Best reads - Club Together Book Club?

I wondered how Richard Osman had so much insider info about a retirement community, listening to him on Desert Island Discs today has revealed all, his Mum lives in a community and was very worried when he decided to write his first book. She didn't want him to fictionalise any of the people living there, but it certainlay inspired him!

Brue

One of my ex MD's lived in a retirement community here in MK. He told me once that if any of the residents needed help with any of the professions they were well represented by the various residents. It is usually a life style choice to live in such places so there are bound to be "interesting characters" so fertile ground for any author. I am waiting for a film or TV series based on the books which seems to be likely.

Margaret has just finished reading the second book and whilst she enjoyed it more than the first she is still not convinced they are her type of book!

David

DK. I'm familiar with retirement communities too and like the way he has brought all sorts of characters out of obscurity and given them lives of their own. He mentioned on Desert Island Discs that older people can become invisible and it's a refreshing outlook on the experiences people bring to all stages of life. I'm not sure I'll read the latest book but I'm glad he wrote a sequel. 

Have read various books recently including the 2 most recent Jason Bourne books Evolution and Treachery. Also finished SG MacLean’s Damien Seeker series and 3 quick reads by Rosie Lear featuring Matthias Barton and based in Dorset where I understand she lives.  Looking forward to reading a mix of books perhaps some more up to date detective novels next.  Happy New Year to All and enjoy your books.

I've found the festive season a good time to get stuck into reading. Can't say I watched more than the odd half hour each day of tele and as neither the weather or myself were the best it was a good excuse to indulge.

Catching up with the Caro Ramsay series and getting into a few of the backlog on Kindle, one bought the first few weeks back of Covid back in 2020. Not worth mentioning as it wasn't worth it.

Just re-read The Curator by M.W.Craven, picked up from the library before the break.

N1805 - S.G.MacLean has a new book out later this year in the autumn called the Bookseller of Inverness. A new series apparently set just after the Battle of Culloden.

N1805 or in fact anyone else interested, here are a few books that differ in tone and style of writing that I liked reading and went on to read more of the authors works, or in fact had already read some. All crime novels which you said you might try soon.

A Sci-Fi murder mystery, but without aliens, set on a space station orbiting earth - Author is Chris Brookmyre and the book is Places in the Darkness. His Jack Parlabane novels are worth seeking out as well.

Sarah Hilary and the D.I.Rome series starting with Someone Else's Skin.

Colin Cotterill with a retired coroner in Laos in the 1970s starting with The Coroners Lunch, which actually isn't the best in the series but sets the characters. The books have a lot of humour in them and are not too gruesome.

Lawrence Block and a small series about a hit man in America, first one strangely called The Hit Man. Not too gruesome either considering the subject matter and there is some good humour between the Booking Agent and the hit man.

All different types of books 

Wherenext – Thanks for SG MacLean info.  I did read Devil’s Recruit but it didn’t appeal to me so haven’t bothered with her other books.  I generally take a look at Fantastic Fiction website in the Autumn (occasionally at other times also) to see if any of my favourite authors are bringing out new books especially for Xmas.  I then keep an eye on our local library to see if they get them in as they are mostly well-read authors. The Sci Fi is not my thing but I will definitely check out the library for the others.  I have also kept an eye out at book swaps at sites and am at present reading one on those - Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis with characters based during the English Civil War. mid 1600's

I've just finished reading Bob Mortimer's autobiography "And Away." It was a very readable book, laced with humour and tinged with sadness. If you've enjoyed his fishing programme with Paul Whitehouse you will have heard snippets from his life story before but it's presented afresh and with many more details. It's an unusual story as on stage success suddenly pushed him into the limelight so the path travelled is very interesting, so are the people he encounters along the way.

The trouble with autobiographies is they can't reveal all due to many characters in them being alive so there are some quite big blanks in the book but it's still a good read and I did laugh out loud reading some of the events! 

Another book just read, I whizzed through Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, the first in the Shetland series. I thought it might be spoilt by seeing some of the TV series but it wasn't. A good riveting tale! 

Grand series of books, have read most of them. Love the TV series too.