Since my dad passed away, I’ve lost my way a bit. I’ve forgotten how to have ‘me time’ and hobbies. One of my great loves has always been reading books so in an effort to find my way again I asked friends, fellow moms, and family members for their book recommendations. And they came through for me big time!
One of my finest memories of my family was when we would spend days just reading. It was most typical on Christmas day and the days that followed. We would open up our gifts and the inevitable books under the tree were immediately cracked open and dove into without pause.
I created a big list of books with all those recommendations. I’ve organised the books by category. I maintain an Amazon wish list for anyone who wants to send me or the kids gifts from abroad, but it also reminds me what I want to buy when I go to a local bookstore.
Please note, the Amazon.co.uk links earn me a tiny affiliate amount if you make a purchase paid to me by Amazon, not your purchase. I do not use any other affiliate program and make about £10/year from this program. You know why I don’t make more? Because I’m telling you right now to use this list and shop locally, preferably in non-chain stores in your area. You will make a difference to your local economy.
Adult Mystery Fiction
Pembury Acres Mysteries Books 1-3: Pembury Acres Cozy Mystery (Pembury Acres Mystery) by Daphne McLean (Kindle Edition)
Meet Me at the Museum: A Novel by Anne Youngson (paperback)
Treasure of Saint-Lazare: A Novel of Paris: The dangerous search for a priceless Renaissance painting and a king’s ransom in Nazi gold. (The Eddie Grant Series Book 1) by John Pearce (paperback)
The Librarians and the Pot of Gold by Greg Cox (paperback)
Dessert, Diamonds and Deadly Secrets Box Set: A Piece of Cake Mystery by A.R. Winters (Kindle Edition)
Murder Most Puzzling: 20 Mysterious Cases to Solve (Murder Mystery Game, Adult Board Games, Mystery Games for Adults) by Stephanie von Reiswitz (Hardcover)
The Man Who Died Twice (The Thursday Murder Club Book 2) by Richard Osman (Hardcover)
Death and Croissants (A Follet Valley Mystery) by Ian Moore (hardcover)
Fiction
Secret Life of a Hollywood Sex & Love Addict by Brianne Davis (paperback)
The Narrow Land: Christine Dwyer Hickey by Christine Dwyer Hickey (Paperback)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (paperback)
Food & Cooking
A Cook’s Book: The Essential Nigel Slater by Nigel Slater (Hardcover)
The Batch Lady: Shop Once. Cook Once. Eat Well All Week by Suzanne Mulholland (Hardcover)
The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Michael Pye (Paperback)
The Food of the Western World: An Encyclopedia of Food from North America and Europe by Theodora Fitzgibbon (Hardcover)
Kids
The 143-Storey Treehouse (The Treehouse Series) by Andy Griffiths, Terry Denton (Hardcover)
The Highland Falcon Thief (Adventures on Trains) by M. G. Leonard , Sam Sedgman (paperback)
Kidnap on the California Comet (Adventures on Trains) by M. G. Leonard , Sam Sedgman (paperback)
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: Forging Destiny
Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior: Quest Mode
Iggy Peck’s Big Project Book for Amazing Architects
Cat Kid Comic Club: Perspectives: from the bestselling creator of Dog Man (Cat Kid Comic Club #2) by Dav Pilkey (Hardcover)
Pages & Co.: Tilly and the Bookwanderers: Book 1 by Anna James (Paperback)
The Adventurers and the Cursed Castle: 1 by Jemma Hatt (Paperback)
The Garden of Lost Secrets: 1 by A. M. Howell (Paperback)
The Strangeworlds Travel Agency: Book 1 by L.D. Lapinski (Paperback)
Gratitude is My Superpower: A children’s book about Giving Thanks and Practicing Positivity by Alicia Ortego (Paperback)
Questioneers Chapter Book Collection by Andrea Beaty, David Roberts (Hardcover)
Aaron Slater, Illustrator (The Questioneers) by Andrea Beaty, David Roberts (Hardcover)
The Burpee Bears: Meet the Burpee Bears in this glorious picture book created by the Nation’s Favourite PE Teacher, Joe Wicks! by Joe Wicks, Paul Howard (Hardcover)
Beetle Boy (Battle of the Beetles Book 1) by M.G. Leonard (paperback)
The Secret Lake by Karen Inglis
Summer of the Woods (The Virginia Mysteries Book 1) by Steven K. Smith
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs by Donald J. Sobol
The Figure In the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt Book 2) by John Bellairs, Mercer Mayer
Robots Rule the School (The DATA Set Book 4) by Ada Hopper, Sam Ricks
Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids: 50+ Exciting STEAM Projects to Design and Build (Awesome STEAM Activities for Kids) by Christina Schul (Paperback)
Crafts & Art
Collage Workshop for Kids: Rip, snip, cut, and create with inspiration from The Eric Carle Museum by Shannon Merenstein
Typographic Knitting: From Pixel to Pattern by Rudiger Schlomer
The Knit Vibe: A Knitter’s Guide to Creativity, Community, and Well-being for Mind, Body & Soul by Vickie Howell
The Knitter’s Dictionary: Knitting Know-How from A to Z by Kate Atherley
The Beginner’s Guide to Writing Knitting Patterns: Learn to Write Patterns Others Can Knit by Kate Atherley
The Color Teil: Life, Work, and Inspiration by Teil Duncan
Writing & Technology Skills
Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business by C. C. Chapman, Ann Handley (Paperback)
DevOps ICU: Improve Processes and Results by Correctly Integrating UX: A Guide for Product, Project, and Engineering Leaders and Workers by Debbie Levitt (Paperback)
Microcopy: Discover How Tiny Bits of Text Make Tasty Apps and Websites by Niaw de Leon
Make a TikTok Every Day: 365 Prompts for Attention-Grabbing TikToks by Dave Jorgenson
The Experience Maker: How to Create Remarkable Experiences That Your Customers Can’t Wait to Share by Dan Gingiss
Learning & Self-Care
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
The Culture Map (INTL ED): Decoding How People Think, Lead, and Get Things Done Across Cultures by Erin Meyer
A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas (Collins Classics) by Virginia Woolf
Manners Begin at Breakfast: Modern Etiquette for Families: The Essential Guide to Modern Manners by Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, Tory Burch
My Glory Was I Had Such Friends: A Memoir by Amy Silverstein
Skincare: The award-winning ultimate no-nonsense guide and Sunday Times No. 1 best-seller by Caroline Hirons
Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown