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Original poster

A 'non-holiday' book to read on holiday....

40 replies

ClashCityRocker · 04/05/2014 19:15

Ok, so in a couple of weeks DH and I will be going to stop in a log cabin in Scotland for a week and I'm hoping you lovely mn'ers will be able to help me.

I have visions of days spent lolling grandiosely about with my head stuck in a good book during down time. This will be the first physical book purchase in awhile, as I usually just read on my kindle (due to DH operating a strict one in, one out policy on actual books as the spare room now resembles a library) however, the place we are staying has a hot tub, and therefore, using my kindle in it might not be the best idea...

So, I'm looking for two or three really good books to take with me.

My favourite authors are: Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Chuck Paulanuik, Brett Easton Ellis, Irvine Walsh, Lionel Shriver....however I've read pretty much all their offerings.

I also enjoyed the hunger games trilogy and GoT books.

To be honest, I can get on with most books, but am not a big fan of 'chick-lit' (confessions of a....and Bridget Jones Diary etc) or the typical 'holiday book club' type reads....(I'm thinking of the type that used to make up Richard and Judy's bookclub type with the swirly writing on the cover and 'a secret that threatens to ruin everything' included in the blurb)

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks all

OP posts:
Original poster
ClashCityRocker · 04/05/2014 21:46

What, waterproof covers for a kindle?! How I wish somebody had told me that before I tried to read mine in the bath ok, I actually did this twice before realising it's a really stupid idea

OP posts:
AgentProvocateur · 04/05/2014 21:45

I was going to recommend The Goldfinch too. It's a wonderful book.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 04/05/2014 21:44

'Virgin Suicides' far better than, 'Middlesex' in my view - latter too long and rambling: needed some serious editing. Former much neater and punchier.

gamescompendium · 04/05/2014 21:44

Or Donna Tart - The Goldfinch is good imo.

If you are going to read Donna Tartt start with 'The Secret History'. I've just discovered Sarah Waters of Tipping the Velvet fame, I loved Fingersmith, it was such a page turner and more mysterious than I was expecting, her plotting is fab.

Original poster
ClashCityRocker · 04/05/2014 21:43

Thank you. Gonna have a bit of a google....quite excited at the thought of discovering some 'new' (well, new to me anyway) authors. There's nothing quite like getting into a book by someone you've never heard of and thinking 'wow...what have I been missing!'

OP posts:
AllabouttheE · 04/05/2014 21:41

Just read and loved The Rosie Project
Can't remember who by.

Non chick lit but not my usual crime/mystery/detective style

Rather humorous.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 04/05/2014 21:39

I'd go for Middlesex over The Virgin Suicides.

How do you feel about Iain Banks?

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 04/05/2014 21:37

Waterproof covers are available for Kindle.

Grin
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 04/05/2014 21:36

Douglas Coupland - 'Life After God' and 'Miss Wyoming' are his best imho.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenedes

You might like Haruki Murami, but, 'After Dark' is the only one of his that's done much for me tbh.

MidnightHag · 04/05/2014 21:24

I'm loving "We are all completely beside ourselves" by Karen joy Fowler. I can't tell you what it's about because it would spoil a big twist in the plot!

FiveGoMadInDorset · 04/05/2014 21:21

Nightingale Wood

CaulkheadUpNorth · 04/05/2014 21:20

Oooh or Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggarth

FiveGoMadInDorset · 04/05/2014 21:20

Kate Atkinson - any of the Brodei ones or Life after Life
Colin Bateman - quirky

CaulkheadUpNorth · 04/05/2014 21:19

Miss Peregrines home for peculiar children.

Anything by Scarlett Thomas

threedeer · 04/05/2014 21:14

SWounds to me like you'd like JG Ballard's writing. The only two I've read are Cocaine Nights and SuperCannes both of which are weird and brilliantly written. He's really prolific so maybe look at his wiki page or on Amazon and see what you fancy.

Douglas Coupland maybe? Girlfriend in a Coma or Generation X?

Have you ever tried Kate Atkinson's crime novels - When Will there Be good News or Started early Took My Dog? You might quite like her. Or Donna Tart - The Goldfinch is good imo.

You also might like some classic crime fiction if you like the darkness of King and Ellis.