What to read?

I’ve decided to put my fate in your hands, dear reader. I cannot seem to decide on the next book to read. I have too many choices. Here are some of my possibilities:
The Archivist by Martha Cooley
God Lives in St. Petersburg by Tom Bissell
The Orientalist by Tom Reiss
Spice: The History of a Temptation by Jack Turner
Pinkerton’s Sister by Peter Rushforth
The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake

You can see my dilemma here. So you are going to tell me what to read next.

6 thoughts on “What to read?”

  1. patricia

    Oh please read The Archivist. You won’t be sorry.

    On another note, I have tried many times to read Titus Groan, the first book from the Gormenghast Trilogy, and and never managed to get through it.

    But anyway…. The Archivist!!

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  3. Brian

    Definitely read The Archivist. It is a very good book – and through it, I discovered the music of Bud Powell, whose stuff you will want to hear, if you aren’t familiar with it, after reading the book. This added bonus makes it the best choice on your list.

    I just finished rereading The Rotter’s Club by Jonathan Coe and have started its sequel, The Closed Circle. You should give him a try some time.

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  4. Dave Worsley

    One more for the Archivist. I’m dismayed it found its place yet. Maybe the new one due in May will help. The Archivist is a beauty. I’m new to the blog, back soon.

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  5. Margareta Vranicar

    Not to confuse you by recommending something NOT on your list, but how about some foreign writers: Naguib Mahfouz? His Cairo Triology spans: Palace Walk, Sugar Street, and Palace of Desire. Or what about Hadrien’s Memoires by Marguerite Yourcenar. For American/English non-fiction: Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux and Travels with a Tangerine by Tim MacKintosh-Smith.

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  6. bookdwarf

    Thanks for the recommendations Margareta! I’ve read some Mahfouz before. Perhaps I should revist him. I loved The Memoirs of Hadrian. I studied Classics for years and came across this book. I love reading fictional accounts of the ancient world—makes it seem so alive. I haven’t read Travels with a Tangerine. Perhaps that should go on my TBR list.
    Thanks for chiming in everyone. I should do this more often. It makes picking books more fun.

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