What are you reading now?

I've just finished The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by Shona MacLean. It evokes the atmosphere of suspicion and hysterical fear of witchcraft in 17th Century Scotland. The characters are well drawn and I didn't manage to work out the identity of the murderer until the final dénouement. This was the first of a series and I'm going to start on the next book today!

I am just coming to the end of At the end of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier.

This is the first book of hers I have read and certainly won't be the last. It is so good I don't want it to end.

Thanks terribull, that's one I haven't read, so will get it and it might restore my faith in the author.

I`ve just finished Echo Park, by Michael Connelly, enjoyed it immensely. I`m now reading something completely different, a light hearted story, called A Year at the Star and Sixpence, by Holly Hepburn, it`s not bad.

Just finished the latest Peter James' "Need you Dead" and am now half way through "The Essex Serpent" which I have been meaning to read for a long time.

Grannyknot, I like Lisa Jewell, hadn't heard of the one you referred to, but see from your last paragraph it's not out yet. One of her best, imo, is "The House We Grew Up In" which tells the story of a disfunctional family, the central character being a mother who has a bad hoarding habit.

I've just finished reading "Then she was gone" by Lisa Jewell having been sent an online pre-publication copy (not from GN). I was looking forward to it because I have enjoyed previous books by this author. She prefaces this book with a statement that this may be the most bizarre book she has ever written and she isn't far wrong. She also says that she had quite a strong steer from her editor once she had submitted her draft and made changes as a result of that. Initially the story drew me in and I was interested and intrigued by both the characters as well as the storyline.

But as the story unfolds and the book starts to flip between romance and horror, I found it entirely bizarre and at times quite unbelievable. I will read Lisa Jewell again but I was not convinced by this book, it doesn't really know what it wants to be, despite the author's best efforts to grasp the "women as villain" genre. I'd have wrapped it up as a love story, with justice served where it was needed, instead of killing people off. The book will be available from July.

I am reading 'The Badboy and Tomboy' it is an online book so you all might think what book is this.

I am reading Lily's House by Cassandra Parkin. I am so in love with this book,i dont even know why, it just seems to touch something in my soul!!!

Finished Meg Rosoff's Just in Case. Odd, surreal, I can't say I actually enjoyed it but was fascinated and read into the night to finish it. I'm wondering what the YAs it's intended for make of it.

Now reading Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis, 'An Epic Novel of the English Civil War'. Obviously different from her brilliant Falco series but also meticulously researched.

A good name for an author of a book on fishing!

"Trout in Dirty Places" by Theo Pike. It is a book about fly fishing (not the one by J. R. HART-ley) in urban rivers and streams that used to be sinks of industrial pollution and where you would never have expected to find wild game fish. Okay, not a page turner, but fascinating if you have the bug!

I listened to it on Book at Bedtime..but I know what you mean re Hilary Mantell's style.

I'm now about half way through The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry. I am completely hooked on her style of writing, it reminds me a bit of Hilary Mantell. I'm reading small chunks at a time because I don't want to finish it too quickly.

I like Santa Montefiore as well.
I`ve just finished A Cold Heart, by Jonathan Kellerman, a long time since I read anything of his, enjoyed it. I`m now reading The Maid`s Courage, by Rosie Goodwin and loving it.

I am reading 'The Cosy Tea Shop in the Castle' by Caroline Roberts. To be honest its a bit boring. It reminds me of magazine stories that I read in my teens and there is nothing in it that makes me want to read until the early hours of the morning.
The trouble is I started reading it straight after finishing 'The Swallow and the Hummingbird' by Santa Montefiore. Santa is such a fantastic writer that nothing really compares to her books, so this seems a bit of a let down.

sorry, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series!

For a bit of light relief I am reading 'Precious and Grace' in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency.
I forgot to take my Kindle or my book with me on a weekend away so just had to call into the nearest book shop.

I've just finished 'Beneath the Cypress Tree' by Margaret Pemberton, a story about archaeology in Crete and the subsequent invasion by the Germans in WW2.

I'm reading the lastest Rose Goodwin book 'Mothering Sunday' and It's absolutely Brilliant! Tells the story of a baby who was left on the steps of the local workhouse, I'm about halfway through and it's gripping, a real page-turner

DGS gave me the DVD of Room for my birthday and made me promise to watch it. He knew I'd assume it wasn't my sort of film. I watched it with DS and his DD 17 and we were all three transfixed by it. DGS knew what he was doing, he rightly assured me that, ultimately, it was life affirming.

I gave DD a Sarah Paretsky book to take on a non-stop flight to New Zealand. She found it perfect. I like her but not to read in bed.

I've got The Girl on the Train on Kindle but am not going to finish it. I've been re reading Margaret Forster und next to her style of writing others seem boring.

Sara Paretsky's 'Fallout', her 18th V I Warshawski book. She's one of my all time favourite crime writers and I like the way she is ageing V I, though I hope she doesn't retire her any time soon.

Just finished the latest Lee Child which was short (but actually quite long) stories - I just love his succinct Way of looking at and writing
I'm a great serial killer reader - and the gorier the better - but I can't get into the Scandi ones
My trouble is I read too quickly and even though I work i still manage to get through 3 or 4 a week - Costs me a fortune but I love books - reading on a Kindle just isn't the same even though I have about 500 or 600 books downloaded
My all time favourite novel is Diamond by Brian Glanville - not on Kindle but copies available on Amazon
And I simply love 50s and 60s American Jewish novels - try Rona Jaffe if you fancy or Maisie Mosco for homegrown talent

Room, the book and film are good. I have just started ' I am pilgrim ' by Terry Hayes, not my usual read but enjoying it so far.

Haven`t seen the film, but read Room a couple of years ago and loved it, quite different to the norm.

I'm just about to start Room by Emma Donahue. I've seen the film and the play - both brilliant - so really looking forward to it!