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Recommend me a book to reignite my love of reading…

45 replies

Wonderingpurple · 08/02/2024 20:48

I used to love reading but found once having children I fell out of the habit. I’ve been trying to get back into reading but struggling to find a really good page turner… I’d love some recommendations please?
my favourites in the past have been:
The handmaids tale
the time traveller’s wife
the midwich cuckoos
I like Dystopia, post apocalyptic fiction but not really young adult (unless it’s really good!), fantasy (but not really fantastical if that makes sense!), nothing with too many characters as I am rubbish with remembering who everyone is!
I would love to hear any suggestions for books I might enjoy. Thanks

OP posts:
SecondUsername4me · 08/02/2024 20:52

The Rose Code - fiction but based on women's contribution to cracking Enigma at Bletchley Park

Maybe Next Time - a woman gets stuck in a time loop, trying to fix the bad stuff that happened to her on a really really bad day

The Housemaid - this felt to me like one of the characters was obsessed with Handmaids Tale and treat her maid "Offred"y (without the rape/bear a child element)

I've read all 3 recently, and devoured each one.

CadyEastman · 08/02/2024 21:11

If you liked the Midwich Cuckoos have you read Day of the Triffids? It's such a great story and. Very easy read.

BoxOfPaints · 08/02/2024 21:12

How about The Power by Naomi Alderman?

Wonderingpurple · 08/02/2024 21:18

CadyEastman · 08/02/2024 21:11

If you liked the Midwich Cuckoos have you read Day of the Triffids? It's such a great story and. Very easy read.

Yes I loved this one, maybe time for a reread?

OP posts:
Wonderingpurple · 08/02/2024 21:19

BoxOfPaints · 08/02/2024 21:12

How about The Power by Naomi Alderman?

Ah I have read this one, I thought it was quite good too

OP posts:
PoppityBoo · 08/02/2024 21:23

Vox - similar to handmaids tale.

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 08/02/2024 21:24

The End Specialist
The Chrysalids

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 08/02/2024 21:25

The Passage
The Road
The Stand
World War Z

LittleFiendSusan · 08/02/2024 21:34

The Girl with all the Gifts was an excellent read.

CadyEastman · 08/02/2024 21:49

LittleFiendSusan · 08/02/2024 21:34

The Girl with all the Gifts was an excellent read.

I've just come back to recommend that one. I don't do a lot of dystopian fiction but particularly enjoyed this one.

Bananapud · 08/02/2024 21:59

The History of Bees - Maja Lunde
Greenwood - Michael Christie
Station Eleven/Paper Palace/Sea of Tranquility- Emily St John Mandel
Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr

gggrrrargh · 08/02/2024 22:01

I’m reading the scythe trilogy at the moment, by Neal Shusterman. Finding it very good

mdinbc · 08/02/2024 22:10

You might like The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I read it for book group and enjoyed it. Not my usual genre, but would fall into fantasy category. I hear they are making it into a movie.

Occitane · 08/02/2024 22:16

I love Brave New World by Aldus Huxley.

maltravers · 08/02/2024 22:20

Klara and the Sun by Ishiguro

Ihonestlydontgetit · 08/02/2024 22:23

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

whatausername · 08/02/2024 22:32

Well, it's not a dystopian world kind of vibe but a short, wonderfully written book is Ethan Frome. Something short might get you back into reading?

Elephantsarenottheonlyfruit · 08/02/2024 22:55

Station Eleven reawoke my love of reading after a few years away - dystopian near future

stringbean · 08/02/2024 23:40

The Mandibles by Lionel Shriver is a good dystopian read.

SabrinaThwaite · 08/02/2024 23:44

Not dystopian and set in the 19th century but a clever book that’s an easy and enjoyable read is Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.

Mothership4two · 09/02/2024 01:33

Seconding The Girl With All The Gifts (and The Boy On The Bridge), Station Eleven, The Road and Fingersmith.

Also (in no particular order): Parable of the Sower (series) by Octavia Butler, The Passage (series) by Justin Cronin, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (but that's a bit of a chunky monkey to get you back into reading), Pines (Wayward Pines series) by Blake Couch and The End Of The World Running Club by Adrian J Walker.

Ambivax · 09/02/2024 01:38

maltravers · 08/02/2024 22:20

Klara and the Sun by Ishiguro

And Never Let Me Go also by KI - it stayed with me for a long time

shockthemonkey · 09/02/2024 01:50

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a real must! Going to read it a second time as it’s so Bloomin good

GalileoHumpkins · 09/02/2024 11:55

I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman.
Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica.

108Anj · 09/02/2024 12:00

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and also by same author, Piranesi