want to get into reading but have never found a good book. suggestions please

[Ladyemem]

Would love to read a book and actually enjoy it. Haven't read one in years.

The kind of book that you can't put down. nothing scary or gruelsome.

Storyline thats easy to follow. i like humour.

Suggestions of books or authors please and brief explanation of book.

Thanks

Marian Keyes - Under the Duvet (Notes on High Heels, Movie deals, Wagon Wheels, Shoes, Reviews, Having the Blues, Builders, Babies, Families and other Calamities) is a collection of short stories that had me laughing out loud and turning the pages.

As regards fiction, how about the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Very easy to follow and incredibly funny. There are 18 books in the series, you can get the first one (One for the Money) and see how you get on.

If you think you might enjoy a whodunnit, I suggest The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. Page turner extraordinaire.

Other books I have enjoyed which are easy to follow, engaging, funny, not scary or gruelsome:

Stephenie Meyers - Twilight
Mike Gayle - Mr Commitment
Sophie Kinsella - the Shopaholic series (The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic)

In fact, most books by Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham or Jill Mansell should fit the bill.

Brief (and detailed) explanations are available on Amazon, Wikipedia and other sites

Depends what you're into..

Books I loved:

Madame Bovary
Anna Karenina
Autobiography of a Yogi
Initiation by Elisabeth Haich

Oops sorry, missed the humour part...

Not fiction but informative and fun - Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. Contains one of the most concisely romantic passages ever!

I'm currently re-reading Diary of a Nobody by George & Weedon Grossmith. It's an easy read, and really funny.

Also, another vote for Marian Keyes, and Janet Evanovich - both really funny writers.

great, thanku. keep the suggestions coming

Have you ever read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It's really good. Also Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield. These are both books primarily aimed at older children rather than adults but to me they are pure book comfort food and if you want to develop a reading habit that's what you need to start off with.
When you're past that I find RF Delderfield's books very easy to read. The Dreaming Suburb is a good one to start with.

Also, if you think you'd like witty chicklit, you could try Katie Fforde's novels, such as Living Dangerously - it has some good laugh out loud moments.

I second the Shopaholic books but you might also like Bridget Jones Diary. The Pelican Brief is also excellent and I got totally hooked on Twilight too. I love The Horse Whisperer as well.

If you're into humour then read A Confederacy of Dunces, by John Kennedy Toole. It's laugh-out-loud kind of reading.

Stephen Fry, anything by him, but in particular 'Making History', brilliant!

Sean hughes and Mark Watson both are pretty funny.

if you want to start with some funny, easy to read romantic stories I recommend A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess and Please Don't Stop The Music by Jane Lovering

Twilight all the way,
They are easy, effortless, take no concentration whatsoever, are interesting and keep you spelbound.
Not my cup of tea at all, had to be persuaded to give um a go, but i am so glad i did, they were very good.

ANother good one is "around Ireland with a fridge" Tony Hawks, an oldie but goodie.

Early Bill Bryson, notes from a small island, funny and very enjoyable, easy to read and a small paperback.
I really enjoyed his books.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. It was written in the 30's as a parody of of some of the books that were popular at the time that romanticised rural life but were usually very serious and full of doom. It's about a young woman named Flora, who is well educated and orphaned with no fortune or prospects for supporting herself. She is forced to go and live in Howling with her relatives, the Starkadders, and her reclusive Aunt Ida Doom. The kindest way to describe them is eccentric, and Flora sets about organising them to be more civilised and out of the shadow of Aunt Ida, who rules and manipulates them (and once saw something nasty in the woodshed). It really is a very funny book and it's easy to read and get into.

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webb. It's about a young woman called Jerusha Abbott, who has grown up in an orphanage but has now reached college age. An anonymous sponsor agrees to pay for her education at a prestigious young ladies college in exchange for a monthly letter telling him how she is progressing. The first chapter is told like a normal book but the following chapters are all in the form of the letters Judy writes to Daddy Long Legs, the name she gives him because she has only caught sight of his legs as he was leaving the orphanage. They are very lovely, very funny letters, and it's a very easy to read book.

I see you have already been recommended Diary of a Nobody and Ballet Shoes, both of them are lovely and very funny, I agree. The Bill Brysons are also great, I loved Notes from a Small Island and Down Under the best.

I'm going to have to disagree with recommendations for Twilight series though. I hated every word and can't remember a single bit of humour in it. And I had to read the first three books all together because I'd promised a review of them to a website.

Obstacles to young love, by David Nobbs I found to be a funnier, better written version of One day (which I liked as well). I don't like chick-lit and can be quite book snobby (spectre of having an English teacher for a mother) but I loved this book and it was so easy to read. I don't think Twilight is a good book to start with, Harry Potter would be better if easy is main criteria but have a read through a few first pages in a book shop and see what style you like. I'd have a look at Christopher Brookmyre and see if you like the style. Perhaps even Arian Mole's diary?

Maeve Binchy. Best storyteller ever!

wow what alot of suggestions. Thankyou. Will be taking a list of authors/books to library tomorrow. :)

For a lovely easy to read style book and a great story I would recommend A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute.

Does it have to be humour? These are some I have enjoyed recently with no effort -

Before I go to Slepp
The Woman in Black
Anything by Maeve Binchy
The Knitting Circle
The Help
Dark Matter
Into the Darkest Corner
Room
The Sisters Brothers
Anything by Marion Keyes ( especially Rachel's Holiday)

SLEEP

Lady have you chosen one yet?

The Queen's Blade by TC Southwell. Found it free on kindle and was so hooked, I bought the rest of the series about 1/3rd of the way through book one!

The Twilight saga is great, I couldn't put them down. Very easy reading too.

Also a nice book is p.s I love you by Cecilia Ahern and One Day by David Nicholls. All are quit light hearted...

The Lovely Bones is a good book too but there is a small bit of nastiness at the start, nothing gory though.

Happy Reading :))

J.D Robb's Eve Dallas series - very easy to get hooked on.

And if you really want comedy you should try Carmen Reid's 'Shopper' series - very funny chicklit.