Can someone recommend a really good book for my holiday?

[Anothernamechangeplease]

I need something to read on my holiday - preferably on my kindle, but doesn't have to be. Ideally I'm looking for a novel, but I would definitely consider non-fiction if anyone has any really good suggestions.

If it's a novel, I want something that I can really get into. Not interested in anything too trashy - I want something that is genuinely well written and that has some actual depth to it, characters that I can get invested in. Ideally something that makes me think while also evoking an emotional response. Nothing too hard to read though (ie no James Joyce style text to wade through...I have adhd and can struggle to maintain attention in the early stages of a book until I'm hooked, and then I can't put it down.) Happy for it to be a classic or something more modern.

A random selection of books I have previously enjoyed (in no particular and definitely not an exhaustive list):

All Jane Austen (especially P&P, Persuasion)
Lots of Dickens (especially Bleak House)
Some George Eliot (especially Middlemarch)
Turgenev - Fathers and Sons
The Book Thief
Half of a Yellow Sun
Purple Hibiscus
The Kite Runner
A thousand splendid suns
Elizabeth is missing
Captain Correlli's Mandolin
Northern Lights trilogy

What books have you really enjoyed, and what would you particularly recommend?

TIA!

Most recently The Echo Chamber by John Boyne

Have you read “A Gentleman in Moscow”?

I also highly recommend “Alone in Berlin” by Hans Fallada, but it takes a bit longer to get into. I enjoyed it in a similar way to how I enjoyed The Book Thief.

Where the Crawdads Sing - excellent.

Ooh yes @HandbagsnGladrags - I wanted to read it before the film came out, so blitzed that this holiday. I also really enjoyed the film, despite the terrible reviews I had read.

Life after Life - Kate Atkinson
A man called Ove - Fredrick Backman
The Universe VS Alex Woods - Gavin Extence

Anything by Maggie O Farrell or Mary Lawson ( apart from Crow Lake)

Based on your list I would recommend:

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Howard's End by EM Forster
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All are excellent with wonderful central characters.

I'm going to see the film tomorrow, glad to hear it didn't disappoint.

With your fondness for classics I’d go for P.G. Wodehouse. His ultimate collection is available in kindle for 99p too so a bargain.

Im currently reading Life After Life after watching the series on BBC iPlayer. Its well written and theere are enough sections missed in the tv series to keep me interested.

I recently read Small Pleasures, by Clare Chambers, and absolutely loved it.
Definitely ticks the ‘characters to get invested in’ box

Small pleasures was excellent

I recently read some books by Harriet Evans who is an excellent writer

Another vote for John Boyne, he writes incredibly well. The Heart's invisible furies is a wonderful book.

Javier Marías is my preferred holiday novelist, even if not going to Spain. A Heart So White, Berta Isla, While The Women Are Sleeping. There is a bit of male gaze now and then but somehow it’s palatable. I just love the way he writes and he actually has something to say.

I think based on the books you listed, you'll love A Fine Balance by rohinton mistry. And the Kingsbridge series by Ken Follet. Pillars of the Earth is just amazing.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (as mentioned above)

Where are you going on holiday? I always like to read something set in the town/city/area if poss

The House Girl by Tara Conklin was excellent.

Based on your list, I’d strongly recommend Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.

Also The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

The island of the sea women. I’ve just read it on holiday and it’s excellent.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

Project Hail Mary or The Martian by Andy Weir

The light between oceans

We are all completely beside ourselves

Hamnet

I've just really enjoyed When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

We were liars. I couldn’t put it down, quite dark but left me shocked.

I also loved Americanah. I loved A Thousand Invisible Furies by John Boyne. Another good read is Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine. Most recently I’ve read Four Winds by Kristin Hannah which I really enjoyed.

Love getting some inspiration from this thread!

One for the blackbird one for the crow - Olivia Hawker
Florence adler swims forever - Rachel Beanland
The trouble with goats and sheep - Joanna Cannon
Diary of a provincial lady (very funny) - EM Delafield
The tortoise and the hair - Elizabeth Jenkins
Immodest - LS Einat
Excellent women - Barbara Pym
The enchanted April - Elizabeth Armin