I have something special to tell you all. I had, what was without a doubt, the happiest moment of my entire life yesterday. The kind of moment you don't think will happen but when it does you think, Yes. Thank you. I really do deserve this and I'm grateful for it.
I got a shipment of books from Amazon.
YESSSSSSSSS. Today I thought realizing I could probably get away without vacuuming for another day was the happiest moment of my life.
I'm kind of like a dog that way. BALL? BALL? THROW THE BALL. I LOVE PLAYING WITH THE BALL! Oop. TWIG??? TWIG??? THROW THE TWIG. I LOVE PLAYING WITH THE TWIG!
I really do get a tingly feeling in my toes when a big box full of books arrives. I'm not an order one or two books kind of person. I order them like pancakes. By the stack.
When last we met, several of you recommended a few books for me to read. In fact if you look at the comment section of the last "5 Books I've read, Plus 5 Books I'm Gonna Read" post you'll see there are hundreds of book recommendations from readers. I read all of those comments, cross referenced them with reviews from GoodReads and Amazon and put together an Amazon order. That was several months ago. I've since read my first shipment of books recommended by you and am now moving onto my second shipment.
I'd been hearing about the Hunger Games triology for a longgg time. I wasn't sure I'd like it but the set was on sale so I bought it. I absolutely loved the first book. Could NOT put it down. Which of course is the sign of a good book. Or blankie. The second and third books were good and very readable, but were a little flat compared to the first. Still an excellent trilogy that you can read in NO time. Probably because they were written for 12 year old girls.
I Still Dream About You - Fannie Flagg
I keep going back to Fannie Flagg based on her phenomenal book Fried Green Tomatoes. So far nothing has equalled that novel, but a few have come close. This isn't one of them.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver
Award winning novelist Barbara Kingsolver is know for her works of fiction like The Poisonwood Bible and The Bean Tree but several years ago she wrote a work of non-fiction chronicling a period in her life when she uprooted herself and her family to move to a farm to live off the land. As in only eat what she could buy locally or grow/kill herself. Yep. If that sort of thing interests you, you'll love this book with all of your heart. If it doesn't ... it probably won't keep your attention.
I read other books as well, these are just a select few I thought I'd bring to your attention. The one book that came highly recommended by a lot of people was Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I have tried and tried and I cannot get through this book. I find the kid (from whose point of view the book is written) annoying, the writing extremely jarring, pretentious and forced.
Mind you, it took me about 6 tries to finally get through Lonesome Dove, which I hated every time I started to read it. The Pulitzer Prize winning western is now my favourite book of all time.
The Book Thief - I'll admit it. I have a thing about novels revolving around WWII. I don't know what it is, but I'm inexplicably attracted to them. Two of the best I've read ... Sarah's Key and Suite Francaise.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Originally published in 1943, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. An American Classic about a girl coming of age at the turn of the century. Of my stack, I'm most looking forward to reading this book. I have no idea if that means I'll read it first or last. I'm kind of known for delaying gratification for as long as possible. Ahem.
The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (Book 18 of The #1 Ladies Detective Series) - I love these books. I just LOVE them. The television series was even better, but alas it's been cancelled. If you're looking for a series of books that are funny, heartfelt and just make you feel good every time you read them, this is the series to go for.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - I'd heard mixed reviews about this book that's written as a series of letters. So I checked the reviews on Amazon and if 1,638 readers gave it an average review of 4.5 out of 5 stars ... I think it's a safe bet I'll like it. Also takes place during WWII. Which I swear, I didn't know when I bought it.
Explosive 18 (Book 18 in the Stephanie Plum series) - These are great, no brain books. You can read them fast, they entertain you and there's always genuine laugh out loud moments. You're not tucking into it for the greatest story ever told, you're reading it for mindless entertainment, good writing and a guilty pleasure.
O.K. So let's have it. Let the next round of recommendations begin ...
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Gina
In case you've somehow missed them, the Spencer mysteries by Robert Parker (not the ones written since his death by someone else)are great....start at the beginning and be sad when there are no more..
Also Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larson
Anything written by Laura Lippman
Thanks for all the suggestions! So many books, so litlittle time....
Rowan
I've recently read the whole Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris (True Blood was based on it). They were really quick, fun reads.
