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I have just read Breathe and thought it was really poor. 2 stars from me - not up to the usual Abbi Glines standard!

I've just finished Where Angels Fear to Tread. Liked it but not that much. better books to be foud. I have to say though that i've never lover Forster much, so I may be a bit "prejudiced"!!!

I've just finished The Almond Tree. Wow! What a powerful book! I won it in a goodreads giveaway, but I wasn't expecting to be so blown away by it!

Shirley wrote: "I've just finished The Almond Tree. Wow! What a powerful book! I won it in a goodreads giveaway, but I wasn't expecting to be so blown away by it!"

I've put it down on my TBR shelf.
I've just finished Il profumo delle foglie di limone: didn't like it so much ... I'm sorry about that, it was the present for my birthday of my daughter!!!

LauraT wrote: "I've just finished Where Angels Fear to Tread. Liked it but not that much. better books to be foud. I have to say though that i've never lover Forster much, so I may be a bit "prejudiced"!!!"

I plan on reading his A Room with a View this month (it is one off the Guardian's list). Given your comment, I guess that I won't love it...

I loved the Ivory film of A Room with a View, but never read the book. I could give Forster a secon chance, but if you waitn for me: going to the seaside this coming friday, I won't start it before first week in September

LauraT wrote: "I loved the Ivory film of A Room with a View, but never read the book. I could give Forster a secon chance, but if you waitn for me: going to the seaside this coming friday, I won't start it befor..."

Sure I can wait. Too many books, not enough time :)

Ok then: we have our first readalong: from sept 15 Laura and Leslie are reading A Room with a View: we'll have to post it in the right discussion; I see if I can manage!

I have just read, Rebecca. It was a wonderful read. It's interesting, because there isn't a lot of action but you become really engrossed in the story. I would highly recommend it. Has anyone read any other Daphne DuMaurier they would recommend?

Rebecca is a must!!!!

Gemma wrote: "I have just read, Rebecca. It was a wonderful read. It's interesting, because there isn't a lot of action but you become really engrossed in the story. I would highly recommend it. Has anyone read ..."

I've read Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek. Both are good - would like to read more though...

Maybe one of her books could be a group read one month??

Just read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I got involved with this 'story' straight away and anyone who loves all things Gatsby/Fitzgerald will love it. told from F Scott Fitzgeralds wifes POV and done in a remarkably realistic way could be a biography and certainly an eye opener. Loved it.

Tracey wrote: "Just read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I got involved with this 'story' straight away and anyone who loves all things Gatsby/Fitzgerald will love it. told from F Scott Fitzgeralds wifes POV and d..."

Sounds good; I have just added this to my to-read list.

Gemma wrote: "Maybe one of her books could be a group read one month??"

Why not!!!!

Shirley wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Just read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I got involved with this 'story' straight away and anyone who loves all things Gatsby/Fitzgerald will love it. told from F Scott Fitzgeralds ..."

Yes, let's bear this in mind when we have the poll for the October fiction read!

I've just finished The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs and it was okay. There were some great ideas but they just weren't very well executed. I love vampire novels but I just wish that they weren't so predictable. I want a book where the female character is a strong female character one who revels in her independence and doesn't wait to be rescued. The other book I've just read is As Time Goes By by Lyn Andrews. Lyn Andrews is my guilty pleasure after reading most of her books they can get predictable but it's a nice predictable.

Gemma wrote: "Maybe one of her books could be a group read one month??"

I would love to have My Cousin Rachel or The Parasites by du Maurier as a monthly read!

Leslie wrote: "Gemma wrote: "Maybe one of her books could be a group read one month??"

I would love to have My Cousin Rachel or The Parasites by du Maurier as a monthly read!"

I was thinking about My Cousin Rachel

I'd like to read My Cousin Rachel.

Yes I'd like to reread "My Cousin Rachel" too. Or "The Scapegoat" - or how about "The House on the Strand" - that's really unusual for Daphne du Maurier as it's SF and a very good read.

Jean wrote: "Yes I'd like to reread "My Cousin Rachel" too. Or "The Scapegoat" - or how about "The House on the Strand" - that's really unusual for Daphne du Maurier as it's SF and a very good read."

Oh Du Maurier as a monthly read sounds good. It might spur me on. My Cousin Rachel, The Scapegoat or House on the Strand, would be my choices too.

Tracey wrote: "Just read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I got involved with this 'story' straight away and anyone who loves all things Gatsby/Fitzgerald will love it. told from F Scott Fitzgeralds wifes POV and d..."

I've had this out from the library for months now. Other books have been getting in the way of reading it. Definitely my next read though! Have you read any biographies on The Fitzgeralds? They're an interesting couple!

Katie wrote: "Tracey wrote: "Just read Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald I got involved with this 'story' straight away and anyone who loves all things Gatsby/Fitzgerald will love it. told from F Scott Fitzgeralds ..."

I haven't Katie but all things Fitzgerald are right up my street at the moment so may have a look at one. I hope you enjoy 'Z' would be interested to know your thoughts.

Currently reading And The Mountains Echoed - and I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Maggie wrote: "Currently reading And The Mountains Echoed - and I wholeheartedly recommend it."

I've got this on my kindle, but have a logjam of books to read, so not sure when I'll get round to it.

