What are you reading at the moment

I too loved the book*Ganja*, but am put off the film as it had such bad reviews. Is it worth seeing?

Greenmoss, I loved Italian Soes, glad you didn't give up. I am now reading 'Pure' by Andrew Miller, set in Paris in 1785 and the clearance of an old cemetery. It's very good and makes for interesting reading.
Read a terrific review in the Observer yesterday, 'The expats' by Christ Pavone. Housewife, mother of two and expert spy!!! I have just ordered it from the library.

GoldenGran Yes, I think so. Of course it can't possibly cover all the complexity of the book, and I found Tom Hanks thoroughly unsympathetic, but I did enjoy it. The boy was marvellous. I often find I like films the critics are dismissive of, perhaps I am easily pleased, but that is quite a nice thing to be! On the other hand I do find some of the much praised ones pretentious rubbish.

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley- a reworking of the King Lear story from the daughters' point of view. Very compelling.

Just about to start Complicit by Nicci French, which has been recommended to me by a friend.

Just started The Warmth of your Heart stops Your Body from Rusting. Hope it works!!!

I am reading Desperate Remedied by Thomas Hardy. I used to love Hardy as a teenager - all that gloom and tragedy - and Tess is still one of my very favourite books. It took me a little while to get into this one but I am thoroughly enjoying it, and finding it rather surprising. Less than halfway in yet though, but at that lovely stage where I can't wait to get into bed to read a bit more!

Just got it on my Kindle Nightowl. Free!

Going to bed to start it! Thanks!

Have just finished "Complicit" Carol and, while not in my top 10, it was a reasonable read. (Just my opinion!)

Thanks syberia. I started reading it in bed on my Sony eReader, and each time it jumps from before to after, I have to change the font size. I can't say it's gripped me yet, but I'm only a couple of chapters in.

I've just finished reading The Painted Veil by W Somerset Maugham.
Wonderful.

Hope you will enjoy it jingl. According to the introductory notes it was a 'sensation novel' , more in the style of Wilkie Collins, and not like the polished Hardy of later novels. Apparently some complained that there was 'too much plot'!! Let's see if it becomes annoying.

Not started reading it yet but I've just had Revenge of the Tide by Elizabeth Haynes delivered on my kindle, I had it on pre-order as I enjoyed her first book 'Into the darkest corner'. This one is ''A taut and gripping murder mystery''

I`m almost at the end of Dead Ringer, by Mary Burton, and I must say, it`s been rather good. Never read her before, will look out for more now.

Thanks jingle hadn't realised that the Thomas Hardy's were free for kindle; just downloaded five!

Just finished 'Me before You' by JoJo Moyes - gripping, I could not put it down. I've now started 'Night Train to Lisbon' by Pascal ? (I've forgotten!). Different type of book altogether, translated from the German - watch this space!

Sorry. Was put off Hardy by Tess at a very young age. Have no inclination to retry!
Too old to be into tragedy and sorrow. I see emough in real life. I want to be entertained and escape on real life!
I think I'll go back to avatar land!

I have just got through Joanna Trollope's Daughters in Law. Not a bad idea, but very typical of all her other work. Everybody speaks in her novels with the same voice. Only the context tells you who is speaking. Her prose is sometimes tortuous and sentences too long for their own good. So, as I say, the theme is promising, the execution questionable - in my opinion. But please let me never be accused of being the kind of control freak that the dreadful mother-in-law is in this story! And thank goodness I cut the apron strings from my sons at an early age.

Next to Love Just read and thoroughly enjoyed. I really felt I was there in small town America during the 40s and 50s.

I am reading Ike by Michael Korda. I knew nothing about the man and Korda's books are very readable. I have also read Hero, his biography of TE Lawrence. My guilty pleasure is thrillers - Lee Child, Jo Nesbo and John Lutz.
I heard the other day that the use of kindles and iPads for reading has seen a big growth in the sales of erotic fiction. In the USA an erotic book is the number one seller. It's because no one can see what you are reading!

I have nearly finished Capital by John Lanchester (on my not very erotic Kindle) and will be really pleased when the ordeal is over. The characters (most of whom live in Pepys Road, London) are too one-dimensional for my taste (rather like the characters in the latest TV series of Upstairs Downstairs). I would love to care desperately about one or two of them but it just hasn't happened.

Also there is some sloppy, repetitive writing and Lanchester has a penchant for "looking out the window" or "going out the room" (American style) instead of "looking out of .." and "going out of..."

I don't want to give up on the book however because it is possible the author will soon reveal who has been upsetting the Pepys Road residents with increasingly intimidating anonymous postcards and parcels.

A really good 'whodunnit' is in order next I think. Any suggestions?

Jack, I`d recommend anything by Jo Nesbo, Karen Rose or Karin Slaughter. Also, I`ve just finished a good `un, by Mary Burton, Dead Ringers.
Am just starting Snapshot, by Craig Robertson, a thriller set in Glasgow. If it`s anything like the books by Stuart McBride, it`ll be OK.

Thank you so much Numberplease. I shall heed your advice.

Have just finished Occupational Hazards . Rory Stewart is one of those extraordinarily charismatic characters that this country throws up from time to time. In the aftermath of the war he was sent, aged 30, as governor of one of the southern provinces of Iraq. His account of his time there is blackest farce in places, but a real eye-opener as to the task we are up against in trying to impose democracy on a tribal society.

Now to Joanna Trollope........!

Carol and Syberia, is Complicit a new Nicci French book? I love their books - read all of them so far. (Don't think I recognise the title?)
At moment reading Helen Dunmore's The Siege. About the siege of Leningrad - very, very good indeed.