The Lurgy.........

Lucinda Riley, especially the Seven Sisters series. Elly Griffiths series about the archaeologist Ruth Galloway. Peter May set in the Hebrides, Peter James set in Brighton , Martin Shaw Bruno chief of police set in the Dordogne and JR Ellis set in Yorkshire detective series are also a good read.

Hope you get better soon.

Dragon lady or another vote for kate Morton

Gentlemen and Players, by Joanne Harris.

Some of the above I have read some not. I now have enough to keep me going until the end of the year - thank you all very much?

Val McDermid - have recently got hooked on her excellent style.

Wish you better! (Pressed wrong key!)

Books by LJ Ross starting with Holy Island. Get better soon and enjoy your reading.

Pat Barker's best is, in my opinion, the wartime trilogy, Life Class, Toby's Room, And Noonday. Books you won't want to leave.

Honor Bright by Tracey Chevalier it’s a brilliant read about young Quaker girls sail to America in 1800s and also covers Slave Trade and American settlers.

Loved it.

Loved Elinor Olliphant !

"Autumn Daffodils - Charlie's Story" by Peter Turnham, Amazon.

Oh dear, pressed send before I meant to. As above, "Autumn Daffodils - Charlie's Story", about our age group getting a second chance..............yay!

In the meantime- thanks for calling it the 'lurgy' and a 'cold'. The word 'flu' is banded about all the time, and it is wrong.

Echinacea, inhalations with Olbas, paracetamol - and great books. Get better soon. x

Am glued to A Farewell to France by Noel Barber...basically a love story but so much more.

Keep clear of any author who has a Degree in “Creative Writing”.
They all have the same format
Too much dialogue
Young woman finding trunk in attic with letters written by her great grandmother.
Going backwards and forwards in time.
Cardboard characters.
Read the books that were popular years ago
Those written by people like Nevil Shute,Norman Collins,AJ Cronin,Howard Spring ,LPHartley,EMForster.
They COULD write.

I've just finished The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah. Couldn't stop reading. Story about a family of three relocating to Alaska. Narrated by the daughter and fabulous observation of the relationships between the three members of the family.
Lancelot by Giles Kristiansen is a great book about the Lancelot - Arthur- Guinevere trilogy, but written in a very down-to-earth style. Loved it.
Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden.
The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead. Pulitzer Prize winner and, possibly, my all-time favourite book.

Enjoy! And get well soon.

Lancslass1 I couldn't agree more about avoiding stuff written after 'creative writing' courses. I couldn't bear to be funnelled into formulaic ways of writing stories or there being a 'right' way to write.
The best thing for anyone who wants to write is to read, read, read especially some of those you mention. I'd add Evelyn Waugh to the list. So many others too of course including the writers who've been revived by Persephone press.

I agree with you ,madcat woman about The Underground Railroad.
Excellent book.

Jane 10
Yes by all means add Evelyn Waugh.!
Have you been to the Persephone bookshop near to Russell Square in London?
A delightful shop .
Books written by women like Winifred Holtby ,republished

Anything by SusanHill or Bill Bryson

Have you read Jane Gardam? I LOVED "Old Filth", the first of a trilogy, so two more if you enjoy it. Beautifully written, dry humour, fascinating story.

I have just finished The Muse by Jessie Burton.Really enjoyed it. If anything thought it was better than the Miniaturist. ( BBC adaptation did not do her first book justice BTW)

Lucinda Riley. Seven Sisters. Excellent read & starts a series each book featuring 1of the sisters.

Not all creative writing alumni are to be avoided - Ian McEwan, Michael Chabon, Alice Sebold for example.
Don't lump everyone together from creative writing courses please.

Disgruntled.
Another Jane Gardam fan here. I'd never heard of her but I got the Old Filth trilogy audiobook because it's read by Bill Wallis who I adore. I was genuinely upset when he died.