Currently reading anything by a British writer? Showing 51-100 of 1,160

[Barbara]

Yep, it'll be different Werner - it's 36C ( a shade under 100F) today . Shade , hah! did you see what I did there.....

Gail, I msut re-read Quiet as Nun again . I love Fraser ,all of her .

[Werner]

I'm currently reading Gulliver of Mars (1905) by turn-of-the-(20th) century British SF author Edwin L. Arnold, whom some think was an influence on Edgar Rice Burroughs. The Stephen Lawhead group I belong to will be doing a common read next month, so I wanted to pick a short book I could finish before then; this one should fit that bill. :-)

[Jill H.]

That book sounds suspiciously like The Gods of Marsby Burroughs....the John Carter series. I have a first edition of it that belonged to my Father.....in fact we used to call my nephew, Tars Tarkas after a character in the book. I am not familiar with Arnold....should I take a look at his works?

[Werner]

Jill, I've read both the first book of that series, A Princess of Mars, and the sequel that you mentioned, and I can recognize some significant parallels. I think the one writer did influence the other.

That said, there's a reason why Arnold is vastly less well known than ERB; having read as far as I have into the book, I can say he's nowhere near as gifted a writer as Burroughs. In fact I'd be tempted not to finish the book, if I wasn't home on a 5-day weekend and my to-read pile of books wasn't at my office (where I have more bookshelf space). :-) But as it is, I'll soldier on!

[Jill H.]

Doesn't sound like I need to add this to my ever growing TBR list. Not too long ago I delved into some old books that I had in a box and found
The Mask of Fu Manchu by Sax Rohmer. I hadn't read any of Rohmer's books so I gave it a try......I must say it wasn't bad considering the "master criminal taking over the world" genre. Not anything that I would rush out to buy but still fun and a little different.

[Jill H.]

I forgot to add that I am now involved with P.G. Wodehouse (that doesn't sound right, does it?).........what a way with the English language he had. I don't usually laugh out loud when reading but must admit that I am chuckling audibly. I had forgotten how enjoyable those short stories were.......but don't ask me why I am re-reading books when I have so many on my shelves that I have never read!!!!

[Werner]

As I noted earlier, I consider American-born Stephen Lawhead (a longtime resident of England) to be a British writer, and I'm again reading one of his books, Taliesin. It's the first volume of his Arthurian fantasy series, The Pendragon Cycle, and is the common read for February in the Lawhead group here on Goodreads.

[Barbara]

I'm currently reading , well just finshed reading , Maggie Joel's "Second Last Woman in England" A damn fine read, I didn't know her before but will definitely read the rest of her ouevre.
I have written a modest review, here

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80...

[Brian]

I am finally reading a book by a British author. "The Thirteenth Tale" is a book I was not sure I would like. The author uses a very imaginative visual style accompanied by a gracefulness that I have rarely read. Really enjoy this book so far. Most would probably know this but the author is Diane Setterfield (hope the spelling is correct).

[[deleted user]]

Jill wrote: "I forgot to add that I am now involved with P.G. Wodehouse (that doesn't sound right, does it?).........what a way with the English language he had. I don't usually laugh out loud when reading but..."

Love your line! He made me laugh out loud too and also Bill Bryson makes me laugh out loud altho his langague can be very bad. Wish I was reading something right now to make me laugh instead of the trash I picked up recently....sigh. Hubby told me just to quit reading it but I am almost to the end so going to finish it.

[Jill H.]

@Lady L..............I can only think of one other book that made me laugh out loud and it is not for all tastes.....Napalm & Silly Putty by George Carlin. I was a fan of Carlin's way back when he used to appear on the old Tonight show as Al Sleet, the Hippy-Dippy Weatherman. Some are offended by his humor, so it is a matter of taste. But of course, Wodehouse is in a class by himself and he may not be for all tastes either. I read a review here on GR that savaged his writing because of the "old chap","what ho" and "cheerio" language....I thought they had missed the point of his humor....but to each his own.

[[deleted user]]

Jill wrote: "@Lady L..............I can only think of one other book that made me laugh out loud and it is not for all tastes.....Napalm & Silly Putty by George Carlin. I was a fan of Carlin's way ..."

Thanks for the suggestion Jill. Sounds good to me. I will see if our library has it.

[Werner]

I'm currently reading another of Norah Loft's novels, Out of This Nettle (originally published in 1939 as Colin Lowrie). We're doing it this month as a common read in the Norah Lofts fan group here on Goodreads.

[Jill H.]

Just finished a book that moved me greatly.
The Great Silence: 1918-1920 Living in the Shadow of the Great War by Juliet Nicolson. It deals with the two years immediately following the end of WWI and how the populace of Britain dealt with their unbelievable grief at the loss of a generation of young men in the trenches. I would recommend it highly.

[Ellen]

Jill wrote: "Just finished a book that moved me greatly.
The Great Silence: 1918-1920 Living in the Shadow of the Great War by Juliet Nicolson. It deals with the two years immedia..."

This book is most definitely on my "must-read" list, Jill. Have you read Nicholson's other book, "The Perfect Summer"? This is a really wonderful book, which covers the period in Britain just before WWI. I think you'd really enjoy this one, too!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80...

[Jill H.]

Ellen......I have read her The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm. I enjoyed it so much that I found this second one and was equally as pleased as I am sure you will be. I gave it four stars in my review and I don't do that very often.

[Barbara]

Thank you Jill and Ellen - I will try to find Juliet Nicolson , sounds wonderful . Have you read Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy in the same genre?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58...

[Jill H.]

Barbara wrote: "Thank you Jill and Ellen - I will try to find Juliet Nicolson , sounds wonderful . Have you read Pat Barker's Regeneration Trilogy in the same genre?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58......"

I have not read the Barker book but will look for it. Thanks for the recommendation :0)

[Ellen]

Jill wrote: "Ellen......I have read her The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm. I enjoyed it so much that I found this second one and was equally as pleased as I am sure you will b..."

Jill, I am so glad that you enjoyed "The Perfect Summer" so much that you gave it such a great review. I'm looking forward to reading the other one as well - I enjoy Nicholson's style and find that she moves along at a nice clip, you know? Thanks!

[Werner]

Yes, Laura-Lee, that counts! A British writer is still British even if he doesn't happen to live in Britain anymore.

[Werner]

The Norah Lofts fan group here on Goodreads is again doing a common read (it officially started yesterday) of Lofts' Madselin, a historical novel set in 11th-century England, in the aftermath of the Norman conquest. So, that's what I'm currently reading (I was asked to serve as discussion leader). I DO read other British authors besides Lofts; I just haven't happened to read any lately! :-)

[Barbara]

Hi Jill

Hope you like the Barker books( it is three books, I realise I made it sound like one called The Rgeneration Trilogy, sorry! )

Be prepared to be sad though - such a tragic era.

[Anne]

Barbara wrote: "Hi Jill

Hope you like the Barker books( it is three books, I realise I made it sound like one called The Rgeneration Trilogy, sorry! )

Be prepared to be sad though - such a tragic era."

Hi Jill,
we meet again. Did you finish the trilogy? I thought it was fantastic.
I see you like British authors just as much as i do.

[Jill H.]

We obviously like the same groups!!!!!!! I have not finished the trilogy yet since I am trying to work my way through my current TBR list, which is never-ending. I am currently reading:
by Christopher Hibbert who is one of my favorite authors of the British military experience. I must admit that I am an unapologetic Anglophile and almost all that I read is either about Britain or by British authors. So the list is endless.

[Anne]

Jill wrote: "We obviously like the same groups!!!!!!! I have not finished the trilogy yet since I am trying to work my way through my current TBR list, which is never-ending. I am currently reading:
[bookcover:..."
Re: Regeneration, maybe because it's historical fiction it wasn't what you really wanted to read? The main character is based on the real life of Rupert Graves. I nominated his memoir Goodbye To All That for the other group we belong to but it didn't get nominated.

Well, we have very similar, but also somewhat different tastes. I read a lot of British literature, fiction, historical fiction and biography, while you seem to prefer straight military history, tho the Hibbert looks like biography. It you were to look at my shelves you would see a lot of books on the "British" shelves, not to mention WWI and WWII, tho a lot more on WWII. Cheerio!

[Ellen]

Anne wrote: "Jill wrote: "We obviously like the same groups!!!!!!! I have not finished the trilogy yet since I am trying to work my way through my current TBR list, which is never-ending. I am currently reading..."

Anne, I voted for "Goodbye to All That" in the poll, and was disappointed that it didn't win, too. Sounds like a great book. You and I also like the same periods in British literature; I'm hooked on books from the late Victorian period through the period just after WWII. Strangely, I am finding myself moving forward now into the 1950s-1970s, too. Thanks!

[Anne]

Ellen,
I noticed that Goodbye To All That did get a lot of votes. Maybe it'll win next time. I guess it's not a coincidence that we are in several of the same groups, huh?

[Jill H.]

It is an excellent book.....my cousin says it is his favorite books of all time. Just put it up there again the next time and we will cram the ballot box!!!!

