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Original poster

Please help me find a book to fall back in love with reading (on my holiday)

92 replies

Mallowmarshmallow · 11/07/2023 21:53

I've fallen out of love with reading, everything is a slog and piles of books lay around me only just started, unfinished and unloved.

I think a combination of perimeno, excessive phone use and not setting aside time to read has meant my attention span to really sink into a book and give it my all is limited.

I used to love lots of books, but mostly those where I've loved the characters. Now, in real life I've become a really grumpy 40 year old who likes very few people and this has been replicated by an inability to love book characters too.

In the past, some of my favourite books have been A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Island, A Little Life, most of Marian Keyes stuff, Memoirs of a Geisha....more recently i liked (but didn't love) American Dirt, Pachhinko, The Flat Share.

I went through a phase of liking psychological thrillers thrown into the mix too.

If anyone is able to recommend something I'd really love with characters I really like and want to read about, I would be hugely grateful.

OP posts:
StellaAndCrow · 12/07/2023 20:29

Mumtothreegirlies · 12/07/2023 01:39

My favourite books are ‘children of the dust’ and the ‘flowers in the attic’ series. They have me hooked everytime and are relatively short so not much chance of being half read and forgotten about.

Show quote history

MumToThree I like your choices too - thank you for reminding me about Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence. I'd forgotten her name, and I always confuse her with Lois Duncan and Lois Lowry, all of which I like.

And Flowers in the Attic I have read so many times! Have you read "My Sweet Audrina"?

Justawaterformeplease · 12/07/2023 10:18

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, absolutely gorgeous. Already read it twice within a few months and will probably read it again soon.

ScrambledSmegs · 12/07/2023 10:14

obladeeobladah · 12/07/2023 08:46

I tried twice with this book but just couldn't get into it for some reason. Maybe I should try it again

Show quote history

No, please don't force yourself on my account! If you can't get into a book don't pressure yourself with trying again because other people liked it. We don't all have the same taste in books and that's fine - great actually because it means more books for everyoneGrin.

I

obladeeobladah · 12/07/2023 08:46

ScrambledSmegs · 11/07/2023 23:26

Oh, and a book I totally adored and is really, really easy to read as it has short chapters despite being an initially daunting tome is Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. It was my favourite book of 2022 and possibly of the decade so far.

I tried twice with this book but just couldn't get into it for some reason. Maybe I should try it again

snoozingbaby1476 · 12/07/2023 07:34

The Lucinda Riley sisters series is brilliant. I loved that

Also the island of missing trees

Second
Seven husbands of Evelyn
Eleanor elephant (this was unexpectedly amazing) as was where the crawdads sing

EmmaOvary · 12/07/2023 07:16

Just finished Love Marriage by Monica Ali on holiday. Great characters and very enjoyable read.

snoozingbaby1476 · 12/07/2023 07:13

I'm in the same situation Op. I'm currently reading Sorrow & Bliss but im really struggling with it....

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 12/07/2023 07:05

The books I have enjoyed most in the past year - Slow Horses series, Mick Herron.

mrschocolatte · 12/07/2023 06:47

I would highly recommend The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. Couldn’t put the book down. I have heard great things about her other book Hamnet so I’ll be packing that for my holiday.

Spirtedaway · 12/07/2023 06:37

Another vote for crawdads and Evelyn Hugo

AutieNOT0tie · 12/07/2023 03:49

Colleen Hoover it ends with us
Jill Mansell
Jenny Colgan - mure island series

HappiDaze · 12/07/2023 02:00

The Richard Osman books are decent cosy murder holiday reads

WallaceinAnderland · 12/07/2023 01:57

I read All The Light We Cannot See in three days. Perfect for reading on holiday. And the movie is coming to Netflix in November.

ClaraBourne · 12/07/2023 01:54

Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers and anything else by her,

IfeellikeaJoan · 12/07/2023 01:54

Any human heart - William Boyd

Mumtothreegirlies · 12/07/2023 01:39

Mallowmarshmallow · 11/07/2023 21:53

I've fallen out of love with reading, everything is a slog and piles of books lay around me only just started, unfinished and unloved.

I think a combination of perimeno, excessive phone use and not setting aside time to read has meant my attention span to really sink into a book and give it my all is limited.

I used to love lots of books, but mostly those where I've loved the characters. Now, in real life I've become a really grumpy 40 year old who likes very few people and this has been replicated by an inability to love book characters too.

In the past, some of my favourite books have been A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Island, A Little Life, most of Marian Keyes stuff, Memoirs of a Geisha....more recently i liked (but didn't love) American Dirt, Pachhinko, The Flat Share.

I went through a phase of liking psychological thrillers thrown into the mix too.

If anyone is able to recommend something I'd really love with characters I really like and want to read about, I would be hugely grateful.

My favourite books are ‘children of the dust’ and the ‘flowers in the attic’ series. They have me hooked everytime and are relatively short so not much chance of being half read and forgotten about.

Ladybird69 · 12/07/2023 00:37

I loved rosamunde pilchers The Shell seekers. Anything by jojo moyes. Anything by Diane Chamberlain. The house at Riverton by Kate Morton. Anything by Marian keyes especially bookends.

FindingTheFox · 12/07/2023 00:24

Where the Crawdads Sing
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
The Paper Palace
Hamnet

sunflowerdaisyrose · 12/07/2023 00:08

Also enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry and loved The Nightingale. Follow readbyraworth on Instagram for some great ideas.

Sugarflowers · 12/07/2023 00:03

Ive loved all Taylor Jenkins Reid's newer stuff.
If you like Marion Keyes her newest book is Again, Rachel. A sequel to Rachel's Holiday.

Beginningless · 12/07/2023 00:02

I also could have written your post. In the past I’ve read most of Haruki Murakamis books, surreal Japanese writer with interesting characters, I was thinking of re reading one of those. Although they are beautiful and intriguing but maybe not sexy and exciting enough for a gripping return to reading. I might try some of these. Maybe we should have a thread to encourage one another like the weight loss ones! I’d love to break up with my phone.

Gothambutnotahamster · 11/07/2023 23:57

Thanks for this thread Op as I feel the same, so have taken some recommendations from here!

ZenNudist · 11/07/2023 23:55

Curtis sittenfeld "Rodham" or "American Wife"

BlameItOnTheGoose · 11/07/2023 23:47

OP could have written your post- I'm in the same situation. To try to get out of my funk, I bought Barbara Kingsolver's new novel and have managed to find time in evenings to get stuck into it. So rewarding and it reminds me why I always loved reading

ButterCrackers · 11/07/2023 23:46

Helen Fitzgerald https://helenfitzgerald.wordpress.com/ great fast paced crime, mystery, social commentary writing. I’ve read all her books with the majority read in one or two late nights. You can’t put them down.

Sarra Manning for her Unsticky book and her books based on modelling. I was taken back to 80s/90s magazine style writing. Really great https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/42559.Sarra_Manning

Helen FitzGerald

Author

https://helenfitzgerald.wordpress.com/