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Original poster

Holiday reading recommendations - no chick lit

107 replies

BugBearisBugBear · 22/04/2008 18:34

Imagine you're off to sunny France next month with DH, the DCs and the grandparents for a week. You have little time to read, but because of the gps you are hoping to manage at least a couple of afternoons lounging by the pool. You can only take one book because of weight restrictions. So the book you take must be gripping and not one you will give up on after 40 pages.

What would you recommend?

Am not into chick lit at all. I read the Booker shortlist/literary fiction blah but want something easy to read and non-depressing. It must not be at all challenging.

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FluffyMummy123 · 23/04/2008 18:22

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choosyfloosy · 23/04/2008 18:21

sorry haven't read thread

The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers. I took it on a group holiday and it was a massive hit with everyone there. Not at all PC but if you can accept that in historical fiction (It was written in 1908) then go for it!

Another corker is the Happy Prisoner by Monica Dickens. same problem but it's such a great read. You can get it on ebay or similar.

second Agent Zigzag, also Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire.

ellingwoman · 23/04/2008 18:10

Then We Came To The End was so amusing to start then about halfway through became dull and troubling and I only finished it because I thought it might pick up again towards the end (it didn't)

MargaretMountford · 23/04/2008 17:49

Patrick Gale

Posey · 23/04/2008 17:47

That Joshua Ferris book is one of the few in recent times that I've actually given up on, really couldn't get into it.

Would recommend, as ever, anything by Jonathan Coe.
Also "A Home at the end of the world" by Michael Cunningham
Or "Random Acts of Heroic Love" by Danny Scheinnmann

Original poster
BugBearisBugBear · 23/04/2008 17:41

admylin, I thought you were doing proper transliteration from the Hebrew or something with your 'Jacab' . Didn't realize it was a typo.

[ignoramus emoticon]

OP posts:
Original poster
BugBearisBugBear · 23/04/2008 17:39

Mary Lawson one "heartbreaking".

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Original poster
BugBearisBugBear · 23/04/2008 17:38

Have read both the Mark Haddon ones, I liked them a lot.

I've got the Courtesan one in my book pile already. So that's a maybe.

Quite fancy the Joshua Ferris one.

I would go for Year of Wonders, but another pre-requisite is that the book is NOT depressing. I want to be full of summer fun on my hols, so will save that for later in the year!

Piers Morgan - maybe. I quite like celebrity nonsense.

OP posts:
saltire · 23/04/2008 09:32

Cod - I read a Spot of Bother, thought it was very easy to read, not a bad story line, made me laugh in places as well. I got DH Agent Zigzag for Christmas and he loved it.

admylin · 23/04/2008 09:30

Ooops, Jacob!

admylin · 23/04/2008 09:30

How about The red tent by Anita Diamant?

It retells some of the bible stories from a womans point of view or mainly from Dinah's point of view - a daughter of Jacab. It's sort of historical, biblical and fictional.

FluffyMummy123 · 23/04/2008 09:29

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FluffyMummy123 · 23/04/2008 09:28

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FluffyMummy123 · 23/04/2008 09:28

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FluffyMummy123 · 23/04/2008 09:27

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saltire · 23/04/2008 09:21

I'm currently reading the Savage Garden, am about half way through, it's good. better than the last book I read

marina · 23/04/2008 09:19

Then we came to the end, by Joshua Ferris
Am loving this
Anything by William Sutcliffe, especially Are You Experienced?
I liked the first Marina Lewycka so it is good to hear that her second is even better
Everyone I know who has read Year of Wonders rates it very highly - but is it not a bit sad yogabird?

TotalChaos · 23/04/2008 09:16

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

you've probably already read this, but if not, Small Island by Andrea Levy is ace.

IorekByrnison · 22/04/2008 22:30

In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

Original poster
BugBearisBugBear · 22/04/2008 22:20

Thanks, these are great recommendations.

I read a Thousand Splendid Suns and In the Woods earlier this year, loved them both. That's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for - not really drossy fiction, so well written, but also difficult to put down.

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yogabird · 22/04/2008 21:31

A year of wonders by Geraldine Brookes - I challenge you not to be moved, informed and totally captivated by this. Set in the Derbyshire village of Eyam during the plague.

ellingwoman · 22/04/2008 21:26

One Big Damn Puzzler by John Harding.

Funny book about the way of life of a bizarre set of characters who live on a fictional South Sea island.

E.g. One of them is attempting to translate 'Hamlet' into pidgin english. (Is be or is be not, is be one big damn puzzler)

I loved it

jojosmaman · 22/04/2008 21:05

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

AnnaPx · 22/04/2008 21:00

CJ Sansom - Dissolution would be my recommendation. Readit on the beach last year and it was great

TotalChaos · 22/04/2008 20:52

In the Woods by Tana French.

or more classical but not too hardgoing - Vanity Fair.

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