Recommend me a long journey read, please!

[LogicalImpossibility]

Could anyone recommend me a good read for a long journey?

It needs to be well written (can’t enjoy a book that keeps going clunk, however good the story), not miserable or dark (at least a fairly happy ending), probably fiction with a strong story, but could be non-fiction if its engaging. Nothing too intellectual, as I’ll be tired by the end.

Last few things to grab me were the Chronicles of St Marys, the Patrick O’Brien series about the 18th century navy, the Valdemar series, the Cormoran Strike books, No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I found it well written and gripping. A good yarn. If you like something a bit bonkers The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is a great read and is the first of a series.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

The Secret History (I liked this better than the Goldfinch!)

Any Mary Renault books - I particularly love the Mask of Apollo, The King Must Die and its sequel Bull from the Sea, and the 3 books about Alexander the Great

Any John le Carre - you may have read the Smiley ones (Tinker Tailor and Smiley's People) but the Constant Gardener, Little Drummer Girl and the Night Manager are all fabulous as well

OP, I have read most of the series you have read and I like them, but i think they're quite light and @Xiaoxiong \s suggestions are less so.

The Jasper Fforde suggestion is a good one - I must go back and read those myself actually.

You might like the series of detective series by Kendra Elliott. Not light in terms of content, but lightish in terms of easy reading. Percy Fitzpatrick is the character in the first series I think.

Lee Child's Jack Reacher series might be a good one too.

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

Mark Haydyn's King's Watch series is fun (sort of Urban fantasy)

The Invisible Life of Addie la Rue

Wild Swans
How Green Was My Valley

What about The Seven Sisters series. I've really enjoyed them and have started to reread them again.

If you like historical fiction, how about the Shardlake books? Or Robert Graves' I Claudius? John Le Carre is a good recommendation. I'm really getting into Sherlock Holmes atm. Oh, and Douglas Adams is great as well.

As for non-fiction, I love Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything. It might sound an odd one, but how about Bertrand Russell's book on happiness? I read that last year and loved it – so amusing to read a major 20th-century philosopher's take on popular self-help (really easy to read and so insightful as well). I love Patrick Fermor's travel book A Time of Gifts, and also Alan Watts' writings on Buddhism and Taoism. Just a few thoughts.

Wild Swans is amazing! 🧡🧡

Lessons in chemistry
Any of the Kate Atkinson books

Thank you! Light is what I need, I don’t have the brainspace for anything demanding at the moment.

The Rivers of London Series by Ben Aaronovitch is a very entertaining fantasy series. Similar vibe to Chronicles of St Mary.

I agree, but unfortunately I’ve read all those!

Anyone whose enjoyed Patrick O'Brien is alright with me :)
Try Jane Austen?
Or the Porterhouse series

I’ve read both of those, but Jane Austen is always worth a re-read and is probably free on kindle… Thanks!

I was absolutely hooked on Demon Copperhead. Very bleak in lots of places but very happy ending. And long, so ideal for s long journey.

Slow Horses by Mick Heron?

Good, clever cosy crime - any book by Janice Allett (may have got her surname wrong) but hers are the books written entirely in non narrative format, just emails, reports, letters etc but gripping.

A cosy murder mystery series by T A Williams or Fiona Leitch. They’re warm and sometimes funny but with a good mystery at the heart

Sebastian faulks the seventh son is a really good story. Also just read the book of beginnings by Sally page.... it's a real page turner for both books

The Shardlake series
The Whalebone Theatre
The Covenant of Water.

Agree about JA. Every read throws up something entirely new.

Ok The Forsyth Saga? Not exactly light, but entirely absorbing. The Mary Wesley Chamomile lawn series is less perfect - and less heavy - but still good.

The Barchester Chronicles or any Trollope. and if you have audible get these read by dear departed Timothy West and your life will be one long long period of deep pleasure.

Also the sharpe series on audible just races along and you will gasp at the wickedness of Obadiah, pop your eyes at Sharpe's audacious bravery, and fall irrevocably in love with the Irish sidekick whose name escapes me.

Agatha Christie?

Sarah Walter's writes so well always worth a read. Ditto Neil Gaiman sadly now disallowed.

Finally, as ever, Wodehouse is the go-to for all of life's more miserable periods.
Or early Pratchett.

Georgette Heyer!!