I dont have anything to recommend, but i do not recommend "French children dont throw food". Another book full of stereotypes...

fionapm - Is The Bolter based on the same person that Nancy Mitford's character, also called The Bolter, was based on? Must read that if it is. And huge recommendation for anything by Nancy Mitford (although especially The Pursuit of Love) as well.

Really want to read Death Comes to Pemberley, glad to see recommendations.

What did you think of The Last Duchess?

I'm currently reading "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness, which is kind of Da Vinci Code meets Twilight. The Snow Child is next on my hit list - looks good.

Recently read the below:
The Bolter (by George Osborne's wife. Fascinating glimpse into society life between the wars)
My Last Duchess
The Midwife's Confession
Death comes to Pemberley (PD James takes on Pride & Prejudice. Surprisingly good)
How to be a Woman (hilarious - not a "how to" book at all)
Confessions of a GP (also hilarious. true stories - I laughed out loud so many times)
William's Progress (was free on Kindle. amusing look at first time dads from the man's point of view)

im reading call the midwife its a good read, my friend said the help is a good book and another friend has just read "me before you", all different one being a memoir the two others fiction but all worth a glance

Claire M - I've also read How To Bring A Boyfriend Back From The Dead, by your friend Jim McLean!
It was quite an off beat romantic comedy, dark but funny. I'd recommend it as a Valentine's Day book.
I hear it's sold out in Clapham Books, on the High Street, but Bollingbroke Books and Waterstones at Clapham junction have it.
H

Joe's Mum has great taste - both The Submission and Rules of Civility are great books.

I can also recommend:

Women's fiction:
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
So Much Pretty (a dark tale of murder in a small-town world released next month)

Literary:
A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks (very accessible 'literary')
The Map and The Territory by Michel Houellebecq (really funny)

Thriller:
The Fear Index by Robert Harris (really gripping and one for your husband too)

I'm finally reading Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the two sequels in the Millenium trilogy, and I'm so hooked!! I'm in the middle of the second book, which is as good as the first.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
The Submission by Amy Waldeman
Both very good.

Hi

I was given a book called The Palm Oil Stain by Nadia Maddy for xmas and I could not put it down. It is fab I don't read as much as I used to before I had my two boys (I've started a lot of books but after reading the same page days on end I tend to give up) but not with this book, it is amazing and would recommend it to everyone. You can buy it on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Palm-Oil-Stain- ... 575&sr=8-1.

Happy reading!

Author of the Night Circus is Erin Morgenstern, but she used to be a friend of a friend and was awful to my friend so I am against reading it!

I just did the "they're showing it on TV, must read it before I see it" thing so I just read Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. It was excellent though! I also loved Charlotte Gray which he wrote.

For kindle I downloaded An Edwardian Murder Mystery series (4 separate books) by MC Beaton. Light-hearted crime novels, very silly but lots of fun.

Try anything by Dervla Murphy, particularly Ukimwi Road. She is a total inspiration and her travels/experiences and wonderful spirit and sense of humour put our daily worries into proper context.
I just wish I had a fraction of her energy and she must be at least twice my age!

My friend Jim McLean, a local stay at home dad, has just written what I thought was a brilliant book called "How to bring your boyfriend back from the dead". It's on amazon kindle and in local book shops.

Claire

Try almost anything by Michael Piessel - The last Barbarian or Mustang (especially good) - out of print & not on Kindle, absolutely riveting. He's a real life proper explorer.

I've just finished the Kashmiri shawl by Rosie Thomas and it was fantastic

Yes, Nicci French are brilliant. I've read the whole lot!