Please recommend me a gentlly entertaining book

[BikeRunSki]

I'm working very hard at the moment, lots of work on. DC 5 and 8 are hard work and DH is away a lot. I'm shattered and need something nice and easy to read to relax at the end of the day. Something like the Adrian Mole Diaries, Bridget Jones or Tales of the City - easy, undemanding and interesting enough story. But not actually these series, as I've read them all 1000 times! Diary or letter format is good (but not a must) as there are frequent natural breaks...

Thank you

[KurriKurri]

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society - it's a lovely book.

[Sonotkylie]

Cold comfort Farm?

[booellesmum]

The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared.

[beatricequimby]

Love Nina was on TV but I didn't see it so I don't know how faithful it was to the book.

How about I Capture the Castle, Cold Comfort Farm or Hons and Rebels? Not the right formats but engrossing and easy reads.

[fatowl]

I'd second 84 Charing Cross Road

I've also enjoyed Remains of the Day recently

[TimTamTerrier]

I like the St Mary's Cronicles, the first one is Just One Damned Thing after Another. Very understated, British, sort of humour.

[susie2999]

I would recommend The Diary of a Nobody - brilliant brilliant brilliant.
My go to chill out book is wind in the willows!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Ooh - what about James Herriot? Some are better than others.

[bookbook]

well, as a retired book seller - if everyone liked the same stuff, I would have been out of business......

[cdtaylornats]

Anything by Gervaise Phinn

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I couldn't read Diary of a Provincial Lady - found it really irritating.

[bookbook]

By the way - I started on Alan Bennett via The Uncommon Reader , and fell in love with his writing.

[AmberEars]

I would describe Anne Tyler as gently entertaining.

Also how about Nancy Mitford?

[Sadik]

YY to Love, Nina - exactly that type of book. I have to say I didn't like Miss Pettigrew at all, but I think I'm in the minority.

Thinking of different sorts of things I'd read in the same mood - The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe kind of hits that spot for me as it just kind of carries you along with the road trip without too much effort on the reader's part.

[AlabasterSnowball]

Any Ladies Detective Agency books, I can feel the sun shining on my face as soon as I pick them up
I like Carl Hiassen too, completely different but lots of fun
Like Bill Bryson and Agatha Raisin too

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

84 Charing Cross Road - a delight from start to finish.
Miss Pettigrew
Daddy Long Legs or its sequel Dear Enemy
Jane Austen

[bookbook]

Love Nina looks lovely !
I also love Alan Bennett - have you tried him?

[BikeRunSki]

The Diary of a Fainthearted Feminist sounds right up my street.

Is that the book that was serialised on BBC1 earlier this year beatrice? (Actually you've inspired me, I might just reread the Ramona books 😄)

[SaladDressing]

Have you read '84 Charing Cross Road'? Easy to read and rather lovely.

[bookbook]

Its triggering my brain now - Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day by Winifred Watson

[bookbook]

hah - x post with Sadik :)

[bookbook]

ooh - forgot I really enjoyed Diary of a Provincial Lady by E M Delafield

[Sadik]

The two that come to mind immediately if you've not read them (both originally newspaper columns) are Diary of a Provincial Lady by EM Delafield and Letters from a Fainthearted Feminist by Jill Tweedie.

[beatricequimby]

Love Nina by Nina Stibbe, incredibly funny letters from an au pair to her sister about life in a posh London publishing family in the early eighties.

[bookbook]

I absolutely adore Bill Bryson, though all the Babe Ruth stuff in 1927 was just too boring for me :)