Books

[ralst]

A couple of people on my f-list have been compiling their book lists for the year, and I'm feeling totally envious. Like them I set myself a specific goal, I think it was fifty books in the year, but unlike them I've been totally unable to make a dent in that number (I've only finished five in the last seven months

Comments

[cathydalek]

If you like funny fantasy books, I can recommend:

Never After by Rebecca Lickiss
Heroics for Beginners by Jonathan Moore
The Unhandsome Prince by Jonathan Moore
A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
Lamb by Christopher Moore
pretty much anything by Terry Pratchett

If you like detective fiction, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books are a hoot and pretty easy to read in one sitting.

Fantasy but not funny but short - Grendel by john Gardner

Personally, I've been reading my way through all of Bill Pronzini's "Nameless Detective" series. They're all under 300 pages and pretty quick reading, but chandleresque hardboiled detectives aren't to everybody's taste.

[ralst]

Thanks, I've ordered a selection of those from Amazon.

[tremblingmoon]

I have the same problem with books (setting them down and not picking them up again); it annoys even me, but I can't seem to rectify it.

Of the top of my head, I can only think of one short novel I'd recommend (unless you're interested in plays or poetry, too): The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If more come to me, I'll comment again!

[ralst]

I'm not into poetry (A-level English killed that desire) but I'll be sure to check out that book. Thanks.

[lysachan]

What is short? 300 pages? In that case I'd recommend Fansting, Feasting by Anita Desai (it's depressing, though), About A Boy by Nick Hornby (something completely different) or Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje (again, fairly depressing) when it comes to more "serious" pieces of writing.

If we're talking about light (and by that I mean really light) reading, I would recommend One Summer Night by Gerri Hill, Curious Wine by Katherine V.Forrst or pretty much anything by Mary Higgings Clark.

[ralst]

I don't mind depressing, I just have to be in the right frame of mind to read it. I'll see if I can find those. I've never tried Mary Higgings Clark, but I've read the other two - I have soft spot for that type of light reading, but only if it's reasonably well written, unfortunately the last few I've tried (by different authors) have been hopeless and that's kind of put me off.

[lysachan]

I need to be in the right frame of mind as well when I read something a little heavier. Of those two Anil's Ghost is definitely darker; Fasting, Feasting is more about a person's inner trumoil and battles.

Mary Higgins Clark (I misspelled it in my original comment) is usually a safe choice when it comes to light crime literature. But there are a few novels by her that I just can't get through, don't know why. Something just rubs me the wrong way, I guess. She's written a million novels, though, so there're bound to be a few mishaps.

[theholyinnocent]

That's a really good list! Wouldn't mind reading a bunch of those me'self. :)

I don't know how your tastes run in fiction, so I'm reluctant to make any recommendations. I've just started reading Jonathan Strange & M. Norrell, which I am enjoying very much, but it is HUGE.

[ralst]

I like reading all sorts, although I'll go through stages where I read a certain type, and then move on to something else; so I'm open to most things, baring true crime, which just gives me the willies.

Hopefully these short books will jump-start my reading bug and I'll be up for HUGE sometime soon.