i am currently reading lady chatterley's lover...but i'm finding it a rather dull read...

I've just finished 'A Fine Balance' by Rohinton Mistry and found it utterly compelling. At 600 pages it looks rather daunting but don't let that put you off - it's an epic but rewarding read. I think I'll be pondering over it for a while to come.

Well, finished Davies' Deptford trilogy, got that out of my system. Now I'm reading George MacDonald Fraser's "The Pyrates". It's been sitting in my bookcase for years, but I find that I have never read it, thought I had. Funny, funny, funny. Pure farce, scarcely a sentence without some silly crack.

I just finished John Irving's latest, Till I Find You. Classic Irving and thoroughly enjoyable, despite the fairly 'heavy' subject matter (child molestation must rank up there with your tougher subjects to write and read about, but there was no 'yech' factor in it for me).

Am currently working my way through Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. Fascinating stuff and hopefully will inspire some sort of quiz - possibly on seeds at this point, but who knows?

I just finished Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" .....
again. Great book.

I am currently reading "A Grain of Truth" by Dr Lynne Milne. It was released last month.

Lynne is a friend of a friend of mine and we met for the first time last Sunday. Lynne is a forensic palynologist (study of pollen). This is her first book and it describes how she solves crimes using pollen analysis. It's absolutely fascinating.

I don't know about the availability of this book outside Australia, however, any Australian members with an interest in forensic science can get it at Angus and Robertson. It's hardback and costs about $25 I think.

I have finally decided to read "The Lord of the Rings". I've read about three quarters of the first book so far and I'm really enjoying it.

Picked up Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" to see what the controversy was about. I still don't get what's upsetting people in this novel. Not sure about which "facts" are really historical truths or just conjecture for fun and conspiracy theory lovers. I found some parts of the storyline funny where it shouldn't have been but other than that, it's a nice light read.

I recently read "The Time Traveller's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. With a quirky and very unusual plot it's one of the most compulsively readable books I've read in a long time. Excellent!

I'm reading William Trevor's latest collection of short stories, A Bit on the Side. Trevor is an incredible writer, truly one of the best today. I've read several of his novels and enjoyed them immensely, but this is the first time I've read any of his short stories.

I'm currently reading (though not very often.. busy schedule) JRR Tolkien's 'The Unfinished Tales'. So far it's good and hasn't dissappointed me. Again, Tolkien's writing has brought stories to life. =)

I'm reading 'The Princes of Ireland', by Edward Rutherford.

I'm reading "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein. One of his juveniles but still enjoyable at 40.

I'm reading "The Woman with the Alabaster Jar" by Margaret Starbird. It researches the idea that Mary Magdalen was really Jesus' wife, and that the Holy Grail was actually Mary, carrying his child. Very interesting reading.

This thread.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

"Forests of the Heart" by Charles de Lint. This is the third de Lint I'll have read with two more novels waiting in the wings and more I plan to track down. The majority of his books have been refered to as "urban folklore" which is a pretty good description, I suppose. Several of his stories, such as "Forests of the Heart", take place in the fictional city of Newford, somewhere in Canada. My favorite de Lint, so far, is "The Little Country".

The books I've read all have a few characters who are either musicians or are in the music business. I'm not sure of de Lint's musical background but for once I've come across fiction where the author has created believable characters whose lives are immersed in the love of music. The only weak part of his books seem to be when the fantasy is poured on too heavy, which he doesn't do too often.

I'm most of the way through The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow and enjoying it immensely. It's been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the best part of 20 years, now was obviously the right time for me to read it. Gotta love it when that happens!

Such a good book...
The Sand-Reckoner
by Gillian Bradshaw
It is a novel based on the life of Archimedes. I didn't read any of Gillian Bradshaw's other books, but I will now. It is so well researched and so interesting. I could not put it down at all.
I also started H G Wells " Ann Veronica" This caused a sensation in its day, as it portrays a young woman who walks away from the social conventions and obligations of her time. What a mighty author for descriptions! I am going to enjoy it.

LOL Blurry, you young wippersnapper! I have started it a few times before, I just obviously wasn't in the right place to enjoy it then, and I am now. Don't worry, it's something you might understand when you're a bit older!

I'm reading PS, I love you by Cecelia Ahern, it's a great book I can't put it down. I didn't think I'd like it seen as it's a sort of romance book. It's sad and funny too.

Rogue:

I, too, am an avid DeLint fan and "Forests of the Heart" is the book which I have read most recently. If you go to his website here you will find a lot of interesting information about the guy. He's from a very cosmopolitan background, with bloodlines from various countries. He has a strong sentimental attachment to all things celtic - folklore, music, dance, traditions etc. His work reflects that.

If The Little Country is one of your favourites so far you may wish to have a go at reading Moonheart, Greenmantle, Yarrow or Spiritwalk. I much preferred those books to the slightly more modern/disjointed Urban ones, like Trader.

Happy Reading!

I am reading Dark Horse by Tami Hoag, or I should say, I will be reading it starting tonight on the ride home.