Maggie wrote: "Currently reading And The Mountains Echoed - and I wholeheartedly recommend it."

It's on my TBR shelf!!! It was one book we were thinking for this monthly read, but we were afraid it was not ouot in paperback yet!

LauraT wrote: "Ok then: we have our first readalong: from sept 15 Laura and Leslie are reading A Room with a View: we'll have to post it in the right discussion; I see if I can manage!"

I do hope you enjoy A Room with a View as it's one of my favourites. It's much more optimistic than Where Angels Fear to Tread. One of EM Forster's other great novels is A Passage to India- one I can read again and again - so don't be put off Forster if you didn't like Where Angels Fear to Tread.

Just finished And The Mountains Echoed (Khaled Hosseini) - what a fantastic book, absolutely brilliant!

Maggie wrote: "Just finished And The Mountains Echoed (Khaled Hosseini) - what a fantastic book, absolutely brilliant!"

I am so excited to read this book! I am just waiting for my friend to get back to Karachi with my signed copy!

Wow - a signed copy. He is such a fantastic story teller.

I've just read Going Out by Scarlett Thomas. I've read all her others and liked most of them. I think I liked this one the best as it is set where I'm from, Essex, and that really resonated with me. I'd recommend it, although the synopsis on the cover is accurate, it's deeper than it sounds while still being an easy read.

Joy wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Ok then: we have our first readalong: from sept 15 Laura and Leslie are reading A Room with a View..."

I do hope you enjoy A Room with a View as it's one of my favourites. It's much more optimistic than Where Angels Fear to Tread. One of EM Forster's other great novels is A Passage to India- one I can read again and again - so don't be put off Forster if you didn't like Where Angels Fear to Tread. ..."

Oh good! I liked A Passage to India when I read it in school ages ago.

Just finished A Glove Shop in Vienna and Other Stories: I really loved it! To be recomanded!

I just finished reading Beloved by Toni Morrison. Very graphic and heartwrenching but highly recommended.

Rowena wrote: "I just finished reading Beloved by Toni Morrison. Very graphic and heartwrenching but highly recommended."

I loved it when I read it, now some years ago!

I do agree re Beloved - excellent book.

I just finished A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler - 4 1/2 stars. This is a classic thriller (written in 1939) but not big on action (although the ending is quite suspenseful) so it won't be to everyone's taste. I found the view of spies and drug-runners in the 1920s from Istanbul to Greece, Switzerland, Bulgaria, ending up in France quite fascinating.

I've just read Pawn of Prophecy which was a disappointment. Too unorigional and not written as well as other and better fantasy. It wasn't helped by the fact that I'd just read The City and the City which was fantastic !

I've just read The Unconsoled and I found it baffling.

I read Everneath not long ago, if you are into myth retellings you might like this one.

Maggie wrote: "I do agree re Beloved - excellent book."


Yes, it's brilliant :)

I've just finished Swimming Home by Deborah Levy, which I started and finished on a train journey from Eastborne to Birmingham - so I think that shows how much I liked it!

I'm not overly sure how to describe it, it's one of those books where not an awful lot happens in terms of plot, but it really got under the skin of all the characters, presenting them as real people with real flaws. It was so well written I just had to keep reading, so am definitely going to have to check out some more of the authors work soon.

Alannah wrote: "I read Everneath not long ago, if you are into myth retellings you might like this one."

The blurb sounds a bit like the old TV show "Charmed"... is it a retelling of the Persephone myth?

I just finished Casual Lies-A Triple Crown Adventure by Shelley Lee Riley. Being a horse racing fan, I enjoyed it. It's about the horse who finished 2nd in the 1992 Kentucky Derby, written by his trainer. An interesting behind the scenes look at a horse and his connections through the Triple Crown.

I just finished Jan Wong's China: Reports From A Not-So-Foreign Correspondent and enjoyed it. Jan writes with humour and insight. She seems to understand the Chinese people.
In this book, she tells a little bit about China during Mao's Cultural Revolution (from the people's point of view and their thoughts) and the changes that China went through during the 1990s, after Mao's death, as it opened up to the West and values started to change. It's all told from the people's points of views and in a chatty way. Some issues are humorous; some are rather dark.

Leslie wrote: "Alannah wrote: "I read Everneath not long ago, if you are into myth retellings you might like this one."

The blurb sounds a bit like the old TV show "Charmed"... is it a retelling of the Persephon..."

That's what I thought too, it is the Persephone myth. I'd like to try more to see how different authors handle the myth and how they contrast to each other.

Elaine wrote: "I've just read Pawn of Prophecy which was a disappointment. Too unorigional and not written as well as other and better fantasy. It wasn't helped by the fact that I'd just read The City and the Cit..."

Elaine, I read those David Eddings books years ago, I do remember that they became rather formulaic (everyone seemed to raise a quizzical eyebrow) but they were also fun to read...

I finished Sharp Objects yesterday. It might as well be my favourite Gillian Flynn novel, even though I was quite unsure of whether I was going to like it or not at first.

Akylina wrote: "I finished Sharp Objects yesterday. It might as well be my favourite Gillian Flynn novel, even though I was quite unsure of whether I was going to like it or not at first."

Excellent book - have you read Gone Girl yet? I still have Dark Places -maybe next read.