The MN summer reading recommendations list 2010: share your top summer reads here

[GeraldineMumsnet]

There have been calls for an Official MN Summer Reading List.

So we're starting one.

Please list your suggestions for suitcase-friendly summer reads on this thread.

Same criteria as book club ie no misery memoirs, sleb biogs, yummy-mummy lit, books with more than 800 pages, or books with no punctuation or capital letters.

Your recommendations can be fiction or non-fiction. And if you agree with other people's picks, please say so, so that we can try to come up with a handy list of your top 10 (or 20) summer reads.

And , a reminder that MN bookclub will be back in September. Details to follow presently.

Thank you.

[frasersmummy]

too good to be true by Sheila O'flanagan

[deaddei]

The Little Friend- Donna Tartt

[AlaskaNebraska]

Non fiction. " nothing to envy" by Sarah someone. About north Korea told in very readable style through about five family stories. Outstanding.

[AlaskaNebraska]

Also like " the group" reccyed on here , new York womenn in early 1930s. GreAt

[ComeWhineWithMe]

The Help - Very very good.

[RabbitAndCo]

Finding Monsieur Right

[SparkyMalarky]

Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson

[BelligerentGhoul]

Hurray!

Yes to The Help - the voices ring so true in it: although it is not perfect, it is well worth reading.

I absolutely loved reading The Moonstone on holiday as it is so mysterious and 'closed in' and gloomy - a good contrast to the sunshine!

I always take at least one Austen with me as a guaranteed read - there's nothing worse than taking a load of books and then not liking ANY of them.

Will be back later for a nosey and with more recs!

[LaBellaSantaCatarinadiSienna]

Agree with The Help. Also couldn't put Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones down

[AlaskaNebraska]

Bit isn't the help written in the vernacular? That might put me off

[BelligerentGhoul]

This is an interesting non-fiction one:

www.amazon.co.uk/Reading-Lolita-Tehran-Memoir-Books/dp/0007289537/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 ie=UTF8&qid=1280253003&sr=1-1 reading Lolita In Tehran]]

[BelligerentGhoul]

Try again

[AlaskaNebraska]

Finding Monsieur right is chick lit shit. Read the rules

[titferbrains]

I've just finished Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby read on the way to pembrokeshire and back. A very easy read but good fun and lots of witty writing.

I read the help ages ago and thought it was great.

[BelligerentGhoul]

Alaska - it is very readable but the voices ring true. It's not like The Colour Purple or The Commitments or that sort of thing, where the voices get in the way because you have to work at them so much.

[AlaskaNebraska]

Ooh and simon millar book on the berlin wall , my Part in it's downfall. Vvvg and readable. Can't link am on phone

[AlaskaNebraska]

Shudder at memory of color purple

[KnottyLocks]

'City of Thieves' by David Benioff is a different and enjoyable read. You can tell that the author has also written film scripts.

[Fibonacci]

I also enjoyed Juliet, Naked.

last good book I read was The Road Home by Rose Tremain.

[Careful]

yy to The Help.

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngosi Adichie.
Lustrum by Robert Harris.

[alana39]

Oh yes Brooklyn and The White Tiger.

And if you have read Brooklyn already, try Colm Toibin's other books (

[alana39]

Can't work this laptop!

Was also about to add Graham Robb's The Discovery of France as non-fiction, especially if you're going there.

[AgentProvocateur]

Lacuna, by Barbara "poisonwood bible" Kingsolver. A great saga.

[ArcticRoll]

yy to The Road Home and Half of a Yellow Sun

Also Ladder of Years -an oldish Anne Tyler but a perfect Mumsnet summer read-mother on beach walks along beach and keeps walking.
Also One Day David Nicholls- a light read but well written.
American Wife-a great airport/beach read.

[yousaidit]

The People's Act of Love ; James Meek. Grim, wintery, creepy.. perfect summer read!