What are you reading now?

I'm reading A House Full of Daughters by Juliet Nicholson in which she writes about seven generations of the female line of her family including her famous grandmother Vita Sackville West and before her a great great grandmother who started life in the back streets of Malaga and achieved fame and fortune as a Flamenco dancer in 19th century Spain. I'm 3 generations in so far and enjoying it, I felt I needed a break from all the crime I've been reading lately.

Finished Terence Blacker's 'Racing Manhattan', outsider teenage girl meets unmanageable mare. A YA novel set in the world of flat racing. Unpredictable plot and characters that actually develop as the story unfolds, imrealky enjoyed it.

About to start another YA book, Kit de Waal's ' My Name is Leon' which is written from the point of view of a 9 year old mixed race boy in a 1980s city who has a blond, blue eyed baby brother. They are put up for adoption.

I've just finished Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey. It is the story of coal and the Fitzwilliam family, fascinating and enthralling, a true account that is more amazing than most novels. I read her second book The Secret Rooms first (about the Duke of Rutland's family)and was completely hooked. If you want a thrilling, absorbing, un-put-downable story that just happens to be true do try them

I enjoyed Turn Left at the Daffodils, am now enjoying another Elizabeth Elgin book, A Scent of Lavender, also set in WW2.

Golly! A year later and so many fantastic suggestions. Thank you everyone!
I'm ready Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (there's a film of the same name)
It's very different from my usual read, probably aimed at teenagers, but it's a good, easy read.
My next book will be Roald Dahl's autobiography The Storyteller; a big, fat book ?

Happy reading everyone ⭐️

I love the Outlander series too! Can't wait for the next book 'Go tell the bees that I am gone' which is coming out in 2018 apparently! Have you watched the TV series as well? It's a wonderful adaption

I have just finished Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee; great writing - I could only borrow it from the library for a week but finished it in three days. I am now reading A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, having read Life After Life. Expect to enjoy it just as much.

Is Black Diamonds a novel, trisher,, or non fiction? I wouldn't mind reading that.

It's non-fiction Greyduster and the story is incredible. The Fitzwilliam family were Earls and owned coalfields in Yorkshire. There's a baby who might have been substituted, incredible celebrations and parties, and at the same time the story of coalmining. Absolutely fascinating. It's her first book and I read her second one first- The Secret Rooms- enjoyed it so much I had to read Black Diamonds. Both are great reads.

I'll look for them trisher. The Fitzwilliam estates are not far from here and I've visited both Wentworth Woodhouse and Wentworth Castle. I'd like to read a bit more background to them.

Oh you'll love it. It's also got some great photos of Wentworh House and local people.

greyduster I can also recommend Black Diamonds if you live near Wentworth. It's a fascinating read and (spoiler alert) there's a link to the Kennedy family. I've just started to read Keeping on keeping on by Alan Bennett, about 700 pages to go!

Pleased to see My Name is Leon on Costa list. Each year I'm intrigued by so many titles, the Costa books appeal to me in a way that most on the Booker list just don't.

A Scent of Lavender was another lovely tale, am now reading Bright Day Dawning, by Anna Jacobs, very good so far. I`ve become an Anna Jacobs fan.

It's not a spoiler, funnygran, as I picked up on the affair between Kathleen Kennedy and Earl Fitzwilliam from one of the late Duchess of Devonshire's autobiographies. I have ordered 'Black Diamonds' from the library and am looking forward to it.

Bright Day Dawning was good, my next book will be Three Women of Liverpool, The Latchkey Kid, by Helen Forrester.

Currently reading 'His Bloody Project' by Graeme Macrae Burnett, shortlisted for the Booker this year. A riveting and beautifully written historical novel set in 1869 in a crofting community in Scotland. So far, the 'voice' of the narrator, young Roderick Macrae, so reminds me of a French classic, 'L'étranger'( The Outsider) by Albert Camus.

Have not been able to go through the 30 pages of this thread. Perhaps someone has mentioned this vivid, moving, shocking but also funny, historical psychological thriller on one of the previous pages. Sorry if that is the case!

Three Women of Liverpool and Latchkey Kid have turned out to be an omnibus, I didn`t realise!

Have had a feast this week as all the latest books I requested from the library arrived at once?
First Conclave a superb read with Robert Harris returned to his best.....the page turning book has a great surprise in the final sentence. AND Graham Norton's debut novel. Fun and a joy to relax with. Holding is set in Southern Ireland with well drawn characters and local colour of his native land. AND This was a man the final part of Jeffrey Archer's seven volume saga. All the ends are tied up,! As you can imagine not much else done since I collected the books on Monday! But I can recommend them all. (Last week the latest Ian rankin came......my Library is wonderful). Now must start on all the baking wafted along by the lovely memories of all the latest novels ???
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Just started 'Sitting Ducks' by Lisa Blower, subtitled 'If you're not angry, you're not listening'
Set in Stoke in the Potteries in 2010. Stuart Maconie said 'A livid and unapologetic evocation of a world most novels never get near'
I've got to page 23 and I'm hooked.

I loved Three Women of Liverpool, but it was a rather sad, sobering tale. I`ve just finished Latchkey Kid, by the same author, but it didn`t really appeal, I was determined to finish it though. My next book will be something completely different to the last 2, Blind Fury, by Lynda La Plante.

I am reading the Foundation serie by Isaac Asimov

Loved "His Bloody Project", so well written and very gripping. I kept thinking it was true.
Years since I read Asimov, maybe I should re-visit them.

That gives me the idea of re-reading Asimov too!
This afternoon I forced myself to read the last 3 stories in Hilary Mantel's The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. They did not, for me, redeem a downbeat and depressing read, maybe I'm just not the right audience for her, admittedly, beautifully crafted prose.

Loving Blind Fury, but have a feeling I`ve seen it dramatized on TV.