[heavy_rotation]

I haven't read many books in my life but when I get into one I can finish it in 2 days. I now live alone so want something to occupy my time with something that isn't the laptop.

I adore Harry Potter and I have a lot of what is called "misery lit" (tragedy, child abuse etc) that my cousin gave me, which I find intriguing. What books would you recommend based on the two types of books I listed? I don't want anything massive, overly-complex with extra small print. Harry Potter was perfect because I love magic and it wasn't a chore to read, despite its size.

Thanks in advance!

[InkyPinky]

If you haven't got it already I'd recommend getting the kindle app for your laptop. It's free. Then you can browse all the kindle books. There are lots of classics that are free to download.


The App:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.h...cId=1000425503


Free Books:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...assics&x=0&y=0

[Edmond-Dantès]

The Hobbit.

A far easier read than The Lord of the Rings. Can be finished in a couple of days.

[heavy_rotation]

Thanks both

I'm not into e-books, I prefer the real thing though!

[duffsdad]

I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society in two nights. I really liked it.

[Angelica123]

Misery lit books:

We Need To Talk About Kevin
Flowers in the Attic - Virginia Andrews
Lovely Bones or the autobiographical Lucky by Alice Sebold

Harry Potter type books (by the way it may help if you could elaborate what it is about Harry Potter that you enjoyed)
The Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer

[bazaar1]

Septamus heap books are like Harry potter, very easy reads but entertaining.

[InkyPinky]

Originally Posted by heavy_rotation

Thanks both

I'm not into e-books, I prefer the real thing though!

Fair Enough.I do too to be honest but free stuff is free stuff

Have you tried reading any Terry Pratchett books ? They have wizards and magic and are very funny. Id rather go to Unseen University than Hogwarts any day

[howmanytimes]

You might like The Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. I would say they are the kind of books that aren't much of a chore to read but are enjoyable. http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/

There is a book called Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams some people thought was going to be the next Harry Potter when it first came out, but that didn't quite happen. The series went kind of downhill, but it's still a really enjoyable series - especially getting stuck in to the magic of the first book.
http://www.tunnelsthebook.com/the-books/

I haven't read much misery lit, however, a classic that is perhaps partly in that vein is 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks. Not many people who have read that book would tell you it's not good, so you might like to look that one up too.

[stud u like]

Terry Goodkind's The Sword Of Truth series.
Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom series.

[Fibromite59]

Unloved: The True Story of a Stolen Childhood by Peter Roche,
Shadows Of The Workhouse - Jennifer Worth,
any book by Billy Hopkins, particularly Kate's Story and Tommy's World,
A Child Called It (and all the sequels) David Pelzer,
Child C - Christopher Spry,

[bazaar1]

Originally Posted by howmanytimes

You might like The Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. I would say they are the kind of books that aren't much of a chore to read but are enjoyable. http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/

There is a book called Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams some people thought was going to be the next Harry Potter when it first came out, but that didn't quite happen. The series went kind of downhill, but it's still a really enjoyable series - especially getting stuck in to the magic of the first book.
http://www.tunnelsthebook.com/the-books/

I haven't read much misery lit, however, a classic that is perhaps partly in that vein is 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks. Not many people who have read that book would tell you it's not good, so you might like to look that one up too.

Errkh. I couldn't stand tunnels, it really irritated me (although I can't remember why now!)! I'd heard good things but it was a bit young for me I think.

[JumpTheShark]

Room by Emma Donoghue is good misery lit, although not too miserable.

[howmanytimes]

Originally Posted by bazaar1

Errkh. I couldn't stand tunnels, it really irritated me (although I can't remember why now!)! I'd heard good things but it was a bit young for me I think.

I must have read it about four or five years ago, but I really loved it. I think it started off a bit slow, but then you're all of a sudden plunged into a whole different very unsettling and vivid new world. I loved the downbeat British feel it had to it as well. For me, it was the kind of book that was good to lose myself in and I have good memories of being immersed in that underground world.

