Can anyone suggest some books/ authors for me? Am not particularly highbrow

[TheArmadillo]

Can anyone suggest some books for me to try?

I like fantasy that makes me laugh (Robert Rankin, Pratchett, Jasper Fforde style stuff) and the Terry Brooks prequels to Shannara (but don't like the Shanara stuff).

Some sci fi but nothing where I need to understand too much science. Phillip K Dick = good but Greg Egan goes over my head.

My major passion is crime novels - more modern ones such as Ian Rankin and Kathy Reichs, but mostly stuff such as Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. Though have read all of these our library has. Have tried the Alexander McCall Smith ones but couldn't get on with them.

I would like to read the Paul Temple series but can't remember the author. Also the woman that wrote that one with the policeman stuck in bed who 'solved' the princes in the tower mystery.

I also want to read some more classic books but don't like 'romance' or 'twee' stuff. I can't stand Dickens and have read all the Jane Austen I can stand (ok was forced to at school). Also didn't like 'The woman in white'.

If I can get away with books with no hint of love or romance then that is my ideal . Chick lit is my idea of hell.

There was also a book serialised on radio that I would like to get hold of about a woman who was brought up at home (I think early 20th century) then went to finishing school where she met a girl who became an actress. She was in love with someone from her village who went to war. Never married. Her sister caused a scandal by getting pregnant and eventually died after trying to kill her self (her new inlaws were bastards). Eventually heroine's love asks her to marry him but she decides she'd prefer to stay single and be a spinster.

I also like books on cookery (Elizabeth David style).

If anyone can suggest anything I would be very grateful

Will make list of all of these thanks.

I went to library today and have 5 books to read so far.

I have read Tom Holt - he is fab

Especially the ones about the firm when the receptionist is a goblin and changes appearance whenever she feels like it.

Francis Durbridge wrote the Paul Temple series.

Have you tried Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L Sayers and Margery Allingham?

What did you get from the library?

Happy reading

was dorothy L sayers who wrote the Lord Peter Whimsy books? If so am definately going to keep an eye out for hers.

Will put the others on my list.

I got from (small) local library
Robert Goddard - Never go back
Karin Slaughter - indelible
Thomas Hardy - The Woodlanders
Tess Gerritsen - Girl Missing
James Patterson - 4 blind mice.

I think I am gonna request the girl with the dragon tatoo ones for my birthday and probably a few others.

I'm also going to look on the libraries south west catalogue and see what I can get ordered in.

Yes, Dorothy L Sayers is the Lord Peter Wimsey author.

thanks. I've heard a couple of them on the radio and they sound good.

The Devil in Amber and Vesuvius club are good - odd, but good and v funny. By Mark Gatiss from League of Gentleman. Never really got into that, but these are well written.

The radio adaptations of Dorothy L Sayers are very true to the books so I'm sure you would like them if you liked the radio plays, Armadillo.

thanks I will keep an eye for them.

maisiebrooks:
"I've just read my first Kate Atkinson novel 'When will there be good news', a crime thriller but so much more! Would highly recommend it."

I would second that! This is the third crime novel she has written featuring Jackson Brodie. The first, "Case Histories", I would also recommend very highly. The second, "One Good Turn", I didn't like at all - very disappointing. But like you I found "When will there be good news" absolutley gripping.

I like detective fiction too, would second those who suggested Kate Atkinson, and mark Billingham. Also recommend Stuart McBride - fairly gritty but also funny. John Harvey - Resnick series, and Frank Elder series, Peter James -Roy Grace novels. Denise Mina is a really good writer, also val McDermid and Susan Hill.
The House at Riverton (forgotten the author, sorry) Atonement (Ian McEwan) and Engleby (Sebastian Faulks)all have a 'mystery' type element to the story. Josephine Tey also wrote Brat Farrar and The Franchise Affair - both good reads. Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca and many others.
Classics- John Steinbeck East of Eden is one of my favourites. The woodlanders is a lovely book, hope you enjoy it, and Under the Greenwood Tree, is a nice Hardy if you find some of his novels a bit too sombre in theme. Sorry this has turned into a bit of an old lady 'name every book you can think of' ramble. But hope you find something you enjoy

Sorry - also meant to mention Literature map website, will give you suggestions of other authors you may like - have found it v.helpful in the past.

If you like Francis Durbridge and Josephine Tey, they I would also try Dick Francis as well

Thearmadillo- I love reading all the suggestions you have been given- I have read many of these authors myself.
I notice not a lot of people have sent you down the SF path (I love Jasper Fforde too) so here are a few
Jim Butcher (just the Harry Dresden series)
Kim Harrison (these are so excellent)
Patrica Briggs- Mercey Thompson series
For some light hearted fun- Katie MacAlistair
Sergei Lukyanenko- not funny but rather gripping

I think you would like Rick Riordan for his Olympiad series and also suggest Julia Golding -look out for the quartet on animals not the other stuff she writes
I look at 2 websites for recommendations - one is called eurocrime and it will have reviews of many of the crime authors mentioned by others here. It has brought me many new authors such as Indridaldson and Turene.
The other is an SF fiction website- I have no links for either but if you do decide you are interested, post a message and I will chase down the addresses- they are just not handy for me now
I can give loads more suggestions as I keep a reading list of planned books to get- I read about 2 books a week and get all mine ordered from library unless it is so hot I must own (eg Terry Pratchett)

Hello

Vintage crime I am a Dorothy L Sayers fan-there is a bit of romance in it but only in a couple of books and it witty not slushy.
GK Chesterton Father Brown Books are also pretty much overlooked these days (Priest so no romance!)

