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.

Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel. A story of love, life and food in Mexico (as you can guess from my name, I like anything with food!)

I would take a Fannie Flagg- either redbird christmas or fried green tomatoes.

Really easy reading, lovely atmosphere books

David Sedaris' short stories are entertaining, witty and dometimes even thought provoking. Great for holiday reading.

When I am on hols I want something engrossing, tho'and you can't get lost in short stories the way you do in novels.

DO NOT READ Shadow of the Wind, which I notice two people have recommended. I took it on hol once and thought it absolutely appalling - so badly written. I wondered if perhaps it was just badly translated, but suspect the original was not too great either.

I loved Shadow of the Wind, but I know it was badly translated. We read this at our village book group and the people who loved it were the ones who knew Barcelona well.

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver is one of my all time favourites.

Have recently enjoyed Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale, the Piers Morgan book I enjoyed a lot more then expected and currently reading the Night Listener by Armistead Maupin.

The rupert everett autobiography is entertaining. red carpets and other banana skins. I HAVE to read bill bryson on holiday, especially on the flight as I hate flying and I can just sit there sniggering.