General Chat

One I just mentioned on a different thread,
Scarlet Ribbons, by Emma Blair, a novel about a young girl taken to Barnardo's children's home when it seemed her father was dying and her mother had several children to care for. This girl was crippled and was told she was going to the Babies home to have her hip fixed, which did happen but she never saw her mother or family again. She was taken to Canada with many other children from the home and the story of her life there was interesting and I am sure well researched so fairly accurate. The rest of her story was ok, possibly a bit far fetched but good reading, most of it.
One book which is good, is The Five People You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom - it really makes you think!
I love all kinds of books and alternate serious ones with frivolous chick-lit ones or read according to my mood.
Lizx

AHA, so the promised thread has been resurrected Susan.Great!

Have also read all books by Sue Grafton, she is a very good read.
Faye Kellerman is really great, but only the Peter Decker and Rina Lazurus ones.Have all of them.H.R.F Keating is another great read, more light-hearted type of detecive fiction.Have gone of Elizabeth Goerge's books, find her too long-winded, too much soul-searching in my opinion.Chaim Potok is a wonderful author.Tom Sharpe is sooo funny.Erica James and Judy Astley are feel-good chic-lit, more the type of books to read on a lovely sunny day,laying out on the grass under a parasol...there are too many to mention in one go,and it is a bit late now.

Again, great idea Susan, thanks.

Eileen.x

Kathy Reichs is brilliant- I wud recomend her any time
carol

Just finished listening to a talking book,' Evan must wait,' by Rhys Bowen. Couldnt wait for the ending, would have looked if it hadnt been on tape. Jean

Nice thread, some nice ideas:-) Christina, I also love Sue Grafton, think I have read every one by now! Have just finished an amazing book, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold. (hope I have the name right, have just sent the book off to our Hayley!) A quite shocking beginning, a 14 year old raped and murdered. But then she is looking down and seeing her family and friends and also the murderer. She is in a Heaven and is concerned for everyone down there. Beautifully written. I would recommend it.

I am reading a book about Harold Shipman (the doc that murdered)
what a gross little man!!

Thanks everyone that was a great response. Think I will give the Memory Keepers Daughter a go. Sounds good.

Sue

love autobiographys or books on mediums

havent read a good one for while

hi, i have read a lot of sue grafton's a - z or murder at the moment i am on a is for alibi ( i havent read them in order as i cant always find them in the library)!!
i enjoy good crime novels
chris x

I read about 4 books a week, dont get much sleep. Cant resist a new Dick Francis, or Dorothy Dunnet. Not seen often now is an author named John Wainwright, not the man who wrote all the books of hill walks. This one was an ex-policeman and wrote fiction about the Force and villains. Jean

I love the Peter James books. As they are set in the Brighton area, I can visualize the area as I read. I know some of his circle of friends, and find it amusing reading the books and recognizing some of the characters as real people.

Julia, which island did you live on? Im fascinated by life on the Scottish isles and the isles of Scilly. Especially the 17th and 18th century era.

Just read a good one but can't remember the author, got it from library, non-fiction- Waiting for Daisy- have just started one by Barbara Delinsky - The Family Tree- a novel and not murder but def. a mystery should be interesting . am having a change from murder/mystery ones have read so many was getting so that I could solve them!This last one was recommended at the N.Wales Meet.

Hi Sue, yes I get the gist!! Fortunately she has a website which gives the dates as a lot have the date of Feb 2006, which are obviously new editions. I have five of the one's you mention starting with The Mermaids singing, and the reviews are good. Will see if anyone has them here, if not then I will order from Amazon.

Rosalind

Hi

I read all sorts of books from chic-lit, historical romance, crime/thrillers - just reading "The Witch of Portobello" by Paul Coehlho but finding it very strange and not an easy read!!

I recently read the latest Harlan Coben "The Woods" - he's a crime writer and I really enjoy these books, usually quick and easy to read. My hubby also reads a lot of Lee Child, not read them myself but they tend to get passed around to our friends who also enjoy them.

Shelli

Hi Rosalind,
I have read quite a few of her books and the ones I prefer have DCI Carol Jordan and the profiler Tony Hill in them. The thing is, there tends to be a continuation in the lives of the characters so if possible and you a keen reader, maybe start with earlier ones and go in a sort of order. There are one or two earlier ones with other people, but I dont rate them much. On the whole, I think she gets better and better, the latest one being one of her best. but if you read them out of the general order it can be muddling with the lives of the characters.
Hope you get the gist of that without me sounding like an anorak!!! Which I admit I am.

Sue

I was really grateful to whoever put the thread up Rosalind because I am always stuck for hubbys stocking fillers at Christmas. I can't remember who it was now can you? Hubby says that he agrees with your summary of it:)

Chrissie

Chrissie, I found it gripping, plenty of murders, but they got on with it and no hanging around. You really felt on the edge of your seat sometimes and I was impressed at that.

Rosalind

Susan, which of the Val Mcdermid one to you recommend to start with, see there are loads? I do read the reviews to see what they say, sometimes you find that some of the books have been written to order and are not up to the standard of others, but do make up my own mind. Always on the look out for something different.

Rosalind

That's funny Rosalind. I saw that thread last year and put 'Relentless' in hubbys stocking at Christmas. He thought it was brilliant and has read several more Simon Kernick since.