One for the women in the audience!!!

[silverysea]

Outlander series (books)

Haven't seen TV series, not sure I want to.

[Yamin151]

Some great ideas there thank you

Off to fire up the kindle and download some samles! Love the kindle for that 'try before you buy' facility.

Thanks again

[Yamin151]

Would highly recommend Elena Ferrante (and have done so on another thread) and her Neapolitan series - not difficult to read and a really absorbing story about the friendship between two girls as they grow up in early 20C Southern Italy. There are 4 books, starting with My Brilliant Friend. She's been a bit of a cult figure but no longer, I fear - Elena Ferrante fans are this week's Modern Tribe in the Guardian!

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... ern-tribes" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Heard about this on Womans hour the other day. Hasn't Elena Ferrante kept herself very much away from any publicity?

[Yamin151]

I really didn't like the Khaled Hosseini books, although i attempted each one whilst trying not to carry over my dislike of the previous one. I found his characters to be poorly constructed and rather cariacture-like. The plots tried too hard to be shocking, when less may have been more in this instance.
The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth was quite an enjoyable read.

Won't bother with the Hosseini books then! Kind of wondering why you kept reading another when you didn't enjoy them? Isn't life to short to make yourself finish a book you don't enjoy?

The Secrets of Midwives I will take a look at!

[Yamin151]

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

+1 and The Kite Runner.

JD

Agree, I love both of those books too, but they are quite harrowing?
Recommend 'the little coffe shop of kabul' for a good summer read along with 'the tea planter's wife'.
Not at all romance, but one of the most gripping books I have read in the last few years is 'I am pilgrim'. Not for the faint hearted, but deals with many storylines interwoven into one page turner of a book.

Oh I read the Tea Planeters Wife and enjoyed it.

[Yamin151]

Tracy Chevalier books are always good

Didn't she write the one about american quilters? I like the sound of that

[Yamin151]

One from the man in the audience.I see mills and boon are still alive and kicking !!!

Absolutely not! No interest in what my mum referred to as "the penny dreadfuls"!!

Why if I don't want to read Proust must it mean I'm brainless and only want rubbish pot boilers? I admit to light, not intellectual, but I did say intelligent!!

It was only a tongue in cheek comment and no inferences were intended or suggested and got its expected short thrift.

Apparently they have a loyal readership of over three million in the UK.

Perhaps I should run some Barbara Cartland?

[silverysea]

Remarkable creatures by Tracy chevalier about fossil hunters, really good!

[yoyo123]

Second that!

[rimjhimm100]

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

+1 and The Kite Runner.

JD

Agree, I love both of those books too, but they are quite harrowing?
Recommend 'the little coffe shop of kabul' for a good summer read along with 'the tea planter's wife'.
Not at all romance, but one of the most gripping books I have read in the last few years is 'I am pilgrim'. Not for the faint hearted, but deals with many storylines interwoven into one page turner of a book.

I am reading 'I am Pilgrim' right now and find it really good. Like you say, definitely not for light reading....gripping!