Which books I have loved but can never recommend...

Sometimes you read a book and something in it blows your mind. You read those final words and the back cover closes. You gently pat the back and then as a bookseller I can be overwhelmed by a horrifying realisation - I can’t recommend this book to anyone! ‘Surely’, I hear you say, ‘if you loved the book, then you know exactly who you can recommend it to.’ And often that is completely the case. Popular, exciting and easy reads such as Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith, The Dry by Jane Harper and anything by Fiona McIntosh, I know exactly who will give these books a loving home. However sometimes you read a book that has certain themes, an odd storytelling style or is just really, really thick and you know that these aspects are going to put people off. The thing is, if you give these titles the time, brain space and understanding you come out so much more enriched than with many of the popular titles. These books are the ones that will challenge you to look further into the world and outside your own experience.

So here’s a list of books that I have read, adored but really would find it incredibly difficult to recommend to general people. They cover many different styles of genres including fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, mystery and biography. If you are in the mood and want to expand your mind, give one of these books a go.

Little Life by Yanigahira

Homegoing by Yaa Gysai

Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman

Crossing the Lines by Sulari Gentil

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Singing my Sister down by Margo Lanagan

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Anything by Neal Stephenson

Danger Music by Eddie Ayres