In a reading rut, help!

[1wokeuplikethis]

Automatically I click on kindle bestsellers, look for what has the most reviews, try a sample, read, buy, sigh, feel dissatisfied, repeat.

I am really sick of reading "thrillers" you know; the "most unputdownable (worst descriptive word ever invented and utterly overused) thriller that will keep you guessing with a TWIST AT THE END YOULL NEVER SEE COMING!!!! Richard & Judy book club best seller hot new debut fab fab fucking head exploding incredible thrilly mind bending twisty twerker edge of your seat MUST READ that you'll have to finish in one go!" Etc etc and they are all pretty...meh.

In my dissatisfied rut I've returned to some old favourites and read some Stephen Kings I've not read before. Read Marian Keyes new one and then one of her old ones I've read before. And I'm thinking I'll just buy penny vincenzis new one and maybe when I come back to bestsellers there will be something decent.

I do like thrillers when they are good, but there is a lot of bumpf about right now as it seems the hot topic. I like real-life fiction and I like horror and I like a bit of humour like the 100 year old man or Danny Wallace. I'm rather eclectic, most of all I just like a GOOD BOOK. That I want to get to bed early for to read. Probably not felt like that since I read the hunger games.

Help a bookworm out, please!

I just read The Girl Before by Rena Olsen.

This is not the big budget book with the same title, it's 100% better than that one, which is by a man writing under the name of JP Delaney. I don't recommend the JP Delaney one at all, and I'm not going to read any of his others.

The Rena Olsen book is about a woman called Clara, who is at home with her family one morning when armed men break in and take her and her family. The last thing she hears is her husband shouting to her to say she's not to tell them anything.

As thrillers go, you know quite a lot quite quickly, but that makes no difference to how good the story is because I just couldn't put it down, I had to know what happened in the end. Plus the story alternates between 'then and now' so you find out about Clara's life before she was taken as well as after.

I've also just bought Force of Nature by Jane Harper, who wrote the book recommended earlier on this thread. It's only just arrived so I haven't started it, but it sounds very good. Five women go on a hike and only four come back. A police officer looking for her is keen to find out what happened, as she is the whistleblower in a big case he is working on, but she also knows a lot of other secrets that might have put her life in danger.

Thankyou some really nice suggestions on here that I’m looking forward to reading.
Just one more suggestion from me- if you want a real change from thrillers but want a fun entertaining read the rich Asians trilogy by Kevin Kwan is great- very funny I read one after the other and feel v sad that I’ve finished them

Wow thank you for all of the suggestions and replies, I literally followed the first response from George and just finished reading two Kate Atkinson's back to back; started early and life after life. They were fantastic! Thank you so much for the tip!

I've only ended up back on here seeing all of the replies because I felt back in that rut and could see myself just going through all of atkinsons books now (like I did with liane moriarty, fab!)

I read a sample of Eleanor oliphant and didnt think much of it. But now there's all this hype over it, I'm wondering if I should try it again.

Some great suggestions, I've downloaded a bunch of samples from recommendations on here.
One more thing I'll add though, I hate any novel that mentions dead babies and children, or missing children or anything bad regarding children as I simply can't handle it. I read an Amanda prowse book (love her too) think it was a mothers love or similar named title and one part of that regarding a child had me literally sobbing. My husband had to comfort me - completely alarmed by his mad wife in hysterics at 11pm in bed - and it stayed with me for weeks.
Anyway, I will keep returning to this thread. Off I go to give oliphant another bash.

Chris Cleave also writes brilliantly and makes a nice change from the current genre of supermarket paperbacks.

I never thought I'd say this but I'm going off reading,I just can't find anything that isn't either too light and fluffy or just plain dull.

An older one that I love. Everyone I recommend it to loves it.

Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

The library is free.

I'm not struggling to access books, I regularly go to the library (albeit to borrow 2836 books for my children). It is the content that is boring me 🤷‍♀️

If you don’t mind something ‘colourful’ try the book with no name by anonymous - hilarious

Agree OP there should some special baby-related-trauma warning on books!

OP I think you might need to ignore my suggestion then. And ignore the book with the same name by the other other.

Try Golden Hill by Francis Spufford.

I 2nd Elenor oliphant is completely fine, I got it from the library and couldn't put it down and took me a day to read. I signed up for kindle unlimited however that seems to be full of thrillers too. I've just started how to stop time by Matt Haig so I'll see how that goes!

Some great suggestions here thankyou all, and I completely agree with OP the constant barrage of "gripping" and "unputdownable" thrillers has reached fever pitch and most of them can definitely be put down quite easily

I'd second the recommendation for "The Heart's Invisible Furies" it is fantastic

Given your dislike for anything bad happening to children I'd say avoid Eleanor Oliphant which is a shame as I really enjoyed that but it is a bit upsetting in parts.

I'm glad I gave Eleanor oliphant a second chance, have devoured it and at 90% on my kindle so back on here looking for another suggestion!

I get the feeling that the end of EO is going to be tough going given my dislike of children being hurt as a theme.
I love Mark Edwards but having read the blurb on from the cradle I won't read it, which is a shame because I actually do find his novels "truly gripping and unputdownable with twists I never see coming!!!"

Back to the drawing board for me.

I've downloaded a sample of the hearts invisible furies, looking forward to giving that a bash.

Is the keeper of lost things any good?

A Boy Made Of Blocks...Keith Stuart

Heart warming and emotional and so touching, totally a different type of book than a thriller (which is what I usually read too).

A story of a man, his autistic son and minecraft. I couldn't put it down.

just reading All The Light We Cannot See

It is hugely compelling, and I can't pull myself away from it.

Also, would love to second Crimson Petal and the White, love that book so much.

In fact every book 43percentburnt recommends.

Will be on the look out for a new book soon, so keeping my eye on this.

Try the Dana Stabenow books - female detective set in Alaska.

Have you tried John Connolly? He's written a series about a private detective whose wife and child are murdered. They are beautifully written and have a lot of creepy/ spooky aspects so an interesting mix of thriller and horror.

Highly recommend Jeffrey Deaver books in particular any of the Lincoln Rhyme novels they are excellent. If you like crime and forensics.

OP would recommend you don't read When Will There be Good News by Kate Atkinson. It's brilliant but still upsets me to think about it now!

If you haven't read any Rebus books by Ian Rankin they are a great read, I also love the Cormoran Strike books by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)

Another vote for Kate Atkinson. I also have liked a few books by Robert Goddard. Thriller type mysteries. I especially liked Caught in the Light.

Another vote for The Secret History (also hate books re children / babies that make me sad)