What book are you reading now because it is doing my head in that I can't find something I want to read so am going to steal your ideas instead..!

[foxinsocks]

I finished Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd (which I enjoyed but it wasn't a can't put down book - I stopped it and came back to it but did finish it and ultimately enjoyed it).

I am half way through Little Stranger but cannot make myself finish it. I've got to the stage where I half hope the whole of Hundreds Hall goes up in flames with Dr Faraday in the middle of it.

I've also started 2 other books - A Week in December (Sebastian Faulks) and Fifty Grand (McGKinty) and they are grabbing me but not in the way I was hoping they would. I imagine I'll finish both but I'm really hoping for a great book next iykwim.

So what are you reading and would you recommend it?

Oh dear - I hated 'The Outcast' and 'Fingersmith' - I'm on the wrong thread aren't I? Can I stay - if I sit in the corner?

Patricia Cornwell -Scarpetta, one of her better ones actually, not too gruesome.

lol it's fine janeite. I think reading likes come and go. I can well imagine someone disliking Outcast and I imagine if I'd read it in one of my more impatient moods, it would have bugged the hell out of me.

My favourite books over the last year have been the Stieg Larsson books.

I'm reading New York, by Edward Rutherfurd. Love it!

Steig Larrsons books are brill, too, I agree.

I think that the main reason I disliked The Outcast was that I thought it was trying to be Ian McEwan, who I can't stand.

I'm reading "The Childrens' book" by AS Byatt which I am REALLY enjoying.
Just finished "The Little Stranger" which was ok but not as good as the blurb suggested.
"Blacklands" by Belinda Bauer was really good and slightly disturbing.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It is about a family where the father is a missionary that goes to the Congo right before all hell breaks loose. I felt like I was in the mind of the person relating that chapter.

Other books I enjoy are all of the Nevada Barr books, featuring Anna Pigeon, a national parks ranger who gets stationed in various parks across America. Crimes are committed and she gets involved in solving them. The books are set in various parks, one with caves in the Southwest, or in upper Michigan, or the Rockies. Anna is in her fifties and always off hiking, snorkeling, spelunking or some other vigorous activity and I wish I was in that good of shape!

Im re-reading Anne of Green gables. Picked it out randomly from my bookshelf for some reaon and read the first page.
Hooked all over again

I wish I could spelunk

What is spelunking?

I have just started Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada. I love books that are dark and he is such a good writer.

I am reading The Bookseller of Kabul as recommended by someone on here.

Have you read The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns?, I couldn't put either of them down so highly recommended.

To Serve Them All My Days. (am reading stuff I remember watching on tv dramas in the 70s, also just finished Clayhanger)

(they are also helping me get over my bonnet phobia)

I've just finished the good (although upsetting and sometimes frustrating) 'Day After Night' by Anita Diamant and now I'm hunting through my bookshelves for a contemporary book set in Israel (or I might just reread 'One Palestine, Complete: Jews and Arabs Under the British Mandate' by Tom Segev for the historical context somewhat lacking in above novel).

Read the Steig Larsson trilogy - first one was really good, next two were good but not as exciting as the first one. The Outcast was originally written as a filmscript and it has a very spare style. I thought it was quite good - a page turner. I'm currently reading Chris Mullins' political diary A View From the Foothills and I'm really enjoying it.

twilight series at the mo. They are ok, keeping my interest up to now.

Havent read anything really good in years.

I second the Bill Bryson books, very good,and very funny.

Angelas Ashes Frank McCourt is my fave book of all time. Read and re read this book.

american gods by neil gaiman.

is good, but not as good as neverwhere, also by him, which i just read

I've just finished Janet Evanovich's latest, Plum Spooky. Very lighthearted, easy to read and good fun, about a bail bond enforcer called Stephanie Plum. There's a whole series of them, usually with a number in the title - this is one of her 'between the number' books.

Not highbrow by any stretch of the imagination, but it was good Sunday-afternoon-on-the-sofa reading!

I enjoyed Little Stranger, although it took a while before I got into it (and I was a bit disappointed by the ending). Liked the writing style though.

Alone in Berlin is excellent

also love Janet Evanovich

MayorNaze - Anansi Boys is even better.

Evanovich v good, and can read in one sitting!
I liked The Outcast, had forgotten baout that one

What are the Larsson one slike then? I keep looking ta them then thinking, no!

I loved Alone in Berlin but had to hand it back to library...on reserve to finish off...can also recommend The Kindly Ones (in that vein)

Am reading The Bookthief at the moment and I am really enjoying

I think that I'm the only person IN THE WORLD who didn't like girl with a ......

Have you read The Drinker. It is fantastic - apparently it was written when he was in prison where he died and the script was found after. All I will say is that you can really tell the mood he was in when he wrote it. I would not want to ruin it.

Meant to say it was from me AliGrylls the last message, not DH.

Have just finished 'the immigrant' by manju kepur which was very good but took a while to get into.

For the last couple of months i have been dipping in and out of 'all quiet on the western front'

Also recently finished 'twenties girl' by sophie kinsella, and i am currently reading mercy by jodi picoult.

And want to read the lovely bones next