Please help me .start reading again I am desperate

I really love Barbara Comyns' books too. Anne Tyler, more Mary Wesley, Nancy Mitford's novels, Jessica's memoirs. They all seem to be out of print but I enjoyed Elizabeth Pewsey's Mountjoy books if you can find any of them secondhand - they're about eccentric independent minded characters in a small fictitious Yorkshire town, I think. You might also enjoy Molly Keane aka M J Farrell - again, I'm not sure how easy to find they are - like Barbara Comyns, she was rediscovered by Virago. Stevie Smith, Sybille Bedford, Barbara Trapido, Kate Atkinson, Rose Macaulay.

Memoirs by people who are not celebrities but have really good stories to tell - Jennifer Worth's Call the Midwife, by a woman who trained as a midwife with an order of nuns in the East End in the 1950s, though she wasn't one herself. I'm currently reading her third book of memoirs, Farewell to the East End. Winifred Foley's memoir of growing up in the New Forest is recently reprinted under a new title which I can't remember just now.

Confessions of a failed southern lady - Florence King

Any of Alice Hoffman

Do you think you could read a thriller?

My sister who was really struggling to read loved William Shatner's Biog. She reckoned it was terribly funny.

That's great! Do hope it works out for you - you deserve some joy after all you've been through.

Maybe no to 'Notes From An Exhibition' in the circumstances though? Sorry but it would be so awful for Che to pick it up as a light-ish read and then be put off by the subject matter.

Would you consider children's books, Che, as there are some beautiful ones, either for first discovery, or for re-reading?

"Notes from an exhibition" Patrick Gale- easy to read but beautifully written.

Try Rosy Thornton? - light but intelligent.

When mine were very little I read Harry Potters and all the Narnia books, and all the E Nesbits (lovely dp got me a beautiful edition of each of the latter!) Blissful!

I also really like Arnold Bennett - rather neglected, but really good and extremely readable. I read the Grand Babylon Hotel through the night between feeds!

I do hope you get your reading back - it is so important to sanity... without running and reading I'd be even more of a nutcase

When I cant concentrate to read I start re-reading old faves, even classics from childhood. You dont get discouraged at not following the story if youre re-reading but will get more out of any decent book on a re-read.

If you like character-driven but well-written books give joanna trollope a go > will definately feature in charity shops and surprisingly well-written for a light read.

And for bio thats not misery-lit Joan Didions "The Year of Magical thinking" and Sheila Hancocks second book "Just Me", both on living with loss.

And def Anne Tyler

Oh, yes, yes, yes to the wonderful Anne Tyler.

What about Anne Tyler?
Plus she has written loads.

I'd second teh Mitfords, they are brilliant.

Ooh have just thought of something else that i think would be perfect for you, Che: Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day.

Chegirl, I am so sorry about your little girl.

I reckon you would like Elizabeth Jane Howard - try The Beautiful Visit or the Cazalet tetralogy (the first one is called The Light Years). I got into EJH recently and sounds like just what you are looking for - engaging stories and rich characters with a good sprinkling of eccentrics but not demanding.

or how about Barbara Pym - Jane and Prudence is the easiest to get hold of. Her books are wonderful.

would also second anything by Nancy Mitford. If you like Mary Wesley then maybe some Joanna Trollopes like The Choir?

Hope you find something good xx

Mine too, piscesmoon!

If you like Georgette Heyer then def try Jude Morgan - just the same regency froth. The heroines are a fiesty lot!

Just agreeing with SleepingLion- Frederica is good too.I like Devil's Cub.

The Grand Sophy is the one to start with-my favourite.

Oh, I agree that Georgette Heyer is just what you need. They are my reading equivalent of a comfort blanket. Start off with something like The Grand Sophy or Frederica - it is a gorgeous gorgeous world to lose yourself in. Just enough drama, romance without being Mills and Boon-y and you know that you're guaranteed a happy ending.

Janet Evanovich writes very very light novels set in New Jersey about an inept bounty hunter called Stephanie Plum - they are laugh-out-loud funny. Bonus: the two gorgeous men in her life One For the Money is the first one and if you like them, she's just brought out number 15 so they'll keep you busy for a while!

Will have a think of some more. I really hope you get your reading mojo back...

Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate. Funny and posh and sort of endearing in an eccentric kind of way.

Mary Wesley wrote quite a few others, although I always liked the C Lawn best. You might look at them.

Early Jilly Cooper makes me smile. And there is one called The Common Years that you can dip in and out of, a sort of diary she wrote when her children were little. Lots of characters, very well written.

Do you like history? Sometimes it is nice to escape backwards. There is a very light and cheerful story based on Anna of Cleves called Amenable Women that I read recently and enjoyed.

Reading is such a gift of freedom. I hope it comes back to you.

I love Georgette Heyer for a comfort read. I seem to have 'grown out' of a lot of books over the years and yet the strange thing is I loved Regency romances as a teenager and I still like them today. I don't read them often, but I must have read them all several times and yet still like them!

and eccentrics CHECK CHECK CHECK

Elmore Leonard all the way in this situation. Writing style is highly approachable - the Dickens of Detroit. So many movies are based on these books.Read so many in the middle of the night while breasrfeeding.

very well written CHECK
but not too complex CHECK
nothing too gut/heart wrenching CHECK

I am so, so sorry.

How about some Georgette Heyer (am only just getting into her after lots of recs on here)? She is like Austen crossed with Jilly Cooper, so easy reads but lots of accurate historical detail and quite feisty women.

Chegirl, I don't know what to say. So sorry.

I know that if you like the classics, like Jane Austen, but want something light, any books by Jude Morgan are just strangely enjoyable. It is like Pride and Prejudice but in a non heavy way.
I think the best one was called Indescretion and had a light blue cover. Was a chance finding in a library and now a bit addicted.