OT: good books [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

snapdragen

01-13-2006, 05:08 PM

The Phillip Pullman books are great! I got hooked on them before Harry Potter exisited....

Christopher Moore can be hysterical if you want to laugh. The last book of his I read was Lamb - The Gospel According to Biff Christ's Childhood Pal. Warning - it is explicit, and very irreverent. If you're very religious and very devout, you may be offended by this book.

Biff recounts "the lost years" when Jesus was a teenager. From Amazon: Joshua (a.k.a. Jesus) knows he is unique and quite alone in his calling, but what exactly does his Father want of him? Taking liberties with ancient history, Moore works up an adventure tale as Biff and Joshua seek out the three wise men so that Joshua can better understand what he is supposed to do as Messiah. Biff, a capable sinner, tags along and gives Joshua ample opportunities to know the failings and weaknesses of being truly human. With a wit similar to Douglas Adams, Moore pulls no punches: a young Biff has the hots for Joshua's mom, Mary, which doesn't amuse Josh much: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone." And the origin of the Easter Bunny is explained as a drunken Jesus gushes his affection for bunnies, declaring, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."

I've read a bunch of books by Moore, Coyote Blue, Fluke, Practical Demon Keeping.

snowtulip

01-13-2006, 05:32 PM

Ditto on the Phillip Pullman series, The Golden Compass is my favorite. It's a fantasy series that deals with many philosophical issues. I was nervous about reading it at first because I'm not a fantasy novel person, but this is my favorite book.

Also Anchee Min, Becoming Madam Mao. Brilliant fictional biography of Mao's wife. Intrigue, passion, deception, social politics. I love Anchee Min!

Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles. It's a bizarre book, starts out a little funky slow, but stick with it. Can't really say what it's about, maybe learning about what really matters to you.

For fun and entertainment, Bill Bryson's, A Walk in the Woods is funny.

I could go on and on, my other love is reading!

crazycanuck

01-13-2006, 05:32 PM

Hello...a topic i love...Just a few books i can think of now...

1-The kite runner-great book eh!

2-Six days-Jeremy bowen

3-Down & out in paris & london, coming up for air & keep the aspidistra flying-george orwell

4-Anne of green gables-Lucy Maud Montgomery-what a wonderful book to read...too funny as well.

5-A bright shining lie-Neil sheehan

6-Paradise of the blind, memories of a pure spring, beyond illusions-dong thu huong (these books are banned in vietnam and are a wonderful read)

Let me think for a bit & i shall post a few more

c

SadieKate

01-13-2006, 05:51 PM

5. Poisonwood Bible...dry in the beginning but stick with it.Any and all things Barbara Kingsolver. This is the longest of her books and does have a dry start but then just pulls you in.

The Prodigal Summer (is that the right name?) is wonderful start to finish and would make the naturalist in you happy.

I have to go think about what else, but Karen's post caught my eye.

Lise

01-13-2006, 05:54 PM

Ooooh, one of my favorite topics!
I loved the Phillip Pullman trilogy. I've read it two or three times. The books are The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. They are labeled as "young adult fiction". I found them very adult in theme, in that they address the nature of reality, time, heaven, hell, death, the soul...and tell a great story while doing so! The heroine is a young girl, Lyra, and she'd fit right in here on the TE board. I picked them up because I'd heard great things about them from a variety of sources.

I'm currently reading Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund. It's fiction. The first line, "Captain Ahab was neither my first husband, nor my last" captured me. It's the story of a young woman who, among other things, runs away to sea on a whaling boat. It's gorgeously written. I found it quite by accident. My mom had picked it up at a book sale, and I borrowed it from her after reading the first line.

Other favorites: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's the story of a family in South America that spans generations. His style is "fantastic realism". This book amazes me over and over again. I've re-read it every 2 or 3 years for the past two decades. Anything by Isabel Allende, but especially The House of the Spirits. Similar to One Hundred Years.

Non-fiction: I've read every book Karen Armstrong's written. She writes about the history of religions, and their interactions today. I especially enjoyed Jerusalem, One City, Three Faiths, but you can't go wrong with anything of hers.

