What books should I ask for for Christmas?

[OooWhatToDo]

I love reading but don't usually buy myself books unless I spot a good one in the charity shop, but I do like getting some new books for Christmas!

I've loved Harry Potter since I was a kid, I also like authors like Dorothy Koomson, James Herbert, Gillian Flynn, Stephen King. I'm not too good at heavy books like the girl with the dragon tattoo though, I tried my hardest with that but found it really hard work.

So can anyone recommend me some good, interesting books that I might like?

The new Stephen King that is a sequel to the shining?

Have you read Jonathan strange and dr norrell, its great.

The historian is a modern dracula story that is very good without being gory. Very atmospheric.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is indeed brilliant.

Alternatively, ask for a Kindle

Yes to, 'Doctor Sleep.'

Remus - I have a historical fiction book for you Remember I asked if you had another book like This Thing Of Darkness? Well, I found one: Measuring The World - Danel Kehlmann.

Sorry for thread derail, OP.

Ooh - Have you finished it? Will google immediately. Tell me more.

Ooh yes - that looks right up my street, and has the added benefit of a character named Humboldt! Cheers. :)

I finished it, really sad the last couple of hours because it was coming to an end. Now I started Dr Sleep because any "serious" book that comes after this one will surely be a disappointment.

I loved loved LOVED it. Read & let me know what you think.

I hadn't heard of Humboldt before reading this book, but of course everyone knows of the legendary mathematician Gauss. I wish I were you now, still to read this book for the first time

I know nothing of legendary mathematicians, I assure you. :)

Will deffo add it to the to-read list.

I loved it for all the reasons I loved This Thing Of Darkness, but am wondering if you will find it "beautifully written" re relationships between characters etc (I'm remembering our Dune conversation here). This book has a different style. I found it incredibly well-written in parts but more for its descriptions of uniquely difficult situations rather than flowery prose iyswim.

I hate flowery prose! I also hate trite prose, self congratulatory prose, badly punctuated prose and much other prose! I'll give it a go and promise to approach it with an open mind.

Sorry for the major hijack btw, OP.

Well, it's definitely not flowery or pretentious You'll know what I mean.

No problem!
Thanks for the recommendations, have added them to my list.

I'm struggling with Dr Sleep. 14% in and it's all cheap gimmicks so far:

"The screaming began again, only is time it wasn't Deenie and it wasn't the wind.
This time it was him."

Ok then.

What is thing of darkness about? I am intrigued.

Cote - keep going: it's really okay in the end. Not his best, but fine - I read it very quickly and tried not to think too much, so I enjoyed it!

This Thing of Darkness

Hugh Howey's Wool Trilogy is very good if you haven't read it already. A large community of people are living in an underground silo in the aftermath of a nuclear war they don't even remember. They have created an entire city and society, where law breakers are sent out to certain death having first cleaned the sensors that allow the people of the silo to see the outside world. It's not possible to do justice to how good these books are, so definitely read them. They are works of genius. I am not Hugh Howey I thought it might be hard work but it was a very easy read in the end. I just had to know what happened next.

If you like Stephen King, you might also like his son, Joe Hill's books. Heart Shaped Box and NOS4R2 are both very good.

I'm reading Let The Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist at the moment. It's short stories, and I'm enjoying it. He wrote Let The Right One In, which I think is probably his best known book, but I've enjoyed all of them. Harbour is my favourite.

I've just been looking back through the list of books I've read this year. Right after I read Gone Girl I read Alys, Always by Harriet Lane and thought it was better than Gone Girl. It has a kind of Notes on a Scandal feel to it and I highly recommend it.

I also enjoyed How To Be A Good Wife by Emma Chapman, another story where all is not quite as it seems in an unsettling kind of way.

I liked The Innocents by Francesca Segal, which was loosely based on The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. It's been updated to the Jewish community of NW London and is worth a read if you haven't already.

I really liked The Magpies by Mark Edwards. A young couple move into a new flat and slowly realise that an escalating war of harassment is being waged against them.

I didn't like Wool. It was a bit silly and not terribly well thought-out.

Loads of people live underground for many generations and show no physical adaptation whatsoever. All their energy needs come from mining coal but they can't mine sideways but only down. Oh and they seem to have everything anyone can ever need - clothes, paperclips, computers, shoes, etc all manufactured presumably in their underground silo. Err, OK then

I finished Doctor Sleep and yes, it was pretty good once it got going.

My only criticism would be the disappearing act when they die - completely unnecessary and made no sense.

Not bad at all overall, though.

"I didn't like Wool. It was a bit silly and not terribly well thought-out."

You do have a point Cote, but apart from all that I enjoyed it.

I don't mind a book where you have to suspend your belief a bit and just go with it though (although even I had to raise an eyebrow at the underground farms) but I still got very involved with the story as a more basic murder-mystery-will-all-be-revealled-in-the-end type of book and let the practicalities you have mentioned go a bit.

I can't do that with every book but it worked for me with these.

I really enjoyed, 'Let the Right One In' ) except for the silly ending), but absolutely hated, 'Harbour' which I thought was ridiculous. I read another one of his too, about weird teenage girls, which was also dreadful. I probably won't bother with any more of his tbh.