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Hmmmm I was wondering who was going to mention 50 shades. All the ladies at the book group were twittering about it. I had a look on amazon, it has one of those "look inside" features. Of course there were no rude bits (shame!) but the few pages I read were very unappealing, the writing style is so cheesy and like those old B movie narratives (the modern equivalent of "I was in a downtown bar when some dame showed up and sure hit me for six") so I will be giving it a wide berth.
Hello to jilljohnson, thanks for your post, I have a Lee Child novel to read on my shelves, it was given to me but your enthusiasm has inspired me!
Ha ! ok thanks for the tips Rudimentary Mary. Thank goodness the samples are free. Louise ! I didn't know there were any 'rude bits' in it 
A certain supermarket has it on discount; so I thought I'd download samples before giving them my cash..will let you know...
Hey guys, there's a really good article in Book Review @ last Saturday's Guardian re:Fifty Shades and eroctica in general...interesting read. There's a 'guess which book this was taken from' with extracts from other 'respectable' reads...check it out if you can
AHA The Phoenix. I will tell you the most unexpected person who puts rude bits in his books: Alan Titchmarsh.
Hi everyone,
I have just started to read 50 shades of gray, to see what everyone is talking and going on about,as there is mixed reviews all over the papers and magazines.
I even went into the hairdresses and the hairdresser is lovely and said she has just started reading what she thought was a romatic love story of one mans obsession with the love of his life. I laughed as she told me about the erotic love story it turned out to be, how she can't read at lunch or on the bus because of the affect it has on her lol,
I asked her so what is this book called? 50 Shades of Gray, but for some reason she couldn't but it down.
I said to her you soft thing thats why its been called mummy porn lol
well here I am, I just had to read it so downloaded the trillage onto my reader.
what I think of it so far is: It is a good read, It has humour and leaves you wanting to no the next chaptor. Although I have only Just stared the book. I'm really enjoying reading it, I think it is intresting, funny, down to earth and easy to read.
I will keep posted on how the book is going.
LOL they say that more people are reading it as it is not obvious on their Kindle..
Hmm Louise, not a Titmarch fan but will check him out ....tonight? haha might give me nightmares.
Finished my assignments Yay! so can indulge..what shall I read?
Just asked you whether you'd finished on the 'Crazy Crushes' thread - well done you! Have you got that end of term 'rush' I used to get?!
With the greatest respect to ange, if you are a lover of a good book, don't worry yourself with 50 Shades...I'm just going to peruse my bookshelves for some recommendations for you. Will post again in a tick!
Back again...I'm a huge fan of the post war novel (old fashioned but with a 'new world' feel about them - wrote my dissertation on the genre as it goes!) so I would wholeheartedly recommend anything at all by Stan Barstow or John Braine. Have just pulled a random/eclectic selection from my bookcase that I really got my teeth into...The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman, which is a historical drama about a prostitute set in Sunderland; Trumpet by Jackie Kay, which is a stunning book about a jazz trumpeter who lived her life as a man & for a really lighthearted, fun read I'd go for How Stella Got Her Groove Back by Terry McMillan. This last book is a real summer read, about an American single mum who takes a trip to Jamaica & what happens there...
Whatever you decide to read ThePhoenix, enjoy 
Yes, had that last minute end of term hair-pulling session...but all done now. Thank God!!
Wow! Really 'ppreciate your recommendations. Can't wait. Like the sound of the last one a lot. Look forward 
Thanks a lot.
If you like war or post war story's 'The House in South Road by Joyce Storey' is good i liked it because it is a true story and based in Bristol and reminded me of the stories my nan tells about what it was like during the war.
Oooh I have read that Sally too, I loved it! Especially when you recognise how things were for women, such a short time ago. She wasn't able to make a doctors appointment, was she, her husband had to make it for her. Thats why so many women had so many health problems, because if the husband didn't think it was bad enough, he wouldn't trouble the doctor.
Thank goodness for living in the 21st Century, with some of the story's of our ex partners, our lives would have been a million times worse. (Or perhaps we would have made better choices, who knows!!
