What book are you reading now because it is doing my head in that I can't find something I want to read so am going to steal your ideas instead..!

What is this 'English Womanhood' thing of which you speak? Why haven't I heard of it and do I want to?

I am currently ploughing through Neil Gaimen's 'American Gods'and, along with anything else he has written (especially 'Anansi Boys'), I do indeed recommend it.

I'm currently reading My Enemy's Cradle and am quite enjoying it.

Have started Cloud Atlas 3 times now and not got into it, has anyone read it and should I persevere?

Just debating whether to start The Duchess or Cloud Atlas.

Read The Island by Victoria Hislop which I couldnt put down, her 2nd one wasnt as good though.

I wouldnt bother with the girl with trilogy, 1st 1 is OK, 2nd is beyond belief, cant be bothered with the third.

Yeah I'm reading Wolf Hall as well. Very good.

Su-re Wolf Hall- usually avoid historical fiction too but would deffo recommend-(love Glee too!)

Ooh, you lot are my people. Am almost to the end of American Wife right now, finished Little Stranger recently, read all of Kate Atkinson, etc.

And definitely second The Secret River recommendation. Kate Grenville is brilliant.

Have you come across AL Kennedy? Most recent one is Day, but I love Everything You Need and Paradise best.

Anything by Anita Shreve, but try Fortune's Rcks or The Pilot's Wife especially. Anne Tyler also brilliant.

Oh, and Patrick Gale definitely. And I love Christopher Brookmyre.

just read finest kind eng womanhood- excellent read.

Secret River mentioned upthread is great , as is Thing of Darkness- I couldn't put it down despite it's length it was over too quickly. How sad he'll not write anything else.

Wolf Hall
not a quick read, but good

now i like history but often not hist bks ( liek novles)
is wolfie good?>
haevjust been out and bought some more

NB finest kind of englishwomanhood NOW in waterstones in paperback

Agree with Su re.One Day David Nicholls-v enjoyable

Wolf Hall-wanted to give up after a few pages but persevered and it was a great read.

Juliet, Naked-Nick Hornby- another enjoyable light read but preferred One Day tbh.

I'm reading the People series by Kathleen O'Neal Gear and w. Michael Gear - stories of each of the Native American Indian tribes from 13000 BC onwards - I'm on the ninth of ten since New Year as I can only read them on the bus - great plots and all archeologically correct.

The History of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr. Its brilliant

oh the lion one about zimbabwe peter godwin

was really into books about islands for a while last year Pitcairn and that oen isn scotland

i woudl reccy

one day
the new douglas kennedy ( crap but good)
19th wife
american wife
english womanhood rachel heath
er
er
imust have read more..

Angel's Game by Zafon. Excellent.

For those who feel out of step because they didn't share everyone else's love of a particular book, that just makes things more interesting, I think.

I belong to various email book discussion groups though am not very active in any at the moment but my favourite discusses several crime novels every month, and I generally found even the books I didn't like worth reading because they would generate such great discussion. Very few books were liked or disliked by anyone, though the verdict was often out of step with other opinion - we came down quite hard on a book which later won all the first novel awards in the US, much to my disgust as it had much better competition.

fox, hope you find something good soon if not already.

Recently read Small Island, would defo recommend.

Also A thousand splendid suns - easy reading though harrowing, happy, desperately sad, tense etc etc.- will try to pick up the kite runner, by same author, soon. Think they are both a few years old, you may have read them when they came out.

Listened to A good read (radio 4) on way home from work today and they really sold me all three books:

The Moon's a Balloon by David Niven (autobiog I believe);

Under Storm's Wing by Helen Thomas - (about her husband who died in WW1, interesting openish marriage, he was a poet);

Prick up Your Ears by John Lahr - recommended by Kenneth Cranham who know/worked with Joe Orton, explores Joe and relationship with his lover who ended up killing him!

currently reading Small Island by Andrea Levy

Poppy Z Brite - really good. I loved Lost Souls.

I'm with KerryGrumbles and am reading the 12th (!) book in the Rand Al Thor/Wheel of Time series. A bit of easy reading, which is great as I've just gone back to work and can't cope with anything too heavy.

Next I will probably try Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere or Poppy Z Brites Lost Souls, both books I got for Christmas and have not yet got round to reading. Or I may buy/borrow the new Paulina Simmons book, as I loved Tully and her new one sounds right up the easy reading street that I'm on at the moment.

Am re reading from years ago "A Suspension of Mercy"by Patricia Highsmith (Ripley Books) and `tis quite good.

Thanks Pluto - they all sound my sort of thing.