....just read the other new posts yeah, yeah, Anne of Green Gables! Although it may have helped to have read it first as a 6th grader...

ahhhhh, so many books, so little time! Have fun! Lise

LBTC

01-13-2006, 05:59 PM

Ah, books!

Well, I've read all the Anne Rice books. Loved the ones about the Mayfair witches the best...and the last of the vampire series where she combined the 2 stories.

Love Clive Barker. Imajica is amazing!

Love Tom Robbins. Skinny Legs and All, and Jitterbug Perfume are the best!

Just got into Dean Koontz. Much more thought provoking than I would have expected - and great to just discover him with the volume of work he's put out! Odd Thomas was great! So was Twilight Eyes, and Fear Nothing and From the Corner of His Eye. There's only been one that I haven't really gotten into. Too slow....

Mordecai Richler's Solomon Gursky Was Here was a great book. Surprisingly enjoyable!

The Good Time Gospel Boys by Billy Bittinger is very funny and odd.

Pest Control by Bill Fitzhugh is a really really funny one.

All fiction.

Glad you can combine activities that way - I've never been able to manage it....

Have fun and good luck!
Namaste,
~T~

makbike

01-13-2006, 06:06 PM

If you are looking for good romance novels try any of Nicholas Sparks's books.

If you like murder mysteries with some animal help I would suggest Rita Mae Brown's Sneak Pie series or her fox hunting series.

I finished one of Virginia Lanier's bloodhound books today - an easy read and yes another murder/mystery series involving animals.

Rakekay

01-13-2006, 06:42 PM

Some of my top books of all times:

One Thousand White Women: The Journal of May Dodd -- a fictionalized account of an attempt to "cross breed" Indians and "white women" in the 1800s in an attempt to bring the two cultures together. Fascinating.

Two books by Phillipa Gregory -- The Other Boleyn Girl (a fictionalized account of Anne Boleyn's sister, who was the first one Henry VIII was attracted to), or The Queen's Fool

Pope Joan -- WAS there a female pope back in the 1400s? Rumor has it there was. This is a fictionalized account of how that might have happened and just fascinating.

Second the earlier nomination for The Mermaid's Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, as well as her novel before that, The Secret Life of Bees.

Chloe by Jean Brody -- can be hard to find, but worth your time looking for it.

The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks -- about a small village that chooses to quarantine itself during the Bubonic Plague so it doesn't spread the disease to other village. Told from the point of view of a young, uneducated woman who learns about herb and other natural healing methods and takes care of the sick in the village.

Trekhawk

01-13-2006, 07:05 PM

The Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

I loved this one too.

I have way too many favourites to list but I have recently read and enjoyed the following:

Straight Man by Richard Russo (In the course of a single week, Devereaux will have his nose mangled by an angry colleague, imagine his wife is having an affair with his dean, wonder if a curvacious adjunt is trying to seduce him with peach pits and threaten to execute a goose on local television.)

The Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue (A ghost spins vivid portraits of the world she left and the world she isnt allowed to join reminding us that there is the finest of lines between present and past, between life and death, between love and regret.)

Rats by Robert Sullivan (Observations on the History and Habitat of the Citys most unwanted inhabitants).

The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. (Boston 1865. A series of murders, all of them inspired by scenes in Dante's Inferno. Only the elite group of Americas first Dante scholars - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, and J.T. Fields can solve the mystery. With the police baffled, more lives endangered, and Dante's literary future at stake, the Dante Club must shed its sheltered literary existence and find the killer).

Last but by no way least anything by Arturo Perez-Reverte.

Trekhawk

01-13-2006, 07:16 PM

Just wanted to add if you are looking for non fiction try this one.

If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name. News from small-town Alaska. By Heather Lende. (A true tale of ordinary people who do extraordinary thing with (and to) one another in one of the most beautiful backwaters on Earth.)