)
Reading Love, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair - haven't finished it yet but enjoying it
I love Jenny Eclair!
Am reading a book called The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall, very very good so far
Hi,
I love light reading which isn't too taxing. I love the escapism from life! I love maeve binchy and Marian Keyes.
I have been curious about the hype of 50 shades of Gray. Its not my normal genre to be honest and I have found reading this book quite emotional. I'm not quite sure yet if the story line is solely for the purpose of writing an erotic novel or if it is deeper than that and is an actual insight into the mind of a control freak...maybe both!!
A friend of mine started reading 50 shades, but she put it down. Personally I have not read the book, so I really shouldn't comment, but from what my friend was saying, I really dont think I want to, it sounds horrific. The fact that the young girl who is victimised is a virgin, so therefore these are her first experiences of sexuality and what a terrible way to experience something that is supposed to be loving, caring and mutual respect for 2 people. This just makes me feel sad.
Also TV programmes have now been on saying that many women fantasise about being raped. This in itself is now telling society that it is a fact. However I think any woman who has actually been assaulted sexually would not wish for a repeat experience and I feel it sends such a bad message out.
OK rant over.
High five, Anna!
I went to book club last night and the facilitator asked if anyone had read it, there was a general twittering. I said that I felt quite unsure about it....that I had worked with a number of people over the years who had been sexually abused and with many women in abusive relationships and my concern was that this book just contributed to endorsing these. Everyone shuffled around and agreed in a mumbly sort of way.
Hurrah, I found the book thread! I'm a huge reader, love it! Did have a kindle, but my sister borrowed it, and broke it! 
For those that mentioned books being expensive, you should check out www.readitswapit.co.uk You list the books you no longer want, and swap for new (2nd hand) books, and all it costs is the postage to send your book to the other person, which depending on the size of the book, averages about £2! Great website!
I've recently read some fab books! The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud, (was a Richard and Judy pick a few years back) was lovely!
Linda Gillard is my current fave author though, some of her books are only available on Kindle sadly, so those averse to the new tech won't be able to get them, but for those with a kindle, I highly recommend her, most of her books are only a couple of pounds on kindle, and well worth it!!
Also, for those with kindles, you might want to check out www.ereaderiq.com, it lists all the free kindle books, you can search for books within a certain price range, and you can set books on the price tracker, and it'll tell you when the price goes down on them!
Looking forward to chatting on this section more!
Nat
Oooh, thanks for the tips and links Natsplatt. Much as I love the small and feel of the page, I have to be able to afford them as ££ is real tight now and I read loads...
Currently reading Head Over Heel by Chris Harrison - just a very light read to pass the time...the trials and tribulations of following your girl to live in Italy. Set in Southern Italy - somewhere I would love to visit..Like I said; it's no literary triumph by a huge margin. Just fun.
Happy reading!
Great links I agree, especially the swap it one!
I got into the habit of passing on books after I had read them to friends and telling them to pass them on after. This was great, a few of us got into it, but then last year, I really wanted to re-read one of them (this doesn't happen very often) anyway she had passed it on (as I had told her!!) and we couldn't follow the trail!
Hehe, ...now I tend to keep more and more as my kids are avid readers too and some of the books I read are too 'interesting' to pass on
Hi everyone, its good to see how many avid readers are out there, i love reading books, espically with my little one, he loves all the beatrix potter stories and thomas the tank engines. As for me, i mainly enjoy reading fantasy and sci fi books, by authors like terry prachett and terry brooks, anything that takes alot of imagination to picture the world they are creating as they create worlds that can last for 20-30 books each and not be repetitive. I also enjoy reading Kathy Reichs as i find crime novels that have romance in them interesting.
Currently reading books by Trudi Canavan, she is a relatively new author into the fanatasy world. My mum has recommended reading Patricia Cornwall and Virgina Andrews as well as they are apparently really good. may have to borrow those books from her.
