Miscellaneous Forum

Occasionally, we seem to exchange tips on books we're enjoying. I've sort of run out of titles at the moment and am looking for interesting things to keep me going. The nights are getting longer! I recently read Joanne Harris's 'Five Quarters of the Orange.' That was a winner... like her previous, well known work, 'Chocolat.' I also have discovered the UK's gem, Jane Gardam.

Any ideas?

How about "The kite runner" from Khaled Hosseni ... great book if you want to learn a little more about Afghanistan.

ive just read The Island by Victoria Hislop about Spinalonga in Crete, that was quite a good read. Just as an aside...how do you generally go about picking a book to read?

Thomas Friedman's 'The World is Flat' has made my mind flat and i am back to reading fiction since i last read Enid Blyton in school.
Sonia Faleiro's The Girl for me..

You might enjoy "Five Smooth Stones" by Ann Fairbairn.
or "The Dancing Wu Li Masters" by Gary Zukav.
or "The Intergral Trees" by Larry Niven.
Martin

"Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Non-fiction).

Has a thesis of taking thin slices of events/observations and making decisions from these. I haven't finished the book yet. Interesting thesis not sure if this method can be used widely, perhaps only with people highly trained in specific knowledge areas.

I look at book reviews in newspapers (New York Times esp.) and see if anything appeals to me or look at the newly arrived books at the local library.

Whooee... thanks. My list is growing! I used to look at the NY Times Book Review Section but have changed my habits a bit since moving from the States. I was a bit skeptical about Richard & Judy's selections (they're a talk show duo) a la Oprah Winfrey, but they usually come up with some very good books.
I belong to a book club so once a month my choice has to be what they pick and discuss. We recently read 'Gentlemen & Players' by Joanna Harris and that was a bit long but had a great ending. I don't read as much non-fiction as I should.

I recently read "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" written by Heather Lende, a woman who lives in a little town in Alaksa. It's one of the best things I've read in a while, very real and very moving.

Carol... we read 'Small Island' in our book group. It was one of my favorites so I'm glad you read it, too. The characters are wonderful. Emilie... Alaska sounds appealing. I've got family there.

I also recently read two of Mark Kurlansky's cool history books, "Cod" and "The Basque History of the World". They were both great--if you're into history.

When I was leaving Perth, I had a few dollars left and didnt feel like wasting them on commission fees at the teller, so bought a few books. Only found three that looked remotely intersting at the time.

Just finished the last one "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini.
Didnt know it when I got it but its actually part 2 of 3... now I have to find #1.

Have you tryed "Aristotle Detective" (and then the following with the same characters) by Margaret Doody?
Don't be fooled by the title, it's not a philosophy book!
A must for lovers of novels in historic ambience (ancient greece).
Francesco

I just finished Dan Brown's Deception Point. What a great read and such a shocking twist. Its Science Fiction Romance Mystery and Murder all rolled into one..... I am currently in the middle of Dan Brown's Digital Fortress. Yet another great book. I really like his style.

Jenn

I second "Kite Runner".

I've recently read two books by Kent Haruf, "Plainsong" and "Eventide". He writes in a William Faulkner type style and is a great storyteller.

I keep a list just for this question, but it's getting too long so I've cut it down. Here are some of my favorites. Fiction unless otherwise noted.

-This Boy's Life, Tobias Wolf (memoire)
-The Duke of Deception, Geoffre Wolfe (memoire, read it with "This Boy's Life - two brothers tell the story of their family from different perspectives)
-Running in the Family, Michael Ondajatte (memoire)
-Perfume, Patrick Suskind
-Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
-Possession, A.S. Biatt
-Double Whammy, Carl Haissen
-A Very Long Engagement, Sebastien Jasprisot
-Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson
-Songlines, Bruce Chatwin (semi-non-fiction)
-Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt (memoire)
-High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
-Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin
-The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith
-The Outcast, Jose La Tour
-When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman (non fiction)
-Killer Angels, Ken Shaara (non fiction)
-Bel Canto, Anne Patchett
-Red Azalea, Anchee Min (Memoire)
-Life of Pi, Yann Martel
-Great Siege of Malta 1565, Ernle Bradford (non fiction)
-Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabrial Garcia Marquez
-Angle of Repose, Wallace Stegner
-What's Bred in the Bone, Robertson Davies

Life of Pi is soon on our book club book list.
This month it is Judge andJury...
Jennifer

We ran into Malcolm Gladwell in a NYC bar last year. He had a demure demeanor.

"A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons." Excellent and highly recommended.

"Marley and Me", Cheesy and not recommended. I just couldn't resist all the doggie pictures.

Wow, I can request any book in the county library system to be shipped to the most convenient library for me to pick-up. I can even send an email and suggest books for them to purchase. I did that once and they did, I was the first one to get to read it. It was Music to Move the Stars: A life with Stephen Hawking by Jane Hawking. I found that an interesting read too.

Woohoo my tax dollars at work and I actually get some benefit!

bookmark

Some of my favourites are:

Confederacy of Dunces
The Moviegoer
Love in the Ruins
The Brothers Karamazov and the
Short Stories of Flannery O'Conner

Thanks everyone! I will be one busy reader now. You've all given me so many good ideas.

Kay, in Surrey it costs 90p to reserve a book... it's highway robbery so I don't do it very often. I used to have a copy of Sarum, but I think it's gone the way of most of my U.S. books or I'd give it to you.

I'v just finished reading "Tales From The Expat Harem".
It is 2 female expats who are living in Turkey that have collected storries from several other female expats who lives (or have lived) in Turkey and their experiences.
The book came one year ago, the authors was on a tour round US in april-may.
I got my copy (signed in US) when I was in Istanbul in august. My expat friend started to read it when I was there and she was laughing out loud several times. As an expat she recognised alot of struggel other have gone through.

All who enjoyes travelling and other cultures will like this book (I think;) )

More to read at their hp;
http://www.expatharem.com/Purchasing.htm

That sounds good, Ruffen. I might get that one.

Janet Fitch's new novel, Paint It Black