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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:
LawrieMarlow · 30/04/2011 23:10

Have you read a Suitable Boy? Good and long :) Think you can get it in three separate volumes but just one is more satisfying I found.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:58

Ooh yes - have read some Graham Greene but not those two.

HATED No Country For Old Men - sorry. Also quite disappointed with The Road.

Looking up the others now - thank you.

OP posts:
gailforce1 · 30/04/2011 22:57

Have you read any Alison Weir? Am currently listerning to her book about Eleanor of Aquitaine and she has recently written "The Six Wives of Henry VIII which must have had a good review as it is on my "to order from the library" list!!
If you are interested in more recent history Juliet Gardiner The Thirties: An Intimate History is also on the list.

Completely different tack but I have just read and found very interesting The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

sonearsofar · 30/04/2011 22:55

Please try 'Death Comes for the Archbishop' or 'My Antonia' by Willa Cather. The former starts badly, but I loved it so much I had to visit the setting (New Mexico).
Also Cormac McCarthy 'No Country for Old Men' or the Pretty Horses trilogy.
Molly Keane?
Colette's short stories?
Graham Greene - 'Stamboul Train' or 'Our Man in Havana'?
A good historical fiction writer was Norah Lofts.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:41

Some interesting looking shots in the dark there, thank you. :)

Have read some Peter Carey but not the Kelly Gang.

OP posts:
minesarioja · 30/04/2011 22:35

Colonel - a shot in the dark here, giving you some recommendations of novels I couldn't put down recently and I'm pretty intolerant and impatient

Tim Gautreaux - The Next Step in the Dance, The Clearing, The Missing
Peter Carey - True History of the Kelly Gang (amongst others of his)
TC Boyle - The Tortilla Curtain
anything by Richard Ford - Independence Day trilogy, A Piece of My Heart...

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:32

Read quite a few Wilkie Collins. A few Peter Akroyd, although he annoys me. I have to say that I just totally failed to 'get' Hawksmoor and his Frankenstein one was shockingly bad.

Have read Fingersmith and disliked it intensely and read and was annoyed by The Little Stranger. Don't want to read any more of hers.

Yes to some Pat Barker.

Straight history please - can cope with Philippa Gregory in v small does but only about once every five years or so, as they are all pretty much the same.

Googling the others! The Bluestocking one sounds good.

OP posts:
Leo35 · 30/04/2011 22:28

Peter Ackroyd? Any good? Loved Dane Leo and the Limehouse Golem. Hawksmoor is on my To Read Shelf.

The Book of Fires - Jane Borodale
Pat Barker?

Browsing my Good Reads pages! Hope you get some good suggestions tonight. Off to read a bit more of the Morville Hours!

steviesmith · 30/04/2011 22:26

Michael Moorcock has written some really good fantasy.
Sarah Waters for good historical fiction.
Richard Ford. Good non pretentious modern American writer. A bit like Raymond Carver but with less booze.
Have you tried Victorian detective fiction; Mary Braddon or Wilkie Collins? Lots of long books there.

Leo35 · 30/04/2011 22:22

Do you like your history straight (no chaser) or fictionalised? Philippa Gregory is the obv candidate for latter. I often recommend the Bernie Gunther series for crime fiction based in modern history (noir fiction set in Nazi era Germany. Violent but compelling).

Was given a book called Bluestockings about the first women to attend British universities. It was interesting, but think I dipped into it more than read ti straight through. Timing thing? had DS2 shortly before I received it...

ojbsmum · 30/04/2011 22:18

Have you read any connie willis - i really enjoyed 'the doomsday book' and 'to say nothing of the dog'.
They combine history and time-travel sci-fi- easy reading but very enjoyable!

BoattoBolivia · 30/04/2011 22:18

What about Letter of Mary by Laurie R King- young American heiress meets retired Sherlock Holmes, solve mysteries. Really good series.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:15

Have read Possession - twas years ago though. Polar exploration sounds v me! Thanks Gailforce.

Read Toast and Wolf Hall. Tried and loathed The Poisonwood Bible so haven't bothered with her next one.

Thanks for the other recs, all. Keep em coming!

Exploration and history recs would be much appreciated too.

