I need a book that will make me forget what time it is.

[Kayemm]

You know what I mean. One that you don't actually read because you are there with the characters.

I've loved:-
The Woman in White
A Prayer for Owen Meaney
Persuasion
Watership Down.
The Book Thief.
A Tale of Two Cities.

Not so much
Eleanor whatshername.
Misery memoirs.
Cloud Atlas

Throw your best suggestions at me?

Thanks.

[parietal]

For whom the bell tolls - Hemmingway
A fine balance - mistry
the dandelion clock - burt
the last life - messud

[IWouldLikeToKnow]

Came on to say The Heart's Invisible Furies, by John Boyne, but was beaten to it. Genuinely one of the best books I've ever read.
Also loved A Thousand Splendid Suns and The Kite Runner, both by Khaled Hosseini

[Kayemm]

Oooooh. Thank you all. Lots there that I have read and loved.

Too many to comment on them all but thank you.

I've just reread Harry Potter, they are there as a comfort blanket for me.

I read the Susan Howatch books when they came out and loved them, lots about charismatics as I remember.

Off to check out Amazon. I will report back.

[IdblowJonSnow]

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt
Life After Life - Kate Atkinson
Both are extremely substantial (especially the former) and you wont know what to do with yourself when you've finished them!

[Diorissimo1985]

Winter in Madrid - CJ Samson

A slow start but incredibly absorbing and I stayed up late many evenings to keep on reading.

[MrsLully]

Harry Potter
The name of the wind
Ender's game

[FrankUnderwoodsWife]

Not a novel but reads like one: Putin’s People by Catherine Belton
Also
The Eighth Life

[bonsaidragon]

Stephen fry's Mythos is excellent, especially as an audio book.

[Smallblanket]

Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

[idontevenknowanyonecalledblurb]

The hotel New Hampshire- or Garp- both brilliant. I loved wolf hall and got completely lost in the story.

[seekingwaxwings]

I came here to say The Heart's Invisible Furies as well! A wonderful, engrossing book.

[Kayemm]

I've ordered the John Boyne and put some others on my list.

To those who recommended A Fine Balance - that book nearly destroyed me! I sobbed so much, similarly A Little Life.

Thank you again.

[Marriedtoapenguin]

Don't know if historical fiction is your cup of tea, but Patrick O'Brians Aubrey series (the film Master & Commander Far Side Of the World is based on these) is an absolute thief of time.

[Bluemoooon]

His bloody project by Graeme Macrae Burnett. Set in 1869 in the Highlands. The title is off-putting imv, not sure why he chose that.

[Kayemm]

I loved His Bloody Project and chose it as my book group pick. Not everyone shared my love though.

[massistar]

I've recommended Where The Crawdads Sing to loads of people and they've all loved it.

[ClosedAuraOpenMind]

an old one, so you might have read it, but Memoirs of a Geisha is great for taking you to another time and place

[HollowTalk]

Have you got a library app on your kindle? I've found it a great way to read, especially over lockdown when the book shops are shut.

I'm reading A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler at the moment - absolutely love her work.

[nickEcave]

Just finished the Mars Room by Rachel Kushner set in an American womens prison. Really good! Also love everything Donna Tartt has written.

[houseforanartlover]

I second Life After Life by Kate Atkinson, completely absorbing, loved it.

[hagsrus0]

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Raising the Stones by Sheri Tepper

Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer

[sproutsandparsnips]

Anything by Robert Harris especially:
An officer and a spy
The trilogy about Cicero
Pompeii
Fatherland
Munich

[sproutsandparsnips]

Oh and Colleen McCullough:
The masters of Rome series
Morgan's Run

[MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately]

I love A Tale of Two Cities. My other Dickens faves are Bleak House and Little Dorrit.

[MyHipsDontLieUnfortunately]

Also what about the Cazalet Chronicles if you fancy a saga to really get stuck into?