This weeks five are ‘good reads’ in this case novels that I have really enjoyed and either have read, or plan on reading, several times. Two of the novels I have only on my kindle, so I have included it in the phhotograph!

The List

The Detail

First up is The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris. This is the middle book of a trilogy which begins with Chocolate (book better than film which is a constant refrain in this post) and ends with the recently published Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure. I enjoyed all three but Lollipop Shoes is my favourite, perhaps because of the ending.

Next is The Help by Kathryn Stockett which after a slightly slow start becomes a real page turner - again the film was good the book if even better

Number three is Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson published by the wonderful Persephone books. A delightful fairytale guaranteed to cheer you up if you’re in need of a duvet day again far better than the film

At four is Home Leave by Libby Purves who is also a well known broadcaster on BBC Radio Four. I love all her books except the last two which are understandably much more sombre in tone, due to a change in the author’s personal circumstances. The early novels are laugh our loud amusing and its hard to choose a favourite.

Finally its Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. No relation to Miss Pettigrew, this is a gentle but insightful book about growing old in an English village - again it made me laugh (noticing a theme here?)

I hope you will give at least some of them a try and that if you do you will enjoy them as much as I did.