BABBLING BOOKS

sirg1006 · Last edited by sirg1006 on Fri Sep 22, 2006 5:00 pm; edited 3 times in total

Unfortunately this month didn't go as planned so not the original five asked chose these books. There will be 2 votes this month and you will have the choice of reading a book from this vote or a book from the second vote that way you have more chance of getting something you may prefer.... you can read both if you want!

I've added number of pages and Amazon UK price because these can be factors in deciding for some.

If you chose a book, please don't mention which one - fairer if it is kept a secret. These are all quite different so if there is one you like the sound of and you'd like to read, please vote for it!

The poll will end on Friday 15th September so get voting!

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1.

The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin - £5.59 from Amazon, 256 pages

The book that launched a career, nicely translated from the Russian by Andrew Bromfield. Akunin sets the action, which involves a suspected murder, charming detective (our hero) and loads of period detail -- among the glitterati of late 19th-century Moscow. This is just the first of a series of clever detective novels starring the rascal Erast Fandorin, wildly popular in Russia. Akunin (pseudonym of Grigotry Chkhartishvilli, editor and translator of Japanese literature) writes in a wonderfully contrived, captivating voice. If only such a world ever existed!

2.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - £3.99 from Amazon, 626 pages

In the heart of darkness, circa 1959. Kingsolver sends her naﶥ missionaries into the Belgian Congo, where they discover all is not right with the world. A terrific popular success, this novel is also an ambitious and challenging literary work, deftly balancing numerous narrative voices. Extremely informative about the diamond industry, colonialism and the bloody modern origins of independent Congo and Zaire.

3.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - £6.39 from Amazon, 529 pages

This is the extraordinary love story of Clare and Henry who met when Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-two and Henry thirty. Impossible but true, because Henry suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets and he finds himself pulled suddenly into his past or future. In the face of this force they can neither prevent nor control, Henry and Clare s struggle to lead normal lives is both intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

4.

The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession by Paulo Coelho - £3.99 from Amazon, 368 pages

"The Zahir", Paulo Coelho's new novel available in paperback for the first time, incorporates exclusive new content including an extra section containing interviews with Paulo and plenty of information for those for whom the book just wasn't enough. It begins with a glimpse or a passing thought. It ends in obsession. One day a renowned author discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared leaving no trace. Though time brings more success and new love, he remains mystified - and increasingly fascinated - by her absence. Was she kidnapped, blackmailed, or simply bored with their marriage? The unrest she causes is as strong as the attraction she exerts. His search for her - and for the truth of his own life - takes him from France to Spain, Croatia and, eventually, the bleakly beautiful landscape of Central Asia. More than that, it takes him from the safety of his world to a totally unknown path, searching for a new understanding of the nature of love and the power of destiny. With "The Zahir", Paulo Coelho demonstrates his powerful and captivating storytelling.

5.

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason - £6.39 from Amazon, 304 pages

On a misty London afternoon in 1886, piano tuner Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the War Office: he must leave his wife, and his quiet life in London, to travel to the jungles of Burma to tune a rare Erard grand piano. The piano belongs to Surgeon-Major Anthony Carroll, an enigmatic British officer, whose success at making peace in the war-torn Shan States is legendary, but whose unorthodox methods have begun to attract suspicion. So begins the journey of the soft-spoken Edgar across Europe, the Red Sea, India, Burma, nd at last into the remote highlands of the Shan States. En route he is entranced by the Doctor's letters and by the shifting cast of tale-spinners, soldiers and thieves who cross his path. As his captivation grows, however, so do his questions: about the Doctor's true motives, about an enchanting and elusive woman who travels with him into the jungle, about why he came. And, ultimately, whether he will ever be able to return home unchanged to the woman who awaits him there...Sensuous and lyrical, rich with passion and adventure, The Piano Tuner is a hypnotic tale of myth, romance and self-discovery. It is an unforgettable and haunting novel.

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I'm an auntie! Kelvin

sparkymarky · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:37 pm Post subject:

yaay!!got my copy of winterqueen coming already-hope its good!!!!!

sirg1006 · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:47 pm Post subject:

I ordered from Amazon (along with another from this list) but cancelled so I can get the other book for this month too. Hope it's good too!

D

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I'm an auntie! Kelvin

nicnic · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:42 pm Post subject:

sparkymarky · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:41 pm Post subject:

well... i think its pretty conclusive so far don't you ?anyway if its not that i can always swap it-dont reckon it'll be a keeper at any rate though i may be wrong........

Tigerlily · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject:

sparkymarky · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject:

i have sooo many books on my shelves am starting to be a bit ruthless-like the jolly green giant,only the best reads stay on my shelves.

ho ho ho ......green sparky

miranda · Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:12 pm Post subject:

Yeah Sparky I have my copy of The Winter Queen winging its way to me already. I always try to get it ASAP cos I know once it is choosen everyone will be requesting it, and as you say you can always swap again if its not the overall choice. Early bird and all that!

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Currently reading: The Human Stain by Philip Roth
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'

Saucy · Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 8:01 am Post subject:

sirg1006 · Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 2:33 pm Post subject:

Voting ends today for this one but looks like there is a winner!

We need more votes on the other one (will be kept open till Sunday). http://risibookclub.myfreeforum.org/ftopic107.php

Remember you don't have to read this one - you can read either or both!

D

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I'm an auntie! Kelvin

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