Primary Teacher Resource Centre - Forum

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

I liked Eden Close too. That was the first one I read which got me into her.

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

I went to the library today and got an Agatha Raisin book and an Anita Shreve book, purely from your recommendations! Will let you know what I think when I finish them.

(SH, I also got a CJ Sansom one after you recommended them, so will tell you want I think!)

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

Which Sansom did you get? And which Anita Shreve? Ooh the pressure of recommending a book/author!

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

I got A Wedding in December and Revelation. Not read anything by either of them so looking forward to getting started. I am loving this time off work for reading! There was a Kate Atkinson one on a display and I was going to get it when I went back because my hands were full of books and little magpie, but when I went back someone else had got it. Will look out for hers next time. I now have a list in my bag of all the books and authors people are recommending so I can look out for them! I really enjoy finding good books by authors I have not read before Smile

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

Magpie - should I say this?....oh, well... Revelation is the last in the series and although I enjoyed it , its not quite as good as the three before it ( a bit gory and I'm a bit of a wuss!). If you want to read the series in sequence, you need to read in this order - Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation !

I haven't read A Wedding in December - so will look forward to hearing about a new one I could read.

Kate Atkinson is great - Behind the Scenes at the Museum is a brilliant book.

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

Oh no, I didn't check where it came in a sequence, was just pleased to find one!! I will try to get the others first then!

redredrobin · Joined: 01 Nov 2008 Posts: 1336

I like Anita Shreve books too but have taken a break from them for a while as I read too many and found they got a bit samey.
Kate Atkinson is great (although I don't think I would class Behind the scenes at the museum as an easy read - maybe that's just my brain). I found her crime novels really addictive.
I've been re-reading David Lodge recently as quick reads.
For a really light, quick read I like Katie Fforde.

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

No I agree RRR - not an easy read but a really good one ( I forgot what thread we are on!) I agree about Anita Shreve being a bit samey, but don't you think that's true of a lot of writers? I tend not to read books by the same author in succession - I like variety and then come back to authors I have read after a break like you. Thanks for the suggestions. Here's the list so far

David Lodge
Katie Fforde
Anita Shreve
MC Beaton -Agatha Raisin
Libby Purves
Anne Fine
Peter Robinson
Marianne Keyes
Nick Hornby
Maeve Binchy
Alexander McCall Smith
Jean Auel
Janet Evanovich
Kathy Lette

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

SH, I am very nearly finished A Wedding in December- have really enjoyed it. Could not put it down last night, so I ended up awake reading it until after 2am!! Only got a few more pages to go, but recommend it definitely. Will be looking out for more of her books now- thanks for the name!

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

Phew - glad you liked it!

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

Agatha Raisin has already got me hooked! I really need to get a life instead of chain reading!!

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

I finished Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam and although it was an easy read, I found it too twee and not very exciting after a promising start. I would read more, but will not be rushing out to find them!

Back to James Morrow now... not a light read!

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

SH, I am cheating and reading Revelation coz I have not found the others yet! Am really enjoying it so far- will definitely be looking out for more.
Thanks for the recommendation.

smallholder · Joined: 08 Nov 2008 Posts: 7356

Glad you are enjoying it. As I said before although I liked it, I didn't think it was quite as good as the others so hopefully you will enjoy those too. Its nice to find new authors - thats whats good about the library here.

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

It is good to find new authors to read. I will look out for the others as well, especially if they are better than this one.
I have just read Self Preservation Society by Kate Harrison- a great light read.

greyengine · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 1761

I read the Self Preservation Society recently too, magpie nic, and also enjoyed it.

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

I thought it was a bit more original than usual chicklit!

magpie nic · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 7483 Location: Tyneside

I am reading Testimony by Anita Shreve and enjoying it so far, reminds me of Jodi Piccoult.

tui · Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 3317 Location: New Zealand

i love Mary Wesley's books. She started writing later in life which i think is interesting. Her biography Wild Mary is great as well.

From NZ I really like Shona Koea. I have read all her books several times and seem to feel like it at the beginning of holidays to unwind. Her last book Kitchen Memoirs was fascinating as it gave aclues to her novels. Many aha moments relating to her heroines and subject matter.

greyengine · Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 1761

I'd completely forgotten Mary Wesley. Read several of her books years ago, I think when 'The Camomile Lawn' was on television.