Recent reads!

[florenceuk]

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?

Halfway through 'The Bookseller of Kabul' by Asne
Seierstad, portraying the life of an Afghan family living under the Taliban. Written as fiction but apparently based on real people. It's fascinating and has opened my eyes to a culture I knew very little about. Very readable.

I am nearly finished Middlesex,by ... eugenides.Can't remember first name of author.It is gripping and fascinating,all about a boy/girl with gender identitiy issues.Beautifully written,don't want it to end,but give it a chance it atarts of kinda weird.

loved margaret forsters latest "diary of an orsinary woman " but was dissappointed that it wasn't true,stupidlt didn't realise this until halfway through and saw novel on the price tag.

Has anyone read the latest anne fine book?

Loved nelson mandelas biography,slightly too involved for a bedtime read at times but really enjoyed it.I knew he would come across as an amazing man ,but the whole political story is amazing

Im reading 'Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'. Half way through. Just about to start Frodo and Sam's adventure. Ive got into this book more than I did with 'The Fellowship of the Ring'

My dad buys tons of books and then realises he's already got some of them and so I get surprise book bundles form time to time.
Read astonsihiong spalshes of colour last month. Absolutely wonderful, unputdownable although very sad.
Have just finished The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa - fascinating book about dictator regime in the Dominican Republic - not the most obvious topic I know but gripping stuff.

Sorry I'm joining this so late but I've just read Lovely Bones - on special in Tescos - and read it in a day. I thought it quite beautiful and so very very sad. But we share feelings about heaven completely. My dh has just taken it over and has read the first 50 pages straight off - he usually manages 10 pages a day of anything. Brick Lane was sooo looong but I liked it. The Curious Incident of the Dog is brilliant. All my children have now read it and all enjoyed it - 18, 14, 14 & 13. Just finished Bonesetter's daughter too. Excellent.

read The Lovely Bones few months ago and loved it - anyone read lucky by same author? worth buying? I have just finished one of the best books I've read in a good while If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things by Jon MacGregor loved it would highly recommend to those who have enjoyed Maggie O Farrell, Alice Sebold.

Have read Lucky and think it is worth reading. Great book called Tully by Paullina Simons-the rest of hers are crap but this is a good one. Mark Billingham writes great crime novels if you are into that sort of thing. I love Joanne Harris - have read just about everything. Louise Voss is a new discovery - Are You My Mother and think she has a new one out. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb is perhaps the best book I have ever read especially as it is written by a man.

I think I was the only one disappointed by the book.

I'm reading The Curious Incident just now and it is fantastic, really different.

sis, I'm reading Too Close to the Falls now. I'm about a third of the way through, it is brilliant, fantastically written, thanks for recommending it!

Oh thanks for letting me know Demented, I was a bit worried - especially after you loved Brick Lane which I hated!

It's very different from Brick Lane and although I enjoyed Brick Lane this is a much easier read (so far). I'm enjoying it so much that I have already been on Amazon looking for the sequel but it doesn't look like it's available at the moment.

Is there a sequel due? I didn't realise, I'll look out for it too.

In the blurb at the front of the copy I have there are reviews from various newspapers saying phrases like "we await the sequel" and hints that she is working on a second book. Will be keeping a look out.