Summer Reads 2012: the right picks?

[ShadeMumsnet]

We've put together our list of Summer Reads for 2012 but do you agree? Is there a vital novel made for the holidays that we've missed? Or a book we've included that you completely disagree with? You can see our selection here.

A bit disappointing that this whole list seems to be "women's reads" rather than universal good reads. A 15 year old's memorable summer? 10 year old starts school? Schoolgirl/teacher affair? Traumatic childhood saga? Loss, love, memory?

I wonder if "summer read" is something different than a regular good read.

Notable exception is This Thing Of Darkness (great book) and Pure which sounds interesting.

CoteDAzur , I know what you mean about "women's reads" and share your views, but State of Wonder doesn't belong in that category either IMO. It's an original, thought-provoking, memorable piece of writing. I really recommend it.

Personally, I don't want something light and fluffy to read on holiday. Quite the reverse in fact. It's a time when I can devote several hours a day to getting into something challenging like Wolf Hall. WH and Cutting for Stone were my best reads last year.

I think it's quite a highbrow collection really, possibly could have done with more on science/current affairs, or true crime. E.g The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks or Midnight in Peking.

Midnight in Peking looks interesting, thanks.

Books in this "summer reads" list might be very well written. My comment was about their subject matters and not about their authors' literary talents.

No matter how gloriously written these books are, I am never going to read books about a teenager's memorable summer, a 10 year old's problems in school, and less so a traumatic childhood saga.

Most of these books are written for an exclusively female reader base. Personally, I prefer those written for a universal audience and don't believe that I'm the only MNer who does.

'This Thing Of Darkness' is amazing.

I loathe Sarah Waters.

Misery saga is as far removed from the kind of things I want to read as it is possible to get.
'Pure' is the sort of thing I tend to be tempted by.
The Secret Scripture was appalling, so I deffo wouldn't read more by that writer.
'Wonder' sounds quite interesting - but it depends how it's done.

I do like "women's fiction", but there seem to be quite a lot of books which I wouldn't put in that category by men and women on the list, eg Ann Patchett and Georgina Harding.

I read less on holiday than when I'm not and don't necessarily want to read different things. I thought Cutting for Stone was wonderful too, and have two memoirs by Abraham Verghese waiting to be read.

There is a really fabulous book called Dear Lupin - letters to a Wayward Son by Roger and Charlie Mortimer. It was Radio 4's book of the week last month. I have never laughed so much.

It's not the list I'd have chosen but it never is, is it?

I thought Pure was a bit disappointing - the historical element was interesting but the actual plot and characters deeply unengaging.

Have never been able to understand the fuss about This Thing of Darkness - doesn't work as a novel, imho.

I also struggled through the Tomalin biography of Dickens - I wanted to like it but I find her writing style quite hard to get into.

But the Jeanette Winterson is terrific.

'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn is worthy of inclusion.

I just finished a good read for male and females alike called Maker of Footprints by Sheila Turner Johnston. It's a book that was a bit of a modern day Wuthering heights. Passion, turmoil love and desire and lots of moral issues tackled that can get you thinking 'what would I do???'I really think it's a good summer read.

"Beauty and the Inferno" by Roberto Savariano; perfect read for holiday in Puglia. Present from son. Essays by brilliant writer.
"The Potter's Field" by Andrea Camilleri; great book.
Borrowed "A Simple Story" by Sciascia from daughter. The book also had the novella "Candido". Simple story was fabulous, great crisp writing.

I also read "This is Life" by Dan Rhodes. Hmm... pretty cover, good writer but book is tosh and I have such a long list of great books still to read that I resent reading tosh. Especially when you think that the author could do better and was doing a trial run for a movie.