Easy reading books

I’m fed up with looking at my phone all the time and need to read more books.

But, in the past I’ve bought books that I think I should read, books that challenge, that educate me, that are hard going. And I try to get through them but then they just sat there half read whilst I scroll through Insta.

I’ve just come back from holiday where, having tried and failed to read a couple of “proper books” I gave up and read 3 books that my wife had bought. They were The List by Yomi Adegoke, Undoctored by Adam Kay and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. Now I know none of these will go down as literary masterpieces, but they flowed well, kept me engaged and I wanted to pick them up.

So, can anyone suggest similarly easy reading books? Subject is unimportant as you can see from the 3 above.

Thanks!

The Jack Reacher series by Lee Child are daytime TV action movies in book form, but enjoyable.

John Grisham’s The Litigators. A light hearted book from him and really enjoyable and easy to read

Anything by Bill Bryson

Slightly quirky, but good fun is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

But, in the past I’ve bought books that I think I should read, books that challenge, that educate me, that are hard going. And I try to get through them but then they just sat there half read whilst I scroll through Insta.

Been there, done that…. 🙂 Early Stephen King, Andy McNabb (they’re a bit samey), never been let down by Jodi Piccoult. I liked Robert Galbraith’s books until (irony) she came out as a massive transphobe.

Edit: +1 for Bryson! 🙂

The Wasp Factory.

I’d echo what teaandbiscuits says – Jack Reacher series is very easy to read and, personally, I find them hugely enjoyable. And there’s plenty of them to read. If you get a chance I would probably try and read them in order. It doesn’t matter massively but some of the books do have nods to previous books. I can also recommend the Peter James “Dead” series featuring DI Grace. ITV have done a few of the books (Grace) but I find the books are still much better than the TV interpretation of them. I also find Mark Billingham, Stephen Leather, Linwood Barclay and Simon Kernick and Steve Cavanagh very good books to read. I used to find Grisham ok but after reading King of Torts I found they all went downhill pretty quickly and most his books just feel like someone phoning it in.

For non-fiction I thought Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari a pretty engaging read – even if I’m unsure about some of his assertions / conclusions. The follow up book was no so good though IMHO.

I liked Robert Galbraith’s books until (irony) she came out as a massive transphobe.

Definitely not the thread for this conversation but I really don’t think calling her a transphobe is either true or helpful. I thought you were better than that.

The Rebus novels by Ian Rankin.

Good stories and characters but entertaining and easy to read.

For SciFi, I enjoyed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. Both space-based and pretty easy going, but I did listen to both in audiobook rather than read them.

True story The Spy And The Traitor by Ben MacIntyre is easy to read and unputdownable.

The Flashman series and the Mcauslan books by George MacDonald Fraser.

 in the past I’ve bought books that I think I should read, books that challenge, that educate me

Also tried this. Better is to pick something that interests you. Following the recommendation from this thread, I bought the book and loved it – as did a cycle touring pal.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-a-bloody-excellent-book/

If you want a copy, message me and I’ll pass it on.

Similarly, biographies also work for me – mountaineering mostly. They’re a bit of escapism but also educational. My top recommendation would be The Villain (the life of Don Whillans).

If you fancy a bit of Naval adventure in the age of sail the Hornblower books by C. S. Forester would fit the bill.

I’m a fan of Richard Osman’s books for brain out entertainment.  The Marlow Murder Club books are very similar in style, to the point that I was researching if it was a pseudonym.

As a teenager I found my dad’s Dick Francis novels great mindless “detective” reading. Some are probably quite dated now but might fit the bill

I love P G Wodehouse – very easy to read and very, very funny. You could start with the Jeeves and Wooster stories and see if you like his style? If you do, there’s a ton of material to see you through!

True story The Spy And The Traitor by Ben MacIntyre is easy to read and unputdownable.

I think you could say that for all his books, tells great stories brilliantly

Anything by bill Bryson, particularly a sorry history of nearly everything

As per @johndoh – that’s a great recommendation, then anything by Christopher Brookmyre for laugh out loud moments, Jack Higgins & Tom Clancy.

avdave2Full Member
True story The Spy And The Traitor by Ben MacIntyre is easy to read and unputdownable.

