Currently reading anything by a British writer? Showing 451-500 of 1,160

[Zrinka]

Oh I loooove Jane Eyre

[Alicia]

Jane Eyre is one of the spiritual ancestors to my novel; I don't think it would be what it is without having read Jane Eyre many times since I was a child. Beautiful book.

[Sylvania]

Yeah Once I finish , I will let you know Rosemarie.
Alicia, this is one reason I took up the book, everyone says it's a great book.

[Karen M]

There is a book written as prequel to Jane Eyre which is supposed to be Rochester's earlier life.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

I enjoyed both of them. the author was born on the then British island of Dominica in the Caribbean so I guess she was A British Author??

[Diane]

Rosemarie wrote: "Sylvania, let us know what you think of Jane Eyre? I read Villette not that long ago."

Loved reading Villette years ago! Prior to that, I had never heard of the book.

[Hebabruce]

Jane Eyre is epic!

[Karen M]

I pulled a Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier off the shelf to read for the first time (I've only owned the book since 1974) and was tickled to discover it is post-apocalyptic. I've only read the first few pages but ironically it has GB pulling out of Europe!!

[Rosemarie]

I read Rule, Britannia in the '70's. I am reading The Wind in the Willows for a nice summer read. The copy I have has lovely illustrations.

[Melanie]

I recently started reading "Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II" by Ben Macintyre and am thoroughly enjoying it. What a fascinating read and what a wonderful writer.

[Melanie]

Rosemarie wrote: "I read Rule, Britannia in the '70's. I am reading The Wind in the Willows for a nice summer read. The copy I have has lovely illustrations."

The Wind in the Willows is a favourite of mine, Rosemarie. My late father's enthusiasm for the characters got me hooked. Watership Down is another one for animal lovers and true escapism from everyday life.

[Karen M]

Rosemarie wrote: "I read Rule, Britannia in the '70's. I am reading The Wind in the Willows for a nice summer read. The copy I have has lovely illustrations."

I read it for the first time just a few years ago. I can remember seeing the movie/cartoon and feeling so sorry for Toad. Strangely I didn't feel that way reading the book but then again I was a kid when I saw the movie.

[Carol]

Melanie wrote: "I recently started reading "Operation Mincemeat: The True Spy Story that Changed the Course of World War II" by Ben Macintyre and am thoroughly enjoying it. What a fascinating read and what a wonde..."
I read this a few years ago, inspired by the Foyle series on television, and I found it a fascinating story. Amazing because it was true.

[Carol]

Melanie wrote: "Rosemarie wrote: "I read Rule, Britannia in the '70's. I am reading The Wind in the Willows for a nice summer read. The copy I have has lovely illustrations."

The Wind in the Willows is a favourit..."

I used to play the tape of this book for my kids on trips, and I have always loved it. There is one narrator who is fantastic with the voices, and I cannot find him anymore. (The tape has since disintegrated. ) I also have read the book many times, especially when I am stressed out and in need of solace. To enter the world of Wind in the Willows is to find peace for me.

[Carol]

Melanie wrote: "Rosemarie wrote: "I read Rule, Britannia in the '70's. I am reading The Wind in the Willows for a nice summer read. The copy I have has lovely illustrations."

The Wind in the Willows is a favourit..."

I found an annotated Wind in the Willows, that fascinates me. It explains how the story came to be and many interesting facts about the author.

[Carol]

Karen M wrote: "I pulled a Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier off the shelf to read for the first time (I've only owned the book since 1974) and was tickled to discover it is post-a..."

ooh, thanks for the recommendation, I will look for this one.

[Katheryn]

For something a bit different, I recently finished 31 Treats and a Marriage, a light and humorous but also touching and thought-provoking book by a British writer, Lynn Farley-Rose. It's also set all over Britain. I'd really recommend it.

[Karen M]

Carol wrote: "Karen M wrote: "I pulled a Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier off the shelf to read for the first time (I've only owned the book since 1974) and was tickled to disco..."

This is definitely not your typical du Maurier but it's funny in some parts, bizarre in others, and so far a totally enjoyable book with a very interesting cast of characters.

