I started with André Aciman's "False Papers - Essays on Exile and Memory" recently, found that I'm not quite ready to read this book yet and am now reading some fanfiction.

The wonderful "The Frost is All Over" by Chryse (which most of you probably know) and "Running on Air" by eleventy7 (which is set in the 'Harry Potter' universe and promises to be quite awesome).

besleybean wrote:

The same pal gave me Game of Thrones, which I was going to have a go at next...should I?
I've never seen the TV series.

I haven't read the books, but like the TV series at lot. And some of my friends claim that the books are highly addictivce. I don't know how well they are written though. No idea if it's better to read the books first before having a go at the TV series. And there seems to be much more sex and violence in the TV series than in the books. *shrugs*
 

I think you will enjoy the books BB. They are well-written, well-grounded in historical precedent plus a good dollop of (believable) fantasy. Each chapter centres on a character. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the first three books. There is a certain amount of getting used to some terms and who is who in each family but they really are terrifically well-written and well-structured and you will rapidly start to root for certain characters. Just be warned though...as the books say: Valar morghulis 'All Men Must Die', no character is safe. In that way it is very much like real life.

I will refer my daughter to these as they will link to her studies.

I am currently between novels and having a hard time deciding what to read next.

Is that an Agatha Christie?  I read loads of them when I was young, and loved them.  I must read one again to see if they're as good as I remembered. 

Liberty wrote:

Is that an Agatha Christie?  I read loads of them when I was young, and loved them.  I must read one again to see if they're as good as I remembered. 

When I read some of them again a few years ago, I found them quite dull. Not entirely bad, but not as great as I had them in mind. But that happens with a lot of books you loved as a child or in your teens, right? Still, I like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple a lot.

Right now, I'm re-reading one if my favourite fanfictions ever, "The Student Prince" by FayJay. A truly amazing 'Merlin'-AU, worth reading even if you're not into 'Merlin' at all.

 

Well, maybe you'll still love the books nowadays. Just try and find out. Some of them are classics anyway (as the "Murder on the Orient Express" or "And Then There Were None" for example), I guess those won't ever lose their appeal. I never liked Margaret Rutherford's Miss Marple though and couldn't understand why she was so popular. Angela Lansbury, Joan Hickson and Julia McKenzie did and do much better jobs. At least in my eyes.

I´m reading "Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch at the moment.. somehow the combination of London, murder and magic seemed relevant to my interests.  And I wasn´t disappointed, a few pages in and he already mentiones HOLMES, SHERLOCK, Harry Potter and even Dr. Who.

I won´t say it´s a totally gripping read, but it´s entertaining enough and had me laughing out loud at some sentences.. some are real gems for Sherlock-fans. For example: "If only the British could stop making programmes that catered only to a domestic audience, or even cast actors who were the least bit attractive".