Another what the heck can I read next thread please

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Am once more bookless - and am horrible when I haven't got anything to read. Dp is going to go on a library mission for me tomorrow - what can I ask him to get?

Likes -
*History books
*Novels with v well researched historical detail that aren't stupid - think Sansom rather than Philippa Gregory
*Stephen King but have read everything

• Post apocalyptic stuff, if it's good - but have read most of the ones that are generally recommended on here
  
• books about historical exploration etc
  
• things that are well-written without the writer's being up themselves (so no Ian Mckewan)
  
• classics
  
  Hates -
  
• no chick lit
  
• nothing claiming to be a literary masterpiece - none of yer Sebastian Faulkes etc
  
• nothing that has appeared on a Richard and Judy type list
  
• no Kate Atkinson
  
• no Scandinavian crime fiction
  
  Please, please help. :)

[alana39]

Have you read any Colm Toibin?

I share most of your likes and dislikes (on paper anyway!) and I love him. Any of his books.

[AlfalfaMum]

Have you read Mistaken by Neil Jordan? Possibly my favourite book this year so far.

[KatharineClifton]

Sophia McDougall

[auntierozzi]

Have you read Pompeï by Robert Harris?

[Carrotsandcelery]

Have you tried:

The Crow Road - Ian Banks
The World According to Garp - John Irving
Ray Bradbury Short Stories Vol 1 & Vol 2
Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake and The Waterless Flood (or whatever it is called)

Will keep thinking.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks all.

Don't like Robert Harris.

Not read any Colm Tobin - please tell me more!

The Crow Road - Ian Banks - read it but don't like him.
The World According to Garp - John Irving - read lots of his including this one but he does irritate me wuite a lot.
Ray Bradbury Short Stories Vol 1 & Vol 2 - not read and must
Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake and The Waterless Flood (or whatever it is called) - think I've read all of hers except The Blind Assassin which I have given up on three times and another one the name of which escapes me but may have been Cats Eyes.

Not heard of the others - need to know more please!

[macsaid]

Anne Enright is good and also Sue Miller

[Carrotsandcelery]

The 19th Wife - historical who dunnit about Mormons and polygamy
Amy Tan - any of them
Anne Tyler - any of them
Carol Shields - any of them
Half of a Yellow Sun
The Purple Hibiscus
The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Will continue to think.

[Bucharest]

Hilary Mantel- A Place of Greater Safety is my favourite historical novel (French revolution, told IIRC from the perspective of Julie Danton)

[Wurg]

you'll most likely have read it (or hate him) but Domain by James Herbert is my all-time favourite apocalyptic / horror novel

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

The 19th Wife - historical who dunnit about Mormons and polygamy - read itbut didn't rate it much

Amy Tan - read most of them

Anne Tyler - don't like her

Carol Shields - don't like her

Half of a Yellow Sun - read and loved

The Purple Hibiscus - read

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - never heard of this so please tell me more!

Have vowed never to read another Hilary Mantel - I read one that I hated (Beyond Black? Back To Black? Fat Woman In Black? Forget what it was called) and then toiled through Wolf Hall feeling irritated by her silly writing style but wanting to finish it because I liked the characterisation.

Thanks for all of the ideas and do please keep them coming.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I haven't read Domain. I don't much like James Herbert, though I did like Shrine years and years ago. Will deffo look out for that one though.

[KatharineClifton]

'Not heard of the others - need to know more please!'

Why not try Google

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Because I want to know why people on here think they are a good read - is that so bad?

[Carrotsandcelery]

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a bit of a homage to The Catcher in the Rye. It is about a young American boy who is on the outskirts of his year group at school. He has some mental health issues. He makes some friends in an older year group and the book deals with their "escapades". I don't want to say too much more.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Have you read Wilkie Collins?

Have you read Mudbound?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks Carrots. Have read most of Wilie C's - love The Moonstone, The Woman In White and the mr/Mrs one the title of which I have forgotten but some of the others are a bit daft.

The Wallflower thing sounds up my street. Don't know of Mudbound.

[PetiteRaleuse]

Do you have a Kindle? If so I can suggest a very readable fictional diary of Marie-Antoinette written by a MNer (not me I have no interest in promoting this book other than it is very good). I'm almost finished it and it's fun with lots of detail. I know nothing about M-A so can't say if it is historically accurate or not.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Do you like older kids books?

The Steven Augarde series The Various, Celandine and Winter Wood requires a leap of imagination but is fantastic.

I also enjoyed the Ingo series by Helen Dunmore and The Seeing Stone series by Kevin Crossley Holland.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Have you read Isabelle Allende - The House of the Spirits?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

No Kindle.

Have read everything by Isabel Allende - at her best, I think she's magnificent although she does get a bit samey at times.

Yes to teenage fiction/teen fantasy etc - have read and liked the kevin Ch ones but don't like Helen Dunmore. Will look out for the others. Thank you again.

[celticlassie]

The Boy Next door by Irene Sabatini?

The Poisonwood Bible?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Didn't like The Poisonwood Bible. Will look for the other one, thanks.

[TheFoosa]

I'm reading At Sea by Laurie Graham, very good fun so far

[TheFoosa]

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins?

young adult fiction but very exciting