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.

[Howgreenwasmyvalley]

A man called Ove is a lovely book.
Also recommend the The Cazalet Chronicles.
Anything by Jo Jo Moyes or Lisa Jewell.

[SlightyJaded]

Love many of the books recommended here:

I would second/third:

The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Goldfinch
The Poisonwood Bible
The Help
Life after Life followed by A God In Ruins (destroyed me, but in a good way)
Beloved
The Kite Runner
Rebecca
Memoirs of a Geisha

All brilliant and absorbing.

Would like to add:

The Binding
The Secret Life of Bees
Year of Wonder (especially relevant at the moment)
The Thirteenth Tale
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
And anything by Stephen King who is seriously underrated and dismissed as a 'horror writer' when he is so much more.

[SlightyJaded]

....Oh and of course, One Hundred Years of Solitude and The House of Spirits

[princessspotify]

@SlightyJaded have you read a thousand splendid suns? it's by the same author athe kite runner
I was sobbing at the end.

[Bitsnbobs78]

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. It is about a girl growing up in Alaska with her dysfunctional parents. If you like Educated or The Glass Castle (also fab) it is an absorbing read.

[ElaineMarieBenes]

Any Human Heart

A Brief History of Seven Killings

& another vote for ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’

I agree with you about ‘A fine Balance’ - beautifully written but still have nightmares!

Also anything by Patrick de Witt!

[Teaandscone]

Katherine by Anya Seton

[SlightyJaded]

@princessspotify Yes - should have included it. Wonderful book.

I am about to start 'Where the Cawdads Sing' based on this thread.

[SlightyJaded]

Bumping to say that I have now started and finished 'Crawdads' and loved it. Couldn't stop reading (hence posting at this time). Highly recommend.

[Lollee]

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, there are 8 books so far. When you have read them you can have the absolute joy of watching the series too!

[Lollee]

Wilbur Smith has done six books in the Egyptian series, all excellent, and Ken Follett has done two follow up books to Pillars of the Earth. Both still set in Kingsbridge but generations apart.

[321youreback]

These two - lovely books !

[tobee]

I second In Cold Blood

[OhioOhioOhio]

My husband's secret

[Wauden]

Anything written by the great Thomas Hardy.

[peanutbutter00]

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed. Horrific concept but great dystopian fiction. I burnt through it in one evening

[GrumpyGran8]

And anything by Stephen King who is seriously underrated and dismissed as a 'horror writer' when he is so much more.
I second that - he's a terrific storyteller.
Of his books that I've read, I can recommend
22/11/63
Lisey's Story
Under The Dome
Dolores Claiborne
Doctor Sleep
The Institute

He's also written some wonderful short stories, so try some of his story collections, such as Full Dark, No Stars, and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams

[Kayemm]

I read The Heart's Invisible Furies after all the recommendations and you were definitley not wrong.

Oh it was wonderful, and is my new must recommend. What fabulous characters. My heart broke more than once.

I'm reading Circe now by Madelaine Miller, first impression is that it's not as good as The Song of Achilles which I loved.

[SlightyJaded]

Glad you enjoyed The Hearts Invisible Furies OP. Definitely my 'standard' :)

[BestIsWest]

My Cousin Rachel - it’l raise your stress levels though.