You haven't mentioned Ruth Rendell-I like some of these a lot more than others-'Master of the Moor' is a good one (no romance whatsoever)

Stuck on the comedy/fantasy a bit-might be worth checking out the kids section for unread Pratchetts (I like the kids ones too-there isn't much difference). Don't know Jasper Fforde will check out now Ta. Oh hang on surely you have been through all the Douglas Adams stuff...(comedy/sf really I suppose)

SF try some vintage Asimov-he has done some unusual detective/SF stuff and think 'I, Robot' for the more well known stuff

Classics is a big big category but if you wnat to take the no love/romance thing to the max get something like Moll Flanders (Or Forever Amber) where the women are out for what they can get...these are great fun...

Sorry not foggiest with the radio thing and for cookbooks I like ones where I get to dribble at the food...I don't actually cook anything form them

Sorry this has turned into a saga hasn't it?

I second Christopher Brookmyre if you like stuff like Robert Rankin, he's fantastic.

If you like him also try Carl Hiassen who is American, writes about crime in Florida and is hysterically funny.

Dan Simmons is very good, very readable SF and horror (prefer his SF) without too much 'turn on the flux capacitor and fire up the neural flimflamatrix' stuff. His four 'Hyperion' novels are gobsmackingly good. He also wrote one called Fires of Eden which is a cracking read, all about weird stuff happening at a Hawaiian holiday resort involving ancient Gods and stuff - really good.

Aslo good for readable SF is Orson Scott Card - he wrote a series called The Tales of Alvin Maker which is set in an alternative 1700's America where magic works. Unfortunately it's still ongoing as the last book in the series hasn't been published yet but they're a great read.

Thank you so much for all these suggestions. YOu have all been very helpful.

I will be working my way through them all.

Hopefully a few more months worth of books to get through.

I read 3 of the library books yesterday (I read fast) and really enjoyed them all.

Will probably be back at library tomorrow for more

And am going to be asking everyone for waterstones vouchers for my birthday (and hopefully get enough points on my card for a free book). I cleared out our book collection in January when we moved (still have 6 bookcases full lol - but I do tend to re read them hundreds of times) so need to store up some more (or that's the excuse anyway ).

Is Father Brown the one where he's english, teaching at a university but it's set in Ireland and there's a female policewoman that he pairs up with? If so I think that's another series I heard on the radio and enjoyed. Maybe should start writing them down when I hear them

I think Father Brown was just this priest who happened to solve mysteries.

I don't remember him being Irish but then I am probably basing that on the TV adaptation that was on when i was a kid starring Kenneth More

Just a thought The Armadillo - but could the radio adaptation be 'The Crowded Street' by Winifred Holtby? I caught just the last episode where Muriel rejects a proposal, and thought 'I must read that book!' I haven't ordered it yet from Persephone Books, but wondered if it might be the one you remember? I'm sure I heard it on Radio 7 - from your references to Paul Temple, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Josephine Tey's 'The Daughter of Time' which have all been on Radio 7's Crime and Thrillers hour I thought you might be a regular listener? Some of the other titles published by Persephone Books might interest you, including some lovely cookery titles. They also do book tokens which are great presents. Persephone link

yes! that is the book. It is fab. Nice to hear about someone wanting more than marriage, especially in an era when it was expected that's what you would do. And yes I do listen to radio 7

Will check out that link, ta.

I doubled checked on wiki and was getting father brown muddled up with another crime solving cleric

Am off to library after dropping ds at school.

I third Christopher Brookmyre.

Also have you read 'The Alienist' by Caleb Carr, more thriller/murder action.. Very good..

Armadillo-On Father Brown-would it be Radio 7 maybe Baldi? (caught the odd one)

On the radio 7 thing I really liked the Dr Syn/Scarecrow thing with the smugglers in it but the books are obscure hardback/ out of print (boo hiss)sadly (Russell Thorndike)

Try Kirsty Scott. She writes women's commercial fiction (chick lit) but it has a real edge to it, and really true to life stuff. Funny and moving. Mother's Day was her first one about mums at a school. Her latest one is Fortune House, which is a modern family saga. Really diverting read

You might also like Iain Pears' General Bottando crime series about an Italian art theft squad, Andrea Camilleri's Sicilian crime series and Magdalen Nabb's Marshal crime series set in Florence.