My favorite book of all time is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, have a habit of reading it around christmas, this year i am going to try and read it to my son, a chapter each time before bed instead of his other books. I used to read to my nieces all the time when they lived here, they loved a book by Charmaine Hussey called The Valley of Secrets which was about a boy who inherits his family home after he is put in an orphange after his parents die, its a really lovely story,
Ooh what an interesting list of things, spanish gothic. I am a bit of a Dickens geek 
I have recently read two books:
"The Woman Before Me" by Ruth Dugdale, about a woman in prison for an alleged arson attack on the home of her partner's ex, the story unfolds in a really clever fashion and is about a probation officer preparing a recommendation as to whether she is released, it is a rel page-turner.
"Into the Darkest Corner" by Elizabeth Haynes, a new writer. Might be a bit near the knuckle for some people as it deals with a woman recovering from a very abusive and violent relationship and who suffers OCD as a result. Excellent.
Just reviving this thread as we have been talking about reading on the other thread.
Anyone read any good books to talk about?
The best book I've read in a long time: The hundred year old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared
It is fantastic!
Always wondered about that one...good to know.
I've been going through Diane Chamberlain's - The Midwife's Confession. A fascinating window into America's social care...then and how it came to be.
Diane Chamberlain has other fiction works which I have also found entertaining.
Oh goody, some more tips. Hopeful my friend loved that book. Hello The Phoenix, not heard of Diane Chamberlain so will have a look. Do you watch the "Call the Midwife" series on TV?
I have just read a young adult book called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. It was very good, and easy to read. Currently reading a book called "Sisterwives" about a religious community where a chap has just married a second wife (permitted in their faith) and the implications for all concerned
No I haven't watch anything for yonks..:( I will definitely check out Miss P's H for P C. Sisterwives sounds like that series about the same thing that might not have made it here to the UK...uuugghh..not making any sense here I know . Am in a hurry as this laptop is needed for homework.
Catch y'all later
I recently read Little Coffee shop in Kabul, 5 very different women, coping with life in Afghanistan - loved it!
I read that too, Anna. It was written in a very chatty fashion, and felt to me like sitting round with a cuppa finding out about all the women's lives!
Also recently read Jeannette Winterson's "Why be happy when you could be normal?" The first half of the book is a wry look at her adoptive mum and her dreadful childhood experiences. These are related without bitterness. The second half of the book deals with her search for her birth mother and the emotions involved. Excellent.
I'm reading 'Tuesday with Morrie' bit by bit everytime I have a bath... I don't have many.
It's realy very good : )
I've not heard of that Bubblegum, can you give us a brief synopsis please?
A chap goes back to visit his old college professor who is slowly dying in bed from ASL (I may have got that wrong) its the same disease that One of Eddy Van Halens guitarists got, I think, but basicaly he is slowly withering away, loosing the functions of his muscles till one day he will not be able to breath.
Its a biography, so all true, but Morrie was a philosophy lecturer and so every Tuesday they talk about life and such.
The author is coming to realise that there is more to life the the materialistic that our culture tries to tell us is important and that the most important thing is love and family.
Basically :)
Sorry you aren't managing to have as many baths as you would like, Bubblegum...
The book sounds interesting bubblegum.
My recent read is called Flora and Grace by Maureen Lee, starts during the war where a mother gives up her child to save him and changes the life of the young women that she gives the child to, so far have been plenty of lows and highs and am now nearing the end.
ThePhoenix! I prefer showers.
My kids will say nothing to me for hours and then as soon as I leave the computer room (where we all generaly sit) and get into a nice warm relaxing bath, they are both in and out asking me questions. It's like as soon as I get in sit back turn the first page, it's daaaaad.
Next to my bath there is The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which I have been trying to read since I was in my twenties and also Don Quixote, another book I've been trying to read on and off for years, both are rather dog eared, I have had many copies of them in my life and I am determined to read them both before I die : )
Ha ha good luck with that bubblegum!
I have Catch 22 waiting for me to read, also the Dice Man - got so far into that, but really didn't feel I needed to go any further.
