What's the last brilliant book you read?

[HoggleHoggle]

I'm very excited to be going to an actual bookshop on Sunday rather than buying online but I'm all out of inspiration! I read a lot and am running out of stuff I'm aware of.

Can anyone tell me the last book they read that they absolutely loved?

Mine was The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Picked up solely because it has an outrageously beautiful cover I'd never heard of it before but it was AMAZING. And the first of a five volume series so that's how I've been spending the last month of my life!

Am interested in novels mostly but also happy to hear about non-fiction. Thank you!

Ms peregrine's home for peculiar children.

T'was excellent.

Oh and 'Being Dead' by Jim Crace (and 'Harvest' by Jim Crace also)

You were right to give up so early! . So boring, with characters that I didn't care about

Glad to see recommendations for Station 11. I started reading it two days ago and loving it so far.

A little life is the best book I've read in a long time, beautiful, harrowing, engrossing, I hated finishing it. I can't seem to read any thing else since I read it, most unlike me!

A M Homes - THis book will change your Life" - was the last great book I read ...amazing writer - transformative - hyper realism in literature...

Totally agree re This Book will Change Your Life. It's a total fame changer, hilarious and entertaining too, if a tad arse obsessed.

The Grass is singing Doris Lessing
Cry, The Beloved country Alan Paton

Both written about 60 years ago, but amazing.

Place marking for ideas.

I picked up Rebel of the Sands in Tesco the other day and really enjoyed it. I'm not usually one for supermarket fiction at all but it had a pretty cover

I really enjoyed A God In Ruins, and although the ending seems to divide opinion, I found it incredibly poignant.

I've never read Kate Atkinson but I think I've been persuaded! I'll add A God in Ruins to my next list.

Hoggle, bossing you about again - you need to read the amazing Life After Life before A God in Ruins, which is a sort of continuation. I'm finding the second one hard to get into.

I have just finished The Lake House, by Kate Morton.

I love the way it weaved the strands of the story over three different eras. The characters were so well drawn. Not life changing literature but very enjoyable.

Ah thanks footle, I hadn't realised

I've enjoyed all Kate Morton's books.

And Victoria Hislop.

'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern - fabulous! It's like Enid Blyton's 'The Faraway Tree' series for grown-ups!

Also enjoyed Natasha Pulley's 'The Watchmaker of Filligree Street', Leah Fleming's 'The Postcard' and Kristin Hannah's 'Winter Garden'.

If you like the tv show 'Castle' the JD Robb's (Nora Robert) 'In Death' series is very similar in style and format but set in the future.

Anything by Margaret Forster
Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. Unputdownable, and so sad.
The Miniaturist
Anything by Mitch Alborn,. esp. Tuesdays with Morrie and The Fiev People You Meet in Heaven.

God am still in shock after reading A Little Life. Don't unless you are feeling mentally strong.

Also A God in Ruins and Life after Life. Everyone in book club loved as much as me our DHs reading them now

I let you go by Claire Mackintosh. Amazing twist half way through that kept me gripped. Now trying to find what to read next!

More votes here for The Paying Guests and Station Eleven. I really don't understand why Girl on the Train is so popular, I thought it was pretty poor - although admittedly quite compelling since I finished it.

I'll be picking up The Goldfinch next based on the recommendations here (loved the Secret History but found The Little Friend was a bit blah).

I read The Goldfinch and The Paying Guests in 2014 and agree with other posters that they are two superb books. The Goldfinch is possibly my all-time favourite novel.

AlexPKeaton I bought A Little Life on your recommendation and am halfway through. Horribly sad but wonderful book.

Popping in to say thank you to those who recommended A Little Life. Halfway through and having to put it down in places as it's so sad and harrowing, but it is an amazing book. I also loved the Goldfinch and would totally recommend.