Book recommendation - it's fab!

Hey Sparks, I didn't hear back from you re the car - I hope you've got it sorted?

I've just finished reading two books by Harlen Coben. Gone for Good and Hold Tight. Gone for Good is IMO the better of the two as I think Hold Tight loses it a bit towards the end. But both had me guessing until the very last page.

I've just (as in about an hour ago) finished reading Winter in Madrid by CJ Sansom. It was OK, but no great shakes - for me, there was far too much historical tie-in with the intricacies of the Spanish Civil War, which is fine if you're up on your history but for someone like me, who had to struggle to remember who was on which side and the background to the war, it was all very distracting and difficult to follow without losing track of the actual plot.

It said on the front 'If you like Sebastian Faulks and Carlos Ruiz Zafon, you'll love this'. I do, and I didn't ?

I'm reading a book called "Ring Me At Nine Just To Say You're Alive" by Linda Hart. It's her own personal diary of 12 months spent under a Section 3 in a psychiatric ward and is very emotional but brave and funny. A real insight to what it's like to live with mental illness and all the more challenging because she herself works as a health care professional within that environment so it's about her relationships with what were her colleagues who then become her carers.

I finally finished Gods Behaving Badly this week. I had quite high expectations of it because a lot of people here liked it and both did and didn't live up to them. The plot line was very clever but I didn't really connect with the story, which is why it's taken me two months to read it.

I'm currently reading a Lonely Planet guide to British Columbia as we're planning to go later this year. I have the new Phillipa Gregory about Mary QoS to read as well.

I emailed you back on Sunday. I went to see a few cars over the weekend, but there's not much out there for £2K. I have deceided to get mine fixed. At least that way I will be debt free, although bloody skint this month and next ?

Oooh I love Harlen Coben. I have loads of books to get through. I need a holiday so I can read them all!

That sounds like a good read. I shall make a note of it ?

Ooh I have loved the Susan Hill books I've read - will def track this one down, thanks!

I'm still reading The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton, I've been reading it for 3 years now ? Wish I still got the train to work instead of driving, I used to read so much!

I'm half-way through The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summercale. I got sent it in a mystery book swap so wasn't sure what to expect. Anyone else read it?

I love Harlen Coben, too!

I think I might have read "The Various Haunts of Men" ...is this the one about alternative medicine where a girl goes missing on a hill?

That's the one. I have a few pages to go so don't tell me what happens ?

Fab ?

Do you know what order they go in?

I didn't get that. Shall check my spam box.

Glad you've got it sorted though even if it means being skint for a few months.

I like Susan Hill too, I'll check this out.

I am reading The Slaves of Solitude, by Ptrick Hamilton, moving on to Kafka on the shore by Haruki Marakami, these rae for my book club, so for light relief I'm also dipping in and out of Cider with Rosie for the 100th time, I so love that book, reminds me a bit of my childhood except I'm not 98 and the internal combustion engine had well and turly arrived in the cotswalds when I lived there.

I am reading The Birthing House. Ghost story. Shame the protagonist is so annoying.

I have Suspicions of Mr Whicher to get on to next. And I MUST have another go at Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell or whichever way round it was.

PSA - there's a new Lee Child out this month £8-odd on amazon...

I'm about ten years behind everyone else but I've just finished The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I liked it; it felt like a modern-day parable or something and the ending did make me smile. I don't think it'll change my life though like the reviews told me it would ?

Ok, I read it about three years ago so I only have a very vague memory of the ending, but I remember loving that book!

For all you girls who get a bit wet in the trouser department at the thought of jack reacher, the next one is out tomorrow.

Which reminds me that I must read The Vows of Silence. I don't think I can bear to whilst hormonally challenged though; Susan Hill does have a habit of writing things that I find desperately upsetting.

I'm strictly on comfort reading at the moment; read nothing but Georgette Heyer, PG Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett for months ?

Thanks for the recommendation, just ordered this on Amazon, sound just like my kind of book.

Oh yes, I really enjoyed Various Haunts too.

I'm reading some Brit crime fiction too - by Deborah Crombie.

Hurrah - about that and the lastest Reacher. Although I'm not sure I've read the last Reacher that was out in hardback yet, come to think of it.

Just finished "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "But Gentlemen Marry Brunettes" by Anita Loos. They are both very short (in one volume). Very frothy but beautifully written with lots of serious points to make.

Also just read "The Dark Volume" which is the follow up to "The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters" - both enjoyable but also flawed. On non-fiction front I enjoyed Bad Science and have just read City Boy by Geraint Anderson, which is quite enjoyable but very badly written and full of awful cliches.

I was well and truly put off Susan Hill at school, when a horrible english teacher made us read I'm the king of the castle. ? Should I give her another shot?

ETA: I've recently finished They were Sisters by Dorothy Whipple, which was fab, and made me cry.

I'm reading Dry Store Number 1 by Richard Fortey - a sort of biography of the Natural History Museum and the people that work there. I don't usually do non fiction but I'm really enjoying it.

We did "I'm the King of the Castle" too and I've not read anything of hers since as a result!

I've recently finished Stephen Fry's book about his tour of America which I enjoyed far more than the tv series it accompanies.

Is this about the conjoined twins? Made me sob a bit too.

I've just read Winter in Madrid and really loved it - it's made me want to read more about the Spanish Civil War to fully understand it (but I am a total history geek and love learning about things like that!)

I'm reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt at the moment, it is fabulous, I don't want it to end!

Next on the list is The Five People You Meet in Heaven, I bought it for my friend for her birthday and gave it to her last Monday lunchtime, by 2am Tuesday morning she had finished it. I've read good things about it so I'm really looking forward to it.

I am reading The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai which has been sitting on my shelf for yonks, mainly because it's the hardback and hurts my wrist. ? But it's fab so far.

Mrs Jess, I got 'Beware Beware' out of the library the other day for Tom, it's so fabulously spooky! I didn't know she wrote children's books too.

No idea why I'm The King of The Castle would put you off reading further? It's an amazing book.

why are you reading other books when you have my malory towers? ?

I got half way through that and threw it in the bin....

If you like I can send it to you when I've finished - should be next week? I'm re-reading it so am happy to pass it on. Get in touch if you'd like me to.

Summer Sparkles - I would have made you the same offer but you beat me to it. ?