What books are you reading and why?

I recently finished ‘The Giver of Stars’ by Jojo Moyes. I would never normally choose a book like this, but it went beyond my expectations and I could hardly put it down. I have seen both good and bad reviews by other GN readers of her books, but can’t find them now. Can anyone recommend one of hers they really liked please ?

Nankate
Me before you
Ship of Brides
One plus one

Joesoap

Please can anyone recommend books specifically about Cornwall.

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn is a true story and very moving.

I am reading 'Nemesis' by Agatha Christie. Had never read any of hers before Covid, and my daughter recommended them as light reading in between my book club books. Am gradually working my way through her whole works! They are unputdownable, and light reading compared to our book club reading.

Just finished 'The Dutch House' by Anne Patchett for book club, a tale of a Philadelphia family from about 1950 to the 2000s, in which the main character appears to be the eponymous Dutch House. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I am reading The Next Bend In The Road by Diana Orrantia -Marshall .

The autobiography of a Mexican lady severely disabled by disabled. She courageously overcame many obstacles but managed to make an amazing success of her life.

Recommended by a friend with polio.

* disabled by polio

hicaz46 I’m about halfway through Troubled Blood after reading Thursday Murder Club too! I think Richard Osman will develop the characters a little more in the second book. A nice gentle story.
Troubled Blood weighs 1.5 kilo/ 3lbs in old money! It’s an effort to lift it with arthritic hands but I couldn’t wait for the paperback or ebook! Managed to order from library before lockdown.
“And then there were none” ( wasn’t called that when i read it 50+ years ago!) was the first murder mystery I ever read!

I decided lockdown was at last the time to read War and Peace - downloaded it on to my Kindle and have just finished it. Wonderful - as everyone says! I've left it rather late to read it. In the end I skipped Tolstoy's long thoughts on the nature of history, and war,
but the story is really worth getting into. I miss it now I've finished and found at first ~I didn't want to read any other fiction so am reading a great new book called "Human Kind" - fascinating! Undoes lots of things I and others have believed. And easy to read too.
www.waterstones.com/book/humankind/rutger-bregman/9781408898932

Just about to start Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Almost at the end of Educated by Tara Westover. It's been a bit of a chore and I would normally give up on something I can easily put down but I'm nearly there now.

Thanks so much Roses. ?

I’m reading Finding Freedom the biography about Harry and Meghan. It’s intriguing how they maintain that they didn’t have a hand in writing it, but reading it some of the inside information could have only come from them, if it didn’t there is definitely grounds for a libel case.

I love Jane Austen! But it took me a while to discover how great George Elliot is and also Elizabeth Gaskell. If you love Jane, its well worth trying Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell - its brilliant! She also wrote North and South, and other great books.

Kim19 I'm a fan of Alexander McCall Smith. Have read nearly all his books. I particularly liked his No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. As you say, full of human kindness just what we can reflect on in these surreal times,

I am a member of a Facebook group the heading of which is-undervalued British women novelists 1930 1960

I have discovered Persephone book publishers from that group and have read some amazing books I got sent a catalogue recently which was interesting, the have a brief description of the book.

From that Facebook group too a book called the hour before dawn by Celia fremlin was mentioned, so I am reading that at the moment.

(So many books, so little time!).

Applegran if you enjoyed War and Peace read Anna Karenena. I skipped the last few chapters of War and Peace too as found his philosophy sermons too heavy!

Milliemabel, condolences on the loss of your dad. What a lovely way to share your last hours with him, reading aloud. I hope that, at some level, it will have been comforting to him.

Roses

I love reading family sagas like the ones Rosamund Pilcher wrote
Can anyone suggest any others please, not historical as I don't like them
Thanks

Have you read the Cazalet novels by Elizabeth Jane Howard? They’re set from just before WW2 onwards.

For books set in Cornwall, there’s Poldark, of course. Tim Pears’ West Country Trilogy is set in both Devon & Cornwall. Some of Daphne du Maurier’s are Cornwall-set, too.

Hi I'm new to gransnet. I love to read as you can see by my user name. I've just finished reading a book by Amanda Prowse called A Mothers love. It's to do with post natal depression. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it also one called Just Once by Lori Handel and is also very good.

Reading "The Constant Gardener " by John le Carre, because it has been in my 'to read' pile for ages, im up to chapter 3, not impressed so far, to continue, or put in charity bag ?

I'm fascinated by Russian literature too. But never read War and Peace. I've got a copy of Dr. Zhivago.
I've just gone back to a book about Anton Chekov by Rosamund Bartlett.
Scenes from a Life. It's a bit heavy going so I only read a little at a time.
Chekov was a fascinating character, trained as a doctor and supported his family with his writing. But died of TB in his 40s. I love his short stories, a real observer of human nature plus a sense of humour.

Thanks Minimoon I had no idea there was another book on the Rosie trilogy.

I’ll shortly start The Mist by Ragnar Jonasson the final book in his Icelandic detective trilogy.

Have you tried Maeve Binchy?

I am reading The Searcher by Tana French, it is her new novel and very good but I think I like her earlier ones better. She writes detective novels but this one diverges a little. Well written though.
I too have been reading Agatha Christie books and have just finished Ann Cleeve’s latest Vera novel The Darkest Evening.

For serious reading I am reading The Tyranny of Merit, What Became of the Common Good by Michael Sandal. It is about inequality in society, polarised politics and how we need to change out thoughts about success and failure. It is thought provoking.

Read and listened to the audio book of Daughter of Time by Josephine Tay. It’s the best book I have ever read, history and detective thriller in one slim volume. Very apt for lockdown as the main protagonist never leaves his room .

I am reading Dissolving Illusions, which is about vaccinations. It is a bit heavy going and l am very busy most of the time so it is taking longer. I am going to read The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa next and then there are lots of books on my Kindle to be read. Having always been a bookworm l am finding (perhaps because of time limitations and fatigue) that I am getting much more distracted and cannot concentrate in the way I used to.