I need some books that will make me fall in love with reading

[Strider55]

I'm in a reading rut and really want a book (ideally the start of a series) that will make me want to read instead of waste my time scrolling on YouTube.

Books/authors I love:
Jane Austen
Harry Potter
Have read all the Strike series except the latest because I want to get the physical copy of the book
Jane Casey "Maeve Kerrigan" series - read them all and obsessed
Mitch Albom
Cecelia Ahern
LOTR

Things I don't like:
Romantic fantasy (I read the first two in the ACOTAR because my work colleagues raved about it but it just felt like teenage fanfiction to me)
Anything "spicy", not my cup of tea at all!
Jane Eyre
Wuthering Heights
Just tried "Binding Thirteen" on the suggestion of a colleague who was raving about it and again just couldn't get into it

Any suggestions very gratefully received (and even better if they are cheap/free on Kindle unlimited 😁)

Start with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, it will have you hooked and then you’ll want to read everything of hers!

Jeeves and Wooster or Jerome K Jerome!

Freida Mcfadden books!

'The Chronicles of St Marys' series by Jodi Taylor.

How are you on historical fiction?

If ok then the Sir Robert Carey series by P F Chisholm is worth a look. Based on a real Tudor courtier, a distant cousin of Elizabeth I. Easy reading but intelligent and well researched.

I think that Elizabeth Gaskell follows on well from Jane Austen, particularly Wives & Daughters.

Lucinda Riley Seven Sisters series is great.

also not a series but I love Kristen Hannah books at the moment.

Not a series but I am really enjoying The Dictionary of Lost Words.

Have you read Middlemarch? and A Suitable Boy? Both take commitment but are hugely rewarding.

I love anything by Peter James, Lee Child and James Patterson, but start with the Thursday Murder club if you like good storylines and humour.
I’ve recently joined my local library as I have no more room to store books (I had 42 stacked by the side of my bed that won’t fit on shelves or bookcases and I won’t Kindle). Go and have a root around, I really enjoy it. You can always download books by the same author if you find something you like.

I really enjoyed The Red Queen series by Phillipa Gregory, but never read any of her other books despite being fascinated by The Tudors, definitely one I will write down for the To Be Read list 😊

Have you read His Dark Materials? Amazing series

Try the Jodi Taylor St Marys books. Follow these with the Time Police, and then the other series that she has written. I have re read all of them with great enjoyment three times now and look forward to her new releases. They may not sound like your cup of tea, but try one and see how you go. I thought I would hate them but she is now my favourite author. https://www.joditaylorbooks.com/

Clare Chambers is excellent. I’ve been invested in every book of hers from the first page. Small Pleasures is the most well known.

And if you like Philippa Gregory try Sharon Penman - she's better! Here Be Dragons is an excellent read about King John's bastard daughter who was married to a Welsh prince.

Some great suggestions, thanks so much!

@Brightbluesomething I was very tempted by the Reacher book series when I was in a local bookshop as I've watched the series on Prime and most of the time the books are always even better, it's such a lengthy series though so I got intimidated and put the books back. Have you read that series or are there other books of his you would recommend?

@HorrorFan81 I've read The Golden Compass for uni (maaaany years ago) and remember enjoying it but not being compelled to read further. Maybe I should give it another go.

@PermanentTemporary never read Middlemarch, that's a very long one isn't it? I think I found the bulk of it too intimidating to ever want to give it a go.

@hby9628 I've read "The Women" by Kristen Hannah. I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoyed it because the subject matters itself isn't something I would usually be interested in (read it for work book club) but it was definitely readable. I've heard The Nightingale is meant to be very good, have you read that and would you recommend?

And the Shardlake series by c j sansom. MUCH better than what was shown on tv recently. That was disappointing.

Oh - and Simon Scarrow's Eagle of the Empire series - that was great - although I listened to it on audio book rather than reading so that may not help.

Kristin Hannah books are great.

@Strider55Ive read the Women and the Nightingale- I enjoyed both but The
Nightingale was a lot better. I’ve also recently really enjoy The Names by Florence Knapp. And very different, but also Station Eleven has stayed with me years after reading it (read it pre covid, read it again after pandemic as it’s about a deadly flu and how the survivors manage)

@Strider55 yes Ive read nearly all of the Reacher series. That’s a large part of my storage problem! Definitely better than the series which I also liked. You don’t have to read them in order, each one stands on its own. Give one a go and see what you think.

Where the Crawdads Sing

The Kiterunner

I have just started some series, only one or 2 books in, so not idea how they continue :(

1. The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb. I've read 2 so far, there are 16 books split into 4 trilogies and 1 quartet. They are fantasy, but not romantic so far, really well written.

1. DCI Ryan mysteries by LJ Ross. Only read the first one but think if you like Maeve Kerrigan, you'll like these.

1. Kat and Lock series by Jo Callaghan. Only 3 books I think so far, and I didn't think I'd like this so was surprised when I did.

Also the elements series of novellas(?) by John Boyne was excellent. 4 books, all about 160 pages each.

I hate Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights with a passion but thoroughly enjoyed The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by the other sister.

JD Kirk- the logan series

The Nightingale got me back into reading after a time out of it

That and American Dirt

The Names is next on my list, after I’ve finished The Correspondent, which I’ve only just started but intriguing so far!

@Strider55yes the Nightingale was very good. More to it than The Women I think. Home Front was good too. I’ve got Winter Garden on my list to read next