I've recently finished "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" by David Mitchell, no not the comedian, the bloke what wrote "Cloud Atlas".

A truly first class historical novel, set in Japan at the turn of the eighteenth century. It's very daunting at first with the immense cast of characters he throws at you (hint: there is a cast list at the back) and you might need a dictionary at hand for some of the obscure words he uses with abandon. But stick with it and it's very engrossing. You can hold it up so many different ways to see it as a love story, a historical document of Japan's opening up with the West, a meditation on the state of the human soul or just a plain thriller.

I shall certainly be re-reading in a year or two. It's confirmed Mitchell as one of my favourite modern authors alongside Iain Banks and Matthew Kneale.

Mitchell had never let me down, will have to catch up on this one.

Is Kneale the guy who wrote about the boat voyage to Oz, blue cover, very hyped a few years back? Very good but not heard of him since....

"the book thief" by marcus zusak is incredibly good...

I've just finished reading Music & Silence by Rose Tremain, set in and around the court of King Christian IV of Denmark, circa 1630 (but also in England, Ireland and Norway of that period). It's one of the best books I've ever read. Wonderfully written, intriguing historical detail, superbly drawn characters, a kaleidoscopic plot and a breathtaking ending. In fact it's gone into my top five, which now reads (in no particular order):

Garp - John Irving
Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
Complicity - Iain Banks
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg
Music & Silence - Rose Tremain

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R.Tolkien - Fantasy Fiction
Gates of Fire - Steven Pressfield - Historical Novel
The Throwback - Tom Sharpe - Humour(ous) Novel
Enemy Coast Ahead - Guy Gibson - War/biography
__ (any) _ - James Harriot or Gerald Durrell - Nature/wildlife

...and a 6th book for good luck...

The Red Queen - Matt Ridley - Science