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What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

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Original poster

Recent reads!

89 replies

florenceuk · 31/03/2004 15:55

Thought I'd just note a couple of books I've read recently - not chick lit though so suspect they don't belong on the recent "good books" thread. Mostly because I've spent the weekends recently lying around feeling ill, have read quite a few lately which I'd recommend:

Having had Cold Mountain on my shelf for ages finally read it - very good, vivid imagery, lots of blood and guts as well. I want to see the movie now. But thought death of Inman was slightly gratuituous at the end???? Anyone else think so?

The Fourth Queen - can't remember author but a recent 3 for 2 offer. Young Irish lass becomes fourth queen to Emperor of Morocco - really! Good historical read, lots of salacious detail about harem life, features a sexy dwarf - good one for the train! Those of you who liked the Red Tent may like this one as well.

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor. More serious this book - Irish go to America and suffer on the way. Lots of detail on Irish famine. Well written, very clever if lacking in truly sympathetic characters. If anyone else has read this and liked it, I recommend The English Passengers which is IMO superior.

Astonishing Splashes of Colour - recommended by someone on here, easy to read but emotionally wrenching book - can't really say what it's about without giving away plot. One for us mums-to-be to blub over.

What I Loved - by Siri Hustvedt. Read this a while ago, but want to recommend it as I think it is a fantastic book, extremely well written - a very intelligent book that is still extraordinarily readable. Fantastic descriptions of what it is like to be an artist, and I suspect Hustvedt's love life with Paul Auster is VERY sexy indeed.

Now I just need some more recommendations for me! Anybody got any?

OP posts:

lou33 · 22/04/2004 13:19

I thought it was ok, but nothing special tbh TC. I felt a lot of it was just filling pages , until it was an acceptable lentgh read iyswim. Maybe I am just too hardened by life, lol. I don't tend to read fiction on the whole, as I get this feeling a lot with it.

Demented · 22/04/2004 16:10

lou33, I liked the Lovely Bones but wasn't blown away by it as I had expected to be. I wondered how much of that was to do with my own beliefs on heaven/afterlife, it just didn't do it for me. I have bought her other book, "Lucky", I'll see what that's like. Been on a bit of a book buying frenzy lately so could be a while before I get round to reading it.

dinosaur · 22/04/2004 16:15

Not a new book, but I just read The Mist in the Mirror by Susan Hill - really recommend if you are looking for a spooky story.

Chinchilla · 22/04/2004 19:57

Dinosaur - I didn't understand the end! Maybe I need to read it again!

ZolaPola · 23/04/2004 08:38

Doing Eats, Shoots & Leaves for work book club
and v. disappointed with it, though a few interesting anecdotes at the beginning. Agree with her about irritating misuse of ' especially in its, it's etc but a whole book on the subject is too much! Can't believe it's such a best seller. Anyone else read it?

spykid · 23/04/2004 09:26

Must reccomend 'The Time TRavellers Wife. Read it over Easter and it definately rates in my top 3!!! Has anyone else read it?
Also read Star of the Sea, and thought it was incredibaly moving, but hard to get into ...well worth it though!

jodiemay · 23/04/2004 09:34

I am reading The Rainmaker by John Grisham, he is an excellent writer but my favourite author is James Patterson. He writes murder/mystery but they are page turning, has anyone else read him? I think his first book was Kiss The Girls and then Along Came a Spider......

littlerach · 24/04/2004 19:45

Have now read Lucia Lucia, easy toread, and lovely too!! Would recommend it to read in the evenings, as it is quite light.

Has anyone read the latest Margaret Forster one?

Slinky · 24/04/2004 19:54

I've now finished The Reading Group - enjoyed that.

About 60 pages into "Notes on a Scandal" - Zoe Heller and am enjoying it so far.

Whilst I was in town today, got drawn to the book shop and have now bought "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" - even though I've got "Sophie's Choice" and "Astonishing Splashes of Colour" still to read.

spykid · 25/04/2004 17:42

Yes Littlerach, I have just finished the new Margaret Forster. Thought it was a good read. Frustrating that none of your questions could be answered at the end , the diaries left so many gaps that needed filling!!

Chinchilla · 25/04/2004 20:44

Anyone else like the Dalziel and Pascoe books? I think that the write is really clever in his style. They are so much more entertaining than some other detective writers.

Paula71 · 25/04/2004 21:53

Spykid, that is next on my reading list - sitting nicely just waiting for me to finish my current read!

