read any good books lately?

[Candy]

Hi everyone!
I was wondering what you are currently reading or have read recently and enjoyed? Having just read several by Joanne Harris (Chocolat and Blackberry Wine) and two history books by Giles Milton (Nathaniel's Nutmeg and Big Chief Elizabeth) I'm stuck for what to read next. Any suggestions much appreciated!

am reading Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler at the moment and am really enjoying it - although it does seem rather reminiscent of Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant and The Accidental Tourist in two of the key themes.

recently read Roy Jenkins's biography of Churchill - a very good book, my one criticism being that RJ seems to have fallen in love with 1940 Churchill and as a result glosses over some of his faults/blunders rather too much.

for some light relief in between i have been re reading the Starbridge Novels by Susan Howatch. have heard them described at latterday Barchester Novels. haven't read any Trollope but find it hard to believe there could be as much adultery and so many nervous breakdowns in Barchester as there are in Starbridge! these books are - as the cliche goes - unputdownable.

then i will have run out of books - so what does everyone else recommend atm?

I loved this book: The Roaches Have No King
by Daniel Evan Weiss. It is available from Amazon. If you or any of your family have read The Amazing Maurice by Terry Pratchett, you will instanly recognise the thinking behind the naming of the characters in both books.

I am just starting to read The Magus by John Fowles and it looks very promising.

Bossykate - have you tried Anita Shrive? Vaguely similar to Anne Tyler.

For non fiction I am reading about Alison Hargreaves the climber who died leaving two children; one of the books specifically focuses on the adverse publicity she got as a 'mother' - sounds like another tread for Mumsnet!

I haven't read all this thread, but has anyone read the posthumous DOUGLAS ADAMS?
I'm a huge fan, but on flicking through it in the supermarket, it seemed to be all introduction and no substance. I might be wrong though, as it was a very quick flick. Ta.

I read a couple of Susan Howatch's recently: The High Flyer and A Question of Integrity (or a Woman of Integrity, or something). Both centre on shennanigans in a Church of England church in London. Quite good.

Reading Tony Parsons now, Man and Wife. I like all his books for a bit of light reading.

I just finished abook about the mitford sisters called I think the mitford girls. It was a really good read as they all had such an interesting childhood and life. Also, Dead Famous by Ben Elton is very funny and quite unputdownable. Its a parody of the big brother thing and a good light hearted readthe .

Bossykate nad Lindy, I was reading Back When We Were Grown Ups on the tube on the way to work a few days ago when a fellow passanger actually SPOKE to me - yes, really! Of course she waited until just before she got off the train to come up to me and recommend that I read Anita Shrive. Was that spooky or was it you Lindy?!

BTW, I'm not sure that I really enjoyed back when we were grown ups...

Droile, I've got the Douglas Adams book on the "to be read" pile. I'll let you know how I get on.

Don't forget there's an Anita Shreve recommended in the Book Club thread for this month.

I would say Anne Tyler and Anita Shreve are quite different. Anne Tyler always has a kind of sly humour in her writing - her people are oddballs and they go through weird situations - and the books are at times unbearably sad and funny at the same time. Can't say her latest ones have been my favourites though.

Anita Shreve is quite different - much more serious tone to her books. Very readable, maybe a bit "soap-opera" like - lots of angst and life-changing revelations. Has featured on Oprah which maybe gives you an idea of what it is like.

Currently reading an omnibus of David Lodge's academia novels - very funny and amazingly easy to read. But not chicklit by any stretch of the imagination - middle-class malelit more like.

Thanks Sis, I'll watch out for your post.
(No pressure )

I'm put off Anita Shreve now that you say she was recommended on Oprah, florenceuk!!

No Sis,it wasn't me, I haven't been on a London tube for many years, being a country bumpkin, but I am planning a trip to London at the end of the November, big excitement!!

The girl with the pearl earring and falling angels by Tracy Chevalier - two fab books.

Bron:

I've just ordered Ella Minnow Pea because the name is so intriguing! Can't wait to get it!

Just read the Anita Shreve book 'The Last Time They Met'....will post comment on the Book Club thread about how it was.

Got a bit disillusioned with the Book Club as hardly anyone read "my" books last month so I had the 3 for this month untouched by my bed and attempted the Anita Shreve the day before they were due back at the library. Only read 20 pages but found it a bit pedestrian in style and too much like a womens magazine story. So I abandoned it in favour of the Lorna Sage. Haven't read any Anita Shreve before so I've probably unfairly written her off!

Has anybody read Crimson Petal and The White? I've just joined a book club and this is our first selection - I'm curious if it has been well received...

JoAnne

I really like Anne Tyler, especially her older stuff. Not so sure about Back When... Has anyone read The Life of Pi yet? I'm off to find this book club thread now!

I've just re-read Anne Tyler's Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. It was wonderful, I'd forgotten it was such a well written story. Although I've enjoyed all AT's books she has gone off the boil a bit recently, I feel. The denseness of writing has been absent; the one I like best of her recent books is 'Ladder of Years' (if that's the one where the woman leaves home and takes on a new personality!)

I really liked the Accidental Tourist and the Patchwork Planet but was less keen on Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. oh and Larry's Party, by Carol Shields.

I can recommend Fingersmith too, I thought it was a gripping story, and great fun with all the Victorian plotlines and melodrama. Haven't read Sarah Waters' earlier books (ie Tipping The Velvet etc) but will do so now.

Noticed after numerous mailings (how did I get on this list?) that the Book People have a v. special offer of all the Booker Prize nominees for about £25. I already have one (the Tim Winton) but very tempted this year - most unusual! Anybody want the Tim Winton if I do the order?

what do you think of "I Don't Know How She Does It" by A?llison Pearson?? I can't seem to find anyone who has read it.

Re I don't know how she does it, I was very irritated by the device at the end of each chapter, the contents of a working woman's head. Very irritated. I was impatient with the main character and thought you could see the disaster with husband coming. I thought it got better in the middle and I did cry at the very sad bit (says more about my state of mind than the writing though I think) but it didn't seem to teach her anything. Oh I don't know, maybe it did actually. So hated it to begin with, thought it was ok in parts but I read it and forgot about it fairly quickly.

thanks for your response. I'm in the US - I enjoyed it, but thought it was very unrealistic. Wanted the UK view. I did think it was really well-written, and I'd definitely read something else by the same author. Are there any other books like it that you would recommend? Something contemporary about working mothers?