This Saturday I will go alone to a bookshop and buy three books. Tell me what to buy.

[Pruners]

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Hmmm, Anne Tyler?

I'm not best qualified to recommend, though, I think I tried to read Kate Atkinson and failed, don't remember Jonathan Coe that well (although have read one), and wasn't impressed by Sarah Waters ...

hardback or paperback (i have a baaaad hardback addiction )?

If you like Fingersmith, you might like Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. Very explicit novel about rise and fall of Vistorian prostitute in London. Absolutely stonking, IMO.

William Boyd's Restless? Tis not heavy, might be a bit too light for you (?) but it's a good read.

Have you read any Cecelia Aherne books?

"A place called here" isn't a tear jerker.

How about any Marian Keyes???

Watermelon is funny and poignant at the same time iirc.

Victorian, sorry.

Have no idea what a Vistorian prostitute might get up to.

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Joshua Ferris, Then We Came To The End (if you can find it. Books Etc. said "eh? That's not on our inventory" - despite its being Sunday Times's best book of the best books of the year)

I want to read Charlotte Mendelson's When We Were Bad - sounds like it has Jack Rosenthal vibes

One of David Mitchell's earlier books - maybe Number 9 Dream. Not the current one (Black Swan Green).

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Life of Pi
UM
UM
UM
You've already rules out my fail-safes...
Life of Pi
and
um
Conversations with God (as a thread earlier reminded me of its fabness).

Sarah Hall

How about 'The Ballad of Peckham Rye' by Muriel Spark?

OK it's light but it's good - I love her stuff

when we were bad is excellent, i'd really recommend it (though possibly 50 pages too long).

katherine bucknell is also an author i've discovere recently. elegantly written novels about messed up relationships.

Crimson Petal really is stonking. I've read Under the Skin by him, and have to say it was entirely different (I quite liked it, but nowhere near as much). I think he's one of those authors who can jump around a lot in terms of subject matter and style.

Also, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood? Another historical novel (based on a real story).

when you switch to wanting non-fiction, let me know as I've read a few crackers recently.

under the skin = too weird for me...

I like kate atkinson and love Jonathan Coe.

A Phillipa Gregory ? Very readable but historical element makes them interesting - there are 2 different sorts - 1 is about tudor court and the other about something else (not sure what though).

John Irving ?

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ahem

I think you'll find that while you and marina had grabbed chair and deputy of the J Coe fan club, yours truly was annointed Greatest Fan.

hoxton- yes, it was very creepy. But memorable!

I meant his books - I thought this was a literature thread (sniffs in contemptuous manner).

TBH, I remember a similar thread about the love of Mr Coe and am sure someone posted some photos and I have to say you can have him

Pruni - his new book (Coe's) is coming out in September this year - The Rain Before It Falls.

Kate Pullinger

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