What I've been reading lately.

"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. A pleasant surprise in that although it seems to be generally considered "magic realism" (which I don't like all that much) there was a very heavy concentration of realistic details. Fascinating really in that you are actually made to believe that a tiger, an orangutang, a zebra, and a hyena all ended up in a life-raft with Pi and he managed to keep alive through it all. Very much about the brute force of nature and how even man will do almost anything to keep alive.

"Marrying the Mistress" by Joanna Tollope. Excellent. Sounds like it's some trashy novel but quite the opposite. A wonderful portrayal of the mess and beauty of family life and relationships.

"A Place of Hiding" by Elizabeth George. Always gives you pretty good value in a mystery.

"Next of Kin" by Joanna Trollope. Not as polished as "Marrying the Mistress" but pretty good all the same.