Some good books I'd like to recommend

Claire Balding's books 'My Family and other animals' and 'Walking Home' are very interesting and insightful reads.

And for more 'classic' reads Gerald Durrell's books about his years of being a naturalist are brilliant. I read and re-read them over the years and they still make me laugh, 40+ years on

Isn't this a wonderfully sane thread! I have already taken up one recommendation (thanks Loopy ) and will be looking for some of the others.

I love a good murder mystery ...but on a completely different subject....on Ashtree's recommendation I've asked for "A Dog's Purpose" for a birthday pressie....I have three dogs and this really appeals !

J K Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith in 'The Cuckoo's Calling' and 'The Silkworm' are also very good reads.
Both feature a down on his luck private detective, and the author really makes you feel as if you're walking alongside him, a real skill. They're also humorous and difficult to put down!

I too loved "Us" by Peter Nicholls. But recently:

"The Signature in all Things" by Elizabeth Gilbert - yes, she wrote "Eat, Pray, Love" but don't let that put you off! This is an intellectually challenging, wide ranging story and I wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy it, but DD recommended it and I trust her. It was excellent.

The second in Jane Smiley's new "Last Hundred Years" trilogy - "Early Warning". The first is "Some Luck". She is my favourite modern American author - do read "A Thousand Acres".

Just in the middle of "The Disclaimer" by Renee Knight - a bit stilted to begin with until she finds her narrative voice, then very readable.

I have just downloaded it too loopylou. Thanks for the recommendation and thanks for the link mcem. Great also that it was only 99p

Brilliant! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have mcem

loopy 5 mins ago I read your post and recommendation. Looked in kindle store and found it at 99p! It's now patiently waiting for me to get started -thanks to you, to GN and the wonders of the kindle!

I've got all of them anno !
And I like Peter James and Peter May as well.

If you like character-driven detective books and if you're a fan of Ian Rankin's Rebus books, you might enjoy Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch stories. The two detectives have much in common and I believe that the two authors are friends.

I will highly recommend The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett. The first is set in the 1100's and the second two centuries later. I did not think they were my kind of book at all but was encouraged to read them by DD. Both are hefty volumes (1200 pages) but don't let that put you off - you will not want to put them down and it will seem more like 200 pages. I think they are probably the best books I have ever read.

I'm reading 'The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair' by Joël Dicker. It's a Richard and Judy Summer Book Club choice (not that this is why I bought it), and it's brilliant.

It's the story of a struggling author who falls in love with a 15 year old girl, set in 1975. She disappears and 33 years later her body is dug up in his yard, along with a copy of his book that made him famous.

I thoroughly recommend it, it's a gripping story.

Glad Christiana managed to get hold of The Belle Fields, I got mine from Amazon too in e-book format and it is available as an actual book - I think it cost me a couple of pounds. I've recommended it to many of my friends who have also enjoyed it. It was surprising how many of the customs celebrating the main events of the year were enjoyed by me when young (Maypole dancing etc) although it is set in the very early 1900s. It's good to know a lot of these celebrations were enjoyed into the 1950's and beyond! It also looks like the twists and turns in the story line and unexpected end also intrigued Christiana as much as me! I do hope there's a sequel - I really want the character William to get his due comeuppance and how will Emily and Sarah fair??? If others get to read it, it's sad, funny, twisting and turning and the events were all too common just a couple of generations ago!

Wow, really some amazing recommendations and good to see my favorite author Ann Taylor in it. I really love her books.

Some very interesting suggestions - thanks everyone - will be having a good look into a lot of them! In Lifting the Latch. Old Mont was brought up around North Enstone in Oxfordshire from memory and his full name was Montague Abbott - he lived 'til a ripe old age - what a character!

I think The Belle Fields is set in South Yorkshire with the dialect of some of the characters in the book - there are loads of 'Big Houses' in that part of the woods too - anyone who's enjoyed Downton Abbey will enjoy this one - there's obviously been a lot of research done in the relationships between the rich and the poor around 1900 and the descriptions of celebrating main events of the year and customs etc are good reading. The twists and turns for the main character and the unexpected ending make it a real 'page-turner' - I couldn't put it down!

Fred Kitchen worked around North Nottinghamshire / South Yorkshire and latterly Sheffield as a farm labourer, milkman etc. The descriptions of his carefree early childhood and through necessity too early start in work are very well written of course by himself. Just think much less than 100 years ago and we sometimes say things have changed for the worse?
Good reading everyone.

Wow, what a lot of great recommendations, must get on with trying to hold of some, thanks for starting a great chat line bookaddict

I am enjoying Penelope Lively's 'The Photograph' and also recommend 'How it All Began' which went down well with our book group. Another author we enjoy is Jojo Moyes. 'Me Before You' has a great balance of humour and a serious theme.

Anne Tyler is a great author, my favourite is ' The Ladder of Years'.

It was so believable, I'm sure many women feel as the main character did. x

If you enjoy detective stories with a dose of the supernatural, I recommend Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series - you need to read them in succession, starting with The Wine of Angels.

Leticia Anne Tyler is my favourite author. I've got her latest book "A Spool of Blue Thread" and I enjoyed the first part of it. But now it's gone back some years and I'm losing track of who the characters are. I just can't seem to get on with it. Anne Tyler said, I think, that this will be her last book. Her earlier books are my favourites: Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Saint Maybe and The Accidental Tourist.

I finished "Us" by David Nicholls the other week. I really enjoyed it - funny, sad and touching - and I loved the main character. Dave Nicholls has written an article in the Guardian Review today saying that he used Google Street View to research the places in his books that he's never visited.

I am reading Still Alice by Lisa Genova, it is about a professor who develops early onset Alzheimer's. An interesting read.

It's not available on Kindle unfortunately, but I may try to order the paperback.

bookaddict thanks for that, I will look out for 'Lifting the Latch' - my ancestors were Oxfordshire shepherds (I wonder if it was one of them although I don't remember any of them being called Old Mont!)

Victoria, of course! x

I've just read Victiria Hislop's the Island and an about to start The Tread. Both set in Greece. A good read, especially if you are heading that way, over the summer! x