This request was asked by SBTB Tara on behalf of a friend:
I need a book recommendation for a friend. It needs to be a page turner, but it can’t have romance. It also can’t demand a lot of cognitive load. Her husband is in the ICU and wants to sink into something without using her brain.
I should mention that she’s already read everything by Becky Chambers and the whole Murderbot series.
Amanda: I did love Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, especially on audio. It’s fully narrated, so it feels like a radio play. Reading it might require slightly more attention since it’s more of an epistolary format with journal entries, interviews, etc.
Perhaps Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz ( A | BN | K | AB ). Dungeon Crawler Carl ( A | BN ) is a wild ride and just a really fun experience.
I really like Jane Harper’s mysteries. Not too cozy and a great sense of place.
Shana: I was going to recommend Dungeon Crawler Carl. It recently got me through worrying about a relative’s illness.
Sarah: The Parisian Heist ( A | BN | K | AB ) and Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza ( A | BN | K | AB ). The first is a dual timeline about the woman who made Van Gogh famous, his sister in law Jo. The second is a murder mystery set in the world of online influencers.
An older title: Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). Three generations of healers in North Carolina set during WWII.
What books would you recommend? Tell us in the comments!
