I'll look into them, I promise.

Atishay, if you like Holmes, then I think you'd really like the Laurie King series with Holmes and Mary Russell. They are superbly written.

I'm myself an admirer of Holmes Kathy. Read all of them years ago. I would love to go through them again. I've heard a lot about The Serpent's Tale too but haven't had the chance to read it.

Well, for a series read, I would suggest Laurie R. King's Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series, beginning with The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I've lost count on how many there are, 6-8 (too lazy to go count, ha ha). A new one is coming out in April. King's writing is on the highest level of mystery writing-- intelligent, historical, layered.

I'd also suggest a new series started by Ariana Franklin that so far includes Mistress of the Art of Death and The Serpent's Tale. Her stand alone novel,The Serpent's Tale, is another favorite of mine.

Some stand alones that are favorites I'd suggest are The Girls by Lori Lansens , The Good German by Joseph Kanon, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, and Saving Fish from Drowning A Novel by Amy Tan.

Well, I'm realizing how impossible this task is, to try and recommend all of my favorites.

Kathy wrote: "I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I am knee-deep in the Outlander series, middle of book 3, Voyager. I'm loving Voyager, except that I'm at an annoying part right now. I've been assured th..."

I am curious what you will suggest Kathy!:-)

I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I am knee-deep in the Outlander series, middle of book 3, Voyager. I'm loving Voyager, except that I'm at an annoying part right now. I've been assured that it will be okay. My bargain with Fiona to read Outlander if she read The Loop has turned into quite the monster. If I didn't love the series so much, I might be asking Fiona to up her end of the deal to reading some selections of mine. Fiona, it might be nice, though, for you to extend the agreement to a few suggestions. Oh, and Fiona, one of my friends read I Capture the Castle, which I suggested to her from your reviews, and she loved it. So, yet another Fiona suggestion I have to read. Yes, I think you definitely should read a few of my favorites. In fact, Atishay and Jeane, I think you all might owe me, too. I have fallen for Evans and Gabaldon, and now it is time for all three of you to fall for someone I suggest. I will think on this.

Fiona, I've seen Slumdog and believe me I found it to be nowhere between The Reader and Milk. Even Benjamin Button was superb and so was Changeling. It was disappointing to see so many oscars going to Slumdog.
I've been a fan of Sean Penn since a long time back. Loved his roles in I am Sam, then Mystic River and he was stupendous in 'The Assassination of Richard Nixon'. He totally deserved the award.

I had seen Benjamin Button and The Changeling and liked them both. I read The Reader years ago and want to see it. I love Kate Winslet in movies, so I'm glad she won for actress. I haven't gotten to see Slum Dog Millionaire yet, but a friend of mine told me it's already coming out on DVD tomorrow. I want to see it and I'm sure it's an excellent movie, but I think the academy got carried away with awarding so many Oscars to it, like it was the flavor of the month. I like to see them spread around a little more.

Crumbs it's got 8 - maybe I should watch this. The premise I can't say sounds that interesting so it must have something in it.

The director Boyle did 28 Days Later didn't he? I liked that.

What's wrong with Slumdog? I hadn't even heard of it until recently so you can see how up I am with all these movies. I haven't seen any that have been nominated and barely know what any of them are about.

Oscars announced. Personally, I felt sad to see Slumdog sweep so many.

Its afternoon here. 2:30.

:-)

how late is it for you? here 8.13 am.

:)
Exactly.

Atishay I really hope there are other writers that write treasures like him and I hope to read them. That is why I don't mind reading others and will enjoy them too. Like Outlander I am glad I am reading it but it doesn;t get to Evans' level for me. But that is okay. I don't ened every book to be like that otherwise i think my body and mind wouldn't be able to take it. So I like having those just good or very good but no treasure books.

