What are you reading now?

Just finished reading The Loving Husband by Cristobel Kent, that I was given for Christmas in paperback. It takes quite a bit from a thriller to keep me interested , but this one did. The hook for me was the setting (the Fens) and also that the main character is a mum with a baby and a young daughter, I really felt for her as her every day life is woven through the fact that she is dealing with her husband having been murdered. I see it is £1.99 for the Kindle version at the mo'. Sunday Times bestseller.

Am reading The Optician of Lampadusa next, Deedaa as it was a Christmas gift.

I am halfway through The Optician of Lampadusa, which is the story of a man and his wife and friends who accidentally found themselves rescuing drowning migrants. An absolutely heart wrenching read, but a view you don't get from newspaper reports.

Am reading two wonderful books at the moment:
1. "Grief is the thing with feathers" by Max Porter(114 pages), Winner of the International Dylan Thomas Prize 2016, an astonishing, sad yet funny, luminous poem/story/short novel of love, mourning, joy. Uplifting in every way. Read in one/two sittings.

2. Golden Hill, by Francis Spufford(340 pages) Costa First Novel Prizewinner 2016. Set in Manhattan, in 1746, it is a cross between a novel by Henry Fielding and a film by Martin Scorsese and has me dazzled.

I finished Cross Justice, and loved it, it lived up to expectations, there hasn`t yet been an Alex Cross story that I haven`t enjoyed. I`ve just read the first few pages of A Long Way From Heaven, by Sheelagh Kelly. It starts in Ireland in the 1840s, and the potato blight famine, and charts the fortunes of a family who migrate to England in hope of a better life.

I'm into Vintage murder at the moment "Death of a busybody" Written during the last war. Love the context etc.

I haven't read through all the thread, so don't know if it's been mentioned already, but I've just finished Emma Donaghue's 'The Wonder'. She wrote 'Room' which I really enjoyed but this is completely different, so much so that I found it hard to believe that the same person wrote them. I really enjoyed this book too (if enjoyed is the correct word). It's set in 19th Century Ireland and is about a nurse who has served in the Crimea who is sent to stand guard over a 12 year old girl in a devout Catholic family who seems to be existing without eating. Not a barrel of laughs I grant you, but wonderfully written and very atmospheric. Would make a wonderful film.

JackyB, I know where you're coming from when you say we all ought to know more about Ada Lovelace. I had the same feeling when I ordered A Brief History of Time a few weeks back. I haven't opened it yet (but I will, I will!). Was it Charlie Brooker this Christmas who said ten million copies had been sold, and ten had been read?

No, I did not, JessM! My new book is the life story of the wonderful Sir Nicholas Winton, written by his daughter. I'm sure this'll be much more uplifting!

I am reading Ada's Algorithm about Ada Lovelace. Although it is something we all ought to know more about, the writing is rather clunky. Nonetheless, I'm sticking at it - it's not long, and a great insight into life at the time. Particularly where Babbage visits the Prime Minister of the time, Robert Peel, to try and ask for funds for his research. He totally flunks the interview - if he hadn't we may have had computers 200 years before now!

Me and Mine was OK after all, very sad and poignant towards the end. Am now reading another Alex Cross story by James Patterson, Cross Justice. Haven`t read much yet, but I know it`ll be good, they always are.

I finally finished reading "A God in Ruins", which I enjoyed, on the whole, but I felt rather let down by the ending without being quite able to say why! She is a brilliant writer. I may go on to "Behind the Scenes at the Museum".

Just started "The Muse" by Jesse Burton, very good reviews and a promising start.

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey. Bit late to the party, it won the Booker prize in 1988. Enjoying it, in a quiet sort of way.

The call of the wild downloaded for kindle for free! What a book; knew of it, but never read it. It has kept me enthralled

Maggiemaybe - you really didn't like it did you. I find I am completely over reading novels about middle class British people. The Casual Vacancy was the last one I think - full of dislikable characters.
Still chugging through the collected works of Robert Louis Stevenson. Skipped a couple of light comedies. I can recommend Catriona - and it's probably important to read Kidnapped first to get the background. In the course of these two novels he moves from another boys adventure to an slowly developing love story against a political background. Interesting insight into Scottish politics post-Culloden and an interesting contrast to the writings of his contemporaries.

Lantern for the Dark was okay, but wouldn`t go wild about it. I`m now reading a true story about an Irish immigrant family in the 50s, by Anna Mangan, called Me and Mine, it`s alright, but a bit boring.

eGJ, I re-read the Louisa May Alcott books a couple of years ago and loved them, I last read them aged 11.
I loved Liverpool Lullaby, am now reading Lantern for the Dark, by Jessica Stirling, not too sure about it yet.

Indulged in re-reading Little Women over Christmas followed by March by Geraldine Brooks which is about their father John March and what happened to him in the American Civil War. About to launch into the sequels (though I should be ironing!)

My easy read Christmas book this year is Comfort & Joy by India Knight, as I've enjoyed her writing in the past. Well, I'm just putting this out as a warning to the unwary. This one's dreadful. Though I suppose there might be someone somewhere who enjoys reading about the most shallow, spoilt, snobbish, unbelievable twerps imaginable. Or who enjoys lazy stereotyping of Irish grans, or crude innuendo about stuffing turkeys. I just hope that when I take it to the charity shop, someone I don't like picks it up. Phew, I feel better for getting that off my chest!

The Last Telegram was okay, turned out better than expected earlier on, but still not brilliant. Am now reading A Liverpool Lullaby, by Anne Baker, good so far.

Love kate Atkinson
The Jackson Brodi e novels - great humour. Life after life and god in ruins were amazing pieces of work. Well written humorous in places and philosophical. Although the ending to god in ruins is a bit weird, it would be difficult to finish such a work in a 'normal' way
Have been enjoying M C Beaton s Hamish Mac beth series. Cosy crime but a gentle humorous read. Now reading a Lisa Scottoline novel. Think it might become a bit scary!

Thanks Moira! I felt cheated!

Now reading 'Why Aren't They Shouting?' 'A Banker's Tale of Change, Computers and Perpetual Crisis' by Kevin Rodgers. I won't claim to understand much of the money markets but I've laughed out loud twice and am only halfway through! I also have some glimmerings of how the crises happen - computers all the way!

Elrel - I agree about A God in Ruins. I enjoyed, as I have all Kate Atkinson's books, but I didn't like the end. I've discussed this elsewhere and other people have the same view.

At the moment, comfort reading 'At Bertram's Hotel' Agatha Christie. My other comfort reading books are either Jane Austen or John Wyndham.