Thanks for that axewoman - other than the reviews, you're the first I know to have read it. Sounds similar to "A place of Greater Safety" her novel based on the French Revolution, another beast and totally absorbing. Me now excited, can't wait to get stuck in, ta

Finished The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans... wooow, very, very well written, really sensational book!! I heard the movie was great as well, has anyone seen it? (I think it came out a little over 10 years ago)

I am now reading Undone by Karin Slaughter, completely different genre, but can't put it down, it's addictive

Currently reading the complete Sherlock Holmes collection.

Have to thank the BBC Sherlock production for getting me into the books. I'd always wanted to read them but never got round to it. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock inspired me, and I'm now completely engrossed...

Marvelous story-telling!

For the geeky crowd, I just read Ernie Cline's "Ready Player One" and loved it for all the 70s and 80s pop culture references and all the old gaming references. Fun book if you're a gen-xer who loved atari, etc.

I also read Albert Brook's "2030" near-future mildly dystopic novel that imagines a world struggling with a gerontocracy, a young generation with no future and a bankrupt government after LA is leveled by an earthquake. It's an interestingly plausible story. Not a fun read, but a thought provoking one.

Just started reading Mitnick's "Ghost in the Wires" and a cheesy fluffy thriller "Dry Ice" that reads like a SyFy Channel movie about controlling the weather but, hey, it's summer.

Looking forward to Stephenson's "REAMDE" that's coming out in mid-September. Also Tom Perrotta's "The Leftovers".

I love this time of year when all the new books for fall are coming up after a long dry spell from late-spring through summer.

Just finished The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer - couldn't put it down!

It's "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" and yes, it has been translated into English.

La solitudine dei numeri primi (Italian---original language) (Non-Swiss on-line vendor)

The Solitude of Prime Numbers (English)

Die Einsamkeit der Primzahlen (German)

La solitude des nombres premiers (French)

I know that there must be Swiss browsing this forum annoyed that some of the books recommended here are available only in English. Well, turnabout is fair play. I'm going to recommend a trilogy of graphic novels that (with apologies to the Ticinese) over 90% of Swiss can read in their native language but isn't available in English.

It's called Belladone, a French comic book miniseries about a female secret agent in the court of Louis XIV who is trying to find an assassin who is trying to kill the Sun King. There is a German translation, and both editions are available for order in Switzerland.

Belladone Book 1: Marie (French original)

Belladone Book 2: Maxime (French original)

Belladone Book 3: Louis (French original)


Belladone Book 1: Marie (German translation)

Belladone Book 2: Maxime (German translation)

Belladone Book 3: Louis (German translation)

Although I'm sure there are many Swiss in Ticino who have learned German or French, I think that if these books have been translated into German, an Italian is on the way, especially since the title of this series comes from an offhand remark the Italian assassin makes when he fights Marie while fleeing Versailles. So why hasn't this book been translated into English? Good question.

From what I've heard, it isn't that Soleil Publications doesn't want English translations, but American comic book publishers are reluctant to buy the rights. This may be partly the case of differing standards. While Belladone is not an adult only comic book, there are two pages in the first book which show brief nudity, which would be unacceptable in the United States. (And yet, bookstores have no problem selling "Watchmen" which has full frontal male nudity.) Maybe another factor is that these hardcover books are more expensive than the floppy comic books or softpaper graphic novels usually found in American comic book shops. Maybe they are just two chicken to take a chance. (Could Britain or Canada please come to the rescue, please?)

For whatever reason, it's a damn shame because these are gorgeously drawn by former Disney animator Pierre Alary. If I could understand his language, I would also compliment his partner Ange, who writes the books themselves.

Here is a link to Pierre Alary's blog, with samples of his artwork:

http://pierrealary.blogspot.com/

Here is another link to an amateur translation of Belladone, which should give a rough idea of what the book is about:

http://paris1680.livejournal.com/profile

It's a great book.

Right, just went to the library and bought the first three books in the Sword of Truth series (Terry Goodkind) - in German. 2 francs each.
Have read about the first seven in English, now will get into the German. Helps me with the language, without taking too long and getting slugged with a three franc overdue fine each time I lose track of how many weeks I've been slogging through.

Teaching kids how to learn, by Berger and Fuchs. It's lovely. In a geek way. Basically about information management, critical thinking, self reflection, organizing ideas, mediation, etc..

Right now, I'm currently reading Ancestor by Scott Sigler. It's been translated into German, but not French or Italian yet.

Ancestor by Scott Sigler

Implantiert von Scott Sigler Übersetzt von Martin Ruf

In a nutshell, this is an update of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. The idea behind the book is not to create a dinosaur theme park, but to genetically recreate the ancestor of all mammals to use for organ harvesting. The company is forced to move to an isolated island in Lake Superior because the U.S. government is moving to shut down all companies working on xenotransplantion (transplanting organs from one species to another) after an accident at one company almost unleashes a deadly flu virus that could have killed off 75% of humanity. This isolation becomes a double edged sword when it turns out that the "ancestors" aren't the docile herbavores that were originally planned, but a deadly and agressive carnivore.

Sigler's book is very readable and it's very hard to put down. If my review is not enough to get you to buy the book (I can understand if this isn't available in Swiss libraries), you can listen to the book for free on podcast at iTunes or on Scott Sigler's website:

http://www.scottsigler.com/taxonomy/term/7?page=17

Recommend Lake Wobegon Days, Garrison Keillor, over 20 years old but the narrative still works. It's a story of early European settlers in the US

Right now I'm reading "Her Fearful Symmetry" by Audrey Neffeneger. I loved "The Time Traveller's Wife" and I really like the way she can paint a picture with words. Plus I'm a sucker for a love story.....

A quarter of the way in, and enjoying it so far.

I have just finished reading a quite disappoint The Prince of Mist, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It is not that bad, but I don't get all the fuss about this writer.

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

I subscribe to Orell Fueslli and enjoy getting their lists and recommendations by the way!

Broken Republic by Arundathi Roy

An explosive book on how the Indian state is committing heinous crime and trying to cover it up. Full facts and human stories of the so called maoists.

Roy was booked for sedition after the release of this book .

Talk to the Snail by Stephen Clarke

Hilarious book written by an English that is living in France about the French people. A gift from my boyfriend which is ironically a French! LOL

The Leopard = Jo Nesbo...... super!

Currently, I'm reading the second Honor Harrington book by David Weber---The Honor of the Queen. I apologize for using the American spelling, but since the same spelling is used for the books at British Amazon, I felt it appropriate to keep the American spelling. Notwithstanding the different spelling, it's very easy to "hear" British accents in this book even if you don't "see" them.

Link to free e-book at Baen Books. (English)

The Honor of the Queen

Die Ehre der Königin

Pour l'honneur de la reine

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman.

It's not exactly a gripping, can't put it down kind of novel.

In fact, it's taking me some time to get through.

Not exactly selling it, am I?