Need a Quality read please

[BaconAndAvocado]

Just finished a Val McDermid and a Sophie Hannah.

Both a bit meh and very formulaic.

Really need something with a bit more substance and depth.

My favourite authors are Kate Atkinson, Rose Tremain.
I've recently enjoyed:
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Heart's Invisible Furies
The Goldfinch
The Midnight Library

Any suggestions anyone?
Tia

Thanks SkepticalCat
I'll look into those.

The Girl With The Louding Voice Abi Dare
We Must Be Brave Frances Liardet
Three Hours Rosamund Lupton

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides

Jessie Burton

I've just finished 'Circe'.

Small Pleasures Clare Chambers

Bit late to the party, but Great Circle - on the Booker shortlist. Compelling plot and interspersed with interesting information about early aviation.

If you liked The Goldfinch (amazing book), you might like The Secret History by the same author. I loved it.

SpiceWeaseIBAM
I've read and ADORED The Secret History.

I loved these 2 :
‘Reader on the 6:27’ By Didierlaurent
and
‘No Country’ By Kalyan Ray

Older than the others people have recommended, but have you read French Lieutenant's Woman, by John Fowles. It's a wonderful multi-layered novel if you haven't read it. Likewise "An equal music" by Vikram Seth.

I've read and enjoyed a few things on your list OP, and my most recent fab read is Still Life by Sarah Winman. Absolutely loved it

ASEAskeptic I like the look of that, especially as it's to do with EM Forster, another of my favourite writers.
Howard's End is a very special book.

Oh that is on my list now! I'd only read A Room with a View before reading Still Life (but years ago, so I had to immediately reread it after finishing SL) and now there is definitely more EM Forster in my future! I didn't appreciate it I quite the same way 20 years ago

I enjoyed Coulson Whitehead’s - The Underground Railroad. The next titles in my enormous TBR pile are The Dictionary of Lost Words and Where the Crawdads Sing. Followed by Shuggie Bain.

Following also need inspiration

I read a lot. The book that came immediately to mind was Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Such a satisfying saga.

Have you read We need to talk about Kevin, or Never Let me go? Personally I loved both of them.

His Bloody Project by Graeme macrae Burnett
The promise by Damon Galgut which is in for the booker prize
I'm reading The expendable man by Dorothy B Hughes. It was mentioned on the radio because she is one of the forgotten writers from the 50s/60s. It's very well written and not something I would normally read, set in the US in the ?50s. Worth a read imv.

Charley50
I lived Never Let Me Go and have always fancied reading Middlesex which is where I grew up!

WhippetyStourie I'm currently reading and enjoying Shuggie Bain.
The characterisation is superb and it's, thankfully, not as harrowing as I thought it would be.

ASEAskeptic you will love Howard's End and the film is one of the best adaptations ever, beautiful.

😂I didn't live Never Let Me Go but I did love it!

Ooh just seen that Middlesex is about time travel (sort of). One of my favourite literary themes .

Has anyone else recommended The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare? Best book so far this year!

@FritataPatate

Has anyone else recommended The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare? Best book so far this year!

Thanks. I've definitely heard of this book. What's it about?

@BaconAndAvocado

Charley50 I lived Never Let Me Go and have always fancied reading Middlesex which is where I grew up!

WhippetyStourie I'm currently reading and enjoying Shuggie Bain.
The characterisation is superb and it's, thankfully, not as harrowing as I thought it would be.

ASEAskeptic you will love Howard's End and the film is one of the best adaptations ever, beautiful.

🤪 Middlesex is nothing to do with Middlesex in the UK. It's a family saga with the central character born with ambiguous genitalia, and the family not sure what sex to treat her as, hence Middlesex. They're a Greek family who escape war and conflict to settle in the US, so an immigrant taleI can't remember the details now (I read very quickly so I don't absorb everything) but it's set across decades and continents and it's just brilliantly well-written and satisfying. I think I might re-read it actually 😀

Charley50
😂now I feel really stupid...