Have you ever been in a Reading Group? I haven’t, but I was recently asked for my top ten Reading Group Books – interesting question. It made me think. So I’ve reproduced them here – in reverse order.
Would love to know what yours are too.
10 Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
Apparently lots of readers didn’t rate this as much as her first novel, The Time Traveller’s Wife. I loved her debut too, but for me this one was better. A superbly beautiful ghost story, full of what ifs and mystery. It really made me want to visit Highgate Cemetery, which features heavily.
9 A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
This is a very funny novel about two sisters, who don’t usually get on, joining forces against the common enemy. Voluptuous gold digger, Valentina, is trying to ensnare their ageing father. The characters are brilliant. Warm and entertaining.
8 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time by Mark Haddon
Can I call this a cosy crime? It’s so much more than this. The central character has one of the strongest voices I have ever read. ‘He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched.’ A beautifully written funny and poignant novel.
7 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This novel needs no introduction. I loved this book so much because I was in love with the main character by the end of Chapter One. It breaks so many rules. A plain Jane of a heroine, (I think that expression comes from this novel) a not particularly handsome hero! This is a story about overcoming adversity, about the strength of one woman, and about love.
6 I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith An author best known for 101 Dalmatians possibly? The main character is fabulous. What a strong voice. A beautiful novel, exquisite written. I read in the foreword that it took her years to write. Which stopped me feeling quite so jealous. A lovely novel to curl up with on a winter afternoon.
5 Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella Here is a writer who can made me laugh – even when I’m sitting at the dentist waiting to have a root canal filling. I love all of her books, but for me Twenties Girl is the best. Poignant as well as funny. A tender, rather beautiful ghost story.
4 Any book by P G Wodehouse – I’m currently reading The World of Wodehouse Clergy, which is actually a collection of linked short stories. It’s hilarious. It’s stopping me from sleeping. In a very good way.
3 Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty. A legal thriller that actually stands or falls on its emotion. This book divides opinion. There are some reviewers who say a woman would never act like the main character. Never say never! This was a word of mouth recommendation to me. Always good. One of the reason I loved it so much was because it was controversial.
2 The Book Thief by Markus Susak
I loved everything about this novel. The language, the characterisation, the story, the humour, the poignancy. I especially loved the character of Hans Uberman. I wish I’d had a father like Hans.
1 Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke I was told to persevere with this book. You could certainly have managed without the first 30,000 or so words and for me, (I can abandon a book after three pages) it was a miracle I read it. But wow. I can’t remember who said it was a masterpiece but I agree with them. A wonderful novel. I grieved when I came to the end.
And as you may or may not know, I’m in the middle of writing a series of novellas called The Reading Group!
The ladies in The Reading Group meet once a month to catch up on each other’s lives to drink red wine, and to discuss the latest gossip – oops, I mean to discuss the latest novel they’ve read! The first one, December, which introduces the series is a FREE FESTIVE Short Story. You can download it here. Handy to devour with a mince pie, so I’m told!
The Reading Group, all covers
Happy Christmas everyone. See you on the other side!
love Della xx
OOh, Della, interesting! (I can’t resist discussions about books!) I soooo agree with you on so many of these – namely, Jane Eyre, Apple Tree Yard (brilliant!), I Capture the Castle, The Curious Incident and A Short History of Tractors BUT (and it’s a big but), although I LOVE Sophie Kinsella, I gave up on Twenties Girl, I couldn’t get past the first few pages of The Book Thief and I thought ‘Her Fearful Symmetry’ was awful and not a patch on Time Traveller’s Wife…! (can’t comment on the others as, to my shame, I’ve not read them). I would add ‘The Help’ – one of my favourite books ever, as a brilliant Book Club read and a very quirky but very funny book (you either love it or hate it) that we read in the Book Club that I used to belong to – and which provoked very mixed reactions – is ‘When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow’ by Dan Rhodes.
Oh yes the Help. I’d forgotten about that one, I loved it too. Never heard of When the Professor Got Stuck in the Snow. I’ll check it out. It may or may not make a difference but I actually listened to Her Fearful Symmetry and the Book Thief as audio books in the car when I was doing a lot of driving. I think that might actually make quite a bit of difference. 🙂 xx But Twenties Girl, I read. Awesome. Love every single one of her books with maybe an exception for the very latest shopaholic one as it didn’t seem to end properly. still funny though.
I need to get into audio books – I was only saying that today! So yes, perhaps that did make a difference, when you listened to them rather than read them. Interesting!
I’ve read The Dog In The Night Time – brilliant. I was given Jane Eyre as a Christmas present when I was about nine so it’s been a while since I read that.
Being male and of a certain age I tend to like adventure stories so I’m just looking at my shelf here above my computer desk and I have The Thirty Nine Steps, Kidnapped and The Lone Ranger Annual 1959.
The Lone Ranger Annual. Awesome! Thanks for popping by, Keith. 🙂