You hear about it happening to other people, but you never think it'll happen to you. But it's true...I just took the very last "to-read" book off my shelf! Gasp! That means I have NOTHING lined up to read!
Ahhhhhh! Help!
Here's where you come in: it's time to turn the tables. I gave book recommendations, now I need some good recommendations from you.
Some of my favorite books/authors: Kurt Vonnegut (especially Bluebeard and Cat's Cradle), Margaret Atwood (especially The Blind Assassin), Orson Scott Card (especially Ender's Game), George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, Neil Gaiman (especially the Sandman comics and American Gods), Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.
I also really enjoy non-fiction, especially if it's a memoir or an odd topic, and love to read YA fiction.
Some books/types of books I dislike: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (the worst book I've ever had the misfortune to have wasted my time reading), Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer, the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson, most chick-lit, anything with really unlikable and unredeemed main characters. I'm also not a big fan of mystery series (though I love the Stephanie Plum mysteries) or thrillers (though I am willing to read them, I'm just usually disappointed).
So tell me what you think I'd like. I know a couple of you have mentioned The Poisonwood Bible, so I think I'll take a look for that at the library. What else should I try?
Thanks for helping me in my time of need ;)
The Balance by Neal Wooten
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Canus is a land in which three races of man live in precarious balance with
one another. The Fathers of the city in the sky, the Scavs (who call
themselv...
10 years ago
18 comments:
How about World War Z. LauraC read this as well. Laura, did you end up liking it?
Oooooh. This is hard bc I'm sure you've probably read most of what I'm going to recommend.
If the sci-fi genre, I'd go with Contact or the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker series. Probably have read both.
In Vonnegut, my faves are Sirens of Titan and Hocus Pocus. I never get tired of re-reading Vonnegut.
In classics, I'm going Master and Margarita, but you didn't mention liking Russian authors. Also in classics, I'd recommend the Dorothy Parker anthology. She seems to go with your sense of humor.
In non-fiction, I'm going Gig and Short History of Nearly Everything. The entire sex worker chapter in Gig is not to be missed! Or the HR for a slaughterhouse or UPS delivery guy...
In general fiction, I'm going with Stephen King. Have you read the Gunslinger series? 7 books in the series, each of which is written in a completely different style. The first book is not that great but sets the stage for the rest of the books. I'd also go with Eyes of the Dragon as fantasy pic of his. In short stories, I'd pick The Long Walk (one of my all-tie fave stories) or Different Seasons.
Oh yeah, I loved World War Z!
I'm sure you've read most of what I've read too. Right now I'm reading a book called "Other People's Weddings" that pretty interesting. A little grittier than it sounds.
Oh boy, this is exciting! I read World War Z, and liked it okay (actually like King's Cell better if we're talking zombie books :)
Laura, you picked all of my favorite King books (except The Stand, which is my all-time favorite!) I just requested Gig from my library. And I've had Bryson on my "look-for" list for trips to the used book store. I'll either get the one you recommended, or "I'm a Stranger Here Myself".
Julie~~I put in a request for the wedding book, too. My library is pretty sparse on what books they have. Luckily we can request from other branches!
YA - Christoper Pike or William Sleator. Have you read these guys yet? I may have some lurking around here if you want me to bring one or two to you tomorrow...
OK - here's a few...
The Historian - it's long, but a really engaging story.
City of Shadows - Ariana Franklin
Light on Snaw - Anita Shreve
Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingslover
Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn
A Sin of Color - Sunetra Gupta
Heartsick - Chelsea Cain
Memoir - Stealing Love: Confessions of a Dognapper by Mary A Fischer
YA - The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
And my alltime favorite so I recommend it to anyone and everyone - Girl w/ a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.
"Life of Pi"
"Sex Lives of Cannibals" - has nothing to do with sex or cannibals but its hilarious. And a nice, quick read.
Personally, I couldn't get into The Poisonwood Bible.
Have you read Jasper Fford? Funny stuff for literary types. Start with The Eyre Affair.
