Anyone fancy a chat about books?

[Pumperthepumper]

November is always my best reading month, I love cosying up with a blanket and a good read. I’m currently reading What Are You Looking At? 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye, which is amazing but needs a bit of attention so it’s taking me ages to get through it, and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, which is just ok. What are you reading just now?

I’ve just finished The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. I’m on the lookout for something new.

i’m about halfway through kane and abel by jeffery archer and almost finished gerald’s game by stephen king. i normally read two at the same time - one in bed and one that i keep in the bathroom and read whilst i’m in a red hot bubble bath. i had a baby five days ago though so i’m having to read a few pages a time when i can snatch a few spare minutes!

Bifs I loved both of those but wasn’t so impressed with his most recent one. Have you read The Bookseller of Kabul?

Sunshine congratulations on your lovely new baby! I read so many books when DD was titchy during the night feeds, she was a horrendous sleeper so hopefully you’re having more luck than us!

I'm half way through The Handmaid's Tail.
And a crime story by an Icelandic author.

Bifs, I'm going to disagree with OP and recommend "And The Mountains Echoed", his more recent one. I loved it.

Looove the Handmaid’s tale, I read it in my late teens and really feel it’s the book that shaped me as an adult. Keep meaning to reread it actually.

I started the Handmaid's Tale this morning

Love handmaids tale AND 7 deaths !

Thank you both, I’ll download And The Mountains Echoed and The Bookseller Of Kabul right now!

I just looked up 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye, it looks interesting and they have it at my library so thanks for the tip!

I'm reading Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson and really enjoying it. I've only got a few chapters left so think I'll finish it this evening.

I though Evelyn Hardcastle was an amazing premise, started well but didn't fulfil its promise.

I'm currently reading The Rules of Seeing, and have just finished The Storyteller's Secret which was a book group pick and was possibly the worst book I've read in a very long time (totally unbelievable, poorly edited, badly researched, utter nonsense), although I was in the minority; most people loved it!

*thought

I read Home Fires by Kamila Shamsie recently, there was a slow bit near the beginning but after that it was riveting.

I've also recently read The Light keeper's Daughter, set on Lake Superior in the 1920s which I'd highly recommend.

Kate Atkinson transcription!

I’m desperate to read the new kate Atkinson but can’t afford the hardback - think I’m about number 20 in line at the library!

That’s how I feel about 7 deaths, it sounds amazing but the writing is not great. I’ll probably finish it but I’m a bit disappointed by it.

I loved Transcription. Amazing book, but I adore Kate Atkinson's work.

Milkman by Anna Burns, which won the Booker a few weeks ago, is as good as it’s reputed. Also Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls, the Trojan war from the point of view of Briseis. Am also reading a lot of Dorothy L Sayers for light relief. Oh, and Olga Tocarczuk’s Flight is odd and brilliant.

I’m reading The Narrow Road to the Derp North for my book group. Loving it, fantastic writing.

The Lightkeepers Daughter sounds interesting

I've recently read The Woolworths Girls and The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest. Both very good.

I've just finished Alan Hollinghurst's the Line of Beauty which I really enjoyed.

Every year a family member buys me the Booker nominee list for Christmas and I work my way through those. About 60% of them I really enjoy.

I really enjoyed All that man is recently. Also Call me by your name by Andre Asiman.

Ahhh so many excellent books to get through! Anybody read anything really rubbish recently?

I love Kate Atkinson but thought Transcription very dull and disappointing.

Oh no.. Not a dull Kate Atkinson book... I treasure her books :(

Rose Tremain's The Colour is a fantastic if not wholly uplifting read, and I think it might be popular with KA fans.

Rubbish books... most of Joanne Harris, and I absolutely loathed AS Byatt's the Children's Book . Boring, class-blind, meandering nonsense.