Books that are not French interest

[Russethouse]

 I guess most of us read things that are not French interest, sometimes. I thought it might be good to swap opinions about recent reads.

At present I am reading 'March' by Geraldine Brooks. This is the story of Mr March, the absent father from 'Little Women'. So far it has been about slavery and the American Civil War, but I am only at the beginning, I suspect it continues in this vein.

The last book I read was Jenny Tomlins 'Behind Closed Doors'. The author is the mother of Martine McCutcheon although that doesn't come into the book until the end. It is really about her upbringing in London in the 50s and about her parents, some of it requires a strong stomach. A good and enlightening read IMHO.

Any other recommendations?

 

[PossumGirl]

I must admit that I mostly like mysteries.  I tend towards procedural (like PD James), ,not-overly-cute cozies (M.C. Beaton) and historical mysteries (Sharan Newman, Peter Tremayne).

Sadly, I find I have so much less reading time than I once did.  I'm about half-way through the Labyrinth, but Mr. Possum  told me the McGuffin yesterday [:(]and now I'm not sure if I'm going to finish it!  He says knowing the McGuffin doesn't matter, but it does to ME!  He is one of those irritating people who reads the end of a mystery before he really gets started.  I don't know how he can do that!!

PG

[TWINKLE]

I'm sure you've already read it but being over here I'm a bit behind, anyway I'm not afraid to say that I loved "The Time Travelers Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger.  "Like water for chocolate" by Laura Esquivel was a a nice quick read too.

[Richard-R]

    Just read the new Stephen King "Cell' bit of a let down, rather like The Walking Man. Esp a let down after the Dark Tower series. Enjoyed the new Dean Koontz, very funny. Now reading The Long Way down by Hick Hornby which is a very funny book.feel soory for poor old post man of ours lugging 10 or so hard back books to our door every 2 months or so. About time i brought sahres in Amazon LOL.

Must say I read far more now , that I'm living in rural France, could be the dire T.V. or the 1 hours drive to any decent night life. I have even tried reading Proust in French but found it just has boring has reading in in English.

[DZ]

I have just finished reading a most "un-putdownable" book - "The Crimson Petal and The White" by Michel Faber.  It is a story of an exceptional Victorian prostitute and it is incredibly descriptive (but never ever gets sordid).  It is a long read, at 835 pages of small print, but worth every minute of your time.  This is a kind of book that I would just love to turn into a film if I was a director... I keep finding myself scouring people's faces in the crowd, wondering if I could cast them as the characters of this astounding book!

[Bassman]

I read Labyrinth a couple of months ago- really enjoyed it, could almost be called a French interest book as well[:D] Have read just about everything Stephen King has written but could never get on with the Dark Tower ones[:(] Just about to read the new Nick Hornby one and May Contain Nuts by John O'Farrell was brilliant another recent read as was Atlantis (can't remember the author at the mo' [:$] Managed to get MOH into reading Dean R Koontz books after years of trying she now likes them as well [:)]

[Catalpa]

[quote user="TWINKLE"]...that I loved "The Time Travelers Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. [/quote]

 

Yessssssssss! Loved it. But I'm a total sucker for time-travel-y things if they're well done - and imo this was particularly well done. My books are either "keepers" or "pass on to friends". TTW is safely in a box somewhere ready to spend the rest of its life in my bookscase. If I ever have bookcases again. [:@]  [6] If you're into books, over on www.totalfrance.com we regularly have book of the month discussions which often turn into "what's everyone reading right now?" discussions and I get some really interesting book recommendations that way.

[Richard-R]

    I thought the Labyrinth was rather a let down. I never felt anything for any of the characters. Seemed a lot of pages but very little detail.

[Tresco]

I've recently read and really enjoyed Beyond Black  (Hilary Mantel). It's about a genuine medium who is haunted by a crowd of no good ghosts.

It was (apprently) the unofficial runner up for the Orange fiction prize awarded yesterday, to Zadie Smith for About Beauty. Has anyone read that one?

Also Gentlemen and Players (Joanne Harris) which was excellent. It barely mentions France, which is unusual for her, and it is completely different to any other book of hers I've read.

 

[Russethouse]

 Thought I might give About Beauty a try. I finished March which was good but not wonderful, now reading the biography of Alistair Cook which I bought via bibliophile last time, just ordered LA FRANCE GOURMANDE:

http://www.bibliophilebooks.com/epages/BibliophileBooks.storefront/4487486c001056cc273fc113a9080658/Product/View/51249 

there are also a couple of menu translators on offer this time.

Also waiting to be read is Silent Sisters, the next one by Jenny Tomlin, who having escaped an abusive childhood goes on to make an abusive mariage.

[Pip]

Currently reading The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre.  Good stuff so far.  Big sis has just lent me The Time Travellers Wife and said she loved it, so can't wait.  Yesterday ordered two older books Savages by Shirley Conran and Esther by Norah Lofts.  Also three Maeve Binchy (the ones I haven't read to date).

[Tresco]

[quote user="Pip"] Big sis has just lent me The Time Travellers Wife and said she loved it, so can't wait. [/quote]

LOL My big sis failed to bring it over for me. She thinks I bought it for her, but I can't recall[:)]

Has anyone read We Need To Talk about Kevin?

[Catalpa]

Hello dear! [:)]

Loved loved LOVED the Time Traveller's Wife. But I usually like time-travel-ly things so this really hit the spot. Yes, I've read the Kevin book too. Hmmm. Very claustrophobic and thought provoking. Bit horrifying if you've got children, I think, because there are a lot of "what would I have done if..." thoughts that may needle their way into your brain. Needs to be read when you've got lots of other good things going on to lift you from dwelling on or in it too much. Assuming you are a book dweller. I am.

