Grabbing some reading time: Dec 2008 book thread

[EffiePerine]

Hope this works OK (PC v slow today). Could we start with recommendations? Then if people would like to swap books we can organise a method.

I suggest dividing your books by subject area so people can skim for what appeals to them. A quick post from me: will try to elaborate later.

Adventure
John Buchan, Huntingtower
(OK so the Richard Hannay books are great, but this has sinister Russians, a princess in a tower and a ragtag bunch of Glaswegian toughs. Great stuff)

Romance
Jennifer Crusie and Bob Meyer (Mayer?), Agnes and the Hitman
(Crusie's solo works are well worth hunting out, but this has the CIA and big explosions as well as cooking and relayshunships)

Biography
David Niven, The Moon's a Balloon
(in case you haven't read it already. Mostly outrageous lies but a very good read)

Fiction
William Boyd, The New Confessions
(just great)

Poetry
Roger McGough, Blazing Fruit
(if you only know his kids' stuff, read this. Funny and moving)

You'll note these are all pretty old, hope some of you have some more recent recommendations!

SL Haroun and the Sea of Stories - Rushdie's childrens book - is lovely!

Ooh Kiwi - we have a lot of the same likes! I did read Sacred Games (the latest Chandra) and I know what you mean, doesn't quite have that kind of profound "in the guts" satisfaction that the other ones did. Too much fiddling with style (pastiche? homage?) and grand themes. But I still reckon its a pretty good book, especially as I read it right after another book with a similar concept (although bizarrely can't remember what) and the Chandra was much better. Did you read the Yiddish Policeman's Ball? Again, not quite K&C, but interesting. On the hard boiled detective thing been reading Raymond Carver stories recently, which somehow I'd never got round to. Not sure I exactly enjoyed them, but they are very well put together.

SL - Agree, about No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - they are very soothing!

MoM - discovered Robertson Davis relatively recently - I'll second that recommendation! They are books to get lost in.

SL - on historical fiction, different period to Phillipa Gregory, but how about Mary Renault? They are really dramatisations of some of the Greek/Roman stories and are really well done. I also really love Robert Graves "I Claudius/Claudius the God" which brilliantly brings to life the back-stabbing politics of the Roman Empire, but that is a bit more effort than the Mary Renaults.

Another fan of Alexander McCall Smith here, along with Conan Doyle and the Father Brown stories

Must try George P, isn't he one of the Wire writers?

Have ordered the Gods book from the library, hopefully can collect it later this week.

Oh and I've finished the first Mordecai book and it's excellent. Most highly recommeded if you like crime or P G Wodehouse or both.

SL: I read a lot of historical fiction in my teens, prob cos it was all our local library had in stock! Not that I can remember what any of it was called. DH read the same stuff at that age (similar library I guess) so he might have a better memory than me.

TIH thanks for recommendations.
I am getting on really well with the cazalet book. I have nearly finished it, really enjoying it at the moment!

Hey has anyone read the latest Sebastian Faulks? I've just started reading it and I really hope it gets better, I'm shocked at how clunky it is. All the thinly veiled cultural reference e.g. YourPlace for MySpace etc are so irritating and clumsy.

What's it called kp, I have a SF from my mum that I haven't got round to reading yet. Not sure if it is the newest one.

Well.....I finished the first Cazalet book. Loved it....have to get the rest now!

I'm reading a Sebastian Faulks now, but think it is old. Girl at the Lion D'Or? Enjoying it...quick read.

I am seeking these Cazalets next. Sound just up my street!

Finished Cazalets II! Onto number 3!