:)
A true fanatical supporter of Evans speaking. But, then again Jeane, we must not be too jingoistic about it all. Maybe there are books that may be as good as Evans and we haven't come across them. Let's not be too harsh in comparing every book with Evans. That way, we will have a lot of trouble picking up new books to read. ;)

I am reading Outlander at the moment and though I enjoy the book it doesn't come near to what Evans does with his books to me, or Prodigal summer. I am almost in the middle and a lot might change but the writing style, the story....it doesn't feel authentic to me and doesn't do with me like for instance the books of Evans do.

Quantity won't ever surpass the awesomeness of Quality Fiona :D

I have no doubt Kathy that your allegiance to Evans is pure and can never be shaken. I would have loved to read the Outlander series myself.

LOL! I love being a fought-over minion. I promise allegiance to both groups, honest. If Evans' books were in a series, I would have gone on and finished his first, but, alas, the ongoing love story of Claire and Jamie is just too much to resist.

Sorry you are working so hard in the lab, Atishay. I want bully you about reading right now. I do hope you soon find some time to relax and read.

Evans only has a few books though, Gabaldon has quite a few.

Not for long Fiona, not for long...

:(
It's nice Kathy that you are continuing the series. I will surely try Outlander as soon as I get it. I've been spending a lot of time at the lab lately and when I return to my room, I'm dead tired. That's why, A Thousand Splendid Suns is suffering too. All I'm managing to read is 10pages/day.

Mwhahahaha I have stolen Atishay's minions!

I just wanted to let Atishay know that I've temporarily jumped ship to the Outlander series. I'm on book 2 out of 6 on that. I see Jeane and Fiona in the discussions of the series on TNBBC. I will still be participating in this group, but it puts The Smoke Jumper, my next Evans, on the back burner. I am rather obsessive-compulsive about a series, especially if I love it. Now, Atishay, if you would start reading Outlander, we could all be on the same page???

Fiona wrote: "Everyone, you can 'fan' authors now. Go to the Nicholas Evans page and click on fan. I'm his only one atm."

Thanks Fiona, I thought I did that already...must have been somewhere else:-)

Kathy wrote: "Jeane, I finished Outlander last night. Wow, I loved it. The history, the romance, the adventure, and time travel were all so great, and what about those love scenes? Incredible!

Thanks, Fiona,..."

Kathy, I am at the part after the marriage..it is still an okay story for me but they make me laugh often.....

Everyone, you can 'fan' authors now. Go to the Nicholas Evans page and click on fan. I'm his only one atm.

Yep - I like them both even better then Outlander. They have some really strong poignant moments I like to just go back to every now and again.

I warn you - The Fiery Cross which is the 5th is very long, badly edited and boring. I am going to get through it though. It is widely agreed that TFC was a dud but it gets straight back to goodness in the 6th book so I'm looking forward to getting back into the series again, even if I have to trawl through TFC!

See why I hesitated to start Outlander? I do this with series books, especially if I love them. I want more, more, more of the story. Well, I will continue on, looking forward to Voyager and Drums of Autumn. Did you like those even better than Outlander? It's hard to imagine liking one better than that. Oh, and I'm glad you agree with me about the way she began Dragonfly in Amber. I mean, really, leaving Outlander at the end like she did and then a disconnect at the beginning of the next one. No fair.

Jeane, I'm being very careful to not give anything away.

Wow, straight onto the next?

I liked Dragonfly and Amber, the beginning was a bit iffy but it isn't the best on in the series. Voyager and Drums of Autumn are my favourites. But it does get better - I don't think she should have started it like that though.

Jeane, I finished Outlander last night. Wow, I loved it. The history, the romance, the adventure, and time travel were all so great, and what about those love scenes? Incredible!

Thanks, Fiona, for encouraging me to read this book. I started the next one, Dragonfly in Amber last night. I won't give anything away, since Jeane and Atishay haven't gotten to it yet, but I wasn't crazy about where it started out, if you know what I mean. Am I going to like this one as much as Outlander?

Jeane wrote: "It is over 800 too. Now I am at the point where she can go with the brother of the leader to the village for some medicine stuff..."

OK, where are you now? I'm on page 602, couldn't stop reading it yesterday afternoon. It's sooooo good.

