Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

I am desperate and need you all to help me please!

239 replies

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 15:39

I have got one and a half history books left and then I am, once again, bookless. I have been to three different libraries in the last ten days and have failed to find even a single book that I fancied or hadn't read before.

I have some Nectar points to spend, so I could have a bit of an Amazon splurge - but what shall I get?

  1. Favourite writers are Jane Austen and Stephen King
  2. I like v well written fantasy (ie Tolkein) or v well written historical who-dunnit stuff (eg Doyle or Sansom) or quirky history books
  3. I am a snob and get very twitchy about shoddy writing but can't stand overly self conscious crap (step forward Ian McEwan)
  4. I am very, very fussy
  5. I read very, very quickly so the bigger the book, the better

Please help!

OP posts:
Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 17:07

Gah - It is getting worse as I have just finished one of the history books and started the other. I am likely to have nothing at all to read by tomorrow and NOBODY CARES! :)

OP posts:
CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 17:15

Well, I had a quick look at the fattest volumes on my bookshelf - can't help with the fantasy bit, as I don't go beyond Tolkein, but maybe move out of your comfort zone and try....

A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Wild Swans - Jung Chang
Suite Francais - Irene Nemirovsky
The Map of Love - Ahdaf Soueif
Writing Home - Alan Bennett

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 17:18

Thank you. We've got Wild Swans; have read the Alan Bennett. Will google Irene M. Tried and gave up on The Map Of Love.

OP posts:
Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 17:19

I don't go much beyond Tolkein for fantasy either, except for King's Dark Tower - most modern fantasy seems astonishingly badly written imho.

OP posts:
Pancakeflipper · 30/04/2011 17:27

Tried any Anne Tyler? Digging to America was great. I have to be in mood for her but if I am it's a treat. Also like Laurie Graham - light hearted page turners.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 17:33

Don't like Anne Tyler. Thanks though.

OP posts:
CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 17:34

Moving onto smaller volumes, a few more modern classics I've enjoyed (trying to focus on the "good writing" bit):

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg
Captain Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
The Little Friend - Donna Tartt
The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
The Periodic Table - Primo Levi

phatcat · 30/04/2011 17:34

would George RR Martin - 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and Dorothy Dunnett 'The Lymond Chronicles' be up your street. Both have been recommended to me recently and fit your well written historical / fantasy criteria

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 17:40

Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow - Peter Hoeg - read it
Captain Correlli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres - read it
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - read it
The Little Friend - Donna Tartt - read it
The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco - tried and failed but could try again
The Periodic Table - Primo Levi - will google

Not heard of those so will have a look, Phatcat.

Thank you.

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 30/04/2011 17:50

A S Byatt's The Children's Book, fantastically well-written historical novel set between 1890 and 1919, it concentrates on a quite small group of people (middle-class, left-leaning, Arts & Crafts acolytes living in and around Romney Marsh) but manages to take in the full breadth of the period - the morality, the politics, the aspirations. There is quite a big cast of characters but Byatt manages to control all of them so skilfully that you never feel that she has lost her way with them, they are all completely convincing and it is a very thought-provoking book. Just finished it and am tempted to start it all over again.

CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 17:52

Grin Well, I know a fellow prolific reader when I see one!

Problem is, I gave up buying books a while back and just get them from the library, so I cannot always recall the good ones.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 18:16

Will have a look at The Children's Book - am a sucker for a pretty cover!

CV - I do the same but even worse is reading something and thinking it's rubbish then forgetting and getting the damn thing out again. I did this with Atonement - got about half way through again before I thought how familiar it was and how much I'd hated it!

OP posts:
CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 18:20

Funny, I have had a signed copy of Atonement on my bookshelves ever since it was published, and I never felt like picking it up. Now I've seen the film (and your comments), not sure if I'll bother.

I also can't tolerate bad writing; if I end up with something trashy by mistake I will speed-read it in literally minutes just to get through it.

I rarely get time to read much nowadays, except for holidays (sigh).

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 18:23

I give library books a 30 page trial - if I'm fed up of them at that point, I give up unless I have nothing else to read. I'm afraid that I find reading time at the expense of other things - would go mad without books.

