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?

Thanks CaptainNancy and Su. Looks good.

Now, who wants to talk to me about Owen Meany on my thread?

Have just fin ished The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Bolsover. It is brilliant but long!Very goo & quite tragic!

where's youe thread? It's been years n years since I read meany. From what I remember, some very good bits but confusing in between. Maybe I should re-read it.

It's in adult fiction. Not confusing but long and drawn out in places - other bits were magnificent. Overall though, I think it needed some serious editing.

yes, maybe that was it. Some serious editing to just leave the good bits and get rid of the waffle. I am hopeless at remembering books. Hazy hazy.

so am I, terrible. Have always been that way - think it's a live in the moment thing.

have ordered american wife in the mean time (like the look of that) and have about 20 on a wishlist from this thread. Some great ideas.

(ps thanks everyone!)

it is terrible, fox. I say 'oh this was a brilliant film/book, you must see it/read it ' and then I remember bugger all about it to convince them.

I am left with a feeling of its goodness, nothing else.

Me too. Dp says it is because I read too quickly. I spent ages today trying to remember something that was set in maybe Portugal, maybe Spain, maybe somewhere else, involved a diary, was in translation and had a pretty cover. I have no idea what it was though!

oh janeite, don;t you say that. You always sound like you ar e memory queen and now you are as confused as the rest of us

Chokes...Me? I barely know my own name, most of the time!

I was like that as a child now. infuriated my teachers as I would take a book home, read it, but couldn't write anything about it!

then not now ffs

can't even remember that

A kid said to me the other day 'oh no, I don't remember that story you read us the other week' (that we spent hours doing many different activities on and that we had to write up a summary for).

I said, it's ok, I've typed up the main events for us. The relief on his face.

Has anyone read "The Other Hand" Chris Cleave? I'm not sure whether or not I liked it!

Another vote for A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner. Brilliantly told, but harrowing tales.

About to read When will there be good news - Kate Atkinson, is it any good?

I gave up on Ordinary Thunderstorms and A Week in December about 40 pages in, but massively loved The Little Stranger -- so I'm probably your un-ideal reader, FIS. (Though I liked Engleby too. Very odd book!)

yy to American Wife.

My nomination would be The Hidden by Tobias Hill, not 100 per cent successful -- but truly astonishing bit of writing, esp the first half. There's a fascinating bit set in a nasty Athens restaurant which I can't get out of my head and I read it months ago.

The only book I have actually finished recently (my local library is brilliant so I've got rather used to tossing books aside contemptuously after a few chapters, if they're not doing it for me) is Blacklands by Belinda Bauer. Pretty mediocre writing, but a decent idea.

Kate A is okay. Jackson Brodie is a good character but the coincidences etc are annoying.

I'm glad I perservered with Ordinary Thunderstorms - can totally see why you gave up on it though. I gave up and came back to it and was glad I did but I had to force myself through a part of it. End of it far better than the beginning (strangely).

I read The Other Hand - there are some threads on it here - read it in one go. Thought it wsa readable but v stereotypical.

I will look at that Tobias Hill - had not heard of it at all

pointy - aaah to have had a teacher like you

Pointy - I thought you were going to saythat YOU had forgotten what the story was, too. I under-estimated you - sorry!

have reserved finest english womanhood and this thing of darkness (am Mayor Naze btw)

have also got peyton place out of library today - anybody read that?

If you like you historical crime perhaps try the Bernie Gunther series by Philip Kerr. I've read some of the later ones and loved them. All rather disturbing, but brill storytelling and you get such a sense of the time - it's all so convincing.

Loved Kate Atkinson, Philippa Gregory Tudor historical novels. Imperium the Robert Harris about Cicero (although I didn't get into the next one Lustrum). Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant was a cracking read - loved it!

IF you like biogs, and are of, ahem, a certain age you might like the Gary Kemp autobiog. I really enjoyed it and I was not a Spandau fan in the eighties!

So many books recommended on here - love it! But so little time.....

I read payton pace about 25 years ago, used to watch the programme, but can't remember too much about it.

I am reading Under the Dome at the moment. I haven't got time to read it more than a few pages at the time so it's taking a long time!

I haven't read the Gary Kemp one but I would suggest the Martin Kemp one ('True'). I bought it in an airport for a long flight and read it in one go - disclaimer, it is written a bit like the News of the World writing (i.e. don't expect Wolf Hall) but it was utterly gripping - I didn't actually know about his brain tumour etc. Was v interesting reading (esp I guess as i was a teenager in the 80s when Spandau were around!). It's not insightful at all but a bit of a romp and if you're ever looking for a bit of light and easy reading, then it's good for that (if that makes sense).

Inheritance of Loss
Young Stalin