Book recs please - easy but lovely reads maybe wartime fiction

[Grockle]

I haven't read book I loved in ages. I need something light & easy to read. Not Marian Keyes and such but something similarly easy with a little more weight. As a teen, I loved wartime romance type books and think I'd like to read some again but am open to anything that I can read whilst dealing with 3 small boys, a huge workload and poor health. TIA

I'm just finishing Little Gods by Anna Richards, it's a good read partly set in the war but not "about" the war. It's a little bit different but not a challenging read.

Thanks so much for all the recommendations. It turns out that none of the local libraries have any of them (there are one or 2 copies of some of the books but dotted throughout the borough and are on loan or 'unavailable') so I'll have a browse in Waterstones in the morning.

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian, it is AMAZING

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, also fantastic and incredibly sad

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons, one of my all time favourite books. One of the greatest love stories I've ever read, I loved it. Starts out pretty light and becomes gripping, and the best part is that there are 2 sequels - Tatiana and Alexander and The Summer Garden. All fabulous.

Most of Paullina Simons books are fabulous, as are Chris Bohjalian's, he's not that well known here but pretty poplularn the States.

Fortunes of War - Balkan and Levant Trilogies by Olivia Manning are excellent. Not dead easy but worth it.

Easier but a bit creepy in parts - Five Quarters of An Orange by Joanne Harris

I forgot 'A Town Called Alice' but I bet you've already read it - worth a revisit though, if so.

Mr Pip was v good but upsetting - I'd expected it to be quite lightweight and it took me by surprise!

A Town LIKE Alice!

Agent Zigzag is very good.

The only book I could get was Charlotte Gray so I bought that this morning. I'm surprised at how hard it has been to find any of these. I guess they're a bit dated and only appeal to a few?

I'd forgotten about A Town Like Alice (I always want to say 'called Alice' too)

Thank you all

The Camomile Lawn, Mary Wesley. And Delderfields, any of them.

Nancy mitford - the pursuit of love is excellent. And if you enjoy thatbthere is a whole world of Mitford-alia out there to satisfy your longings.

Elizabeth Howards Cazelet series,Noel Barber Farewell to France (one of my comfort reads !),Carries's war ,Olivia Mannings Balkan Trilogy

Thank you OP for this thread which has opened my eyes to the fact that Michelle Magorian wrote loads of books. My favorite book of hers is called Back Home about a evacuee returning home from the US. It was the first book I remember getting completely lost in when I was younger.

Am off to look on Amazon - don't forget Ebay for good value books.

OMG Goodnight Mister Tom was published in 1981!!!! I thought it was way older than that.

So glad I have DCs to pretend to buy books for

I'm reading Elizabeth Von Armin's "The Enchanted April" at the moment. Light, witty and funny, with lots of heart. Have heard it described as Shirley Valentine set in the 1920s.

Wartime fiction is my favourite.
Just read
The Report by Jessica Kane
My Dear I wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young (WW1)
The Distant Hours Kate Morton
Goodnight Vienna by JH Schryer.

The Francis Hancock series by Barbara Nadel is set in the Blitz
David Downing has written a series set in wartime Berlin

I have also read wartime fiction by
Margaret Mayhew
Amelia Carr
Andrew Grieg

When I started this thread, I honestly expected only 1 or 2 responses. I'm so glad that there are lots of you who read the same kind of books. I'd never thought of eBay for books but will have a browse. Many thanks all.

About a Boy?
Alexander McCall Smith, Adrian Mole, Perfume by Patrick Suskind?

Mrs Miniver.

I'm just getting to the end of The English German Girl by Jake Wallace Simons (hmm, I think)

really good book, set in the 30's and 40's Berlin & England

The Diary of a Provincial Lady- E M Delafield. My absolute favorite book - got me through three labours and countless hours breastfeeding. It's still the book I return to when I want comfort and an easy but not too easy read.

I love that book too, The Diary of a Provincial Lady, must read it again.

Elizabeth and her German Garden is good too.

I am half way through this Major Pettigrew and thoroughly enjoying it

How about my 2 favourite Barbaras . . .

Barbara Comyns is good for eccentric families between the wars. Tales of hardship but lightly written. Try "Our Spoons came from Woolworths"

Also Barbara Pym - she writes about a period just after WW2 and has a lot of details about parish life. Her work is a work in miniature, a bit like Jane Austen.

got a bit of girlie crush on Pym at the moment. Her work is perfect for austere times!

Two recently published books about ww2 which I enjoyed:

Nourishment by Gerard Woodward - a pow asks his wife to send him a "dirty" letter
22 Britannia Road by Amanda HodgKinson- about a polish couple being reunited in Ipswich after the war with flashbacks to their war stories

Also have always loved London Belongs to Me by Norman Collins published in 1945

There's a novel by Joan Bakewell - sorry, can't remember the title, but just have a look on Amazon. It's set in the Second World War, and features some good female characters. It's an easy read, but also intelligently written (which you would expect from Joan Bakewell I guess).

Georgina mentioned Margaret Mayhew - I've read "The Crew", "Our Yankees" and "Bluebirds", all by her, and can highly recommend them.

I also second Elizabeth Elgin - the quintet "I'll Bring You Buttercups", "Daisychain Summer", "Where Bluebells Chime", "Windflower Wedding" and "The Linden Walk" are all good. The first one of hers that I read was "All The Sweet Promises" - which is about three young women who meet on Glasgow station, on their way to their postings as Wrens at the naval base at Ardneavie. All her stories are lovely - tears as well as happiness, but really well told.