If I liked xxxxx, what would you recommend?

[UnderwaterBasketWeaving]

Hello!

The plan is to put mn down and read some actual books this summer!

Please can you give me your recommendations, based on the following list that I've ear and loved:

A thousand splendid suns - Khaled Hosseini (I loved the feeling of experiencing another culture)
The women's room - Marilyn French
Saturday - Ian McEwan
Time Travellers Wife
(it's been so long since I actually read a book, that's all I can think of )

I'm not into the 50SOG, my sisters keeper, lovely bones type things.

yes, the Help is excellent

I haven't read A thousand splendid suns, but have read the Kite Runner - I enjoyed some of it but wouldn't want to read it again (some upsetting stuff)

Couldn't get into Wild Swans

love Anne Tyler, Alison Lurie, Deborah Moggach, Claire Chambers, Mavis Cheek

hated Time Traveller's Wife

HTH

I like some Margaret Atwood more than others (loathed Oryx & Crake though did stick it out to the bitter end)

Have you read Fingersmith by Sarah Waters? It was a book club read not something I'd normally choose but really enjoyed the many twists and turns.

I've read a few Sarah Waters books, but not Fingersmith, newbie. I'll keep a look out for it.

Ponders, I guess A Thousand Splendid Suns gets a bit gritty and dark in places, but the image it paints of old Afghanistan is so beautiful. It did make me feel lucky to have had DS in the UK with the NHS. It's made me realise what we have, and what others don't.

And I really want to visit Afghanistan and Pakistan now!

I quite liked 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'. Have you read his other book, 'The Kite Runner'?

One book that is a very good, light, funny read is 'A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana' by Haven Kimmel. I would also highly recommend anything by Richard Russo. If you're not sure which of his books to choose, I suggest 'Empire Falls' as a good starting point.

Of course, one of my all time FAVourites is 'Gone with the Wind'. I always recommend it to people, due to the fact my favourite genre is historical fiction and, well, I'm originally from Georgia. :)

Well, the library had none of the books suggested.

But I got 3 from local charity shops! All for the cost of the late fees I would have run up, AND I can read in the bath.

I enjoyed all those you mention OP, and The Help last year, but I think my favourite was The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's about a missionary family going to live in the Congo and it's told through each of their eyes (apart from the father). It's a fairly chuncky book so it should keep you going for a while, but it's beaurtifuly written and I had to keep hiding from the children during the day to grab another bit... always a good sign :o I've since read The Bean Trees by her, which is also interesting, but not as good IMO.

The one GarryBaldy was trying to remember is Property by Valerie Martin - highly recommended.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, set in India, is fantastic if you enjoy an insight into another culture.

oh yes, forgot Barbara Kingsolver, thanks, sunshines

Poisonwood Bible takes a bit of getting into but is worth it, UBW - has some of the grittiness of Khaled Hosseini

Bean Trees & the sequel, Pigs in Heaven, have some wonderful characters & some laughs too. It's a bit like Anne Tyler but set in the SW rather than Baltimore

\link{http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Lacuna-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/0571252672/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2\The Lacuna} (most recent novel) is amazing too, but completely different, & again takes a while to get into.

(my problem with books is that DD1 "borrows" mine & then I never see them again so I forget)

Oh, thanks for the other recommendations, I'll add them to my list.

I've been stuck into The Help since yesterday, between toddler supervision, of course!

Thanks!

Sounds like we like similar books.

My recent,and not so recent,favs are;

guernica by Dave Bolling (fab...read after The Return by V Hislop which I loved, both Spanish civil war)
The Postmistress (can't remember author....set in 2nd Ww, lovely)
When God Was a rabbit.....not diff culture but just a lovely,funny,uplifting book
I'll second the Book Thief such a wonderful book
Room.....last year's holiday read, heavy but uplifting (my sis thought it a bit cheesy)
Loved The Help too.
The Art of racing in the rain....told by the family dog, nice,not earth shattering.
Wild Swans is a brilliant book as is Memoirs of a Geisha
Loved the Kite Runner and one thousand Ss
Have you read the 49th Wife ( think I have number wrong,could be 39) about Mormons, v interesting, good book
I also love C J Sansom Shardlake series ( dark, medieval crime, not everyone's cup of tea, but gripping good reads as are the Jackson Brody series by Atkinson)

Drywhite, have read and loved all your choices except the dog one and would def recommend them.

Have just started the new Ken Follett - 850 pages ffs! But, am really enjoying it.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Wonderful wonderful. Set in Istanbul prior to the Russian occupation. Rereading it now, heart in mouth. Great thread, have read a number of these recommended books and now have some more to look for.

Oh oh, also Small Island by Andrea Levy. Great book.

I'll second the 49th wife (although I think it might have been the 19th wife - you've added a few drywhite!)

Loved Wolf Hall - will order the sequel!
I'm reading Rembrant's Monkey at the moment - a thriller set in the London artworld, and it's a good, straightforward summer read.

I loved Tracey chevalier's Lady & the Unicorn, but not so much her later stuff.

Have you read Kate Atkinson's Jackson brodie crime books? They're quirky; certainly not typical of the genre

Think given your list you might like A S Byatt, Possession and The Children's Book, and also Italo Calvino, Invisible cities, and maybe also early Jeanette Winterson?

Wives and daughters - Elizabeth Gaskell
Possession - as Byatt
A tree grows in Brooklyn - Betty smith

All good reads

Oops plimpick yes 19th

I am currently reading the saturday supper club seems light (soz op prob not your cup of tea)

I have on my kindle for my hols;

war bridesby Helen Bryan
the tea planters daughter by j MacLeod
the marriage plot by J Eugenides
my dear I wanted to tell you by L Young
snowdrops Miller
the post birthday world A Shriver

Anyone read any of these?

I enjoyed both Snowdrops and Post Birthday World. My book club read PB world and most didn't really enjoy it though. I found it difficult to put down!

Also have The marriage Plot and My Dear I wanted to tell you on my holiday list.