Jasmine
House of Leaves
Somehow the inside of the house is bigger than the outside and is growing.
Read this book if you want something different and challenging and be sure to get the full color edition (this book is a formatter's nightmare!) and that you have a mirror on hand. You probably shouldn't read it if you have a headache.
Hilke
I love the 4 books by Katherine Neville - The Eight, A Calculated Risk, The Magic Circle (my favourite of hers) and The Fire (the sequel to The Eight).
Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth and the sequel World Without End are also fabulous!
Follet is currently working on a new Trilogy - the first book - Fall of Giants - is set through the First World War and follows the women's suffragette movement. I can't wait for the next book to be out - this trilogy follows several families, American, German, English, Russian and Welsh, through the twentieth century.
Can you tell that he is my favourite author?
Trish
Awesome, I LOVED The Pillar's of the Earth and I am so excited to here there is a sequel. I'll be hitting up the library ASAP, so thank you!
Hilke
There's a tv mini series of the sequel - World Without End - that will be shown on Showcase or Bravo this Fall. Did you see the mini series done of Pillars of the Earth?
Hilke
The books are always better, but they did a great job on the production.
Trish
I did see the Pillars mini series and got my husband hooked. Maybe I'll check out Pillars for him to read when I check out World without end. Would love to have read it by the time the miniseries comes out, super excited! Books are always better but I do love it when they do a movie based on the book.
Valerie
I can't believe I left out one of the best Swedish writers I dicovered this past year.
His name is Jo Nesbo and most libraries carry his work.All of his work is excellent, particularly enjoyed Nemesis and The Snow Man
Elle
Jo Nesbo is Norwegian (Mankell is Swedish).
Although both write about police detectives investigating murder cases (Mankell's Wallander and Nesbo's Harry Hole) Mankell also deals with social issues in the background while Nesbo is pure evil joy.
Love both series and will be very sad when they end (have 3 more by Mankell and two more by Nesbo to read)
Valerie
I recommended this book last time you sent out the call Karen and will do so again;
THOSE WHO SAVE US by Jenna Blum. It is available at most libraries.
The Book Thief and Potato Peel Society - both great reads that I enjoyed.
Currently reading author Henning Mankell's books...finished the Wallander series this spring and am on to his other work. When I get to the library and puruse various book in the stacks I end up being fascinated with Swedish mystery authors such as Mankell.
Ian McLennan is a great British writer who has penned some interesting work; there is always a surprise at the end of each of his books.
Karen
O.K. I've added it to the list. I'm trying to be diligent this time around by writing an actual LIST of books on my iPhone, as opposed to just thinking I"ll remember them, LOL. ~ k
Nan Tee
I'm stuck on Jodi Piccoult books for now, with a few others sneaking in. Love Wilbur Smith, although he's a bit bloody at times. I third the vote for the "Mark of the Lion" books, and have yet to pick up any of Evanovich's books. I hear that Notorius Nineteen is coming out in November. Maybe I'll start reading them when she hits 20.
Dawna Jones
Thanks for that Karen that info is super timely,seeing as I am not a big book reader but will be leaving on a jet plane soon and could use the time to read one!I think I am more a auto-biography girl though,peoples lives fascinate me,do you have one?
http://www.dawnajonesdesign.com/
Sheri
I think you would love anything by Christopher Moore, he is hilarious. My favourite is A Dirty Job, but really they are all hilarious. I am waiting for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle myself, can hardly wait for it.
Sarah Sargeant
Agree! A Dirty Job is my favourite, but Fool had me in stitches!
Tigersmom
Me Talk pretty One Day by David Sedaris. It is his best, but I imagine you have already read it.
I still love to reread The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.
I also love his space trilogy Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength
Please Don't Eat the Daisies by Erma Bombeck.
Karen
Love David Sedaris. And Augusten Burroughs.
Tigersmom
It's funny how David Sedaris always reminds people of Augusten Burroughs.
I read Running with Scissors and can see why Sedaris would call to mind Burroughs as they both write about their homosexuality and their very jacked-up childhoods. Personally, while both are funny, I found Burroughs to be more dark and much more disturbing. To the point where I really didn't like the feeling I was left with at the end of the book.
