easy reading recommendations

speedy2007

Hey,

im studying at the moment and spend a lot of my time reading textbooks, journal articles and other related books, so im really dying for some good fiction that would be considered easy reading or a page turner type book.

Does anyone have any good recommendations please? I dont mind the genre at all (but no chick-lit books - i hate those ), just as long as i dont really need to engage my brain too much.

thanks

sponsoredwalk

Hiya, I'm kind of in the same situatoion but I use youtube lectures & speeches on different subjects to relax

If it's a book you're definitely after I'd suggest Dan Brown for a page turner (oh yes) or Voltaire's Candide which had me gripped with it's humour.

Flan O'Brien is supposed to be one of those authors as well, or a great book called "The Buddha of Suburbia" by Hanif Kureishi which I thought was a breeze to read & very enjoyable.

Another great book you might find funny & interesting is Neil DeGrasse Tyson's "The Pluto Files" which has plenty of funny hate mail from kids
angry over Pluto not being called a planet
This youtube/google talk by the author will whet your appetite perfectly & really make you laugh too.

Enjoy!

losthorizon

Why not try Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Just finished reading it myself. The fact that he wrote The Remains of the Day put me off but its a great read and a page turner. Its just been made into a film which will be released in September I think Starring Keira Knightley. The trailer is on youtube

If you read the book you can compare the book to the film and bore your friends!

The Mad Hatter

I actually think young adult lit is great when this is the kind of thing you need. If you've never read The Jungle Book, now's the time. Also His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman.

Raymond Carver's short stories are very short, very readable and very beautiful.

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere presents a romanticised fantasy underworld which is very pleasant, and his Stardust is a traditional, very well told, fairy tale.

Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is deeply affecting, but told in a very straightforward way. His short stories are well worth a look too, if you're into sci-fi.

Hope that helps. It's hard to know without knowing what you're into. Not a bit of trash among that, though.

Sergeant

sponsoredwalk wrote: »

Flan O'Brien is supposed to be one of those authors as well/QUOTE]

Flann O'Brien novels are a lot of things, but I'd never put them in the easy reading category! He is easily my favourite author, but they do require "effort".

I'd recommend Robert Harris, he writes great historical thrillers which are exciting, well written, if in many cases historically dubious.

Warm Panda Cola

If it's easy reading, page turning stuff that you're looking for then I would definitely recommend the Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson, heftyish enough tomes (not too bad however) and they are definite page turners, and you don't have to engage the brain too much!
I'd also recommend Perfume by Patrick Suskind, again another gripper and fairly small book if it's something quick you want to rip through.
Another one is When we were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Or as another poster recommended young adult literature like the Dark Materials trilogy or even Terry Pratchett's stuff if you're into the fantasy genre:D

silvine

The Mad Hatter wrote: »

Raymond Carver's short stories are very short, very readable and very beautiful.

+1 Actually. +1000


The Discworld books are very accessible and funny. Also try the Life of Pi.

Fluorescence

I mentioned her somewhere else a few days ago but I find Trudi Canavan's fantasy nice and light. The Black Magician trilogy and the Age of the Five trilogy are both good places to start (she's written a prequel and is working on sequels to the BM trilogy atm but I'm not sure you'd appreciate it fully without reading the original 3 first).

The Sparrow

Warm Panda Cola wrote: »

Or as another poster recommended young adult literature like the Dark Materials trilogy or even Terry Pratchett's stuff if you're into the fantasy genre:D

When did the Dark Materialstrilogy become young adult literature?

I agree with a lot of the suggestions and especially Stieg Larson's Millenium trilogy. Also, Shutter Island by Denis Lehane is very engaging and atmospheric. Much better than the film, I have been told.

Michael Connelly and James Lee Burke also have excellent crime series that are very readable. I recently read a Clive Cussler book too and it was very entertaining and easy to read.

The Mad Hatter

The Sparrow wrote: »

When did the Dark Materialstrilogy become young adult literature?

When they were written? Just because they're excellent doesn't disqualify them.

speedy2007

thanks everyone, loads to check out there - but if anyone wants to add anything else feel free

losthorizon wrote: »

Why not try Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Just finished reading it myself. The fact that he wrote The Remains of the Day put me off but its a great read and a page turner.

I have read that book, i thought it started a bit slow at first but then i really got into it. Why did the fact he wrote Remains of the Day put you off?? Curious cos i had planned to read that too at some point

InvisibleBadger

Sherlock Holmes is great, short tales and easy reading

KnifeWRENCH

The Sparrow wrote: »

When did the Dark Materialstrilogy become young adult literature?

They were always young adult, I thought? I read them when I was 13.

Still, I would recommend anyone to read them, regardless of age. The Amber Spyglass is one of my favourite books of all time.

sponsoredwalk

KnifeWRENCH wrote: »

They were always young adult, I thought? I read them when I was 13.

Same here, I don't really think daemons,
talking bears & the love story between two teenagers
from seperate universes is the kind of material
that is classed as adult fiction,
not that adults wouldn't enjoy those awesome books!

neantog

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Strumpet City by James Plunkett

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle

Made in America by Bill Bryson

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

All above easy read - Strumpet City unputdownable.

WesternNight

fluorescence wrote: »

I mentioned her somewhere else a few days ago but I find Trudi Canavan's fantasy nice and light. The Black Magician trilogy

Loved that trilogy. Would definitely recommend.