bedtime stories

I've finished Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country (one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read) and now have a pile of three on my pillow. . .

Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna (I've finally forgiven her for the last part of The Poisonwood Bible)
Ed Hillyer's The Clay Dreaming (I'm not too into cricket, but Bruce Chatwin's Songlines is something I return to time and time again, so I'm hoping this book will entrance me in a similar way)
Paul Murray's Skippy Dies (what can I say - it's 661 pages long, came free with the other two, and I liked the cover)
(my version is not quite like that - but what a beautiful set!)

I'll report back in good time but in the meantime, what are you reading at the moment? (at bedtimes, or othertimes!)

6 comments:

Rimshot said...

Ooo, I can answer this!

Spurred on by the enjoyment received from reading TFPYMIH, I procured For One More Day and Tuesdays With Morrie.

Then, since the whole thing seems to have sparked another bout of reading-voracity, I journeyed to the bookstore where I've picked up Siddhartha, Frankenstein and most recently The Handmaid's Tale.

mig said...

Well I've just read Still Alice by Lisa Genova which I picked up rather randomly in Waitrose. And it was a good find.
And then last week I discovered that Sally Vickers has brought out a new novel called Dancing Backwards and that was pretty good too. On the other hand I was disappointed by Henning Mankell's Depths which I disliked but enchanted by both a Patrick Gale which you recommended and Astonishing Splashes of Colour.
So I'll look forward to your opinions on these books :)

Sorrow said...

wow,
you know until I read that, i didn't realize that I have yet to forgive her for Poison wood...
hmmmm

Christopher said...

Just now I'm reading the unadventurously-titled In Europe, by a Dutchman called Geert Mak. He has travelled all over Europe seeking out obscure places which have had an unexpected bearing on 20th-century European history, e.g. Predappio, which no one has ever heard of but which was the birthplace of Mussolini, or Doorn, where Kaiser Wilhelm II was exiled after 1918. The routes he takes from the obscure to the wider issues are fascinating, but oh! this book is SO heavy and I can't get comfortable with it as bedtime reading, leaning first on this elbow, then on the other, holding it vertically, etc., so that three pages are the maximum before rigor mortis sets in.

Mel said...

Ohhhh....I see I'm not the only one who needs to forgive her for Poisonwood.....

And I'm soooooo liking the set of books--even if I'd never turn a page--they're awesome.......

I, Like The View said...

Mel they make a very good sized bedside pile on which to balance a late evening cup of tea. . .

(-;

Christopher you need one of these

(-:

I hate it when I can't get comfortable at night, especially when attempting to read (one of our cats comes and sit on my lap and stares at me over the pages of the book. . . then if I put the book down to stroke the cat, it jumps off haughtily and I find I've lost my page

sorrow so many people feel the same about that book

makes me wonder why her editor didn't have a word!

mig I'll look out for those (books in Waitrose! we don't have books in ours. . . lucky you!!)

if you liked Astonishing Splashes you might like Natural Flight of the Human Mind - I think I preferred it (but must find and reread!)

shot d'ya know, I just didn't take the The Handmaid's Tale. . . altho I did really like Alias Grace. . . glad you're reading again - I had a long time unable to read, but now am back in the habit again and so enjoying a good book

have you ever read Still Life With Woodpecker? it's a little silly, but great fun!