Good Books to read

[katluvr]

I am looking for some new "stuff" to read.
Any good books you would highly recommend and why.
Not much into romance...or horror. Could use a good new read!

[Smilie]

I like Wilbur Smith. I would start with River God (http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com/novels/river_god.html). He really gets you with the characters, and then of course you want to read more about their lives, which follow with The Seventh Scroll (http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com/novels/the_seventh_scroll.html) Warlock and The Qwest. You can find all of his books on those links.

I have read several of his books that cover generations, I really like all that I read.

[indysteel]

I am looking for some new "stuff" to read.
Any good books you would highly recommend and why.
Not much into romance...or horror. Could use a good new read!

First, give me an idea of what other books/authors you like. Fiction or nonfiction? Novels or short stories? Fluff or something a little heavier?

[katluvr]

I don't really have any author or genre that I specifically like.
I just wanted to hear from folks books they have read and just loved.
I am horrible about remembering author names.
I have enjoyed some of the "children themed" series lately. I must admit I am a Harry Potter fan. Read Narnia, Golden Compass Series. That was my latest.
Also the books by Gregory Maguire (??) Wicked, Son of Wicked, etc.
Also read Kite Runner and the other one....hmmm what was the name of that?
One of my most fave (lately) was Water for Elephants. I am really all over the place. Mystories. Non-fiction-ish or Fiction based on "real life".
Just looking for some new interesting books.

[Irulan]

www.goodreads.com is a fun site, sort of like facebook or a blog for readers. You have "friends" and can read each others reviews. Here's mine
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1528799

Sharon Kay Penman Here be Dragons etc, (12th century England/Wales)
Bernard Cornwell - the Pale Horsemanetc (8th century Saxon/Norse history)
Jack Whyte - Skystone, a different retelling of Arthur
Jaqueline Carey - Kushiel's Dart alternate world romance/intrigue
SM Stirling - Island in the Sea of Time ( silly alternate history)
Juliet Marilleir - Sevenwaters Trilogy, starts with Daughter of the Forest ( relling of the seven swans, incredible)

I second Wilbur Smith, I like the set that starts with Blue Horizon

[beancounterbeth]

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series. Starts with "One for the Money" and each book is numbered similarly up to the latest "Fearless Fourteen". They are quick, light reads that will literally make you laugh out loud. My DH doesn't read books for leasure so he always looks at me funny when I'm reading a Janet Evanovich book and just bust out laughing.

I also liked Pillars of the Earth. I can't remember who wrote it but it is a pretty long book that isn't too deep but also not complete fluff. It was on Oprah's book club list.

Other than those two I love anything written by Harlan Coben if you like mystery. They aren't horror or scary, just suspensful.

[tulip]

One of my favorite books of all time is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Another one I recently read is The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

It would appear that there's a theme here, but I was not aware of it until I wrote this...hmmmm...

[indysteel]

One of my newer favorite authors is Kate Atkinson. She has a three-book series (the newest just came out in hardcover) that are mysteries, but they're a little more "literary" then your average mystery. I liked the first one, Case Histories, quite a bit. Her first book, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, is one of my favorites.

I also like the short stories of Alice Munro. I particularly liked Runaway. They can be kind of sad, but I like that sort of a thing. Most of her protaganists are women/girls.

Another book that stood out for me in recent years is called the Confessions of Max Tivoli. I can't remember the author off the top of my head. It's about a person who ages in reverse. It follows his two closest relationships--with the love of his life and his best friend.

I have many otheres, but I have to run to the gym. I'll post a few more later.

[Kimmyt]

I'm on Goodreads as well. I like the site because it gives me some ideas so that when I'm at the bookstore I have a goal in mind, otherwise I just wander the aisles aimlessly until I see a spine that catches my interest.

Here's my read list on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/762484?shelf=read

[SadieKate]

Just added to my goodreads list --
http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/press_releases/frendsheep.html

[crazybikinchic]

I am currently reading the Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum books. I tend to do my fun reading while traveling to and from school on the train. I will bust out laughing and have the whole train looking at me like I have lost my mind.:confused::D

Another author that I like is Daniel Silva. He has a series about Gabriel Allon that is pretty action packed. The best comparrison that I can give of Allon is Jack Bauer from the show 24. The first book is "The Kill Artist".