I think you could say that for all his books, tells great stories brilliantly

Yep. Ben MacIntyre’s SAS and Colditz books were both very good.

Fleming’s James Bond books if you’ve not already read them.

Something by Wilbur Smith, maybe River God.

Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt books are pretty mindless entertainment.

The Wasp Factory.

I came to suggest this. Excellent suggestion.

The Kathy Reichs series about Temperance Brennan, which the tv series Bones is loosely based are pretty good murder mystery / detective type books

I only read (actually audiobook – allows me to drive/mow the lawn/washup/etc while ‘reading’)  to be entertained. Stuff I’ve really enjoyed that you might like to check out… Slow Horse series by Mick Herron (Smiley’s ppl meets shameless?), The Martian by Andy Weir (prefer it to his other books), Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of time (A trilogy but the 1st book can be read stand alone & is excellent), and not so much easy reading as just brilliant reading are late Iain (M) Banks books, I only read his Sci-fi but his non sci-fi stuff is supposed to be very good too (I now see “the wasp factory” mentioned twice above already).

The Rivers of London series is fun and easy reading.

>Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt books are pretty mindless entertainment

The Oregon Files ones are good too.

Continental Drifter, Tim Moore.

I’d echo (some of) the Flashman books (my favourites were ‘in the Great Game’ and ‘and the Redskins’). Been a while, wonder how they’d read now…? Frasier’s WWII memoir ‘QSOH’ is one of the best of its kind but perhaps outside the scope of this thread. I see someone else is now writing Flashman books, not sure about that.

Also, you seem to have broad tastes – Trespassers on the Roof of the World by Peter Hopkirk. Rollicking stuff.

For SciFi, I enjoyed Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

I’ve just finished this and it’s very enjoyable. The Martian is also a good read. On recommendation from someone on the other books thread I’ve started reading Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde which so far is pretty good.

Another vote for Bill Bryson. Also if you want proper brain out action grab a few of the Dirk Pitt books by Clive Cussler, they all follow the same formula but they keep your brain busy. (I wrote this but didn’t hit submit so I see people got there before me on the Dirk Pitt thing).

Lots of good stuff already mentioned that I’ve got on my shelves or have enjoyed in the past. In addtion I would recommend Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, most of David Baldacci various series, and the Inspector Mclean books by James Osawld in terms of fiction. David Millar’s autobiography was great, and Tim Moore’s various books on cycling are enjoyable. Ned Boulting is also worth a read.

Shibumi by Trevanian is a great read (as is the Eiger Sanction by the same author though that is spoilt a bit by having been made into a film).

The original Colditz Story will keep you turning the pages for sure.

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson and Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer if you like a bit of big mountain drama?

I am happy to admit that my favourite book series of all time is now the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, by Dan Abnett, which is a Warhammer 40,000 series. Ultra dorky but so much fun to read. It’s basically just Sharpe but in a slightly bizarre dark militaristic sci-fi setting, with fun characters.

I do like more cerebral, well-regarded books and have tried to get through lists of booker prize nominees and classic fiction to varying success…but sometimes I just need to read about space soldiers shooting at chaos cultists.

It’s probably not for everyone!

Check out Bernard Cornwell’s books like The Last Kingdom. That’s easy to read pulpy viking historical stuff if you are into that. Swords.

I also increasing CBA with ‘challenging’ books, I just want to read and be interested/entertained.

I’ll add the Lonesome Dove series by Larry McMurtry to the list. Westerns, but don’t let that put you off.

And the Expanse series, they’ll take you a while…

I was going to recommend Ben Aaronovitch’s Rivers of London series but I have been beaten to it – it is Met Police meets Harry Potter but more adult.

Also enjoyed any Christopher Moore, Tom Holt and the monster hunter series by Lee Correia.

Check out Bernard Cornwell’s books like The Last Kingdom. That’s easy to read pulpy viking historical stuff if you are into that. Swords.

They are entertaining until you realise he’s basically written the same book about 50 times! Definitely easy reading though.

Thanks for the reminder about The Wasp Factory! Read it many years ago but I just picked it up for $0.99 on Kobo!

I read a lot, but mostly factual books on history, politics, travel etc.  I struggle with fiction these days, as a teenager I used to devour it, but just cba anymore.  However a recent read that was both funny and easy to read was the Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer.