And to celebrate National Year of Reading 2008, Chad — in partnership with Mansfield Library — will be finding out what these and other well known local people in the town like to get up to between the pages.

The 'Who's Reading What' series will focus on one person and book a month. Chad readers can then go to one of Mansfield's libraries where there will be copies of the book in stock to borrow.

• Scroll to the bottom of this article to read Mick Boulding's review of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

'Essential'

Said Coun Steve Carroll, Nottinghamshire County Coun-cil's cabinet member for culture and regeneration: "This is such a great idea, it's Mansfield's version of the Richard and Judy Book Club.

"Reading is an essential and fun part of life which can help you escape from the daily grind, gain new skills and even take you around the world.

"If you've not read anything for a while why not go to your local library and start with this month's recommended book?"

The National Year of Reading is a year-long celebration of reading which aims to help build a greater national passion for reading for children, families and adults alike.

Reading can include anything from the football reports in Chad, to a fabulous new recipe, games cheat, magazine, car manual or website — all of which are available from your local library.

• Have you checked out Bill Purdues regular Chad book blog? Just click here to have a look.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - Reviewed by Mick Boulding.

IT is the story of two females (Mariam and Laila) struggling to live decent lives through the warfare and ethnic rivalries of 1970s Afghanistan through to the present day.

The two women who are from different backgrounds and cities eventually end up married to the same abusive husband and at first are bitter rivals, but there becomes a slowly growing friendship in the face of the horrific violence from their shared husband.

"Laila looks at Mariam and for the first time, it was not an adversary's face Laila saw but a face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny submitted to and endured. If she stayed, would this be her own face, Laila wondered?"

Khaled Hosseini isn't just telling the story of these two individuals but also trying to explain the tragic complexities of Afghan society to the reader.

The story travels through the Soviet occupation, the fighting and eventual expulsion of the Soviets by the Mujahidean, to the rise and eventual fall of the draconian Taliban.

Hosseini is a very skilled writer in that events that seem unbearable are made readable.

Even through all the misery, violence and abuse you sense you are moving towards a redemptive ending which makes the whole book go down a lot easier.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship and an undesirable love . . .