Right I've had baby brain for the last 8 years,what have I missed???

[MrsHeffley]

Used to be an avid reader(3 a week) and the dc have put me to shame recently.

Had 3 babies in 15 months and for some reason found completing and reading books hard over the past 8 years(even chick lit,in fact that has been the hardest to complete) but I think I'm back!!!!

Just finished One Day,Time Travellers Wife,Two Caravans,I Left My Tent in San Francisco and currently loving Girl in Translation(fab so far).

So want a list of all the fab stuff I've missed.Not chick lit though.For some reason I struggle with that,doesn't engage me and I can't finish it. Really odd.I think because time is precious it has to really grab me,be reasonably well written and be a slight challenge although the above and Girl in Translation aren't a challenge but for some reason had/have me hooked.

I have an Eng Lit degree but I'm not a book snob,open to anything but they need to be reasonable quality either a good yarn or well written iykwim. Probably not explaining myself well.

So hit me with them what have been your top reads over the past 8 years?????

I'm going to recommend the same book I do to everybody: Every Dead Thing by John Connolly. It's about a detective called Charlie Parker, a serial killer called 'The Travelling Man' and it's so chuffing good you will get the other Charlie Parker novels (and the novella in Nocturnes).

I'm currently reading My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young. It's set during the First World War, and is in a similar vein to Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (which is on my tbr list). I'm loving it. It's well-written, absorbing, and the characters are thoroughly engaging. For me it has been a page turner, and I'd recommend it.

I'd recommend all of C J Sansom's books. I've also read and thoroughly enjoyed Call the Midwife, Starter for Ten and Are We Nearly There Yet? this year.

I am in a similar position, used to read a couple of books a week, now struggle to finish one a month. The book I absolutely devoured and lent to all my friends was Room (Which I got as an MN freebie )

Really harrowing subject, but a very uplifting book.

The Book Thief

A thousand splendid suns

The secret life of bees

The forgotton garden

I loved the twilight series

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

The brief history of the dead by Kevin brockmeir?
The girl with glass feet by Ali Shaw
The emperor's children by Claire Messud

The Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and the follow up called the angels game are just brilliant, and 'The gargoyle' by Andrew Davidson. I'm also getting back into reading this year and I'm currently reading ' the passage by Justin Cronin, and its gripping.

The Kite Runner
The Help
Room
The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo trilogy
The Crying Tree
The Lovely Bones

Kate atkinson
Maggie o'farrell

Although have just seen the 'maggie o'farrell' is rubbish thread so now feel a bit

The Book Theif
The Kite Runner
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo trilogy
Half of a Yellow Sun
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
We Need to Talk About Kevin
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Sorry, I meant The Book Thief, obviously

A Disobedient Girl (a bit like 1000 Splendid Suns)
The Observations
The Crimson Petal and the White
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Bel Canto
A Fine Balance
Restoration

All quite long, especially AFB, but really absorbing, memorable novels. Just noticed they are all set either in different countries, or in the past .. I seem to go for that rather than books set in contemporary Britain :)

The Blessing Nancy Mitford
The L Shaped Room Lynne Reid Banks
No And Me Delphine de Vigan

Not too long when you've just got back into reading, but all very absorbing reads.

I had to click on this thread because the title is inspired!!

When I had a break from reading for a few years, I got back into it by listening to the first Harry Potter audio book. I had not used audio books before and it was brilliant!

For something more grown-up, I have recently finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, which was a real eye-opener.

I also really enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl recently.

Happy reading whatever you choose!

Room
The Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Memoires of a Geisha
Any Roddy Doyle book!
Dracula and Frankenstein always worth a re-read imo.
Will type more tomorrow...too tired to think!.

I hated The book thief, found it really tedious.