"Heads in Beds - a reckless memoir of hotels, hustles, and so-called hospitality" Jacob Tomsky.

Lots of fun, with tips on how to get an upgrade and how to avoid a key-bomb. This would be a fun read in any case, but the man can write, which makes it even better.

"American Savage" by Dan Savage.

I'm a fan of Savage - I've been reading columns and blog, and listening to his podcast, for years. So there's nothing much new here for me - I've heard all these arguments and most of these stories before. For those of you not familiar with him, who have maybe just heard the name and that he's somewhat controversial, this is a good overview of who he is and what he has to say. If you are offended by strong language and strong opinions, this is not the book for you.

Kingfishers Catch Fire
by Rumer Godden
Wonderfully described as all her scenes are. This time it is Kashmir and she brings it alive as only she can.
The woman in the story, Sophie ,is at most times really infuriatingly naive, but so clearly described it takes your breath away. This is one of Rumer Godden's that I had missed. I am glad I found it.

I'll look for that one, I like her books.

Just finished "Sunshine Over Scotland Street" by Alexander McCall. Having spent a lot of time in Edinburgh as a young girl when my grandparents were alive I can relate to the life style of middle would be upper class Edinburgh residents. The Scotland Sreet series is written with wonderful dry humour and if you know the city at all it is even better.

I don't go much for crime books but I grabbed 2 special offers at the airport for my journey home.
Really excellent. The writer is Tana French and wow her suspense building skills are just great.
I really enjoyed both
Faithful Place and Broken Harbour. Both set in Ireland, some characters appearing in both and therefore in the other two, I presume. I heartily recommend them.
Speaking of Iain Banks, did you read "The Quarry"Agony? Thats a strange one too, quite disturbing as well but most original like all his stuff. This is his last so even more so.

Not yet, ren - I've only read a couple of his books so far, but will be reading more.

Just finished re reading "Naked Brunch" by Sparkle Hayter (yes, that's her real name. She's from my home town, though you'd never know it by her New York books)

Sweet shy vegetarian office assistant Annie discovers she's a werewolf. This is highly entertaining stuff - a very light touch, likable characters, all the slightly silly bad guys conquered in the end while everybody we like has a happy ending. And the red potato and apple tort with smoked gruyere and walnut topping sounds like a winner!

I've been on a Chuck Palahniuk tear with a couple others scattered in between. I read "Fight Club" a while back, I've been a fan of the movie since it came out. A few differences from the movie, and a good read. I also read "Choke" since I'd seen that movie too. Stayed pretty in line with the movie, and another good read. Read "Survivor" and enjoyed it and now about halfway through "Snuff".

Palahniuk's style and content matter isn't for everyone but it appeals to me, makes me keep the pages turning.

I've also read "Skywalker--Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail" by Bill Walker. It was an entertaining read. It's his first book, and it's obvious he's not a seasoned or talented writer, but the writing is straightforward, honest and down to earth.

"Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed is another I breezed through. This was one of those Oprah books a while back (I didn't know that until I had read it) so might be popular to some. I enjoyed it...another honest, down to earth account of a thru-hiker. It was better written than Skywalker, but I still enjoyed them both immensely.

Have you read Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods"? It's about his trek on the Appalachian Trail.

I'm rereading Sarah Shankman's "Sam Adams" mystery series - it's been at least ten years since I've read them, so it's like the first time. The first two books in the series are pretty standard investigative reporter turns detective, nothing wrong with them but nothing special. By the third book she loosens up a bit, the plots become more outrageous and more fun, and the writing takes off. Seriously charming stuff, light as one of Ida's beignet.

Not yet, but now it's on my list. Thanks for the recommendation. I also have Bill Walker's 2nd book in queue where he hikes the Pacific Crest Trail.

A Walk in the Woods is one of my favourites! I hope you can get your hands on a copy, Pyonir. Actually I would recommend any Bill Bryson

Yep BB rules for sure! I defy anyone to read them without laughing out loud.

I read A Walk in the Woods years ago and loved it! I wish I knew where the book was now. I'd re-read it.

Reading "A Walk..." right now and I can confirm laughs out loud.

For some reason I keep picturing Bryson and Katz as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, actors from a couple of my favorite movies "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" (among other movies they've made together). Really, that only makes it funnier.

Well, that will be the image of the two of them I carry from now on, too - perfect.

"A Walk in the Woods" was a good read. Thanks for the recommendation again, agony. A little less about the hiking itself than I expected, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It did make me look up more info about Centralia, Pennsylvania...what a crazy little side story. I'd never heard of it before, but found it fascinating.

Just finished "Wave" by Sonali Deraniyagala. She was in Sri Lanka with her family when the tsunami of 2004 hit the shores. The book is a memoir but reads more like a diary than anything, and is extremely haunting and powerful. I'm not a parent, but I could see how someone with a child would find the book even more powerful.

Almost finished with "The Kindly Ones" by Jonathan Littell. It is alternatively depressing, shocking, sad, weird and quite long. Narration by a supposed high ranking Nazi officer during WWII and how the war experience changed him, his mind, his life and sanity. It is interesting, but rough reading at times.

I read "Anna Karenina" a couple years ago, only because I'd never read Tolstoi (loved Dostoevski though), and I have to say I did NOT care for it and felt NO sympathy for the heroine. I felt for her abandoned husband and son, but she never became important to me, and it was anticlimax when she got to the train station as the book proceeded along almost as if nothing had happened. I would not put it on the 100 best books list. I would put "The Brothers Karamazov" on there. One day I'll reread it.

I'm enjoying a 2007 book that I'd wanted to read when it came out (to great reviews). I found a copy at a good price recently: it's "Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me)" by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson.

It's entertaining and horrifying at the same time--always a good fit when human nature is being discussed. ^_^

Just finished "Orange is the New Black" by Piper Kerman. Found the book to be rather dull first and foremost. I've read quite a few books about prison but they've all been about men in prison. So I was looking forward to one written by a woman. The book was severely lacking in details and had a terrible ending point. Kerman doesn't give us a view into how her life has changed once she's out of prison or follow ups to what happened to all her "friends" she made in prison. Probably so she can write (and sell) a follow up book.

She was also pretty narcissistic throughout, which got old, really fast.

Overall, I'd recommend anyone planning to check it out, to skip it. I certainly won't be reading the inevitable follow up and wished I hadn't wasted my time reading this one.

Just finished listening to David Rakoff's "Don't get too Comfortable", read by the author. Oh my. Cancer is a terrible thing - the world really could have used another thirty years of David.

I have just finished "The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared". Brilliant book, darkly funny, in a way reminiscent of "The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night" - same sort of quirkiness to it although different author. I have to say it finds a place on my list of best books I have ever read.

Just finished The Great Gatsby. Meant to only read a chapter, but once I started, I couldn't put it down. It's an amazing book. Maybe this sounds silly, but it was, well, heart wrenching. Beautifully written, definitely high on my list.

"Kind of Cruel" by Sophie Hannah.

Not quite as good as it could be - better in theory than execution - but I'll be reading more. She's taking up the mantle of Ruth Rendell, I'd say - psychologically-based crime fiction.

I am still with Tana French The last one I think called "In the Wood". Wow she is good.