What books are you reading and why?

SPQR by Mary Beard, because Ancient Rome is one of my passions and Mary Beard is a very knowledgeable historian and a great writer. It’s probably too long for some people though.

Reading ‘The Mirror & the Light’by Hilary Mantel.
It’s a huge book & I’m finding it hard going! But sticking with it as she is a brilliant writer.

I loved ‘The Mirror and The Light’ Gilly74, it was hard going at times but well worth sticking with it.

(Now waiting for someone to complain it’s too long ?)

Christmas Carol.

Every 23/24 December

bonfirebirthday

I am reading Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee. It is the fourth in the series featuring Sam Wyndham and Surendernot Banerjee. I came across this series by accident. They are crime novels set in Raj-era India, I have learnt a lot reading the novels. I would highly recommend the series.

Thanks for this recommendation?sounds good, I really enjoy novels set in India.

Lupin I've just been rereading Katherine too. I first read it over 30 years ago and have been fascinated by Katherine Swynford ever since.

Alison Weir wrote The Story of John of Gaunt and his Scandalous Duchess about Katherine Swynford, which might interest you

I've got the Thursday Murder Club as a Christmas present. Looking forward to it. Apparently Richard Osman has sold over 700,000 copies since the book came out a few months ago.

The Thursday Murder Club is very enjoyable, grannyrebel7, I read it a few weeks ago.

I've got two on the go at the moment; the new Cormoran Strike one by Robert Galbraith (Troubled Blood, it's the size of a house brick) and Lady In Waiting by Lady Anne Glenconner.
Both involving and interesting in their two completely different ways.

I abandoned "The Thursday Murder Club" I found it really dull, although I know I'm in a minority, most seem to love it, including my husband, maybe I was fresh from just finishing "Troubled Blood" which I thought was excellent and for me the best of the Cormoran Strike series by far.

Currently reading "The Other Passenger" Louise Candlish, I've been waiting for it to go into paperback, and was glad to see it in Waitrose the other day. I like her books a lot particularly "Our House", I'm a 100 pages in and this one thus far is up to her usual standard.

Lady In Waiting is also a very good read gulligranny.

I have just started Delta of Venus by Anais Nin. Simply because I have never read it.

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman - because I haven't read it for some years now and it's always been a favourite. It was the book that really got me interested in the Wars of the Roses and Richard III.

I'm reading American Dirt. Listening to Quentins on loan from library, on my phone.

Books set in Cornwall

The Great Western Beach by Emma Smith

Tremarnock by Emma Burstall
plus three more in the series about Tremarnock

Christmas present.

A Promised Land by Obama.

I’ve had some good books as presents this year.

I’m reading Bond of Blood. It’s about the time of Queen Maud and the arrival of Henry of Anjou. I like medieval history.

I am reading a boys' adventure story written in the 1920s. The author knows all about sailing and the coastal waters.

I’ve just finished the Thursday Club and found it hard going at the start but almost couldn’t put it down at the end!

I bought Beyond Possible by Nimsdai Purja for DH Christmas present and will start that next week after he’s done.

I've had some good books as present this Christmas. Just as well because with nothing to do and nowhere to go I'll have plenty of time to read.

Difficult to know which one to start with but I've chosen 'Victory in the Kitchen' The life of Churchill's cook.

Georgina Landemare was born in 1882 and at the age of 95 began to destroy her memoirs because her daughter and son in law told her nobody would be interested in them. Fortunately, her granddaughter discovered what she was doing and stopped her.

I think it's going to be a very interesting history of domestic service, food and the impact of war.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.