Okay you lot - it's find Remus something to read time again

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I am reduced to re-reading 'The Stand' (again) because I am bookless (again).
I want either -

• a big fat Victorian or Victorian-esque mystery (NOT Sarah Waters though because I hate her, and not Wilkie Collins because I've read them)
• anything to do with polar exploration or other historical exploration, shipwrecks etc etc
• anything to do with the history of medicine
• a quirky history book with a v narrow focus (eg the last one I read was how the various kings and queens of England died, by a surgeon)
• something along the lines of Douglas Coupland or Chuck Palawhatshisname

- a really good teenage series along the lines of Patrick Ness

• erm anything that isn't chick lit or Ian McEwan or other pretentious literary fiction or misery set in Ireland or Jodie Piccoult or Marion Keyes or worthy female writers or anything of any of those ilks

Please help - I know I'm bloomin' awkward but I bet somebody can recommend something I'll love! :)

So far on my list = The Master An Margarita / Dune / Slaughterhouse Five but I need lots more.

Dark Matter is already on my list, thanks to this thread, so thansk for seconding it.

Blood And Guts - read it and loved it.

Digging Up The Dead looks perfect. I see there's a link to The Italian Boy on there too - that's pretty good (about grave robbery).

ooh ooh!

Read The Religion by Tim Willocks... tis chuffing marvellous book to get lost in. great big fat chunky tome...

it covers: the history of the siege of malta during the crusades and a very personal quest to find a missing boy. there's action, love story, friendship, bucketloads of history and history of religion, a bit of science/medical history, bits about the inquisition, tons about the various cultures/beliefs of the different warring factions (and there are many!), quite gory in places and quite bodice-ripperish in others.

the writer is a psychologist (think he used to be Madonna's shrink at some point or other, but don't let that put you off!). but, Willocks knows how to write a page-turner and there's no dumbed-down language, because he seems to really enjoy sharing gritty little details and weird, but interesting facts.

i also loved Pillars of the Earth (for bizarre subject matter) by Ken Follett. It's about building cathedrals in the middle ages! but, it's about a lot of other things too, just a fascinating core subject that i really enjoyed learning about.

I just finished reading The Testament of Jessie Lamb, which makes me want to shout, alot, and very loudly. It's won the Arthur C Clarke award recently and is broadly comparable to the Handmaid's Tale.

Thank you. Have read 'Pillars Of The Earth' which I enjoyed for the plot, although it was appallingly badly written with a really one dimensional baddy. I thought the follow up was a bit better written.

Will look into the other two but bodice-ripperish worries me a bit, I must admit. :)

Baddy? Or baddie? Brain-freeze!

it's infrequently bodice-ripperish... that may be a bit misleading! there's just a very carnal relationship that is quite memorable!

:)

Dp managed to get 'Dark Matter' for me today - will report back!

I read, 'Dark Matter' last night. I liked the first half (the prep, getting there etc) but thought it was pretty dreadful from when the ghost appeared and the ending was rubbish. Agh. And now I'm bookless again!

I don't suppose you would be interested in the one I've just started reading - Untold Story by Monica Ali? It poses the question - what if Princess Diana had faked her death in order to start a new life in small town America. Quite a contraversial subject and not to everyone's taste. In fact I'm not too sure how I feel about it myself :o

Mmmm not sure tbh - I read 'Brick Lane' which I think is the same writer but it didn't really inspire me to read any more of hers tbh. Do let me know what you think on finishing though, as I would be willing to give it a go.

Do try and get hold of the Australian series recommended upthread - the "tomorrow's children" series, by John Marsden. Cracking reads. Book 1 is 'tomorrow when the world began' I think.

Out of interest... did you like Julian Fellowes 'Snobs'?

Not read it. Do you think I would like it? I know nothing about it.

NOT READ IT??

Hmmm... I looked at the list of all the things you wanted in your OP and my mind kind of synthesised them and sent me straight to that. I think you would find it a really satisfying read. Sometimes the best books are ones that you didn't think you were looking for.

