If I tell you what books I've enjoyed this year can you recommend more for me please?

[shiningcadence]

Hi all,
Off on holiday in 2 weeks and looking for a load of books to take away. I get a lot of recommendations from here I have to admit - by lurking rather than posting - but nothing's really captured my interest of late. So, if I tell you what I've enjoyed this year so far could anyone recommend me some books in a similar vein please?

So, for hols I don't want anything too hard going. For this reason young adult might be a good option. In this genre I've loved the Hunger Games trilogy, the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater, The Scorpio Races also by Maggie Stiefvater and the Gone series by Michael Grant.

I like an interesting, engaging, first person narrator (but not essential), I've enjoyed the Perks of being a Wallflower, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and Mark Haddon's other one - can't think of the name.

I like humour - Bridget Jones diary and the sequel.

I've enjoyed a couple of Nicolas Sparks - The Last Song was my favourite, but some I find a little clichéd.

I'm open to 'classics' as long as they're not hard going - I loved I capture the Castle, Catcher in the Rye and Wuthering Heights - though the last probably a bit 'dark' for a holiday read (I want something quite light but still with meaning and emotion if that makes sense).

Recently I've also loved reading The Help, The 100 year old man and The Radleys by Matt Haig.

I love Kazuo Ishiguro and Khaled Hosseini.

Any suggestions much appreciated.

TIA

[shiningcadence]

Thank you mignonette, no I haven't read those. They sound really interesting. I will definitely try the non fiction collection too, I tend to stick to fiction but I think it'd be nice to have a change. I studied lots of non fiction collections at uni and really enjoyed them, don't know why I stopped reading them really.

[mignonette]

Louise I love Rumer Godden so much. Her writing is magical. Thank you for reminding me.

Have you ever read Tove Janssen Shining? 'The Summer Book', 'The Winter Book' and the short story collection called 'The Listener'.

The Summer book focuses upon the relationship between a girl and ger Gran whilst holidaying on a Finnish island whilst the Winter Book is a collection of short stories and vignettes, some more formed than others.

Another book I have enjoyed recently is 'Sightlines' by Kathleen Jamie. It is a non fiction writing collection.

[shiningcadence]

Hi Louise, Cold Comfort Farm is one I've ordered from the library so looking forward to reading that :)

I've never read P.G. Wodehouse, I'll give them a go. The others sound good too.

Thank you :)

[Louise1956]

The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden is a book you might enjoy. Set in France in the 1920s, it is a lovely book, sad and funny and exciting, with very interesting character.

The Summer After the Funeral by Jane Gardam is another one you might like, about a teenage girl coping with the death of her father (who was much older than her mother), eccentric relations, first love, and other things. it has a lot of humour and delightful characters.

if you enjoyed Bridget Jones's Diary, you might like The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot. an amusing romance/mystery story told entirely in emails between the various characters.

You might also enjoy The Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield, which is written in the same style as Bridget Jones, though sixty years earlier.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons is hilarious, another book you might enjoy.

have you ever tried P.G. Wodehouse? His books are great light reading, my personal favourite is The Code of the Woosters, but there are many others.

[shiningcadence]

Thank you all.

Funnily enough I'd already ordered The Light Between Oceans after seeing it recommended here so looking forward to that. Thank you for the other suggestions too highlandcoo.

TWavre, no those books hadn't been suggested yet. They sound great, thanks.

Thank you cloudminnow. I loved One Day. I read another of Victoria Hislop's - think it was called The Island - and didn't really get on with it. Might give this a shot though, it does sound good. And I'll definitely have a look at the others.

Thanks again all :)

[mignonette]

Kikidee I am happy to hear that you like my board. I find it useful to keep track of what i have bought, read and want to read.

