current book to choose the author of my next. As it will be Christmas though, I will treat myself to a detective/thriller I think.

What is Purple Hibiscus about?

Just finished it and enjoyed it v much; a bit disappointed with the ending though - but I guess it had to be so.

I found when I was reading Yellow Sun that I had to reread bits again quite carefully to keep track of the historical background, so it needed quite careful reading. I also loved Purple Hibiscus.

Will finish 'Half Of A Yellow Sun' tonight. Am absolutely loving it but haven't had much time for reading in the last week or so, so it's taking much longer than usual.

Janeite, are you still reading Half of a Yellow Sun? I have her short stories from the library, will probably try to acquire my own copy at some point as I loved the novels.

Jux, why should you be embarrassed at reading dd's books? My mum and aunt regularly read mine when I was a child, in fact my aunt has borrowed 2 books from my children's shelves recently.

LaSoi, I loved Northern Lights and have the whole trilogy on audio, listened to the other two that way. I should read them all again in print. So mamy books to read.

Timesofhope, Charlaine Harris's work is also something I need to catch up on - I've read the first 3 Sookie books some time ago (Club Dead just after DS1 was born in May 2007) and have the other 5 though I would need to find 4-6 among the chaos. I just bought 7 and 8 but I felt the need to own them in the US mass market pre TV editions that would go with my others and are much nicer covers. I've read Real Murders and the first Lily Bard book (don't know if you've seen those) with Shakespeare in the title - I have 4 more Lily Bards and at least 3 Aurora Teagardens (there are about 8 I think and the later ones are harder to find). And one in a newer series too, Grave Sight. DP likes the True Blood ones too as he's into vampire fiction.

Since I last posted on this thread I've read Jonathan Coe - The Accidental Woman, Anne Tyler - Noah's Compass and Roddy Doyle's short story collection - The Deportees - all courtesy of my library pile which is suddenly out of hand again. I was impressed by all of them.

I'm now reading Margaret Atwood's new book, also thanks to the library.

Next will probably be a book I'm reviewing for a website by an American writer called Joe Meno. It's his 4th novel at least, but the first from big publishers and to be published in the UK as well as the US.

On the bedside table are: Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, and The Murder Room by PD James. I have maanged to read one chapter of each so am currently reading Observer Food Monthly instead. But to help with inspiration, some recent very successful reads have been The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzcy (loved it!) and Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke. And if all else fails there's always Jill's Gymkhana by Ruby Ferguson. Happy reading!

I am currently reading A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris having just read Real Murders in her Aurora Teagarden mysteries series.

This should get me through to christmas when I will have pretty much every book in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

lindsay davis is one of my comfort reads, too

ATM reading one of dd's books. I am having trouble concentrating on anything so went for easy option - still not sure I remember what it's about, what's happening or who everyone is! It's The Lionboy by Zizou Corder. I'm embarrassed

I have lots on my To Read pile, but will probably find another easy option; Lindsey Davis, Christie, or even another of dd's. Was hoping to have read The God Delusion by now, having found it in a charity shop (at last) in late July, but our lives have been over-eventful since then.

I've just started 'The Human Stain' by Philip Roth. I'm always somewhat wary of Important American Writers, so it's the first of his I've read, but so far, I'm enjoying it.

I do not have a pile.

I gave up on Night Train To Lisbon - nice cover though!

troutpout - I really enjoyed Night Train to Lisbon, although the translation is a bit clunky.

I forgot to add that I have also just finished The Angel's Game, and I did enjoy it, but think that Shadow of the Wind was better.

I'm obsessed with Agatha Christie at the moment (read a lot of her novels when I was 18) so am working my way through all of her books in my local library. Currently reading The Secret of Chimneys and then The Seven Dials Mystery.

I'm reading 2 books atm
The Portrait by Iain Pears which is a bit unnerving so far
and
Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier which pulled me in instantly but which i think may be ultimately unsatisfying

Kaloki just seen your question. I've only read two of Poppy Z Brites books, Lost Souls which I enjoyed and Exquisite Corpse which I kind of read in morbid facination (it is very near the knuckle). I do like her writing style though, reminds me a bit of Clive Barker who I love.