Alternatives to Christie, Sedaris, Bryson
April 28, 2009 7:20 PM Subscribe
Looking for recommendations for authors similar to Agatha Christie, David Sedaris, and Bill Bryson.
I've exhausted those three authors, and am looking for others who are similar.
Generally I want something entertaining, not depressing, not a difficult read, and somewhat the same style. We're talking fall-asleep-while-reading-at-bedtime writers, not soul-searching.
Another mystery author would be great. Already done Dashiell Hammett.
What I like about David Sedaris and Bill Bryson is the funny life-story aspect.
Thanks for any and all recommendations.
I've exhausted those three authors, and am looking for others who are similar.
Generally I want something entertaining, not depressing, not a difficult read, and somewhat the same style. We're talking fall-asleep-while-reading-at-bedtime writers, not soul-searching.
Another mystery author would be great. Already done Dashiell Hammett.
What I like about David Sedaris and Bill Bryson is the funny life-story aspect.
Thanks for any and all recommendations.
I always preferred Mary Higgins Clark over Agatha Christie, so, you might want to give her a go, if you haven't already!
posted by firei at 7:47 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by firei at 7:47 PM on April 28, 2009
If you haven't read Dorothy Sayers yet, I think you'll definitely enjoy her Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries.
posted by bluestocking at 8:00 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by bluestocking at 8:00 PM on April 28, 2009
Tony Hawks is one of my faves.
Also: I asked a question a while back that might be of interest: What are some good, light-hearted, humorous travel books?
posted by nitsuj at 8:01 PM on April 28, 2009
Also: I asked a question a while back that might be of interest: What are some good, light-hearted, humorous travel books?
posted by nitsuj at 8:01 PM on April 28, 2009
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is non-twee, funny British fantasy. You can read them out of order, so dip in anywhere you like. Lots of recommendations here.
Donald E. Westlake, especially anything from his Dortmunder series.
posted by maudlin at 8:07 PM on April 28, 2009
Donald E. Westlake, especially anything from his Dortmunder series.
posted by maudlin at 8:07 PM on April 28, 2009
Augusten Burrows and Jonathan Ames are very similar in style to David Sedaris and Bill Bryson.
posted by General Malaise at 8:08 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by General Malaise at 8:08 PM on April 28, 2009
Greg Mathews should meet your needs very well. I just read his novel Come To Dust. It's basically noir infused with a good amount of absurdity. Good stuff, not too heavy, but quite entertaining.
posted by metagnathous at 8:11 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by metagnathous at 8:11 PM on April 28, 2009
If you like Bill Bryson, you might like Peter Mayle, Stephen Clarke, and Paul Theroux. They all write fairly ironic, funny travelogue-type books.
I like the Nero Wolfe mystery series by Rex Stout. Those are totally light mysteries - they go as fast as Agatha Christies and are just as mindless and entertaining. : )
posted by gt2 at 8:27 PM on April 28, 2009
I like the Nero Wolfe mystery series by Rex Stout. Those are totally light mysteries - they go as fast as Agatha Christies and are just as mindless and entertaining. : )
posted by gt2 at 8:27 PM on April 28, 2009
Seconding Sayers and Wodehouse.
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 9:00 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 9:00 PM on April 28, 2009
If you like Bill Bryson, you'll love Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen. Do yourself a favor. Skip all the other books that people recommend to you in this thread, and read this one first. You won't regret it.
posted by alms at 9:13 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by alms at 9:13 PM on April 28, 2009
Georgette Heyer - love her detective fiction (here named 'thrillers', scroll to the very bottom for titles)
posted by latch24 at 9:25 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by latch24 at 9:25 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
Randy Wayne White (his non-fiction essays, haven't read his Doc Ford novels) and a second recommendation for Tim Cahill.
posted by ArgentineBlonde at 9:47 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by ArgentineBlonde at 9:47 PM on April 28, 2009
An hilarious travelogue is Douglas Adams's Last Chance to See.
posted by neuron at 10:15 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by neuron at 10:15 PM on April 28, 2009
If you are into hyperintellectual feminist writers, Katha Pollitt is a good one. I also second the recommendation of David Rakoff!
posted by so_gracefully at 11:01 PM on April 28, 2009
posted by so_gracefully at 11:01 PM on April 28, 2009
3rd Sayers.
Also in the mystery vein, you might like Boris Akunin.
posted by juv3nal at 12:12 AM on April 29, 2009
Also in the mystery vein, you might like Boris Akunin.
posted by juv3nal at 12:12 AM on April 29, 2009
Nonfiction - Mary Roach
Fiction - Douglas Copeland
posted by transporter accident amy at 12:18 AM on April 29, 2009
Fiction - Douglas Copeland
posted by transporter accident amy at 12:18 AM on April 29, 2009
Mary Roberts Rinehart who Wikipedia calls the American Agatha Christie.
posted by x46 at 3:38 AM on April 29, 2009
posted by x46 at 3:38 AM on April 29, 2009
Sarah Caudwell for the Agatha Christie. Also, you can check out this previous question I asked for other Agatha Christie-ish books.
posted by bluefly at 5:06 AM on April 29, 2009
posted by bluefly at 5:06 AM on April 29, 2009
Robertson Davies was an excellent Canadian author who might fit the bill. He wrote trilogies about communities/ groups of people so you get a few different life stories (albeit fictional), and his stories are usually quite dark in places, and very intelligent and funny. The Salterton trilogy (Tempest-Tost, Leaven of Malice and A Mixture of Frailties is a good one to start with.
posted by goo at 5:36 AM on April 29, 2009
posted by goo at 5:36 AM on April 29, 2009
For the dry, self-effacing travelogue, I find Tim Moore about as close to Bryson's style as can be.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:47 AM on April 29, 2009
posted by ricochet biscuit at 6:47 AM on April 29, 2009
Nthing Wodehouse. Also,
Jerome K Jerome for humour.
John Dickson Carr for mystery.
posted by prufrock at 7:25 AM on April 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
Jerome K Jerome for humour.
John Dickson Carr for mystery.
posted by prufrock at 7:25 AM on April 29, 2009 [1 favorite]
Sayers, again. Some people aren't huge fans of the Lord Peter novels that feature Harriet Vane, and Whose Body is also iffy, but the Lord Peter stories and other novels like Murder Must Advertise are great.
posted by rustcellar at 12:00 PM on April 29, 2009
posted by rustcellar at 12:00 PM on April 29, 2009
Mary Stewart and Josephine Tey, for clever, slightly old-fashioned British mysteries.
posted by dizziest at 5:11 PM on April 29, 2009
posted by dizziest at 5:11 PM on April 29, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
Have you read all the Sherlock Holmes books? Another light mystery series you could try are the Fletch novels, which aren't much like the Chevy Chase movies.
posted by Bookhouse at 7:26 PM on April 28, 2009 [1 favorite]