[Bassman]

[quote user="Pip"]Currently reading The Constant Gardener by John Le Carre.  Good stuff so far. .[/quote]

 

How far have you got? I started reading that a couple of months ago and got bored [:(] I have enjoyed most of his other books but I just wasn't getting on with that one [8-)]

[Hoddy]

I’ve just read ‘Arthur & George’ by Julian Barnes. The Arthur is Conan Doyle and it’s an account of a case of injustice that he actually took up. He tells the life story of both of them, Arthur Conan Doyle and George who is the son of a Parsee clergyman in the Church of England. I found it a very interesting read.

Before that I read Extra Virgin by Annie Hawes which is her account of buying a tumbledown ‘farm’ in Italy for £2000; those were the days. A very interesting read with many resonances for those who’ve bought in France.

Hoddy

[Patf]

I don't know why but about 10 years ago I went completely off novels.

The first craze was travel books. There is a big range of books written

by women about their travels in the 19th and 20th century, and our

library at the time could get most of them. Then I went onto short

stories in a big way. I think my favourites are the short stories of

Damon Runyon which I could read again and again. I also have most of

the available short stories of Chekov - these take you into such a

different domestic world. Fascinating as I had Russian friends at the

time the interest started. Even my most recent favourite - Suite

Francaise - is two mini novels rather than a full length one. But they

are about France. Pat.

[ali-cat]

My taste in books has changes a lot over the years (although blood & guts seems to be an enduring theme!!).  Teenage years were filled by horror - Stephen King & James Herbert (The Fog scared the devil out of me!! [6] ), in my 20's it was all spy & espionage - mainly Tom Clancy & Jonathan Kellerman (The Butcher's Theatre is excellent!) & in my 30's moved onto war books - everything from Mila 18 (2nd WW) to 13th Valley (Vietnam War).

But my overall favourite book is Wuthering Heights!!  Guess I'm really just a girly at heart, because I love it!! [:D]

[Tresco]

[quote user="catalpa"]

Hello dear! [:)]

 [/quote]

Good day to you too!

OK, not to dwell on Kevin, but I thought it was great after a shaky start. I will have to read it again (as I tend to race through books at high speed rather than 'dwell') to work out a few niggles as to whether it was the author, or the narrator who was unreliable in certain areas.[:$] 

As far as the 'devil child' and 'missing' unconditional love for ones child themes went I was reminded of The Fifth Child (Doris Lessing).

If  certain people are avoiding Kevin because of the hype I'd say get over your block and read it. [:)] [;-)]

 

[Pip]

How far have you got? (Bassman)

I'm only a couple of chapters in but I haven't found it boring so far.  I must admit though that I would never give in.  I'm like a dog with a bone when I'm reading [:D]

[Blanche Neige]

"Even my most recent favourite - Suite Francaise - is two mini novels rather than a full length one. But they are about France." Pat.

Easily the best book I have read this year and absolutely fascinating, what an insight to life under the occupation.

[Missy]

First of all my apologies but I can never remember the authors' names, only the titles and the stories... so here is my latest reading list...

Just finished reading 'The shadow of the wind' by a spanish author (translated in english) Story of a young boy who is given a book by his father. As he grows up, he wants to read more books from this author and want to find out more on his life. He finds that all the libraries have had these particular books withdrawn ... the plot thickens... Got me hooked!

Before that :

'The ship of brides' (in english) Set in the late 1940's about young Australian girls who have become brides to English soldiers stationed down under for the WW2 conflict in the Far East. The basis of the story is on true stories of such brides as they sailed away from family and comfort in Australia to join their husbands in the UK aboard ships commandeered to the task... Courageous young girls!..

'A place of reeds' (in english) True story of a mixed race marriage in Botswana and what happens after the wife has been raped by a burglar...

'A house for Mr Biswas' (in english) lovely story of life in Trinidad in the 60's/70's by V.S Naipaul.

'The kite runner' (in english) about life in Kabul from the perspective of 2 young boys. As they grow up, life and the Taliban conflict separate them but are found again through one of their child...

'Tulipmania' (in english) Story of the madness and intrigues to acquire tulip bulbs in 17th century Holland.

Reading at the moment :

'L'Africaine' (in french) about a young Italian lady with no more family attachment in Italy going off to settle in Kenya....

and next on the list 'Le libraire de Kaboul' (in french) , 'Le zahir' (in french) ... running out of french stuff to read... need a FNAC order or a trip over!!

All my english books, I intend to donate them to the municipal libray in 79, as I have learnt not long ago that they stock reading material in english!... quite a novelty and a 'very much looking forward' librarian team/commitee! Well done to them ....  So if you live in north Deux-Sèvres, watch this space....

 

 

[Lori]

Absolutely loved the Kite Runner.  Can't wait for his next book.  Supposed to be out this year.

Just finished Blow Fly - in the series of  Cornwell books - it was okay.

Have Blood Brothers to start now.

[Ejc]

Love Cornall - Bernard Cornwall that is - just reading his latest the Lords of the North.

I have about 4000 books - which will be a chaleneg when we finally move over at the end of the year - but I'm not leaving any of them behind as I love them all....

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Ejc"]

I have about 4000 books - which will be a chaleneg when we finally move over at the end of the year - but I'm not leaving any of them behind as I love them all....

[/quote]

Although we did bring some furniture and kitchen stuff, the majority of our move was books.  300 cartons of them, to be exact!  When we looked for a house, we looked to see how many walls were appropriate for bookshelves!  We're pleased that we actually had more "bookshelf" walls in our new house than we had in our old one, so we have some room for expansion! 

Also, found that bookshelves attached to the walls give more book room than bookcases (we were using Billies from Ikea before).  And, they're easier to put up than building those wretched Billies!!

PG