A book you really enjoyed over the last two years.

I finished The World According to Garp and didn’t enjoy it. If I had read this before The Cider House and Owen Meany I wouldn’t have read any more.

Some great books on here. Saw a recommendation of John Irving books on here and have read A Prayer For Owen Meany, The Cider House Rules and have just started The World According to Garp which seems to me to be odd/peculiar but as I enjoyed the other two I am continuing in the hope that it will evolve into the satisfying end of the other two.

"The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James
Impeccable writing, definitely worthy of a re-read

We begin at the end by Chris Whitaker. If you enjoyed reading where the Crawdads sing, then you’ll love this! Disney have bought the rights to it and are turning it into a mini series… which tells you how good it is.

Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander is the story of someone who hasn’t left her home for over 3 years because of trauma. However she does have some friends who visit and she does a variety of activities within the home setting. As she relates anecdotes from her past life within a dysfunctional family we can empathise with her situation.This is not a sad or depressing book and we follow Meredith as she finally and tentatively finds her way back into society and is able to support those who helped her. Anyone who enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant( not by the same author) will like this book .

Books I have really actually enjoyed no end are the Dublin "trilogy" by Caimh McDonnell. Hilarious but they get deeper as the stories progress. They're Irish so there's swearing, and it's about crime and sometimes murder, so there's violence. Not always for the squeamish.

Much of it is irreverent, but the characters are so engaging and the plots plausible and far-fetched at the same time.

My guilty pleasure!

Francis Brett Young, new author for me, “Portrait of Clare” (1927). Beautifully written and over 800 pages long, so keeping me going for quite a while.
Another new author for me, Norah Ephron, screenwriter for When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve got mail and Heartburn, based on her own marriage breakdown. Not keen on American films, so haven’t seen them, but love her Jewish New York laugh out loud humour.
Also Paul O’Grady’s final autobiography.

I loved The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan .

Sparklefizz

Oh dear. My book group didn't like Lessons in Chemistry or The Salt Path. We found The Salt Path very irritating with what seemed stupid decisions the couple took.

Good thing we all have different tastes.

I am sympathetic to many people who make daft decisions - but in my rather pernickety way, I hope that now they have money, they went back to the campsite they ran out on and have paid them!
I have been at campsites where there are people with no money - and they offer to work in exchange for staying.

Lessons in Chemistry

I’ve just finished Sebastian Barry ~old God’s Time. A beautifully written, haunting tale but very sad

All of fern Britton’s books especially her new book the good servant.

We read Bella Osbourn's The Library' in our book club. It's based around our area, Leamington Spa/Warwick and is a wonderful gentle book with some very good twists. She brings to life the characters of Tom the teenager and Maggie in her 70s united to keep their local library open.
It got my daughter back into reading and she loved it.
Even better, Bella came onto our (zoom) book club and answered all our questions and was good fun.
i highly recommend it.
www.amazon.co.uk/Library-Bella-Osborne-ebook/dp/B08MV6XWMW/ref=sr_1_17?crid=3MIDYGZOFJ14N&keywords=bella+osborne+kindle+books&sprefix=bella+os%2Caps%2C100&tag=gransnetforum-21&qid=1685384176&sr=8-17

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers. Listened to it on Radio 4 and then read a few weeks ago. Resonated with me how life was in the 1950's.

Possibly mentioned already but … all 3 books by Raynor Winn are books that I couldn’t put down. I’m not a walker, a nature lover or very romantic but Raynor Winn’s writing about all those subjects and more are a pure joy and I plan to read them again, soon. Her story is true, shocking and awe-inspiring but she doesn’t play the victim card IMHO.

The Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard. It’s a trilogy about a family over many years . I couldn’t put it down she writes so well . I’ve read other books by her too but this is the best. Also just read To kill a mockingbird many years after I first read it, enjoyed it all over again

The Last Time We Met by Anita Shreve. A writer that I haven’t read before, but on a Gransnet recommendation decided to try. Her style of writing took me a while to get used to, but it was worth it.
The other book which stands out is The Hearts Invisible Furies by John Boyne. It’s the second time I’ve read it and I enjoyed it just as much. It’s our Book Club’s book this month and it will be interesting to hear what the others think of it.

I am terribly old fashioned in my taste and have loved Island Magic by Elizabeth Goudge and The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. I think what I love about both there writers is their ability to capture atmospheres and descriptive narrative.

I didn't like The Salt Path - nowhere near as good as

500 Mile Walkies by Mark Wallington - walking the coast path with a Dog

Hunting Unicorns by Bella Pollen is fun.

Dust Child about the aftermath in Vietnam after the Americans withdrew.
Queens of the Crusades by Alison Weir
Cecily by Annie Garthwaite .... Ceciley Neville and the beginning of the Cousins' war.

This series of books by Stephanie Austin, whom I happen to know personally, are easy reading but with believable characters and a well woven plot. Recommended. Most are available in paperback or from libraries, I believe.

www.stephanieaustin.co.uk

The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey. It isn't a novel but very readable.

Where the Crawdads Sing
Still Life
The Book Thief
Little Life
Sugie Baine

This is my very favourite at the moment. A good read.

Sparklefizz

I loved "Exile" by Jane Harper, and "The Paper Palace" by Miranda Cowley Heller.

I do like Jane Harper books.

The Dry
Force of Nature
The Lost Man

Iam64

What didn’t your group like about Lessons in Chemistry, sparklefizz?

One person said it "droned on".