One of our staff has just returned from a long period of absence due to illness, so we asked her what she had been reading whilst she was off and what she could recommend. (If you'd like to borrow any of them then use the link to the Library catalogue to request them for free)
“I enjoy reading crime novels, particularly those that are part of a series as you really feel as though you get to know the main characters. Having the time off gave me the chance to catch up with some of them. I’d recommend the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series to anyone wanting a light hearted, easy to read book. The latest one I’ve read is the Double Comfort Safari Club, in which Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi carry out a delicate mission at a safari lodge in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Another crime series which is equally a joy to read are the books featuring Agatha Raisin by M C Beaton. Agatha Raisin and the Busy Body features the local health and safety officer whose adherence to the rules are upsetting the residents of Carsely. It comes as no surprise when he is murdered…
I didn’t want to read anything too heavy going and wanted to read books that I would find amusing. One that fitted the bill nicely was the first novel written by Dawn French A Tiny Bit Marvellous which is a beautifully observed story about a modern day family.
Vampire stories seem to be in fashion at the moment. Whilst I wouldn’t say that they’re my cup of tea, I enjoyed Matt Haig’s The Radleys which is a spin on the vampire myth. It featured recently on the TV Book Club’s summer read and is great fun.
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson is a gentle swipe at the English class system as well as being a beautiful little love story about two widowed individuals who find friendship and then love later on in life.
I also enjoyed Mr Rosenblum’s List by Natasha Solomons. It’s both poignant and sad, yet at the same time endearing and funny. Jack Rosenblum has arrived in England from Germany in the 1930’s and is determined to thoroughly integrate himself into English society. He takes to heart the advice given in a pamphlet on how to achieve this and adds his own notes to the list in the hope of writing a new set of guidelines.”
