What are your favourite books that aren't highbrow or fluffy?

[purplefig]

My maternity leave is starting soon and I'd like to have a list of books I can delve into. (Should that opportunity presents itself!)

I'm not after anything too highbrow, but equally not total fluff either. I'm thinking along the lines of...

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
Notes on a Scandal - Zoe Heller
Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling
Normal People - Sally Rooney
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Any suggestions?

Daisy Jones and the Six
Where the Crawdads Sing
Blood Orange
Circe
The Song of Achilles

You have very similar reading taste to me
I've recently really enjoyed the following books that were easy to read:- (sorry can't remember all authors but I keep a list of titles on my phone to recommend)
Our house
Old baggage (my fave book of last year)
The hearts invisible furies John Boyn
Mrs everything
The interestings meg wolitzer
American wife Curtis sittenfeld
The familiars
The new Mrs Clifton
The places I've cried in public

Am currently enjoying 'such a fun age'

Laurie graham books are brilliant as well

The Sellout - Paul Beatty
Anything Marian Keyes

Another vote for Kate Morton and Lucinda Riley.

Also Georgette Heyer, if you enjoy historical novels.

I'll second Madeline Miller's Greek myth books, they are a smashing read.

CJ Sansom's Tudor mysteries are fun

I've fairly recently discovered Baraba Pym. She is like a twentieth century Jane Austen. Witty books about middle class lives. I really enjoyed them. Quartet in Autumn is one of my favourites

Lee Child - The Jack Reacher series

Diane Chamberlin

Mark Billingham

Peter James

Harlan Coben

Wonderful suggestions here.

Can I also recommend Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood

And Saints for All Occasions by J Courtney Sullivan

I love Warrior Cats, this is a series of books which I adore. They may look childish but in fact they are exciting.

Alexander McCall Smith? I love the Scotland Street and No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series - very gentle with a bit of humour, and the former reminds me of living in Edinburgh. I enjoy a couple of chapters in the bath while DH looks after very active 9mo DD - my ultimate treat at the moment

For after baby arrives, you might want to consider reading on a kindle/tablet/phone - much easier to handle when you only have one hand available if you're feeding or snuggling

Can I also recommend Elena Ferrante - her Neopolitan series.

My life on a plate - India Knight

I read this after a miscarriage, and it gave me a great distraction. It is hilarious.

Recommend anything by Kate Morton - time slip, family secrets and twists. Katherine McMahon ‘The Rose of Sebastopol’ or ‘The taxidermist’s Daughter’, historical with unusual heroines.

I really like Andrea Levy. I had a spell without reading when children were babies. I struggled to find the sweet spot that was easy to read but worth reading. Small Island was the first book I really enjoyed.

Also, Where the Crawdads Sing.

Poisonwood Bible
Elena Ferrante Neapolitan Novels - take a little getting into, I recommend a paper version for easy referring back. but worth it.
Mornings in Jenin ( a little heavy, but very beautiful)
A Town Called Alice

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles is lovely and uplifting. His first book is lovely too.

Larchfield- Polly Clark
First Fifteen Lives of Harry August -Claire North.
CJ Samson- Shardlake books
The Rosie Project series.