What are you reading now?

Enjoy

I loved reading 'North and South' (a few years ago now) - I felt as if I was learning about the industrial revolution firsthand.

Well I'm just coming to the end of a book about Elizabeth Barratt and Robert Browning which a friend lent me*. I don't read a lot of biographical books, but it's been interesting reading about the repressive household Elizabeth Barratt was brought up in. The family was local to Ledbury before they moved to their house in London. (...and I could slap Mr Barratt, JG!!)

*I can't remember the title and I can't be bothered to go upstairs and look!!

I was being lazy. I've been upstairs. It's called 'Dared and Done'

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Second time around.

Am on the Kindle store now for Call The Midwife after the threads on the forum about it, the TV series looks fab too.

Am just finishing This Island by Victoria Hislop, its one of my pick up again and again books.

Oh gosh, you make me feel quite trashy in my current reading

Prompted by my feelings off loss after Anne McCaffreys death, I have been revisiting her Pern series - I really shouldn't, but I have a soft spot..

Don't worry Adrian - now I've finished the highbrow stuff I'll be digging in to another murder. Good old Auntie, sending us book tokens for Christmas!

Apropos trashy fantasy I am on the third of Jennifer Fallon's Hytgrun trilogy - GvR got them out of the library and I was at a loose end one evening.
A bit slight perhaps and the characters are rather one-dimensional but quite a ripping yarn nonetheless.

I was given "The Island" for Christmas. Still to read it.

I really enjoyed it JG, its not 'taxing' IYSWIM but its a good read and makes me want to visit Crete every time I read it. Hope you enjoy it!

I tend to have a new and an old book on the go at the same time, am currently downloading free Kindle books and thoroughly enjoying most of them.

I borrowed it from DD1 and loved it!

Have you read any of her others Dand? I'm reluctant to buy them for the kindle as they have fairly mixed reviews and I enjoyed the Island so much.

No, but I think DD1 has - I'll find out!

BTW KtMcG - how do you find using a Kindle? My brother had one for Christmas and loves it, but I'm a bit of a Luddite...he did recommend the free downloads though! He has to travel a lot for his job so he likes the fact he can take a lot of books on a kindle. I'm worried that it would give me a headache.

I bought GvR a kindle for Christmas - it is not at all like looking at a computer screen. It is very 'natural' looking I must say. It wouldn't replace books for me but it is a veyr handy little device

I must say I'm totally smitten with mine, I was incredibly lucky and was given it for Xmas.

Both OH and me are huge huge book fan and my kindle will never replace my books (OH in particular is very precious over his) but I do like the fact that I can pop my kindle in my bag and have a selection of books wherever I go. Its going to be particularly useful on camping holidays or setting off with my backpack as usually a good few kgs are books when I go away. Its very easy to read and there are literally thousands of free books and short stories on the kindle store so its actually allowing me to read more than I ever could before, plus they are cheaper than new books in most instances.

Wow, I sound like I'm on kindle commission (I'm not btw, I just love my Kindle!)

I can see that a kindle would do away with the ache in your wrist you get when reading a heavy book!

Have asked DD1 about Victoria Hislop - she said that she bought 'The Return' last year, but didn't finish it, and it went to a charity shop. She didn't know whether it was the subject matter (Spanish Civil War) which she didn't get on with or whether she just wasn't in the mood.

I had a play with a kindle in staples over crimble. I can see why people like them, but I really do prefer mooching around used bookshops for things to read ( I also like used book prices )...

Dandelion wrote:Have asked DD1 about Victoria Hislop - she said that she bought 'The Return' last year, but didn't finish it, and it went to a charity shop. She didn't know whether it was the subject matter (Spanish Civil War) which she didn't get on with or whether she just wasn't in the mood.

Mmm a few people I know haven't got on with it, including MaMcG, think I'll give it a miss unless a free copy falls into my lap at some point. Shame really as the Island was so fab.

Am on an new book now, The Host by Stephanie Meyer (her of the Twilight saga). Must admit I really didn't get along with the Twilights but so far The Host seems to be written in a very different style and its a bit more 'cutting' (plus it was a 99p download so I'm not complaining!)

Adrian wrote:I had a play with a kindle in staples over crimble. I can see why people like them, but I really do prefer mooching around used bookshops for things to read ( I also like used book prices )...

Oh nothing will ever stop me rummaging for real books!
Thats my dream actually, to open up a bookshop/gallery/sofa filled tea room shop thingy that would operate a bit like a library (our main one is closing) with a real fire and lots of tea from big mugs with story telling and acoustic nights, comedy nights, speakers, debates and book readings etc. (and to keep him happy the OH wants his comic store somewhere in there too)

I bought "Call the Midwife" on Kindle because I think it may have been a little cheaper but because e have SO MANY books and I wasn't sure that this needed to take up any more space on our shelves. Not to mention that I got it straight away.

Before Christmas I took 3 books into the Oxfam shop and came away with Rosamund Pilcher's "Winter Solstice" which was my reading all over Christmas and I loved. I did think I could always take it back to Oxfam when I'd read it, but I won't. It takes up a little less space than the three I got rid of!!

Just read the 3 Nell Last books again. Such an interesting woman & reminds me so much of people I knew. At last I have worked out her "potted" meat which she had often.

I'd love to read the Nella Last books. Really must sort that out.

I've got the readings of "Nella Last's Peace" that were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 extra on my i-pod and listen to them

Just finished "We Are At War" by Simon Garfield.

Another Mass Observation book, how I love them!! This book covers from August 1939-October 1940. Very good & some really funny entries.

The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss.

Haven`t stopped reading, just nothing that really stands out. Very run of the mill thrillers etc.
Next big read is LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT from Readers Digest. Really looking forward to that.

Ragnarok by AS Byatt