Please recommend an unputdownable book

[Celeriacacaca]

I have just found out I will have quite a bit of time next week that I don't usually have and would love to spend some of it reading. Please recommend a book I can lose myself in!

[ICouldHaveTinsillitis]

A PP mentioned Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve. I'd say anything by Anita Shreve. They just draw you in ...

I also enjoyed Elinor Oliphant.

If you like a detective story with a great sense of place (Scottish Highlands), I recommend Margaret Kirk's 2 books, Shadow Man and What Lies Buried.

[BrendasUmbrella]

The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. This. I loved it. This year I was also gripped by A Little Life, and I stayed up till 2am recently to finish Promising Young Women.

[BovaryX]

Under the Skin is superb. A book that remains with you years after you read it. Raises serious questions and is profoundly unsettling

[BovaryX]

Fingersmith and alsoThe Night Watch, both are by Sarah Waters. She’s a brilliant story teller, she evokes historical characters and settings that are so convincing and authentic. The Mere Wife is superb,

[CarpeVitam]

Some great recommendations here

I've asked for it to be moved to What We're Reading.

[thatonesmine]

@PaperbackBlighter I've seen the film of Under the Skin and yes I thought it was crap. It bears very little resemblance to the book, the basic premise is the same but apart from that it's completely different.

While I'm here on this thread I'm currently on my 3rd Elizabeth Strout book in a row (My Name is Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteredge and now Amy and Isabelle) and they're all wonderful.

[PaperbackBlighter]

No, @thatonesmine, I haven’t seen it.
A cinema near me is showing the film adaptation of Under the Skin next week, but I’ve heard it’s not that good so will give it a skip.

[thatonesmine]

@PaperbackBlighter yes to Under The Skin, great but somewhat disturbing. Really does get under the skin! Crimson Petal and the White is definitely worth a read, did you watch the TV adaptation a few years ago?

[newtb]

Timeline, I live in Nouvelle Aquitaine and found it fascinating despite 1 glaring innacuracy. Occitan is still spoken and there are dictation competitions in the language. In the book it's described as being a dead language..
It's a fascinating account of mediaeval life in SW France including jousting etc

[workffs]

Placemarking

[Bezalelle]

The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley. I'm addicted! It's pretty light stuff, and quite formulaic, but so weirdly compelling and comforting. Each book tells the story of an adopted sister from a family of 6 girls, with historic back stories about their origins.

[PaperbackBlighter]

@thatonesmine @Drogonssmile Have either of your read Michael Faber’s Under the Skin? It was one of my favourite books this year. Bit gory in parts.

Also read The Book of Strange New Things and really enjoyed it.

Must check out The Crimson Petal and The White.

[joystir59]

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

[joystir59]

Dark Materials trilogy is brilliant

[joystir59]

Dracula by Bram Stoker

[BubblyWater]

Is His Dark Materials any good?

[Oblomov19]

[GoodBoyPeachGoodBoy]

The Water Of The Hills by Marcel Pagnol. Amazing.

[OneKeyAtATime]

Americanah
The bell jar
The executioner s song
East of Eden
The children act
French revolutions
Agatha Christie has some good ones too

[MrsMidgeMaisel]

Place marking for ideas!

[EnterFunnyNameHere]

If you get stuck, check out good reads 2019 awards. It's done by category on people's vote and you get all the nominations too so can be a bit more balanced. I use it to make a reading list for the coming months! If you have an account you can also rate books and it will do tailored recommendations which have been mostly hit (some misses!) for me!

[AfterSomeAdvice1234]

Lullaby by Leila Slimani.

[beanaseireann]

Star of the Sea by Joseph O' Conner ( The singer Sinéad O' Connor's brother).

[GruffaIoChrimbo]

This is going to hurt and Twas the nightshift before Christmas by Adam Kay

Funny and a quick reads. Not everyone will agree with these books though but I loved them.

I enjoyed them both although the festive one is more of a stocking filler being so much shorter and more of a Xmas tie-in cash in
although would make a decent secret Santa.

but if Adam Kay is gay, and openly gay (now married) and has been out to his parents since he was late 20s, ie a decade ago then Why was H referred to in his first book as she???

[MrsJoshNavidi]

The 3 Stig Larson books are fab. I read all three very thick books on a 2 week hol.