A book you really enjoyed over the last two years.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Lessons in Chemistry

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

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.

I loved The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan .

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.

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!

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 .

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.

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

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.

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.

Not a novel but very interesting and incredibly moving in parts (don't read it in public!).
There are some Sue Black mini-lectures on YouTube if you fancy a taster.

I have always liked Anne Tyler’s books and someone recommended Mary Lawson as being a similar author. I have just finished ‘A Town Called Solace’ and really enjoyed it so have just ordered another of her titles from the library.

Wyllow3

The Louise Penny detective series with the detective M Gamache. Wonderful insights and good yarns, not found anything so good in ages.

PS Casdon that is a wonderful book too.

Have you tried Donna Leon's Brunetti books set in Venice ?. No blood or gore but just a gentle read and a good back story with his family .

I recommend the World's End series by Upton Sinclair and Robert Tressel: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

A Respectable Trade by Philippa Gregory. In fact anything by her if you enjoy historical novels. Fabulous author.

I love the historical novels. Just reading Hamnet by. Maggie O’Farrell which I am enjoying.

Still Life by Sarah Winman, set mainly in Florence, is such a positive, life-affirming book. The panoply of quirky characters are good for each other, such a change from the accounts of toxic relationships that are the theme.of so many novels. And the central character Ulysses is someone who makes you glad to have known.

I recently read Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow which was highly unusual but such a good read. I'm on A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara now a brilliant read and so well written.

The two books that I enjoyed so much are The Book of Lost Names and A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Currently reading and thoroughly enjoying ‘That Bonesetter ‘Woman’ by Frances Quinn. A really good read, set in the 18th century.