It is over 800 too. Now I am at the point where she can go with the brother of the leader to the village for some medicine stuff...

Fiona wrote: "She's just desperate to get you reading more books that she can push on you. If Jeane had the money she'd probably fly out there with a stack of books and distribute them like father Christmas. "

:-)

Jeane wrote: "Kathy wrote: "OK, Atishy, you are given a pass for a year. I will quit harassing you for now. I know it must be difficult being a book lover and not having access to the ones you want to read. I..."

How many pages are in the copy you're reading? I have the mass market copy and am on p. 220 of around 850. I have some reading to do tonight. I've been out all day and early evening.

Lolz. That's what I love about this place.

She's just desperate to get you reading more books that she can push on you. If Jeane had the money she'd probably fly out there with a stack of books and distribute them like father Christmas.

Yeah Fiona, its in a desert. And I see sand and camels everyday. I see a lot of nomads too. Seriously speaking, its a pretty good life here, away from the city and its pollution, no motorized vehicles, you won't believe how clear the sky looks at night. Its packed so densely with stars, the sight is breathtaking. And of course, we get abundant sunshine in the afternoons. So, its not all that bad here. If only, the books had been here.

I'm doing my engineering here. I'm majoring in Electronics.

Sure Jeane, but anyway its only a little time. So, there's no need for harassing your friend. :P

Atishay wrote: "Thanks for that Kathy. It's a torture to not having access to the books I so insanely desire. Only some time to go.
Which city do her parents live in Jeane? I'll be able to tell you if its far off ..."

I don't remember. I'll try to remember to ask her.

Kathy wrote: "OK, Atishy, you are given a pass for a year. I will quit harassing you for now. I know it must be difficult being a book lover and not having access to the ones you want to read. I'm not sure th..."

Around 140, she is still in the past.

Your uni is in a desert? That is quite ironic, but it does look beautiful even with the lack of books. ;) My uni was in a dump. (Portsmouth.)

You may have a years leave then! But you're going to have a lot of catching up to do.

What are you studying?

I haven't read any of The Loop today, been out shopping at the big supermarket. I'm a little scared to go on. I can take humans dying, I can take that kinda tragedy usually, but cruelty just makes me really depressed - especially in that way. I'm worried it's going to leave me in a book-depression.

I can't even watch the green mile or read it knowing what happened to that poor man (even though he was a rapist!) on the electric chair (not the one at the end). It left me feeling so sad for days, and that was for some horrible man. What I'll be like with my very favourite animal I don't know.

I'm dreading it.

Thanks for that Kathy. It's a torture to not having access to the books I so insanely desire. Only some time to go.
Which city do her parents live in Jeane? I'll be able to tell you if its far off or nearby

OK, Atishy, you are given a pass for a year. I will quit harassing you for now. I know it must be difficult being a book lover and not having access to the ones you want to read. I'm not sure that I could handle that. No electricity is one thing, but limited access to books is just too much.

I agree with the comments about the loop device. It just chills my soul to think of such a cruel trap causing babies to suffer so.

Hey Jeane, what about Outlander. What page or section are you on?

she normally visits every year, but I don't know if she will now.

Is it possible? I mean does she visit every year?

you're sure? Oh I should find out where my friend of my previous work is from in INdia. Every year she goes for a month or more to visit her family!!!!

That's so sweet of you Jeane, but I seriously doubt about the transportation system, the condition in which they will handle the book and what all it'll go through. And I can tolerate anything but a book getting spoiled. It's just a matter of a good year. Then, I'll have full access to every book.

Atishay wrote: "Sorry Kathy, I wasn't here. But that was because of different time zones. It must have been about five here in the morning when the comments were posted.

There's nothing I would do rather than re..."

Atishay, it looks beautiful
what is the exact place where you are?

Atishay wrote: "Sorry Kathy, I wasn't here. But that was because of different time zones. It must have been about five here in the morning when the comments were posted.

There's nothing I would do rather than re..."

And if we send it to you?????