First off, thanks to all who suggested children's books from the earlier thread. The woman from our office who did the shopping settled on "The Cat in the Hat" and "Charlotte's Web" in the end.

Anyway, I am going on vacation soon and plan to do some pleasure reading. While there are many classics out there that I have not yet read, I am seeking recommendations for books or authors that might be a little off the beaten path, preferably something fairly exciting (for example, some of Daphne du Maurier's other books besides "Rebecca" and "The Birds"). Any good mysteries or thrillers would be aprpeciated, anything along the lines of Frederick Forsythe for example. I was also thinking about a Patricia Highsmith novel. All I know about her work is from seeing the film "The Talented Mr. Ripley." Thanks in advance.

I found DuMaurier's "The House on the Strand" quite compelling.
Psst--happy honeymoon! :-))

I'm in DaVinci Code mode, so I have to recommend it. Also, have you read The Professor and the Madman? Wonderful story about the unique and sometimes crazed minds of those who contributed to the OED. Some Civil War lore there, too.

Good choices on the part of your co-worker! (I hope she got the classic version of 'Cat' and not some fool thing with Mike Myers on the cover).

olivers Sack's book "Uncle Tungsten' --parts of his childhood would have been Dickensen, except for his own attitute, and the help of his extended family... its part biography, and part the history of chemisty... and each chapter stands well on its own..

If you're a little broad-minded and want a real hoot of a book about two journalists who decide to make the best porn film ever, I'd recommend "Once More, With Feeling" by Victoria Coren and Charlie Skelton. It's not really "dirty", but it (a) gives you an insight into a world that most of us will never venture near, (b) demonstrates that an amateur isn't necessarily the best person to do a professional's job and (c) is something of a window onto the very, very odd relationship between the two authors.

It should have been subtitled "Two Babes in the Blue Movie Woods"!

And it's almost a laugh a page.

recommended D. Sobel's "Longitude" to me. It's not a mystery, but it's really an exciting story - and a reasonably quick read, too.

k

Longitude

Ooh, I think we saw the PBS(?) series on this. Fascinating story, even translated to the rather restrictive medium of TV.

I really enjoyed Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, so much so that I may even buy it.

Anything by Elmore Leonard

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/elmoreleonard/

If you've never explored Tom Robbins, try Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates. It's guaranteed to make you laugh and spit and before you realize it'll have you thinking as well.

I like old stuff and just finished another Victor Canning "The Man from the Turkish Slave" (not about porn movies by the way, it's the name of a boat)

Thanks Zed, I'd forgotten all about Victor Canning. That was a great read, one of his best as I recall, along with The House of the Seven Flies, The Dragon Tree ... oh, so many, and then of course - completely different - his Mr Finchley books. Very 'grown-up' writing. I'm sure I have most of them in the loft (along with about 2000 others - maybe my New Year resolution should be to do something about all those books, but what? ).

Ed: VC also wrote under the name Alan Gould, by the way.