Through the first 100 odd pages of Jenna Blum's "Those who save us", a very interesting read. The novel is based in two time periods pre and post world war II spanning countries and continents.

I just read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" over somebody's shoulder.

How does overblown exploitative drivel like this find a publisher, let alone become a best seller?

(I'm still reading the Travels of Evliya Celebi, on the other hand, which is brilliant. I'm still recovering from the chapter about sex with crocodiles...)

OMG DB, it is a beautiful book and it made me cry...

I really rather enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns too.
I'm too old to have sex with crocodiles anymore.

Although, thinking about it, you're probably talking about DB's other book as you're an intellectual.
Me I'm just a peanut-brain.

I do hope you're not considering me an intellectual by association there?

I made that decision aeons ago

Who'd a thunk a fat Yam Yam with a hideous accent and a taste for Turkish tall tales would end up being accused of being an intellectual?

I think I need a lie down...

You see, it was your previous avatar wot made me think wot I thunk.
You looked so cool and intellectual

I am currently reading "The Collector" book by John Fowels, amazing book!

Well yes, John Fowles writes beautifully, but 'The Collector' gave me nightmares.

I just read "All My Friends are Superheroes" by Andrew Kaufman.

sweet little book, very nice to read.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/All-My-Friends.../dp/1552451305

Fall of Giants...Ken Follett. I have it synched on my iPad and iPhone. I have found that this is very convenient, I can read on the iPad, then pick up my iPhone and the book will open to where I left off on the iPad. also, with it on the iPhone, you always have it with you.

Evliya Celebi appeared as a character in Orhan Pamuk's White Castle. Highly recommended.

I am reading One, No One and One Hundred Thousand by Luigi Pirandello, a very ironic and humorous tale, in which the main character makes a shocking discovery that everybody (apart from him) sees that his nose tilts to the right. He then notices that his self-image is completely different to what others think of him and that various people have very conflicting views of him. The plot is insane, but made me wonder about identity in general. We have so many versions of ourselves (our selves?) – private, public, virtual, etc. How do we cope in this multitude?

The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris, and Life by Keith Richards...

Dust of Dreams, Steven Erikson, a Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen ... more carnage! Lots of nice little jokes in there as well, and some black humour. Think this is number 11 or 12 now? Comes after Toll the Hounds, which was also good - I heartily recommend the whole series!

My bank statement - its a whodunnit!

Captured by Brigands by Gjerasim Qiriazi: an account of his adventures as a hostage of Albanian bandits in 1884.

It's a bit didactic, but very interesting.

Bill Bryson - 'At home' - a history of everyday things. Much more interesting than kings and battles.