I've just read 'the book seller of kabul' what shall i read next...?

[Raggydoll]

Really enjoyed it - what other books can you recommend that are good fiction but also an insight into other cultures?

ooh I loved that book too!
I read a book recently about a female carpet weaver in early centuries Iran...oooooh what was the name.......???

thanks purpleduck

I have the Bookseller of Kabul in my pile of books to read but it's a bit daunting as I fear it'll be a bit gruelling... Think I will just have to bite the bullet though

In terms of insights into other cultures, I think A thousand splendid suns is superb, as is the Kite Runner, both by same author.

I loved Midnight's Children although Rushdie can be hard to get into at first IMO. I ended up loving it though.

Half of a Yellow Sun is wondeful although very harrowing.

The God of Small Things is probably one of my all time favourite books and I think it's just beuatiful.

Enjoy!

thanks twinmam... i've just been reviewing 'a thousand splendid suns' on amazon. it looks good and i think i'll get it next time i'm in a bookshop, although it is afghan again and i might choose another country/culure next.

I have 'midnights children' in my bookcase but never read... i'm a bit daunted by that one On the plus side I could start it straight away as I have it in the house.

What is 'the god of small things about'? It rings a bell but I can not place it?

i liked "the other hand" a lot

Hmmm, I can't think of any other similar types of books to recommend but just wanted to say I loved Bookseller of Kabul too.

Oh, in fact Billy Connolly: Journey to the Edge of the World is very good. It's about his journey thru the very far north of Canada and how the Inuits live, their philosophy etc. It's really fascinating and has a good old dollop of humour thrown in.

The Red Tent - can't remember the author off the top of me ol ed, but tis good read x

The Red Tent is by Anita Diamant. I really enjoyed it and dh still calls AF being in the red tent (is where the women go when they're having their period to avoid "contaminating" stuff).

yeah i read a thousand splendid suns recently and raced through it - definitely recommend it!

also really adored the god of small things - in fact i might dig it out and read it again now you've reminded me.

white teeth is one of my favourites but set in London so may not fit the brief.

other books you may enjoy -

half of a yellow sun
love in the time of cholera
the famished road
those ladies detective agency books

The God of Small things is set in India and is about, amongst other things, twins reunited after years apart. It explores the caste system and forbidden love and is one of those books that stays with you. It's incredibly sad but then so are all of the books I recommended!

Midnights Children is worth persevering with but it does take some getting into. I learnt an awful lot about Indian history from it and it definitely has that feel of transporting you into another culture, as does the God of Small Things.

Oh yes superfrenchie - all of the no 1 ladies detective agency books - hadn't thought of them! Really really easy to read but so clever too.

Anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez for South American culture but, IMO, Isabel Allende is a better read.

I loved the Red Tent too.

Night of the Mi'raj is really interesting insight into Saudi Arabia/women's lives

AAAK! I can't find it - I will keep trying though

The Yacoubian Building was liked a lot by our book club (sorry didn't manage to start it myself!)

Also I always recommend A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, relatively long but very readable and also lifechanging.

Ta Da!!!! "Blood of Flowers"

here

red tent looked so crap to me.

The Kite Runner

Thanks everyone.. some good suggestions here... I have a 'to read next' list which is in the form of about 10 books piled high on my bedside table... on my next visit to the bookshop I will be adding ' a thousand splendid sons' ....

I also have a 'to read sometime in the future' in the form of a typed list... on this I already had 'a fine balance' and 'love in the time of cholera' i might get a copy of these now and add them to the bedside pile

I'm also going to get night of the mi'raj too - thanks snice

But for now I will be starting Midnights Children. Wish me luck

someone recommended red tent to me

I couldn't finish it-'twas bollocks

Loved the Red Tent,(you either love it or hate it) Kite Runner and Thousand Splendid... For Far East Culture, loved Orchid...I also love History (British) and picked up a book in the charity shop I go to, thinking it would be a history novel called the Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor. To my surprise it was a Harem type book but started off in Scotland then bounced over to the middle east, I couldn't fathom the first few chapters and how it would tie in but was good reading and kept up my interest. It turned out to be an brilliant book, so colourful and warm and sexy in a funny sort of way. Really recommend it if you like 'far off places/cultures' type books.