What are you reading in 2016?

[Wendy]

Just started The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Heard a lot of good things about it so hope it lives up to expectations!

[Joy]

I'm reading Summer Lightning, a Blandings novel. Usual funny light entertainment from PG Wodehouse.

[Paul]

i have all of the six shortlisted titles for the Royal Society Prize to read and review for Nudge. First up is The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt by Andrea Wulf

[Paul]

Just starting Walking through Spring: An English Journey and Tracking Marco Polo.

[Pat]

Good luck Paul. Glad you have a job at last. Haha

[Katheryn]

Reading An Unsafe Haven by Nada Awar Jarrar and am utterly enthralled.

[Jackie]

I'm starting The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne today. Love his books - been looking forward to this one

[Pamela]

Currently reading Howards End which has been on my tbr for ages. Also Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics. Geopolitics is not something I know much about, but this is an accessible and interesting approach to the topic

[Paul]

Just starting The Penguin Lessons

[Catherine]

I was sick of seeing Ways of Seeing at the top of my tbr list so I've started reading it!

[Paul]

My top 20 are the next ones to read

[Joy]

I'm reading Flood of Fire and loving it. It's the third in a trilogy centred on the Opium wars.

[Gail]

Just collected book long listed Hot Milk from the library. Expected to have to wait weeks but came through in 6 days. Love my local library!

[Cathy]

Currently reading This Thing of Darkness, about Robert Fitzroy, commander of the Beagle, and Charles Darwin. Gripping stuff.

[Paul]

Just gone on the TBR

[Cathy]

It's really good Paul, more like a very well written biography than fiction.

[Wendy]

Started The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner Turning out to be an undemanding holiday read at the moment, which is exactly what I needed.

[Jackie]

Later today I'm going to start reading Love Anthony by Lisa Genova.

[Paul]

Half way through the second book on the Royal Society shortlist The Gene: An Intimate History. It is well written, but occasionally descends into incomprehensible stuff.

[Wendy]

Started Butterflies in November by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir which was recommended by my lovely local bookseller when she found out about my slight obsession with all things Icelandic. Loving the style of writing so far and really hoping it is going to turn out to be as unusual as I think it might!

[Katheryn]

Paul wrote: "Half way through the second book on the Royal Society shortlist The Gene: An Intimate History. It is well written, but occasionally descends into incomprehensible stuff."

I'm really looking forward to this one - I'll keep an eye out for your review!

[Paul]

Thank you Kathryn.

Started Thunder & Sunshine: Riding Home from Patagonia by Alastair Humphreys as It is due back to the library Saturday

[Joy]

I'm reading Val McDermid's Northanger Abbey - yes I have read the original Jane Austen!

[Paul]

Have the final three to read on the Royal Society prize shortlist this week:
The Planet Remade: How Geoengineering Could Change the World by Oliver Morton
The Most Perfect Thing: Inside (and Outside) a Bird's Egg by Tim Birkhead
Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind over Body by Jo Marchant

[Pat]

The latter sounds intriguing, Paul

[Catherine]

I'm reading a P.D. James. I have read most of her books long ago but can't remember which ones, so I am reading from the beginning of her series with Cover Her Face
I am nearly finished and have found I had read it before but can't remember whodunnit.

Also reading The Riddle-Master of Hed

[Katheryn]

Started Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind for the non-fiction group read, and am also reading another non-fiction: Early Modern English Literature

[Paul]

Katheryn wrote: "Started Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind for the non-fiction group read, and am also reading another non-fiction: Early Modern English Literature"

Quite enjoyed Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind but it is not without its flaws.

[Jan]

Paul wrote: "Katheryn wrote: "Started Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind for the non-fiction group read, and am also reading another non-fiction: [book:Early Modern English Literature|1584255..."

Interesting. I recently read "The Human Web (A Bird's-Eye View of World History), and felt about the same. Obviously, great minds think alike.

[Paul]

Started Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot today. really nicely written so far.

[Catherine]

Started two books almost at the same time:
The Shipping News and
Salt

Both looking very interesting so far.

[Paul]

Enjoyed both of those Catherine. Have you seen the film for The Shipping News?

[Catherine]

No I haven't seen the film but I will look out for it. I watched a documentary about Annie Proulx a few years ago and the length of time it took her to write each book so was expecting something quite difficult, but it's very enjoyable and I even laughed out loud at a passage last night.

[Pamela]

Am thoroughly enjoying The Siege of Krishnapur which was a Booker winner from years back. Not enjoying so much The God of Small Things, the style is so elaborate, it's wearing me out reading it!

[Paul]

I hated The God of Small Things

[Katheryn]

Finally got around to Before I Go to Sleep, which I've just started. Am also reading Sociolinguistics: An Introduction to Language and Society and The Sidney Psalter.

[Jackie]

I've started reading Perfect People by Peter James. It's the first book I've read by this author- seems pretty good so far.

[Paul]

This weeks reading will mostly consist of:
Graveyard of the Gods by Richard Newman
The Silver Eye: Unlocking the Pyramid Texts by Susan Brind Morrow
Every Thing We Touch: A 24-Hour Inventory of Our Lives by Paula Zuccotti

[Jackie]

Later today I'm going to start reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Bit of a long book (600 odd pages) - hope it's going to be worth it!

[Paul]

Starting Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo today. Another for the Book Hunter Challenge

[Lisa]

Reading Marlowe's Doctor Faustus as am going to see it on stage at the Barbican on Wednesday and want to be a little familiar with it beforehand.

[Wendy]

So jealous Lisa!

[Pamela]

Lisa wrote: "Reading Marlowe's Doctor Faustus as am going to see it on stage at the Barbican on Wednesday and want to be a little familiar with it beforehand."

Oh that's great Lisa, I saw it at the Globe a few years ago and it was fantastic. Hope this production is just as good, it's such a powerful story

[Pamela]

Am reading An Officer and a Spy for the Book Hunter, I always enjoy Robert Harris' storytelling, he really weaves all his research into the story.

[Paul]

Just starting The Particle Zoo: The Search for the Fundamental Nature of Reality

[Jan]

The Blind Assassin-Margaret Atwood. So glad I gave this a try! Didn't like The Handmaid's Tale so was hesitant, but this is very, very good.

[Jackie]

I'm going to start Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner today.

[Wendy]

I have just started Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

[Paul]

Wendy wrote: "I have just started Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman"

One of my favourites

[Wendy]

About half way through now, really enjoying it