Happy Riding and Reading.:)

Yubagirl

01-13-2006, 07:19 PM

Trekhawk

01-13-2006, 07:39 PM

notice you live near me, are you a road cyclist or just mb?looking for a good road ride thats in your area but not too steep. have any ideas? i ve done the 'greg lemond loop' have any fav. loops you could suggest??

Im a newbie to road (started riding Jun 05) and super newbie to Mountain.

The Allison Ranch Ride is a nice one (you can pick up a map for this and others at Tour of Nevada city bike shop).

I normally make up my own routes depending on how much time I have and how much climbing I feel like doing.

If you would like any more info or if you would like me to grab a few of the maps from the LBS and post them down to you just let me know you can PM me with your postal address.:)

If you are ever looking for someone to ride with up this way let me know. I am a newbie though and pretty slow so if you are a racing demon you might blow me away. Still we could always meet up after for some yummy food.:D

Yubagirl

01-13-2006, 07:52 PM

Trekhawk

01-13-2006, 08:13 PM

Thanks for the info. Ive ridden allsion ranch rd..i think that one is the one that turns gravel for 100 yds or so. do you belong to the cycling club and if so how is it, as you see i started riding when you did. dont want to embarass myself with the club if theyre a bunch of speed demons!. thanks for the map offer, i can grab one there. if i ever plan on a ride your way ill write ya a few days in advance. i hardly ever get a full wknd off though. a ride thats nice in the spring is the ride to donner park, it parallels hwy 80.. goes by the rainbow inn, cant think of the exit you take right now. anyway its a rolling ride and goes along the river. talk to ya later-Yubagirl

Thanks for the tip on the ride to Donner Park I will check it out in spring. No Im not in the bike club. I enquired when I first started riding and it was a little speedy for me. Cant remember exactly what the speed was now so if your interested it would be worth giving them a call. As I said Im pretty slow so Im not the best gauge to go by. Im pretty happy riding solo now. I have three kids and a husband with a job that requires him to go away a lot so I have to get a ride in when I can. I doubt even if I had the speed that I could get to many club rides anyway.

Happy riding
Trekhawk

bikerz

01-13-2006, 10:20 PM

Yellow - oh BOOKS! a topic close to my heart!

The Pullman books are great - completely absorbing, and meaty enough to think about even when you're not reading them.

I agree with SK - anything by Barbara Kingsolver - Prodigal Summer was great, Poisonwood Bible (recommended by Karen as well) was (I think) the book she was put on earth to write. If you're looking for non-fiction, she has a terrific book of essays called High Tide in Tucson. The first book of hers I ever read was Bean Trees, and is still one of my favorites.

I'm a big fan of several British authors, all of more or less the same generation - different in style, but all with similarly witty, erudite, beautiful prose - these authors are Penelope Lively, Margaret Drabble, Penelope Fitzgerald, Iris Murdoch, A.S. Byatt, Barbara Pym, Fay Weldon, and Anita Brookner - I think you could hardly go wrong with anything any of them have written - but a few stand out in my opinion (and they're all pretty short, so no big investment of time if you don't get into them): Penelope Fitzgerald's Offshore, Penelope Lively's Passing On (5 stars for this one!), and really, anything by Barbara Pym. People either seem to love or hate Iris Murdoch (I'm firmly in the "love" camp), and I'd recommend The Green Knightas a good starter. I often find an author I like, then go out and read all their books, then find out who they inspired, or who inspired them, and read all THEIR books, and so on. That's how I found this crowd of writers.

There are also some really wonderful books being written by Indian authors - Rohinton Mistry is great - A Fine Balance and Family Matters - A Fine Balance is long, and sad, but really great. I also loved A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - I think it is one of the longest books in the English language. Any of these books will really give you a great sense of life in India in the 60s and on. I also really like Salman Rushdie - I think Midnight's Children and Satanic Verses were 2 of the best books I ever read - very inventive and exciting use of English.

Also - Zadie Smith White Teeth was remarkable - I'm dying to read her new book On Beauty.

