The best books to make you forget what you’re doing and read all day instead

I love a psychological thriller that pulls me in right away, keeps me hooked all the way through and delivers a jaw-dropping twist at the end, and this books does just that.

The characters are so convincing but then Freida is a practicing physician specialising in brain injury. When I first started reading I was worried for Millie, the housemaid. Those creepy Winchesters weren’t to be trusted and I was convinced something awful was going to happen to her.

By the time I was halfway through the story I realised that the Winchesters had more than met their match. This book really did keep me up half the night as I kept reading ‘just one more chapter’.

I love stories of adventure set in alternative magical worlds and was enchanted by this one. The world building is incredible with a wealth of interesting characters and a riveting plot. The writing is so beautiful and evocative it sang from the pages.

The protagonist of the story is Zarya who has been trained to fight but forbidden to use her magic by her guardian, who has kept her a virtual prisoner by a magical force that won’t allow her to venture far. One day she breaks free and goes in search of the truth of her past and is swept into an adventure with demons, dark magic and romance.

A real escapist read inspired by Indian mythology and culture. It’s the first of a quartet so I can’t wait to read the rest.

I love reading about characters and relationships, and Sue is a master at writing about relatable characters that have depth and a back story.

The story is centred around a bunch of long-lost love letters that Raff brings to Maddy’s Great Aunt Ruthie, who has poor eyesight. As Maddy reads the letters to her bit by bit, Maddy discovers a big secret. Maddy has her own heartbreak, a husband who disappeared years ago when she was pregnant leaving her to bring up their daughter alone.

It’s a heartwarming story with lots of love and laughter that I really connected to.

I read this brilliant psychological thriller years ago and it has stayed with me.

I was fascinated by the concept of losing your memory every night and having to start all over again the next day. How do you know what is real, who to trust? Memory is so important, it links us to our past and helps form our future.

Christine wakes up from an accident and can’t remember anything, who she is, the man who says he’s her husband, anything from her past. When her doctor encourages her to write a diary before she goes to sleep every day, to help record her memories she opens a can of worms and realises that she’s in terrible danger.

A spine-chilling, page turner that had me completely gripped.

I love reading uplifting stories showing how the actions of others can affect our lives, and this emotionally engaging story was a fascinating read.

A dual timeline story, about Mattie and granddaughter Ashlee, it relates how Mattie made an important decision after witnessing Rose Parkes’ refusal to give up her seat. Years later, Ashlee is a young, successful lawyer who also has an important decision to make. She returns to her family home to visit her dying grandmother, Mattie.

As she reads the story her grandmother has written Ashlee realises that it is the real story of her grandmother’s life, and reading it has a big impact on Ashlee’s life and decisions. Beautifully told, with strong, warm characters.