It took me a long time to get through this book. I think I started it four times and didn't get more than a third of the way through. It's not easy reading on lots of levels, not least because of the appalling stories in all of the characters' pasts. (I wanted to call them backstories, but they're not. It's all part of the same story.)
I finally set myself to finishing this in May/June this year and I'm glad I did. The use of language is amazing, the story heart-rending. And there's a touch of magical realism that means you don't quite know what's real and what isn't.
Not an easy read, but recommended.

I love all the Chocolat books, and I can't choose a favourite, but I do like the development of Lansquenet in this with the arrival of the Muslim community and the clash of cultures between them and the traditional French Catholic culture. Vianne, predictably, stands in the gap between the two, and Father Francis, a lot less predictably, plays his part there too. Very atmospheric, great characters, a hint of danger, and the usual amazing food descriptions. A favourite.
(Rula Lenska and Gareth Armstrong do a great job narrating the audiobook.)

A comforting re-read, which is a great thing in the middle of a pandemic. Familiarity does not breed contempt in this case - I like it more now than I ever did, second only to "Persuasion" of Austen's novels.
Great cast of characters. Emma herself means so well, and does so badly (some of the time), but she suffers for it and pays for it, and learns from her mistakes without becoming perfect. Mr Knightly is the consummate gentleman and almost too good to be true, but his jealousy of Frank Churchill reveals how human he is. Franks himself is a cad, but you have to forgive him because he is so likeable. "Emma calls me the child of fortune." He is that, and his father's true son, despite his father not having brought him up. Mr Woodhouse is a pest and a menace, and Emma's patience with him astounds me.
Great writing, wheels within wheels in the plot, and a happy ending for everyone. Fabulous.
(Read partly for the BOGUK Bookworm badge in conjunction with watching the film and TV versions. Unimpressed by the latest film version, loved the BBC series, yet to watch the version iwth Kate Beckinsale as Emma.)

Enjoyable and an easy read, but strangely unsatisfying. A varied cast of characters, but I was left with the impression that problems aren't really problems because any adversity seemed to be overcome in a chapter or two of explanation (more tell than show). The setting and descriptions of scenery were great, and the premise of a new hotel interesting, but it left me wanting more depth.

A fascinating insight into British upper class society between the wars, but ultimately I couldn't get past the fact that the author was so sympathetic of Unity and Diana's fascist politics whilst being much less tolerant of Decca's communist views. Not that Decca was a saint: some of her behaviour was appalling, maybe reflecting an upper class view of entitlement? That wasn't really discussed, just reported. I can't help feeling that Pam, the least visited of the lot, and the least "exciting" might have been the nicest to know.

Dithered between two and three stars for this, maybe more of a two and a half. The fact that this is a re-read and I could remember nothing about it probably says it all. Superficially enjoyable, but felt unresolved from the points of view of all the characters. I know real life is messy like that, but for no one to come out happier or better or glad it had happened was a bit of a downer. I like Joanna Trollope, but this is far from being my favourite of her books.

A re-read of something I read at school, unexpectedly bringing back hot afternoons in the mobile overlooking the field, and our English teacher's bad imitation of a Welsh accent. Intense and emotional, with a lot of undercurrents surprising in a children's book. I felt most for Gwyn, who had a chip on his shoulder, but probably for a good reason. Alison and Roger tried to treat him as an equal, but never quite managed it, especially with the interference of Roger's father and Alison's (never seen) mother. The undercurrent of supernatural activity was almost incidental to the emotions and interactions between the three young people, but brought a spooky slightly surreal atmosphere to the whole thing.

I hated this book. There I've said it. Part of me wanted to give it one star and move along quickly, but I didn't because the author makes some very good points. Maybe I'm just a white person justifying my own discomfort, maybe not.
She is quite right: society is structurally racist; most white people benefit from white privilege without recognising or acknowledging it; feminism and other movements for change should be fully intersectional and realise that all movements for justice must intertwine with anti-racism; social injustice disproportionately affects people of colour. All good and true points.
BUT she makes her points backed up by anecdotes, stories of bad things happening to black people, and statistics, few of which have any analysis beyond, "This is bad! It happened to black people so it's racist!" The verbatim report of her interview with Nick Griffin (whose views are undeniably horrendous) struck me as lazy journalism.
More than this, her hostility to well-meaning white people was unrelenting and exhausting. (And yes, I know, that's nothing compared to the exhaustion felt by people of colour faced with racism and incomprehension of racism.) I was left with the impression that even wanting to learn to do better, I had no hope of ever being good enough. Faced with her contradicting assertions that it's not up to black people to educate white people about racism (fair enough) and that white people will/can never understand racism, I was left wondering what I WAS supposed to do about it. Ultimately I got the impression that any disagreement with her would be seen as racist at worst or white privilege/fragility at best. I genuinely don't understand how that attitude can make things better for anyone.
But maybe that's because I'm white and defensive. I honestly don't know.