[Conall Cearnach]

Originally Posted by InkyPinky

Fair Enough.I do too to be honest but free stuff is free stuff

Have you tried reading any Terry Pratchett books ? They have wizards and magic and are very funny. Id rather go to Unseen University than Hogwarts any day

Except you are far more likely to get blown up, eaten by a creature from the dungeon dimensions or have your head used as a basket ball for referring to the
Librarian as a "monkey." There are the added attractions of being able to have a crafty fag and sneaking out for a quick pint in the Drum (Broken or Mended depending on current state of repair though).

[tigerowl]

Originally Posted by JumpTheShark

Room by Emma Donoghue is good misery lit, although not too miserable.

I hated this book. It made my skin crawl all the way through. I would say it's very miserable rather than 'not too miserable'.

[heavy_rotation]

Good suggestions, thanks everyone!

[InkyPinky]

Originally Posted by Conall Cearnach

Except you are far more likely to get blown up, eaten by a creature from the dungeon dimensions or have your head used as a basket ball for referring to the
Librarian as a "monkey." There are the added attractions of being able to have a crafty fag and sneaking out for a quick pint in the Drum (Broken or Mended depending on current state of repair though).

No contest really

[Esot-eric]

Originally Posted by stud u like

Terry Goodkind's The Sword Of Truth series.

I gave up on "The Sword of Truth" after about the 10th right-wing sermon that added nothing to the plot.

heavy_rotation, i'd recommend Anne Bishop's "Black Jewels" series. It's got magic and misery in there but, be warned, it's no where as near light-hearted as "Harry Potter".

Even though you prefer paper books to ebooks getting the Kindle app, as InkyPinky suggests, is a good idea because Amazon let you download a sample of each book (usually the first chapter or two) so you can get an idea of whether you'd like it before buying.

[CremeBrulee]

Try some of Oscar Wilde's short stories, like The Happy Prince. They're really easy to read, nice and short, have that fairytale feel about them, but you wouldn't want to read them to a child to make them fall asleep because they'll probably just end up crying Some are utterly heartbreaking.

[CremeBrulee]

Originally Posted by howmanytimes

You might like The Edge Chronicles series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell. I would say they are the kind of books that aren't much of a chore to read but are enjoyable. http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/

There is a book called Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams some people thought was going to be the next Harry Potter when it first came out, but that didn't quite happen. The series went kind of downhill, but it's still a really enjoyable series - especially getting stuck in to the magic of the first book.
http://www.tunnelsthebook.com/the-books/

I haven't read much misery lit, however, a classic that is perhaps partly in that vein is 'The Wasp Factory' by Iain Banks. Not many people who have read that book would tell you it's not good, so you might like to look that one up too.

I've read it, and I don't think it's very good The writing is excellent, but I hate the story and it just makes my skin crawl every time I think about it I think it falls more under "extremely disturbing and perhaps nightmare-inducing if you're not used to reading creepy stories" rather than misery lit.

[howmanytimes]

Originally Posted by CremeBrulee

[/b]

I've read it, and I don't think it's very good The writing is excellent, but I hate the story and it just makes my skin crawl every time I think about it I think it falls more under "extremely disturbing and perhaps nightmare-inducing if you're not used to reading creepy stories" rather than misery lit.

I had to read it in college aged 17. It makes me wonder if some of my classmates really hated studying it.

[Conall Cearnach]

How about Alan Garner's Weirdstone Of Brisingamen and The Moon Of Gomrath? They are about a boy an a girl living near Alderley Edge who encounter the world of magic.

In the same vein Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising series is about some children who have magical adventures with a kind of Arthurian feel. They're mainly set in Cornwall and Wales if I remember.

[TelevisionUser]

Originally Posted by Edmond-Dantès

The Hobbit.

A far easier read than The Lord of the Rings. Can be finished in a couple of days.

I second that and that book can be followed up with The Silmarillion.

heavy_rotation, I hope you've got a library card (or are going to get one soon) so that you can read all these recommendations!

One other thing you can do is look through the library shelves for the genres that you like and pick out any anthologies - collections of shorter stories - and if you find you like any authors then you can go and look for their other, longer books.

[spiney2]

what about phillip pullman His Dark Materials trilogy ? youngsters, battling evil, magic, easy read ........