[Cloudminnow]

Here are my suggestions for easygoing, enjoyable holiday reads:

Black Swan Green - David Mitchell (teenager growing up in 1980s Britain)

One Day - David Nicholls (modern love story set on same day from leaving Edinburgh university and beyond)

Pursuit of Happiness - Douglas Kennedy (love story set in post war New York)

The Return - Victoria Hislop (modern UK woman delves into her family's past in Spain, civil war era, but not too much actual 'war stuff')

All of the above are very quick and easy reads and from what I can remember are told in the first person...

[TWavre]

Haven't read all the replies do sorry if this has already been mentioned!
If you liked the hunger games I can recommend Enders Game & all the sequels.
Would also recommend When God Was a Rabbit.

[kikidee]

Mignonette your Pinterest board is very inspiring, i love American novels too. You have several things on there that I've already read and lots more that takes my fancy, thank you.

[highlandcoo]

Yy to The Light Between Oceans - read following a recommendation on here and loved it. Beautiful evocation of life on a remote lighthouse and an absorbing, emotionally involving story.

If you like Khaled Hosseini then definitely try A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman. Story of two girls brought up in the same family; one the rich daughter and one a servant/companion to her. As they grow older their lives become very different.

The Observations by Jane Harris is interesting and intriguing, told in the voice of Betsy, a servant girl with a quirky sense of humour. Really enjoyable.

[shiningcadence]

Ah thank you, I will have a look at your board. I enjoyed The Mermaid Chair and will have a look at the rest.

[mignonette]

There is another Lori Lansen called Rush Home Road that I love too. I am an American literature lover and all of Michael Lee West's books are great. 'Mad Girls' is the first of a trilogy. Also consider Pat Conroy, 'The Mermaids Chair' by Sue Monk Kidd, 'Dreaming Southern' by Linda Bruckheimer and 'The Flying Troutmans' by Miriam Toews. I have a Pinterest board called Bookworm here and also have boards on food writing and travel writing. Loads more good books on there.

[shiningcadence]

Thank you mignonette. I've read a Lori Lansen one called 'The Girls' and found it very moving and enjoyable so will definitely order that one. Will have a look at the others too.

[mignonette]

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansen
The Leftovers by Tom Perotta
Mad Girls by Michael Lee West
A Good Year For Plums by Bailey White
Lace by Shirley Conran (nice big sex and shopping blockbuster)
Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
Major Pettigrews Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Pigs in Heaven / The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

All good holiday reads and not demanding.

[mignonette]

The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansen
The Leftovers by Tom Perotta
Mad Girls by Michael Lee West
A Good Year For Plums by Bailey White
Lace by Shirley Conran (nice big sex and shopping blockbuster)
Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
Major Pettigrews Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Pigs in Heaven / The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

All good holiday reads and not demanding.

[shiningcadence]

Thanks all, got a nice selection to order now, these are perfect suggestions for me :)

hardertokidnap I love the Time Traveler's Wife. Her second book wasn't so good I thought, it's called 'Her Fearful Symmetry'. Interesting story but poor ending.

[BetsyJPierce]

Can't wait to find Swamplandia, Harder!

[BetsyJPierce]

Hmmmm. If you like Aimee Bender then perhaps you'd like Geek Love? Or Sue Miller? (She's my American go-to summer read - brilliant story teller.)

[HarderToKidnap]

The time travellers wife by Audrey nifenegger fits the bill if you haven't caught it already.

I'm reading swamplandia! at the moment, it's what you're looking for I think.

[MerlinFromCamelot]

Valium,

Like the sound of the girl on the landing.

Thanks

[CoteDAzur]

OP - It sounds like you like Bestsellers. Maybe look at the current list of Bestsellers for inspiration?

[valiumredhead]

The language of flowers if a great read,I agree!

The Poisonwood Bible
The Girl on the Landing
The Guilty One
The Wicked Girls

Sorry, can't remember authors now I have a kindle

[ninjanurse]

I have enjoyed several of the books you mentioned. I would recommend in particular The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman.

[Bookwolf32]

Alexander mcall smith. Any of his series are good holiday reads as they are light and amusing. Particularly enjoyed Corduroy mansions.
Alice Hoffman is quite emotional without being too dark.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.