To ask you to recommend me a book?

[cheesenpickles]

I've always been a prolific, and very fast, reader but since having kids I never get the chance.

I have an opportunity coming up for some serious book reading time and I'm at a loss what to read.

Open to all recommendations and will even go for non-fiction (love a bit of Desmond Morris, personally).

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the best fiction book I've read, it takes you across the world with the main character, it makes you happy sad uncomfortable angry, it makes you reflect, it makes you dream, it's wonderful

I loved the Marriage Plot!

My recs:

A history of love - Nicole Strauss

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz

The Feather Thief - can’t remember author

Euphoria - Lily King

Also Circe and The Song of Achilles, both very easy and enjoyable reads

Douglas Kennedy - A Special Relationship

JuneFromBethesda I absolutely concur about the John Boyne book, I loved it.
OP, some I've enjoyed recently are
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and another in a similar vein called Convenience Store Woman.
The Rumour, The Familiars, The Good People.
Non fiction I've recently enjoyed are Mary Queen of Scots, The Favourite, (both were the basis for recent films) and then Queen Victoria by Lucy Worsley.

A couple of SF short story collections

R A Lafferty - 900 Grandmothers
James Tiptree Jr - Ten Thousand Lightyears from home.

I'm currently reading The Dowser series and can highly recommend it

Also, The Chronichles of St Marys is a fantastic set of books!

I loved The Goldfinch - have read multiple times and will no doubt read it again

A Man Called Ove - I love this book

@Bigbus Have you tried the books "Beartown" and its sequel "Us against you" by the same author?

I enjoyed them. Very different to Ove (which I really liked), very tense.

I second Circe - I read a lot and it was the best of last year.

'Murder at Wrotham Hill" by Diana Souhami - a feminist take on an actual murder, which occurred just after WW2.

Just a VERY well-written book generally, and a fascinating take on post-war Britain in particular.

Souhami's views on capital punishment are made clear, despite the guilty verdict on the perpetrator, Harold Hagger.

Depends on the story if thing you like.

The 7 deaths of evelyn hardcastle. Bit strange and mysterious but kept me guessing all the way to the end.

The great swindle (French book, but I read the translation!) Very strange, bit grotesque but compelling

As mentioned above, a gentleman in Moscow, nice, seems a bit cosy at times, but an interesting read.

The secret scripture. Quite sad, but interesting.

I also recently read an older book called the heart is a lonely hunter, by Carson McCullers and was totally blown away.

I have decided to read the Sunday times 100 best books of the 21st century. Been working my way through and have found some cracking books that I probably wouldn't have picked up myself.

Sometimes it is good to just pick something up and go with it.

Hope you find a good one

Alex Marwood writes fabulous dark novels.

State of Winder by Ann Patchett is extremely readable and very original. I loved it!

WONDER!

A little lie

Chronicles of St Mary’s by Jodi Taylor (I think the first one is Just One Damned Thing After Another).

I was going to say the Chronicles of St Mary's too.
If you like well researched historical fiction, Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series (should be read in order) or CJ Sansom's Shardlake.
Modern urban fantasy - Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London

Yes to Anne Patchett - State of Wonder & Commonwealth
Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandell
The Goldfinch - Donna Tart
All brilliant

Anything by Sarah Moss - Ghost Wall is both short and brilliant. I second the Lymond Chronicles suggestion, and anything by Ann Patchett. Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series for crime. The Cazalet Chronicles for family saga.

i'd avoid The Chronicles of St Mary's after the first couple, they got a bit crap and stopped being fun.

If you like memoirs, then Educated by Tara Westover is a cracking read!

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey.

Another vote for Sally Rooney - Conversations With Friends and for Poisonwood Bible.
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson is one of the best things I've read in years and I loved a God In Ruins which follows on.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
I wanted to like the Goldfinch but found it slightly tedious after a while.
Persuasion by Jane Austen

JD Robb's In Death series, if you like crime and mystery.
Tess Gerritsen
SR Garrae
Janet Evanovich for a bit of slightly slapstick crime
LJ Ross

If you like sci-fi
Lois Mc Master Bujold
CJ Cherryh
Sheri Tepper

Anything (everything?) by Nikki French.

Glass Books Of The Dream Eaters, Dahlquist