If you want to escape lockdown completely, then I recommend any novel by Georgette Heyer, or indeed, all her novels. They are absolutely delicious tales of Regency heroes, winsome heroines, fops, dandies, dastardly baddies and lots of sumptuous descriptions of silk-lined bonnets, cravats and breeches. Utter, immersive escapism. Try starting off with Frederica.

My favourite historical novelist -- stylish, romantic, sharp, and witty. Her sense of period is superb, her heroines are enterprising, and her heroes dashing. I owe her many happy hours

Triumphantly good

Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic

A writer of great wit and style

Sparkling

A fast-paced, enjoyable journey. Genuinely heartwarming . . . He is certainly ending on a high note

All three of the Rosie novels made me laugh out loud. Ultimately the story is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd, and discovering that he isn't really that different from anybody else

Superb. A perfect mix of humour, heart and insight

Excellent . . . beautifully and sensitively written, you will enjoy every sentence

Don Tillman is surely one of the most recognisable, distinctive narrators in modern fiction ... While this book is deeper and more thought-provoking than the first, there are many moments of humour and unexpected joy ... Uplifting, eye-opening and definite food for thought on whether we need to adapt to the world, or whether something the world is a better place in accommodating us as we are

UpLit novels to light up your life

Entertaining and thought-provoking

What is normal, and who among us gets to decide what is? Or is it enough to simply be comfortable in one's own skin? These are the heavy questions at the crux of this lighthearted book about identity and the consequences of seeing other people through the lens of labels

The message of inclusiveness and embracing differences is lovely. In the end, The Rosie Result is about learning to be comfortable with who you are

Behind all the steady wit and the rolling jokes, this is a thoughtful and provocative novel. [Readers] will love it as much as they did The Rosie Project

Praise for The Rosie Project Series

Compulsively readable. A poignant, universal story about how best to reconcile head and heart

Sublime, pitch-perfect, extremely funny

Brilliant, important, good-hearted

Exuberantly life-affirming

The book offers a touching and intelligent insight into autism, while Don's hilarious escapades keep the laughs coming

All three books in Simsion's series made me laugh out loud and were wonderfully endearing, genuine and open-hearted - everything I look for in a story

Brilliant, important, good-hearted

Hammad taps into the satisfying slow-burn style of classic literature with a storyline that captures both the heart and the mind…This is an immensely rewarding novel that readers will sink into and savor.

An assured debut novel that sets the life of one man against the tumultuous backdrop of Palestine in the waning years of British occupation… Closely observed and elegantly written.

Undeniably beautiful.

An engrossing, sweeping novel.

The are moments of such lyric beauty in The Parisian, Isabella Hammad’s debut novel, that you want what they describe to be permanently closed, hers to be the final word… [The Parisian] also has a close grasp of history, and the high quality of its writing never fades.

The Parisian by Isabella Hammad has already won advance praise from Zadie Smith, and deservedly so: this tale of a Palestinian immigrant... is beautiful historical fiction.

Hammad traces her protagonist’s emotional journey with great sensitivity, against a backdrop of historical events… a vivid, capacious historical novel.

The Parisian is a graceful and balanced book, animated throughout by an immense social intelligence… a pleasure to read.

A sweeping historical novel that opens in the waning days of the Ottoman Empire… The Parisian calls to mind a 19th-century novel.

Complex, subtle and challenging… [The Parisian is] excelling––with a powerful ending that is moving in the way it knits together the themes of self-betrayal and social and political treachery.

Reconciling oneself with the pain and pleasure of the ties that bind one to certain people and places is something that lies at the heart of Hammad’s novel… the world Hammad paints is a rich one.

Hammad… convincingly weaves the conversations and arguments around the Palestinian table, inviting the reader to join the friends and family who are full of complexity and humanity, and refuse to be defined by the tragedy that is befalling them… To read The Parisian is to gradually get to know a friend, like drinking tea with a favourite uncle and hearing about family stories, gossip and politics.

Escapism in the form of adventure and sisterhood. This is a novel with real depth and feeling and touches on worker's rights, racism, environmentalism and education

This tribute to female friendship and the joy of books is a compelling read

A captivating tale of love, friendship and self-actualisation

Escapism in the form of adventure and sisterhood. A novel with real depth and feeling. Empowering

An exploration of people's cruelty and also their kindness

The author of Me Before You pulls off a cracker with this stirring, exciting adventure story inspired by true events, in depression-era Kentucky, women find freedom and friendship by joining a brigade of horseback librarians

Jojo Moyes is back with another page turner. Inspired by a remarkable true story, The Giver of Stars features five incredible women who will prove to be every bit as beloved as Lou Clark, the unforgettable heroine of Me Before You

Joyous. Pucky female characters and wonderful writing. This is her best

About five extraordinary women in 1920s Kentucky, who worked on horseback as travelling librarians

An enthralling read based on a true story

One to get lost in. Escape with this book and follow the story of five women who are embarking on a powerful journey - and refuse to obey any man's commands!

A brand-new page-turner . . . based on a true story and tracks five feisty women living in America during the Great Depression

Jojo Moyes is back with this tale based on the real-life horseback librarians of Kentucky

Took me to the mountains of depression-era Kentucky where brave women librarians risked all to deliver books on horseback

Celebrates the world of books . . . A fictional yarn about a quintet of extraordinary intrepid women from disparate backgrounds

From the very first page, I was drawn into the world and the characters that Jojo Moyes has so carefully created

A fabulous adventure story

Praise for Jojo Moyes

Moyes somehow manages to break your heart before restoring your faith in love

Raw, funny, real and sad, this is storytelling at its best

Immensely readable and enjoyable

This truly beautiful story made us laugh, smile and sob like a baby - you simply have to read it

Wonderfully written and completely engrossing, with exquisitely drawn characters in a brilliantly plotted narrative

A heart-stopping read. Destined to be the novel that friends press upon each other

Britain's best contemporary female author

The storytelling treads the delicate balance between heartbreak and hope perfectly

A triumph

A tender, funny and hopeful look at love, grief and life. Bumper box of tissues required

Joyful, with a pitch-perfect ending

Julia Whelan is perfect as Alice Wright

Concentrates on sisterhood and friendship

A sweeping story of female friendship with a dash of romance, set in 1930s Kentucky

Her writing is beautiful and whimsical with unique storylines

This most recent book of Jojo's is her best . . . I loved this adventure story for girls for its plucky female characters and wonderful writing