Books for post surgery recovery

[PineNutPeaNut]

I have some painful surgery coming up and will be laid up for a while. Looking for reading recommendations that are not too taxing but not too trashy!

I love cosy nuder mysteries - Ellis Peters, Agatha Christie (of course), PD James - but I’ve read them all. I don’t like anything too graphic or violent. Don’t get on with Richard Osman or the Marlowe Murder Club, unfortunately. Is there anyone else I’m missing?

when I’m not looking for comfort reading I like historical fiction and literary fiction. I try to avoid VAWG and I’m not a fan of romance. Any suggestions …?

Hope your surgery and recovery goes well.

Someone recommended Stephanie Austin’s Dartmoor series on another thread here recently and I love them. Cozy mystery but great characters and an interesting main character, Juno. Definitely recommend.

Historical fiction wise;
Patrick O'Brien's Master & Commander series
Rose Tremain's books about her character Merivel

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark - historical fantasy

The Fraud - Zadie Smith

Just to comment that I have found it impossible to read after surgeries for a while, I don't know if it is the GA or my brain has too much else to concentrate on or what, so I would suggest getting a pile of magazines (if you can still find some!) to cover the reading urge.

On the book front, have you read the Slow Horses series (Mick Herron).

Have you tried Josephine Tey? She wrote around the same time as Christie. The Franchise Affair and the Daughter of Time are both great reads.

Slow Horses series are brilliant but pretty violent.

Cosy murder recommendations

Go classic
Margery Allingham - Campion series
Patricia Wentworth - Miss Silver series
Dorothy L Sayers - Peter Wimsey series
Elizabeth Daly - Henry Gamage series

Also British Library crime classics - I'm reading a lot of E C R Lorac at the moment (99p each from Kobo).

Modern:
Rebecca Tope - Cotswolds series, Lake District series
Cora Harrison - Reverend Mother series (1920s Cork)

Historic:
Anna Katharine Green - 1890s-1900s America, quite melodramatic

Have you read MC Beaton? Her Agatha Raisin series of English murder mysteries are set in a pretty Cotswold location, while her Hamish Macbeth series has a Highlands setting. Agatha Raisin is a PI with a couple of cats, a ne'er-do-well ex husband, and lots of hang-ups about her weight and what other people think of her. She's kept busy with Midsomer Murders' levels of violent death. Macbeth is a Highlands bobby with a rural beat, a dog (he later acquires a cat,) a smallholding, and no ambition whatsoever, which the local criminals have no respect for, as they rampage around the countryside creating work for poor Hamish. Agatha and Hamish have in common complicated love lives with people who couldn't be more unsuited to them. The books are somewhat formulaic, but they are light reading without being fluffy.

Wonderful recommendations, thank you! I haven’t tried most of these.
@Chewbecca good point about the GA - although I will also be immobile for a few months following the procedure so I’m anticipating a lot of reading time! I think I will download some verrrry gentle tv shows for the immediate aftermath

If you haven't seen Ghosts, it is ideal post -surgery viewing. Gentle, funny, charming, poignant.

Have you read all of John Buchan’s Richard Hannay novels? Most people have only read The Thirty Nine Steps - but every single one is fabulous. Exciting without being arduous. During a long period of illness and disruption I read and re-read them all on repeat - incredibly comforting.

Obviously all the Golden Age women writers: Sayers, Tey, if you haven’t already read them.

I recommend Katy Watson's Three Dahlias series. Cosy murder mysteries based on three generations who play a female slueth on tv and film. Really enjoyable and easy to read.

Have you tried any of the A J Pearce Emmeline Lake novels. The first is Dear Mrs Bird and I think there are currently three of them. (Unless she has published another while I wasn't looking )

They are set in WW2 and are quite funny and heart warming.

You might want to try
The Dictionary of Lost Words and The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams
Crooked Heart trilogy by Lissa Evans
The Bells of Westminster by Leonora Nattrass

It's not murder but if you want light and cosy, I always prescribe PG Wodehouse for convalescence, especially the Blandings Castle series. Beautifully crafted prose, gentle, silly humour and absolutely no peril whatsoever, plus they can be picked up and put down without losing the thread if you're feeling subpar.

I had surgery in September and have read Lisa Jewell books back to back since! 😂

My sister bought me a Famous 5 omnibus when I was in hospital recovering from major surgery. I was very tired and had a lot of pain, so this non-demanding, escapist nonsense suited me perfectly.

I can imagine, @LoafofSellotape!

I once (at a time of some misery) found my way to an idyllic retreat in the depths of the Somerset countryside where the idea was to spend time beneficially with other residents and staff. Wandered into the library on the first evening - and spent the entire weekend re-reading all of Narnia. Was bliss.