h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

There are probably several people thinking about this at the moment...

We have threads with favourite books and threads with good books, but I'm looking for suggestions for easy-to-read blockbusters to pack in my case for reading on holiday.

Any recommendations?

I'll read anything unless it has too much violence in it. Preferably well-researched, but not necessarily "good" "literature". Scifi, historic novels, classics to junk. If it makes me laugh that's even better!

And also: must be available in paperback!!!

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Iain Banks. His books are well-written, interesting stories, with a good dash of humour. Definitely not heavy (apart from A Song Of Stone - wouldn't take that on holiday if I were you). If you like skiffy, then there's Iain M. Banks too.

Honestly, he should be paying me commission for this.

RF

I really enjoyed that Iain Banks book you recommended Freddy Espedair Street.

Bridget Jones is perfic for a holiday read too!

Hmm - Bridget Jones is the right sort of thing, but I've read it (read book 2, as well, thanks to Mina - *waves to Mina*) I'll read any women's books, however rubbishy they are. Even Jilly Cooper.

Iain Banks is good stuff. Have only read "The Business" so I could try a couple more of his.

Many thanks now for all suggestions, those which have been made and those that are to be made. I hope others will benefit from the recommendations here.

Last book I read was Dan Brown's "Illuminati", but I had to read it in the German translation, as my husband read it first.

While I'm here, I may as well recommend a few of my own, for anyone else who's still got a free corner in their bag.

A particular favourite - probably out of print - is 500 Mile Walkies, by Mark Wallington. About a man who borrowed a dog to take a coastal stroll from Minehead to Poole.

All of Terry Pratchett, Thomas Hardy, Henning Mankell, Donna Leon.

Life of Pi by Yann Martell (I think) is absolutely excellent! If you haven't read it, seek it out. It's in paperback, I'm sure.

Yup, it's in paperback. A little slow to begin with, but once you start getting into the action (as it were), unputdownable!

RF

Totally. I suggest you glue your hands to the covers, so that you are forced to get into it. After that it won't be necessary.

If you want easy-to-read, and don't mind something a bit blokey, Alastair MacLean's classics are currently being reprinted in cheap holiday paperback. HMS Ulysses is one of the best books written this century. Full stop.

B

**nots the words 'Jilly Cooper'**

I'm quite ashamed to endorse them, but 'Apassionata' and 'Score' are pretty good, too.

B

And if you liked Bridget Jones, why not try Olivia Joules And The Overactive Imagination, also by Helen Fielding?

RF

Try the Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman, they're some the best fantasy books i've read in a while.

Ditto that.

RF

I'm anti-Pullman. Odo and I thought the first two books were very poor. I admit we haven't read the third.

B

Well, you can form an anti-Pullman club then. (Lucky Star may wish to join.)

Personally I find them a sight better than that bloody Rowling woman's tripe.

RF

Yes, all my literary and cultural sensibilities want to agree with you Unfortunately I have already placed my order for Harry Potter and the Pureblood Prince, so I can't. I will happily say that both series are much better than Artemis Fowl, which is just crude.

B

500 Mile Walkies!!! I *love* 500 Mile Walkies!!!

So - shopping list so far (and that's only from this thread - as I've pointed out in "What to read, what to read" there are dozens of others):

Some more Iain Banks (Espedair Street)
Life of Pi by Yann Martell
Alistair McClean (have read some of his already)
Tube of glue
Olivia Joules And The Overactive Imagination, by Helen Fielding
Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
(Have otherwise only heard good things about these on hootoo)

I thoroughly recommend the following for summer reads

Cat - Freya North
All the Rupert Campbell-Black books - Jilly Cooper
All the Lucky Santangelo books - Jackie Collins
All the Thursday Next books - Jasper Fforde
All the Stephanie Plum books - Janet Evanovitch

These will keep you busy until next year

though his novels are brilliant (hardy himself seems to be the only person who wouldn't agree to that), i would hardy call hardly a hardyday read.

trollope on the other hand...