ladymacbeth

I finished The City and the City by China Mieville last night. Amazing book. Loved it - so happy I've found a new author I really love. 5/5.

Comfort books are awesome Sara - and healthier than comfort eating. I just re-read all of Harry Potter purely as a comfort read.

Agree with that Poppy!

I'm quarter of the way through Great Expectations by Dickens. I'm not able to race through it like some other books but I'm really enjoying it. Much more so than Oliver Twist which is the only other book I've read by Charles Dickens.

Sounds a fishy story to me Katrina.

I've just been thinking more about The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I only finished it this morning and am really pleased to have got through it as it seemed to take me a long time. My feelings towards it now seem to be growing more and more favourable. I think I found it a stressful book to read as I really had no idea what to expect or understand what was going on sometimes. Now that I have finished it I can look back in satisfaction and make sense of it all without the stress of feeling like I'm missing something. Anyway it's a pretty good book that makes me keep thinking about it afterwards.

Ooh it sounds really good! I want to read it when you work out what it's called.

THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE by Haruki Murakami Toru Okada is an apparently happy man - his domestic routine seems familiar and comfortable. Admittedly, he has recently quit his job, the cat has disappeared, and a strange woman has begun to bother him with explicit phone calls. Then one day his wife does not come home from work.(Fantastic Fiction) Toru Okada is a completely ordinary man who becomes involved with a series of extra-ordinary people and has increasingly bizarre experiences. At first I found the story completely perplexing and therefore was ambivalent about whether I was enjoying the book or not. I had to look at the thread on Murakami in the forum and relaxed a bit realising there kind of wasn't really a point to the story. I didn't need to work so hard to "get it". However, the ending wrapped up nicely and I felt I did have a new understanding of what the book was about. This is not my favourite style of book. I'm not sure whether I would read another book by the same author in a hurry. But I can see why people appreciate Haruki Murakami as an original story teller. 3 out of 5 stars.

Hmm I haven't read Affluenza - I spotted it on my brother's shelves last week but seeing as he lives in Australia and I live in New Zealand I couldn't really borrow. I think it's very interesting though that intellectually I know I have everything I need and more I still get tempted by the latest gadgets and must haves. At the moment it is top of the line baby cots and strollers. Do I really need the most expensive push chair? Can I get it second hand? I keep thinking this but then a part of me thinks, bugger it, I can afford it, why not go all out. And yet that is so wasteful - I could use the money for something worthwhile. I'm just wondering whether this book will change your spending habits at all?

Hi Kidsmum. I agree that Club Dead is not the strongest in the series but I still enjoyed it. Also love Clan of the Cave Bear. The original book is a great standalone novel. I think the rest of the series could never really match it.

Writing all these down for Christmas List for my brother..... I don't think he reads anything that's not disturbing. Perhaps I should ask him for some tips for this page.

I don't seem to get scared by books but The Ring was the creepiest movie I ever saw and I wouldn't go outside in the dark alone for 2 weeks!

Oh page turner I agree April Fool's Day is a wonderful book. What I found really inspiring was how when Damon was dying with AIDS his girlfriend Celeste cared for him the whole time. So sad. I think this was published at a time when there was still alot of fear around AIDS and definitely when Damon lived there was alot of stigma. So in this way I think it was quite influential.

I am chugging through The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Am over halfway and it has taken me probably a week so far which is ages for me. It's a strange read and I'm not really sure where it's going or what the point is at the moment. I'm interested enough to finish it. At the mo I only want to read "nice" books that leave me happy. I think because I am pregnant. But this kind of restricts my choices. I may have to get some recommendations. Oh Frankie I though The Poisonwood Bible was a really interesting read. I found the "evangelism" aspect quite disturbing as the pastor in it was so misguided and I hate to see Christians represented in that way. Even though it's unfortunately true in many situations! But it was a really thought provoking book and interesting to find out what happened to all the characters.

Hi Michelle, I finished The Land of painted Caves and wrote a little blurb on it on my reading blog. not sure if I can copy and paste. Will try in a mo. Here are my thoughts.... The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M Auel This was a really disappointing ending to the Earth's Children series. The book was difficult to get into as the pace was so slow but I did get used to the style. However so little happened in the book that there really wasn't much of a plot or character development at all. A large part of the middle of the book was comprised of descriptions of painted caves which Ayla visited. This did not interest me at all as I just can not imagine what they looked like from a written description. An illustrated version of the book may however improve it. There was also alot of repetition of information both within the book and from previous volumes to the point where I wondered if I was accidentally re-reading pages. The ending of the book picked up in pace slightly however the events were very predictable and there was nothing I gained from this book which I couldn't have foreseen from the last one. Sadly, this was definitely the worst book in the entire series. 2 out of 5 stars

This looks great - my aunt bought it 2 days ago so now I will have to borrow it.

Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead Another good effort by Richelle Mead - funny, light entertainment with a supernatural theme and a bit of romance. My only problem now is I have read every book Richelle Mead has written so she will have to write some new ones. 3.5 out of 5 stars The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M Auel This was a really disappointing ending to the Earth's Children series. The book was difficult to get into as the pace was so slow but I did get used to the style. However so little happened in the book that there really wasn't much of a plot or character development at all. A large part of the middle of the book was comprised of descriptions of painted caves which Ayla visited. This did not interest me at all as I just can not imagine what they looked like from a written description. An illustrated version of the book may however improve it. There was also alot of repetition of information both within the book and from previous volumes to the point where I wondered if I was accidentally re-reading pages. The ending of the book picked up in pace slightly however the events were very predictable and there was nothing I gained from this book which I couldn't have foreseen from the last one. Sadly, this was definitely the worst book in the entire series. 2 out of 5 stars The Genesis Plague by Michael Byrnes A mercenary gang in Iraq are hunting Al Qaeda. When they chase a terrorist group into a cave they call on the American military for back up in extracting the terrorists. However, the cave has been used for a different purpose in the past - as tomb of an ancient goddess who once released a pestilence so severe it once wiped out an entire civilization. It becomes evident to the mercenaries that someone is trying to release the same plague again- and they need to stop it. This book has been compared to The Da Vinci Code which I know will put alot of people off. It actually reminded me more of a Jack Reacher novel and had a very military feel / focus which I didn't really enjoy - but I think alot of blokes would like it. The religious and medical element was fascinating and if it weren't for the military / terrorist action scenes etc I would have liked the book alot more. The book was predominantly plot driven with rather one dimensional characters who were mostly quite macho which again makes me think this is a blokes holiday reading book. Just my thoughts though, I may be completely wrong and do not wish to offend any men out there. 2.5 out of 5 stars. Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning The 4th book in another supernatural series which I have written about before. These books keep getting darker and darker - I thought it was one of the better volumes but I did feel kind of disturbed after reading it. Hoping for a happy ending in the next and final book. 2.5 out of 5 stars.

DEAD IN THE FAMILY by Charlaine Harris Any Sookie book doesn't need a review on this forum as she has so many fans. But I will say I thought this book was a great addition to the ongoing story. Alot of people said they felt it was underwhelming after the events of Dead and Gone but I still loved it. Couple of spoilers 4 out of 5 stars

PERFUME: THE STORY OF A MURDERER by Patrick Suskind Patrick Süskind's Perfume follows the life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, abandoned at birth in the slums of eighteenth-century Paris, but blessed with an outstanding sense of smell. This gift enables Jean-Baptiste to master the art of perfume making, but one scent evades him: that of a virgin, whom he must possess to ensure her innocence and beauty are preserved. Laced with sense and suspense, this is a beguiling tale of lust, desire and deadly obsession. Perfume is the best book I have read all year. The idea of someone with a perfect sense of smell was extremely original. I enjoyed the way the description of smells as experienced by Grenouille made the settings come alive. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the stench of Paris and indeed of humans. The descriptive writing was not over flowery and only enhanced the story. Although Grenouille is a warped character and seems to be born without a social conscious, as the story followed his point of view his motives were easy to follow. I found myself egging him on in his quest to capture the smell of a virgin. And I loved how his perfumery skills were used and abused by his seniors for their betterment while Grenouille had a completely different agenda. My only gripe with the book was it lagged a bit in the middle when Grenouille spent some time in the wilderness. I also couldn't work out from my version who did the English translation. But whoever it was did a brilliant job. 5 out of 5 stars.

Loved it. Possibly the best book I've read all year. In fact, no question as I seem to have picked up some real clangers. I will put a semi-review later on my book blog. Yes, me too. Am a library addict and then definitely have to read those books first as they need returning. I have purposefully not gone to the library for a few weeks so that I can get into at least a few TBR books. Today I was naughty and bought the new Jean Auel book Painted Caves. This has solved the dilemma of what to read next but has not helped the TBR.

Yes! My husband looked at the forum and said "Is this a competition to read as many books as possible?". Of course I said "NO but it makes you want to read." I have finished Perfume. Not sure what to choose next.

I've got 3 books on the go at the moment. Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care What Good Is God by Philip Yancey and Perfume by Patrick Suskind. It's making for slow progress but means I can dip in and out of the non fiction.

Right I'm going to have to pop out tomorrow and buy this. I certainly won't be looking for a factual study of prehistoric Europe - fiction is fine by me! But I take your point Kurtz, alot of people do believe anything they read in a fictional novel - look at the Da Vinci code. My brother in law seemed fully convinced there were human remains buried in the louvre.

You have just really inspired me Chrissy. Will be on the lookout for Neverwhere - as soon as I clear a bit of my TBR

I am really excited as I have started reading Perfume by Patrick Suskind and am finding it the best book I have read in ages.