To ask you to recommend a good novel?

[Ansumpasty]

I’m going through a bad time health wise at the moment and it’s triggering awful anxiety.

Having a hard time switching off and looking for a good book to read to escape from my own mind for a bit!

I don’t like crime/murder mystery or sci-fi.

Thanks

A place called here. Cecilia Aherne.

Think wizard of oz but it's for adults and it gets you wondering if it could be real! Great light hearted book that just makes you wonder.

Another for The Cazalet Chronicles - wonderful comforting immersive lovely lovely books

When I feel a bit vulnerable I also turn to Nancy Mitford - In the Pursuit of Love is my favourite, but Love in a Cold Climate has some very sharp characterisation too. Also - such a cliche, but I Capture The Castle is really amazing - living and warm and companionable and strange and set in a dilpapidated old castle.

For non-fiction Laurie Lee is beautiful and has a cosiness to his writing even when writing about conflict.

I love cosy novels, which also grip.

Another fantastic one is The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. It's a huge book, but you'll race through it, and the central character feels like a friend, albeit one more daring than I would ever be.

Eat. Pray. Love.

Also - The Outrun - a memoir by Amy Liptrot. She was an alcoholic who recovered and went home to her family's strip of land in Orkney. It sounds sad and bleak, but it's not, it's bracing, relatable and life affirming. I haven't been through what she has, but read it when going the illness of a relative, and it gave me strength and a hand hold somehow.

www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Countess-Eva-Ibbotson/dp/0230014860?tag=mumsnetforum-21

I live this. So many of her books are great though!

Brilliant- I have a lot to get through! Thank you

I don't know what they'd come under, but I'm on my second to last Chronicles of St Marys book. Its got 'time travel' in it, but its history based. I'm an ex history student and love it. Its got humour, serious stuff, history stuff, a very little steamy stuff, a few surprises and being in a shit head space for so long I've really enjoyed there being several in the series because I've found it dead comforting.

The Hate U Give.
The Proposal.

David Nicholls' books are fantastic: One Day, Starter for Ten and the most recent one I read - Us. Funny, intelligent and moving. Love him!

Also second Kate Atkinson, both her standalone books and also the Jackson Brodie series. And agree with James Herriot, Bill Bryson and Jilly Cooper for comfort reading.

I loved loved loved the Little Women books. Les Miserables was a long and tough read but so much worth it

I just read Educated and loved it. It was on Barack Obama's list of books for 2018

Portobello, Ruth Rendell (not s crime novel).

Saw it recommended on here once and it’s a cracking good read.

@eliza9917 did the chronicles ever end? I devoured 1-3, 4 is on my night stand but I saw an interview with JA about 4 and he didn’t indicate how many there would be, so I lost interest 😬

@AiryFairy1 The last time I looked they were up to 6 or 7.

I second the outrun - it stays with you.

For gentle and feel good:
Britt-Marie was here (same author as Man called Ove, I think).
The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society.
I Capture the castle.

Will also be checking out some of the suggestions on this thread. All best wishes, Op and hope you feel a bit better soon.

Anything by Katie Fforde, lovely light romances, nothing to stress you out, ideal bedtime reading.