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Original poster

Need recs please - sorry!

81 replies

janeite · 14/05/2010 20:36

What shall I look for in the library tomorrow please? I am currently reduced to re-reads of The Famous Five.

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elkiedee · 17/05/2010 23:13

I hesitate to recommend because I know how opinionated you are about books. PI is Private Investigator.

Laura Wilson's novels are mostly historically set - The Lover, Stratton's War and An Empty Death are all set in WWII London.

Takver · 17/05/2010 21:06

Do you ever read the Guardian Review on a Saturday? I find that it is a good way of finding books to look out for (there is a page of paperback reviews which is helpful as they are older books so more often in the library). I mainly read non-fiction (at least of newly published stuff) but they review a lot of fiction too.

Normally I hate 'survey' type articles, but they did a 'what do you recommend the new PM reads?' piece ( here ) which was IMO for once interesting - they had a good selection of people who gave a very varied list of books (even including Ben Jonson & a life of Shelley ). In the main they weren't new books, which of course helps if you are a library reader (as I am).

It is all online so no need to buy the paper

Original poster
janeite · 17/05/2010 20:43

Thanks for these. Have tried Lyndsey Davies before and really disliked it, I'm afraid - thought it was very clunkily written. Will look into the others.

Sorry - I am so awkward.

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Wheelybug · 17/05/2010 20:39

Areyou still after recommendations ?

The best book I've read in a long time was moloka'i. About a girl who contracts leprosy and is taken to the Moloka'i colony

Not sure what to liken it to, it was just good !

pollywollydoodle · 17/05/2010 20:35

am having a bit of a roman phase myself...what about the robert harris novels charting roman life through the eyes of cicero (imperium then lustrum) or his pompeii novel....also have you read the falco series by lyndsey davies?

yours looks interesting takver!

Kariba29 · 17/05/2010 20:27

Another one i enjoyed was Company of Liars by Karen Maitland thats really good like Pillars it is set in Medieval England. one of my favs is The Tortilla Curtain by T C Boyle sad in parts but very well written

Takver · 17/05/2010 19:54

Another slightly random one - but I'm suggesting this because DH, my mother & I all thought it was good, which is a very unusual overlap. Have you read 'Imperial Life in the Emerald City' by Rajiv Chandrasekaran?

(generally DH reads books like 'Handy Farm Devices & how to make them' )

Original poster
janeite · 17/05/2010 19:17

No They just keep wanting to rec Harry Potter and Stephen King to me and have read all of them!

Amazon tends to be skewed by the fact that I don't very often buy things for me but use it mainly for presents.

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Jux · 17/05/2010 18:45

Have Amazon no recommendations for you?

Original poster
janeite · 17/05/2010 18:29

Oh I have read The Reading Group - thought it was rubbish.

No to police type things. The only detective ones I read are oldies or historical ones. I don't know what PI or cosies are.

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elkiedee · 17/05/2010 18:17

What did you get out from the library? I thought the only Elizabeth Noble book I read was very disappointing (The Reading Group) and I haven't tried again.

In the crime fiction line, have you tried Denise Mina? Laura Wilson? Do you like historical crime, police procedurals, PI stories, noir, cosies?

I review books for a website called www.thebookbag.co.uk - I'm not plugging my own reviews but it's good for getting reading ideas.

I can't relate to being short of things to read though - in my early 20s I used to read two books a day and exhaust the appealing stock of libraries, but now I probably have enough to be going on with for the next 40 years and I still keep buying and borrowing more.

Original poster
janeite · 17/05/2010 18:10

Don't know either of those so will google - thanks.

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FreeButtonBee · 17/05/2010 18:07

Oh also EM Benson - Mapp and Lucia, there's loads to chose from - in the vein of Cold Comfort Farm and Provincial Lady (am sure it was someone on here that recommended them to me!)

FreeButtonBee · 17/05/2010 18:06

Have you read Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson? I loved this book. Sci-fi but historical too.

If you like this then there is also a three-parter as well - the Baroque Trilogy. His most recent one is a bit shit - Anathem - wasn't a massive fan TBH.

Original poster
janeite · 17/05/2010 17:44

Read it - liked it! The follow up is better. Thanks anyway.

Any more please?

Dp has just fetched me a pile of Agatha Christies from the library to keep me going but I doubt they willlast long and may well annoy me!

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Kariba29 · 17/05/2010 00:32

Janeite im currently rereading The pillars of the earth by Ken Follett its really good

Original poster
janeite · 16/05/2010 19:30

Thanks - will try her. I read a lot of teenage novels (English teacher!) so might try those too.

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Takver · 16/05/2010 17:50

If you haven't read any Ursula Le Guin you might like her adult novels (inc the Dispossessed / Left Hand of Darkness / Lathe of Heaven / Birthday of the World).
Beware though that she has written a lot of teenage novels which are very good in their way, but much less to them.

Those of you who like the Provincial Lady & haven't seen it I've just found on Amazon that they have reprinted EMD's book about her stay in Russia (retitled as "I visit the Soviets - the Provincial Lady in Russia), which is slightly bizarre but good.

Original poster
janeite · 16/05/2010 17:11

I will - our librarian is lovely but quite batty though and her recs are v offbeat!

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schroeder · 16/05/2010 17:10

Don't forget to ask one of the of the library assistants for ideas too, we love it

Original poster
janeite · 16/05/2010 16:58

That looks right up my street! Thanks.

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TheFoosa · 16/05/2010 16:58

Provincial Lady diaries very good - I bet she would definately be a MNer

iloveasylumseekers · 16/05/2010 16:57

I love the Provincial Lady - very very funny, and hard to believe it's 80 years old.

TheFoosa · 16/05/2010 16:56

If you like the history of food, have you read any Magaret Visser?

here

Original poster
janeite · 16/05/2010 16:53

Fantasy yes; sci-fi no. Not read any Ursula LG.

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