Holiday reading?

The Piano Tuner
The Life of Pi
Good Omens

I recommend Skull Mantra by Elliot Pattison, and its sequel Water Touching Stone (about 500 pages each). These books are crime/mystery novels set in Tibet and full of local history, politics and Buddhist mysticism.

A manly MAN I met last year in the BVI strongly recommended the Rome series from Coleen McCullough - author of famous chit lit - the Thorn Birds. He insisted it isnt chick lit! The first one is called First Man in Rome.

I couldnt find the first book in the series at any NYC Barnes & Noble or Borders, so just ordered it on Amazon... It gets rave reviews. I plan to check out the first few pages when it comes, and if its good, order the 2nd in the series before I leave for Thailand! I figure it will be very engrossing for the 17 hour flight....

We get free review copies of a lot of books thanks to a newspaper my co owns, and I just read 2 great books about to be released - the Jewel Trader of Pegu (about an orthodox Jew from the Venice ghetto who goes to Burma in the 1600s - very cool!) and Ultimate Excursions - a novel, but seemingly true story about peace corps volunteer's death in Peru

The Shadow Of The Wind - by Carlos Ruis Zafon, awsome reading!

Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett. I read it long before Oprah put it on her list. Captivating.

In a similar vein - Sarum by Edward Rutherford.

I second Pillars of the Earth. I read it years ago at the lake (not quite Thailand, but a vacation nonetheless). It seems to fit your criteria, and is a good read.

i was gonna say Shantaram but #5 beat me to it