looking for fiction books to read

So for those of you who read fiction what would you recommend to someone who mostly reads fantasy and sci-fi.

I take this to mean fiction other than fantasy and sci-fi?

Sorry. To be more clear I'm trying to expand beyond the fantasy and science fiction realm but I don't have a clue where to start. I do like vonnegut and memoirs of a geisha. Basically something that would not normally be located in the fantasy/sci section of the bookstore.

Trying to get the touchstones to work, but it's not going well.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel by Michael Chabon
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. Actually, anything by him is great.

Anything by T.C. Boyle, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Michael Chabon, Peter Carey or Colson Whitehead.

I find a good bridge is historical fiction (although not *necessarily* historical mysteries). Umberto Eco's The name of the rose is a very good read (although a little challenging if you're not used to the style).

If you're interested in going the historical fiction route as WillSteed has suggested, I'd recommend Sharon Kay Penman. She writes books about medieval England and Wales, of which my favorite is The Sunne in Splendour. Her novels are long and complex, which you would be okay with as a reader of fantasy, but not hard to read or tedious. Also, a lot (though by no means all) of fantasy is loosely based on medieval-esque themes, so it might match up with your interests.

Again in the realm of historical fiction, you might want to look at the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom Dissolution, Dark Fire, and Sovereign are satisfying reads rather than fluffy historical mysteries. You might try those.

Since we're into historical fiction, why not go whole hog with Big Daddy -- War and Peace, which now has a very highly acclaimed new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky? Yes, it is large. And, yes it is wonderful.

Thread hijack: Is contemporary fiction from previous times considered to be historical fiction? I don't call Jane Austen's novels historical fiction because they were contemporary when she wrote them. There's probably a thread on it out there somewhere.

Back on topic (sort of): I've never had the nerve to leap into War and Peace, even though it has a place on my shelf. Perhaps I should start with one of the shorter classic Russian novels. My big novel is Les Miserables, although I usually get stuck when Cosette grows up. She irritates me something chronic.

I don't think contemporary fiction from previous times is historical fiction. If, like in the case of War and Peace, the author is writing about what was history for them, that is historical fiction, though such works generally get lumped in the "classics" category, which I think is sort of meaningless. Otherwise it's just what we'd call contemporary fiction today.

At least, so I think. =) I love War and Peace, but I probably wouldn't recommend it for someone just looking for something other than fantasy. It's a bit overwhelming.

Robertson Davies is fantastic. I find that his books examine the everyday world without ignoring the mysticism underlying the characters' lives. My favourites are What's Bred in the Bone and World of Wonders. Both fit within trilogies, but they can be read independently.

He's definitely not for everyone, but I've been having a great time with J.D. Salinger lately. There's more to his work than just The Catcher in the Rye. I really find that he has a gift for revealing what's going on beneath the surface in a conversation. His books read like stage plays, in some ways. My favourite is Franny and Zooey.

If you like classic novels, Alexandre Dumas is a ton of fun. There's lots of action and adventure, and I get a big kick out of his prose style. The Black Tulip is surprisingly good and often overlooked. It's a very exciting story about tulip breeding... and believe it or not, I'm dead serious.

I second the recommendation for Les Miserables. It's huge, but it's definitely worth your time. Marius is perhaps my all-time favourite literary character.

I find Jane Austen very slow, but her work is just lovely. Her writing weaves in and out in the most delightfully complex ways, but at the end of the sentence she's said something very simple.

Anne-Marie MacDonald is one of my big favourites. Her books deal with themes like incest and abuse, though, so they could be problematic for some readers. She's written two, (Fall On Your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies), as well as several plays.

She writes magical realism, so she might be a little more fantastical than you're looking for, but I find that Francesca Lia Block packs a huge wallop. Her books are usually quite short, too, so they're quick reads. My favourites are I Was A Teenage Fairy, Missing Angel Juan and Baby Be-Bop. The latter two are part of a larger series that's been collected in an omnibus called Dangerous Angels

Isabel Allende is great too. I've enjoyed everything I've read by her; she's got great characters, and there are often a lot of deeper themes in her work. My favourite is Zorro.

If you like mysteries, Agatha Christie is a lot of fun. She's written scads of things, too, and they're all very short. Quick reads! Most of them fit into larger umbrella series, but they can definitely be read independently.

Philippa Gregory writes entertaining historical fiction, but she fudges the facts somewhat. She's great if you just want something enjoyable, but not so good if you want historical fiction that sticks to the facts. The Other Boleyn Girl is probably her best known work, and it's very good.

I can't speak for the rest of her work, but Colleen McCullough's Thorn Birds is pretty durned fantastic. I didn't really want to read it, going in, but it hooked me right from the get-go.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres is one of my very favourite books. It employs a complex narrative structure, but it doesn't sacrifice the story in doing so. I can't speak for the rest of his work, but I've heard good things. Very good things.

And I'll shut up now.

The Count of monte cristo is good. Touchstones not working. Stephen King if you like horror, especially some of his Bachman work. Ivanhoe is another classic work.

OK. Sticking with strictly contemporary Russian fiction, how about the acclaimed post-Soviet author Vladimir Sorokin and his mind-blowing novel Ice. It's actually a nice transition for the sci-fi/fantasy fan, as it has elements of both -- along with a strong dose of hard-boiled urban. CAUTION: Explicit sex and violence.

Second Xicanti's rec of Isabel Allende. I haven't read a huge amount, but her magical realist novels are intriguing.
I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl, too.

When I want to slip out of spec fic for a while, I often turn to the young adult area. I enjoy a lot of the issue exploration that authors do when they write for that age group. I recently dove into The Perks of Being a Wallflower and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I also enjoy John Marsden, an Australian author, but I don't know about his availability outside Australia. If you can find it, Tomorrow, When the War Began was a very popular series about 10 years ago, although the latest books haven't been as popular.

If you're interested at all in short stories, I suggest Amy Hempel's work, particularly "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson is Buried." It's my favorite short story, followed by Vonnegut's "A Long Walk to Forever." Hempel's story "The Harvest" is also popular.

They are quick reads with a lot packed into them. Very beautiful and rather haunting, in the good way :)

if War and Peace is too large i would suggest "What Men Live By", also by tolstoy but much, much easier to read, although the theme(s) do require some thinking about as it reflects Tolstoy`s philosophical stance.

Whatever you choose, happy reading.

Other genres you could try if, like me, you find you don't like historical fiction are more Urban fantasy - which places the fantastical elements in a mundane world such as dracula or the gnole.

Or you could move more towards Crime/ Mystery /thrillers which take the suspense of SF and the action of fantasy and blend them into mundane settings. Either UF style like Storm Front or purely action oriented - hundreds to choose from Die Trying is good.

Another option would be to take the technology from Science fiction as a plot devise for more military thrillers such as Red Storm Rising.

Or you can try plenty of children's classics which for some reason aren't described as fantasy - Wind in the Willows being an ideal read.