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Original poster

Need a Quality read please

120 replies

BaconAndAvocado · 06/09/2021 12:12

Just finished a Val McDermid and a Sophie Hannah.

Both a bit meh and very formulaic.

Really need something with a bit more substance and depth.

My favourite authors are Kate Atkinson, Rose Tremain.
I've recently enjoyed:
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Goldfinch
The Midnight Library

Any suggestions anyone?
Tia

OP posts:
maslinpan · 23/09/2021 20:52

Sarah Moss is a great writer. Kate Granville too, particularly The Secret River.
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghoe.
All the Birds, singing by Evie Wyld
Brooklyn, Colm Toibin.

CalmConfident · 23/09/2021 20:51

@BaconAndAvocado no, not Greek myths in piranesi! I thought it was going to be, but is wasn’t 😂

Another vote for station eleven whilst I am here. Really enjoyed it !

ImFree2doasiwant · 23/09/2021 20:43

I love many of the books on this thread, and am placemarking so I can come back and take notes.

ThreeFeetTall · 23/09/2021 20:36

What a great thread!
I like all of Barbara Kingsolvers stuff- particularly Flight Behaviour.
I also liked 'station eleven' but that is dystopian fiction about a pandemic so maybe a bit different from other things suggested so far

Original poster
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 20:35

I'm reading Shuggie Bain at the moment. Excellent book.

Yay to Gentleman in Moscow and All the Light They Cannot See. 2 very special books IMO.

OP posts:
Original poster
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 20:33

@FreeButtonBee

Piranesi is very good
Is it based on Greek mythology as I wasn't keen on Circe.
OP posts:
TimeforaGandT · 23/09/2021 20:28

I loved both A Gentleman in Moscow and The Heart’s Invisible Furies. I second lots of the books previously mentioned which I have also enjoyed:

Once Upon A River
A Song for Achilles (better than Circe for me)
Hamnet
All the Light We Cannot See
The Girl with the Louding Voice
Shuggie Bain
Bel Canto (better than The Dutch House for me)

Disliked The Buried Giant.

I would add Any Human Heart by William Boyd and Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

bentleydrummle · 23/09/2021 19:52

Literally all my fave books are in this thread!

FreeButtonBee · 23/09/2021 19:25

Piranesi is very good

Original poster
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 16:34

Thank you all so much for your very excellent, high quality recommendations. 🙏🏻
It's great to find like-minded bookworms.
I want to go out and buy them all now......unlikely!!

OP posts:
WhoNeedsaManOfTheWorld · 23/09/2021 15:58

I second The Poisonwood Bible
Any of Maggie O'Farrell although I haven't read Hamnet, it didn't appeal but I might give it a go as it gets good reviews. The hand that first held mine is one of my favourites
Heft and The unseen world both by Liz Moore are excellent
Little fires everywhere
Brave new world, I can't believe how long ago it was written, it is so relevant

Saladovercrispsanyday · 23/09/2021 15:51

Red head by side of road
Anne Tyler

A thin quick read but marvellous

Saladovercrispsanyday · 23/09/2021 15:50

There is no place for Three Hours on this brilliant thread

It’s shite

Saladovercrispsanyday · 23/09/2021 15:47

Burial rights
Exquisite

A song for Izzy Bradley
Beautiful

OnceUponAThread · 23/09/2021 14:01

Heart's Invisible Furies so so so so good. I came to it late but so pleased someone suggested it to me. Have tried some other John Boyne and it's ok, but not quite as good.

FunnysInLaJardin · 23/09/2021 13:48

@SquirryTheSquirrel

Have you read Klara and the Sun by Kazoo Ishiguro? I recently enjoyed it.
I've just finished The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro and absolutely loved it.
Original poster
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 13:42

Also LOVED A Little Life.

OP posts:
Original poster
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 13:41

I ADORED The Heart's Invisible Furies!

OP posts:
OnceUponAThread · 23/09/2021 13:38

@Charley50 interesting. Everyone I've spoken to about it thought it was astonishingly good. Bleak and hard in places (as is the Heart's Invisible Furies, which OP enjoyed) but stunning nonetheless.

Charley50 · 23/09/2021 12:52

@OnceUponAThread

Oh also - if you haven't read A Little Life - it's absolutely fantastic.
Hmmmmm.. a lot of people would disagree with that...
BlueJag · 23/09/2021 12:08

Hurricane Season

waltzingparrot · 23/09/2021 12:08

Bel Canto by Anne Patchett and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owen's - both beautifully written.

OnceUponAThread · 23/09/2021 12:06

Oh also - if you haven't read A Little Life - it's absolutely fantastic.

OnceUponAThread · 23/09/2021 12:06

@Saladovercrispsanyday

Sorrow and bliss

Unbelievably brilliant

I really wanted to love Sorry and Bliss, and everyone says it is brilliant. Annoyingly I found it a bit meh in the end and didn't like it as much as I thought. Maybe I was expecting too much from the reviews.
OnceUponAThread · 23/09/2021 12:03

Based on the things you've loved, which I also really rated. Have you tried any Tana French? Specifically the Dublin Murders starting with In The Woods. Thoroughly brilliant and quite Secret History vibes.

Heart's Invisible Furies is great. Have you tried Before My Actual Heart Breaks which is fab.

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