Lockdown reads for relative non-readers... (Part one)

I know a lot of you have put 'read more' on your New Years Resolutions every year... and as this year is beginning with a lockdown, it's a great time to get that goal going! So, here is a list of a few of my recommendations to start with.

*I read all of these books in 2020, some for the first time, some I had also read previously.

The Hunting Party, Lucy Foley (2019)

Thriller/Murder Mystery

This was the first book I read in 2020, it took me less than 48 hours to finish because I could not put it down.

The Agatha Christie vibes (a group of people in a remote place, a corpse, a few suspicious characters here and there...) gives this contemporary novel a classic mystery feel. The twists and turns throughout the narrative create the unnerving feeling of thinking you suspect the right person and having that ripped out from under you every time. It is set on New Years in a snow storm which makes especially immersive for this time of year.

Stardust, Neil Gaiman (1997)

Fantasy

Stardust is one of the most magical books I have ever read. It is told in an old-worldy style, and is full of action. It is a relatively quick and easy read, despite the fantastical contents of the novel. If you liked the Matthew Vaughn film that is based on this book, you will enjoy this read.

A great step into Fantasy.

The Flat Share, Beth O'Leary (2020)

Chick-Lit/Rom-Com

The story sounds ridiculous... two people share a flat, share a bed... but they've never met. How Beth O'Leary makes this such a fun, loveable story that you can truly believe is brilliance. Tiffy and Leon are my favourite characters of all of the characters I met this year. I listened to this as an audiobook rather than reading it when I was struggling with insomnia... it did not help my insomnia. I found I was actively trying to stay awake to find out how the story unravelled! It is funny, heart-warming, and has a bit of drama in it which was a great way for me to step into the genre. I am not a chick-lit fan in general... but this novel really swayed me. I now cannot wait for O'Leary's next book, The Road Trip, which is released in April this year.

Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi (2016)

Historical Fiction

Personally, I hear 'historical fiction' and automatically take a step back. This book was part of Beth's Book Club (I think August 2020), so I read it because I have enjoyed so many other books from genre's I would never read by discovering them through the book club.

This was Gyasi's debut novel, which follows the descendents of two Ghanaian half-sisters over almost three years. The narrative alternates between Africa and America, giving a small insight into the history of colonisation and slavery.

This is a very intense, emotional and moving read, but I cannot recommend it enough. For me, it was an easy 5* read.

Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling (1997-2007)

Fantasy

*The author is a very problematic woman, and I personally would not recommend purchasing her books first-hand.

I read the Harry Potter series twice this year. It is such perfect escapism, taking you into an entirely new world (which we definitely all need right now!). If you have watched the films and loved them, the books are so much more magical and you WILL have a reignited obsession. If you have watched the films (or not at all!) and disliked them it is absolutely still worth giving the first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, a go!

The audiobooks are also 10/10. Stephen Fry's voice makes is extra magical.

Red, White & Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston

Romance/LGBQT+

This incredibly fun novel follows the First Son of the United States as his relationship with the Prince of Wales goes from hatred to romance. It is laugh-out-loud funny, and is perfectly heart-warming for those January/lockdown blues.

Red, White & Royal Blue is probably the book that took me the longest to read this year, but I was devastated when I finished it! I so wanted Alex and Henry to be real.

Let me know if you try any of these books and what you think!