What are you all reading atm? And is it any good?

[MrsDanversBites]

Just finished The White Queen which was piss poor frankly...unlikeable characters, overplayed motif

now a third into Alias Grace which is much better, Atwood is just brilliant isn't she

Not sure what to read next though, hence thread...

Thanks Feather.

Am still v bored with GWTW - am about 150 pages in and don't want to give up on it yet but am v uninspired so far.

Just been to the library and broguht back the new Kate Atkinson (she irritates me but I do like Brodie, so I feel as if I should read it) and Wolf Hall.

Scuse typos - was trying and failing to multi-task.

Am reading How to Talk to a Widower at the mo. Very very good indeed. Funny, heart-wrenching, everything really.
Next book on my list is The Children's Book by A S Byatt. A MN called it "captivating" on this thread so I'm looking forward to getting stuck into it.

The 5 people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom, for the 3rd time. It's a great book.

Have to agree. Just finished 'The Slap'. Hated it, had not one drop of empathy for any of the awful charaters.

I liked 'Tuesdays With Morrie' a lot too.

He Kills Coppers by Jake Arnott - it is good but very dark characters.

Before that The Whole Day Through by
Patrick Gale - really enjoyed that. Before that The Shell Seekers which I didn't like and gave up on after about 3 chapters.

I read loads of books at the same time:

Girl who played with fire - not normally my cup of tea whatsoever, however just read the dragon tattoo one so am compelled. NOT as immediately interesting as the first one, rather grim in fact. Not sure i will bother to carry on.

My Paper Chase by harold Evans - his autobiog. A brilliant book, and evidently a brilliant man. Really recommend it.

Kitchen by Nigella. I love reading cook books for pleasure. This one makes me laugh - it is full of gaudy high colour pictires of the food, and looks like my gran's Dairy Diary Cookbook circa 1978.

In Siberia by Colin Thubron (rereading). This is one of my perennial favourites about travelling through Siberia post communism. beautifully written.

Also re-reading the 1st diaries of Chris Mullin, in anticipation of the 2nd volume which I am buying this weekend.

This thread has made me ache to reread Eva Luna by Isabel Allende, now where is that book

I'm reading The Accidental Mother and I'm enjoying it.

I didn't rate The Help. I thought it was just formulaic Oprah crap.

I've just finished The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory.
Rather lightweight, but a good read, all my brain can manage at the mo

just finished the Lacuna by barbara Kingsolver, was very good, nice mixture of fictictious and real characters (Trotsky and Frida Kahlo feature) some interesting history in there, including communist witch-hunts in USA after WWII.

Before that I read One Day by David Nicholls which I absolutely loved, felt like I knew the characters personally by the end. Very funny but it also made me cry a lot, even thinking about it the next day...

GetOrf I loved In Siberia too, must re-read it some time soon

just finished the Lacuna by barbara Kingsolver, was very good, nice mixture of fictictious and real characters (Trotsky and Frida Kahlo feature) some interesting history in there, including communist witch-hunts in USA after WWII.

Before that I read One Day by David Nicholls which I absolutely loved, felt like I knew the characters personally by the end. Very funny but it also made me cry a lot, even thinking about it the next day...

GetOrf I loved In Siberia too, must re-read it some time soon

oops didn't mean to post that twice

Catis - Among the Russians is brilliant as well, is interesting compariosn with In Siberia as he was in Russia under communism. Read them both years ago and long to go to Russia.

Charles Dickens - Our Mutual Friend. Can't believe I'm an English grad and this is the first Dickens I've ever read It's brilliant.

dickens is a cracking good read isn't he cyteen-last one I read was Bleak House, it was fab

I have never read any Dickens - isn't that shocking?!

Which one shall i start do you reckon.

A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks

The Slap sounds a bit like The Testimony in terms of wanting to be thought provoking. Currently reading Wolf Hall, then swiftly moving on to SF's latest and Salman Rushdie's new book which is not out until the end of the month - hoping to be finished in time for the Cheltenham Literature Festival

I'm reading Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella! Quite amusing - sounds like my life without the designer labels!

ooh good question GOML
have only read a few, Pickwick papers, Nicholas Nickleby, bleak house, Great Expectations. Oh and a Tale of Two Cities. Or was it Hard Times? I'd start with Great Expectations I think. It's a good yarn.

thanks Cat. I think I have a copy of Our Mutual friend somewhere which my mother bought me for some unfathomable reason, so may dig that out as well.

Ah, I love Dickens ;have read Bleak House (my favourite), Hard Times, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities (second favourite!) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. get quite defensive when he is slagged off on these threads.

Not read OMF yet, so I'm adding that to the growing pile of To Reads which is surprisingly large thanks mainly to this thread and some sympathetic friends :

Our Mutual Friend - Dickens
A Suitable Boy - V Seth
Eva Luna - Allende
The Slap - Tsiolkas
American Wife - C Sittenfeld
Cat's Eye - Atwood
Katherine - A Seton

Hmm, which to start with??

oh and a copy of Wideacre has been foisted on me as I've been told I must give p Gregory another chance