[Oksana]

Just finished A Tale of Two Cities. I love this book. Thinking about rereading Rule, Britannia. Thank you, Karen, for reminding me about this book. My favourite books by Daphnie Du Maurier are My Cousin Rachel and Rebecca.

[Katheryn]

Here is my review of A Machine Made This Book: Ten Sketches of Computer Science by John Whitington: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....

[Werner]

Karen, re your question in message 467, yes, Jean Rhys was a British author, though born abroad. Her parents were Welsh and Scottish, respectively, and she came to England at the age of 16, living there (and eventually dying there) for most of the rest of her life.

[Karen M]

Werner wrote: "Karen, re your question in message 467, yes, Jean Rhys was a British author, though born abroad. Her parents were Welsh and Scottish, respectively, and she came to England at the age of 16, living ..."

Thanks, Werner!

[Rosemarie]

I have finished Wind in the Willows and am reading another Kenneth Grahame book called The Golden Age.

[Brenda]

Karen M wrote: "I pulled a Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier off the shelf to read for the first time (I've only owned the book since 1974) and was tickled to discover it is post-a...". You sold me! I'll add it to my "Want-to-REads"!

[Brenda]

Middle wrote: "I did not enjoy the Brontes when I was younger, either. It took some time for them to appeal to me. I did like Jane Eyre when I read it a few years ago, but it did not hold my interest when I was y..." Last winter I read a biography of Charlotte Bronte (what a bunch of literary siblings, w the women having to try every trick in the book to get published) and then reread "Jane Eyre" (which makes me just about ready to reread "David Copperfield", another favorite of my teenage years.

[Karen M]

Brenda wrote: "Karen M wrote: "I pulled a Rule Britannia by Daphne du Maurier off the shelf to read for the first time (I've only owned the book since 1974) and was tickled to disco..."

It's a bit different than other post-apocalyptic books I've read but I still can't get over the fact it was written in the 1970s.

[Rosemarie]

I am reading Rebecca, by Daphne DuMaurier right now. I am enjoying her use of language. I saw the movie version of the book but there is much more depth in the book.

[Oksana]

I love Rebecca. Another favourite book is My Cousin Rachel!

[Rosemarie]

I finished reading Rebecca and it took me a while to get interested in the plot, until chapter 20. Then I was hooked.
Update. I finished Rebecca and I think the book would have been better if had been pruned of about 100 pages, mostly from the beginning. The ending was exciting.

[Werner]

This month, I'm taking part in our group's common read of The Daughter of Time, by Josephine Tey.

[Nancy]

I can't keep up very well either Werner, but I am currently reading the Eliot trilogy by Elizabeth Goudge. I am re-reading the first 2 novels The Bird In The Tree and Pilgrim's Inn (which is one of my favorite books) and I just purchased the last book The Heart Of The Family. It's funny that I've read Pilgrim's Inn many times, but have never read the last book. I can't wait!

[Karen M]

I'm reading The Daughter of Time and hopefully I will finally read My Cousin Rachel before the end of the month.

[Rosemarie]

Middle Sister, now the mystery of your name is solved. I am ony child so I will call you Sis. Have you ever read the children's story The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes? It is a lot of fun, but not British.

[Alicia]

Spent some time earlier today copying down some of the better pieces of Chapter XXII in Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night because they will be epigraphs in my second novel - they fit what I'm trying to do perfectly!

The last two chapters are so very good.

[Rosemarie]

I read most of the Lord Peter Wimsey books years ago, except for Gaudy Night, which I have read relatively recently. I liked more than some of the others, especially because of the setting, the mystery-- and Harriet.

[Alicia]

Rosemarie wrote: "I read most of the Lord Peter Wimsey books years ago, except for Gaudy Night, which I have read relatively recently. I liked more than some of the others, especially because of the setting, the mys..."

Have you read Busman's Honeymoon yet? That is the amazing conclusion to the series - with Harriet - except for a few short stories. I love BH! Have read it so many times.

The books are part of the spiritual underpinning, if I can say that, of Pride's Children, my debut novel. The Peter/Harriet relationship has always been one I admired - so much growth and learning about each other. It feels so real.

