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Original poster

I am desperate and need you all to help me please!

239 replies

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 15:39

I have got one and a half history books left and then I am, once again, bookless. I have been to three different libraries in the last ten days and have failed to find even a single book that I fancied or hadn't read before.

I have some Nectar points to spend, so I could have a bit of an Amazon splurge - but what shall I get?

  1. Favourite writers are Jane Austen and Stephen King
  2. I like v well written fantasy (ie Tolkein) or v well written historical who-dunnit stuff (eg Doyle or Sansom) or quirky history books
  3. I am a snob and get very twitchy about shoddy writing but can't stand overly self conscious crap (step forward Ian McEwan)
  4. I am very, very fussy
  5. I read very, very quickly so the bigger the book, the better

Please help!

OP posts:
suzikettles · 07/05/2011 18:37

It broke my heart when I finished Dora Damage and discovered that Belinda Startling died before it was published Sad.

I actually thought the end read almost as if she hadn't quite decided how to finish it off (almost several possible places to "end" it, one after the other) and I wonder if she'd have done a final edit if she had lived. I miss the books she'd have gone on to write iyswim.

stabiliser15 · 07/05/2011 15:16

For decent early medieval historical fiction, I would recommend Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight and The Scarlett Lion - both about William the Marshall. Really well researched and good reads.

Other fiction with historical angles I would recommend would be Small Island by Andrea Levy and Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky.

Have you tried Douglas Kennedy? Usually long and gripping (I've posted elsewhere about my love for his books!). Recommend A Special Relationship or State of the Union.

Someone's mentioned Laurie Graham - I couldnt get on with the book about the Windsors but loved The Unfortunates.

Gone With The Wind?

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 07/05/2011 14:51

I loved The Journal Of Dora Damage and have never met anybody else who has read it. :)

OP posts:
Fab123 · 07/05/2011 00:43

Have you read I Lucifer by Glen Duncan? Quick read but I loved it. Plus felt very smug pointing out to my ex (Eng Lit grad) that the main character Declan Gun is an anagram of the author Grin. A good a reason to recommend as any.

suzikettles · 07/05/2011 00:37

Fall on your knees - Ann Marie MacDonald. Another hefty one. It's been years since I read it but it was an all nighter.

suzikettles · 07/05/2011 00:34

I know you said ignore the thing about SF, but I would highly recommend Dancers at the end of time by Michael Moorcock. It's big and clever and good enough writing that you can ignore the genre.

I know this much is true - Wally Lamb. Also big. Compelling.

The journal of Dora Damage - Belinda Starling. Enjoyed this hugely.

I'm reading a lot by William Boyd at the moment. Any human heart, A good man in Africa, Ordinary thunderstorms, An ice cream war. All quite different. All good reads.

MadAsASnakeNana · 07/05/2011 00:18

Try Dorothy Dunnett - Lymond Chronicles and then the House of Nicollo series - read Lymond first, then Nicollo. You MUST read the books in the right order. Hope you enjoy them, I'm addicted for life.

ChateauRouge · 06/05/2011 22:08

ealingkate- the sequel is fantastic too- have you read it?

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 06/05/2011 15:54

Thanks again all....will have a proper mooch at recent posts later.

Kerry - I said, "Thanks for all the recent posts, which I need to read properly now." Is that not enough acknowledgement to be going on with?

I really appreciate this thread and will be printing it off for continued reference.

OP posts:
Ephiny · 06/05/2011 10:09

Sorry if it was already mentioned, I haven't read through the whole thread. But if you like Jane Austen/fantasy/historical fiction, you should definitely read Susanna Clarke's novel 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' and her book of short stories, most of her stuff is set in a 'fantasy' version of historical (19th c) England, written in a very Austen style. Sounds a bit odd but it's actualy very very well done IMO.

kerrymumbles · 06/05/2011 00:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DilysPrice · 05/05/2011 22:53

Tim Powers' earlier stuff is good yes, especially the Anubis Gates - a real rollercoaster timetravel adventure. Disney paid him money for the rights to On Stranger Tides, (the original zombie pirate novel) but the film is not likely to bear much resemblance to the book.

Ealingkate · 05/05/2011 22:18

A second vote for The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, a quick read but the story has stcuk with me even though I read it 10 years or so ago. It's sci-fi btw. I'm also enjoying Brighton rock atm.

ChateauRouge · 05/05/2011 22:17

Colonel- I can lend you any of the de Bernieres' or Neal Stephensons...

am also v intrigued re your father... Smile

pointythings · 05/05/2011 22:01

Colonel - if you love 'The war of Don Emanuel's Nether Parts' (as I do too) have you read the two sequels? They are 'Senor Viva and the Coca Lord', and 'The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman'. May be hard to get hold of, though.