OP posts:
StantonLacy · 30/04/2011 20:55

ColonelBrandon - utterly agree with your 30 page rule. It drives me mad that DH will continue to read something he has admitted is crap, he says feels like it would have been wasted time otherwise...but FGS, you're wasting even more precious reading time by finishing it ! Gah.

Anyway, thought I would put my suggestions forward. I read books by the ton from the library and we seem to have similar likes/dislikes, so you never know Smile

For fantasy have you read any Robin Hobb ? I personally think the Assassins trilogy is excellent, 'The Name of The Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss also worth a look (if you can get over a couple of cringey names, nothing too bad, though)

'Excellent Women' by Barbara Pym - very cosy

For lovely huge chunky books - have you ever read any Dan Simmons? 'The Terror' and 'Drood' are loosely based on historical events ('Drood' concerns Dickens, obviously!) He has also written some SciFi/Fantasy 'Ilium' is pretty fantastic IMO.

I love a bit of Rose Tremain for historical fiction, ever read 'Music and Silence'? (Also Sarah Dunant, I've really enjoyed some of hers)

I've got two books by a guy named Andrew Miller waiting to be read 'Pure' and 'Ingenious Pain' (I think that's the title...) The reviews of his stuff are excellent so I can't wait to read them.(also got 'The Childrens Book' waiting - I too am a sucker for a pretty cover!)

HTH Grin

MsScarlett · 30/04/2011 21:07

Can you spend Nectar points on Amazon? I have thousands....

Sorry 'bout thread hijack! Grin

eggyminniewhingesagain · 30/04/2011 21:11

Yes, go to nectar.com - spend points. cash in your points for amazon vouchers that get emailed to you. Tis fab

KurriKurri · 30/04/2011 21:55

I'll give you my last lot of library books in case there's anything that inspires you (I haven't read them all yet)

David Mitchell - Black Swan Green - I enjoyed this, but not sure it would appeal to all tastes.

David Lodge - Author Author

Ellen Feldman - Scottsboro - just started this, it looks interesting.

Also a Muriel Spark omnibus - with Loitering with Intent, Girls of Slender Means and Ballad of Peckham Rye in it.

I keep meaning to read 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebbecca Skloot - its supposed to be very good.

Have you tried the Simon Serrailler series by Susan Hill ?(Various Haunts of Men is the first I think)

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 21:57

Hijack forgiven!

Have read 'Drood' and found it very frustrating tbh - over-written, over-long and increasingly ridiculous as it went on imho - sorry.

Have read most of Rose Tremain's and enjoyed 'The Road Home' recently overall.

No to Barbara Pym but will google the other stuff. Thank you.

OP posts:
KurriKurri · 30/04/2011 21:59

I also enjoyed reading 'Of Moths and Men: Intrigue, Tragedy and the Peppered Moth' by Judith Hooper a while ago - it's a very interesting story.

Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 21:59

Thanks Kurri - can't get on with David Mitchell and don't like David Lodge. Tried and didn't like the Susan Hill ones and can't be doing with Muriel Spark but will look into the others. Thank you. Sorry - I did warn you that I was bloody awkward. Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 30/04/2011 22:01

Ooh the moth one looks v much up my street.

OP posts:
gailforce1 · 30/04/2011 22:03

Colonel I have to keep a list of books so that I don't keep taking out books that I have already read!

Have left you a message on another thread about The Still Point by Amy Sackville. It is about an attempt to conquor the North Pole but I have not read it.

A friend is reading The Childrens Book and is enjoying.

Leo35 · 30/04/2011 22:08

Colonel, have you tried using Good Reads? I put my latest reads on with reviews and some friends have joined as well so I get to see their additions and reviews.

My latest reads were/are:

Body Work - Sara Paretsky (love her!)
According to Lubka - Laurie Graham (may be too 'light' for you?...)
The Morville Hours - forget who wrote it. Book Group choice and enjoying so far
Toast - Nigel Slater
My Name is Red - ??? (lent to me by a pal in my Book Group)

Also got Wolf Hall, The Lacuna, Lustrum and others lurking. I read a lot and have an even shorter than 30 page Impress Me time!! HTH.

CointreauVersial · 30/04/2011 22:08

Have you read another well-known AS Byatt - Possession?

Some of it was heavy-going, but I really enjoyed it.