I have locked the old thread, only because it became long and unwieldy. Of course it can still be read. Here is the new version.Thanks everyone for your valuable contributions as always.

I'm still reading The Mists of Avalon, but I only have about 30 pages to go. After that, I'll be starting The Persimmon Tree by Bryce Courtenay. Several people have told me that it is an excellent read, if a little dark, so I'm giving it a go.

I'm in chapter 4 of "Castle Kidnapped" by John DeChancie it's one of my favorites.

I have just finished John Grisham's latest book, 'The Appeal'. I must say that I didn't find it anywhere near as good as most of his books, the only other of his which I didn't really enjoy was The Painted House.

I'm re-reading the collections of Darkover short stories. Some of my favorites are "Building" and "An Object Lesson".

About a hundren pages into The Persimmon Tree. It is pretty good so far.

The Last Days of Henry VIII
(nonfiction)

I read all day long for professional reasons, but my recreational reading has most recently including the following:

Hugh Kennedy's "The Great Arab Conquests"; Tim Parks' "Cleaver"; and Susan Coll's "Acceptance," a novel about the madness of university applications and admissions in the U.S.

Since I love mystery novels, I ordered Elizabeth George's latest, "Careless in Red," last week. It arrived on Saturday afternoon, and I'm looking forward to starting it tonight, after dinner.

I'm re-reading Luise White's Speaking with Vampires: Rumor and History in Colonial Africa.

I'm reading the first book in the mode series "Virtual Mode" by Piers Anthony.

I'm reading Jeffrey Archer's latest 'A Prisoner of Birth"
Quite good if u enjoy popular fiction,all his books are really good,although they are repeating a few things,but his story and plot still keeps one rooted to one's seat

I am still reading 'The American Civil War' by Shelby Foote. I should say, re reading, for the fifth time. It is a truly massive tome, but every page is totally absorbing. Events, people, all come to life. Nothing is omitted and yet Foote manages to make even the most trite detail entertaining.
I've been so engrossed in it (more than 30 years now) that my wife has promised to treat me to a Civil War battlefield tour, which I believe they run in the States.
Can't wait .

I'm reading "The Odyessey" by Homer... I get the feeling I just spelt that wrong. hmmm :S

I'm almost finished reading "Is Shane MacGowan Still Alive?", by Tim Bradford. It's a very light read, and amusing in places, but it is most definitely not about Shane MacGowan. I would describe this book as a somewhat humorous, but could have been better, travelogue about Ireland. It's been done before.

I just finished The Persimmon Tree. I was really really good, in style of storytelling and actual content - Bryce Courtenay is a legend.

I'm now reading Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks. It set in America 50 years from now, and life as we know it is entirely gone. Almost everyone lives in 'compounds' which have many many people in them. Mutants and Street Kids live on the street. There are once-men wandering around looking to destroy the compounds and kill the humans, for a 'greater cause'

It's very well written.

Someone lent me
The Leper's Bell, by Paul Micou
and I really like his style. I had not read any other work by him, but I am enjoying this, so will be looking. It is about a lawyer who loses his job and on impulse uproots his family to go and work abroad. That's as far as I got, but he makes me want to read on....

I've just started Stealing the Elf-King's Roses by Diane Duane. It's a little complicated for my present brain-dead state, but once school's done I can commit.

Duane's Young Wizards series is also a good read, especially teens and young adults who like fantasy/sci-fi. There are eight books so far, all well-written and with excellent humor. The first is So You Want to be a Wizard.

Finished Armageddon's Children. Great book, but part of a series...which I didn't realise until enar the end. I don't think the rest of the series is out yet.

Now rereading Sepulchure, by Kate Mosse. It switches between two time periods. One of them about a girl in 1891-ish, the other about a woman researching her history in 2007.

I'm still (with more than an occasional lapse) struggling valiantly through the awesome biography "Falconetti" by Hélène Falconetti. I reckon I'll have mastered even amateur-ishly understood French by the time I'm 90...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Harry Potter 7 for those who don't know the full titles of the Harry Potter books.

Yes I know I'm a bit behind but I was reading something else and I don't like reading 2 things at the same time.

The last thing I read was the diary of Sarah Morgan - a Southern woman during the Civil war (that's not the right title though)

I'm having a go at the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. I finished Foundation a couple of days ago and am in the middle of Foundation and Empire.

Almost to the end of a book set in Western Australia called Jack and Harry - set in 1950 about two teenage boys who are falsely accused of theft, and decide to run away rather than face jail - fantastic adventure ranging over much of Australia. Highly recommended.

I just started reading "Loves Come Softly" by Janette Oke.
It is a great book. I'm trying really hard over the years to prepare to try the reading part of the college entrance test to someday pass it. All my life I've had problems with passing the reading part of those tests all through school. So, my goal in life is to someday pass it.
I'm getting so much closer passing it by reading alot. I think I've noticed what the problem is though on the tests. It's the vocabulary words that are causing me to miss the questions.
I notice this site has some quizzes on the book, which I plan to try after finishing the book.
One reason I enjoy the book so much, I love stuff set in the time of "Little House On The Prairie". I read all those books already and I love the show so much.
After finishing "Love Comes Softly", there are like 4 other books that came in the set that my mom ordered me from Amazon and the set arrived the other day.

"All Quiet on the Western Front", Pirsig's "Lila" and Phillip Taubman's "Secret Empire". I usually rotate books. Some of you have mentioned books I have yet to read so I can make a list.

"Secret Empire" is the history of the early beginnings of the CIA and "Lila" is long awaited second of Pirsig who gave us "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". All enjoyable so far.

"Widow of the South". It's a great story so far, and being based on a real person makes it that much better.

"Rumo And His Miraculous Adventures" by Walter Moers. An epic fantasy about a horned dog-wolf, a member of the Wolperting race. Adopted by some dwarves, life is fine until kidnapped by murderous giants and taken to the floating rock on which they live. Shark grub Volzotan Smyke is also held captive there, and soon he and Rumo become friends and their adventures really begin.

Fine storytelling, and I love the mini-stories within the adventures. I'm well over a third of the way through this huge novel and enjoying every page of it.

AmyR2, the best way to build up your vocabulary is to read read read. Try reading things a bit more challenging than you normally do, maybe every third book. It's a lot like working out with weights -you want to push yourself a little, but not too much.

Just starting to read GAP CREEK by Robert Morgan which was a bestseller some time back. Hope it's good!

Just started reading The Baker's Boy by J.V.Jones. I've read it ebfore, and it's really good.

Next I plan to read Carrie by Stephen King. I have it but I've never gotten around to reading it. My friend read it and really liked it, so I'm definitely going to give it a shot.

Maus - By Art Spiegelman, a graphic novel about the holocaust told by an old Jewish survivor to his son. Pretty darn good so far.