Bill Bryson cracks me up.
Rich just finished World War Z and loved it too - we don't get to read often (and I think my taste is probably slightly different than yours), but have you liked any Christopher Moore? A lot of his stuff gets lost halfway through, but I still really enjoyed Lamb, A Dirty Job and The Stupidest Angel. Very quick reads, but I liked them.
Alyssa
i don't read much anymore...but I LOVED the kite runner...
This is going to be a long one, so settle into a comfy chair ;).
I'm currently reading The King's Grace by Anne Easter Smith, a historical novel that weaves a fascinating tale around one of English history’s greatest questions: what happened to the princes in the Tower and was the pretender Perkin Warbeck one of them? I heard the author speak last night - she's fantastic! I've just started the book and it's slow in the beginning (trying to sort out who's who in the house of York in the 15th century), but everyone I've talked to who has finished it LOVED it!
In the memoir category: A Charmed Life - Growing up in Macbeth's Castle by Liza Campbell. Did you read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls? I really enjoyed it (it goes hand in hand with A Charmed Life IMHO.
YA - Bound by Donna Jo Napoli (I'd give this one 3.5/5). In the highly recommended, but yet to be read YA category: Weeping Under This Same Moon by Jana Laiz (I think this is going to be my book club pick for our local club) and
If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
You've probably already read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. A great, light, quick read.
Another selection in the comes highly recommended, but I haven't read it category is Still Alice by Lisa Genova, about a woman with early onset Alzheimer's (fiction).
I just finished an ARC of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe....this debut historical fiction selection was FANTASTIC! It's scheduled to launch June 9th and the author is slated to appear at the Framingham B&N on June 25th - if you get a chance to go, I'd highly recommend seeing her/buying the book!
Wish you lived closer so you could look through my "to read" pile!
Hmmm, have you read Jane Austen's "Persuasion"? Or for non fiction, "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls? Both great.
The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
You're well-read, so that always makes it harder to recommend.
Have you read Richard Russo? I read Empire Falls and enjoyed it. I'm currently reading Special Topics of Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, and it's definitely recommendable (though I'm not quite half-way). Another recent read which I'd recommend is the Guersney Literary and Potato Peel Society. I tell ya, I've read some good stuff lately!
A classic that I really enjoyed and you might as well is Henry Fielding's Tom Jones. It reminds me of Dickens's funnier stuff, but even more tongue-in-cheek (certainly no innocent titular character here).
I second The Life of Pi as well. I hope these recommendations can do for you what you've done for me!
On a similar note, my review of the graphic novel you recommended me went up on the Book Nook today. I'm glad you recommended it as I wanted to try something new, but I didn't particularly care for it.
I would second the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde (the Nursery Crimes series - not as much).
I also just read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. It was disturbingly good, if you want a Jane Austin twist (and haven't already read it)!
Also, for YA, if you haven't read "The Mysterious Benedict Society", I recommend that as well. Can't remember the author off the top of my head, though. It's a pretty quick read for a relatively thick YA book.
Okay, I have been meaning to write forever but keep forgetting. Since you are into cooking, I recommend three books on cooking that I recently read and really enjoyed. I loved "Julia Child: My Life in France". The woman had style and personality and I really enjoyed learning more about her. Personally I think that anyone who is into cooking shows or food has to learn more about the original master! After reading this, it was fun to read "Julie and Julia" which was a memoir by Julie Powell who cooked her way through Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year. Julie is a nut and it was fun to read about her crazy adventures in the kitchen. Finally, "Heat" by Bill Buford is not the best book I have ever read, but he is a good writer and seeing inside a restaurant kitchen was both facinating and sometimes horrifying.
On a different note, I am reading "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger now and I think that you would like it. Time travel and a love story - what's not to like?
Finally, "Motherless Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem. I have read several of his books and this is the best. Hard to describe without sounding way too odd. (Think "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" - good book, hard to describe without sounding silly.)
Happy reading!
Dana
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