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Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

Not thriller, crime, romance or depressing- but high quality

27 replies

challengerequired · 24/05/2022 22:20

That's the kind of book my dd who's nearly 19 would like to read.
There are obviously the classics. But contemporary? Would be grateful for recommendations- personally I'm more a crime/thriller reader.

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SanFranBear · 05/06/2022 22:01

Replay by Ken Grimwood... fantastic book which everyone should read which is hard to pigeonhole into a genre.

Pricklesinperil · 05/06/2022 21:58

Hawaii - James A Michener
Black Beauty- Anna Sewell
anything by Agatha Christie
River God & The Seventh Scroll - Wilbur Smith
All the James Herriot books
Call the midwife series - Jennifer Worth

mizu · 05/06/2022 21:47

Lie with me by Sabine Durrant is quite clever. I love all her books but this one is really good.

DameHelena · 05/06/2022 21:38

I was going to say Ann Patchett too. I didn’t discover her until well into adulthood but would have loved her at 19/20.
And Barbara Kingsolver. Unsheltered is good, and Prodigal Summer is wonderful.
Maybe Barbara Trapido too.

PermanentTemporary · 30/05/2022 16:53

The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham.

Recently she's gone further back into history. I always enjoy her books but that one was the first I read and I loved it.

WandaVon · 27/05/2022 14:53

Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Trilogy

DorotheaFrazil · 27/05/2022 08:52

Another vote for A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Anything written by Kate Atkinson but particularly Behind The Scenes at The Museum

HeddaGarbled · 27/05/2022 08:42

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

TonTonMacoute · 26/05/2022 09:40

I adored Jean Rhys at that age, also Elizabeth Bowen.

Rupert Thomson
Kazuo Ishiguro
Elizabeth Jane Howard, especially the Cazalet Chronicles

Oceanus · 25/05/2022 22:46

*suggestions!

Oceanus · 25/05/2022 22:43

I'm into whodunnits big time but:

  • the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy - I had quite a bit of a laugh and found them very entertaining (the author has another one unrelated and which is utter crap; don't buy!)
  • Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham - you have to pick and choose though
  • Milan Kundera - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
  • Sophie's World by Jostein Gaardner - if she's inquisitive and into "existencial questions", otherwise skip.
  • Elena Ferrante - My Brilliant Friend
  • Kate Walbert - A Short History of Women (this one I haven't read but really want to)
  • Michael Moss - Hooked: Food, Free will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions (*haven't read yet)
  • Mary Higgins Clark - the ones with Elvira; along the likes of Agatha Christie but I loved them when I was your kid's age:
  • Agatha Christie - people do die in them but they're so entertaining)
AuntieDolly · 25/05/2022 22:38

Hamnet

AdaColeman · 25/05/2022 22:38

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

jefficake · 25/05/2022 22:35

@SueDeNeem a) that’s a great username and b) Kate Atkinson is a great shout!

NorthFaceofthelaundrypile · 25/05/2022 22:32

Homegoing

EthelbertaChickerel · 25/05/2022 22:31

Another vote for Life after Life - I completely adored it.

SueDeNeem · 25/05/2022 22:27

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson...I went to school with her, she's brilliant**

DuesToTheDirt · 25/05/2022 22:25

I really enjoyed Once Upon A River (Diane Setterfield).

Baboutheocelot · 25/05/2022 22:25

A gentleman in Moscow

jefficake · 25/05/2022 22:23

Oh @Greatoutdoors i was just about to suggest Sarah Waters . She’s just fabulous. The Night watch is incredible.

Barbara Pym is excellent but I don’t know whether I like it because I’m a bit middle aged…

also Marian Keyes - very easy read but very good.

good luck with the hunt!

Basilbrushgotfat · 25/05/2022 22:17

Anything by Frederik Backman. Yes his books deal with grief, but they're also delightfully funny and bittersweet.

Greatoutdoors · 25/05/2022 22:15

The little stranger - Sarah Waters
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
anything by Martin Amis - Lionel Asbo is a laugh
The Buddha of suburbia
Memoirs of a Geisha
Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown trilogy - the Commitments, the Snapper and the Van

Greatoutdoors · 25/05/2022 22:10

The other side of Augusta Hope

HMSSophia · 25/05/2022 22:07

the Wool trilogy
Pride and prejudice
Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy
Helen Dunmore

Original poster
challengerequired · 25/05/2022 21:59

Not fantasy.

thank you for the suggestions @Riverlee !

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