Books

I am a bookworm, but I need your help!! For my birthday I was given lots of books, but also lots of book vouchers (about £50 worth or $100!). I have spent about £15 so far and have £15 amazon vouchers and £25 normal book shop vouchers left, but I want to make sure that I spend my vouchers on good quality writing. Now, I love a good chick-lit novel, but I get through those in about 2 days, so prefer to borrow those from the library. I like to purchase books that I can savour, that take me a while to read, books which make me want to wait awhile before starting the next one because the current story is still in my head. I like to read books where I am thinking about the characters and the story long after I have put the book down.

I have found a few authors like that, Sebastian Faulks being one of them. I was introduced to him via Birdsong when I was in sixth form, and felt so incrediably grown-up reading this book. I then read Human Traces, which was amazing, I really really enjoyed that one, and now I am on Charlotte Grey. I also have Birdsong ready for a re-read too.

I spent most of my teenage years alternating between chick-lit and murder mysteries, graduating to psychological thrillers later on. And while I still enjoy these books, I am training myself not to look there first for a great read.

Here is where I need your help. I need suggestions of new (to me) authors whose books leave an imprint on your mind and a stirring in your soul. I want to expand my genre horizons. I will let you know what I decide to buy!