Recommend me a book to make me love reading again

[Tatlletoot]

Since I’ve had my 3 young children (all under 5) I have found I have so little attention or motivation to read. I used to love to read, could not get enough of it, funny how I could spend hours on mumsnet reading threads.

My new years resolution is to try to spark this love again.
I usually read thriller type books but have always had a special love for Jodi Picoult books. Not really into rom coms, just need to something to hold my attention.
Please recommend me your absolute favourite book so that I can order a few to kick off this year as I mean to go on. Thanks

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne.
East of Hounslow by Khurrum Rahman.
The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson.
Q & A by Vikas Swarup (Slumdog Millionaire was based on this but there are a lot of differences).
Sex Wars by Marge Piercy.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.

I am a peri-menopausal insomniac so I get through 2-3 books a week these days. There aren't many I keep to reread but those have all been read more than once.

I’ve just started reading The story of forgetting by Stefan Merrill Block. It’s really good, I picked it up in a bundle of second hand books and it’s been sat on the bookshelf for a year or more. I really wish I had started it sooner!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
Start with that one, then you can read two others by the same author that have some overlapping characters but don’t follow on or need to be read in any order- Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones and the Six

The cuckoo's calling by Robert galbraith (aka jk rowling). It's the first in the series. I only bought the book to show my support for her but it was really good. I read the rest in a few weeks and felt bereft at having to wait for the next one to come out!

I recently discovered Amy Harmon. I started with What the Wind Knows and couldn’t put it down. I’ve read most of her other books now and really enjoyed all of them.

The Strike novels by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). Gripping crime dramas with fantastic characters. I read these through lockdown and tried to ration myself when reading the last one as I knew I'd miss them when I'd finished!

I've been recommending this to everyone: the three body problem. It's a trilogy and I loved it! Absolutely gripped from start to finish!

It's a Chinese sci-fi (translated to English) that weaves such an imaginative story of lots of characters over a huge timeline. There's drama, romance, twists and turns as well as the sci-of elements.

I'm reading Maid by Stephanie Land. Really good. There is a series on Netflix based on the book as well.

Another rec for the Strike books. Thrillers and mysteries are not my bag but I powered through these over lockdown! Next one is out this year too

I had exactly this problem OP. What reignited my love (and attention span!) was children's chapter books. DD1 developed a Harry Potter obsession; she bought herself the boxset and wanted to read them. I had seen the films, but never read the books and needed to check their suitability. I'll be honest, I had to drag myself through the first two, but after that I found the writing picked up and the story became more interesting. I found them an enjoyable easy read, and ended up reading the lot back to back (DD1 agreed to lend them to me on the promise I return them in 'as new' condition!). After that, I started reading the Little House On The Prairie series to her at bedtime, and have enjoyed re-reading those so much I read ahead once she was asleep. I have now found my pace, focus, and stamina has largely returned, and I have now started to make a dent in the stack of (adult) books that have accumulated on my bedside table over the last 7 years.

Do you have any childhood favourites you could revisit?

I know how it is to lose that "thing" for reading. However in the last year I have got back into reading and I'm hooked again.

One book i recommend to everyone is 'the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo'
A fantastic storyline and great characters to keep you interested. I laughed and I cried, I've not met anyone who hasn't loved this book.....yet!

The Richard Osman books are a really easy read too. I loved the characters in the books and the story isn't too complicated so you can pick it up and down when you find time.

So many good suggestions from pps, but i don't think A Man Called Ove was mentioned. It's a lovely book, easy to get into, funny and heart breaking in equal measure. Also any of Graham Norton's books are worth a read.

@SkankingMopoke

I had exactly this problem OP. What reignited my love (and attention span!) was children's chapter books. DD1 developed a Harry Potter obsession; she bought herself the boxset and wanted to read them. I had seen the films, but never read the books and needed to check their suitability. I'll be honest, I had to drag myself through the first two, but after that I found the writing picked up and the story became more interesting. I found them an enjoyable easy read, and ended up reading the lot back to back (DD1 agreed to lend them to me on the promise I return them in 'as new' condition!). After that, I started reading the Little House On The Prairie series to her at bedtime, and have enjoyed re-reading those so much I read ahead once she was asleep. I have now found my pace, focus, and stamina has largely returned, and I have now started to make a dent in the stack of (adult) books that have accumulated on my bedside table over the last 7 years.

Do you have any childhood favourites you could revisit?

This is such a great suggestion, for me it was reading a little house on the prairie to my eldest and like Mopoke says reading ahead when she fell asleep which got back my love of reading.

A few of the ones mentioned I have read over the last few years and enjoyed such as Thursday club, Eleanor Oliphant, etc. Not too heavy if that's what you are looking for. I read the Rosie Project as well which I really enjoyed.
Have also read the three Millennium books, Girl with the Dragon tattoo etc as well, hard going and a bit slow at times but well worth it.

Also the Handmaid Tale and The Testaments.
Lisa Jewell is good too.

I've been trying to read some of the popular classics over the past few years although can be hard work at times!
Have read Lord of the Flies, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Grapes of Wrath. Not easy reading!

I loved The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf, similar in feel to Jodi Picoult.

The Pillars of the Earth. Ken Follet. I couldn't put it down.

Where the crawdads sing is one of my absolute favourites

If you like a domestic thriller then anything by TM Logan - all real page-turners which might be what you need to get back into it. Having super-short chapters is also part of the style of these books which might also be handy!

Young Adult is also good for this - lots of pace and short chapters. You can't go wrong with the Hunger Games trilogy, for example.

And I defy anyone not to fall back in love with reading if they read The Heart's Invisible Furies which is one of my all time favourite books.

If you like Jodi Picoult what about 'Little fires everywhere' Celeste Ng, or 'Gone girl' Gillian Flynn?

A gentleman in Moscow
Read such a lot of dross recently and this one gave me my love of reading back

Can you get to your local library and borrow a few?

I’ve really enjoyed Hamnet, the Thursday murder club ones in the past year - different styles but very easy to get into from the start.

I found it hard to find the time to read with two young children, but audiobooks have reignited my love of reading. Your local library should have a free platform for borrowing audiobooks - I use BorrowBox. Now, I always have Bluetooth headphones around my neck (that I used to use for running), and pop in whenever I get time to listen. I've recently really enjoyed Lesley Manville reading The Man Who Died Twice (sequel to The Thursday Murder Club).

Great thread OP if you like Jodi Picoult have you tried Liane Moriarty?

I like Lisa Jewell too, although short stories could be a good start?

Either The Serial Killers Wife, anything by Val McDermid, or anything by Dorothy Koomson