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What are you reading now?

(1001 Posts)
loopylou Sun 22-Nov-15 20:09:17

Thanks are due to the lovely GNs who, some months ago, suggested books that might rekindle my love of reading.
I'm hooked on CJ Sansom's Shardlake series, utterly engrossing.
I'm really surprised just how much I'm enjoying reading historical 'Whodunit', probably the last thing I'd have chosen a few months ago.

LullyDully Thu 04-Feb-16 19:06:00

I am reading The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop. It's quite good, just not as good as the Island, The Thread and The Return....All fabulous books.

numberplease Thu 04-Feb-16 23:29:24

You Are Dead was brilliant! My next book, sitting beside me, will be 1356, by Bernard Cornwell. I so enjoyed Azincourt, the first book of his that I`d eve read, that I decided to try another one.

f77ms Fri 05-Feb-16 07:14:10

Claudiaclaws, I think Margaret means the book is very small print not the Kindle !

f77ms Fri 05-Feb-16 07:27:25

Claudiaclaws, I think Margaret means the book is very small print not the Kindle !
I am reading PURE by Andrew Miller for the 4th time ! It is a stunning read . I also enjoyed The Lovely bones and The book seller of Kabul .
Another little gem is The Blue Notebook, a novel about a child prostitute in India which sounds a bit grim but it is an excellent account of life for these girls and boys .
I pick up so many books in the library and end up giving up on them after a few pages and going back to an old favourite . do others do this ?

jeberdes83 Fri 05-Feb-16 11:23:50

I've been reading Ken Follett books lately, have just finished "A Dangerous Fortune" and am now on "The Edge of Eternity", all gripping page turners.

spyder08 Fri 05-Feb-16 16:02:23

Sorry if these titles have been posted before but following on from jeberdes83 post I can highly recommend Pillars of the Earth and the sequel World without End by Ken Follett. Both are excellent if you are a lover of historical fiction.

bookaddict Tue 16-Feb-16 10:11:39

Am enjoying a book one of my kids bought me for Christmas which others might find interesting - The Lonely Leader by Alistair Horne. - It's a biography of Montgomery (2nd WW fame) but it's co-authored by his only son David who as one can imagine had a 'strange' childhood compared to most. On reflection all the traits are there for such a 'lonely' figure who made it to the top of his profession - overbearing and unloving mother, loss of his wife which seems so futile - (medical blunder)?, self effacing, chip on both shoulders etc etc. His real thoughts about the Americans and Canadians beggar belief!

If anyone's interested in life and times of Big Houses around 1900 I would recommend The Belle Fields by Lora Adams. The book is a romantic tale really with many twists and turns - watch out for the unexpected twist at the end - I found it both sad and happy at the same time! The descriptions of life above and below stairs make for a very good read. Hope folks who try any of these enjoy.
Not sure where Monty was bought but Belle Fields is available on Amazon in book and Kindle formats. One of the best 2 quids I've spent in a long time!!

angie95 Tue 16-Feb-16 12:46:25

I am reading Four Stories by Alan Bennett. Love his dry humour..

sucraft Tue 16-Feb-16 13:01:21

I'm reading 'The Lie Tree' and finding it hard to put down! 8-)

numberplease Tue 16-Feb-16 16:30:23

I enjoyed 1356, learned more about the battle of Poitiers than I knew before.
I`ve read a couple of books since that one, the last one being Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts, by Mary Gibson, set between 1911 and 1919, about a group of women and girls who work in a custard powder factory in Bermondsey, it was great, both happy and sad.
I`m now reading Little Black Lies, by Sharon Bolton, set in the Falklands in 1994. I`m enjoying it, but it`s a bit different to other books I`ve read by her.

TerriBull Tue 16-Feb-16 18:48:40

numberplease I recently read Little Black Lies, I enjoyed it, I hadn't read any of Sharon Bolton's books before I found this book unusual, I don't think I'd ever read anything that has been set in the Falkland Islands before which conjure up the same sort of vision as some of the Scottish Islands. Talking of which I have just finished Coffin Road, Peter May, good but I didn't enjoy it as much as Entry Island or Runaway but nevertheless worth reading, I learnt a lot about bees !

storynanny Tue 16-Feb-16 19:32:12

Just finished spool of blue thread but didn't enjoy it nearly as much as her other novels though.
Susan Lewis is a good author I have just discovered.
What I really like about my kindle is that I get recommendations for authors based on my purchases. I have discovered a good few new authors that way.

Lyndylou Tue 16-Feb-16 21:16:39

I've just finished Secrets of the Sea House by Elizabeth Gifford. An Amazon 99p bargain for the kindle. I really enjoyed it, basically a modern story based in the Hebridean island of Harris, but wrapped around a historical account of a Victorian reverend trying to prove the existence of mermaids. Just something slightly different.

Lapwing Tue 16-Feb-16 21:44:47

Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow. This is the third in the Kate Shugak series that I have read. Really enjoying them especially the descriptions of life in the Alaskan wilderness.

MargaretX Tue 16-Feb-16 21:47:25

f77ms Yes that is exactly what I meant and I didn't put it clearly enough. I love my Kindle for the larger print. I'm now almost through Gone with the Wind and have enjoyed it like I always did. Scarlett O'Hara is not an easy heroine to keep going for 1000 pages but Margaret Mitchell manages it perfectly.

tatty16 Wed 17-Feb-16 08:56:29

Agatha Raisin series of books i find these are very funny in places & very down to earth of general living of life

baubles Wed 17-Feb-16 09:20:17

I read Room by Emma Donoghue in one sitting the other day. Thoroughly recommend it.

tinaf1 Wed 17-Feb-16 09:34:25

Haven't read this thread all way through so don't know if been recommended but A Winters Tale really enjoyed it

BBbevan Wed 17-Feb-16 09:36:18

I will read anything and everything except 'chiclit stuff'. Elizabeth George, Phillipa Gregory, Hilary Mantel.Margaret Forster and Kate Atkinson are my return to favourite authors. I also like, Rebus and Serrailer.My comfort reading is all the gentle Miss Read books.

annodomini Wed 17-Feb-16 09:58:39

At the moment, Tess Gerritsen. Psychological mysteries, nasty but riveting.

Imperfect27 Wed 17-Feb-16 10:15:10

I used to scorn 'chiclit', but had my mind changed through reading Celia Aherne and Jojo Moyes books - some thought provoking storylines and in Aherne's case, particularly well written. There's a lot to be said for 'good trash' smile

Pippa000 Wed 17-Feb-16 16:36:16

Just finished The Best of Our Spies by Alex Gerlis, slow to start but a really good read made all the more interesting as it is based on fact.

numberplease Wed 17-Feb-16 16:50:14

Baubles, I read Room a couple of years ago, thought it was very good, although different. I read a lot of unfavourable reviews, but ike you, I liked it. I`m still enjoying Little Black Lies.

Cher53 Wed 17-Feb-16 17:20:22

I am reading two books at the moment. 'The Scold's Bridle by Minette Walters (an unusual whodunnit). Also, ' Mr Mercedes by Stephen King' apparently this is the first book in a trilogy he is writing.

numberplease Wed 17-Feb-16 21:43:02

I finished my last book, the next one, but not started yet, is Holy Island, by L J Ross, a new author to me, but the plot on the back looks good.

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