To ask you to help me fall in love with reading again?

[eisforemma]

When I was younger I used to loose myself in books. I'd be able to sit for hours and really enjoyed it. Since having my DD 8 years ago I've fallen out of the habit. However, I will come across a certain book once in a while and love it and manage to read it to the end.

Can I ask for some amazing book recommendations in the following kind of categories -

• sober books (pretty sure I've read them all)

• psychological thrillers - fiction

• disturbing/dark books (homelessness, prostitution, mental illness, abuse, murder etc) - fiction or non fiction

• books about nazi Germany but written from a person that experienced it perspective.

• books about addiction - fiction or non fiction.

Thank you.

Ooh too stressful for me! I can only read non stressful books atm!

Used to read loads of those types of books, but, unlike you, I'm not able to read those types of books since having children.
Sorry, I'm of no help.

The cutting room, Louise Welsh.
Alone in Berlin, Hans fallada
The room, Emma donaghue

It’s not a book recommendation but something which has really worked for me is audiobooks. I have an almost 9 year old - before her I was a book a week reader. The book j was half way through when I gave birth took me a year to finish.

Since starting audiobooks I have rekindled my love of stories which has then helped my concentration with physical book reading.

For actual book recommendations I am a fan of Val McDermott - her thrillers are very dark. The Vera Stanhope series by Ann Cleaves also is very good.

Do you like things with a slight supernatural edge? Kate Mosse books are very good - the taxidermist daughter is fairly bleak and dark if that’s what you fancy.

Maybe a change of genre might help also? Something very light might help the pages pass

Thank you. I wonder why we stop reading once we have children.

I just couldn’t find the concentration for it. I have time - my screen time count shows that - but I cannot read with others around me. So when the kids are playing or my husband and I are just hanging out I reach for my phone not a book. I am getting a bit better now I think. I have read 20 (ish) books this year so far so I am in the right direction

I also wondered if you might like the rivers of london series by Ben aaronivitch? I found the supernatural parts could be genuinely quite disturbing (enough to get you interested if that has been a previous like) but the delivery is comedic enough that it doesn’t set off my internal anxiety trigger that being a parent has given me

Sober books?

Seconding alone in Berlin!

Eleanor oliphant
Handmaids tale
Tana french the likeness

@ClaudiusTheGod

Sober books?

Yes I like reading books about getting sober - but as I've said I'm pretty sure I've read everyone going.

I'm rubbish at reading- I only seem to be able to read in bed and manage about 3 pages before falling asleep. I've been reading the same book since last November, still got about 1/4 left- it is a long book though- not one of the genres you requested, but a great book! The Mists f Avalon- it's the King Arthur legend told from the perspective of the women, especially Morgan Le Fay. I'd class it as historical fantasy.

Time to say goodbye by Dale Peck is epic, sweeping, harrowing and incredibly well written
I did read it before becoming a mother though …..

Sorry it’s
Now it’s time to say goodbye

I have enjoyed the robert galbraith books.... the bbc series Strike was based on them.

James herbert if you want something dark

Jo nesbo or Karin slaughter for crime/murder type books

If you want self help the " dont sweat the small stuff" books are good

Go into the library with your child let them pick some books and you get one off the racks where they put suggestions or quick reads... randomly choose an author you never know what you may get

@eisforemma OK - but just in case - Last Drink to LA by John Sutherland ? Drinking - A Love Story by Caroline Knapp?

The Reader for your WW2 book. Absolutely excellent novel from the point of view of a woman on trial after she worked in a concentration camp.

I also like the Robert Harris novels - Fatherland which imagines if the Nazis had won the war.

The Night Watch by Sarah Waters is an incredible WW2 novel about three women living in London.

The silent patient - alex Michaelaides is a great thriller.
I too struggled when kids were younger but have since stopped watching TV and love it more. Maybe treat a book a like a series and give it the time it deserves - always rewarding.
American dirt is amazing and written from a mother’s perspective - made me gasp out loud - gripping - hope you find it again

The Young Team - Graeme Armstrong. Written in Scots so that can take getting used to but very good. Fits your dark violence/addiction categories.

All in the mind, Alistair Campbell (yes, that one)
The woman in the window, a.j.finn

Gillian Macallister for psychological thrillers.

I’ve just read how to kill your family that was quite dark but also had a brilliant twist!

Thirteen is fab! Really keeps you guessing

Not dark but has some darker parts if Denise Grover swank rose Gardner mysteries loads of books and I enjoyed them

Schindler’s ark (Schindler’s list)
The boy in the striped pyjamas

The serial killers wife

The child in the photo

KL skater has some great books

American dirt

Flowers in the attic

His & hers

My lovely wife

This little dark place

The holiday

Get the kindle unlimited for a month and you can try loads and see if you find any good authors

The Outrun by Amy Liptrot

[quote ClaudiusTheGod]@eisforemma OK - but just in case - Last Drink to LA by John Sutherland ? Drinking - A Love Story by Caroline Knapp?[/quote]
Thank you!! Have not read those ones!

I am going to recommend the opposite:

P G Wodehouse

And then ones as you suggested:

Turn of the Screw

Operation Mincemeat

Black Diamonds