Book recommendation please!

[LazySusan11]

I must confess I have read an awful lot of 'chicklit' I love the fuzzy feeling from the Christmas novels released. I have enjoyed Marian Keyes, Cathy Bramley, Jenny Colgan and Milly Johnson. HOWEVER, suddenly there's a ridiculous influx of cupcake cafes, tea shops, bakeries, Cornish cottages the list goes on and quite frankly I'm bored.

None of them are original, I love to read I enjoy the escapism of it. I also enjoy biographies and philosophy.

Please could someone recommend me a non twee read without cupcakes or farmers or cottages.

Thank you!

I'm reading nothing to envy about North Korea,which is very eye opening and recently read a year of living danishly-both easy to read, interesting and a break if you read a lot of lit!

Aren't We Sisters? by Patricia Ferguson. Clever, gripping and different.

I keep recommending 'Lie with Me' Sabine Durrant (and its currently 99p on kindle so I will again) ,, Its full of very unlikeable characters but a good story /twist

I also really enjoyed on holiday:

'At Hawthorn Time' by MelissaHarrison ,
and The Little Red Chairs , by Edna O'brien

.. enjoyably unlikeable characters , that is..

Try Mhairi McFarlane. Her chick lit is less twee.

I'm reading A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman. It does have cottages and is set in Cornwall but it's not chick lit. I'm really enjoying it and wanted to recommend it to someone!

I enjoyed lie with me, the voice it's written in is so convincing! I rattled through it. Enjoyed it so much I instantly downloaded another of her books

If you fancy a wee departure from chick lit try Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson (or really anything by her). Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel or The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August.

Me too Bump I read , 'Remember me this way' and 'Under your skin' straight afterwards .. really good , ..don;t know how I missed her before

I have just finished reading Somewhere Near The End by Diana Athill. It's one of her autobiographical books, a reflection on ageing and her life, friends, work, lovers, and much more. Written when she was in her late 80s, nearly ten years ago, and she is still alive. Intelligent and witty, a good read.

The Cazalets series, beginning with The Light Years, by Elizabeth Jane Howard. A wonderful depiction of family life from the 1930s, through the war years and into the 1950s. I'm about to start the final novel.

Thank you so much for the recommendations, currently ploughing through Lie with me, am hooked!

Apologies, the Diana Athill book is Somewhere Towards The End.

I read remember me this way and downloaded 'under your skin' last night. I'd never eats of her either until 'lie with me ' ...I want the sequel to that too!

the girl on the train

Where'd you Go Bernadette

The Rosie Project

Life after life and God in ruins Kate Atkinson are both fab x

Life after life and God in ruins Kate Atkinson are both fab x