Sensitive boy needs a girl in a flowery dress

[venta]

Reading recommendations sought!

I am off to hospital on Monday, so am looking to stock my e-reader up with extremely lightweight reading matter. (I'm not opposed to proper books, of course, but during non mobile periods the simplicity of download vs. shop and clicking next vs. going to the bookshelf is quite appealing.)

So, what should I be reading?  I think, for mental bubblegum my tastes run rather more towards (say) YA sci-fi than they do towards chick-lit. Everyone keeps telling me I should be stocking up on T.V. boxed sets, but T.V. isn't really my thing.

I'm currently reading The Screaming Staircase and sadly finding it a little unsatisfying. I'm not sure what age range it's aimed at, but it does seem very simplistic. I loved the Bartimaeus books, but have been a bit underwhelmed by Lockwood & Co.

EditJust for clarity, I don't require YA sci-fi. It was intended as a frinstance, not a demand. Thanks for all suggestions!

Comments

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

I love Gail Carriger, who has a variety of adult and YA steampunk urban fantasy (someone described her as writing 'urbane fantasy' which is about right). The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman was a rolicking parallel universe whodunnit, might be worth a try? A Discover of Witches by Deborah Harkness, urban fantasy set in the Bodleian, with plenty of tea, may or may not suit, too.

None of which is sci-fi. Hmm. Looking through my Goodreads recently read list, apparently I don't read sci-fi. Maybe I should fix that.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

"urban fantasy set in the Bodleian"? *buys*

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Only the first book and only a chunk of it is in Oxford, sadly. The second and third go off to other places. (Still good, but "set in" is stretching it a bit IMO.)

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

It went into my head as 'set in', but my memory is a bit off sometimes. I described the book of Tobit as being 'about wlaking a dog'. Well, the dog gets two sentences - Tobias set off with his dog. Tobias returns with his dog.

I hope you like it anyway. despite my rubbish description.

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

I do like that summary! smallclanger acquired his name from there, of course.

I just didn't want bibliogirl to get the wrong idea about Discovery of Witches, that's all. The lasting memory of the book is definitely the Duke Humfrey scenes for most people, but there's a lot of book outside that. :D

[venta.livejournal.com]

A rollicking parallel universe whodunit? Sounds brilliant :)

I really liked the sound of the Deborah Harkness, but got really annoyed by it when I read it. Just in that "there is an ancient treaty forbidding... Oh. Look" kind of way.