Good read recommendations | simplygoodbooks

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: 'ladies, design your own future'

Feb 24, 20233 min read

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus: 'ladies, design your own future'

A funny, thought-provoking story of 1960s chemistry, cookery and chauvinism told through unwitting trailblazer and resolute, Elizabeth Zott.

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Should you finish a book club pick you're not enjoying?

Christine Southern

Feb 10, 20233 min read

Should you finish a book club pick you're not enjoying?

It's up there with Marmite and cats versus dogs; should you finish a book club pick you're not enjoying?

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What is a good audiobook series? The compelling Rivers of London

Christine Southern

Feb 3, 20232 min read

What is a good audiobook series? The compelling Rivers of London

What makes a good audiobook series? A highly accomplished narrator reading compelling stories of appealing characters in evocative setting

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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: a quest for love and acceptance

Annette Peppis

Apr 7, 20222 min read

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: a quest for love and acceptance

A young girl is abandoned in a shack on a marsh in North Carolina. A murder investigation takes place in the nearest town 15 years later....

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The Maid by Nita Prose: people are a mystery that can never be solved

Christine Southern

Feb 27, 20223 min read

The Maid by Nita Prose: people are a mystery that can never be solved

Ever wondered what it would be like to live in a world you cannot fully decipher? One where you struggle to interpret people’s motives...

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All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews: dark and funny

Annette Peppis

Oct 22, 20211 min read

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews: dark and funny

All My Puny Sorrows is a funny but tragic tale of two bright, sharp, witty sisters, Elf and Yoli, who are very different.

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In The Name Of by Ben Dunn: unforeseen revenge and redemption

Christine Southern

Oct 12, 20212 min read

In The Name Of by Ben Dunn: unforeseen revenge and redemption

A woman bent on revenge for her husband's death. An old flame endures brutality and unrequited love. Together they face a terrifying ordeal.

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The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman: the classic innocent abroad

Christine Southern

Jun 14, 20212 min read

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman: the classic innocent abroad

An unwitting actor plunged into the harsh world of Hollywood. Her dogged determination to resolve a puzzling disappearance. The dangerous...

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Unexpected Companions by Nicole Stout : to give these women a voice

Christine Southern

Jun 2, 20212 min read

Unexpected Companions by Nicole Stout : to give these women a voice

A teenager struggling to be accepted by toxic social peers. The ghostly reappearance of ancestors offering guidance and perspective.

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Kololo Hill by Neema Shah: I'm alone, I'm alone

Christine Southern

May 20, 20213 min read

Kololo Hill by Neema Shah: I'm alone, I'm alone

Compelled to forsake your homeland in just 90 days. Plunged into a strange, unwelcoming country of weird food, weather and customs.

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Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes: it started the day I reasoned I was invisible

Christine Southern

May 8, 20213 min read

Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes: it started the day I reasoned I was invisible

The gruesome consequences of midlife invisibility. A woman's unheeded struggle with mundane life. A twisting, poignant tale of pain,...

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The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: the questions were not whether or why but how soon

Christine Southern

Apr 30, 20213 min read

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: the questions were not whether or why but how soon

The Sparrow, a thought-provoking, beautifully written good read that explores faith and humanity through compelling events and characters.

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Nighthawking by Russ Thomas: what was lost will always be found

Christine Southern

Apr 21, 20212 min read

Nighthawking by Russ Thomas: what was lost will always be found

A detectorist’s grisly find uncovered in Sheffield’s Botanical Gardens. A cold case detective searching for long-awaited answers. An...

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The Hiding Place by Jenny Quintana: the present becomes the past in a moment

Christine Southern

Apr 14, 20212 min read

The Hiding Place by Jenny Quintana: the present becomes the past in a moment

Identity and belonging. How often we take these essentials for granted and how vital they are for a contented life. In The Hiding Place...

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Christine Southern

Apr 13, 20212 min read

Book club good reads blogger roundup

Here is a selection of good book recommendations from the book club I belong to, with a roundup of reviews by fellow book bloggers. Let...

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Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed: a riveting read, jam-packed with interesting facts

Annette Peppis

Apr 7, 20212 min read

Rebel Ideas by Matthew Syed: a riveting read, jam-packed with interesting facts

Rebel Ideas is jam-packed with interesting facts and reading it has made me think deeply about unconscious bias and how necessary diversity.

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Annette Peppis

Mar 31, 20213 min read

How to buy books ethically

There are plenty of places to download e-books or buy print books online. Where could you shop if you’d like to buy books ethically?

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Confessions of an African Safari Guide by Lloyd Camp: ‘out of Africa there is always something new’

Christine Southern

Mar 7, 20212 min read

Confessions of an African Safari Guide by Lloyd Camp: ‘out of Africa there is always something new’

Want the authentic inside story on what really happens on an African safari by someone who’s genuinely lived the life? I first met Lloyd...

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Tasting Notes by Anne Burchett: that elusive je-ne-sais-quoi

Christine Southern

Mar 6, 20212 min read

Tasting Notes by Anne Burchett: that elusive je-ne-sais-quoi

Want a glimpse into the typically opaque world of the wine trade, where you'll experience duplicitous characters, egotistical scheming...

35 views0 comments

The Weeping Pussy Willow by Tamara Frankel: childhood memories

Christine Southern

Mar 5, 20212 min read

The Weeping Pussy Willow by Tamara Frankel: childhood memories

The Weeping Pussy Willow evokes wistful childhood memories mingled with an adult realisation of a deeper meaning. Recently our family...

132 views0 comments

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