Absolutely Unputdownable Books

[spacemonkey]

Just interested to know what books mumsnetters found absolutely impossible to put down ...

Here are some of mine:

• Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
• anything by Jane Austen
• Villette - Charlotte Bronte
• Diary of a Nobody - George & Weedon Grossmith
• If This Is A Man - Primo Levi
• His Dark Materials Trilogy - Philip Pullman
• The Wrong Boy - Willy Russell
• Moab is my Washpot - Stephen Fry
• Things Can Only Get Better - John O'Farrell
• The Consolations of Philosophy - Alain de Botton

and (ahem) all the Harry Potters

What are yours?

I missed this thread first time round.

hoxtonchick -- Barbara Trapido seems to be a bit of a minority taste, but agree with you totally! Also Jane Gardam.

Have you tried Arturo Perez Reverte? (The Nautical Chart, The Seville Communion). Have yet to read The Flanders Panel, but is next on my list.

Having a bookwormish 9yo dd have to say that most kids' books are much better than I remembered, and you can read them in a couple of hours, too. Jacqueline Wilson is very fine, as is HP and His Dark Materials.

I loved The Persuit of Happiness by DOuglas Kennedy

Lara2 - I love his ideas, and the films made from them...however, I do not enjoy his style of writing. Dh loves his books though.

Just caught up with this thread so I thought I'd mention some that have not come up before:

Adriana Trigiani - Big Stone Gap and Lucia,Lucia
Salley (sic) Vickers - Miss Garnet's Angel
Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead
Barbara Kingsolver - The Poisonwood Bible
Tim Winton - Dirt Music

Anyone else read these ones?

Oi, tamum, I can't believe you let me show you my new copy of Spankie and Frankie or whatever it's called (B Trapido) while still in Waterstone's wothout saying "actually I thought it was crap, quick, go and change it!" - I have been persisting with it at the rate of about 3 pages a night before my eyes roll into my head, I'll stop reading it now and start something else!!!

I like Marika Cobbold btw - the Guppies one and Frozen Music (?), have another one just waiting to be read now I've given up on Spankie.

Miaou, I read the Big Stone Gap triology. I hought they were great - read all three one after the other which is something I've never done before. Am saving Lucia,lucia for my hols. Is it as good as her others ?

Thanks for the idea, frogs, I shall go & investigate on Amazon.

janh, try some other Barbara Trapido, she's normally fantastic, honest (did my cheque ever turn up btw?)!

hoxtonchick, I have and loved them, that's why I bought Spankie, am v disappointed! (yes your cheque did arrive, so sorry, meant to email you about it and reply to the lovely photo, nostalgia is great isn't it? Has your SIL made some balloon knickers yet?)

Oh Janh, I am sorry. I did wonder whether to say anything, but it's had such good reviews, and her other books are just so utterly brilliant (as hoxtonchick says) that I thought it was churlish to stop you. Sorry . I still can't believe she was able to write anything bad. I'll lend you the others when I see you, promise!

Oh bum, cross-posted, so lending you the others won't help much then.

oh dear - i bought frankie and stankie a while back on a waterstones 3 for 2, and is sitting their waiting to be read - sounds like it will not be a quick enjoyable read. shame as I really liked the travelling hornpipe blower one of hers

Haven't read the whole thread so apologies for any repetition but everyone MUST MUST MUST read A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry... amazing, disturbing, unforgettable (and I didn't know it was on the Oprah book club list!)

I'm just glad it arrived jan, I posted it in rather a dodgy looking postbox.... He did look cute didn't he? SiL about to turn up, so I'll ask her.

Re F & S, I think it's autobiographical. Maybe it was better to write than read?

Kayleigh, I've only read BSG and Lucia,Lucia, but loved them both equally - the story and emotions in Lucia are just as good, plus it is set in 1950's New York for extra romance!

I got 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt in a charity bookshop today. I could not get on with 'The Little Friend' at all, so can anyone convince me that it is worth reading. I only spent 20p on it, so it is not a big problem if I don't read it, but some people on here raved about it. Can those people tell me why it was so great please...TIA

The Secret History is a very different book, IMO. It's a few years since I read it but I remember feeling like it was a window into another world. I am also intrigued by books with "anti-heroes" in them, I would say it falls into this category.

PS well done on getting it for 20p, most charity shops seem to charge £2-£3 for decent books!

Snap skerriesmum re 'A Fine Balance' but don't read it if you're pregnant or emotional! I have given it to most people I know but it is very disturbing.

Oooh, have only just seen this thread! The ones I can think of right now are:

Jane Eyre
Lolita
Secret History
Down and Out in Paris and London
pretty much anything by AL Kennedy
Oscar and Lucinda
Poisonwood Bible
The Complete Molesworth

there must be loads more...

oooh moominmama, another person who has read poisonwood bible! I keep recommending it, even my dh loved it (I had to persuade him to read it at first, he was put off by the word bible!!)

Brilliant isn't it, miaou! I'm actually reading an earlier one of hers now (although I haven't picked it up for a bit as I always seem to have 7 books on the go at once ) - can't remember what it's called, something about animals...is v good tho!

Have to say, though, Poisonwood Bible I read while lazing on a hot balcony in Savannah, Georgia so it could also be that it has nice memories for me! Would definitely recommend it to anyone who's seen it but hasn't tried it yet...

Let me know what the other one is moominmama, I love recommendations.

Ok Miaou, just for you

Have found it - Animal Dreams. Think it's a US edition though so don't know if it's available over here. Quite different to Poisonwood - set in 20th century USA but still really beautifully written. Well worth a look.

And while looking for that I found another I'd like to recommend - The Underground Man by Mick Jackson.

Chinchilla, I found The Secret History a real page-turner, but I think it is too long for what it does.

Thankyou moominmama, will look it up on Amazon!

I agree with you marsup, it is rather long - having said that I enjoyed it so much I didn't want it to end.