What books are you reading and why?

I am a big fan of CJ Sansom books, about a lawyer Adam Shardlake, suppose you could call them historical thrillers.

I am just reading Single to Paris by Alexander Fullerton picked up in a phone box lockdown library last month. All about an SOE agent in occupied France and very atmospheric although with some graphic bits of Gestapo interrogation.

Have just finished When The Germans Came about the occupation of the Channel islands, a gripping read about how bad they had it out there.

I am reading Rumours of Rain by Andre Brink for book group.

I love ‘Coming Home’ rubysong, it’s a reread favourite. I read it for the third or fourth time during March lockdown.

I was trawling our overstuffed bookshelves the other night for something that a) I hadn’t already read, or b) that wasn’t any of dh’s heavy non-fiction.

I picked up David Copperfield, thinking I must surely have read it ages ago, but I hadn’t.

Haven’t read any Dickens for ages but thoroughly enjoying it - despite the fact of it being a very fat book so not ideal for reading in bed. On the plus side it will last me more than 2 days (very quick reader.)

Start Stars

Now reading Silver Bay by Jo-Jo Moyes. What a versatile writer she is. This is set in Australia whereas the last one of hers I read was The Giver of Start set in the coal mines of 1930s USA.

Am half-way through The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, having seen it recommended on the 50 books a year thread. More than one reviewer said it was the best book they had read this year and am inclined to agree.

I have just finished Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher. A lot of it is set in Cornwall and it is very good. I'm also over half way through A Suitable Boy and enjoying it very much. It is my 'daytime' book as it is too big to take to bed. On the Kindle in bed I have 'Four Sisters' by Val Wood. I love her books, set in my home area of East Yorkshire.

I've just finished 'The Nightingale' about life in France during WW2 under the Nazi regime. Not an easy read, in fact, quite traumatic - puts our present problems into perspective. I needed a stiff drink at the end of it.

Like Jumblygran I resort to P G Wodehouse for some light relief. Also I've a book of Somerset Maugham short stories, for a nice wallow in history.

I have just downloaded A Better Man by Louise Penny. If anyone likes crime fiction the Inspector Gamache books are very good and well written. There are a few of them so start with the first one Still Life.
On the lighter side I have been reading Jeeves and Wooster, P G Wodehouse very funny.

Barack Obama. A Promised Land. One of my Christmas present books.

I have two on the go at the moment; Bernard Cornwell’s “War Lord” which I am eaking out because I love the main characters so much I don’t want it to end. It’s the last in the series.
The other one is “Pandora’s Jar” by Nathalie Haynes. She is a wonderful writer, scholarly, amusing and fiercely feminist, she approaches women - both the heroines and the monsters - in mythology from a different, more humane perspective, exploring the ancient texts and even citing some surprising modern media counterparts. By no means dry as dust writing - she can never be accused of that; she gives the women of the ancient world a voice.

I've just started Joanna Trollope's "Mum and Dad" she used to write very well about family dynamics and then she went off a bit, but this latest one was in Sainsburys for £4.99 so I thought I'd give her another go.

My last book was "The Other Passenger" by Louise Cadlish, which I thoroughly recommend to anyone who loves a twisty psychological thriller, I couldn't put it down!

I have just completed 'Where the Crawdads Sing' . I was a late starter to this novel having given up reading it 4 times. I am so pleased I perceivered. It is the most absorbing and unusual story I have read in a long time. I am not surprised it sold so well.

Finished reading The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi and really enjoyed it. It was set in jaipur in the 1950's.

Just started The Long Call by Ann Cleeves. For some unknown reason I have not read any of her books, though I love a good crime novel. A few chapters in, and so far I am enjoying it.

May I recommend Alaska, by James Michenor? It`s a very long, thick book, spanning Alaska`s history from prehistoric times to the present day, and it`s fascinating. I first bought it about 40 or so years ago, and bring it out to re-read every so often, just giving myself enough time to forget the finer details.

Any Martina Cole......

I got Forgotten Girl by Kerry Barrett for Christmas. I asked for it because I had borrowed The Girl in the Picture from the library before we went into Tier 4. Both books have parallel story lines taking place several/many years apart.

I got a lovely hardback copy of ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurer for Christmas (it’s one of my favourite books). So that’s what I started reading last night after I’d finished my previous read.

Just finished Last Letter from Istanbul by Lucy Foley which was set during the allied occupation of Istanbul at the end of WW1. Now reading The Temp by Michelle Frances which is an easy read set mainly in London in the world of tv producers. The Temp is hired to cover maternity leave....
Both books are for my reading group and we are now discussing over Zoom

Abir Mukherjee "Smoke and Ashes" the third of four currently. Really gripping, set in Raj-era India. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in London. The first two books in this series were nominated for awards. I also like Phillip Kerr but unfortunately he's dead now and I've read all his books.

A re read (first was quite a while ago) on the Kindle - Miss Marjoribanks, by Margaret Oliphant. A Victorian novel I probably downloaded for nothing or peanuts - funny and very enjoyable. And even more importantly, a great escape from all the doom and gloom.

I’m reading ‘Black Narcissus’, ready for it being on tv tomorrow, although I know the plot from the film.

Ordered it from the library when I saw it was going to be on, and there is a waiting list already.

Shoulddobetta I also enjoy Lisa Jewell. I think I have read them all now. I like her style.