I need inspiration

[Familyguyfan]

Hi all,

My kindle needs filling up and I'm out of inspiration. I absolutely love Kate Morton, Margaret Attwood, only Atonement by Ian McEwan (nothing else for some reason) and also Sam Bourne. I'm a bit of a voracious reader, so please help me!! Thanks all.

How about trying Murakami. Nearly everybody in my book club enjoyed the one we read a while ago. I think Norwegian Wood is very good. I've not read all of them. And also I've recently discovered Kate Atkinson who is excellent too. But completely different. Case Histories was excellent.

Kate Atkinson - 'Behind The Scenes At The Museum' is good. I didn't like any of her others. 'Human Croquet' is the worst though; it's ridiculous. She is also the queen of convenient coincidences, if that bothers you.

Murakami - I liked 'After Dark' but not any of the others.

Try Liz Jensen - 'The Ninth Life Of Louis Drax' is the best.

I've just read, 'The Perks Of being A Wallflower' which is recommended a lot on here. I really enjoyed it except for the ending, which I hated (this seems to be a theme with me!).

Would you consider any classics?

I've heard good things about Kate Atkinson so I think I'll give her a shot. I haven't heard of the other author, but I will definitely look at them on amazon with such a glowing recommendation.

I tend to be a bit funny with classics. I go in with the best of intentions but never quite get engaged. Could be the ones I've tried haven't really suited me. What did you have in mind.

Thanks for your help

How about a couple of 'lightweight' classics then? Maybe Waugh's 'A Handful Of Dust' or 'Vile Bodies' and if you like those try 'Brideshead Revisited.' Or perhaps you'd like some Orwell? I'm thinking classics that are modern enough to not feel like work in the way that (for eg) Dickens etc can! :)

I loved Brideshead Revisited. For some reason I don't think of it as a classic, perhaps it's because it's a twentieth century book.

Santa Montefiore has written some good books.

Have you tried any Barbara Kingsolver - poisonwood bible is a goody. Also Ann Patchett - State of Wonder is absolutely fab and Bel Canto is supposed to be great too.

Ann Patchett is brilliant, especially the two novels mentioned above. Original and thought-provoking.

For something a little lighter, try Sue Gee. She's a really underrated author. Earth and Heaven and The Mysteries of Glass are particularly good.

And the Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane Howard are also a great read.