What shall I read?

[UmuLuxury]

In a terrible slump and desperate for something to really draw me in.

Books I love
Americanah
Station Eleven
Secret History
Life after life
Song of Achilles

Quite predictable main streamers I suppose although have read lots of things and open to anything.

I've also been very gripped by things like I Am Pilgrim and the Robert Galbraiths and murder mysteries in general.

This year I've read and enjoyed 11.22.63 by Stephen King, The Essex Serpent and His Bloody Project.

The Shardlake series by CJ Sansom? Tudor detective.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson. I quite enjoyed Life After Life but liked this better.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tarrt - has its flaws and but if you like it you've got 700 plus pages to enjoy!

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld - surprisingly good read about the life of a First Lady, loosely based on Laura Bush.

Have you read the fifth wave trilogy? I've just finished that.
Shades of grey by Jasper Fforde is good.

Oh and if you want something easy and gripping to get you started, The Exclusives by Rebecca Thornton is a good bet. A bit of a lighter-weight Secret History - 2 best friends at an exclusive school have their lives and friendship altered by the events of one night at the end of term. The story is told in flashbacks and it was very page-turny

I also like AM Holmes books and most dystopian stuff.

Definitely The Goldfinch.
Half of a Yellow Sun (same author as Americanah)
Commonwealth (Anne Patchett)
Anything by Lionel Shriver especially We Need to Talk About Kevin, So Much for That, the Post Birthday World and Big Brother.

I'd second 11-22-63, as I loved that and couldn't put it down.

Also enjoyed the Shardlake books.
Pillars of the Earth and World without End- long reads but definitely worth it IMO.

Ooh these are great thank you.

I also love Lionel shriver. So much for that one of my favourite books ever. Also read goldfinch and yellow sun.

Yes I agree re So Much for That - I thought it was totally brilliant and can't understand why people don't mention it more.

(Not to turn this into a L.S. love in but if you haven't already heard her speak/read it's really worth going. She lives in London so has spoken twice at our local bookshop and was great).

Have just enjoyed The Muse for a quick and page-turning read.

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Have just started Red Rising by Pierce Brown which I saw on the read 50 books thread and it's pretty good!

Is The Muse Jessie Burton? I did sort of enjoy her last but not bowled over.

Eric what other LS would you recommend? I think So Much for That (like her others) is not popular because it's so painfully hard hitting, the main message essentially being was it worth it? I think it was inspired by her friend going through a similar thing which is obviously a pretty bold and heavy thing to do.

Hi - yes, the Muse is Jessie Burton. It's not perfect - a bit silly in places, too many coincidences etc - but if you can forgive that it's very entertaining and I raced through it in a day.

OP, you have very similar taste to me, loved all those you mention (though not read Station Eleven so will do!)

Other books I've really enjoyed are
Notes on a Scandal
The Road Home (rose Tremain)
Winter in Madrid (same author as the Shardlake series)
Life After life
Cutting for Stone
A Little Life (tho always hesitate to recommend as completely grim)
Never Let Me Go
A Fine Balance

Station eleven a bit of a curve ball birdy quite different from the others. But do try it! I loved it so so SO much

Any of Lianne Moriarty's books, also love Mavis Cheek especially Three Men on a Plane - made me laugh out loud. An old favourite is The Shell Seekers.

Not normally what I would chose but have just finished Jeffrey Archer series The Clifton Chronicles- really enjoyed them.

Everything previously mentioned is right up my street. I'm reading and loving Gilead by Marilynne Robinson at the moment.

Hagseed by Margaret Atwood
Sweetland by Michael Crummey
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Red Riding trilogy by David Peace
Jack Parlabane books by Chris Brookmyre
Simon Serailler books by Susan Hill
Annie Proulx
Cormac McCarthy

Crap halfway through The Other Hand and really enjoying it.. 99p on the kindle at the moment if anyone else fancies it.

Am also reading The Muse, and it's definitely a page turner, actually preferring it to The Miniaturist. A God In Ruins, the sequel to Life after Life is good. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is very good but pretty grim.

Have you read any of the Kate Atkinson detective books? They're fab - start with Case Histories. I have also enjoyed the Vera Stanhope series by Anne Cleeve, they're a bit more formulaic but entertaining and easy to read.

Would second the AM Holmes recommendation - I especially love 'This book will save your life'.

My book of last year was All the Light we Cannot See and one of my all time faves which I thilnk you'll enjoy based on your list is Any Human Heart by William Boyd.

Have read any human heart LOVED.

Great suggestion re Kate Atkinson crime novels. They always seemed a bit Ruth rendall to
Me but shall give them a go.

Have you read the most recent Lionel Shriver - the Mandibles?
What about Maggie O'Farrell - the vanishing act of esme lennox is my favourite.

I'm reading Ready Player One at the moment, a lot of people really liked it on the books threads, light sci fi.