What books are you reading and why?

Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess. Like some others on here, I'm finding it a struggle to complete a book. Children's literature is a wonderful antidote to this. This is a simple, moral story with a very lovable main character. Of course, I know what happens, but it is a joy to read and brings me back to childhood, my own and my children's.

I love Agatha Christie as well!

Paperback writer: Try Penmarric by Susan Howatch (then Cashelmara, not about Cornwall, but really good.) Assume you've read the Poldark books. My granny had the first four in her library and I read them in the fifties, after that I think they lost their charm a bit probably because of the tv series (the first one) being so popular and the characters being brought 'up to date' for the punters. I long for a saga I haven't read.

I have two reading lists. When I want something light and not too challenging I go to either Allexnder McCall Smith's No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, or Lilian Jackson Braun's The Cat Who .... series, both so well read I almost know them by heart. For something more involved I love action, mystery and crime, Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, Dan Brown, Steve Berry, David Gibbins. Add to those an occasional foray into fantasy, Philip Pullman at the moment, and I hardly have time for real life. Thank goodness for books ove the past few months.

Love all the earlier Anne Tyler books. Comfort reads are Joanna Trollope. Kate Atkinson, Sebastian Faulkes, plus old favourites by Jane Austen always are great.

Hi all @MOnica I genuinely thought Southampton had that honour but clearly there are a good few cities which have a good bit of green space in them.

With reference to my current reading: Giles Brandreth’s Dancing by the light of the moon Because my daughter, who knows me very well, bought it for me for Christmas, and it is more or less a page a day read, full of brilliant poetry to learn by heart.

Joesoap

Please can anyone recommend books specifically about Cornwall.

If you mean novels set in Cornwall, there's Liz Fenwick, Fern Brittain (sp?). Several of Judy Astley's are set there too.

And to those who like Lisa Jewell, I've recently discovered her too - she's brilliant!

I love reading. My sisters bought me a kindle last year. I have read books on it but l like to read a proper book. My middle sister is mad about books. She has a lot! Slowly she is sorting them out and taking them to charity shops. I get them to,

once read the charity shop benefits or will do when they are open again. I've just started reading Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy. I thought I had read all of hers but some of the earlier ones l may have missed fortunately. I love her books. I also like Peter James and James May. Although l enjoy `chick lit' l have just read one of the pudding pantry books by Caroline Roberts very slushy lots of descriptions l skipped a lot of it definitely one for the charity shop.Happy Reading everyone. Don't forget you can access library books via Inspire online. As much as l love going to the library l'm afraid it will be a long time before I go into one again.

I am reading The Madness of Crowds. Discussing the appalling mess being made in the world by “wokeness”.

Did you see Gransnet Home - Life Style - Books
"Best books for Christmas" so many to add to my must have list. First on the list non-fiction: The Body: A Guide For Occupants - Bill Bryson. An exploration of the human body, how it functions and its remarkable ability to heal itself. Full of extraordinary facts and astonishing stories, this is a brilliant, often very funny attempt to understand the miracle of our physical and neurological make up.

I'm in the [very stressful] process of moving house at the moment so my 'personal library' is mainly boxed up. I have frazzled nerves and brain so any intellectual, or even slightly taxing, reading is out of the question for a bit. Currently reading 'The Mammoth Hunters' by J.M. Auel - this is the third book in her 6-book 'Earth's Children' series. Set towards the end of the last Ice-Age, when modern humans and Neanderthals shared Europe with mega fauna. It follows a modern human woman raised by a Neanderthal Clan then living with her own kind. A fictional tale that is well researched and can be thought-provoking. I'm reading it because it's easy reading and I re-read the series every few years or so, usually when snuggled and warm indoors as all that ice & snow makes me feel cold otherwise! Little snippets throughout the series discussing everything from geography, history, the ascent of man, archaeology, artifacts, building techniques to human relationships, plant-lore/ancient medicinal practices, cave art, culture/religion/Mother Nature, climate change etc - some issues that seem to have been relevant from year dot. A good storyteller (a little repetitive in places but otherwise quite well written.

I’m just about to start Big Sky by Kate Atkinson because I love all her books.

I just finished Ashes which I won on GN.

What a superb book, worth a read. It is about a friendship between a Christian and a Jewish teenager in 1938/9 Belgium. It is both poetic and brutal. A book which will stay in, my mind, beautifully written and poignant.

Really enjoyed The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal. Not my usual sort of thing - Set in London in 1850 - about a taxidermist and some pre-Rapaelite artists! Just loved it!

I am happily reading the Morland Dynasty books by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. They start back in the 15th century and I am just about to read "The Chevalier" which takes me into the 17th century. The research for these historic fiction books is incredible and I have learned so much more than I ever did in history lessons!

Moggycuddler
Thank you for the recommendation, I think Strangers is on my reading list

Thank you for that recommendation. Think that book is on my reading list so thanks for the heads up

I have just re-read Katherine by Anya Seton which I read decades ago. Still enjoyed it though. I'd like to read a non-fiction about her if anyone can recommend one.
I have also read The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen, a fiction book about a Norwegian family and their life on their own island. It's the first one of a trilogy, and I loved it. Am looking forward to reading the other two.
JOSOAP - Fern Britten writes novels set in Cornwall and there are the good old Winston Graham Poldark books.

I enjoy detective/police procedural books. I've done Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Elizabeth George again and again. If you haven't read any by Anthea Fraser* you might enjoy her Inspector David Webb series (first one is 'A Shroud for Delilah') and a lighter series which made me truly laugh out loud is The Falconer Files by (weirdly) Andrea Frazer. All these are in my kindle library.

I've gone nostalgic for the 70s and begun reading Desmond Bagley's thrillers again. I just finished 'Running Blind', which is set in Iceland. My copy is so old it's falling to bits and the pages are yellow with age but I'd only read it once, about 35 years ago, so it was like the first time! I'll read 'The Vivero Letter' next.

I'm nearly at the end of the entire 'Dr Dolittle' collection by Hugh Lofting, which I last read when I was around nine years old. I went back to them thinking I'd recommend/read them to my grandson but there are some very outdated references in them which preclude that.

I'm lost without a book.

Just read’ A room made of leaves’ by Kate Greville about a woman whos husband is sent to govern the penal colony in Australia. Very rich on detail like all her books. My other book which I’m currently reading is ‘ How to build a better brain’ by Dr Sabrina Brennan, on how to try to ‘future proof your brain’ by increasing neuroplasticity, basically helping your brain to adapt to cope if damaged by age or illness. It is very interesting and hopeful.

Vickya, I also read the Jalna series in my ear.y teens, and loved it. The only one I didn't read was the very first one, so bought a used copy online a couple of years ago and ' caught ' up. I may well do the same with the whole series. It was made into a tv series some years ago, which was such a disappointment. Having all the characters in my mind's eye, I would have done it very differently. ( I wish! )

I’m immersed in the Wild West of America, in Texas. I’m reading The Son by Phillip Meyer. It’s a three-generation tale of white man’s incursion into Indian territory and the later Mexican population. It’s very bloody in parts, which is not my usual preference, but the narrative drives the book along relentlessly even though it’s approx 600 pages long.

It has apparently been made into a tv series with Pierce Brosnan as the main protagonist.

milliemabel Sorry to hear you've lost your dad. How lovely that you read to him.

icanhandthemback , we don’t do anything to harm our children on purpose so give yourself a break. I suffered with a lot of separation anxiety from my mother as a child but now as a grown up l try to rationalise the old feelings l felt. Why don’t you and your daughter read the book together? You could take your time over it and discuss it as you go. It might drag up some unwanted feelings for both of you but you could support each other, you are mother and daughter after all. It may bring you closer too for your daughter to understand how you have felt in the past. As long as you both start with a logical open mind and go very slowly what harm can it do? Help her and listen to her during discussion on the book but don’t argue or disagree on feelings because that’s what they are, feelings. Understanding each other will help you both. Good luck

I’m reading Elif Shafak’s ‘10 minutes, 38 seconds in this strange world’. I’ve heard her speak a few times and thought I’d give her novels a go. She writes extremely well and I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. I download a lot of books from BorrowBox and last night finished one in the Quick Reads series: ‘Six feet six’ by the author of ‘My name is Leon’ (Kit de Waal). Started ‘A Paris bookshop’ and am a few chapters in. Don’t know where I’d be without reading!