What are you reading at the moment?

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salem
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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marymary
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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Since I started my holiday I've finished The Tortilla Curtain by T. C. Boyle
This novel from 1995 tells the story of Mexican immigration from the viewpoint of four protagonists. Cándido Rincón and the ironically named América are two Mexicans who enter the United States illegally, dreaming of the good life in their own little house somewhere in California. Delaney and Kyra Mossbacher, have recently moved into a gated community on top of Topanga and by rights these four should never meet but through bad fortune Delaney knocks down Cándido and badly injures him. Cándido won’t go for medical treatment because he is illegal and Delaney gives him $20 as a pay off.

Delaney starts off at the start of the novel as a liberal but as he starts to feel more and more threatened by outside events...



and

The Taxi Driver's Daughter by Julia Darling


Darling’s comedic novel makes us think about the people who pick us up in taxis and drive us to our destinations. What must it be like to be a taxi driver waiting for their next fare? Did they ever have hopes and dreams of being anything else?

Mac is the taxi driver who needs to hold down his job while being solely responsible for two teenage girls – sensible Stella and out of control Caris – because his wife gets sent to prison for stealing one shoe and then using it to attack the police officer who tries to arrest her afterwards. Mac is not best pleased when his mother-in-law moves in to “help” as she is not the sharpest tool in the box and she likes her TV, fags and a drink.


I'm in the middle of Cassandra by Christa Wolf. The first one I was sent was in German which was no good to me... :?
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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Lot of books with names like "The taxi driver's daubghter" The Time Travelor's Wife, The Historian's daughter and I'm sure there are a few more.

I've got to do a reiview of "The Fall of Giants" and "The Girl who played with fire". But at the moment I'm reading the last book in the series - The girl who kicked the hornets nest.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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When I closed the last page of the Millennium trillogy I was stuck for a book to read so went in search of one in various places I had noticed wild books (as opposed to the domesticated type that live on shelves) roaming free around the caravan site. I finally found one in the sun lounge of our pavilion which looked slightly girlie but I was desperate so gave it a go. And I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Its "Priestess of the White" by Trudi Canavan. Reading the list of other books by the author I realised that she was the author of another book that I have come across at a book sale, called "The Magicians Guild". I thoroughly enjoyed that, too. Both books are the first in trilogies and it might have been nice if I had come across the second book in the first trilogy, but you cant have everything, can you?
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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Our book for next month's bookclub is Lin Anderson Easy Kill - http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/se ... kill.books
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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Who picks the books? And wouldn't be more interesting to pick books that make you think? I know that you may have to think about whodunnit. But I mean in a deeper more philosophical way?
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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The head librarian picks them. I think he's gone for easy reads over the summer. The rest have been quite eclectic but a local chap caused quite a stooshy one night by saying that part of the reason people who write find it difficult to break through is that libraries often buy their bulk books based on prizes like the Orange rather than on what is good or challenging.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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I wonder if that is true. Begs the question, what are libraries for?
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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I know I said I didn't fancy a murder mystery but I've started reading "Killing floor" by Lee Child. His first book written after being made redundant from his television job in Manchester. Got me enthralled from the start.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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I'm reading Neil Gaiman's Stardust which is an entertaining flight of fancy and, to be frank, had a better sex scene in it than 50. I keep wanting to call it Starburst though...
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

Post by digger »

I've been given quite a few "Condensed Books " re. reader digest type,
just wondering what the general opinion was on these , as in what am I missing . :hide:
One benefit I suppose is that I'll read some novels that normally I wouldn't consider .
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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I like RD when I'm in a waiting room and I guess you'll get the gist of the plot. If you like the summary, you can always explore the longer version at a later date.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

Post by Little John »

I don't see the point, really. I mean if you really like it you'll kick yourself for not reading the unexpurgated version.

This Lee Child book has just gone a bit silly. Ridiculous coincidence. The hero - who stumbled upon this little midwest town by chance, has just discovered that the person he had been accused of murdering was his brother. I'll carry on reading but he has gone down in my estimation.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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50 shags of Gray. Sorry, shades. Well, its there. Not as bad as others have reported - yet.
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Re: What are you reading at the moment?

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Story of O under the pen name Pauline Réage.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/ju ... .features3
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