Light, but not shite fiction needed for an over-emotional pregnant bookworm!

[Laugs]

Last time I was pregnant I read Revolutionary Road Nobody warned me! I have just about recovered.

I am a wee bit weepy at the moment and can't cope with anything sad. I'm looking for something gentle and soothing, but well written - I Capture the Castle would be great if I hadn't already read it.

Any ideas?

I was just about to recommend Mariana and Miss Pettigrew but I'v been beaten to it. Also try Elizabeth Jane Hward's Cazalet books - the first one is The Light Years.

Oh just seen your question, I loved Venetia, These Old Shades, Devil's Cub, Powder and Patch, An Infamous Army, Sprig Muslin, Regency Buck, The Spanish Bride one. In fact I think they are all fab, but these are my faves.

Oh I am jealous that you are going to be reading them for the first time, I wish I was.

How about Anne Tylor? Her books can be upsetting, a bit, but they're essentially uplifting, and really charming.

Hi Laugs, Congratulations! If you liked Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld then you might also like The Man of My Dreams or The American Wife which are both by her. I love her and Melissa Field and, in a similar vein, Rules for Saying Goodbye by Katherine Taylor is also very good.

Anything Dan Brown, especially Angels And Demons.

Or how about revisiting some childhood ones, Agatha Christie, Arthur Ransome.

Thanks so much for all these suggestions! I definitely have a nice long reading list now. Considering I went to bed last night and read exactly one page before falling asleep, it might take me a while to get through them!

We went to the library today but DD was tearing around all over the place so will have to wait til the weekend.

Congratulations, DandyLioness - how far along are you?

Brick Lane, Monica Ali.
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire.
Anything by Tom Sharpe.

Can I add some to avoid: Jude the Obscure; For Whom the Bell Tolls; A Fine Balance; The God of Small Things; A quiet belief in Angels (terrible anyway, IMO).

And suggest Barbara Trapido: The Travelling Horn Player; Noah's Ark; Juggling; Temples of Delight, but NOT Frankie and Stankie (not because it will make you weep, I just thought it was dull, dull, dull.)

'Hens Dancing' by Rafaella Barker.

Just sweet and funny and romantic...and about the joy of a fabulous baby daughter called 'The Beauty'. There is a follow-up but I can't remember the name.

May contain nuts but John O'Farrell
Blind Faith by Ben Elton

Easy reads, funny and real page turners

Marian Keyes - very funny - much more than run of the mill chick lit. Some serious subjects but all made me laugh out loud.
Rumpole stories.
Some of the stories by HE Bates are lovely and comforting

John o farrell makes me laugh too

Just finished Bitter Chocolate by Lesley Lokko. I've really enjoyed it and not at all heavy.

Oh, The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton was good too.

Sundays at Tiffanys by James Patterson - nothing like his other stuff. Sweet, love story with a nice twist

Deffo avoid 'Quiet Belief In Angels' - it's dreadful. And deffo avoid 'Jude' as it will depress you horribly.

Yes to Miss Pettigrew.
Yes to Jane Austen.
Ladies' Detective Agency?
PG Wodehouse
Waugh?
Jane Eyre?

New on here, but just wanted to say Georgette Heyer and Mariane Keyes are both fantastic. Marian Keyes books especially, are charming and funny but have serious storylines.

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Has anyone mentioned Anne Tyler? Any of her books are nice reasonably light reading.

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Oh I love lotsof these. reading all of Anne Tyler once got me through a particularly nasty break up with an ex. Also second Nancy Mitford and PG Wodehouse. Melissa Banks and Jennifer Weiner for sort of upmarket chick-fic. Also love Lorrie Moore-think she has a new collection of short stories out. But definitely indulge in some childhood faves-I read many many half remembered faves during my second pregnancy including Rumer Godden Diana Wynne Jones and Elizabeth Enright-it was lovely-felt so indulgent but wonderful somehow.

gods behaving badly.. forgotten who by... just google...funny and light!

I recently re-read the complete works of Dorothy L Sayers, and found far more in them than when I was a teenager.

Nick Hornby's latest book ("slam" I think) is the first one by him to make it onto my permanent bookshelves (as opposed to the charity shop carrier bag in the cellar).

Its about a teenage boy whose teenage girlfriend gets pregnant.