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

@OnceUponAThread

Oh also - if you haven't read A Little Life - it's absolutely fantastic.

Hmmmmm.. a lot of people would disagree with that...

@Charley50 interesting. Everyone I've spoken to about it thought it was astonishingly good. Bleak and hard in places (as is the Heart's Invisible Furies, which OP enjoyed) but stunning nonetheless.

I ADORED The Heart's Invisible Furies!

Also LOVED A Little Life.

@SquirryTheSquirrel

Have you read Klara and the Sun by Kazoo Ishiguro? I recently enjoyed it.

I've just finished The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro and absolutely loved it.

Heart's Invisible Furies so so so so good. I came to it late but so pleased someone suggested it to me. Have tried some other John Boyne and it's ok, but not quite as good.

Burial rights
Exquisite

A song for Izzy Bradley
Beautiful

There is no place for Three Hours on this brilliant thread

It’s shite

Red head by side of road
Anne Tyler

A thin quick read but marvellous

I second The Poisonwood Bible
Any of Maggie O'Farrell although I haven't read Hamnet, it didn't appeal but I might give it a go as it gets good reviews. The hand that first held mine is one of my favourites
Heft and The unseen world both by Liz Moore are excellent
Little fires everywhere
Brave new world, I can't believe how long ago it was written, it is so relevant

Thank you all so much for your very excellent, high quality recommendations. 🙏🏻
It's great to find like-minded bookworms.
I want to go out and buy them all now......unlikely!!

Piranesi is very good

Literally all my fave books are in this thread!

I loved both A Gentleman in Moscow and The Heart’s Invisible Furies. I second lots of the books previously mentioned which I have also enjoyed:

Once Upon A River
A Song for Achilles (better than Circe for me)
Hamnet
All the Light We Cannot See
The Girl with the Louding Voice
Shuggie Bain
Bel Canto (better than The Dutch House for me)

Disliked The Buried Giant.

I would add Any Human Heart by William Boyd and Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

@FreeButtonBee

Piranesi is very good

Is it based on Greek mythology as I wasn't keen on Circe.

I'm reading Shuggie Bain at the moment. Excellent book.

Yay to Gentleman in Moscow and All the Light They Cannot See. 2 very special books IMO.

What a great thread!
I like all of Barbara Kingsolvers stuff- particularly Flight Behaviour.
I also liked 'station eleven' but that is dystopian fiction about a pandemic so maybe a bit different from other things suggested so far

I love many of the books on this thread, and am placemarking so I can come back and take notes.

@BaconAndAvocado no, not Greek myths in piranesi! I thought it was going to be, but is wasn’t 😂

Another vote for station eleven whilst I am here. Really enjoyed it !

Sarah Moss is a great writer. Kate Granville too, particularly The Secret River.
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghoe.
All the Birds, singing by Evie Wyld
Brooklyn, Colm Toibin.

We definitely love the same books OP. A couple I've really enjoyed recently that haven't been mentioned so far (I think) are:

Small pleasures - Clare chambers
Love after love - ingrid persaud
The weekend - Charlotte wood
Summer water - Sarah moss

Also seconding the recommendation for anything by Saran waters

@ImFree2doasiwant

I love many of the books on this thread, and am placemarking so I can come back and take notes.

Ditto

@BaconAndAvocado

Shinytaps No, I've only read Hamnett. Can you recommend any other good MO'F titles?

The vanishing act of Esme Lennox is fab

Bodies of Light and its sequel Signs for Lost Children by Sarah Moss are both good.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Sarah Waters yet? Fingersmith and The Paying Guests would be my suggestions.

@SirChenjins

I’ve just finished Rules of Civility by Amore Towles which I really enjoyed. Recent favourites have been All the Light we Cannot See (probably one of my all time faves actually) & Burial Rites based on a true story of the last woman to be executed in Iceland. Very well written and obviously heartbreaking, but not gory. Both multi award winning and deservedly so.

I thought Burial Rites was excellent too.

Also have you read Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered?