chesilbeach

Thanks Janet for reminding me about this one. I came across this when sorting out my bookshelves on Friday, and I now realise I haven't read it yet (along with a few others!), so I'll be putting it on my TBR list when I revisit it.

As far as I know, it's something new, and is neither Thursday Next or Nursery Crime. There a very short excerpt on his website here.

Just downloaded the latest Book Review with Simon Mayo podcast from BBC Radio Five, and noticed that there is a review of 'Keeping The Dead' by Tess Gerritsen. The introduction says that they're talking to the author as well, so for all you Tess Gerritsen fans, this might be worth a listen. Not sure if you can get it outside of the UK, but the website for the show is http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/books/ eta: This podcast will only be available for a week, and will probably disappear after Wednesday 15th April 2009

I think this will be one book on my list to get tomorrow when I make a pilgrimage to Waterstone's. I remember hearing about it a while ago, and thought about getting it, as both my other half and I are very interested in science and health writing, and I think it will be one we'll both want to read, especially after reading this thread. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts on the book, as it's reminded me that I want to read it.

If anyone asked me, I'd say I don't read war books, but actually sitting down and thinking about it, I can see from my reading lists and bookshelves that I've actually read quite a few. I've read some that have already been mentioned in the thread, but on top of that there are: The Final Reckoning by Sam Bourne Fast paced thriller, great holiday reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows I recommend this to everyone I know - great fun read, but with poignant stories and moments (read full review here) Restless by William Boyd Grown up daughter unexpectedly learns of her mothers involvement in WWII. Also, a couple of children's books: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo Beautiful, moving tale of two brothers in WWI Once by Morris Gleitzman Absolutely brilliant book about a boy who lives in an orphanage in Poland, but is convinced his Jewish parents are still alive, and flees the Nazi soldiers who arrive at the orphanage to go in search of his parents. Very highly recommended.

I read this book about 10 years ago, and these were my thoughts at the time: I had heard the hype about it, and after watching a television programme where the book was hailed as their favourite book of all time by the contributors, I decided to read it. Unfortunately, for me, it turned out to be the most over-rated book I had ever read. As a reader, I find I have to look up a word I don't know the meaning of, but I don't think I've read a book where I've had to do this more than twice throughout the book, yet here, particularly in the first half of the book, there were some pages where I had to use a dictionary three or four times, and once I knew what the word meant, I often found it didn't actually seem to make sense in the context of the sentence, making any enjoyment of reading impossible and interrupting the flow of the story. I felt this was an attempt by the author to reintroduce words no longer in common use, which seemed a pointless exercise, as language evolves, and if words fall out of fashion, it's because they are no longer relevant, or alternatives are considered more appropriate. I don't mind an attempt to challenge readers with a broad use of vocabulary, but I imagine the author making far too much use of a fifty year old thesaurus. (Note: I would like to back this up with some of the words I'd looked up, and quote an example of how it didn't actually work in the sentence, but my copy has long since gone to the charity shop!) Despite this, I was determined to finish the book, and while the plot was interesting, and I did learn some information about the Second World War, the language made the book very hard going, and ruined any possible enjoyment I might have had.

Waterstone's have been almost as bad, sending me an email to say there are double points on all books this weekend - I'm sure they know I'm going to be near a shop and won't be able to resist now. I'm still supposed to be hanging off any more books until I've reduced that darned TBR pile!

I've just finished The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro - an entertaining diversion of the chick lit variety. I thought it might take me a while, as it's over 450 pages long, but with a small font and big line spacing and margins, it was actually a very quick read, and got through about 90-100 pages per hour (my usual reading rate is 40-60 pages per hour depending on the subject, style and layout of the text). I won't be starting another book tonight, but tomorrows reading matter will be Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier. The cover drew me to the book a few times in the book shop before I decided to buy it, as it doesn't sound like the sort of book I would normally read based on the blurb on the back, but I'll give it a go and see how I get on.

