We have also teamed up with Antony and Tim at Richard Kihl Wines Ltd. They have suggested suitable beverages for you to sip while you read which are listed at the bottom of each book description in bold.
The Quincunx
by Charles Palliser (£16.99 paperback)
1,248 pages
A brilliant mystery set in Victorian England in the style of Wilkie Collins
Pair with a very Victorian glass of Madeira - try an old Verdelho.
A Suitable Boy
by Vikram Seth (£12.99 paperback)
1,504 pages
A true classic. This book follows four families and focuses on the arranged marriage of 19 year old Lata to a 'suitable boy'.
Suitable with: a spicy, peppery Northern Rhone Syrah like Jean-Paul Jamet's 2017 ‘Les Valines’
4 3 2 1
by Paul Auster (£9.99 paperback)
1,088 pages
Shortlisted for the 2017 Booker Prize, Auster's epic depiction of the four parallel lives of Archilbald Isaac Ferguson, a young boy growing up in 20th century America.
Pair with: a left-bank Bordeaux, like 2016 Chateau Senejac, a great example of the art of blending four different grape varieties
Ducks, Newburyport
by Lucy Ellmann (£13.99 paperback)
1,020 pages
Winner of the 2019 Goldsmiths prize, a scorching indictment of America's barbarity, past and present.
Pair with: Pinot Noir. Duck and Pinot Noir are perfect partners - try Louis Guntrum’s 2017 Rheinhessen Pinot Noir.
Sacred Games
by Vikram Chandra (£11.99 paperback)
960 pages
I only know one other person (Claud!) other than myself who got to the end, but it is worth it, I promise.
Pair with: an intense, vanilla-scented Rioja with a long finish, to sustain you through to the end - try Valserrano’s 2015 Crianza Rioja.
Middlemarch
by George Eliot (£6.99 paperback)
928 pages
Inspired by Dame Gillian Beer's talk at Aldeburgh Literary Festival, we now all need to read, or re-read, Middlemarch.
Pair with: a classic. Red burgundy is required here - try the Hautes-Cote de Nuits from Geantet-Pansiot.
The Mirror and the Light
by Hilary Mantel (£25 hardback)
912 pages
The long anticipated conclusion to the Wolf Hall trilogy, this is an obvious choice. Accompany with a read of Wolf Hall £9.99 (672p) and Bring up the Bodies £9.99 (432p) for a 2,016 page read.
Pair with: something Machiavellian - try Fonterutoli’s Chianti Classico.
Life and Fate
by Vasily Grossman (£10.99 paperback)
912 pages
A traditional classic, the novel narrates the history of the family of Victor Shtrum and the battle of Stalingrad. The sequel, Stalingrad, has recently been published in English for the first time.
Pair with: Something dense and difficult…! Try a mineral Corbieres ‘Esprit du Vent’ Giboulee
I Am Pilgrim
by Terry Hayes (£8.99 paperback)
912 pages
A gripping thriller where a thread connects an assortment of horrific situations.
Pair with: Santiago – has to be Albarino! Try the Albarino San Campo 2017
This Thing of Darkness
by Harry Thompson (£9.99 paperback)
768 pages
A compelling historical novel about Fitzroy of the Beagles.
Pair with: something out of Africa: Meerlust Rubicon, one of the finest wines from Stellenbosch
They Were Counted
by Miklos Banffy (£9.99 paperback)
560 pages
The first in the Transylvanian trilogy. Follow with They Were Found Wanting £9.99 (450p) and They Were Divided £9.99 (230p) for a 1240 page read.
Pair with: a sweet Tokaji, from the eastern border of Hungary, looking across the border to Transylvania
Gormenghast
by Mervyn Peake (£9.99 paperback)
512 pages
The second in the series. Start with Titus Groan £9.99 (496 pp) and end with Titus Alone £7.99 (272 pp) for a fantastical extravaganza of 1,280 pages.
Pair with: a fine German Riesling like Donnhoff’s Schlossbokelheimer Felsenberg Auslese … purely on the basis that it sounds like it could be the name of a character in Gormenghast.