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Original poster

Help! Holiday reading!

31 replies

Cowardlycustard2 · 13/08/2018 14:29

Posting for traffic, need help as go on hols for 2 weeks on Friday need something to distract me big time from fear of flying and 2 weeks with DC Grin. Have read and loved all Outlander books, Song of Fire and Ice, Barbara Erskine. Want something similar historical/ fantasy, basically need complete escapism. Would be so grateful for any recommendations, Kindle is at the ready!

OP posts:
SpottedOnMN · 13/08/2018 14:32

Jodi Taylor, One Damned Thing After Another

It's about time travelling historians. Thank me later, everyone else I've recommended it to has. Plenty more books if you get hooked.

Original poster
Cowardlycustard2 · 13/08/2018 14:35

That sounds just the kind of thing am after. Never heard of it before. Will investigate, Thanks!

OP posts:
HelpmeobiMN · 13/08/2018 14:38

Kate Mosse - the labyrinthe series. All about the holy grail, kind of historical magical realism. Might be your thing!

LillyLollyLoLo · 13/08/2018 14:39

Shadow of the Wind is great

StrawberryFieldsWhenever · 13/08/2018 14:40

I loved Ken Follett's books Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Have read both several times, and there's not many books I find I can do that with.

Somerville · 13/08/2018 14:40

Dorothy Dunnett! Start with Game of Kings.

StrawberryFieldsWhenever · 13/08/2018 14:41

OHHH Shadow if the Wind is beautiful, another one of my favourites.. can't believe I forgot that one!

StrawberryFieldsWhenever · 13/08/2018 14:42

ffs.. *of

(I think my thumbs hate me)

FooFighter99 · 13/08/2018 14:43

@Spotted beat me to it!

I can't recommend The Chronicles of St Mary's by Jodi Taylor highly enough!! I've read 1-8 over the summer and am almost finished with the short story collection and I can't wait to start book 9

They're phenomenal!

Original poster
Cowardlycustard2 · 13/08/2018 14:43

Tried Kate Mosse, have never been able to get into her books, no idea why as know she's good writer and those are all the things I like reading about x

OP posts:
igivein · 13/08/2018 14:43

A Discovery of Witches
It's actually a trilogy of three (fat) books.
There are humans, witches, vampires and daemons. The 'creatures' (all the others but humans) are dying out and they don't know why.
There's magic, science, time travel alchemy - you name it!

RayRayBidet · 13/08/2018 14:46

Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb.
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

sadeyedladyofthelowlands63 · 13/08/2018 14:46

Have you read Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch? It's the first in a series. A young Metropolitan Police Officer discovers the supernatural side of London. They are brilliant, very funny and unputdownable.

sadeyedladyofthelowlands63 · 13/08/2018 14:48

And I'd never heard of the Chronicles of St Mary's but have just bought the first one based on the above recommendations!

WildIrishRose1 · 13/08/2018 14:48

I loved Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine, and the Matthew Shardlake series by C. J. Sansom.

Original poster
Cowardlycustard2 · 13/08/2018 14:50

Thank you so much for all these suggestions, it all sounds brilliant. Going to have a proper investigation of some of these via Kindle later!

OP posts:
MeyMary · 13/08/2018 14:51

Ah, Ken Follett was already mentioned...

Maybe the Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris?

I like to reread the LOTR and other books of that universe but I'm a bit weird in regards to things like this. (I like to watch and read things I already know...)

HelpmeobiMN · 13/08/2018 14:52

Oh yes, shadow of the wind is WONDERFUL

SpottedOnMN · 13/08/2018 14:59

Another vote for Rivers of London too!

I'm off to sample Shadow of the Wind...

StrawberryFieldsWhenever · 13/08/2018 15:02

I'm actually glad it's not just me who can't get 'into' Kate Mosse's stories. Had heard good things about them and tried a few, but they just didn't work for me. Was starting to think there was something else wrong with me!

SweetLathyrus · 13/08/2018 15:04

If you like fantasy try The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's like Game of Thrones for pirates and with a bit of added steam punk, only smarter and with more inventive sweary. (And it's a trilogy, so if you enjoy it, there's more to sink your teeth in to).

If you like actual history combined with magic and a steam punk aesthtic Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley is brilliant too.

And for a great story and real magic, The Night Circus by Erin Morgernstern.

Happy reading Smile

moonlight1705 · 13/08/2018 15:05

Ooooh I love all of these books that PP have suggested.

A suggestion if you would like to branch out into more science-fantasy. I loved the Magician's Guild Trilogy by Trudy Canavan as it had a feeling of being 'historical' but set in a completely different world where magic is available.

Jean Auel's 'Clan of the Cave Bear' series is an interesting read - good concept although you have to get past the sometimes gratuitous (and slightly Mills & Boon) descriptions of sex.

MeyMary · 13/08/2018 15:30

Oh, yes, the Magician's Guild! I enjoyed that immensely :)

It's more teen/YA than adult fiction imo but I really enjoy books like that ;)

Hellohah · 13/08/2018 15:33

I second Ken Follet... there is also The Century Trilogy by him which I liked too

FeistyOldBat · 13/08/2018 15:33

Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. The best of both, and none of the ugliness of Gaiman's American Gods.

Anything by Terry Pratchett, although it's probably too much like real life just with odd characters and fantastical creatures. He was a brilliant observer of life.