Holiday reading recommendations..

[Jaskla]

I'm going on holiday for 2 weeks on 1 June so looking for some books to take with me. I've just been having a browse on amazon and nothing is jumping out at me so far.

Everyone seems to be raving about Game of Thrones but I'm not sure that fantasy is my thing. To the people that have enjoyed it - do you have to be a fantasy fan or do you recommend it to those who have never read books of this genre before?

Things I have previously enjoyed are thrillers (Jonathan Kellerman, Jeffery Deaver), some historical fiction (Ken Follett, CS Sansome), The Kite Runner. As a teenager I loved Harry Potter and Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials.

It just seems that I haven't read anything recently and enjoyed it as much as I used to. I want something to really stand out to me like The Kite Runner or Pillars of the Earth did.

I have a couple of books on my kindle still to read which I downloaded when they were 99p (The Hundred-year-old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared, and Life of Pi).

Any other recommendations greatly appreciated for restoring my faith in reading

Have you tried Joanne Harris 'The Blue Eyed Boy' a good thriller with twists but easy to read. Not all the pink and fluffy stuff of Chocolat.

The best thing I've read recently are the 'Call the Midwife' Books. Gripping and easy to read, very emotional but gritty.

I'll have a look at those, thank you.

I didn't watch the Call the Midwife TV programme but have heard good things about it.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynne is very readable. It's a thriller, if you like that kind of thing.
I'm not keen on fantasy at all, but I really enjoyed Game of Thrones.

Oh if you like kite runner, have you tried A thousand splendid suns? Stayed with me for ages.

Have you read The Hunger Games trilogy? I wasn't sure whether I would like it but did. The first novel is definitely the best in the series though.

I might give Game of Thrones a go then. I'm sure the hundreds of good reviews can't all be by avid fantasy readers. I looked at Gone Girl as well on the bestsellers list thinking it seemed the most appealing from the top ten.

And yes NaturalBlonde, I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns - I really enjoyed it but couldn't recall the title earlier.

Duchess, I have read The Hunger Games also after being nagged by DB's girlfriend, and agree that the first one was the best. I found the second and particularly the third quite hard going. Not bad for easy reading though.

Thanks for the suggestions so far

Khaled Hosseini has a new book out And the Mountains Echoed, set again in Afghanistan, which is getting lots of top reviews.

And Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese set in Ethiopia has been a real favourite.

Hope you find something really great from all the brilliant suggestions so far! Enjoy your holiday!

Yes I saw that new one but it's not out in paperback yet so I am debating whether I want to spend £10+ on it (only slightly cheaper on kindle).

It is probably worth it though if it is as good as his last two books.

I wouldn't have thought anything of spending that amount on a book a few years ago either but I think the kindle prices of

Try Margaret George, The Biography of Henry Vlll, if you like historical fiction. It's an absolute feast.

I think you'd need to be a fantasy fan for Game of Thrones. They are very long, very over-written, not v well written and pretty anti-feminist - and I quite like fantasy at times! :)

Have you read CJ Sansom's latest one? Or Ken Follett's The Fall Of Giants? I think the 2nd is out or soon out too. Follett's are not great writing by any means but they have some interesting characters (including female ones) and are well researched.

Have you read Brideshead Revisited, or Regeneration? You might like those for the historical angle. What about historical thrillers too? I've read a couple I quite liked but currently can't remember - will try to jog my memory on google and come back!

This Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman wasn't bad - gripping enough for a holiday read anyway.

If you enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns, try A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman .. a similar theme but a better read IMO.

The Observations by Jane Harris is great, a mystery told in the quirky amusing voice of Bessy, a Victorian servant girl.

Also have a look at Fingersmith by Sarah Waters, and The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. Long, absorbing novels you can get really into on holiday.

The Sea Sisters by Lucy Clarke - a great holiday read. Actually a great read. www.booksteensandmagazines.com/view/the-sea-sisters

I am currently really enjoying the Inspector Montalbano series, they are v. cheap on kindle, quite funny and not too dark.