Holiday reads

[janeite]

I need suggestions please, for books to take on holiday with me.

Things I like:

Jane Austen (well of course!) but I've read them all a zillion times and don't want to take them

Sort of literary historical crime fiction eg: Sherlock Holmes, The Matthew Shardlake novels by CJ Shansom

Terry Pratchett (read em all though); Stephen King (ditto) Isabel Allende (and again); teenage fiction, especially gritty urn=ban stuff and fantasy (hate adult fantasy though, except Pratchet and King); v well written and gripping history books (non-fiction obv)

Literary-ish fiction that isn't poncily over-written - eg: I liked "The Kite Runner" but hated "A Quiet Belief In Angels"; liked Douglas Coupland but hated Attonement; if that means anything!

No chick lit, no Richard and Judy (their suggestions are getting worse and worse) please. What I'd really like is a big fat historical trilogy thing that will last me days - i am a hideously fast reader and hate being without a book.

Please help me! Thank you!

What about the Philippa Gregory ones? The constant princess, the other boleyn girl, the boleyn inheritance and the virgin queen? I've read the first two and enjoyed them hugely, the other boleyn girl is the better one.

What about the Jostein Gaarder ones? The solitaire mystery or sophies world, they're on my to be read pile.

I've read all the Boleyn Girl ones - really enjoyed the first couple, then thought they got a bit samey tbh. But something of that ilk might be good.

Read "Fingersmith" and didn't like it - thought it was just a parody of what she thought life might be like, lots of cliches - might as well read the original Victorian novels in that case.

Sophie's wORLD - I did try it, years ago - but couldn't get on with it.

Are there any more new releases I could look out for?

So far then I have:

Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
Bleeding Heart Square
The Resurrectionist
The Final Confession of Mabel Stark
on the short list.

The problem is, all bar The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist would probably only take me a day to read. Arghhhhhh

The Little House - Phillipa Gregory.

I could not put this book down .

Why don't you join readitswapit.com and have a look on their forum boards, there's loads of readaholics who would love to share their knowledge with you - sorry MN!!!!

Will do, thank you - but I trust Mumsnet more!

How about

Everything is illuminated by Johnathan Safer Coe - Really quirky and funny but also slightly fanastical I loved it.

teenage Urban - have you tried all of the Majorie Blackman stuff - v popular with teenagers

Orlando - virginia woolf - is a long and slightly fantastical but amazing

I'll keep thinking!

Read all the Malorie Blackmans - fab.

Also read "Everything Is Illuminated" but didn't like it much, sorry.

Not read VW since A levels but suppose I could try again!

Thanks

Just started The Seymour Tapes by Tim Lott yesterday, and 70 pages in can't put it down. About a man that suddenly starts using hidden CCTV on his family. Was in a Waterstones promotion a little while back.

Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler is great. Once in a House on Fire is great but can't remember who it is by. And if you like biographies, Title Deeds by Liza Campbell was brilliant. Her Dad owned MacBeth's castle.

And the Solitaire Mystery is superb 3Ddonut

This was good: English Passengers and I see he has a new one out now, which might be worth a try.

I hated Shadow of the wind.

Have you read Phillipa Gregory's series on the Tradescant family? Earthly joys

I would suggest Wild Swans by Jung Chang. Its a good long read, moving without being sentimental, and not overwritten either. The Book Thief was good too.

Wild Swans - dp has been raving about this for years and I've never got around to reading it; that could well be a contender!

Have read Once In A House On Fire and once started English Passengers (but gave up - maybe I should try again?).

Loved The Book Thief.

I got a book out of the library today called The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist. Started reading it at lunchtime, good so far!

Well- Wild Swans would certainly keep you going for a couple of days at least!

Oh how about Clive barker --- fanatsy stuff

and wild swans is great - I just finished it, took me ages and I read fast

Have tried a couple of Clive Barkers but not really got on with them. Tbh I'm not fond of adult fantasy.

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How about some Aurturo Perez Reverte e.g. the Dumas Club, Flanders Panel or Seville Communion? They are really well written historical crime fiction - like a modern day 3 mustketeers or a less self concious Name of the Rose

apologies for hi-jack but ...

Bloss - if you like historical aspects - have you tried the Patrick O'Brian novels? A bit too much about spars and rigging in first two of series but great thereafter ....

Dare I suggest Tolstoy's War & Peace? An excellent historical epic, great characters and very readable once you get into it. Anna Karenina is also fabulous.

Barbara Ewing's Rosetta was very enjoyable. Historical and gripping, a great holiday read.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - takes a bit of time to get into but is well worth it

Janeite - SUSAN HOWATCH; start with the historical sagas - penmarric; cashelmara, The rich are different, sins of te fathers ( the last two are continuTION OF THE same story) ot the wheel of fortune. Fabululous, meaty stories ideal fro holiday reading

For new reads, what about Anne Patchett's Run or her previous, Bel Canto? Both fit your good writing but not overly literary criteria.

Try Cryptonomicon though not necessarily now - it isn't normal sci-fi/fantasy and has a lot of interesting historical stuff in it too.

If you want something to really get your teeth into try one Robertson Davies' trilogies - Deptford, Salterton or Cornish. Look at the reviews on Amazon.

I think you might enjoy The Eyre Affair (Jasper Fforde) but it'll be too short for your holiday!

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