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Books/book club

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.

Evedmh Mon 30-Nov-15 19:22:03

I've just read "A Place called Winter" by Patrick Gale. I was sorry to finish it as I enjoyed it so much. I also enjoy P.D. James books but I think I've read them all now (and reread some of them). Am also looking forward to the latest Jo Jo Moyes book. Aah there are so many good books to read.

We have three large bookshelves full of books in our house but sometimes
I can't find anything that takes my fancy! I will take note of some of the authors mentioned in the thread and put them in the notebook I refer to when looking for new authors to read.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 30-Nov-15 19:27:56

(My post there was to Tubbygran)

NannyDee Mon 30-Nov-15 20:01:17

Well, I didn't know that, Jinglebellsfrocks...thank you.

tubbygran Mon 30-Nov-15 20:25:11

Thank you NotTooOld and jinglbellsfrocks for your help. I only have access to an iPad and am not sure I have the 'tools' you mention.
Do you have any ideas? It would be much appreciated, as I suffer from 'floaters' as well as being short-sighted.

Maggiemaybe Mon 30-Nov-15 23:48:47

You should have the Ts, tubbygran - just swipe a bit to the left and you should see them on the line jingl mentions. Or just "pinch" the screen - put your thumb and forefinger together on the screen and spread them apart and the text below will get bigger.

I suffer from the dreaded floaters too, so you have my sympathy. They're a pain, aren't they? Especially when you're tired.

And before anyone starts, it's an eye thing, not a toilet thing grin

Grannynise Tue 01-Dec-15 15:10:04

If you like crime fiction set in the past try Lindsey Davis -- her novels are set in and around Rome in the time of Vespasian. Not at all dry!

tubbygran Tue 01-Dec-15 16:56:28

Thank you Maggiemaybe for your helpful hints when using my iPad. I have tried 'pinching ' the screen etc but that often causes the edges of things to be out of sight.?
Sorry to hear that you have the 'floaters' too. Love your joke re toilet.

numberplease Tue 01-Dec-15 16:58:32

The Other Child is getting more interesting now, but I still can`t figure out why a book written originaly in German and published in Germany, is set in N.Yorkshire, in and around Scarborough! Curiouser and curiouser!

NotTooOld Tue 01-Dec-15 17:24:18

I've always absolutely loved the Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine books but unfortunately I have read them all now and I believe RR die fairly recently. The best one IMO was From Doon with Death (I think that's what it was called) and I believe it was her first novel, too. Brilliant.

tubbygran - even on an ipad you should still be able to scroll right up to the top left of the page where there are two people holding up a banner that says 'Granset'. If you then go along to the right you should easily see the two Ts that Jing mentioned. Click on the biggest T and your text will get bigger.

TerriBull Tue 01-Dec-15 17:51:23

NotTooOld, I'm also a great fan of Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine what a loss, no more of her books to look forward to now.

There is one final one though, I think it's about to be published or may be out already, it's called "Dark Corners" I have read most of her others, I am going to put this on my Christmas list

tubbygran Tue 01-Dec-15 18:08:40

At last, I've done it! Thanks to NotTooOld and everyone else who helped.
It seems obvious now I know how and so good to be able to read the text so clearly. I much appreciate your perseverance and patience. xx

portiatrue Tue 01-Dec-15 18:17:35

An Amateur marriage by Anne Tyler, really enjoying it. Last book was A Good Woman by Charity Norman, all her books are brilliant.

Maggiemaybe Tue 01-Dec-15 18:35:38

Excellent, tubbygran! tchsmile

Willow500 Tue 01-Dec-15 22:22:13

I've just finished a book called Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. It was reviewed on Loose Women and is written in the sense of the writer sliding into the lost world of dementia with a mystery as a side story. I couldn't put it down and having lost both parents to the disease I found it both disturbing and very realistic recognising things both of them did. I'm now back on the Shattered Sea trilogy by Joe Abercrombie while waiting for George Martin to finally release the last Game of Thrones book. I love fantasy and have read so many great books over the years. I will look for the True Blood books too - there is another (teenage really) trilogy in that vein called the Community Series by Tracy Tappin which I really enjoyed.

Nana3 Tue 01-Dec-15 22:59:22

I enjoyed Elizabeth is missing too. My parents both had dementia and I was not looking forward to reading it, it was chosen by my book club. I'm so glad I did though as the mystery is intreaging.
I'm reading the Thirteenth Tale now by Diane Setterfield, not finished it yet. Finding it easy to read, interesting but predictable so far. I like the main character, Margaret and I'm looking forward to discovering more about her.

Eloethan Tue 01-Dec-15 23:59:30

Nana3 I found Elizabeth is Missing very well written and gripping but terribly sad and rather depressing. Towards the end I felt so down that I flicked right to the end to see what had happened to Elizabeth.

Having said that, I thought it was a brilliant way of giving an insight into what it must be like to suffer from Alzheimers.

TyneAngel Wed 02-Dec-15 14:24:05

Anything by Colm Toibin or Anne Tyler - love both their styles.

loopylou Wed 02-Dec-15 14:30:46

I couldn't finish reading Elizabeth is Missing, I found it incredibly disturbing and dd, who read it after me, said she thought it was one of the most upsetting books she'd ever read sad

I've ordered 'The Martian' by Andy Weir because DS recommended it, again it's very different from my usual reads.

Granoveve Thu 03-Dec-15 00:02:06

The Universe versus Alex Woods. Started reading a sample on my Kindle when it was a daily deal at 99p and couldn't stop, so I had to buy it.

Elrel Thu 03-Dec-15 01:21:50

Grannynise - Falco is an all time hero! Lindsey Davis is an excellent writer!
Loopylou - DD gave me Elizabeth is Missing which I enjoyed. I then gave it back as she wanted to read it, she found it too depressing to finish.
I must finish Breakfast at Tiffany's as The Shepherd's Crown is waiting.
Can't get the seriously weird Rivers of London out of my head!

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 03-Dec-15 08:12:27

Don't know how many times I have read the Falco series and I miss him. I'm struggling to get into the Flavia Alba series though. The Thomas Chaloner series is great too. How talented Lindsey Davis is!

And anyone who likes the Rivers of London series should try Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series or Jim Butcher's wonderful Dresden Files. wink

Stansgran Thu 03-Dec-15 08:28:49

Some good recommendations here. Thanks Suedoku I do love your name . I didn't know Beekeeper's apprentice had a series. I liked the 50 book challenge on Mumsnet and I do keep a book diary. I've read 52 so far this year but there are some I've lost patience with and left unfinished. I've got Elizabeth is Missing on Kindle but I'm in two minds as I don't want to be depressed.

annodomini Thu 03-Dec-15 08:56:02

Wilma. I thought I was the only person here who was a Falco fan! I've read all of them and the Flavia Alba ones too. It was great to walk around the ancient sites in Rome with Falco and the Flavian Emperors in mind. I've also read Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy which is harder going than Falco, but brought to life a period I covered very many years ago in a term of very dry lectures!

WilmaKnickersfit Thu 03-Dec-15 09:05:20

When we were in Rome I was thinking the same thing! grin I've read Robert Harris but not his Cicero series, so I will check that out - thanks. If you like Lindsey Davis, you'd love Ruth Downie's Medicus series - it's really great.

annodomini Thu 03-Dec-15 09:19:10

Thanks for the recommendation, Wilma. I will now go and put her on my wish list,

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