The ad appeared in the Stage in the second week of September, when the Edinburgh festival was officially over and real life made its unpleasant appearance again in the collective consciousness of the large number of unemployed young actors who populate the London area. The Flirt - Kathleen Tessaro

I've finished Sacred Sierra by Jason Webster, and it was worth every single penny of the

Hi PoloPony, welcome to the forums! I have read quite a lot of Meg Cabot, and I love her! She's my comfort reading, when I'm fed up, or when I want something easy but I know I'm going to enjoy. I've read most of the Princess Diary books as well, but I actually preferred The Mediator series. I've also read the All American Girl books, and the first Avalon High as well. I haven't read the Allie Finkle books, as I think they're aimed at children, and might be a bit too young for me (mind you, I'm not a teenager either, so perhaps I shouldn't be reading her young adult books either!). I really want to read the Missing series, the Airhead series, Jinx and Pants on Fire.

I'd like the rich bit, but not the famous, and definitely want my own library. I know exactly how it will look - just like the one in Kenneth Brannagh's film of Love's Labours Lost. It's just gorgeous!

I don't think I've ever read anything that's disturbed me. I know I'm no good with horror or graphic violent crime, and I steer clear of the "misery memoir" books as well. I think I'm too much of a scaredy cat to read anything that will frighten me (that goes for films and TV as well), as I'm notorious for nightmares about things that have scared me - I had three sleepless nights after someone just told me the plot of the film "Seven", and I don't even want to talk about the horror that filled me after hearing about "The Blair Witch Project"! How pathetic am I?

Not sure if you've picked a book yet, but if you're still trying to decide, I'm plump for Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I regularly change my mind as to my favourite Austen, but this is like a classic version of a YA novel for me, and at the moment, and currently my favourite! I loved the humour and lightness of touch in it, and her poking fun at Gothic novels.

The old farm was a mess. Sacred Sierra - Jason Webster

Hi Mac - I have to admit if it is truly awful, then I will put a book down. This one wasn't that bad, it was just very mediocre, and not very engaging! It's only 291 pages though, and it only took me about 4-5 hours to read, and I did skim read a few pages that I found particularly irritating (probably about 20 pages towards the end of the book, but by the point I thought I might as well try and finish it!). But at least now, I feel I can justify my feelings on the book having completed it. But generally I would agree - life's too short to read a book you're not enjoying. Don't beat yourself up about it!

I finished Becoming Strangers by Louise Dean this evening, and thank goodness for that. I didn't enjoy it at all; the characters were flat, I couldn't warm to any of them, and to me they all just seemed selfish, boring people. The story is set in an high-end Caribbean hotel, but the location wasn't particularly well described, and what descriptions there were of both the physical setting and the staff of the hotel, didn't seem to match up with my expectations of that type of resort. In fact, the only reason I actually finished it, was because it's for my reading group in a couple of weeks, and I do try to finish both the books if I can, even if it's only so that I can talk about why I didn't like them! I was stunned to read some of the quotes on the cover, including the comment, "The best book in its genre that I have read in a long time," from Jenni Murray. Really? Were we reading the same book? Up next is Sacred Sierra by Jason Webster. I read his first book Duende last year, mainly because it was about his attempts to learn flamenco guitar, and I was interested in the dance side of flamenco. It was a very evocative, atmospheric journey, and I absolutely adored it, but I haven't been tempted by the subjects of his other books until I saw Sacred Sierra about six weeks ago, and had to buy it, despite a hefty

I finished reading The Sea House this evening. It's the third Esther Freud book I've read, and I love her style of writing, but Grae and his girls reminded me of characters in her book The Wild which I read a few years back. I loved how the chapters alternated between the two stories, and I was pleased that the the ending lived up to the rest of the book and didn't fall away into clich

Sounds like you've had a good reading session The Five People You Meet In Heaven isn't actually his debut novel - it was his second after Tuesdays With Morrie. Does that change your opinion?

Finished Nicholas on Holiday already! Full of joy and mischief, I would think it's a pretty much perfect set of books to encourage young boys to read. Not quite sure I'm exactly the demographic the publisher was thinking of for it, but still totally enjoyed reading these books. Anyway, my library book group books for next month beckon, so it's onto The Sea House by Esther Freud next.

Gertrude's house was pink. The Sea House - Esther Freud