Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

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

Original poster

In a reading rut, can you recommend a book?

40 replies

readinglizzie · 23/02/2025 13:58

I'm in a complete reading rut and need some good book recommendations please!
I don't like anything gory or scary, nothing too twee.
I like stories with dual timelines, happy to try anything contemporary or historical, love a cosy murder, and enjoy non-fiction.
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and I Am Pilgrim (hated The Year of the Locust), enjoyed Ashes of London. love Agatha Christie and Vaseem Khan.
Thanks all!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
TwistedKeys · 25/02/2025 07:34

I’m rereading Caroline Graham’s inspector barnaby series. Top notch comfort reading - excellent writing and really good mysteries.

TigerDroveAgain · 23/02/2025 20:49

The Wyndham and Bannerjee series by Abir Muhkajee

Yes to Dorothy L Sayers, they are all fab

BigFatLiar · 23/02/2025 20:34

Have a read at the Smiley books by John Le Carre

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 23/02/2025 20:31

@TyneFilth @MarjorieDanvers

I also LOVED The Children's Book.

Some of my five star reads :

American Dirt
Tom Lake
Project Hail Mary
None Of This Is True
Annie Bot
My Friends
Purple Hibiscus

HopeAndStrength · 23/02/2025 20:21

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue

MarjorieDanvers · 23/02/2025 20:19

@TyneFilth I love ‘The Children’s Book’ and prefer it to Possession (but both are brilliant!)

Phineyj · 23/02/2025 18:33

If you like Agatha Christie, how about Dorothy L Sayers? My favourite is Murder Must Advertise.

Snowmanscarf · 23/02/2025 18:19

squashyhat · 23/02/2025 16:38

Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre, about a WW2 double agent. Reads like a thriller but is absolutely true.

This looks fascinating. Just looked it up and discovered several books written by the author. One is called ‘Operation Mincemeat’ . The London musical is actually based on the same event- I didn’t realise it was a true story!

TyneFilth · 23/02/2025 18:10

Haven't rtft so this may have been mentioned already: AS Byatt, "The Children's Book". Set in the late Victorian age through to Ww1 and follows a group of 'Fabians' and the arts and crafts movement. Sort of a coming -of-age story but with layers of mystery unpeeled gradually.

Utterly wonderful. I've barely read fiction for ages (usually read science, travel, politics, or self-help) but this had me gripped all half term while I was on a phone detox. I bawled through the last few chapters.

Now I'll probably go back to "Human Rights: The Case for the Defence" by Shami Chakrabarti which I was halfway through and getting depressed... Hmmm.

Hellohah · 23/02/2025 18:02

CinnamonSweet73 · 23/02/2025 16:41

Small Pleasures or Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers.

I really love Clare Chambers so recommend these too.

I'd class it as a cosy mystery now I'm up to date with the series, but technically it isn't that genre ... The Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny. The first book is called Still Life (the little village of Three Pines and it's residents make it cosy for me).

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid would class as dual timeline.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon would fit both dual timeline and historical fiction. I liked the first one but got less and less interested as the series went on.

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak

Dappy777 · 23/02/2025 17:49

If you like Agatha Christie, and also a bit of gore, how about M R James? There is a really good documentary about him on YouTube (by Mark Gatiss). If you’ve never read him, that will give you a taste. How about Sherlock Holmes? Laying in a hot bath listening to Stephen Fry read Sherlock Holmes is my idea of heaven.

Ilovemyshed · 23/02/2025 16:51

Bill Slider books by Cynthia Harrod Eagles

Plus her Morland Dynasty 34 ish books !

Ilovemyshed · 23/02/2025 16:50

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Travelling Cat Chrinicles
The Salt Path and sequels
Anything by Nevil Shute
Delderfield The Swann Teilogy

Iloveyoubut · 23/02/2025 16:47

Been in a slump for months and Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney has pulled me in.

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife as she’s driving home to share some exciting news. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by a cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there . . . but his wife has disappeared.

im listening to the audible and the narration is fantastic but apparently in the paperback there’s a brilliant map of the island at the front which makes if very immersive. I’m only 5 chapters in and I’m loving it.

Imtoooldforallthis · 23/02/2025 16:43

Another vote for the seven Sisters series.

CinnamonSweet73 · 23/02/2025 16:41

Small Pleasures or Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers.

squashyhat · 23/02/2025 16:38

Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre, about a WW2 double agent. Reads like a thriller but is absolutely true.

Teaxberspet · 23/02/2025 16:37

Strange Sally diamond, 2 timelines. Best book I've read in a long time

Buscake · 23/02/2025 16:29

I’m reading the Empusium by Olga tokarczuk and it is excellent!!

highlandcoo · 23/02/2025 16:21

I always recommend The Observations by Jane Harris on these threads. I've given it as a present loads of times and everyone has enjoyed it (I think!)

Mynewnameis · 23/02/2025 16:10

Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow meets your brief. I really enjoyed it.

Original poster
readinglizzie · 23/02/2025 16:05

Gosh, thank you all for so many ideas! I've read and couple by Kristin Hannah and Anthony Doerr but not the ones mentioned so I'll have a look at those. There are lots of authors I've not heard of so I've lots more to try. Thank you all so much 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
readinglizzie · 23/02/2025 16:01

Iamblossom · 23/02/2025 14:36

The Push

The Bee Sting

I loved The Bee Sting!

OP posts:
MarjorieDanvers · 23/02/2025 15:08

Possession (A S Byatt) fits the dual timeline and is a really good book!

UnimpressiveUsername · 23/02/2025 15:08

If you’ve not read them already, I HIGHLY recommend the following:

  • The seven and a half deaths of Evelyn hardcastle by Stuart turton
  • Cloud cuckoo land by Anthony Doerr

Both bloody brilliant

Swipe left for the next trending thread