Holiday reading recommendations - no chick lit

[BugBearisBugBear]

Imagine you're off to sunny France next month with DH, the DCs and the grandparents for a week. You have little time to read, but because of the gps you are hoping to manage at least a couple of afternoons lounging by the pool. You can only take one book because of weight restrictions. So the book you take must be gripping and not one you will give up on after 40 pages.

What would you recommend?

Am not into chick lit at all. I read the Booker shortlist/literary fiction blah but want something easy to read and non-depressing. It must not be at all challenging.

Suite Francaise
Restless by William Boyd
and having seen the recommendation for John O'Farrell, I would recommend his near namesake JG Farrell - Singapore Grip, Troubles, Siege of Krishnapur - all great reads.
Do not, under any circumstances read Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (or her latest book) - poorly written rubbish.

John Irving - Prayer for Owen Meany, Cider House Rules or Widow for One Year are good ones to start with.

Sorry again OP, just going to respond to suedonimabout Blood River.

I just finished it too! It did slightly fizzle and I don't like the author very much. He also accepted all those miners' hospitality and then didn't really properly thank them because obviously they were beneath him morally (?) The way he talked about the gormless one who lost his yellow fever certificate - I mean that could easily have been the authorities. I know the miners are obviously dubious as hell but don't go and live with them, accept all their help and sneer at them afterwards because yous down with the poor Congolese (um but not really eh mate?)!!!
And what about when that young boy was being beaten up and he just said, well I didn't do anything to help, obviously! Extraordinary! Not that I would have had the courage to help but a bit shameless!

Having said all that, the book was a real education and I'm really curious to read much more about Africa so I'll hand that to the slightly sneery snooty hypochondriac!

I agree with all you say, IpanemaGirl. To be fair, he does say on his website that he inculded everything in the book, even his less-than-flattering moments, so I suppose we should salute his honesty! I'm interested in knowing more and will probably try to get some of the books in his bibliography.

I have just finished the Island by Victoria Hislop. It is about leprosy and based in Crete ( I read the Wonders Years before this also fantastic ). However it was gripping moving but not depressing.

The Shadow of the Wind is great (also a big fan of a Thousand Splendid Suns). I'm assuming you've already read The Kiterunner ?

I'm enjoying John Lanchester's book about his family, which is called (I think) Family Romance. As it's a memoir, & one by a jolly clever chap, it's a much slower & more thoughtful burn than a novel would be - so more bang for your buck, in reading terms.

In that same vein, Primo Levi's Periodic Table (which starts with a memoir of his forebears) or Stephen Fry's Moab is my Wash Pot, or other clever non-fiction with incidental amusing bits might just be altogether a better option than a big fat saga.

(And not We Need To Talk About Kevin, which I got as a BOGOF with the Lanchester book. Tosh.)

have you tried Flashman? i think they're very readable and fun without being silly. and there's a lot of them so if it does grip there's a few holidays sorted

One big damn puzzler by john harding
see review here

Book of Dave is great but can take ages to get into so would recommend you chuck out a toy or two and bring something like a jodie picoult as well for light relief

suedonim, me too, that 'In the footsteps of Mr Kurtz" looks good doesn't it?

I also wondered why he didn't put any charity links at the back? Maybe he didn't feel it was journalistic enough! But he could have said, these organisations would appreciate your help as they try to alleviate the inconceivable suffering of the Congolese people blah blah whatever. But that would be nice wouldn't it?

Also I found a website of photos of a congo river trip which were interesting see here

Sorry OP again!!!

Yes, read Kite Runner, and recently Thousand Splendid Suns. Both extremely harrowing though!

If you want something that'll make you laugh and is nice and easy to read (but not fluffy), I'd recommend anything by Matt Beaumont.

I'm loving Then We Came to The End, btw, but only one-third of the way through.

Sky Burial by Xinran.

Blardy brilliant and compelling and haunting and sad and amazing..... (running out of superlatives here).

Barging in to say Ipanemagirl In the footsteps of MR Kurtz is fantastic. Also Ryszard Kapuscinski is brilliant on Africa

For a holiday read, Olivia Manning or Daphne du Maurier? Have just started Half of a Yellow Sun and have high hopes

Thanks Shreddies!

Came across the Mary Lawson book that was recommended in the charity shop on Sat for £1 so it is now in my pile and may make it into the suitcase. In hardback no less.

Brick lane good but maybe you already read it, as I was late to get it. Loved thousand splendid suns like evryne thats read it

I have just finished reading "noughts and Crosses" by Malorie Blackman. It's classed as children's literature but it is a brilliant read.

The Secret Life of Bees is nice. cant remember the author and my friend has borrowed it. sorry if I'm duplicating but haven't read whole thread. Alternatively Hanif Kureshi - The Body - excellent book

Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd, I think. Haven't read it but BookMoch keeps trying to recommend it to me for some reason!

The Rosetti Letter - Christi Phillips. Moves between Venice present and past (1618)

The Poisonwood Bible.

just read the book thief which was very moving and rupert everett's autobiography, red carpets and other banana skins, which is really witty and well written....

I really enjoyed both Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and Thirteenth Tale by Dianne Settlerfield.

I don't know if either of them are new (I picked one up at the car boot...but the Thirteenth Tale is quite new I think)

I'm not much of an intellectual reader I'm afraid, so I found the first book a bit difficult to read in places, though it was ultimately v. satisfying.

The second book, Thirteenth Tale was totally addictive from page one and an easy read, without being cotton woolish.

Will keep looking on here for ideas for new books. Am currently addicted to reading.