What are you reading at the moment

Our form teacher (a VERY straight laced unmarried Geography teacher) was on the jury. Someone asked her if she'd read any good books lately when she returned after the trial! Loved your Melbury Sweets story Jacey

Just finished Before I go to Sleep.................it put me to sleep! Now reading Douglas Kennedy "Leaving the World" he sure knows how to pile on dilemma after dilemma. A good read so far though.

What a disappointment for you, Jacey.

Just finished a batch of books-Hakan Nesser-the Inspector and Silence-summer heat and religious summer camps and young girls murdered. I have read quite a few of these Scandinavian crime tales but they seem to lean towards religious groups murdering people who don't believe their way of life. A bit like life imitating art after the shootings last year-so I'm going to give them up for a while.Also two by Tarquin Hall set in Delhi-The case of the Missing Servant and The Case of the Man who Died Laughing-I love Indian newspaperspeak -much more vivid than our dreary journalists-these two were amusing after the Nordic grimness.Also Anne Zouroudi-the Whispers of Nemesis-a poet dies and becomes a best seller but his family are left in penury and then a body is found. Describes small Greek islands and small Greek minds very well and the"detective" or messenger of the gods loves his food and reminds me why I must dig my heels in when my DH wants to return to Greece-squid squid and more squid.
Really easy read was(and in large print) Alexander Mcall whatsit with a wedding party tent. I think it's rather predictable but sweet especially Mma Matutsi's passion for shoes.

Ariadne, I'm from Nottingham too. His brother was a barber and used to cut my Dad's hair. He, DH that is, was always described as a mucky little tyke and the consensus was that 'Eastwood were well rid of him'.

Never read any D.H.Lawrence, just never fancied them.

I haven't read any Lawrence for years. I liked The Rainbow but found Women in Love a bore. I didn't think much of his portrayal of women.

Some of Lawrence's poetry is better than some of his novels I think

I agree, Seven and would suggest that the same goes for Hardy, who saw himself as a poet who wrote novels to make a living.

From Florence Hardy (paraphrase i.e. can't remember accurately) "Thomas is writing a poem; it is, no doubt, a very gloomy one."

Trying to read Susan Hill's 'The Woman in Black' in one day as the library want it back.Wanted to read it slowlyand savour her writing before I see the film. It's only 160 pages.I'm up to p.42 so a reading day today.Are you a fast reader?

No, I'm not a very fast reader. I tend to daydream quite a bit as I read, so that holds me up! I usually can only read in bed as well, in the morning and at night, because if the television's on in the living room (husband!), I cannot concentrate! Take your time with Woman in Black! It's so well-written, isn't it? I'm going to see the film this afternoon!

Grannycool, just finished Me Before You. Beautifully written and although I found it slightly predictable it was a brave effort to explore an emotive subject.

Just finished The Nosferatu Scroll, by James Becker, a modern tale which delves into the past, and vampire legends, set in Venice. I rather enjoyed it, despite it being slightly reminiscent of Dan Brown`s writings. Next on my pile is Port Mortuary, by Patricia Cornwell. She`s gone off the boil a bit in the last 2 books, hoping for improvement in this one.

The Soldier's Wife by Joanna Trollope arrived for me at the library at 4.15...........I'm now on page 94!! A real page turner and I think you won't have to be a former Army wife (like me) to enjoy it. Joanna Trollope grips you from page one and sets her scenes and describes her characters so well from page one that you gallop threough and then re-read for sheer pleasure. It's going to be a good one and DH's supper will be straight from the freezer (well not quite, I will heat it up!) It's going to be a eyes down reading. Will let you all know it it goes on being a good read!

eGJ - thanks for posting about JT's new book! I've just gone onto my library's site and requested it! I really do like her books.

Whoever recommended 'All the Pretty Horses' on here, thank you very much. Just finishing it and it's been great.

Wotsa - I think Cormac MacCarthy writes superbly-well about horrific times and places. All the Pretty Horses is just the beginning. They get much much nastier.

I've only read The Road, but, grim as the subject matter is, it's like reading poetry.

Yes, everything Cormac MacCarthy writes is poetry.
Does anyone else love Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban?

Have you read Cormac McCarthy's The Border Crossing, apricot - it is wonderful. I agree, his writing is poetic.

Just read two great books in succession, Gillespie and I by Jane Harris and Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes one of the latest Channel 4 Book Club reads the latter was totally gripping. I couldn't put either of these books down and would thoroughly recommend both. Have also recently read Before I go to sleep also on the Channel 4 Book Club recommended reads, which I personally found just OK, if not a little tedious, anyone else feel the same about this book.

baNANA I'm so glad to hear that no everyone thinks that Before I go to Sleep was incredibly marvellous. I too thought it took too long to draw the picture. The denouement was a relief. I ploughed on reading it as I'd got it for my kindle and had a long hospital appointment wait! The whole thing was drawn out and then over. Are Darkest Corner and Gillespie and I of a "dark" genre?

Just finished 'The Moment' by Douglas Kennedy. It is well worth a read. Mainly based in Berlin before the wall came down. The Times gave it a 'Simply Sensational' which I reckon was a fair comment. I have now started 'Before I go to Sleep'. Hopefully I wont find it too tedious baNANA! I will let you know when I've finished

Port Mortuary was a slight improvement on the last couple of offerings by Patricia Cornwell, but still not up to what she used to be. I`m now reading a rather odd book, Switched, by Amanda Hocking. A young girl, after being rejected and almost killed by her mother as a child, finds out that she is a changeling, a troll, and is taken back to her own people. I`m now waiting for the plot to unfold.

apricot and butter I e with you about Cormac McCarthy; even though "The Road" was immensely harrowing, the prose is superb. Talking of superb prose, have you read anything by Kent Haruf? "Evensong" etc. - it's very pared down writing, but I find it tremendously effective. I always need a good story too, and he supplies it.