And I know you said you've given up on fantasy, but have you tried Kate Elliott's Crown of Starts series?

I'd also recommend Tim Powers - also may be very hard to get hold of though, but 'The Anubis Gates', 'On Stranger Tides' (wondering whether Pirates of the Caribbean IV is based on this???), 'Dinner at Deviant's Palace' (very dystopian, that one), 'The Drawing of the Dark' and 'The Stress of her Regard' are very good. Weird, but good.

Lastly, can I recommend 'Pavane' by Keith Roberts? It's a slow burner, not immediately accessible but once you're about halfway in you find yourself seeing how all the pieces fit together, and the man's prose is beautiful.

There's another trilogy I'd like to recommend to you but it doesn't spring to mind right now - will get back to you tomorrow when I'm not so knackered.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 05/05/2011 21:23
  1. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafron Tried and failed with it several times
  2. The War of Don Emmanuals' nether parts - Bernierres (but nothing like his later stuff, this is a rip-roaring piss-take of magical realism) Read it
  3. If, on a winter's night, a traveller - Calvino
  4. All the pretty horses - Cormac McCarthy Hated one of his and was mildly annoyed by The Road for failing to be as good as The Stand
  5. Headlong - Michael Frayn (I wanted to suggest Copenhagan, which is an unbelievable stage script, but that could be thought of as a bit hardcore) Read it and thought it was okay
  6. The remains of the day - Ishiguru HATE this book!
  7. When did you last see your father - Blake Morrison (a memoir)
  8. Waterland - Graham Swift
  9. Jean de Florette - Marcel Pagnel

Not read the others and will investigate them, thanks.

OP posts:
StillSquiffy · 05/05/2011 21:17

Based entirely on what you have said about the other books, and whilst trying to avoid the more obvious suggestions, I would throw these ones at you:

  1. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafron
  2. The War of Don Emmanuals' nether parts - Bernierres (but nothing like his later stuff, this is a rip-roaring piss-take of magical realism)
  3. If, on a winter's night, a traveller - Calvino
  4. All the pretty horses - Cormac McCarthy
  5. Headlong - Michael Frayn (I wanted to suggest Copenhagan, which is an unbelievable stage script, but that could be thought of as a bit hardcore)
  6. The remains of the day - Ishiguru
  7. When did you last see your father - Blake Morrison (a memoir)
  8. Waterland - Graham Swift
  9. Jean de Florette - Marcel Pagnel
verysomething · 05/05/2011 21:16

Hmmm... well, you did say you were fussy, Colonel

Nah, I got nuttin right now. I'm just gonna jot down some recs from here, second (or third?) George RR Martin, and be on my way.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 05/05/2011 21:05

'Barrow's Boys' looks good - just read a lot about him in a book about Franklin and the North West Passage, actually - so it would be a continuation of the theme.

OP posts:
Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 05/05/2011 21:01

:) to Cote. Not him, no - just a pretty much unknown sci-fi writer.

Thanks for all the recent posts, which I need to read properly now. Thanks to Elkie for the site recs - no time or interest in writing reviews, as I'm too busy reading!

I've just started Wild Swans.

Re: running out of books - I read stupidly quickly, read a stupid amount and am horribly fussy - hence never having huge piles waiting for me!

OP posts:
Arcadie · 05/05/2011 20:38

Did anyone recommend Margaret Attwood yet?

Or how's about Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde?

CoteDAzur · 05/05/2011 20:17

Colonel - I'm dying to ask who your dad was but know of course that you can't say. However, if you are J G Ballard's DD, may I just say that he was an amazing man and I'm in awe of his mind.

MummyEm1 · 05/05/2011 15:38

Just to add my tuppence worth, although most of the good books I've ever read have already been mentioned ...big fan of Stephen king.

What about things like the Man in the Iron Mask? I remember it being tedious but good. Also things like Dr Zhivago? Took me ages to get into but I really enjoyed it once I got the hang of the looooong Russian names.

At the moment I'm reading The Gate by Francoise Bizot, which is an easy read but interesting too.

kerrymumbles · 05/05/2011 09:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Terpsichore · 05/05/2011 09:37

I'd add 'Barrow's Boys' by Fergus Fleming. A big, meaty doorstop of a book packed with tales of British exploration in the 19th c. Excellent 'true-life' history.

OP, I'm a bit puzzled as to how you can run out of books, though - I always seem to have millions queued up that I want to read next, either in my head or in reality (and I have the over-crammed, tottering bookshelves as evidence, sadly). Or do you just focus exclusively on the book of the moment?