Best reads - Club Together Book Club?

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  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #782

    Just finished the latest offering by M.W.Craven in the Poe/Bradshaw series, The Botanist.

    Entertaining as usual laced with a fair amount of humour.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 2022 #783

    For Ann Cleeves fans therefore couple of bargains in this month's kindle book list, The Heron's Cry (The Two Rivers book 2) is 99p and The Woman in the Island (a Vera short story) is free.

  • Goldie146
    Goldie146 Club Member Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #784

    I’ve just read the latest Vera book - “The Rising Tide”. I loved it, read it in two days (ignoring everything else but essential cooking). And now feel a bit bereft as I’ve finished it! 

    I think I’ll reread all the Vera books, starting with The Crow Trap. 

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 2022 #785

    I've read all the Vera series up to No.9 but still have to get The Rising Tide. Also read all of the Shetland ones and a few of her earlier books.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #786

    Finished reading "Love Nina" by Nina Stibbe, a good read and very funny in parts. Based on the author's real life letters sent to her sister Victoria when she was a nanny working in London and surrounded by well known people, Alan Bennett is good at fixing bicycles apparently...don't think he quite expected to appear in this way. wink

  • GTrimmer
    GTrimmer Club Member Posts: 169
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    edited October 2022 #787

    Davd Blake, the Inspector Tanner series are a great read, even more so if like me  you are familar with and love the Norfolk Broads . So wellwritten I can visualse almost every location in every chapter.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #788

    Just bought a new one to me anyway from Stuart Maconie "The Nanny State Made Me" off Amazon for £0.99

    I like his books, full of down to earth observations all laced with a gentle humour and a lot of truth. The sort you can dip into as well. If you like Bill Bryson you should also like Maconie's books.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #789

    Agree there, GT. I’m currently reading Longore Hall having read all the previous books in the series. The location descriptions are spot on. 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #790

    I was going to mention the passing away of Peter Robinson in the thread that caters for that sort of thing but as I wasn't the most ardent of fans felt that might be a bit over the top coming from me.

    However I know he had his followers on here and as his passing went unnoticed by me I thought it might have gone unnoticed by others and thought this would be a more appropriate place to mention it.

    I did read probably half a dozen of his Banks books so whilst not a great fan still found them a fairly decent read. Anyway it's always a sad day when you lose an author who was liked by many.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited October 2022 #791

    We do have quite a number of his books, and found them enjoyable, as he used actual locations instead of fictitious ones. However when the early ones were went onto the TV, the choice of Stephan Thomkinson for Inspector Banks was so wrong it out us off the books.

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,134 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #792

    I wasn’t aware and I really like his books. Thanks, WN.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,027 ✭✭✭
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    edited October 2022 #793

    We bought a bit of light reading while away in Suffolk. Andrew Cotter and his gorgeous dogs Olive and Mabel kept us highly amused during Covid lockdowns, with the very funny commentaries over the pooch antics. Andrew Cotter did a bit of writing as well, and has put out his Dog Days, an off the cuff diary about the unbelievable success of his short video clips, and the sort of events Olive and Mabel get invited to attend. Light hearted and funny, a nice little read.👍

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #794

    There's a new Michael Connelly "Rene Ballard" book out called "Desert Star". I've ordered it from the library. Don't know how many in front of me though.

  • N1805
    N1805 Forum Participant Posts: 1,092
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    edited November 2022 #795

    Wherenext – thanks for post which prompted me to check library and have requested the Michael Connelly book plus David Baldacci & CJ Box’s latest books whom publish at this time of year.   May have some time to wait as the 3 are listed ‘on order by HQ’.  Guess I have joined the queue for them.  Also requested ‘No Plan B’ Lee Child’s newest book which appears to have been published in Sept.  Continuing to read various detective/mystery novels modern & medieval.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2022 #796

    I'm down from number 45 to number 2 in the queue so hopefully it'll arrive before long! smile

    One of my favourite authors is Ian McEwan and I've just read his latest novel "Lessons" which is truly astounding. He has the knack of making what seems, on the surface, the most mundane of subjects fascinating. In this case it tells the life of a fairly ordinary man from his days at boarding school through to his later years, covering much of 20th century events and what he imagines for his grand daughter in the 21st. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #797

    Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer. A delightful easy read. Characters based on himself, his acquaintances and life experiences. His zany sense of humour shines through the plot which has a novel twist in itself, literally!🙂

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #798

    Thanks Micky had this on my list. smile

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,856 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #799

    I have just finished Richard Osman's third book in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Bullet That Missed. I find his books very enjoyable and easy to read. Might not be of interest to the "serious reader", Margaret is not so keen on them. But I don't generally read fiction but find his books enjoyable.

    David

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #800

    I usually look at the newspaper headlines each day and look out for the Matt cartoons on the Telegraph. Treated myself to the 2022 cartoon set  although cheaper to download to Kindle which I've done previously. 

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #801

    Whilst not a Telegraph reader I do like Matt cartoons and even got A Best Of.. a few years ago.

    Just finished "A Man with One of Those Faces" by Caiman McDonnell, the first in a trilogy but the last I've managed to read, although it didn't distract from the enjoyment of it. Just what I needed, the book is laced with black Irish humour.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited December 2022 #802

    On the subject of cartoons, I do like the "Nature Notes" cartoons by Peter Brookes in The Times on a Saturday.

  • moulesy
    moulesy Forum Participant Posts: 9,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #803

    Just finished reading Michael Connolly's latest Bosch & Ballard offering "Desert Star". Incredible the way MC manages to subtly update Bosch's career to keep things fresh after all this time. Although, without wishing to give anything away, I get the sense that the end may be in sight for Harry. surprised

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #804

    I'm down to number 15 on the list for Bosch/Ballard. 

    Just reading latest instalment of Michael Walker's Bruno series, " To Kill a Troubadour". Series now getting a bit repetitive and formulaic but as it's set in Dordogne I'll forgive him.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited December 2022 #805

    I'm down to number 15 on the list for Bosch/Ballard. 

    WN, you have  long way to go as there are 24 Bosch novels, plus 2 novellas and 2 collections of short stories. There is 1 stand alone Ballard plus 4 other Ballard/Bosch which are included in the 24 Bosch list, and then 6 separate Lincoln Lawyer ones and a B/LL one included in the 24. Plenty of reading there for you. I just need to get  Desert Star next to have them all to date.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #806

    Nellie, I meant I'm down to number 15 on the library list to receive it. One week ago I was in mid 20s.🤣 My mistake.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited December 2022 #807

    No my error. So only a few left then!😄

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited December 2022 #808

    Just started reading Caro Ramsay's new stand alone/first of new series? The Devil Stone. Will report back when I've finished it.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited December 2022 #809

    Just had a look on Kindle and they have it ....at £21!😮 I wait a while,as I will for th e other 3 that I haven't yet got. I did notice that there is a collection of her first 3 of the Anderson and Costello series are 99p in total, a real bargain.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,585 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2023 #810

    Quite a good read but not £21 worth of a good read. Looks like it might develop into a series.

    Picked up the Michael Connelly book from the library this morning.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,636
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    edited January 2023 #811

    I picked up a copy of Kate Atkinson's Time after Time, which had rave reviews when it came out, and if it is as good as her previous novels it should make a good read.