It's Late Jan., What're You Reading?

[expatinscotland]

'One City' a compilation of short stories by Scottish writers to benefit charity.

So far, a nice read!

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith, the follow up to 44 Scotland Street and am absolutely loving it! I really enjoyed 44 Scotland Street and try and catch the episodes in the paper but can really indulge when they are in book form.

I do feel sorry for little Bertie though!

I'm reading Gloria Hunniford's book 'Next to You'. Very moving account of the last years of Caron Keating's life. Am enjoying it (in a morbid kind of way). A lot of connections there for me as they lived near us and she went to my Dad's school etc, etc.

I'm reading Sleep with Me by Joanna Briscoe - deeply creepy. And My Trade by Andrew Marr, which is interesting in the light of the Mark Oaten story - all about how the media turned against sleaze (or at least the bit I'm on is - the rest so far is history of media & politics, quite slow going, I've been reading it for months).

But has anyone got/read the new Sarah Waters yet? If I can get to the library, I want to reserve it.

Since xmas i've read

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamnda Ngozi Adichi

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

reread Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

I've enjoyed all of them

forgot,I'm now in the middle of Saturday by Ian MacEwan....not as good as his others,but then again I've not finished it yet.

Ian Mcewan walks on water

I've just finished 'Speak softly, she can hear' by Pam Lewis which was good and before that it was 'Little Children' by Tom Perotta which I really enjoyed. I've got a few lined up including 'The Wonder Spot' by Melissa Banks, which I'm really excited about, but it's hardback so not very good for carrying on the train.

A non-fiction one for me, 'The Victorians' by AN Wilson.

kiki I read "Speak Softly.." at Christmastime and thought it a lot better than I had expected. A really good involving read.

The other night on my way home from work (at 9.30pm )I bought myself - as a treat - Mrs Fytton's Country Life by Mavis Cheek, thinking it was a new title - several chapters in I realised I have read it before, curses (that's what happens when you get old and lose multiple brain cells)

However I am still enjoying it enormously, I love Mavis Cheek. (And it was only £2.99, I'll keep it and send the old one back to Oxfam when I find it - if I ever find it )

Mavis Cheek is the dog's b@ll@cks, give her a go. (She was profiled in the Guardian on Sat here )

I'm reading the classic 'Withering Heights'. Also, 'Da Vinci Code' as everyone else seems to have already & want to read it before seeing the film(although that usually does spoil the film?!) Fancy reading 'Birds Without Wings' as recommended by Bugsy2.

Just before Christmas read 'State of the Nation' by Douglas Kennedy. Now on 'Ulverton' by Adam Thorpe. I think he's great. Next will be 'Some Hope' by Edward St Aubyn, so that I can move on to his latest: 'Mother's Milk' has had some good reviews.

just finished'love works like this'by lauren slater.very interesting.throws up some intersting questions about motherhood. before that read'astonishing splashes of colour'by ...no can't remember.
started bride stripped bare last night by anon.

Martina Cole book called Broken, her books are fascinating but very raw and can be quite upsetting, this one is about child abuse and so is very disturbing but at the same time very interesting.

I'm reading "Sophie's Bakery for the Broken Hearted" by Lolly Winston - easy to read, humour but in a sad story. It's about a young woman picking herself up after the death of her husband from cancer.

Pompeii by Robert Harris. Not my usual thing but studied archaeology and my Mum bought it when she went there last year so passed it on. Not far into it yet but quite an easy read.

just started A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell (catchphrase so far: "We have a jam crisis" !!!!)

Coming to the end of the accidental. I will probably then revert to a biography of Robert Hooke that I started before Xmas.

A Dance to the Music of Time is fantastic - I am on the third re-reading of the series. As you get further into the sequence, it feels like you are meeting old friends you haven't seen for years, as characters from earlier books re-appear much later.

half way through "The American Boy" that I have had for months bt never got around to starting.

Next one will be Time Travellers Wife - as agin have had it for months but never had time!

A History of Love by Nicole Krauss

and

A History of Tractors In Ukrania by Marina Lewick

Message withdrawn

Just finished the Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guazman by Louis de Bernieres and about to start Stuart, A life lived Backwards (both for book group). Didn't like the Troublesome Offspring at first but really got into it at the end. Makes me almost feel like trying Capt Corelli again (for the fourth time) but not quite...
Tamba - did you like We need to talk about Kevin? I am thinking of chosing it when it's my turn to select a book.

the icarus girl
just finished what to do with a croissant - a mad read that my MIL husbands gave me and i was so surprised - anyone readit?
and
the bad mothers handbook - good after about half way.

on beauty next
determined to get back into reading regularly

Now to completely lower the tone of this impressive reading list, I am reading "you will never nanny in this town again" a tell all about being a nanny for hollywood celebrities. Boy, the rich are not like us and that god for that.

helsi, I just finished the Time Traveler's Wife - found it very hard to get my head round in a "who? where? when? what?" kind of way. Need to read it again in fact, to try to make more sense of it, but can't be arsed!