What are you reading now?

I'm rereading the biography of Daphne du Maurier. its by Margaret Forster. Sadly she died this year and so her lovely long novels have stopped. So I'm now reading them again.

I read Black Diamonds a while ago, and for me it is interesting because emy ancestors mined in this region and I know the area which is not fr from where I grew up. I knew some girls from my school went to the PT college which was in the manor house, in the 50/60s

I was sent an advance e-book copy of "The Food of Love" by Amanda Prowse.

It is a good book on a very difficult subject - which made it difficult to read too. At one stage I wanted to stop reading it, it was too painful and I felt that there was a foregone conclusion that I would rather not know about - the signals were all there for the inevitable. However, I am glad I persevered. I identified with the main character and her need to - as a mother - fix everything that affects her children, make it go away. as quickly as possible, and how that is sometimes not the best way, nor the only way. I learnt a lot about anorexia and the milieu in which it operates from reading this book.

I`ve just finished Blind Fury, enjoyed it. My next book is going to be Copy Cat, by Erica Spindler.

I have just finished Frost in May by Antonia White which is our book club book this month. Now there is a grim book, if ever I read one. At the risk of getting shot down in flames, it is about life in a catholic convent school. It is full of self-flagellation in diverse ways, evil mind games by the nuns and just general abuse of every kind. I assumed it was a thing of the past, but I have a friend who went to a catholic school in the 60s and she says that even when she was there they were told to put pebbles in their shoes to understand the suffering of our lord, and were told it was evil to enjoy snuggling down in a warm bed.

I've just finished reading Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans and just couldn't wait to recommend it because it's the best book I've read for ages. It's set in WW2 and is about a ten year old boy and the woman who takes him in as an evacuee. I was chuckling the whole way through but it was also a very touching story.

I've just finished How Green Was My Valley. A beautiful, touching, poetic book. It's one of those books that stays with you, long after you've finished it.

I am still reading Kate Atkinson's "A God in Ruins". I read "Life after Life" and couldn't put it down, but this is not engaging me in the same way. I will persevere with it, though.

I have read both Greyduster - let me know what you think of the ending!!!!

I read Crooked Heart too Eloethan and loved it, recommended it to my bookclub but they were less impressed.

More recently I finished "By the Sea" a story about a refugee from Zanzibar - after the first couple of chapters I didn't want to put it down - touching, interesting and a bit different.

Thank you Eloethan I think my mum would enjoy reading that, so will buy it as part of her Xmas prezzies. It's becoming difficult to buy for someone who has everything she needs.

I am still reading, and enjoying, Copy Cat, by Erica Spindler. I think I know who the bad guy is, but I hope to be thwarted in my assumptions.

I was right, but only partly. Am now reading Dance With the Dead, by James Nally, but not really enjoying it very much. Halfway through it began to get more interesting, but readers shouldn`t have to wait so long.

I wasn`t over impressed with Dance With the Dead it took too long to get going. I`ve just finished A Promise Between Friends, by Carol Rivers, it was OK, but I`ve read better. My next book will be Halfpenny Dreams, by Frances Brody.

A vintage Christmas murder mystery. Every December I read Christmassy type books.

I've just finished 'stepping stones' by Maureen Lee. Her books are great family saga's mostly set in Liverpool from the 1930s onwards. I've not read a bad one yet, and they're all different

I like Maureen Lee as well.

Just finished Edna O'Brien's "The Little Red Chairs". Great story and unputdownable if heart rending and emotionally draining. It's great to see. she is still writing. Still remember reading "The Country Girls" so many years ago.

I've just finished gone without a trace by Mary Torjusse I think it was a 99p on my kindle because she's a fairly new writer(it may have been her first novel) it was a really believable story set in today's Liverpool/Wirral. The twist at the end was surprisingly good. I really would recommend it.

I'm reading, though unlikely to finish, an awful book about a young woman growing up in Africa at the beginning of the 20th century. I think it intends to portray an independent woman and hold her up as a shining example. All I see if a selfish spoilt manipulator who lives off her friends and family, cheats on them, uses them shamelessly, has an abortion because it doesn't suit her and abandons another child to her MiL (who she hates, naturally) to go back to Africa to do what she wants, and so it goes on.

It was on the Autumn 2016 Richard and Judy book club list but I've just thought ' why am I reading this? I don't like the main character, I don't agree with what it's trying to say and it's not that well written anyway' - so will be looking for something less disappointing.

Sounds awful Anya.
I like a country house mystery at Christmas. Any suggestions?

I am reading Gone Girl - very highly acclaimed and turned into a film. It is clever, but a bit weird.

I might try that trisher I like Edna O'Brien but haven't read anything of hers for ages.

I re-read The Country Girls trilogy recently and was surprised to find all three of the books a lot darker and more depressing than I remembered...

Rather put me off buying her new book!

Halfpenny Dreams isn`t bad, better than I expected.

Quite enjoyed Halfpenny Dreams in the end. Now reading The Swedish Girl, by Alex Gray, it`s OK, but not brilliant.