We can all put book recommendations (or otherwise) here
Please let others know what you have read recently and what you thought.
So, my holiday reads (I’m going to cheat and put the Amazon link to the description of the books, with added personal comments from me)
Narrow Dog to Carcassone
Link to Amazon description This book was in the ‘library’ at the holiday apartment. I had heard of it before and been recommended to read it. I loved the very dry, very English, writing style, the story/adventure told, the French link and the star of the book - Jim the Whippet.
Guernica
Link
Set in the Spanish Civil War and WW2 and in Basque Spain (which we passed through, hence my interest). It has been compared to Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and there are similarities, though I think Bolling’s style is a little easier than de Bernieres’. There are some tough passages, as you would expect, the loss of characters one had grown fond of, and maybe a little too much ‘saccharine’. However, it was a reasonable read and kept me hooked till the end
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Link
I loved this one (how could you not love a book with a title like that?). Based on Guernsey during the Nazi occupation it is a charming and cleverly written book, with a story told totally in ‘letters’ - there is no narrative or conversation.
The Overlook
Link
I hadn’t come across this author before, though he is obviously a well known and well regarded crime author. This story is not thought to be his best but I enjoyed it - it’s fast moving (the whole book only covers a few days) and the characters seem plausible. There is a story twist which completely fooled me, though maybe I would have expected it had I known Connely’s work.
The Unbearable Lightness of Scones
Link
I’m not sure about this one. Liked the Edinburgh-ness, and enjoyed some of the eccentric characters and situations but I’m not sure that the whole thing hung together terribly well. I may read it again to make my mind up about it and see if I will look at the other 44 Scotland Street novels.
Angels and Demons
Link
Mr DM says Don’t Go There - Life’s too short! He did get to the end but spent most of his reading time snorting in derision. The book is left in the apartment, so I won’t get the opportunity to waste any of my time on it. I didn’t mind The Da Vinci Code, as a holiday read, but apparently the follow up has no merit at all; no lieterary merit and a totally ludicrous story.
) John Grisham and Tori Hayden.