Light but heavy reads?

[SheShines]

My reading tastes are very mixed. However, I'm after something light, with a plot, possibly thought provoking, without being vacuous.
This is a tougher ask than it sounds!

Side bar -^^ why is it that Marian Keyes writes a novel and it is chick-lit, whereas David Nicholls novels are simply fiction?

The sort of thing I have enjoyed:
This Charming Man - Marian Keyes
Sweet Sorrow - David Nicholls
Can You Keep A Secret - Sophie Kinsella
The Cows - Dawn O Porter
A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
The Commitments - Roddy Doyle
Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
Just My Luck - Adele Parks

There are lots more, but I'm after lighter reads with an edge.

Not what I'm after:
Bridget Jones
Anything Shopaholic

Warning - I have a Masters in Lit, so I have read a lot of the classics. My average is 200 books a year, though I don't usually read light books so maybe not as difficult as it sounds?

Have you read Anita Shreve? Most are set in New England.

Peter May has written 2 topical novels: The Coffin Road (the clue is in the dedication 'for the bees') and Lockdown, written I. 2005 but not published until 2020.

Margaret Kirk is a relatively new crime writer. She has 3 novels out and is working on her 4th. The main character is an ex-Met policeman, half-Scottish, half-German, who is now based in Inverness.

Not fiction, but I found Sean O'Casey's 6-volume auto-biography provided lots of background on the relationship between Ireland and Britain.

Thanks for the thread, OP.

That's a coincidence; I had decided to write an update. Bear in mind that I already had a lot of these on The List. I'm not ignoring anyone's recommendations, my posts would be long if I answered everyone.

Since I started this thread I have read:
• The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell - it wasn't my favourite of hers that I have read, still a good read though.
• Golden Boy by John Glatt - this was ok, but not great.
• Dark House by Helen Phifer - I have read all of her books now, I prefer her Morgan Brookes series, but her novels are reliably good.
• The Lies Between us by J. A. Leake - thought this was very good, I haven't read any of her other books and they don't appeal to me but I would definitely read more if she writes in this genre again.
• Fck Marriage by Tarryn Fisher* - this was light and funny, literary candy floss. Good for a light read.
• Contacts by Mark Watson - a solid 4 out of 5 stars, lost a star because it wasn't quite as well written as I thought it would be!
• Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane - I loved this, smart without being heavy.
• The Verdict by C J Cooper - very good, I was gripped.
• His And Hers by Alice Feeney - excellent.
• The Shelf by Helly Acton - again, definitely light but very enjoyable.

And then, following a namecheck on here I read my first Jonathan Harvey. They are absolutely the type of books I needed right now. I have read:
• All She Wants
• The Girl Who Just Appeared
• The Secrets We Keep
• The History Of Us
• The Years She Stole
I enjoyed them so much that I only have the Karen Carpenter one left to read

•••

...To answer this question:

Also....200 books a year?! How do you find the time?!

• I read every day and always have.
• Our DCs have left home, our time is our own. DH has always WFH, he cleans as he goes. As there are only 2 of us now there isn't much to do.
• Our house is uptogether we are going to put it on the market soon, there aren't any jobs that need doing.
• As well as paperbacks I have a Kindle and a 3 books a month subscription with Audible. In truth, I often prefer to read books myself as a narrator influences my perception of the characters. I do listen to Audible books in the car because reading while you are driving is frowned upon apparently.
• I very rarely read children's or young adult books. Last year I reread I Capture The Castle because it is beautiful. That was the only YA book I read last year, I haven't read any this year.

We were allowed to carry some holiday over from last year so I have 7 weeks plus a compulsory 2 weeks at Christmas to use.

I'm on holiday at the moment, at home, which is how I am able to read so much atm.

The reason I started this thread is because I am using reading to keep my mind busy. A close family member died last year, it will be 1 year soon so I'm burying my emotions in books .

Finally please keep recommending books, I am reading your posts and researching the ones I haven't read.

If anyone knows of an author like Jonathan Harvey please post on here.

Thank you

I'm sorry for your loss x

I've just come on to say ~don't read~ Exciting Times. I read it recently and I don't know how or why it has such good reviews.

I also read The Olive Tree by Lucinda Riley, which was a light but interesting read, and set in Cyprus where my family is from.

Victoria Hislop? I find her writing very easy to read, despite the heavy subject matter. I'm currently reading 'Those Who Are Loved' by her.

I'm in awe of your reading capacity. I have an English degree and have always loved to read, but since I had children I feel like it's sometimes an effort to pick up a book and find the time to read-it's like the habit of reading has died a little.

Cyprus is lovely Wallabyone and the majority of people I met there were very beautiful, thus I would wager that you are beautiful. I'm envious!

I understand the reading when you have young DCs, there isn't time to breathe, let alone read. I used to read while I was breastfeeding, before I went to sleep and really in any spare moment.

Exciting Times is one that I have looked at, I know to avoid it now.

I feel the same about Sally Rooney; lots of people rave about her, but I have read Normal People and Conversations With Friends. When I finished both I was left thinking... and? What am I missing? Normal People in particular IMO had that Catcher In The Rye quality; young people just doing what young people do and it doesn't go anywhere.

Victoria Hislop is a good idea, thank you I have read some of her books before, I'll check which ones, I remember liking them.

"I was also going to suggest Barbara Kingsolver"

I'm really surprised she's included by two people (so far) because she's not what I'd call light at all! I couldn't get through Poisonwood Bible.

My lighter with some weight reads are Santa Montefiore. I really enjoyed her series set in Ireland (not The Troubles, but around Independence). The first one was Songs of Love and War.

The ‘weight’ for me came from the historical backdrop which you can just enjoy superficially or buy into a little more. These always get me through tough times.

The other one I was going to suggest if you don’t mind translation is Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands by Jorge Amado. I’m reading it at the moment and half way through and the second husband hasn’t yet appeared, but I don’t care because it is brilliant.

• great writing (well, translation)
• funny
• sad
• brilliantly drawn characters
• Bahia in Brazil is really brought to life

If you're looking for something set in the Troubles, have you tried Adrian McKinty's Sean Duffy series? I absolutely loved these books (but my normal reading is similar to yours, Marian Keyes/Roddy Doyle, along with Penny Vincenzi, Clare Chambers, Rosamund Pilcher etc).

I love this thread. I love a bit of literary fiction, but it's hard to know what's going to hit the mark...

So: William Boyd - I read them as they come out but my favourite was Any Human Heart.

Curtis Sittenfeld - I've read a few, faves were American Wife, and I enjoyed Rodham recently

Kate Atkinson - I couldn't be bothered with the Jackson Brody books, but adored Life after Life.

Kazuo Ishiguro - suspect already read?

Elizabeth Strout- especially Olive Kitteridge.

Elena Ferrante- the Neopolitan quartet. I envy anyone who's not read these yet. Beautiful.

American Dirt and Three Hours had me on the edge of my seat throughout both.

Hope there may be something there that's new!

Contacts by Mark Watson

Thank you again everyone.

Oddly for me I've been going through a true crime phase.

EmmaStone, I love this thread too, I keep coming back to it, picking titles and reading them. I'm really sorry, I've read most of your list I'm excited by the thought of the Napoleon Quartet, they look like they're up my street.

I have read quite a few books since I last posted but as I say, lots of them have been true crime, so not really in the spirit of the thread.

FionaCorkesWardrobebyKamizole I hadn't ever read any Adrian McKinty, since you posted I have read two, they are both enjoyable and interesting. Thank you for that.