I suspect we’ve all read twice as many books as usual during the past year, and I’m really looking for fresh stuff. Just finished two of the Jack Reacher series, where I find Lee Child unputdownable after page four. So, what a contrast where I’m now re-reading Little Doritt, where Dickens takes two paragraphs to express what Child does in one line. Getting easier as I plough on though.

Best reads of the year for me were all the old John le Carre books I’d read 40 years ago, and totally forgotten all the plots. Same with Graham Green.

For history nerds I would really recommend Andrew Roberts’ Napoleon the Great. Long, but a really absorbing read. Funniest book of the year was Vive la Revolution, by comedian Mark Steel. Combined humour with an amazing array of facts I’d not known about France at that time.

So, would welcome your suggestions.

Hi Mervyn,
I've just finished the second in a series of four books by Simon Scarrow, based on the lives of Napoleon and Wellington.

Whilst they are fictional and I do normally tend to read factual history, these are quite a welcome break. They concentrate on how the parallel lives of the two protagonists may have panned out, whilst keeping true to the main facts, such as the family members, other generals and the battles. So, basically, you get 3 or 4 chapters on Napoleon followed by 3 or 4 on Wellington... all ending up at Waterloo in the final tome.

The four books, in order, are entitled 'Young Bloods', 'The Generals', 'Fire and Sword' and 'The Fields of Death'.

Hi Mervyn,
I've just finished the second in a series of four books by Simon Scarrow, based on the lives of Napoleon and Wellington.

Whilst they are fictional and I do normally tend to read factual history, these are quite a welcome break. They concentrate on how the parallel lives of the two protagonists may have panned out, whilst keeping true to the main facts, such as the family members, other generals and the battles. So, basically, you get 3 or 4 chapters on Napoleon followed by 3 or 4 on Wellington... all ending up at Waterloo in the final tome.

The four books, in order, are entitled 'Young Bloods', 'The Generals', 'Fire and Sword' and 'The Fields of Death'.

Brilliant suggestion. Thanks for that.

Morning all,
I have just finished reading ===A Woman of no Importance===written by==Sonia Purnell.
This is a biography of an American woman who led the French resistance during WW 2 with connections to OSS and MI5.
Remarkable woman who had an even more remarkable life.
As for fiction I have finished most of the Reacher books and also the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly all good cop stuff.

Morning all,
I have just finished reading ===A Woman of no Importance===written by==Sonia Purnell.
This is a biography of an American woman who led the French resistance during WW 2 with connections to OSS and MI5.
Remarkable woman who had an even more remarkable life.
As for fiction I have finished most of the Reacher books and also the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly all good cop stuff.

I have read a lot of Jeffrey Deaver. Similar stuff to Bosch and Reacher.

Including the quadriplegic (I thought it was quadra? is my compooter a Yank? or am I wrong? ) detective Lincoln Rhyme (The Bone Collector film?). Which sounds ludicrously gimmicky but actually works quite well in a book. Good holiday stuff.

Then there is David Baldacci of course with various 'series'. The Camel Club and Amos Decker (with the photographic memory).

Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs too writing with forensic pathologist heroines.

I listen to a lot of this sort of stuff as audiobooks when gardening. Not good when someone walks up behind you and puts their hand on your shoulder whilst you are 'virtually' searching a serial killer's lair!!

[GreenThing]

If you fancy a bit of brainless and cheesy horror give Richard Laymon a go.

[Daz]

If you like Reacher my cousin is an author and he has a series of books that have been likened to Reacher. I think a few are set in Cornwall. His name is A P Bateman.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/kindle/series/B08DYCQ1PV

I’m not much of a reader so haven’t read them but I know they are all best sellers.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. 900 page thriller will sustain anyone in the forthcoming January Lockdown.

[PL2 3DQ]

I'm into fictional twisty turny novels where ordinary people are placed into extraordinary circumstances, I usually just read Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay.
Since the start of Covid I've branched out and read a lot more books by different authors on the same subject so if you fancy twisty, murder mystery thrillers try the above authors plus C.L. Taylor, Mark Edwards, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware and Shari Lapena.

Harlan Coben has two series on Netflix - Safe and The Stranger and both are excellent.

Try Shadows in Death or Golden in Death by J D Robb, part of an American crime series set in the near future There are over 50 books in the series all with the term "in Death" in the title. All have been best sellers and written over 25 years.

If you enjoy political/historical non fiction I highly recommend 'The Shadow of the Sun' by Polish journalist, Ryszard Kapuscinski.

He was the first full time Polish news correspondent in Africa back in the 1950s and reported from the continent for the next 40 years. It's a fascinating book and so well written.

If you enjoy political/historical non fiction I highly recommend 'The Shadow of the Sun' by Polish journalist, Ryszard Kapuscinski.

He was the first full time Polish news correspondent in Africa back in the 1950s and reported from the continent for the next 40 years. It's a fascinating book and so well written.

You’re right it’s brilliant.