That may speak to my already depressed state of mind when I read it, though. I like to be moved by things I read and how deeply they affect me is the measuring stick by which I grade them, but his book left me in a place I didn't want to be.
kate - vl
read Burrough's "Dry" - a fine a read
Susan
Please don't eat the daisies is by jean Kerr. It was made into a movie starring Doris day.
Kristen
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
gogothrift
Middlemarch by George Eliot a classic
if you love Downton Abbey you'll love this book
East of Eden by George Steinbeck another classic
family saga..... love, murder jealousy the usual messiness but so good
Mr Darcy Takes a Wife can't remember author
It's a beach read, kinda silly, but I couldn't put it down
korrine
When my sis first gave me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, I started it and stopped (I guess I wasn't in the mood for letters), but recently my Kindle broke so I had to pick up an actual book and ..... it is one of my favorite books ever. An absolute joy to read. Sadly, I have no additional recommendations at this time. I have been reading mostly crap.
Brenda
If you've read Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice", try the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". I love the twist on the classics. Another current summer read favorite, "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer".
I read Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" for the first time this summer, and I have to say I hated it. It was a story of abuse (child & spouse) and hate, and I found it to be a horrible story. I could not believe that people have been calling this one of the best love stories of all times -- yes, I know, it's a tragic love story. Doesn't help me like it any better. One thing I learned, I do NOT want someone to love me like Heathcliff loved Catherine.
I just started the "Song of Ice and Fire" series (i.e., "Game of Thrones", etc.). Looking forward to enjoying a long series. I hate the depression that comes on from finishing a book/series. It's like breaking up. I'll have to start looking for my rebound series.
I seconded a vote above for the "Mark of the Lion" trilogy. Excellent read.
Thanks for the recommendations.
Gigi
I am a lurking fan, have been for a long time. Not a post goes by that hasn't made me chortle (I'm not a chuckler) and secretly wish we were neighbors and have you over for a cuppa Jo and plot an adventure or discuss/marvel at our fellas. But, it was the book review that forced me to write. Have read all 5 of the books In your shipment, love both Plum and Detective series for happy reads. Stay away from the Evanovich collaborative series with another author. Too much silly romance, with a total absence of absurd , goofy situations for heroine to propel herself through.
Keelea
I am an avid reader and to date, my favorite book ever remains to be "Prince of Tides", by Pat Conroy. The book gets so much deeper into the story than its movie counterpart, which isn't bad either actually. Besides that Conroy novel, my favorite author of all times is Carl Hiaasen. His books are all based in FL and have an underlying theme of environmentalism, but feature the BEST characters, villians, and story lines. Very smart writing!
Karen
Keelea - The fella reads and loves Carl Hiaasen. And the Prince of Tides was excellent. ~ karen
Lucy
I was going to give a shout out for Carl Hiaasen, too. All his books are fun and funny. I like the fella even more now.... Tee hee!
Elle
I loved "The Help" (which you've probably read already) - I thought it was the best feel good book I've read in a very long time.
If you're also interested in WWI and its aftermath, I really like Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series (she's a female PI in post WWI London who was a nurse in the war)
Other than that I mainly read about murdered Scandinavians (Jo Nesbo & Henning Mankell).
Amber
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is excellent, and very touching. I also recently read and enjoyed all of Sarah Addison Allen's books, especially The Girl Who Chased the Moon. It's a very quick read, light-hearted and indulgent.
karen@somewhatquirky
Oh yean, and Fair and Tender Ladies, by Lee Smith is one of my favorite books of all time.
Erika
Have to re-recommend Venetian Masque by Rafael Sabatini
Any of the Georgian romances by Georgette Heyer
The Vampire Files, all volumes, by P.N. Elrod, who is also an extremely nice person and not at all snooty author. About a vampire private eye in 1930's Chicago. Excellent attention to period detail.
The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust - my all-time favorite, hands down, first on the list of books to take to a desert island for the last 20 years, no book has bumped it off the top yet. The sequel is #2. Venetian Masque is #3.
Erika
Oh, and At Home by Bill Bryson, which is a social history of how the house as we know it developed from mud hut to how we live today.
Shannon
Vampires, and detectives, AND the 1930's? How have I never heard of this series before?? Must read it!
Erika
And his name is Jack, my favorite male name. In the first book he wakes up on the beach as a vampire, with amnesia, and has to solve his own murder.