Last 3 Books You Read

[EllyJay]

Hi All, what are the last 3 books you read and what did you think of them?

Mine are -

Love in the Flower Cafe - Katherine Lawrenson
This was a holiday chick lit read and I really enjoyed it.

The Girl on the Stairs - Barry Ernest
This is about the author seeking another witness to the JFK murder. It is good but unresolved for me.

Loom Banding
My 6 year old made me read this! She was too little for the craze of loom banding but she bought a huge set cheaply and is now really into it....I can now loom a necklace...!

1. The paying guests by Sarah Waters - really liked the writing style and generally enjoyed reading it although the whole idea/storyline made me feel a bit weird and uncomfortable, not sure why.

1. It's your time your wasting: A teacher's tales of classroom hell by Frank Chalk - didn't really like the authors tone or the way he wrote about the kids. I get that he was trying to be funny but I didn't find it very humourous.

1. Behind closed doors by BA Paris - read this quite quickly and thought the ending worked well

1. Love You Dead by Peter James - I'm a huge fan of his books.
2. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance - insight into American politics, very interesting and thought provoking.
3. Spectacles (A Memoir) by Sue Perkins - quite interesting but a bit bland.

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes - far fetched thriller but a page turner

Nobody's Son by Cathy Glass - for book club, standard misery lit not my thing

The Girl in the Glass Tower by Elizabeth Freemantle - historical fiction, started well but didn't really go anywhere.

I sound like a fussy cow don't I? Currently on Revelation (Shardlake #4) - brilliant

Currently on The Power by Naomi Alderman - better than the premise implies
Previously Americanah (Adichie) and Commonwealth (Patchett) - loved the former, the latter made no impression on me despite others absolutely raving about it.

Thank fuck for my book club, otherwise I wouldn't read a thing!

The Dragonfly, by Kate Dunn. Loved this, it's a family story, told as a bit of thriller, set mostly in France and it centres on three developing relationships (all nicely played). It's an engrossing read and I recommend it.

Jeremy Paxman: A Life in Questions is also a good read, especially if you've liked him, or hated him, on the box.

Henry Marsh: Admissions is a bit grim for non-medics but he writes beautifully and what he has to say is important.

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler - really enjoyed this, it's an updating of Taming of the Shrew - though not read the original so no idea on how it relates to that.

The Twins - by Saskia Sarginson - started off ok, but story was dragged out far too much and I skim read the last bit.

Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd. V enjoyable albeit a bit of a poorman's John le Carre.

The last three books I've read have been ones I picked up at the library:

• Voices in the Ocean: A Journey into the Wild and Haunting World of Dolphins. I now want to swim with spinner dolphins in Hawaii. Lots of harrowing descriptions of how cruel people can be to dolphins.

• Judas by Amos Oz. Set in Jerusalem in the winter of 1959-60. Enjoyed this a lot.

• Not Working by Lisa Owens. Nothing much really happens in this. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd read it a few years ago when I was between jobs and closer to the age of the narrator.

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep - was OK but not a complete success IMO.
Little Sister (Isabel Ashdown) - pychological thriller type of thing - it was OK -bit of a page turner.
Unravelling Oliver (Liz Nugent) - still reading this - can't decide what I think yet - there needs to be a good twist for em to think it is good as it has dragged a bit in parts.

I have Vinegar Girl next to read in my library stash

I enjoyed Vinegar Girl (afraid I'm not familiar with the Taming of the Shrew so had to compare it to the plot of Ten Things I Hate About You. It was very different to Hag Seed, Margaret Atwood's take on The Tempest. I've just started The Trouble with Goats and Sheep.

The Child Bride by Cathy Glass. I normally really like her books but I found her very patronising and irritating in this one.
My Single Friend by Jane Costello. Really enjoy all her books and are light hearted and easy to read.
Can't remember but think it was called the Couple Next Door. Can't remember who by but found it boring .

I am Pilgrim Terry Hayes
Hot Milk Deborah Levy
Longbourn Jo Baker

I enjoyed all three.

Working through my kindle on holiday:

1984. George Orwell Hideous Kinky. Esther Freud The Mandibles. Lionel Shriver

Forever by Judy Blume - hadn't read it since snurking at it as a school girl.

Release by Patrick Ness - really enjoyed this. He has said it is inspired by both Mrs Dalloway and Forever.

Career of evil by Robert Galbraith - enjoying this a lot more than the second Strike book.

Next on the pile is probably Landing on the Sunday by Michael Frayn.

The Vegetarian - Han Kang. A bit strange but very enjoyable and out of my comfort zone.

The Power - Naomi Alderman. Really poor quality fantasy- under developed. With this and disobedience being so bad I won't try her again no matter what the hype.

The Asassins Apprentice Robin Hobb. Just a bit of fun.

The Keeper of lost things - amazing book beautifully written. Highly recommended

All the Nadine Dorris books- I love them but I'm a sucker for things like Call the Midwife!

Help I go on holiday in Saturday and I don't have a book to read! I was hoping to take 3 books away with me and spend my days relaxing and getting lost in a good book. I just can't seem to find anything that takes my interest. I think the fact I don't have a particular aurthor / genre that l love doesn't help.
I would appreciate your recommendations. Thanks

1 Commonwealth by Patchett. Got it at a bargain 99p on kindle daily deals and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sorry Essential .

1. The Girl You Left Behind (Moyes). Read this on holiday and almost gave up after the first couple of chapters but glad I persevered.

1. Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Atkinson). I've read a couple of hers this year. This has to be one of the best books I've read this year, if not ever.