Books for the intelligent woman with the flu, please!

[clowniform]

The subject line is a quote attributed to Eva Ibbotson, on her own novels. I've also turned to Persephone, Dean St Press, Greyladies, Girls Gone By etc. for this kind of thing in the past, but would welcome some newer recommendations. Doesn't need to be totally Disney or fluffy but nothing too depressing either, please (think early vs late Barbara Pym).

Any genre, although my brain can't handle too many plot threads or literary fireworks at the moment (Shardlake fine, Dunnett or Mantel no). Conversely, non-fiction will need to have some kind of consistent narrative voice because I tend to zone out of anything too bitty.

Have just finished a run of Murderbot, Susan Scarletts and Andrew Taylors, and it's too soon to reread Austen/Pratchett/Slough House, if that gives any more indication of my tastes!

Rivers of London series might suit.

AS Byatt recommends Georgette Heyer for this scenario but I can’t stomach them personally!

Antony Trollope? More enjoyable than I had anticipated- the rusty e diamonds is supposed to be a fairly good stand alone novel

Eustace diamonds!

I always turn to my childhood favourites. Noel Streatfeild, the Chalet School, Robert Westall, Diana Wynne Jones…

So many to choose from, and always soothing.

How up to date are you with your classics? I'd think Charles Dickens, RL Stevenson or Elizabeth Gaskell would fit the bill. Currently reading Cranford by Gaskell and it's excellent, it's like Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett had an illegitimate love child. Also if you ever delve into sci fi, you might like Harry Harrison.

The Cazalet Chronicals

West with Giraffes is a delightful book you may enjoy.

Rumpole of the Bailey.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

I've read and enjoyed a number of these, testament to the uselessness of my immune system MNers' ability to give great recommendations from vague waffle. Already a fan of of Rivers of London, A Trollope (my Victorian favourite with Gaskell in 2nd place), Cazalet chronicles/EJH in general....

@Mirabai I think I've read the bare handful of Heyers (with non-drippy heroines) that I like already so will join you on Byatt's naughty step.

@Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies I like all the authors you list and love DWJ and NS (Susan Scarlett is her pen-name for fluff). Very envious you have all these childhood favourites to hand still -- I'm sadly dependent on Girls Gone By reissues.

Will seek out Harry Harrison, West with Giraffes (both sound fun) and Rumpole (heard a few series but never read).

Robert Harris ~ An Officer and a Spy or Fatherland, or if you think you will be poorly for a week, the Cicero trilogy.

Anything by William Boyd ~ Restless or Any Human Heart etc etc

lf you like a series...the Aubrey/Maturin books by Patrick O'Brian, starts with Master and Commander.

As you like Andrew Taylor...you could try S.J. Parris, S.W. Perry, and Shona MacLean

If you've not yet discovered him, Patrick Leigh Fermor is a soothing read for a fevered brow.

Hope you feel better soon! 🤧 😷 🤒

Little House On The Prairie (all of them) is a very different reading experience as an adult so if you're up for rereading childhood favourites that's a good call.

The Siege of Krishnapur - J G Farrell
Remarkably comic, like Trollope with guns and irony

Lolly Willowes- Sylvia Townsend Warner

I usually turn to P.G. Wodehouse, golden-age detective fiction, and Austen when unwell (though you said it's too soon for a reread of that!).If you're ever feeling unwell in a can't-read-more-than-a-few-pages-at-a-time kind of way, Johann Peter Hebel's short stories are absolutely wonderful - generally about 1-3 pages, beautiful, plain, cheering, with a kind of simple profundity.

Love Eva Ibbotson. I have just discovered Mary Stewart (through here) and read every one of her books on holiday. I don't know how I missed her before, just my sort of thing. And any M M Kaye historical novels if you have the time on your hands.

The St Mary's books by Jodi Taylor?

Anne Tyler, Alice Munro, Eudora Welty, Helen Hanff, Christopher Isherwood, A McCall Smith, A Horowitz Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders.
Non fiction- Virginia Nicholson’s Singled Out, Lewis Dartnell’s Origins.

You've already done almost all my favourites. I clicked on to say Slough House! Also Pratchett, Austen, DWJ, Rivers of London.

Wodehouse definitely worth a shot if you haven't read him.

Naomi Novik's Temeraire series (Patrick O'Brian with dragons) are brilliant fun.

Two suggestions which are a bit more under the radar: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (romantic comedic time travel) and Sarah Caudwell's four lightly comic murder mysteries https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Caudwell]

If you want something contemporary, I’m really enjoying Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.

Donna Tartt usually provides a good read; I’m one of those people who actually loved The Goldfinch.

Kate Atkinson? Rose Tremain?

How lovely to sit up to another stack of suggestions. Thank you all! My flu is actually Covid (likely Eris) so will be taking it easy reading-wise for a good few months if it's anything like my previous bouts. Please do keep them coming!
It's heartening to find so many of my tribe here, but it awkwardly does mean I'm already well acquainted with Farrell, Warner, Wodehouse, Atkinson, Tremaine, Tyler, Horowitz, Tartt etc. 😅

@AdaColeman I adore Patrick O'Brien, but DP has commandeered them for his convalescent reading (to be fair I've got to the melancholy later books in my rereading cycle anyway). Enjoyed Perry, find Parris just ok, have not read MacLean -- which series is your favourite? Harris' Cicero are a bit dense for me at the moment but are definitely on the TBR. Will add Boyd and Fermor, too.

@DisplayPurposesOnly interesting! I've never reread the LH books because they weren't my favourites as a child (so never owned them), but actually could be worth a revisit as an adult.

@MrsW9 Hebel is new to me, and sounds ideal. Do you have any particular recommendations for golden age mystery books? I'm only really familiar with Christie, Sayers and Tey.

@slowbro I grew up on Stewart's classical books but haven't investigated her romances(?) Which are your favourites?

@Svalberg these should be right up my street but I'm afraid they leave me cold! Likewise (inexplicably) Jasper Fforde, any chance you like him too? 😃

@hanka Singled Out sounds a perfect fit for non-fiction, thank you!

@WhenLifeGivesYouLimes we are definitely literary twins -- everything you name is a favourite. I even keep multiple sets of Caudwell's quartet and press them on any friend who hasn't read them.

@LunaNorth On the library waiting list for TTT already 😀I am absolutely open to contemporary recommendations!

Nancy Mitford?

A slightly random one but the Saint of lost things by Tish Delaney was enjoyable and a bit silly without being trash with a dark undercurrent - set in London and NI

Lissa Evans’ World War Two trilogy. Really well written comfort read.

Sold! A book that treads that line is exactly what I'm after.

You are a little too on the right track, I absolutely LOVE these and Nancy (&Jessica) 😁As I read so many books from this period, I am horribly picky about modern authors choosing midcentury settings, but Lissa Evans is faultless on the detail as well as being brilliant at everything else.