5 absolute must read book recommendations please

[mousemole]

I have 5 child free days in the sun. I will read a book a day and I can't wait.
Please please let me know your top picks ?

Haruki Murakami - Hard Boiled Wonderland & The End Of The World

Ray Bradbury - Fahrenheit 451

Angela Carter - Wise Children

Julia Voznezenskaya - The Women's Decameron

Florence King - Confessions Of A Failed Southern Lady

All good holiday reads!

Cyteen = can you tell me more about the florence king book ? I love books set in the deep south - looked it up on amazon and can't really get a feel for what it is - is it fiction or non-fiction ..a ctually amazon can tell me that...

It's non-fiction autobiographical - the story of her growing up with a mad eccentric family, her quest for education and sexual adventures. Honestly it is one of the funniest books I have ever read - I've had three copies and all have gone walkabout after lending to friends who've loved it as well. It is also really interesting about gender roles and lesbianism in the 50s, and surprisingly poignant at times as well.

Thanks cyteen - will add it to the wishlist !

Thanks cyteen - will add it to the wishlist !

Any of the Innspector Montalbano series like thisby Andrea Camilleri - very funny and definitely 'hot sun' fodder. Wish I had not read them so I still had 'em to read

Please don't pin any hopes on The Island. Promising premise, but possibly the worst book it has ever been my misfortune to take on holiday. You know that bit towards the end of the holiday when you've run out of books, and you need to read and you've only got one totally rubbish, poorly written, implausible load of nonsense to plough through. It's APPALLING. I'm still bitter.

Chesil beach is also crap.
A BRILLIANT book is The English Passengers by Matthew Kneale

Have just read His Illegal Self by Peter Carey and loved it. Not exactly light, but easy to read.

I also loved The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, which is both warm and endearing, something you rarely find in an intelligent contemporary novel. Also easy to read.

History of love sounds great and I am going to give The Island a wide birth. Wasnt that up for some award ? Chesil beach was so crap wasn't it. Somehow I dont think that will be made into a film with Keira Knightly !

Issy - what is the brief outline of Disgrace ? Will save it for when I am recovered !

I read 'Disgrace' during skiing holiday last easter. It had me in tears by the end ( will only do that if you have a thing about dogs though).

It is about a university lecturer in Cape Town who loses his job and goes to stay with his daughter on a remote farm.

Something bad happens (wont give whole story away). It deals with the changing situation in post-apartheid SA and the main characters relationship with his daughter mainly.

A thing about dogs? I think I was more upset cos I have a 'thing about women' - like,I am one!

Excellent book though. I, too, am still disturbed by it a few years later. The sign of good read, but not exactly what you want on holiday.

I love these recommendation lists. Handy for my next trip to the library!

Issy, it does sound very good, but as you say not light holiday reading. One for the book list though. These recommendations have cost me a lot at amazon but so worth it.Thank you so much, lovely to read real people's views on books.

Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinnman is a wonderful story which will have you weeping and bursting with hugs for your kids and hubby!
the Book Thief - Markus Zusak is also great and The last Testament of Gideon Mack - James Robertson
All 3 are the best books i have read this year. Enjoy

Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinnman is a wonderful story which will have you weeping and bursting with hugs for your kids and hubby!
the Book Thief - Markus Zusak is also great and The last Testament of Gideon Mack - James Robertson
All 3 are the best books i have read this year. Enjoy

Oh oh yes, I second 'Memoirs of a Failed Southern Lady' by Florence King. Intelligent, witty, and very cutting. I read it years ago and it had me crying with laughter. I then pressed it on all my female friends. Don't bother lending it to men as they just don't get it.

ggirl - I really enjoyed Don't Lets Go to the Dogs tonight too.

I second some others already mentioned -

I Capture the Castle - if you haven't read this yet, I envy you the joy of discovering it, lovely light read.

Never Let Me Go - perfectly scary.

Trash, Sex, Magic - Jennifer Stevenson (I think) excellent, strange, beautiful, fun all at once.

Dive from Clausen's Pier - Ann Packer. Thoughtful and involving in a non hard work sort of way.

Enjoy your time!

Thought The Island was terrible btw and Kevin overwritten, could have been good.

First 5 holiday reads that come to mind (and which no-one else mentioned):

Love Falls - Esther Freud
The Greengage Summer - Rumer Godden
The Queen's Fool - Philippa Gregory
Shogun - James Clavell
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh