In a reading rut, can you recommend a book?

[readinglizzie]

I'm in a complete reading rut and need some good book recommendations please!
I don't like anything gory or scary, nothing too twee.
I like stories with dual timelines, happy to try anything contemporary or historical, love a cosy murder, and enjoy non-fiction.
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and I Am Pilgrim (hated The Year of the Locust), enjoyed Ashes of London. love Agatha Christie and Vaseem Khan.
Thanks all!

Have you read any Caroline Lea?

Have you read any of the Cormoran Strike books, I really enjoyed them? There's 7 with an 8th due out this year.

Haven't heard of her, will have a look. Thank you

I've read the earlier ones, I haven't enjoyed the later ones as much. Not sure why!

I must recommend The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, a sort of coming of age book, set in the 70s/80s.

And any of Kristin Hannah books, "Wild" was amazing! Oh and The most fun we ever had" by Claire Lombard.

Thrillers (non gory)

Three Hours - Rosemary Luton
Hide - Nell Pattison
Hostage - Clare Macintosh

Cosy mystery - all easy reads, but enjoyable

Steve Higgs writes several cosy mysteries
Patricia Fisher series - set around a cruise ship
Alvert and Rex - man and dog exploring UK
Blue Moon series - detective series

Historical

Robert Harris books
Rhys Bowen - write some in WW II

Dual timeline

Seven Sisters series - Lucinda Riley - superb books

Was just coming on to say Lucinda Riley. And not just the Seven Sisters series, but her others also.

Also Kate Morton and Alexandra Walsh, both for dual time lines.

I came on to say Kristin Hannah too. I just finished The Women which was extraordinary and I also loved The Nightingale - both historical novels.

Some other ideas which might grab you

Conclave by Robert Harris (could be very topical given the pope is so unwell currently)

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - about the choices we make in life/roads not taken

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams - about a young woman working on the first dictionary with her father who keeps her own list of words important to her which don’t make it into the main work. Has a strong suffragette sub plot.

I love Andrew O'Hagan and everything that Patrick Gale writes.

Mayflies
A place called winter

Also Douglas Kennedy is another favourite author.

I'm working my way through Jane Corry's books at the minute. They are really good, often following two characters from different generations. They are excellent, I'm reading them quite quickly as they're very readable. Her books usually involve crime, missing people or mysterious back stories.

I’m currently reading Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris. It’s about the hunt for the men who signed Charles I’s death warrant.

The Push

The Bee Sting

I found The Five fascinating.

I second The List of Suspicious Things, excellent easy read set in 1970s Yorkshire.

I recently enjoyed
Weyward by Emelia Ward,
The last runaway by Tracey Chevalier, and the element series by John Boyne.

One of the nicest things to do if you have time, is to visit the library with an open mind. Spend an hour picking up books, reading blurbs, flick through the pages and enjoy getting a few good reads. Best thing is that you can take out a few you’re not sure about, as you don’t need to finish them if they’re not doing it for you - nothing lost by returning them unread.
That's my way of getting a renewed enthusiasm for reading

If you’ve not read them already, I HIGHLY recommend the following:

• The seven and a half deaths of Evelyn hardcastle by Stuart turton

• Cloud cuckoo land by Anthony Doerr

Both bloody brilliant

Possession (A S Byatt) fits the dual timeline and is a really good book!

I loved The Bee Sting!

Gosh, thank you all for so many ideas! I've read and couple by Kristin Hannah and Anthony Doerr but not the ones mentioned so I'll have a look at those. There are lots of authors I've not heard of so I've lots more to try. Thank you all so much 😊

Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow meets your brief. I really enjoyed it.

I always recommend The Observations by Jane Harris on these threads. I've given it as a present loads of times and everyone has enjoyed it (I think!)

I’m reading the Empusium by Olga tokarczuk and it is excellent!!

Strange Sally diamond, 2 timelines. Best book I've read in a long time

Agent Zigzag by Ben MacIntyre, about a WW2 double agent. Reads like a thriller but is absolutely true.

Small Pleasures or Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers.