UK Book Club discussion

Please use this folder to recommend excellent books or book related items or to request recommendations from fellow readers... always helpful when trying to chose a book for an elderly relative or worse, the teenage daughters of a friend!

NB. If you are looking for where to promote your own book there is a folder entitled "Author - Promotions" specifically for this purpose.

Books I liked -
Dragon Fate- fantasy
Viridis - steampunk/romance
The Dreamweaver's Journey- YA fantasy
The Mage's Tomb - fantasy
Watership Down - animal fantasy
Tess of the d'Urbervilles- classic romance
Jane Eyre- classic romance
The Phantom of the Opera - horror/mystery/classic/romance
Phantom horror/mystery/romance
In The Eye of The Beholder: A Novel of The Phantom of the Opera Romance sequel
The Count of Monte Cristo- classic/revenge/romance (?)

Here's a list of books some of you might fancy reading if you're into self-discovery and music (all genres):

#1 Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John
#2 The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Both are YA books, but do not judge them for EVERYONE can actually learn a thing or two OR MORE. Both are highly educational in terms of understanding the different personalities that roams around this one huge world. :)

P.S. The next book I'll be reading will be Flat Out Love, everybody (well my friends who read) recommend it, seems like a promising book, really so...give it at try too? :)

"Fallen Grace" by Mary Hooper is a good YA read, set in Victorian London. Full of vivid detail :-) Fallen Grace

I haven't read it yet but I've heard good reviews of 'Ratlines' by Stuart Neville. It's set in Ireland and is a thriller based on the safe movement of nazi war criminals through Ireland, apparently based on true story. I'm yet to find it in library but believe his other books are well reviewed.

I recently read a book that absolutely stole my heart. it is based in Ireland so not UK but still it is worth a read.
The Four Treasures of Eirean

1=the diary of annie frank
2=1776
3= prayier successfuly
somm people add the photo of the book but i don't know how to do it

1= by charles spurgeon

2=
3=

Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)

Cphe wrote: "Hi everyone,

I'm interested in Irish mystery/thrillers. I monitor Declan Burke's blog here on GR's faithfully.

But if anyone can recommend any books in this genre I would very much appreciate it."
Have you tried
Faithful Place
I have enjoyed all her books. Think this was first and best

Dora wrote: "Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)"

You could try Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger.

Bill wrote: "Dora wrote: "Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)"

You could try Her Fearful ..."

How about

Dora wrote: "Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)"

I would recommend The Last English Village.

Just read Donna Fasano's latest romance great read, not too mushy! lol

I've also had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Linda Prather's Eternal Beauty. It's the second book in the Catherine Mans' series, book one was, to me at least, the best book I discovered in 2012.

The red tent Anita Diamant, beautiful book

Hi I recently read The Daisy Chain by Sue Sully. It was set mainly around Leicestershire but also Somerset, London and Paris. I absolutely loved it and have added all her books to my to read list. I was amazed to find so little interest in her work. I just thought I'd say. The Daisy Chain

Dora wrote: "Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)"


I liked The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry a lot

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece was great

JoJo Moyes is amazing!

What is the book my sister lives on the mantelpiece about x

See this Leeanne . By Annabel Pitcher.

Not a specific book, per se, but the 2013 list of favourite historical fiction authors based on more than 2000 participants. Details at http://wp.me/p29Qar-vf. I hope this group finds the list interesting.
M.K. Tod

Ian wrote: "See this Leeanne . By Annabel Pitcher."

What did you rank =this Ian?
Type book my partner would love

Never read it Bob, just being a helpful mod.

Recently read The Golem and the Jinni and absolutely loved it. . . Almost as much as The Night Circus.

Ian wrote: "Never read it Bob, just being a helpful mod."

Tempted to read it will add to wish list but try to avoid to SAD books. Have enough of that t work

I've discovered a new author this year, Graham Joyce.
I've read three of his books so far....
Some Kind Of Fairy Tale
Smoking Poppy
and
The Silent Land.....

All five star reads for me, and all very different.....I can't wait to get to my next by this author.

"Crick Crack Monkey" by Merle Hodge. Hodge is an anthropologist and I think it was her only novel, but it's great. It's set in Trinidad and the snobbery - the borderline racism - within the culture is certainly an eye-opener. The language, meanwhile, is everything you'd want it to be: salty and place-specific and precise. Wikipedia says that it's "a classic of West Indian literature" but I never see it anywhere.

Dora wrote: "Hi everyone,


I've read most of the classics. Could anyone recommend me a more recent novel set in England(No horror, murder mystery or thriller, please!)"

How about "Jack Maggs" by Peter Carey? It's an extremely clever, and well-written, reworking of "Great Expectations". You won't find too much of the original left: Carey takes off from it, like a firework.

"Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children" is very good! It looks seriously freaky on the front cover but after a while it gets less freaky and you start to enjoy it more.

It combines fiction and real vintage photography (that hasn't been photoshopped!) in a thrilling story.

I highly recommend this book and couldn't put it down once I read the first few chapters.

I rate it 4/5 stars!

Can anyone recommend any good psychological thrillers to me please? I don't like the ones that are full of detectives and police. Preferably stand alone ones too. Thanks!

Jackie wrote: "Can anyone recommend Lisey's Storyany good psychological thrillers to me please? I don't like the ones that are full of detectives and police. Preferably stand alone ones too. Thanks!"

Duma Key by Stephen King or Lisey's Story

Thanks very much Lynne. I've added one to my TBR list, will see how I get in with that then add the other!

There's a kindle daily deal today which sounds like a goody by Mel Sherratt.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Watching-Over....

The best book I've read in a while is Allies and Assassins but Justin Somper. It is junior fiction but please don't let this put you off!
The book is set in a fictional Kingdom where murders start occurring including Royalty and a young Prince is suddenly thrust onto the throne. Definitely a boys book but the start of a very promising series.

I've just read a very good collection of short stories called Perspectives by Darcia Helle and Maria Savva. They wrote six stories each, inspired by the photographs of Martin David Porter.

I want to give Anita Shreve another go. I have readA Wedding in December and was not that keen on it. I still have four of her books on my shelf which one should I go for next?

Sea Glass
The Pilot's Wife
Fortune's Rocks
All He Ever Wanted

I dont feel like righting her off just because of one book and I have these books anywhy.

I've had mixed experiences of reading Anita Shreve but I thought Fortune's Rocks was good so I'd recommend that one. I think I liked The Pilot's Wife too because reading that lead me to pick up Fortune's Rocks.

Others I've picked up haven't blown me away, I'm not sure if my tastes changed or if simply a case of some being better than others.

Tania wrote: "I want to give Anita Shreve another go. I have readA Wedding in December and was not that keen on it. I still have four of her books on my shelf which one should I go f..."

I like most of her books, but I think Testimony is the most memorable.

Robert wrote: "Cphe wrote: "Hi everyone,

I'm interested in Irish mystery/thrillers. I monitor Declan Burke's blog here on GR's faithfully.

But if anyone can recommend any books in this genre I would very much a..."

Could I recommend Swallowing the Sun by David Parks This is a literary feast with some very sad overtones that will make you weep...

I heard Anita shreve on radio 4 book prob recently discussing the Stella Bain book but when i suggested her at my physical book group no one was keen, i am consequently even more curious to try her. Wonder why so mixed as even the thread here seems a bit ambivalent but she is a huge bestseller?! May try all he ever wanted as think its prelim to Stella Bain.

Non-fiction recommendations:
1,000 Years, 1,000 People by Gottlieb & Bowers
The Century by Peter Jennings & Todd Brewster

Fiction Recommendations:
Tai-Pan by James Clavell
The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Aztec by Gary Jennings
The Stand by Stephen King
The Inverted World by Christopher Priest
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Note: Listed in alphabetical ordr by author, not by preference.

I like reading sort of "dark" novels so anything that has something other than regular romance etc I'm all for! recently I finished One by One by Chris Carter which was amazing! its a crime novel set in la so kind of a criminal minds type thing and it was so good, currently I'm reading the shock of the fall by Nathan filer which I've been hooked on! it's about mental illness and oh my gosh you need to read to really understand just how amazing Nathan filer is as an author you get to know the character on a first hand basis I highly recommend those two!!

Can anyone recommend me a school book for ENGLISH literarute enthusiats? Im an ESL and I need some orientation on english literature from bewolf to contemporary.. Is there a 'main' book where can I can start?

Hi,For an exploration of issues surrounding adoption, I just finished this novel and it was good. Paul

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Office Party
Carole Matthews

Perfect winter/Christmas read felt I was at the party. Loved all the characters even felt sorry for some of them.

would love to see a follow up. 10/10

My favrite books . Top two ... sebastian faulks, Birdsong .
Douglas Kennedy, the pursuit of happiness
if you have read these books , I would love your comments .

I loved Birdsong, not read the other you mention.

Birdsong was excellent, I enjoyed that too.

I like world war 1 and 2 books, fiction or non-fiction. 3 good books I read recently and would recommend are All the Light We Cannot See, The Forgotten Soldier and City of Thieves

Hi folks, I'm looking for some recommendations. A mix of Roddy Doyle, Irvine Welsh and Chris Brookmyre. Cheers.