Soooooooooo what is everyone reading at the moment?

[foxinsocks]

Am racing through books at a rate of knots due to commute. Have done Black Swan Green, On Chesil Beach, Any Human Heart and some strange Italian crime book (translated) that I picked up in an odd book shop. All great for commuting.

Must go and get some more books this weekend. So what are you all reading?

I always get the sarah waters' ones mixed up. I loved tipping the velvet and enjoyed her most recent one (was it Nightwatch? or am I getting it mixed up) - her writing always carries me away somewhere else. Is great escapism. I'm not sure I've read Fingersmith.

Ah, 'Fingersmith'. I read that whilst under the impression I was reading an 'Instance of the Fingerpost'. Not the same book at all.

DP will be pleased that other people rate Sarah Waters! We both read "Fingersmith" and he loved it and I loathed it - my feeling was that if I want Victorian fiction I might as well read the real thing rather than a sexed up modern rip off whereas he thought it was really fresh, exciting and well-written. We had to agree to disagree.

lol janeite.

Dh and I often disagree on books. He loves historical books and is really enjoying Austerity Britain at the moment. We have some similar tastes in modern fiction (e.g. J Coe) but I find that causes more problems as we fight over who gets to read the books first and gawd forbid anyone is silly enough to leave the book in the loo (so the other one picks it up and walks off with it!).

I think dh enjoyed Tipping the Velvet but I have a feeling it had nothing to do with the historical aspect of it .

Lol - I read about a million times faster than dp, so I ALWAYS get first bite of a new book!

We tend to agree on the classics and vastly disagree on modern stuff eg: he loves Ian Mckewan and I can't be doing with him; I love Stephen King and dp won't even contemplate trying him. Books we have both loved are few and far between (or anything written after 1930 or so anyway!) but we did agree on The Time Traveller's Wife and The Kite Runner.

yes, I got very annoyed once with dh because he wouldn't read a book I had suggested (which was silly of me because I don't do suggesting books as a rule....) and then we went to a works drink of his and someone very senior came up to us and started talking about this book and how fabulous it was and we laughed and laughed about it (he said pointedly 'oh my wife loved that book. It wasn't really for me!' lol).

Dh likes McEwan and both Amis and lots of that sort of ilk (though I do like some McEwan myself) and some much heavier fiction that I would struggle with.

dh does not read fiction but even he was remarkably interested to hear the plot of tipping the velvet.

How To Get Men To Read.

I'm a big Sarah Waters' fan too, but also had a DP who showed a particular interest in Tipping the Velvet ..... wonder why ?

I've just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns and have started 'Blood River' by Tim Butcher which is a travelogue of his trip up the Congo in the footsteps of Stanley. So far .... am enjoying it immensely. I read a lot of non-fiction but do find that a lot of travel writing falls down when the author starts filling the reader in on historical and geographical background (as in, that bit's not very well written and/or is stuffy and boring). Not so the case with Butcher who writes very engagingly.

Reading 'The Kite runner' and 'The secret life of a slummy mummy' at the same time.

The Slummy Mummy book is a lot better than it sounds and I've been following her column in the Times on Saturday for the last couple of years so she's a bit of an old friend.

I've finished 'Perfume' and have decided to read a John Simpson book, News From No Man's Land. I tried an Iris Murdoch, The Book and the Brotherhood but it's too erudite for me!

just finished chejov's cherry orchard and have started "the oxford crimes" by Guillermo Martinez. The film is released this month btw

Just read 'The Book Thief'(good) and 'The Rose of Sebastopol'(not sure what happened really).
Loved 'The Thirteenth Tale' and non fiction book 'Singled Out'

Am reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter, which is lovely so far. Keeps bringing tears to my eyes.

I had a cry over The Memory Keepers daughter also.Just finished We need to talk about Kevin-which also made me .I need something lighthearted to read now!

im reading The Baby Group by Rowan Coleman , really enjoying it

Just finished 'The Book Thief" and LOVED it. Need a breather before tackling the next one.

I have just finished "Since I don't have you" by Louise Candlish. I struggled (and failed) to keep back the tears. I am about to start "Marshmallows for breakfast" by Dorothy Koomson.

Marshmallows for breakfast by Dorothy Koomson read this last year is FAB! also love her other book My Best Friends Girl

Thanks Hunniebhayz, I'll add that one to my list.

reading the Mark Haddon one, A Spot of Bother ? can't remember title,but is v good so far...I should be reading the Kite Runner follow up though...

Am now reading the Mitford Girls biog thanks to rave reviews on here ! It is great so far.

Need to get on with it though - have book club tomorrow night so will need to get started on that one !

just finished the thirteenth tale (would recomend) and have now started the Island, victoria Hislop.

"Death Masks" by Jim Butcher. 5th in The Dresden Series. It's a horror/comedy/fantasy series but really light-hearted too. Very good

haruki murakami's norwegian wood

am feeling a little underwhelmed. His books seem to just run out of steam about 3/4 through.

I have been trying to finish Kafka on the shore for ages and just gave up in the end

bought the edible woman yesterday for 10p, did not know of its existance somehow (really like early margaret atwood)

oh am also reading heat by george monbiot

but it is depressing the feck out of me. the last chapter, where he actually becomes a parent and writes about how it has changed his perspective, is very very perceptive. And