Catch 22 is one of my all time favourit books... and films! Quite often my nom de plume is Yossarian :)
I watched that film with my dad when I was very young, it was open air on the back of the squash court wall in the British Embassy in Jedda in maybe 1972 I remember all the insects flying about the projector attracted by the light : )
You must read it!
Ok Ok I hear you! I must read it! I didn't know it had been made into a film as well! Can i just watch the film instead?
Here's what I think Bubblegum (for what it's worth)...ditch The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, already...it hasn't taught you to lock the bathroom door yet...mine tend to fight when I'm in the bathroom, so yeah, now baths for the wicked (parents, I mean)..
Read the Great Gatsby last month. Recommend it ; now to watch the movie...I find it hard to watch the films before I read the books. I guess I feel I ought to read first, then watch it. But there's something to be said when you can hear the actors and imagine the scenes when you are reading...
Yeah, I have those 'must read before I exit this universe'-s too... At one point I thought that life is too short to struggle with a book after about 3-4 attempts. That was Sophie's Choice for me. Still haven't read it. Give yourselves a pat on the back for the ones you have read...
Why anyone would want to read 'Sophie's Choice' is a mystery to me - the theme is so so so horrible.
I have a list of things to read, too - apart from the stack by my bed that I am hoping to wade through by the end of the year... I think Catch 22 is on the list :)
I tried Sophie's Choice - twice - never got into it, can't even remember what it is about!
It's about a Jewish mother who is being deported by the Nazis and she is only allowed to take one of her children (she has two) :-(
I don't know the outcome - I find the whole idea so upsetting. But I think it's a true story.
Oh goodness, that does sound really upsetting, how dreadful to be put in that position.
I have just finished reading a book called 'Y'. I have no idea why I bought it, it is actually a really sad story about adoption. It was written well, but I found that it made me feel blue.
I need something bright and cheery next! Currently reading one of my daughters books by John Green, who she likes a lot, until I have another one lined up!
I have just read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Very strange but very good, it is written for teens. There seems to have been an increase in books for this age group (I am thinking The Hunger Games in particular)
Currently reading a book called Sisterwives, about a community where men can marry more than one wife, I had thought it was a particular religion but in fact it is a community who have rejected the national religion and set up their own town. It's very chatty in style so am not sure how dark it will get, at the moment the new wife has just found out one of the community is still maintaining contact with the town and the establishment so she is investigating whether that means that person is a bit of a spy.
"Miss Peregrine's...is soo soo scaryyy.." - review by one of my kids. (13 yrs)
Yes, I have read one of John Green's too (The Faults in Our Stars) - it was gut wrenching! I'm an ex health care professional but found it was so traumatic. Still she raves about that one and would like to read more by him. Think I'm too traumatised by John Green though.Which one did you read, Anna? Glad to hear I'm not the only one who reads her children's books
I need something light and cheerful too. I've just feasted on 2 (!) books this fortnight. That is a luxury for me but I'm ready to give it a bit of a rest - literally. Up till 1 and 2 in the morning is a bit tiring..
Ooh yes, the Phoenix, when there is a good book on the go it is hard to put it down. I once worked in an office and was so keen on what I was reading that I kept popping to the Ladies to read a couple of chapters because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next, everyone must have thought I had a tummy upset, haha.
Ever since Harry Potter there has been more of a tendency for adults to read children's books, hasn't there?
I used to work in a credit card factory in Byfleet Surry, one of the jobs was to run a printer that you basicaly put a box on one end pressed a button and then half an hour later took the box off the other end all printed and ready to move to another machine... I read many books while I worked there : )
It was called a Vision printer.
Didn't need to nip to the toilet.
*jealous*
I'm a great believer in making the most of opportunities, however!
I've read the first of the '50 Shades' trilogy ThePhoenix, and I have to say I'm among the few who weren't sold. I found it badly written, repetitive and with the most unlikeable female protagonist I've ever encountered! But that's just my opinion - you might love it. Let us know what you think of the samples - when you get chance to read them!