Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Yes, I'm optimistic!


Any ideas? Please make suggestions of books I can get from the library, preferably.


I like all sorts, some historical fiction, women private eyes, the woman who wrote death du jour, the sort of general paperbacks you biy at stations in the 3 for 2 offers (but not chicklit) science fantasy... thrillery sort of books but not too gorey.

Link to comment
https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/topic/12262-suggestions-for-holiday-reading/
Share on other sites

One of my best holiday reads has been "No time for goodbye" by Linwood Barclay, it's a thriller (I don't normally go for thrillers) but isn't too heavy going and is v easy to read (think I read the final half of it in one day - mainly as I was desperate to know what happened!).


Am reading at the mo "One Day" by David Nicholls which is really good and is fairly easy to break into chunks (if distracted by kids!).

You might have read them already, but the Larsson trilogy are good (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first one). Easy reading and real page turners.


Time Traveller's Wife is one of my favourite books of recent years, and the follow up called Her Fearful Symmetry is also really good.


In terms of historical fiction, The Other Boleyn Girl, and the others by the same author (forget her name) are very readable.


I also really liked 'One Day'.

I read English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale, last summer and it was the best read I've had in ages. Funny, thought provoking and a narrative that whisks you along it concerns an expedition led by a slightly deranged Victorian English curate to find the Garden of Eden. He believes it is located in the centre of Tasmania. The ship they use is crewed by a band of Manx smugglers and the play with language is really intriguing since it involves seafaring slang and the aboriginal English of the antipodean protagonists. I hope I'll find something equally enjoyable this year.

I recently read American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield, very loosely based on the life of an American First Lady (but not at all a biopic - won't say which First Lady just cos I found it quite fun working it out). It's a beautifully written story, more about the characters than the events although there are several life-shaping events which happen to the protagonist which will stay with you. I'm rubbish at explaining why books are good but I thought this was the best book I've read in several years.


ooh - you know who's great for holiday reading - Maggie O Farrell. All her books are fab (and quite moving) - but the latest, The Hand that First Held Mine - is about two different women, in different eras, both mothers, and how thye're connected. I read this on holiday and loved it. I did cry loads though! But in a good way.

I have finished with my copy, so you are very welcome to borrow if it is not in the library.



Fuschia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Time travellers wife is one of my fave books so I

> will try the follow up... Read eveyrthing by

> Philippa Gregory...

Vickster Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have finished with my copy, so you are very

> welcome to borrow if it is not in the library.


Ooh, yes please!


I will sit myself down and see what they have in stock I can order. I just love reading when I get the chance.... and no internet where we're going so I will get loads read in the evenings. I usually manage to get through a book in a few hours, so I will need a big pile to last two weeks!

Maggie O Farrell's The Distance Between Us is fab, and I'd second One Day by David Nicholls. One of my fave books is The Rotters' Club by Jonathan Coe, v absorbing but easy to get on with and amusing too. Also love Nevil Shute's A Town Like Alice, about a woman who goes to Australia after WWII, and I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Neither are difficult to get into. Happy holidays!

Vickster Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No worries, let me know if you need it.

>

> My other suggestion, although very old so you have

> probably read it, is Life of Pi. Loved that book

> and still have a copy if you wanted to borrow as

> well.



I prob would like to borrow both if poss! I am good at giving books back, btw

Shadow of the wind is fab - I second that suggestion.


Also from our hols last year - the Gargoyle - bear with it as first couple of chapters quite hard going but after that - amazing.


Company of Liars - a really great read and hard to put down.


My hubby loves the Falco books that Keef mentioned but I don't get on with them.


I enjoy most Libby Purves books.


Will post again if I think of more.....


M

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Wow, that is what it costs for one prisoner. So they get full board and lodging, 24 hour  monitoring  in over populated prison, we are led to believe, minimum exercise, assume a tv in each cell provided - in USA it is together with wash hand basin and c toilet - some have showers as well.   Clearly this amount of money takes  into account overstretched and overworked prison officers, protection for them, counselling which is, in my opinion a bare minimum dealing with prisoners in all settings. Do if Sweden can look outside the box, why can’t we? Or are we just not bothered at all / read statistics some where that reoffending is normal and to be frank, with economy as it is at the moment re employment, cost of living and homelessness..not surprised they reoffend to get back inside - food provided, roof over your head - much better than street living, mixing with wrong crowd, trying to get roof over your head, find a job where 90 % won’t employ you as been inside..
    • @beansprout The Swedes seem to have a useful strategy with regard to offenders  which has reduced repeat offending.  I agree that prison time for minor offences is a complete waste of time. Even worse is that prisons are "colleges of crime" where inmates learn about how to be do crimes and worst of all, become exposed to drug taking. I wouldn't advocate having chain gangs as in the USA but some strategy for getting them into say manual work under supervision might be useful - especially if it came with a modest wag. This would be significantly cheaper than the £51,100 it costs per year for  keeping one in jail.
    • I agree there are other options, but apart from cutting off bits of the body, which is probably not going to happen here, at least hopefully not in my lifetime, I wouldn't call them"stricter"! Unfortunately ultimately it may depend on what is cost effective in terms of implementation.
    • This year it was Pfizer. Last year was Moderna and I was quite  ill after it for the first time. I think last year was the only time I have had Moderna, but the illness may have been nothing to do with what kind of jab it was, I don't know. I have no idea whether everyone gets the same one in any particular year, but I'm sure someone else on here will know! 
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...