tigerswiftly wrote:

It is YA, yes. All that means is the MC is of a certain age though - it's a deserving award winner. And don't do down children's fiction if you're intent on writing it, that man!

I wouldn’t dream of it, tiger, otherwise I wouldn’t be making Valente’s book one of my next reads. I just don’t want to overindulge, that’s all. I will add it to my list.

My name is Livdiv and I need your help.
After spending 25 minutes in a book section of a small Smiths I came to the conclusion I know fuck all about what books to read.

I am looking to start reading before bed, I know roughly what I am after but not sure where to start.
I'm looking for something not too taxing, something that can send me off to happy dream land rather than send my mind racing about my life or current affairs. Pure escapism I guess.

Fantasy seems the obvious genre, although I have an aversion to anything that goes too Tolkeinesque.
Something world building would be good.

Tried The Colour of Magic last night, just the Kindle preview but didn't really hit the spot.

Stuff I have read...

LotR and The Hobbit, I liked these but feel I want something a bit different.

Game of Thrones, up to midway through A Feast for Crows. Done with the series but open to similar.

The Shining, Trainspotting, Fight Club, Clockwork Orange. All great but would be nice to avoid film books/ book films.

A bunch of biographies and non-fiction like Dave Gorman's stuff.

Any help would be appreciated.
I felt like an old dear would feel in a game shop, totally clueless.

Game of Thrones? The Last Kingdom is good, if you like reading about Vikings being bastards. Conn Iggulden did some canny historical fiction books about Julius Caesar but I forget the name.

All are light and fluffy, but with some good world building going on.

@Tempy

Blurb sounds quite heavy but will see if there is a kindle preview.

@Sparkly
Sorry edited in GoT there.
Last Kingdom could be a goer.

@Panty
Red Knight sounds interesting.

Thanks all.

Anything by Joe Abercrombie is also well worth reading. Excellent fantasy that can be very darkly humorous whilst also being seriously violent and twisted. Amazing characters, excellent story telling and it all moves at a brisk pace.

Try not to stick to any genre if you’re starting out. It’s fine presuming you’re gonna love all fantasy stuff or horror or whatever but I’d say you’re limiting yourself.
Non genre easy read from me would be;
Anything by Magnus Mill (especially three to see a king).
Dan Rhodes (particularly anthropology and Timolean Vieta Come Home).
David Sedaris.
A load of Cormacs stuff (just not the *hard* ones).
Willy Vlautin


All easy to find. Broad range and easy to read without settling down to say Dan Brown level.

Cheers Uncle

I think my leaning to fantasy is really an attempt to avoid anything that relates too easily to anything real world. I don't wanna be reading about one thing and it reminding me of whatever Boris Johnson said that day, or the shite state of the economy etc.

@Raiz

Cheers.
Honestly cant remember what book it was. The whole thing was a daunting experience. Reading the back of books doesn't help either. Strange how every book in Smiths is "The best insert genre book since insert other book title"

If you aren't dead set against sci-fi I will ALWAYS recommend the Neal Asher Polity series of books for rip roaring escapism and quirky AIs.
I started with Brass Man years back but most of them are great. Stay away from the 'Spatterjay' ones, they are set on a sea world with immortal ship captains and they are a bit... Odd.

I picked up a book earlier, titled something Gods. The blurb seemed quite good, something about new worlds and ways of viewing them etc blah blah "..written from the viewpoint of an orca", back on the shelf.

Have you read Blood Meridian? Jack Ketchum if you want horror.

Read The Wasp Factory too.

srs though if you go fantasy thats another person lost to me

Dark Soldier wrote:

srs though if you go fantasy thats another person lost to me

Maybe give Station Eleven a go too. Adore that book.