We’re off to France for a couple of weeks holiday.
I’ll be taking whichever books from A Song of Ice and Fire I haven’t read yet, and Herodotus, which I’m halfway through, but can only read in small chunks (the Scythians sound like fun guys).
What else should I take to fill in the gaps between Ancient Greek ethnography and contemporary fantasy, that would be appropriate poolside and airport reading?
Do you allow yourself to read guilty pleasures on holiday you don’t the rest of the year, or do you like reading improving books to counterbalance the relaxation an hedonism of your vacation?
As you can see, I haven’t quite decided which camp I fall into.
One year I took Valley of the Dolls, Lord of the Rings and Marcus Aurelius.
I like to read cheesey books on vacation, but quality cheesey books. George R.R. Martin certainly qualifies and I think the Aubrey/Maturin series would compliment your first two books well.
Somewhere in between. I don’t bring the hard stuff on vacation because I know I won’t read it. But I don’t bring crap either, because I think there’s better alternatives. But maybe your definition of guilty pleasure isn’t the same as mine - I certainly wouldn’t put GRR Martin in that category.
I had a great time in France reading Pillars of the Earth, which (despite what I said above) is somewhat of a guilty pleasure. But it was really cool to be reading about all the Cathedral building while going to see Cathedrals that were built around the same time that the book was set. Of course, that might not be quite as cool for you Europeans, who can go see 600-year-old Cathedrals whenever you want.
As far as suggestions - I just finished Robopocalypse and it was great fun. I’d say it’d be a great vacation book.
I fall somewhere in between too-if the writing’s really bad or the plot too unbelieveable, I can’t finish the book.
However, if the subject’s too deep (think Kevin Phillips or John Ralston Saul), I find myself rereading the same paragraph over and over while my brain goes la la la.
I loved “Under Heaven” by Guy Gavriel Kay. It’s set in in the Tang dynasty-almost. Kay does a great job of combining history and fantasy and I haven’t really read anything by him that I don’t like.
Here’s a link to the Amazon reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Under-Heaven-Guy-Gavriel-Kay/dp/0451463307.
For sheer comic relief, I don’t think you can do better than Bill Bryson.