[crazycanuck]

I'm reading Robert Fisk's The Great War for Civilization

What about reading anything by Terry Pratchett? If you do, start at the beginning of the discworld series. You'll love the travelling suitcase :cool:

[SadieKate]

What about reading anything by Terry Pratchett? If you do, start at the beginning of the discworld series. You'll love the travelling suitcase :cool:Yup, off to buy Nation (http://www.amazon.com/Nation-Terry-Pratchett/dp/0061433012) soon. I don't care what age the intended audience is for each book, they're just plain fun.

The Wee Free Men series is one of my favorites.

[OakLeaf]

And if you like Pratchett (I think he's uneven, but I've really enjoyed some of them, including The Truth and Making Money), try Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. I thought that was truly hysterical.

[Trekhawk]

I just finished Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan.
A great Tasmanian writer that you might want to give a whirl.
He also wrote The Sound of One Hand Clapping which was made into a movie.:)

[Dogmama]

I just finished reading Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies and I've started her next one. Lots of things that make you go "hmmm." Set in San Fran area.

[GraysonKelly]

Andy Andrews "The Lost Choice" and "The Travelers Gift" were wonderful, I particularly loved the latter.
Kate Mosse "The Labyrinth" and "The Sepulchre"
"Mists of Avalon" (fabulous book)
Patricia Cornwell: "Postmortem" to "The Last Precinct" (it's her Kay Scarpetta series and although there's more in the series she really goes downhill in her writing, IMO, after "the last precincnt" but everything before that is fantastic)
Practically anything by Iris Johansen particularly the Eve Duncan series
"The Historian" (not really horror, more like suspense and history)
"The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel" Diane Setterfield (I got everybody at work hooked on this book, it was awesome! Best book I've read in 2 years)
"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell: A Novel" Susanna Clarke (this one took me a while to get into but once I did I couldn't put it down)
"What's so Amazing about Grace" Phillip Yancy (Non fiction, excellent book really made me think)
Paulo Coelho "The Alchemist" and "The Fifth Mountain"
"Velvet Elvis" (Non Fiction)

That's just the ones off the top of my head. I also read all kinds of other stuff...pretty much anything that interests me I read. I decided one time that I didn't know enough about Ancient Greece and Alexander the Great so I went out and got some books about him. I love anything about King Arthur.
I also read A LOT of fanfiction online which is fun when I'm trying to go to sleep or just need something mindless to make my brain calm down. But those books I mentioned above are the ones that I would be likely to take with me while I'm riding. I like to stop after so many miles, sit down outside where it's quiet and read a bit then head home.
If you want to discuss any of these, please let me know.
Gray

[SoCalCruiser]

I second "Mists of Avalon" it's one of my favorite books. If your into Harry Potter and the Chronicles of Narnia i would suggest the "Eragon" series, those are pretty good. Mercedes Lackey is a really good fantasy author as well. Lately i've really been into chinese fiction "Empress Orchid" by Anchee Min is really good as well as "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" and "Peony in Love" both by Lisa See.

[buddha_bellies]

I second "the Historian" - well written. It's a thick book but I couldn't put it down! (and that's why I don't read in bed. I'll never go to sleep). If you like that one, look for books by Sarah Dunant (birth of Venus and In the company of Courtesan). These two books are set in old Italy.

Other books that I really like include:

Blindness by Jose Saramago (now a motion picture but the book is better)
Atonement by Ian McEwan (yes, another movie from book. Both movie and book are excellent)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (tear jerker)
A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman (non-fiction)
Eat, Prey, Love: one woman's search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert (auto-biography?? written really well)
Gods behaving badly by Marie Phillips (fluff by very very funny)
I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal (my first book from Czech and still am very fond of it. Yes, now it's a motion picture too. What is it with books I read turning into movies??)

[Smilie]

The Mists of Avalon! Yes! It was a great book, written from the 'women's point of view' Arthurian legend. Loved it.

Has anyone read the 3rd Eragon book, Brisingr? Have it on hold from my library.

If you like fantasy books I highly recommend Margaret Weiss and her Dragonlance books. I have read most all of her series books. She does such a great job with all of the characters that when one particular one died, it brought tears to my eyes. Very odd to have an author do that to me.

[Irulan]

Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier

Daughter of the Forest
Son of the Shadows
Child of the Prophecy.

A retelling of the fairy tale, The Seven Swan and then what happens next.
Fantastic.

[katluvr]

Great feedback.
I need to "print" all this and then start looking. And check out goodreads.com.
Thanks for all the responses. Can't wait to check them out!