Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask you to name a book you couldn't put down?

252 replies

pinklite · 21/08/2024 16:11

I've started getting into reading again and now looking for book recommendations. I don't know if it's just me not enjoying reading as much as I used to, but some of the titles I've read/attempted to recently just don't seem to grab my attention and I struggle to get through them.

I'm currently reading People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd. It's ok, but a bit slow.

I prefer mysteries and thrillers.

Please give me some ideas!

OP posts:
Amoregelato · 21/08/2024 16:43

Definitely I Am Pilgrim. Couldn't put it down to the point that my husband took a photo of me cooking with it.

Just read Hello Beautiful and really loved that.

Loved all the old Patricia Cornwell books, the newer ones not so much.

A Little Life

whatsappdoc · 21/08/2024 16:44

Ooh yes forgot Linwood Barclay. Another thriller writer who keeps your interest going.

AegonT · 21/08/2024 16:45

Anything by Harlan Coben gets me reading chapter after chapter to find out the answers.

Userengage · 21/08/2024 16:46

Where The Crawdads Sing.

FuckThePoPo · 21/08/2024 16:48

Amoregelato · 21/08/2024 16:43

Definitely I Am Pilgrim. Couldn't put it down to the point that my husband took a photo of me cooking with it.

Just read Hello Beautiful and really loved that.

Loved all the old Patricia Cornwell books, the newer ones not so much.

A Little Life

A little life 😂

that was only one of a very few books I couldn't finish due to content-and I love a bit of misery lit!

I did love I am pilgrim though 😃

FuckThePoPo · 21/08/2024 16:49

Userengage · 21/08/2024 16:46

Where The Crawdads Sing.

Right this is giving me the hump now 😂

this was awful!

but I love love love the fact that unlike mathematics-literature is subjective and thank heavens for that!

fussychica · 21/08/2024 16:50

Antonia Hodgson The Thomas Hawkins novels. Wonderful historical thrillers.
Amor Towles novels

Viewfrommyhouse · 21/08/2024 16:51

Mrs Murphy Hires A Cleaner by Kath Kincaid.

nearlylovemyusername · 21/08/2024 16:52

ronswansonstache · 21/08/2024 16:23

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.

I absolutely LOVED it

second Hamnet

OMGitsnotgood · 21/08/2024 16:53

Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Saffon

Noble House - James Clavell

Prince of Tides - Pat Conroy (film version nowhere near as powerful)

Agree with PP re Lisa Jewell, easy reads but page turners. Ditto Maeve Binchy

If you like novels steeped in social history:
Woman of Substance -Barbara Taylor Bradford

I used to devour Iris Gower's series of novels set in Wales

The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough

Noseybookworm · 21/08/2024 16:54

Elly Griffiths - Ruth Galloway series are really good. Anything by Michael Connelly too! I love Maeve Binchy and have re-read them so many times - not thrillers but very engrossing stories that you can't put down. Start with Light a Penny Candle. Love the Strike series by Robert Galbraith as well.

QuestionableMouse · 21/08/2024 16:55

pikkumyy77 · 21/08/2024 16:40

Colleen Mcollough’s book in Caesar, which led me to her entire mammoth series Masters of Rome. If you like history they are incredible.

Ooh you reminded me of a similar one - the Rome series by Kate Quinn.

xxSideshowAuntSallyxx · 21/08/2024 16:58

FuckThePoPo · 21/08/2024 16:49

Right this is giving me the hump now 😂

this was awful!

but I love love love the fact that unlike mathematics-literature is subjective and thank heavens for that!

Exactly this, some of these would bore me to tears just like some would hate what I read. Then some books in a series are absolutely shit when others I can't put down (the Shardlake ones come to mind, the early ones were really good, later ones not so much).

EffinMagicFairy · 21/08/2024 17:02

American Dirt, hooked from the first couple of pages.

Manzana · 21/08/2024 17:03

Lindsey Davis Falco series, a Roman detective series, humorous, historical and a page turner. The first book is The Silver Pigs.

Bbq1 · 21/08/2024 17:05

User623 · 21/08/2024 16:36

Don't try these they're really badly written. Neil Gaiman is always an easy and entertaining read.

I've never understand the love for TTMC. I really like RO and hus debut novel waa really hyped up so i bought it. It turned out that it was really boring and quite twee, i gave uo ready it pretty quickly.

Bbq1 · 21/08/2024 17:06

Wow, my comment barely makes sense and I can't edit on my phone!

GoldenLegend · 21/08/2024 17:07

Technonan · 21/08/2024 16:23

I like Danuta Kot's series set around Bridlington, Life Ruins and Someone Who Isn't me. I like Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series, though I was very frustrated by the most recent one. Louise Pennny is usually very readable.

Second vote for Jane Casey.

Userengage · 21/08/2024 17:07

FuckThePoPo · 21/08/2024 16:49

Right this is giving me the hump now 😂

this was awful!

but I love love love the fact that unlike mathematics-literature is subjective and thank heavens for that!

You are welcome to your opinion! 😆

The person who lent me that book said she knew I’d love it. She then lent me another book that she knew “I would love” and I hated it!

JohnTheRevelator · 21/08/2024 17:09

I love all of Erin Kelly's books,but in particular 'The Poison Tree' and 'The Sick Rose'. I finished both of them in a couple of days.

ZeldaFighter · 21/08/2024 17:10

A Game of Thrones by George R.R.Martin.

Very much like the TV series - medieval fantasy type world, hyper-realistic, lots of sex, blood and guts - absolutely brilliant 👏

Liesel65 · 21/08/2024 17:10

You must read Strange Sally Diamond … it is absolutely brilliant

Enko · 21/08/2024 17:11

If you like mysteries and thrillers try Dorothy Koomson.

The friend
Brighton mermaid
The day that you left.

I enjoy her books a lot. Her first "my best friends girl" I could not put down.

Cornflakelover · 21/08/2024 17:12

I am Pilgrim
by Terry Hayes
if you like thrillers / crime / then this is a brilliant book
It’s
I read it in one night and stayed up till 5am to Finnish it

Martina Coles earlier books were really good
her recent ones are crap

km21 · 21/08/2024 17:12

The David Raker series by Tim Weaver - centred around missing persons investigations. All real page turners IMO.