[Anne]

Jill wrote: "It is an excellent book.....my cousin says it is his favorite books of all time. Just put it up there again the next time and we will cram the ballot box!!!!"

Great. I'll nominate it and you'll do illegal things behind the scenes.

[Jill H.]

I actually have the book on my TBR shelf and have never gotten around to it, even though it has been highly recommended. I had better move it up on my list.

[Anne]

Jill wrote: "I actually have this book on my TBR shelf and have never gotten around to it, even though it has been recommended highly. I had better move it up on my list."

Yes, I think you'd better! Or, we can at least get it nominated and chosen for our other group.

[Ellen]

Anne wrote: "Ellen,
I noticed that Goodbye To All That did get a lot of votes. Maybe it'll win next time. I guess it's not a coincidence that we are in several of the same groups, huh?"

Yes, I'm glad we're in many of the same groups, too, Anne. I hope "Goodbye to All That" wins; we'd best remember to nominate it, right? Thanks!

[Anne]

Ellen, I'll remember.

[Ellen]

Anne wrote: "Ellen, I'll remember."

Wonderful, Anne. And then I'll jump in a second the nomination immediately!

[Jill H.]

And I will cast numerous votes......well, not really but will be voting when it comes up.

[Anne]

Ellen wrote: "Anne wrote: "Ellen, I'll remember."

Wonderful, Anne. And then I'll jump in a second the nomination immediately!"

It's a plan!

[Anne]

Jill wrote: "And I will cast numerous votes......well, not really but will be voting when it comes up."

Great. You can do some behind the scenes canvassing.

[Ellen]

Anne wrote: "Jill wrote: "And I will cast numerous votes......well, not really but will be voting when it comes up."

Great. You can do some behind the scenes canvassing."

Right. And I'll bet that Elizabeth is very good at canvassing, right, Elizabeth? ;o)

[Barbara]

Well, count me in for "Goodbye " when voting happens!

[Anne]

Great Barbara.

[Jill H.]

Hey girls.....I just got a recommendation from one of my GR friends. It is a history of the home life of families in Georgian England and it looks extremely interesting. I thought you all might like it as well. It is:

by Amanda Vickery

[Abbey]

I'm pretty much *always* reading something by a British author - next up for me is DEATH AND THE PREGNANT VIRGIN, S. T. Haymon, HIGHLAND FLING, Nancy Mitford, and maybe HUMAN TRACES, Sebastian Faulks.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/74...

[Jill H.]

I am in the middle of a very interesting book which reads like a "cozy" but is the true story of a horrific child murder in mid-19th century England. It is The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective byKate Summerscale. It has gotten very mixed reviews by the GR community but I am finding it fascinating.

[Anne]

Jill wrote: "I am in the middle of a very interesting book which reads like a "cozy" but is the true story of a horrific child murder in mid-19th century England. It is [book:The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Sh..."

Glad to hear that you're liking this book. I have it at home and hope to read it soon.

[Jill H.]

Anne.....it has a lot of what I would call extraneous information; for example, how much someone paid for a train ticket or a newspaper. But I guess that just adds to the historical aspect of the story and it really doesn't detract from the narrative. I'll let you know my overall impression when I have finished it but so far, so good.

[Anne]

I like that kind of extraneous information, especially when it doesn't interfere with the flow of the narrative, but is part of it.

[[deleted user]]

Goldfinger

I am just about to finish Goldfinger which I decided to read with a group. I read it 40 years ago but had forgotten so much of it. Its very strange to read books again that you read long ago as they seem so different. Keep the books you like with notes so you can do this too!

[Jill H.]

Lady Alice wrote: "Goldfinger

I am just about to finish Goldfinger which I decided to read with a group. I read it 40 years ago but had forgotten so much of it. Its very strange to read books again ..."

I found that I really didn't like the Campion books by Margery Allingham when I first read them......on a re-read I discovered that indeed I did like them. Maybe it is maturity!!!!

[Werner]

Recently, I finished reading a short e-story, Drunk on the Moon by Paul D. Brazill. Though he currently lives in Poland, Brazill was born in England and is definitely British. This story is the opener for a series about a detective who happens to be a werewolf (which makes things interesting at certain times of the month!) and combines the tropes of supernatural fiction and pitch-black noir.

[Barbara]

Jill, the Mr Whicher sounds perfectly fascinating , definitely to be put on the TBR list . Abbey, I thought I had read all of Nancy Mitford, how lovely to hear of one I hadn't, thank you!

Among other things, I am currently reading, or rather have just finished "Emma Hamilton", by one of my favourite authors, Norah Lofts

http://www.jmvintage.com/shop/jmv/604...