Help get my reading mojo back...

[cakeaddict]

I love reading. Absolutely love it. But due to lack of time, lack of energy, lack of sleep since having DCs I really haven't read that much in the last 2-3 years. I've decided its time to put that right and have the perfect opportunity to start, as I have to go away for 3 nights on business soon.

So, what can you recommend that I might have missed in my reading 'lapse'? Want something I can really get my teeth into while I'm away - and ideally nothing too emotional / depressing bearing in mind I am likely to be extremely homesick and missing my babies

Generally like literary fiction type stuff. No chick lit allowed!

need more pointers... what are your favourite books, to get a better idea of your taste?

Hmmm, favourite books...

Life of Pi, Yann Martell
The Secret History, Donna Tartt
We Need to Talk about Kevin
Line of Beauty, Alan Hollinghurst
Time Travellers Wife
Small Island
Notes on a Scandal

Plus quite a few classics but that's not really what I'm looking for.

Is that enough to be going on with??

I've recently read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and LOVED it. It's a who-dunnit sort of book but it was brilliant! I would say that it was difficult to get into at first but I honestly couldnt speak highly enough of it! (also read the nest 2, also brilliant!)

Hi Cakeaddict,

I know how you feel, I used to read all the time but since my 3rd DD was born in August I have been mostly read Tracy Hog & Gina Ford!
I did manage to read Room by Emma Donoghue though, well written from the childs perspective & a really fast read, I finished it in 2 days and I think its great and would definitely reccommend it. Dont be put off by the subject matter its not distressing.

At the moment I'm reading Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks, quite long but I'm enjoying it, its just taking me sooo long to finish it! I read 3 of his other books whilst pregnant, he is a great writer. Other books I liked were, The time Travellers wife (but avoid the film at all costs!)and Her fearful Symetry by Audry Niffeneger, also The lovely Bones.

Hope you find something great to read, let me know what you read!

From reading your list, I would maybe suggest The Lovely Bones if that would help :)

Snap!

I also loved The life of Pi & We need to talk about Kevin, I've just remembered Cloud Atlas was a great read too!

Thanks for the suggestions, these are all on the right lines.

I've read the Lovely Bones (think that came out before I had kids!). Think I might have the Sebastian Faulks ones sitting on a shelf somewhere that my Mum passed onto me, but in hardback and it's massive - that would be my baggage allowance taken up!!

Interesting about Room - I was looking at it in Waterstones but thought it might be a bit depressing, perhaps worth a go then?

Loved the Time Travellers Wife and didn't realise she had written another novel so will be looking for that.

Yep, loved Cloud Atlas too!

If you liked Cloud Atlas,you could try Black Swan Green.
My book group has just read The Help which I really didn't think I would like but I would seriously recommend .For something lighter to get you going again I enjoyed The Piano Teacher ,have also just read Restless by Ian McEwan.

Was going to suggest The Secret History, one of my all-time faves.

You might like:
"The Other Hand", Chris Cleave
"Shadow of the Wind", Carlos Ruiz Zafon
"Winter in Madrid", C.J.Sansom
"Half of a Yellow Sun", Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

My favourite books from way back are "Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy (film was crap) and "Nobel House" by James Clavell.

Rachiebabes, I really enjoyed the Millenium Trilogy, tho DH read "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and refused to read the others, he thought it was too obvious. I also enjoyed "the Lovely Bones", tho didn't expect to, ditto "My Sister's Keeper"

Yes I actually thought the same thing about Room but a friend with young children lent it to me and promised it wasnt upsetting, give it a try, it grabbed me straight away!
Have to agree Faulks is a long read, and probably a better idea when not sleep deprived. : )

Thanks - lilolil the one book I have managed to read this year was The Other Hand and I really enjoyed that. Haven't ready any of the others though so I will look out for those.

Not sure about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - DH read all of those and we usually go for complete opposite stuff where books are concerned (and if I liked it I would hate to have to admit that he could pick a decent one in amongst all the rest of the rubbish he reads )

just knew I'd think of some others after I'd posted... also maybe "Brick Lane", Monica Ali? "Death at Intervals" by Jose Saramago was a bit different. I enjoyed "the Road" by Cormac McCarthy but I know lots of people who found it depressing, so not ideal given your potential homesickness (oh, so avoid "the lovely bones" and "my sister's keeper", keep them for when you're less emotional as they are tear-jerkers

Yes, lilolil enjoyed Brick Lane too, but not read the others.

Thanks, some great suggestions. Just been looking at Black Swan Green on Amazon mrswoodentop, that looks good.

I will write myself a list and see which I can get at the airport - then slowly work my way through the rest I think!

But for now, I'm off to bed...

The Help is great.
Kate Atkinsons's Jackson Brodie novels are good. E.g. When Will There Be Good News.
Agree We Need To Talk About Kevin, The Lovely Bones and notes on A Scandal are all brilliant but not light reads.
Notes From An Exhibition - Patrick Gale
Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Easy but really lovely read: About A Boy by Nick Hornby
Laugh out loud but meandering: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Best book I've read in years: The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

buy a Kindle that will make you happy . Can you tell i have one .

Menagerie great suggestions, you have my taste in books bang on. Only problem is I have read every single one of them

I was a very voracious reader until about 3 years ago, so it's really what have I missed since then.

Seriously I am so tempted by a Kindle, I have a feeling I'd really like it...

I'm currently reading and enjoying Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Well written and very readable.