Can you please please recommend a book….am in a rut….

[dameofdilemma]

I seem to have lost my way with a few books (that are popular with lots of people) that I’ve tried recently and not really liked - Hamnet; American Dirt; Piranesi etc

Books/authors I’ve really liked - Donna Tartt; Sarah Waters; Clare Chambers; Kate Atkinson (but not the crime series).

Unexpectedly I liked The Salt Path and Thursday Murder Club and Magpie Murders. Not my usual style.

Don’t like chick lit type books (Marian Keyes etc). I do read comfort books (Wodehouse, Agatha Christie etc) but in between something more substantial.

Really don’t want something harrowing full of abuse, despair etc.

Have tried a few samples on my Kindle but nothing is grabbing my attention….its driving me nuts! Please someone help….

Best book I've read in the last 12 months was Black Swan Green by David Mitchell

I'm currently reading Mapp and Lucia by E F Benson. I thought it might be irritating and boring but it's really enjoyable. Fits your comfort read category.

Old standbys Diary of a Provincial Lady and Barbara Pym. Similar to Provincial Lady is Mrs Tim of the Regiment by D E Stevenson - these are also comfort reads imo.

The island by Victoria hislop

@Riverlee there's 155 in total but obviously not everyone wants to read every book (I aren't doing this months and we have a real meet up and a virtual one. Amazing really as we are a little village and have only been running a few months! In fact that was our first book!

Following as lost my way too, need beautifully written books. The last book I really enjoyed was wolf Hall ….I blame the menopause.

Nicola Yoon writes beautiful YA books.
Also:

Maggie O'Farrell: I Am, I Am, I Am - 17 brushes with death

Alix E Harrow: The Once and Future Witches

Kazuo Ishiguro: Klara and the Sun

SE Lynes: The Baby Shower

Helen Paris: Lost Property

Margate Atwood: My Evil Mother

Sally Page: The Keeper of Stories

CJ Cooke: The Lighthouse Witches

Rebecca Serle: In Five Years

Seconding Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.

In the last couple of years I've discovered Ann Patchett and I haven't read a book of hers I didn't like. Bel Canto was the first one I read and I recommend it.

I also love Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer is brilliant.

I also enjoyed Circe and now also enjoying Song of Achilles. Beautifully written but quite an easy read too if that makes sense!

Piranesi by Susannah Clarke was very good. I got the audiobook version - I've listened to it twice and may do again. V quirky.

Why is she controversial? There are dated references to sexuality and race but that is true of any novels written last century (my teenage DDs think anything before 2017 is dated!). If you are talking about her sisters' facism remember that Nancy (and Jessica) were the left wing members of the family.

I was going to say the same. I regularly go back and re-read these and absolutely love them
Great thread! Am partly posting so I can come back and get some suggestions.
My DD is currently reading 'this is going to hurt' which has been made into a TV show. We haven't watched the TV version but she keeps guffawing out loud as she reads, she says it's a bit grim but also hilarious..

Kommandants girl and the diplomats wife

I have a collection of letters between Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh. Absolute scream. God he was a grumpy bastard

I've just finished An African in Greenland about a traveller in late 1970s having an adventure in Greenland. Life was very basic. Good if you are into anthropology. Author Tété-Michel Kpomassie. It was first published in 1981 but has been republished now, I think, as a classic.

I just read the Circle by Maggie Shipstead which I really enjoyed.

@CherryReid that's on my TBR shelf. Such a fascinating story. Have you read his interview with Ann Morgan?

No, will seek it out.

Maeve Binchy "The Glass Lake"

Have you tried something funny like Sweet, Sweet Revenge by Jonas Jonasson?

Jonas Jonasson books are hilarious. If you like something funny/slightly bonkers, they are great. Similarly, the Little old Lady behaving Badly series, anything by Marina Lewyka (history of Tractors in Ukrainia etc), anything by Magnus Mills, or Death by Croissants which is very funny.

We have very similar read but didn’t really like books… the best books I’ve read in the past 6 months are:

The other half of Augusta Hope.
Educated.
The giver of stars.

@AssignedSlytherinAtBirth The Star of the Sea is by brother of Sinead O'Connor, Irish writer Joseph O'Connor. I also loved it!

Sorry shamelessly just jumping on this thread as desperately need ideas too!

I'm reading Wind in the Willows at the moment. Epic.

OMG are you me?

Although I haven't read the Rose Code so now will do as we seem to have exactly the same taste!

Do you like eg John Grisham? Just read a book called the holdout about a group of jurors coming together years after delivering a verdict on a young rich girl being murdered-really loved it!!