What book are you reading?

[Ding Dong]

I'm just finishing another reading of "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" by Robert Tressell and I have "The Mauritius Command" by Patrick O'Brian waiting in the wings. Following that I will probably be reading "The Admiral's Daughter" by Julian Stockwin

 

[palinurus]

Over Xmas I read "Life and Fate" by the Russian writer Vasily Grossman.

Just ordered that after reading your post and reading about it a bit on the web. Ta.

 

[Paulus]

This last few months I have got into Robert Rankin. He is a west London Terry Pratchet, but with more humour. I am reading the Brentford trilogies at the moment. The present one is called East of Ealing. There are 8 of them???? I find them very funny in a quirky sort of way.

 

[Dayvo]

About to start Straw Dogs by John Gray. I've heard it's very good.
So please don't say how crap it is!

 

[Smeggers]

Glad others are reading Douglas Coupland, going to get round to those soon.

I've read...

Microserfs
Jpod
the Gum Thief

Microserfs was my first and favourite.

 

[punkypossum]

No, you don't need to, it will stand alone as a book on its own but there are references to characters from the first book.

Oh well, got Pillars of the Earth back out, just in case - the new one is on reserve so will take at least 2 weeks before I get it, so might as well refresh my mind in the meantime...

As for the person above who didn't like The Perfume - how could you not? It's absolutely brillant!!! I read it first when it first came out in Germany when I was about 15 or 16, then had a re-read when it became a bestseller over here a couple of years ago, and still love it!!!!

 

[Jet]

The Memory of Running - Ron McLarty
Avalanche - Jack Drummond

And I'll whisper this one in case it offends anyone....
The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

 

[Danny]

Just ordered that after reading your post and reading about it a bit on the web. Ta.

Gosh - instant influence. I should become a book critic. Let me know what you think, as I haven't persuaded many other people to read it yet.

 

[SamNichols]

Phillip Roth's American Pastoral,

That's one of my favourite books ever. I love Philip Roth, he's an absolute giant in the US, but not a lot of people seem to read him over here. American Pastoral is his best though.

As for Perfume; it's a good book, but I can see why people don't like it all that much. The ending is brilliantly weird.

 

[buggi]

i'm reading Every Second Counts, coz my sis in law bought me It's Not About The Bike at Christmas and then she saw the look on my face, realised i'd already got it, so sent it back and she forgot she had received the replacement and gave it me last week.

 

[John the Monkey]

Home Reading: "The Terror: In the Shadow of the Guillotine - France 1793-1794" (Graeme Fife)

Train Reading: "I Am Legend" (Richard Matheson)

On the to read pile are Geoffrey Wheatcroft's History of the Tour De France ("Le Tour"), Tim Moore's "French Revolutions", among others (including a stack of Flashman novels, but I'm saving those ), although I reckon "High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV" (Kieth Bradsher) is at the top of that...

 

[Morrisette]

'Antarctica' by Kim Stanley Robinson (at home)
'When Christ and his Saints Slept' by Sharon Penman (on the train)

I have just recently bought a load of her books, they are medieval historical novels, love 'em. This one is about the 12th century civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maude, a period I know almost nothing about - very interesting.

There's loads of books on the 'to read' pile, including 2 more Penmans, 'Atonement', 'Night Watch', others which I can't remember....

 

[Hilldodger]

'Antarctica' by Kim Stanley Robinson (at home)
'When Christ and his Saints Slept' by Sharon Penman (on the train)

I have just recently bought a load of her books, they are medieval historical novels, love 'em. This one is about the 12th century civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maude, a period I know almost nothing about - very interesting.

There's loads of books on the 'to read' pile, including 2 more Penmans, 'Atonement', 'Night Watch', others which I can't remember....

I've read The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman - it's about the life of Richard the Third. Very good, I must get around to reading more of her stuff.

 

[rich p]

The last of the trilogy by Pat Barker about the 1st WW. The Ghost Road. Very good. I also read recently the Siegfried Sassoon trilogy in the same vein which was even better IMO.

 

[Danny]

Another thumbs up for the Pat Barker trilogy. I keep meaning to tackle Sassoon so I might after reading your recommendation.