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I've not done much book reading for awhile. Haven't been able to find anything that really grabs my attention. Frustrating as I love reading and at one time I always had a book on the go. Has anyone else experienced this? Recently my local library had a book sale and I saw a couple of books by Stephen King. Not really read much horror, not really fancied it, but seeing these two books sparked an interest so I bought them. I'm reading The Dead Zone at present and enjoying it. I can hardly put it down! The other one is Dreamcatcher which I will read next.
I'm currently reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (excellent) and The Perk by Mark Gimenez (quite good). Next on my list is Scott Mariani's The Doomsday Prophecy, this 3rd Ben Hope novel. (should be good).
Plea of Insanity by Jilliane Hoffman. Apart from bad writing like "he rubbed his eyes with a yawn" and those eyes dancing everywhere, catching on everything, falling on everything, etc. etc. etc. the story is compelling. And the book is big, a good thick read.
Following on from my Anne Rice vampires phase I've now moved on to Neil Gaiman. I've read American Gods, Fragile Things, Neverwhere (the best one so far), Stardust, The Graveyard book and Coraline. I have just started reading Anansi Boys. Where next?
Somewhere Towards The End - Diana Athill, one of the Costa shortlisted books. I'm about halfway through. It's about dealing with getting old and dying and despite the subject, it is very enjoyable. Like a cosy chat with an old, friendly neighbour. Then I'm going to finish A Novel in a Year which I keep leaving for other books.
Sons D&D are working their way through the Darren Shan books, one is reading the Demonata set, and the other The Saga of Darren Shan set- so that's costing.
I'm dipping in and out of a number of romances- historical and contemporary- at the moment.
I've just started re-reading 1784 by Duncan Sprott (discovered hiding on a bookshelf!*) - it's extracts from newspapers of the time. 1784 was when ballooning was taking off (if you'll pardon the expression), not always entirely successfully!
I tried to read The Golden Compass, but I just couldn't get into it. I didn't like the main character at all. I then read 'Where They Were Missed, by Lucy Caldwell. It's a sad story with a really uplifting ending.
Just finished Paulo Coelho's The Valkyries; autobiographical but written in the third person. Slightly surreal but fascinatingly written.
Now just started Doris Lessing's African Laughter; non-fiction memoirs about Zimbabwe - only read the first few pages and I'm hooked - she's an amazing writer.
i've finished reading the Twilight saga...don't like the fourth one. It goes too far beyond belief (i know, i know it's a fantasy but there has to be a line and i think she crossed it) and the end is too anti-climactic and well, disappointing. The first three were really good tho!
as i've just mentioned in another thread i am trying to read Sula by Toni Morrison for Lit... and haven't read anymore new books in the last 2 weeks...
I am re-reading Jeanette Winterson's Written on the Body. Loved it first time around, and now after a few years away from it, the beautiful flow of the writing hasn't lost any impact. I like the way she can sum up a gamut of feelings and emotions in just one sentence, or even a few words. Simple but very effective.
Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth. It's about a young midwife working in the slums of the East End in the 1950s. If you think conditions are bad today, it was nothing compared to then. In a way it is a social commentary of the times. It is very interesting and well written.
I can't believe this thread is still going. I'm reading a short story collection called 'Not Safe After Dark' by Peter Robinson, who writes the Inspector Banks mysteries.
I have finished Water of Death by Paul Johnston, a crime thriller set in Edinburgh in 2025 when the city has become independent. Interesting concept but the book seemed to be spoiled by an over emphasis on the background, the city, the council, the lack of water, that kind of thing. Not the most entertaining crime book I have read. Thank goodness for second hand shops, I know not to buy this guy's books again.
Now reading Kit Craig's Gone. Crime thriller. Better written, so far anyway.
I am now reading 'Lipstick Jungle' by Candace Bushnell.
I went in to Waterstones yesterday for a browse - I wasn't going to buy anything until I saw that a book I want, that wasn't due to be published until next week, was in...so I ended up coming out with 4 books - curse Waterstones and their 3 for 2 offers!
I recently started a biography of Steven Spielberg (bought from the local RSPCA shop).
The author seems determined to name every single person Spielberg came into contact with during his early career - eg: on two facing pages he mentions 14 men connected with film-making (and that's not including actors)!
gone back, taken The Avenue books by RF Delderfield from the shelf. Although I have read them 2-3 times already, I was immediately absorbed into his characterisation and storytelling.
Started 'The coming of Conan the Cimmerian', the first of a collection of stories by the brilliant Robert E Howard, a particular favourite of mine. I've not read them for a while and now seems as good a time as any.
Recently read: 'The Alchemist' (Paulo Coelho) - loved it. The Witch of Portobello (same author) - returned only half read. 'The Parasites' (du Maurier) - not great. 'The Forgotten Garden' (Kate Morton) - got lost and bored.
I've just read The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - very good, but I couldn't sleep last night for thinking of it, especially as so many of my friends and relatives died in Auschwitz and I've visited it. I felt the same after reading Primo Levi's Periodic Table many years ago, although The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is a very much lighter read.
Just finished Sebastian Barry's "The Secret Scripture" which was excellent - good story and lovely writing. I hadn't read him before but certainly would again.
Now I've started Kate Atkinson's "When Will There Be Good News" - I've wanted to read this since reading One Good Turn last year.
finished The Avenue books, went to get something else, put it back and went back to RF Delderfield, now reading the God Is An Englishman trilogy, one at a time, though, as they are hefty hardbacks ... hard to hold ...
and reading lots of poetry looking for titles.
I've just started reading "Roaring Century" by R.J.Cruickshank (bought at the local RSPCA shop). Published in 1948, it's about the years 1846-1946, based on the archives of the Daily News, where the first editor was Charles Dickens.
It's intriguing reading something written over 60 years ago, which often compares views and events of the mid-19th century to those of the mid-20th century.
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http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Christopher+Rice
A Density of Souls has a main character who is gay. It's set in New Orleans. Good book.
I'm dipping in and out of a number of romances- historical and contemporary- at the moment.
* The book, not D.Sprott. :)
The Resurrectionist - which I have just finished was...dark and slightly sinister
Now just started Doris Lessing's African Laughter; non-fiction memoirs about Zimbabwe - only read the first few pages and I'm hooked - she's an amazing writer.
as i've just mentioned in another thread i am trying to read Sula by Toni Morrison for Lit... and haven't read anymore new books in the last 2 weeks...
Now reading Kit Craig's Gone. Crime thriller. Better written, so far anyway.
I went in to Waterstones yesterday for a browse - I wasn't going to buy anything until I saw that a book I want, that wasn't due to be published until next week, was in...so I ended up coming out with 4 books - curse Waterstones and their 3 for 2 offers!
The author seems determined to name every single person Spielberg came into contact with during his early career - eg: on two facing pages he mentions 14 men connected with film-making (and that's not including actors)!
I'll plod on with it and see how it goes!
A good, entertaining read.
So far he's been across the Arctic and is currently driving across Botswana!
Now I've started Kate Atkinson's "When Will There Be Good News" - I've wanted to read this since reading One Good Turn last year.
and reading lots of poetry looking for titles.
It's intriguing reading something written over 60 years ago, which often compares views and events of the mid-19th century to those of the mid-20th century.