Needing help buying a book for my mother-in-law. She's 60 (young 60, likes a reefer, saw Dylan in '65 and '05 and every other tour in between), widely read, 1st class degree in EngLit a few years ago, sharp, wise and a Liverpudlian, going through a rough time right now. A few years back I scored massively with The Shipping Forecast before it became huge, and I'd love to repeat that, and that's a good guide to her tastes.

She keeps buying me Pynchon and Banville (which is a shame).

Thanks in advance,

Pete

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Aaaargh. The Shipping News. Doh.

Andrea Levy's Small Island.... anything by Nuala O'Faolain... Emma Darwin's The Mathematics of Love... Jane Smiley, anything- especially Moo and A Thousand Acres... does it need to be very now tho?

All the above, of course! but also Sarah Waters The Night Watch. If recent isn't essential, Angela Carter's Wise Children, which is wonderful,. I've just started Mike Stocks' White Man Falling and it's terrific - funny and profound, and on the same tack, A Short History of Tractors...

Emma

Thanks Anna,

Doesn't need to be 'now' but would be nice. Anybody got any opinions on Carol Shields?

Pete

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Thanks Emma

Carol Shields is utterly, utterly marvellous and you can't go wrong with any of her. The short stories collection is just amazing!

)

A
xxx

Alice Munro - one of the greats, short stories that keep even die-hard novel readers feeling satisfied.

Emma

OOOH!!

I work in a rare bookshop, which specialises in modern first editions and nineteenth-century English Literature. You can check out the website: www.jonkers.co.uk . Everything we have in stock is on there, and prices range from £10 to £300,000.

Love
Sarah

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You can also order from the website and we'll post it. oOr you can WWmail me if you see anything interesting and I can get you 20% off.

Thanks Holly, thanks Sarah

You're welcome, but please don't buy the first editions of Jane Austen, cos the minute I have £95,000 spare, they're mine.

...the first editions of Jane Austen, cos the minute I have £95,000 spare...

I'm not usually a book-collector - I'd rather have a well-used Penguin than a precious volume I'm frightened of losing - but I must say that has got my mouth watering.

If we're talking looking for out-of-print books, it's worth mentioning

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/

Emma

I'd rather have a well-used Penguin than a precious volume I'm frightened of losing

I know. That was the way I thought until I set foot inside this bookshop two months ago and felt as though I'd found my version of utopia. However, I will never be able to buy anything I want there, so I asked if I could work there instead and they said yes.

It is glorious. We have Peter Rabbits for 10 grand. Crazy, huh?

Was it Peter Rabbit who got rolled up in dough by the rats in the attic?

That used to scare me sh*tless.

Wonder where my copy is...

Pete

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Yes, Abebooks is great.

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Maybe it was Tom Kitten

Pete, I owe you. Posting the Abebooks link reminded me to have a look for a beloved childhood title that I balked at paying £200 for a hb about three years ago. Found it for less than half that, now that it's been re-issued in pb.

Emma

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And yes, it was Tom Kitten!

Pete

Carol Shields is a brilliant - particularly Unless and The Stone Diaries; and, yes, Alice Munro is a genius. Also William Trevor, another short story writer, and Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance is a 700page book I finished in less than a week - depressingly brilliant.