please help me choose 2 books for my 90 year old Nana

[soopermum1]

My Nana is a bookworm,nothing else interests her and she's housebound so I like to carefully pick 3 books as her Xmas present as I know she'll appreciate them, and my Mum then gets to read them afterwards as well.

What would you recommend? Have already picked one 'The Dogs and the Wolves - Irene Nemirovsky' but am a bit stumped for the others.

She's pretty well read so trashy novels won't do, she's read all the usual classics, and definetely no raunchy bits but a bit of romance is OK

I've done a few Philippa Gregory books, but it's becoming a bit of a habit.

An example of the kind of thing she likes. Poor girl, historical (often historically accurate) setting, adventure, tragedy, but girl comes good in the end.

Can you help?

If you haven't got it already the red queen by philppa gregory is a bestseller and has a huge waiting list at the library so is very popular

Maybe "The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets" by Eva Rice - it's a modern book set in the 50s (I think) but is a really delightful story, reminiscent of I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith (which I presume she's already read 'cos if not then that is an absolute MUST!!)

I'd second "The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets" and maybe she'd enjoy "The Island" by Victoria Hislop?

Anything by Sharon Penman for historical literature, usually with good female characters. Maybe "Here be Dragons".

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society.

Or how about a bit of Lee Child to keep her heart pumping along?

My Nana absolutely adored The Northern Lights Trilogy by Philip Pullman.

We also enjoyed sharing Redwall by Brian Jacques (it's a kids book series, but excellent reading and was right up her street).

I'd recommend the beautifully crafted 'Old Filth' by Jane Gardam. A moving, intelligent & witty look back at the world of the Raj Orphan told from the perspective of a retired judge, Sir Edward Feathers. 'Old Filth' is his very inaccurate nickname (he's scrupulously clean) and it stands for "Failed In London Try Hong-Kong".

I have recently read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I pass my "suitable" books on to my Grandma and she really loved it as well.

remarkable creatures by Tracy Chevalier...

I have just started reading this and it would seem to tik quite a few of your boxes.

I am quite enjoying it actually - an easy pleasant read

'tick' not 'tik' !!!

One of the CJ Sansom Shardlake books ?

with my granddad I read
last chance to see - douglas adams/marc cowardine
blauer engel/prof unrath - heinrich mann (no idea about the title in english, was a big film with marlene dietrich)

oh the fond memories...

Hi All. I've ordered 'The Island' and 'The Help' thanks for all you recommendations. I'll be looking to borrow them when my mum and nana have read them