Tell me more, please. :)

Well, one one level Snobs is just a novel about girl who, quite calculatingly, marries an earl for his title and money, and then rather regrets it. What made it magic for me was Fellowes' witty, excoriating exposure of upper-middle and upper-class rules and beliefs. Might be because I is a forriner that it pleased me so much... but have never read anything half as insightful and revealing about English society, and I just love that it's so sharp and unforgiving in a way that could probably only be done by an insider who truly knows this world.

I just felt it might gel with a lot of your preferences - for Victoriana (it's not Victorian but the rules and sexism and etiquette palaver might as well be IYSWIM) and social quirky minutiae and NOT being a bloody misery lit/chick lit book and that it's a readable romp a la teenage fiction... that you might like it. But then I loved his films and Downton Abbey too, so maybe it's just me.

G'wan, give it a try... you know you want to

Thank you. I had never heard of him but I saw a couple of episodes of 'Downton' and it wasn't my sort of thing at all (then again, TV is rarely my sort of thing ,to be fair). What films has he done?

If I come across the book at the library, I'll give it a browse. Thanks again.

He wrote Gosford Park. Won the Oscar for best screenplay. I LOVE that film.

He's also an actor ... played Kilwillie in 'Monarch of the Glen' as well, but not watching tv that probably doesn't ring any bells for you. Still, I'm always impressed by men of multiple talents -

... as an aside to that, I met Ian Kelly in a work context to do with his latest book and realised that: A) I had read and LOVED one of his earlier books, B) I had seen him on stage just recently being very good in a mediocre play about miners, and C) he plays Hermione's father in the Harry Potter films!!!

There was no point to that ramble, other than to say that I like a Renaissance man

Had never heard of Ian Kelly either but I do vaguely remember his (always puzzled looking!) face from Harry Potter. I didn't know he was a writer - anything I might be interested in?

Monarch Of The Glen - I think that is a famous painting of a stag but know nothing re a TV programme of that name! And 'Gosford Park' means nothing to me either - sorry, I am a klutz about films/TV generally.

Tries to think of other modern Renaissance Men - Stephen Fry?

Err, yes... but for me a large part of the attraction of a Renaissance Man would be him not being gay .

Mind you, I loved Fry's first novel The Liar when I first read it. I was young and impressionable and would probably react differently if reading it for the first time now, but by crikey it impressed me at 16. Have had a thing for sexually ambiguous public schoolboys ever since

Hey presto! another book for you.

Oh and add Ian Kelly's book on Beau Brummell

I finished Untold Story by Monica Ali - an enjoyable story but perhaps not your cup of tea Remus. Now I'm reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which would certainly fit the Victorian and mystery category (if you haven't already read it :o).

Oh I've read the book on Beau B - really liked it! Didn't realise it was HIM though. Read The Liar too though can remember naff all about it now.

Night Circus thing sounds my sort of book - thanks Nora.

More books about sexually ambiguous/confused public schoolboys would be my sort of thing too, please! Have read the obvious 'Maurice' and Larkin's 'Jill' - what have I forgotten? Oh have read 'Engleby' too.

The 'Lord John' mystery stories by Diana Gabaldon

Also (not really fitting into your categories but a good story) Temeraire by Naomi Novik. The first in a series of fantasy/historical books set during the napolionic wars but both sides also have a dragon fleet

Glad you liked the Brummell book - his next one was on Casanova and it's in my (long) queue of must-reads, looks bloody good.

More novels with sexually curious young men... hmmm. 'Spose you've read 'the Secret History' by Donna Tart which strays in that direction a bit? It's firmly in my list of top ten favourite books EVER.

I'm gagging to read History of a Pleasure Seeker which looks fantabulous and fits the bill. Can't think of any others right now.

Ta. :)

Have read 'The Secret History' and thought it was okay.

Thanks for the other recs.