Recommendations please

[hanksforthememories]

For the first time ever, DH & I are going away for 3 weeks over Christmas.

I use Audible, a lot. I average 150+ books a year. It's true that I read, or listen, a lot.
Please can you recommend titles for me?

This is only a small sample of books I like/don't like:

• Crime fiction; I prefer grittier crime e.g The Max Wolfe series by Tony Parsons, M J Arlidge, Jane Casey.
Not necessarily gory, but smarter novels. IMO Belinda Bauer particularly is good at intelligent crime writing without gore.

I'm going to duck when I write this. I don't like the Richard Osman novels. I really appreciate that he is writing rounded, older characters, but felt the stories were predictable and the humour was too obvious.

• Fiction by women (I'm not going to call it chick lit!) e.g. Marian Keyes' This Charming Man, Liane Moriarty though I prefer her earlier novels, Promising Young Women, Taylor Jenkins Reid.

I don't like anything 'dumbed down', while the Shopaholic series might be fantastic, the subject doesn't interest me.

• Humour. I love humorous novels; Jonathan Harvey, Graham Norton, Ruth Jones, Amy Tintera, Sandi Toksvig, Sue Townsend, earlier Roddy Doyle, Dolly Alderton etc.

• Darned good fiction writing; The Goldfinch, The Crimson Petal And The White, Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series, Sebastian Faulks, loads more.

Please recommend good novels for me?
Thank you

Have you read any Curtis Sittenfield? I loved Eligible, which was her take on Pride & Prejudice for the Austen Project. American Wife is also meant to be amazing but I’ve not got round to reading that yet.

Massive fan of Brookmyre (he’s got a newish one out at the mo, The Cracked Mirror, if you weren’t aware) - other books I enjoy with a bit of dark humour are the Mystery Man series by Colin Bateman.

I loved The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Salman Rushdie for something to get your teeth into.

Crime I enjoy - Claire Mackintosh, The Last Party. Andrew Cartmel, the Vinyl Detective series. Harry Bingham, the Fiona Griffiths series.

As you like Jodi Taylor, she's a big fan of Jasper Fforde and Caimh McDonnell, if those are worth trying?

@debauchedsloth it's like the USA Comedian Josh Johnson says (talking about Taylor Swift) this is my précis of-- his-- words, direct quotes are just that, he doesn't enjoy Taylor Swift. He continues that it's like professional wrestling, he asks rhetorically "who likes this?" "the answer to both is millions of people".
"If somebody likes something, let them have it".

That's how I feel about the Ken Follett Kingsbridge books. I don't like most of Ken Follett's writing and his politics are not mine either, I do enjoy the Kingsbridge novels.

The study of Medieval History has developed immensely over the past 30 years. It wasn't so long ago that we called that time 'The Dark Ages'. Happily, our understanding of Medieval Times has, through archaeology, research and study, improved exponentially. At the time the original novels were published, Follett added accurate colour to the 'Dark Ages'.

Having read all of the British and Irish Literary Canon, I have put the work in. If I'm on holiday and I want to put my feet up and listen to a Ken Follett novel, why not? Ditto Jilly Cooper, Jackie Collins or anyone else that engages me.

@IchiNiSanShiGo I am still patiently waiting for a new Harry Bingham novel!

@hanksforthememories Have you tried the Slough House novels by Mick Herron? Never a dull moment. His Zoe Boehm novels are also very engrossing.

I generally have a reread of Dorothy L Sayers every year or so. Ditto Georgette Heyer who is endlessly re readable. Lois McMaster Bujold is also a great favourite.

I gave up on Rivers of London after a very poor book annoyed me, but the early ones are good.

I have been reading Sherry Thomas's Charlotte Holmes series. Starting with A Study in Scarlet Women. You can guess the theme. A cracking good read!

Second the strike and Tim weaver series, they are in my category of have to listen not read as love the narration.

Alice feeney and andrea mara are good authors

Recently loved all the colours of the dark by Chris Whitaker

Listen for the lie, Amy tintera
Kellerby code , jenny sweet
Sometimes people die, Simon Stephenson
Might fit your tastes

The Frankie elkin series by Lisa gardiner is great, much better, imho,than her other books, she's a great character.

Deadly animals by Marie tierney , I have recently enjoyed

Lastly the ministry of time by kalane Bradley

Have you discovered BookBeat ? It's a monthly subscription and you can listen to anything for x hours. I have the middle one which is 40 hours. Not everything is on there but I tend to check it first for what I want , then buy from audible if not .
All the jolly cooper books are on there ! That's hours and hours

@hanksforthememories I'm sorry to hear of your sight loss, I can't imagine it.
How have you found listening to books that you previously read?
I had a period of severe vertigo when I couldn't read and tried audio but really struggled to get into any book. My one favourite audio book which doesn't fit into any of your criteria was Loosely Based On A Made-Up Story by James Blunt which was a joy to listen to.

@AlwaysFreezing I know you didn't ask for recommendations but you mention a year of Irish books and I must recommend my all time favourite series. Adrian McKinty's Duffy books are set in NI during the 70s and 80s. Dark and funny crime fiction. The protagonist is a young catholic detective in the RUC and the writer weaves in a few real life characters of the time.
I'm also a fan of Claire McGowan although only her earlier books are set in NI.

@Boffle it's been a weird time in so many ways.

As I said upthread; I have found that narration can turn an average book into an excellent listen, whereas some of the classics are butchered by poor narration.

If anyone is looking for a fascinating (IMO) book on 'The Troubles' I recommend Killing Thatcher by Rory Carroll.
It is not a light read, it is very interesting.

If you listen to Dorothy L Sayers I do not recommend the Jane McDowell versions I'm afraid. She has read them all but they are utterly flat. However, Robert Bathurst, who has read 3 so far (please do more Robert!) is excellent.

I always recommend Anna Massey reading Rebecca and Juliet Stevenson reading The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters. Excellent narration.

For humour (although it may not be your kind) Diary of a Provincial Lady by EM Delafield read by Georgina Sutton.

These books are really for the narration, you're probably familiar with the books.

Hope you have a good holiday!

@tobee great tip. Also I had forgotten Provincial Lady, they are a hoot!

In a similar vein there's Cold Comfort Farm.