Search:

In fiction, I've just read, and thoroughly enjoyed, The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Beautifully written tale of a boy growing up in contemporary America after his life is abruptly changed by tragedy....

I really enjoyed this - the Colonel is a great character.

Brilliant stuff, I love his Culture novels, and I didn't know there was a new one coming out. Excellent news!

Have you read the Matthew Shardlake series of books by CJ Sansom? There are 5 novels, set in the time of Henry VIII, with a hunchback barrister as the protagonist who, very much against his will,...

I agree entirely; a very enjoyable read.

Have you read the Matthew Shardlake series of books by CJ Sansom? There are 5 novels, set in the time of Henry VIII, with a hunchback barrister as the protagonist who, very much against his will,...

Can is ask if it's possible to read Bring up the Bodies without having read Wolf Hall??

The reviews for the former appear to be a lot better than Wolf Hall, so would prefer just to read that i...

I've just read Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel.

It's the sequel to Wolf Hall which won the Booker prize a few years ago, and I think it's even more accomplished. It's a fictionalised account...

I've just finished reading Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. It's been out a few years, and has been sitting on my bookshelves for a while, and I've only just gotten around to it.

It's a...

I've just finished 'Stonemouth', which I enjoyed very much; perhaps not as good as 'The Crow Road', but it's well-written, nicely-paced and has a wonderful slow build-up of tension which kept me...

I found it the easiest Mieville to read; good plot and character development. I read another three of his, but this was my favourite, even if not the 'best' written and not the one with the most...

An absolutely stunning work by, IMO, one of the finest writers to come out of Amercia in recent years. A real pity he took his life.

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again is a collection of...

As you observe, we have different tastes on here and to be honest, some of the books that I really enjoy would be regarded with abject horror by other forum members.[/quote]

Very true! Chacun a...

I think my record was about 50 pages before I realised that life was too short for that sort of endeavour.[/quote]


It's one of my favourite books! :dontknow:

I've just finished The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco and while I'm normally a big fan of his, I didn't find it that enjoyable a read.

Impeccably researched, very clever, and I believe done as a...

Absolutely fantastic books - one of the best writers of his generation, IMHO. The Crossing was my favourite of the trilogy, but all three were great reads.

I read Cloud Atlas a while ago and came away with the same impression. An interesting idea but ultimately let down by an underlying storyline that was not strong enough to tie the book together.
...

I'm currently reading Dumas's Three Musketeers for the first time; great fun and, if not as much of a page-turner as The Count of Monte Cristo, still a good read.

I just finished Skippy Dies by...

I also quite enjoyed his book 'Starter for Ten'; not great literature by any standards, but an enjoyable read with quite a few 'laugh out loud' moments and, for me at any rate, a lot of uncomfortable...

I agree completely. I read this in college and I think a lot of it went over my head. I re-read it a couple of years ago and I was blown away - the blackest of black humour.

I quite enjoyed Duma Key but I don't think King has ever equalled 'The Stand' or 'It' - he really hit his stride with those two, IMHO.[/quote]

couldn't agree more,two fantastic books by a...

I'm listening to this as an audiobook at the moment. I was a bit dubious at first but now 6 hours in I am absolutely loving it. It's the first of Mitchell's books for me but I'll definitely be...

I quite enjoyed Duma Key but I don't think King has ever equalled 'The Stand' or 'It' - he really hit his stride with those two, IMHO.

I'm reading 'The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet' by David Mitchell. Absolutely fabulous- a brilliantly-written page-turner. I've enjoyed all of Mitchell's books but this may be my favourite to...

I'm currently reading 'Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England' by Amanda Vickery. It's a period in history which interests me a lot and the book offers a good insight into domestic life at...