[Werner]

I read more than one of Estes' Moffat series children's novels as a kid, but I've mostly forgotten the titles, so I can't list them on my Goodreads shelves. But The Middle Moffat is the one I definitely DO remember that I read (and liked).

[Rosemarie]

One of my favourite parts of the Middle Moffat is that the character decides to read the books at the library in alphabetical order.

[Rosemarie]

I have started reading Kim by Kipling. I have read one chapter so far and it looks like it will be fun to read.

[Alicia]

Rosemarie wrote: "I have started reading Kim by Kipling. I have read one chapter so far and it looks like it will be fun to read."

It was a great book - I don't remember it being prejudiced. But I read it as a child, and I might not have noticed. I'm curious to hear what you'll say about it.

[Rosemarie]

What annoys me about the library copy I have is the front cover. The illustrator obviously had not realized that Kim was of a European(Irish) background.
Books written before a certain time do tend to have a certain amount of racism. I will take that into consideration when reading, but will comment on anything extremely blatant.

[Werner]

I don't read a lot in the electronic format; but last night, when my Internet access was down for a time, I started on a sci-fi novel I'd recently downloaded to my Kindle app, The Fated Sky: Transgressor Trilogy Book One. It's written by our own fellow group member E. M. Swift-Hook, and has a kind of Edgar Rice Burroughs vibe to it, only with more polished writing. Currently, it's only available as an e-book, but the self-publishing author hopes to bring out a paperback edition eventually.

[Rosemarie]

That is great Matt. You are also reading a good variety of books. I really enjoyed Bleak House.

[Katheryn]

Just finished The Countenance Divine by Michael Hughes. Wow. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rosemarie]

I am reading another Josephine Tey mystery, The Singing Sands. I read it many years ago so it is like reading it for the first time, almost. I am really enjoying it. The description of the "hotel" on the island of Cladda are very funny, especially when Mr. Grant comments on the food.

[Carol]

Alicia wrote: "Spent some time earlier today copying down some of the better pieces of Chapter XXII in Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night because they will be epigraphs in my second novel - they fit what I'm trying t..."
Gaudy Night one of my all time favorites; have read it about 3 times over the last 20 years!!

[Carol]

Actually, Busman's Holiday my all time super favorite. Read that about five times. Yes, it is the best one to read at the very end of all the others.

[Carol]

Rosemarie wrote: "I am reading another Josephine Tey mystery, The Singing Sands. I read it many years ago so it is like reading it for the first time, almost. I am really enjoying it. The description of the "hotel" ..."

I just re-read The Singing Sands a few months ago, and enjoyed every minute of it. Over the years, I forget certain plot points and I enjoy re-reading Tey, Sayers, and Edmund Crispin, too. Are you familiar with his books? A similar genre, you would like him.

[Rosemarie]

I have read one Edmund Crispin, whom I heard about in this group, Love Lies Bleeding. I got one out of the library, Holy Disorders, which I plan to read after the Tey book. I read most of the "classic" mysteries 20 years ago, and am rediscovering them. I read Death on the Nile before The Singing Sands, and really notice the difference in writing styles. By then, the Christie books were becoming less well written as to style, but the mysteries are still fine. Tey, Sayers and
Ngaio Marsh have a more developed style of writing.

[Carol]

Rosemarie wrote: "What annoys me about the library copy I have is the front cover. The illustrator obviously had not realized that Kim was of a European(Irish) background.
Books written before a certain time do ten..."

I have read and re-read Kim many times. I also listened to it with Audible as I read it. There are many unfamiliar words that a fun to find the meaning of. It is so easy to use the word "racist" in the wrong way. This book shows a love of the Indian people in the most beautiful way I have ever seen.

[Rosemarie]

Carol, it is easy to use the word racist in a wrong way. I think that Kipling was poking fun at the British in Kim, in a very subtle way.
Some literature snobs instantly criticize popular books only because they are popular, and older popular books obviously are not good literature, in their mistaken opinion. They really are missing out on a lot of wonderful books, poor things!