Please recommend a gripping, unputdownable book to get me back into reading!

[TheFreaksShallInheritTheEarth]

I used to be a voracious reader; for my whole life until bout 4/5 years ago when my concentration and ability to focus seem to have gone AWOL -probably as a menopause thing - and I've not read a book for an embarassingly long time.

Please recommend books that you couldn't tear yourself away from! I'm hoping that some gripping books will keep me hooked and re-establish my reading habit.

TIA.

I read TheFerryman by Justin Cronin recently and it gripped and haunted me in equal measures. I had read The Passage trilogy from him some years ago. He's an excellent writer.

I've just started Spare (Prince Harry's book) & to be fair it is gripping! Easy reading but the chapters & sections are short so I find myself saying just one more, just one more!

Robert Galbraith Cuckoo’s Calling - it’s the first in a series, there are currently 7 books. They’re so good, I’m anxiously waiting for the 8th book!

Just finished where the crawdads sing, before that read the Allerton Angels.

Which types of books did you used to enjoy?

Bad Blood by John Carreyou got me out a reading draught. It's non-fiction but soooo gripping. My advice is don't Google it before reading since it was a big story and you'll likely find lots of 'spoilers'.

Definitely Robert galbraith starting with the cuckoo's calling. Just about the read the ink black heart as I left it so long to read her latest novel she has now put out the running grave. I'm really loving the BBC adaptations. Just read the books first.

Ken Follett, Pillars of the Earth

Agatha Raisin murder mystery series

I recently loved The Baby Monitor by Rosie Walker, and Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister.

It happened to me too! Struggle to be captured by a book for the last 7/8 years. I also think it happened during peri.

Last books I read were the Oryx and Crake trilogy but it was so scary and depressing, even though amazing.

Haven't read a single book since.

I would recommend Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. Gripping and haunting ghost story.

Watching for ideas for myself . . .

I would love to have my reading mojo back again - especially for rainy cold days🙏

Good call. The length might be a bit daunting though.

Amanda Prowse- three and a half heartbeats. Same author- a million dreams.

I have trouble concentrating on books due to ill health, but last week I read Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris in two sittings because it was SO gripping!! It's a thriller. I absolutely loved it, couldn't stop tearing through it to find out what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Husbands_of_Evelyn_Hugo

Couldn't put this one down recently

Ruth Ware's thrillers, the one on the yacht is particularly good (I think).

Quick to read and schlocky but good fun.

My 5 star reads so far this year are

The Villa. Jess Ryder
Artificial Wisdom. Thomas Weaver
The Quelling. C.L Lauder
Munich Wolf. Rory Clements
Queen of Secrets. E.J Tanda
Good Girl Deprogramming. Michelle Minnikin
The Wartime Book Club. Kate Thompson

What kind of books did you enjoy before?

Anatomy a love story by Dana Schwartz of the noble blood podcast.

Depends what you're into, tell is what you used to read and what sorts of eras/plots etc etc you like.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - just wow.

I loved The It Girl. I raced through that.

Still life by Sarah winman

Ooh good to know - it's our next Book Group book and I ordered it this morning

@DaDaisyCat33
Me too. Loved it and like yourself OP, I have been struggling since the Menopause with reading books.
Biggest problem being trying to remember what I have already read the following day 🥴

American Dirt, loved it as did everyone I recommended it to.