To ask for book recommendations

[LaBellySausage]

Hello Team Mumsnet, I'm looking fir recommendations and I am posting for traffic before anyone spontaneously defecates themself in outrage.

Newly pregnant with DC2 and looking for a good book to make up for a whole 9 months without a glass of wine in the bath.

I've recently enjoyed The Book Thief, CJ Sansom's Shardlake series, Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth series, Donna Tartt's Secret History.

Ideally something gripping from the start in case I get half a page in and have to stop because DD aged 11 months has a huge poo or a meltdown because she can't yet catch the cat.

Thank you in advance!

*for

Other recent literary pursuits include The Gruffalo and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Highly recommend anything by Megan Abbott
I've just finished Girl A, Abigail Dean - harrowing but v good.
Have you tried any of Donna Tartt's others? They're all worth reading though I don't find her writing gripping as such.

I'm listening to audiobook 'Outlander' by Diana Gabaldon. Watch tv series but so far the book seems richer, I'm really enjoying it.

Where the crawdads sing was fantastic. Tess gerritson is pretty gripping if you like crime thriller type things. I read a lot of simple chick lit when my babies were you go because you don’t really need to read every word of them! T was a bit big a guilty pleasure tbh.

Love a good Catherine Cookson novel too. Gripping, easy to read.

oow almost forgot DCI Ryan series by LJ Ross - they have them on kindle unlimited. Im not detective fan but love this series.

You might love. valentina by s e lynes

I'd also recommend Where the Crawdads sing, it's one those books you can't put down.The Thursday murder club is a bit of a slog for me with too many narrators and I'm getting mixed up in them. I love all Agatha Christie's and your short windows of reading would be well suited to them.

If you liked the Book Thief you will probably love Captain Correlli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres, The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway (amazing) and The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

If you like CJ Sansom's Shardlake series, have you tried SJ Parris's Giordano Bruno series?

I'm reading 1984 at the moment and really enjoying it. I should have read it years ago really!

Anything by Sarah Addison Allen, they’re absolutely magical books.
I love The St Mary’s Chronicles by Jodi Taylor, there are short stories too. I’ve re read the whole series at least once.
I’m reading the Sarah Painters Lydia Crow series atm & I’m really enjoying all of the books so far.
I’ve also recently read a few mystery type series that I’ve surprised myself by really enjoying (The Euphemia Martins series & the Lady Emily mysteries).

I found crawdads the opposite and my book club said same - slow build to a good ending but a bit dull to start.

I found The One by John Marrs a good page turner.

Agree on Agatha Christie! I just got through a short story collection of hers - midwinter murder I think?

All The Light We Cannot See by Antony Doerr

So many recommendations, thank you!!! Someone at work mentioned Where the Crawdads Sing- I might try that. Also my family all seem to love the Bruno books so they should probably be on the list too.

Agatha Christie- where do I even start?! There are so many and shamefully I've read none. Is there a good place to start with Agatha Christie?

Loved Captain Corelli's Mandolin :)

Ooh I also loved all of Khaled Hosseini's books and Abraham Verghese's Cutting for Stone, for anyone who hasn't read them.

One damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. And when you're hooked there's lots of sequels!

Three Hours by Rosamund Lupton is brilliant -thrilling, twisty and very well-written. It’s about a UK school shooting, so pretty heavy, but really well-handled.

The other Mrs Walker and the mad Adam trilogy by Margaret Atwood- excellent gripping reading.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargreave (think that's how you spell it) is fantastic. Pine by Francine Toon. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - in fact, most of her books are fab. They all link in a small way. The Binding (can't remember the author off the top of my head) is beautiful.

Lucinda Rileys Seven sisters series. Or Elly Griffiths. For the win.

Pukkatea ,That Agatha Christie collection is very good and also a really beautiful looking book.I've started to buy most of my books through Biblio.co.uk, v well priced and fast delivery.
If you go for the Crawdads book you should consider joining the Duchess of Cornwall's Reading room on instagram.Great interviews with the author and insights into the book.
Mary Wesley novels are a very interesting easy read, I love her depiction of war time and how she follows her characters almost from childhood to the grave.

It's very sad but They Came Like Swallows is great.
The Olive Kitteridge books are fab.
The 44 Scotland Street series is compulsive, easy comfort-reading.
I loved What Was Lost.
The Kathy Reichs books are great.

If you like historical fiction try Bernard Cornwell: The Last Kingdom (Vikings and Saxons)
Or
Conn Iggulden: the Emperor series about Julias Caesar or the Conquerer series about
Ghengis Khan.

All fantastic, gripping books. Gruesome and violent but I live all the strategy and relationships.