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 30/04/2011 22:10

Its OK ColonelB - I know we often have to agree to differ - but I thought it was worth a try Grin - I couldn't put the moth one down, loved it.

CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 22:08

Have you read another well-known AS Byatt - Possession?

Some of it was heavy-going, but I really enjoyed it.

Leo35 · 30/04/2011 22:08

Colonel, have you tried using Good Reads? I put my latest reads on with reviews and some friends have joined as well so I get to see their additions and reviews.

My latest reads were/are:

Body Work - Sara Paretsky (love her!)
According to Lubka - Laurie Graham (may be too 'light' for you?...)
The Morville Hours - forget who wrote it. Book Group choice and enjoying so far
Toast - Nigel Slater
My Name is Red - ??? (lent to me by a pal in my Book Group)

Also got Wolf Hall, The Lacuna, Lustrum and others lurking. I read a lot and have an even shorter than 30 page Impress Me time!! HTH.

gailforce1 · 30/04/2011 22:03

Colonel I have to keep a list of books so that I don't keep taking out books that I have already read!

Have left you a message on another thread about The Still Point by Amy Sackville. It is about an attempt to conquor the North Pole but I have not read it.

A friend is reading The Childrens Book and is enjoying.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:01

Ooh the moth one looks v much up my street.

OP posts:
Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 21:59

Thanks Kurri - can't get on with David Mitchell and don't like David Lodge. Tried and didn't like the Susan Hill ones and can't be doing with Muriel Spark but will look into the others. Thank you. Sorry - I did warn you that I was bloody awkward. Blush

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 30/04/2011 21:59

I also enjoyed reading 'Of Moths and Men: Intrigue, Tragedy and the Peppered Moth' by Judith Hooper a while ago - it's a very interesting story.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 21:57

Hijack forgiven!

Have read 'Drood' and found it very frustrating tbh - over-written, over-long and increasingly ridiculous as it went on imho - sorry.

Have read most of Rose Tremain's and enjoyed 'The Road Home' recently overall.

No to Barbara Pym but will google the other stuff. Thank you.

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 30/04/2011 21:55

I'll give you my last lot of library books in case there's anything that inspires you (I haven't read them all yet)

David Mitchell - Black Swan Green - I enjoyed this, but not sure it would appeal to all tastes.

David Lodge - Author Author

Ellen Feldman - Scottsboro - just started this, it looks interesting.

Also a Muriel Spark omnibus - with Loitering with Intent, Girls of Slender Means and Ballad of Peckham Rye in it.

I keep meaning to read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebbecca Skloot - its supposed to be very good.

Have you tried the Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill ?(Various Haunts of Men is the first I think)

eggyminniewhingesagain · 30/04/2011 21:11

Yes, go to nectar.com - spend points. cash in your points for amazon vouchers that get emailed to you. Tis fab

MsScarlett · 30/04/2011 21:07

Can you spend Nectar points on Amazon? I have thousands....

Sorry 'bout thread hijack! Grin

StantonLacy · 30/04/2011 20:55

ColonelBrandon - utterly agree with your 30 page rule. It drives me mad that DH will continue to read something he has admitted is crap, he says feels like it would have been wasted time otherwise...but FGS, you're wasting even more precious reading time by finishing it ! Gah.

Anyway, thought I would put my suggestions forward. I read books by the ton from the library and we seem to have similar likes/dislikes, so you never know Smile

For fantasy have you read any Robin Hobb ? I personally think the Assassins trilogy is excellent, 'The Name of The Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss also worth a look (if you can get over a couple of cringey names, nothing too bad, though)

'Excellent Women' by Barbara Pym - very cosy

For lovely huge chunky books - have you ever read any Dan Simmons? 'The Terror' and 'Drood' are loosely based on historical events ('Drood' concerns Dickens, obviously!) He has also written some SciFi/Fantasy 'Ilium' is pretty fantastic IMO.

I love a bit of Rose Tremain for historical fiction, ever read 'Music and Silence'? (Also Sarah Dunant, I've really enjoyed some of hers)

I've got two books by a guy named Andrew Miller waiting to be read 'Pure' and 'Ingenious Pain' (I think that's the title...) The reviews of his stuff are excellent so I can't wait to read them.(also got 'The Childrens Book' waiting - I too am a sucker for a pretty cover!)

HTH Grin