12 Editor Picks: Holiday reads for adults

Michelle Gilmore

When I go on holiday, it is easy for me to find books to read – I still have two Christmas books waiting on my bedside table. I think because Book Club books keep me occupied most of the month, I struggle to read any surplus to them.

I thought I would share some of my favourite books and authors – you might find them handy for your time off!

Bridge of Clay – Markus Zusak 

This story meant I only started my latest book club saga a few days before we were supposed to discuss it! If you are a lover of The Book Thief, Zusak’s latest was exquisite.

He tips me so easily into tears, crafting such memorable characters – and his writing is so beautiful. However, it was gifted to me by someone who just didn’t like it. But it was a winner for me.

Diana Gabaldon – Outlander Series

Don’t watch it first. Jamie and Claire are characters I can read about over and over again – teaching me about the Jacobites and now American independence.

Time travel, red hair, romance and kilts. Luckily, Gabaldon has the next book out soon, Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone. You’ll see why it has created a surge of fans for everything Scottish.

Alexander McCall Smith – The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Characters, humour, and solving mysteries in Botswana. This is an engaging series with bush tea.

Bryce Courtenay – Matthew Flinder’s Cat

I think I would be hard pressed to say which Courtenay book I like best. Jessica? The Family Frying Pan (a collection on global stories and recipes)… The Power of One? You are always in for a rollicking good tale, lovable eccentrics, villains and the unconquerable human spirit.

Mitch Allom – Tuesdays with Morrie

Perhaps don’t read this if someone close to you is dying. Not yet, anyway. Poignant and a must-read.

Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows – The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society

Island life in occupied Guernsey. Letters and the love of words brings people together, definitely recommend! The movie is wonderful, too!

Sebastian Faulks – Birdsong

This should be at the top of my list. About the trenches of World War I and love. It is not always an easy read, but it is a book I will always keep near.

Ian Rankin – Rebus series

I just love Rebus. He is not attractive or polite but he finds the killer – every time. Another Scot. It’s also interesting reading about Edinburgh, and makes me want to return (without the crime).

Henning Mankell – Kurt Wallander

The character is also now found on TV; another troubled-in-personal-life but best-damn-detective-you’ll-find scenario. Swap the UK for Sweden, though, and enjoy the clever plots and twists.

Sue Grafton – A is for Alibi

Kinsey Millhone is a Californian PI. It is an older series, woven around the few people she holds dear. Full of action and never an easy ‘whodunnit’.

George RR Martin – Game of Thrones 

Don’t ever believe the series are better than the books. I was riveted, and rolled through each book – saddened at the end. Gory, violent, endearing. I was very impressed – they distracted me no end from my duties.

Jane Austen – Pride and Prejudice

I was gifted her set of six books and treasure them. They are a comfort to be reread whenever I want a laugh. Austen was the ultimate deliverer of disdain and life lessons – with gentle, powerful romance. A definite favourite that I hope every child is made to read in school!

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Change can turn our plans, our lives and our dreams upside down. Whether you have faced a redundancy, dealt with a break-up, been in an accident, lost a loved one, had a health scare, or been impacted by an economic downturn, your ability to navigate through the change process and create an alternative plan will be the key to your future happiness.

Shannah Kennedy, bestselling author of The Life Plan, has created a simple yet powerful four-part guide that is designed to give you the confidence to accept, heal, grow and adapt.

Full of practical tips and exercises to help you process your emotions, restore and recover, shift your mindset, set clear goals and take control, Plan B is your roadmap to finding happiness once again.

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