not read a proper book in over a year..

[stuffitllama]

by which I mean it's been lots of thrillers and easy reads and I seem to have lost the ability to "work" at a book. Does anyone have any recommendations to get me back into it? I need something with a real plot, kind of a page-turner, but with body, y'know? I can't really explain it. I mean something like a Dickens, basically, gripping but worth reading! I would really appreciate some recommendations. I think I might be looking for a translation. Am struggling through Name of the Rose at the moment and waiting for it to become rewarding. Really don't like fiction which has a precious gimmick (Time's Arrow eg) or is fatally introspective, and I am not keen on American fiction or (sorry) Virago type stuff (sorry for the appalling generalisations).

If anyone can help it would be great. Thank you v much.

hhmm amy tan
i wonder

and ghostwritten by david mitchell...story links accross lots of different cultures...one of my fave books

ghostwritten looks great, am ordering

i have to go and clean up supper now but thank you to everybody and if you have any more inspirational ideas let me know -- I'm back later and not ordering until tomorrow night and half the books mentioned I've never heard of and could be just what I'm looking for so thank you so much x

and thanks glucose for the bumping!

Testament of Gideon Mack was fab - started reading it in labour! I also really liked the lovely bones, by Alice Sebold - it was out a few years ago, and may now be a film - not at all Dickensian though.

Oh- pollywobbledoodle- tis one of my favourites too! I like all his stuff.
Stuffitllama- i was going to reccommend time travellers wife haha, but:
thirteenth tale
Book thief
book of lost things
lost art of keeping secrets

Tracy Chevalier .. that's the name I couldn't think of that I can't stand, the Girl with a Pearl girl.

Anyway eachpeach yrs look good too thanks, and second vote for book thief. MIght try, despite what some said on the other thread!

Can I give something back.. Amin Malouf, what a fabulous author he is. His books are swimming in colour, plot, characterisation, just fab.

also anita diamant's red tent....biblical tale from the point of view of the women in the tribe....very readable

hi stuffitllama - if you haven't ordered yet, could try Orhan Pamuk - a bit more difficult than Amin Maalouf (I adored First Century after Beatrice).
Or, the other foreign author is Murakami - absolutely a page turner, not trash but not as difficult to read as Pamuk or Maalouf. Not all his novels are hits though; I'd recommend: Kafka on the Shore and Hard Boiled Wonderland ...

pollywobble thanks for that.. a coincidence as have just been talking about the joseph story so am going to investigate

hi tea and thanks ..pamuk I don't know. My Name is Red was a toughie and I didn't get far but this is when my brain was starting to fog over. I like the sound of Murakami more. Whoops on the spelling of Maalouf.. have never met anyone who read him except on my rec so and don't you love the covers

Can I ask if you are all in a book club on here, I am not inclined to join one in rl again but how does it work on here? These are such interesting recs it would be really appealing. Am wondering if it's a general free for all or if there is an actual "book club".

Again tks all

If you're going to try Murakami (my favourite author ever ) start with a shorter book first, rather than wind up bird chronicle or kafka in the shore. Maybe South of the border, west of the sun which is lovely.

Murakami is very surreal though, which puts a lot of people off.

I am in the 'second chapter' book club on mn- its been really interesting so far- everyone has such different taste- really good for when you want to move out of your comfort zone and try something you wouldn't normally pick up.

There are threads here

I am also in a rl reading group at the local library, where we get to read lots of books that have just been published, which has helped my bank balance immeasurably!

ok each peach that looks complicated! but something to aspire to
will read alone at own pace for now but really think I am going to have to set a clock.. an hour a day or bust
thanks for further recs too