What are you reading at the moment, part2

I have just started 'The House of Special Purpose' by John Boyne, who wrote the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. It's about the Romanovs and is a bit slow going at the moment but hoping it will get better. Just finished a book about Henry Percy, the Earl of Northumberland, who was loosely betrothed to Anne Boleyn before Horrible Henry got his mits on her.

I`ve just finished Wasted Years, by John Harvey. It`s highly recommended by Michael Connelly, but it was written in 1993, and seemed a bit dated, and nowhere near as exciting as I imagined it would be. So, it was okay, but no more than that, I`m afraid. My next book will be A Mersey Mile, by Ruth Milton. It`s set in 1955, and is about problems besetting the occupants and inhabitants of Scotland Road, when new plans are announced by the government.

Read and recommended to my Book Group "Hello from the Gillespies" by Monica McInerney. Set in Australia, mainly on an outback farm and the sort of book where you think "I'll just read one more chapter to see what happens". I ordered more of her books from the library after reading this one - she's a good author.

"Love Nina" by Nina Stibbes. DD passed it on, and I have loved it - read it in one day (in a hospital bed so I had time!)

It is an epistolary novel, comprising a collection of letters from Nina to her sister Victoria, in the 80s. Nina, a naive 18 year old from Leicester, went to work as a nanny to the children of Mary Kaye Wilmer, editor and co founder of the London Review of Books. She was mixing with the literati - Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller all of whom she hadn't heard, etc and her reflections on them and their lives are beautiful.

I'm halfway through the latest book by C. J. Sanson, Lamintation, I've read all his other Shardlake adventures and loved them all. Would certainly recommend this book plus all the previous ones. Love to hear from anyone also reading this book.

Rereading Peter May's Lewis Trilogy- just finished The Blackhouse

Ditto Thistledoo. I'm enjoying it too and have trouble putting it down. I like the main recurring characters - Shardlake, Barrak and Guy. Sansom makes Tudor London come to life - you can almost hear it and smell it. Dare I say that I find he creates a more realistic scenario that Hilary Mantell?

Also - just finished Val McDermid's modern version of Northanger Abbey. Has anyone else read this or any of the other modern versions of JA novels such as PD James's Death Comes to Pemberley?

Ariadne that book sounds great.

I'm reading "Being Mortal" -Atul Gawande. Just started it.

I'm really struggling to get in to any book at the moment and it's been like this for the last 3 or 4 months.
I have now started my 8th book (Wolf Hall) but not particularly engrossed, haven't finished any of the previous 7! Seem to have the attention span of a gnat.......

If you want something light but interesting LoopyLou try The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths. It is the first in a 6 part series about a forensic archeologist who lives in East Anglia. Once you have read one you will be ready for the next.

Although I'm watching Game of Thrones at the moment I'm also reading the first book at the same time. Light reading but incredibly well written and poetic and it doesn't matter that I know the outline of what's going to happen because it's so descriptive and fills in a lot of the gaps. I'm the same with books these days, loopy, and I used to be someone that always had their head in a book once upon a time .

To have some street cred with the 8-year old GS I'm reading the first Harry Potter book ...I know....sad old gran reading a children's book.

I've read them all, Anya - they're really good! You'll be hooked...

Yes I loved the Harry Potter books too.

Must admit so far pleasantly surprised. I've signed up to a free 30 day trial on some Amazon/Kindke deal, so may get to read them all for free

I loved the Harry Potter books, and a student introduce me to Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" which are superb!

I also have a copy of JK Rowling's "An Occasional Vacancy" which I did enjoy, though it didn't get very good reviews.

I 'ate both of those lots of books Ariadne. Just can't 'get' it.

I am currently reading the latest Jack Reacher, Never Go Back. Have never struggled with one of Lee Child's books before, but it's just not getting anywhere! Might abandon.

I loved all of those books. I still do. Sometimes I think children's books are better than adults'.

I couldn't get on with His Dark Materials either, other than loving the concept of the daemons [and still picture people in terms of what their daemon would be].

I can't bear Pullman either - or Tolkein.

My DD gave me the latest Bridget Jones for Christmas and I said a fervent thank you whilst thinking it would not be my cup of tea - I was given the first one as a present too and could not get on with it at all. But I did enjoy this - it has more humanity and humour - you just have to get past all the urban monied preoccupations - and the tweeting. Underneath it did have something to say. But I would not go out of my way to buy any sequel - not usually the sort of stuff I read.

Anya - beware the 30 ay free trial - make sure you diary when to cancel it!!!!

I'm reading 'The Missing Shade of Blue' by Jenni Erdal. I' d never heard of her, but the synopsis sounded interesting. I'm enjoying it very much, its a lot of prose and a university background, not much dialogue - makes change. Takes place in Edinborough

Paul Merton's autobiography. It's good.

Just finished 'House of Special Purpose', which I started last week. Didn't expect to enjoy it, but then couldn't put it down.

A Mersey Mile is proving to be a very good read. It deals with the inhabitants of Liverpool`s Scotland Road objecting to the government`s decision to knock everything down and rehouse them all, plus personal stories, offences by priests, I`m really enjoying it. Isn`t Scotland Road where Cilla Black grew up?