Which is.... The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. I am really enjoying it, almost finished, although I felt at first I might not get into it I am utterly absorbed. The part on WeiWei's daughter Yuki nearly broke my heart and I can't stop thinking about it That wasn't a spoiler as you will need to read it to see who they are and what happens! This book was one of my charity shop finds but I see it is on Amazon, second hand for 14p - well worth it!

TimelessMum · 28/04/2004 21:13

Message for WOG - Was the book about an ante natal class group of women you really loved but couldn't remember the title called Baby on Board by Stephanie Zia? I loved that one. Have just read her new one Keeping Mum about school run mothers, very funny. I also loved Kate Harrison's Old School Ties about schoolday memories, and reading Astonishng Splashes of colour, can't put it down, it's brilliant.

mandalay · 29/04/2004 16:59

I've just finished reading Notes on a Scandal too and thoroughly enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down.

Also agree with Littlerach about Lucia Lucia. A nice easy read....good for holiday, I reckon.

I'm just about to start Brick Lane so I'll keep an open mind and see how I get on.

Demented · 03/05/2004 17:00

Just finished Brick Lane, IMO it has a lot of slow bits but the end is worth it. I really got to like the characters and when it came to the last three chapters or so I couldn't put it down, hence my children have been very neglected this afternoon!

I think I will read The Blue Diary next, it's my MN swap book and I really should read it so it can be offered up again.

littlerach · 03/05/2004 17:29

I have read all of Amy Tan's novels and find them wonderful. She writes with sucha mix of old and modern day tales, but all of them have made me cry at some point!!
I think she has a biography out of some sort - anyone know?

tamum · 03/05/2004 18:00

Oh phew, Demented, I've been checking this thread nervously every time it comes back! It's a nice ending, isn't it? I'm desperate to find out how Chanu gets on though.

littleweed · 03/05/2004 18:19

have just read 'the curiuos incident of the dog etc etc' and thought it was briliant - teh boys voice and way of thinking come across as completely authentic. its very easy to read and a real pageturner. also enjoyed notes on a scandal - want to reread it now to look for clues that Barbara is barking maad from teh beginning! (hope that haasn't spoilt teh book for anyone)
one of my insomnia cures is trying to imgaine who'd play charactesr in teh tv/film versions of books. For Notes on a scandal i thought of michelle collins as sheba, annette crosbie (1 foot in the grave) as Barbara and Paul Nichols (mad Joe from Eastenders as Connolly though he is possibly far too goodlooking it would eb nice to see him get his kit off!!

Demented · 03/05/2004 20:36

Yes, tamum, I would to know about Chanu too.

sis · 03/05/2004 20:43

I'm glad you like it Demented, no really, I am glad. I'm going to slink off now before you say how rubbish my recommended book was esp compared to Brick Lane.

Slinky · 03/05/2004 20:48

Finished "Notes on a Scandal" last night - couldn't put it down yesterday and felt myself getting "annoyed" when DH/kids interrupted me LOL!

Have got "Astonishing Splashes of Colour" lined up next.

aloha · 04/05/2004 10:27

I'm reading Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski from the wonderful Persephone Books (fantastic forgotten classics,mostly by women, you can order over the net or go to their lovely little shop in Lambs Conduit St in London). It's almost unbearably moving - keeps making me cry. About a man searching for the lost son of his dead wife in post-war France. Someone else recommended it on Mumsnet and it is wonderful with a fantastic portrayal of the difference between sexual and paternal/maternal love and of the way children make you love them.

Demented · 04/05/2004 10:37

sis, I haven't read the book you recommended yet, I have gone a bit book mad lately, what with all the recommendations on MN and good deals in the shops. I've got a drawer full!

Reading The Blue Diary just now and I think I am going to read the Curious Incident next, that leaves about a dozen!

kalex · 05/05/2004 21:48

Has anybody read Nelson Mandela's autobiography? I would love to know what other people thought.

I lived in SA for a long time and was brought up to think he was a terrorist!! But my friends over there think he is fab. I loved the book and has changed my opinion on so many things that happened - and that I lived through.

Please feedback

binkie · 06/05/2004 13:10

aloha, hooray, someone has finally picked up my Little Boy Lost recommendation ... did it floor you?

Here's my next: the current Granta has a memoir by Diana Athill which also meets my standards. Bit of warning: it's about a m/c - but read read read.

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