best book

[spanner7853]

I'm interested to know what everyones favourite recent book has been lately. I read anything. The last book I read was The Girls which was quite easy to read. I want something that will pull me in from the beginning and wont be able to put down. I'm going on holiday this weekend so I want something good but not too bulky.

[fairkatrina]

Whatever your age I don't think you can go wrong with a Harry Potter, they really are a great read, and you can get versions with grown-up covers, so you don't look too grim. If they're not your cup of tea a collection of Roald Dahl short stories (for adults) are good, as macarbe as his children's books but all about sex, drugs and murder. If you want comedy with a difference get Bill Bryson's "Notes from a Small Island", which is hilarious; or if you want to lose yourself in history, comedy, romance and tragedy then I can't recommend "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" highly enough - I'd suggest starting at chapter 3, because the first 2 are hard work and not really relevant to the plot.

[spanner7853]

fairkatrina thanks for that. I'll dig out Harry Potter as I have some but never read them.

[mightywease]

Here are a few of my recent favourites

"Sovereign" by CJ Sansom is a historical mystery - full of detail, very interesting and a good old read.

"A Delicate Balance" by Rohinton Mistry - a heartbreakingly beautiful novel. The kind that never leaves you

I have recently started "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova - about a quarter of the way through and really enjoying it so far

[spanner7853]

my friend has just got the Soverign and says it's very good. I tried the Historian but couldn't get into it at all.

[cookiee69]

ascent by jed mercurio
the widow and her hero by thomas keneally
the raw shark texts by steven hall.
hae reviewed all these this year for national newspapers nd they are all excellent

and if you haven't read te time traveller's wife you are in for a special treat

[loulou06]

ive just read the secret history by donna tartt. a very unusal book because the ending is given right at the start and then the rest of the book details the run up to that conclusion. so i was hooked from the start wanting to know why the thing at the beginning had happened (am i making any sense???) great book, would definately recommend.

[tickledtrout]

The Book Thief -Markus Zuzak
Little Face-Sophie Hannah
Grave Doubts-Elizabeth Corley
Birds without Wings-Louis De Berniere
Looking Good Dead-Peter James

I was disappointed in the historian as well, have been looking at The Girls would it be a good holiday book?

[AliFlump]

ive just read Falling Leaves, its an autobiography by a Chinese woman who was born in the 1940's and he parents didnt appreciate her. Its very good i would highly recommend it.

Also I love Harry Potter books. Peter Kays book is great too

[EngTeach]

I read and loved My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. In fact I loved it so much I am teaching it to my 12th grade classes. It sucks you in immediately, and has an ending that left me speechless. (As a teacher, this is quite a feat)

I also read one of her others and am waiting for her newest book -19 1/2 minutes- to come out in paperback.

Enjoy.