can you reccmoned some novels fo me please( esp modern ones)

[CODalmighty]

htink i need bossykate - she likes books i do

ok have liked int he past:
secret history
Mitford biog
piers moron
that zoe heller
margaret forster
isabel allende
last king of schotland

etc

NO chick lit

NO dead babies or kids in horibel circstmancces( is we need to tlak abotu kevin terrible?)
no indian books
no farking grails

Another vote for The Shadow of the Wind - 'twas a good yarn.

Another vote for The Shadow of the Wind - 'twas a good yarn.

christopher brookmyer.
i rad this one but my sis has read more and says they are all v enertaining.

love Margaret Attwood ( I got her autograph!), best recent book by her is Oryx and Crake (but quite different from most of her stuff.
John Irving is fab, Hotel New Hampshire especially, have read all his books except Owen Meany (just couldn't get into it)
And I loved Time Traveler's Wife

Fish, I sentance you to reading the entire Shopaholic series

Another J. Irving fan here, hellish - you should persevere with Own Meany, though - it is a good story. Didn't like "Until I Find You" though - I think he lost the plot a bit with that.

Also, I read The Dante Club and liked it (yes a murder mystery, but in a different league from DaVinci type stuff, I think)

Also,

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Immortality

etc by Milan Kundera.

Love rereading these.

What about Amy Tan stuff- I like Isabel allende but not that magical stuff. The kitchen god's wife.
Has the fish read any Carol Shields?

This is a good autobiographical story link{\www.abc.net.au/widebay/stories/s939694.htm\here}

drat, pressed post not preview
try again

whast shopaholic?

and have read milan - years ago in a poser pahse

I' ve just read the new william boyd and it is really excellent. Also the new margaret forster which was also good. Of course i can#t remember the name of either of them...

is the mf good?
hmm i looke d at that

boyd

forster

oh cod, if you haven't read The Rotters Club, you should give it a go.

I'm reading Restless at the moment - struggling slightly to get into it but that's probably just me not getting enough time to do it justice!

Michael Faber, the crimson petal & the white. Read this last year and thought it was good. Not sure how new it is though.

Also Phillipa Gregory books, not modern as set yonks ago but very good.

In fact I have it here with 1 phillipa gregory one, if you want them.

this one sounds like daphne twin thing. she is excellent holiday reading, get a compendium if you can.

why not go to library? i always sneak about 6 huge hardbacks into dp luggage. you can take a few risks then too.

haven't read thread so sorry if i duplicate but :

lorelei's secret - can't remember

the little friend - donna tartt

The world According to garp - John Irving (or anything else by Him)

are some

'Love in the Present Tense' and 'The Lovely Bones' are two books I have just read and they are excellent. Can't remember the authors and I've lent them out to other people so can't check now.

haven't read the whole thread, so sorry for any duplication (supposed to be working!)I'd agree with the "Gentleman and Players" recommendation. Also have just read "Winter in Madrid" by C.J.Sansom, it reminds me a bit of "Charlotte Gray" by Sebastian Faulks. "BirdSong" by SF supposed to be better, but haven't read it myself. "Secret History" by Donna Tartt.

Our library has a reference book (can't remember name) but basically suggests authors who write in a similar style, so if you like one author, there's a good chance you'll like others they suggest. Not explaining that very well, but hope you know what I mean (or that your library will!)

Douglas Coupland is good. You may not like "Hey Nostradamus" as it features a high school massacre. (Not giving anything away as this happens in the first chapter and is revealed in the blurb.) But I also recommend "Girlfriend In A Coma" and "Eleanor Rigby".

What about Maggie O'Farrell? DW and I both liked her first one. And her hubby William Sutcliffe has done some entertaining novels - has four out, I think.

I've always enjoyed Iain Banks, but avoid "The Wasp Factory" if you don't like yuk. Try "Espedair Street" or "The Crow Road".

There is a recent book by Andrew Cowan called "What I Know" which is a bit odd-but-interesting. Narrator is a private detective who finds things out about his neighbours.

If you want a man's take on the thirtysomething family thing, try Daniel Blythe's new one "This Is The Day".

For a light contemporary read try David Nicholls' "Starter For Ten".

People tell me David Mitchell is good, although I have yet to investigate him fully.

A few random books-

Alice Munro short stories.

Katherine Mansfield short stories.

Sleep With Me by Joanna Briscoe.

Things We Knew Were True- Nicci Gerrard.

Cod, Anne Tyler isn't chick lit, she's a fantastic writer. I see you like Carol Shields and I think you'd enjoy Tyler as well.

Shena Mackay- The Orchard on Fire.

After You'd Gone- Maggie O' Farrell.

oooh yes birdsong!

John Irving - Brilliant! (prayer for OM, and the hotel new hampshire. i agree that he lost it with until i find you)

Amy Tan - anything. just read her. she is awesome. if you are a fan already i would recommend her book of essays - the opposite of fate.

carol shields. She. Was. A. Genius.

Margaret Atwood. ditto

Hi There
The Shipping News..Annie Proust[i think]
Digging to America[Anne Tyler]nearly finished it..v.good
Margaret Forster[anything i think she is great]
Happy reading..spoilt for choice