Holiday Reads

[Caribeing]

After the recent post of Child C being read on holiday, how depressing ! What would book would you bring on holiday! Something "light" and easy to absorb! Maeve Binchy, The Jane Austen Book Club, homely and comforting, or maybe a trashie read!!

[ethandron]

all the richard and judy summer reads - going to start them next week when we go on holiday.

[Rosetta]

Something light , though I do enjoy not too gorey murder mysteries. Donna Leon is ok, and I have to tryout Ian Rankin next.
Victoria Hislopp's The Island was a good holiday read, set in Crete.

[filibuster]

I usually love Maeve Binchy but her latest offering of short stories "This Year will be Different" I found to be a huge disappointment and only managed about 2 of the stories before giving up.

I too am off on holiday next week and I shall be taking some Alexander McCall Smith books. He has several themes going but my favourites are the 44 Scotland Street series, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series.

[ethandron]

i really enjoy alexander mccall smiths books too, especially the scotland street ones.
i enjoyed 'the island' too, the one about the leper colony?

[elginred]

I really liked all the shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella, and believe she has a new one out. However, her best by far was Can You Keep a Secret!!

Made me laugh so much on the train that a man actually moved!



*blush*

[ethandron]

rosetta, have you tried any of p.j. tracy's books? they're american murder mysteries, written by a mother and daughter team. i've read quite a few (am reading one right now) and find them very good i. i've also enjoyed a number of jodie picult books, although i think i overdid them so am having a break from them, same with ian rankin.
a book i would really recommend is called 'middlesex' - nothing to do with the county - which is about a baby who was born and classified as a girl, then re-classified at 14 as a boy. it knocked daphne du maurier's 'loving spirit' off my all-time favourite best book spot. it's really well written, poignant and funny.

[Rosetta]

Ethandron, who wrote Middlesex, I'v not heard of that one.
I am off down to Waterstones in a couple of weeks for holiday book so am on the lookout for ideas

[funnygirl]

I have read P J Tracys books and they're good.

They are just the kind of books I like.

I also like Harry Patterson, some of them are good.

I also like Lee Childs.

[ethandron]

it's by jeffrey eugenides and i think is semi-autobiographical, but is written and reads as fiction (i'm not very keen on autobiographies). it was highly recommended to me on another forum i belong to and i hope you enjoy it.

[peaweeherman]

funny so now Im starting to realise where your boring personality comes from

[yogasun]

Sorry to hijack the post but thanks ethandron I will get copies of both those books.
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon is an easy read as the chapters are very short and it is amusing !
(He wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night time)

[Rosetta]

Thanks ethandron, I will definitely see if I can find it. Will let you know when I get back from hols.

[dundurn]

10 days to our hols so the following will be coming with us -

For my wife (and then me when she's finished) the latest McCall Smith offering - The Careful Use of Compliments plus a Gervaise Phinn, The Heart of the Dales. A little Phinn goes a long way with me but it's been a while so I reckon I'll enjoy it. McCall Smith is a never-failing pleasure.

For me I've picked up First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde, Dissolution by C.J. Sansom and What Happened Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George.

[spudqueen]

I took Jasper Fforde The Well of Lost Plots, which is his third novel in the Thursday Next series.

I also spend 4 hours in Helsinki airport (waiting for another flight) so I bought Moomin book for a bit of nostalgia!

[ethandron]

what are jasper fford's books like, they sound as if they're funny?
in case anyone is wanting to get the richard and judy summer books, i ordered mine on-line about 2 weeks ago and got all 8 for �25 with free postage, which is a HUGE saving, even taking into account all the special offers (3 for 2, etc) in the shops.
mary t, thanks for starting this thread, i've now got a list of possibilities for when i'm looking for some more books. what i want to know is why have i never looked at this bit of answerbank before, it's great, almost like a book club (anyone belong to one?) :)

[EngTeach]

Thanks for the ideas. I will check out the PJ Tracy books. I have not heard of them! My public library is lacking. I personally enjoy Nora Roberts, Barabara Delinsky, Debbie Macomber and maeve Binchey when looking for lighter reads. i agree with the Jodi Picoult statement. Her books are always good, but can be heavy at times.

[Caribeing]

Thanks for all replies, I have got some interesting titles to look out for! Good to get others views! This site is enjoyable and informative! Now all I need is a holiday so that I can take some of these titles with me!

[spudqueen]

I really like Jasper Fforde - I am reading the Thursday Next series which starts with 'The Eyre Affair'. They are set in an alternative 1980's where the Crimean war is still on going, and Wales is an independent republic. Really quirky and funny.

[ethandron]

just remembered another book which i haven't read in a long time but you just reminded me of spudqueen. it's called 'rule britannia' and it's by daphne du maurier, set in 70's england where an american take-over of britain is looking very likely, with an american warship sitting off the cornish coast. completely different to du maurier's usual books and a really good read.

[filibuster]

I forgot to add Janet Evanovich's books to my holiday suggestions. She has now written 14 in the Stephanie Plum series which features Stephanie as an American Bounty Hunter, and apart from the latest, all are now in paperback. The books are full of strange and hilarious characters in unusual situations but really fun to read.