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2025

  • Adrian Tinniswood: Noble Ambitions
  • Adrian Tinniswood: The Power and the Glory
  • Martin Williams: The King is Dead, Long Live the King
  • Gavin Plumley: A Home for all Seasons
  • Robert Harris: Precipice
  • Nigel Slater: A Thousand Feasts
  • Joan Aiken: Tales of London Town
  • Alan Connor: 188 Words for Rain
  • Ben Robinson: English Villages: An Extraordinary Journey through Time

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Cornflower book group

« Mick Herron postscript | Main | The list so far »

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Rohan Maitzen

I'm such a fan of the Lymond Chronicles! (I actually wrote about them for the TLS a couple of years ago.) Her stand-alone novel about Macbeth, King Hereafter, is also spectacular.

Cornflower

That's terrific, Rohan, thank you! I can see I have much great Dunnett reading ahead of me.
For anyone who is a TLS subscriber, here's a link to the article: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/private/lymond-chronicles-dorothy-dunnett/

Mr Cornflower

Now a historical curiosity in itself, but I have a soft spot for "The White Company" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; also any of Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey" series, starting with "Master and Commander".

Cornflower

I remember you went through the whole Aubrey series in one glorious go!

Cornflower

Via Twitter, there's been another vote for the Lymond books, and one for Nicola Griffith's 'Hild'.

CarolN

I love Cynthia Harrod-Eagles’ Moreland series. Difficult to choose just one, although the one where Lucy runs away to sea is a particular favourite.

Cornflower

Thank you, Carol. By the look of it there are an astonishing 35 books in that series of books alone - what a productive writer!

Claire

For me it's got to be Wolf Hall and another favourite would be The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

Cornflower

Thanks, Claire, I'd second Wolf Hall.
I've never read The Eagle of the Ninth though I've long meant to, but I've had my eye on the recent Slightly Foxed edition: https://foxedquarterly.com/shop/the-eagle-of-the-ninth/

callmemadam

I second the vote for The Eagle of the Ninth. After R J Unstead (!) it was Rosemary Sutcliff's books which began my interest in history when I was very young.

Cornflower

Clearly I must read it!

Cornflower

On Instagram, Caroline from Good Sorts ( http://www.good-sorts.co.uk ) has come up with a lovely selection:
The Woolpack by Cynthia Harnett, Cue for Treason by Geoffrey Trease, Fire over England by AEW Mason, and Georgette Heyer.

Cornflower

And from Juxtabook ( https://juxtabook.typepad.com/ ), another vote for Hilary Mantel and Georgette Heyer, also Cythia Harnett's Stars of Fortune, and in historical crime, Nicola Upson and Frances Brody.

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