I agree with Lise on Hundred Years Of Solitude- that is on my all time top 10 list of books, and has been for 20 years. His short stories are wonderful too. (Look for translations by Gregory Rabassa)

Since you're such a "westerner", have you read anything by Wallace Stegner? I loved Angle of Repose and Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Non-fiction - Joan Didon - anything she has written - what a prose genius. Politics, the "west", water use, it almost doesn't matter - she makes the topics so interesting and relevant.

There are so many extraordinary books and writers out there, and you're right - a bunch of duds too - I'd better calm down - what you have read recently and liked? (I keep jumping up and running into my "book room" to scan the shelves!)

Oh - something fun - I just read Wicked by Gregory Maquire - kind of a re-telling of the "Oz" story - very fun and engaging. Apparently he has refurbished several other fairy tales like this - I have Confessions of a Wicked Stepsister, but I haven't read it yet.

(OK - off to bed - I think this is my longest post yet! My book club hasn't met in months - can you tell I'm suffering from withdrawal?)

Lise

01-14-2006, 03:51 AM

Just have to chime in one more time....

ooooh! ooooh! This is so exciting! I may just print out this thread, highlight the books I haven't read, and get cracking! Thank you, wonderful women, for all the great books! :D :D :D Lise

ps, I love Arturo Perez-Reverte, and thought The Fencing Master was the best of his books.

DirtDiva

01-14-2006, 05:01 AM

Most excellent thread! :D

I've just had five weeks of holiday and I think I read about nine books while I was away...

First off, I totally agree about Philip Pullman's work. I've only read the His Dark Materials trilogy, but I've always meant to read some of his other work. My favourite of the three is The Subtle Knife, which is the second one. By the by, why do they change the names of books in the US? The first one is actually called The Northern Lights. I suppose that name change doesn't irk me as much as changing the first Harry Potter from The Philosopher's Stone to The Sourcerer's Stone, but it still seems a silly thing to do... But I digress. (Who? Me? ;))

I am also a fan of Bill Bryson. My favourites are probably Walk in the Woods and Down Under. He combines a delightful sense of the absurd with a whole lot of very interesting factoids.

Another author I would recomend for a fun read is Ben Elton. Most of his books are pretty humourous and he has a knack for tying the plot in such preposterous knots that you wonder how he will ever extract himself - High Society is a prime example of this.

The most recent book I read was Kathy Reich's latest (I believe), Cross Bones. If any of you enjoy the whole crime genre (and I'm sure plenty do), chances are you might enjoy these. As with any series, it's best to spread out your reading of it as otherwise you have to suspend rather a lot of disbelief that all this stuff can happen to one character, but I do like Tempe Brennan; she is a forensic anthropologist working in North Carolina and Montreal, although most of the action takes place in Canada. I enjoy these books because the characters are well drawn, the action is well paced, the science is interesting and accessible and the human relationship stuff doesn't get in the way of the story.

Prior to that I read Twelve Bar Blues by Patrick Neate. Essentially, I picked this book at random (although the blurb did sound interesting) because whenever I go to the library I try to get out at least one book that doesn't come from the crime/mystery/thriller shelves. It's a tactic that has mixed results, but I've had some great reads out of it and this was one of them - just one of those books where you can really picture the scenes in your mind, even though you've never experienced anything like it personally. It's about several generations of an extended family and set in Africa (largely modern-day), turn of the twentieth century New Orleans, London in the 70's and modern-day New York/Chicago/New Orleans. The various characters aren't aware of each other and the book follows the modern characters search to understand their pasts and pieces together all the characters relationships to one another across time.

I think I'll leave it there for now, else I'l be here all day! :p

Selkie

01-14-2006, 07:10 AM

I'm an avid reader. Here are some of my favorites:

DALVA (Jim Harrison) and the sequel, which I think is called THE LONG ROAD HOME. Beautiful characters, story, etc. These books are ones I dreaded finishing.

THE LAST LIFE (Claire Messud). Another beautiful one. Set in France, this is a coming of age story about a French girl and her family.

Anything by Louise Erdich (or is it Edrich? can never remember).

If you like mysteries suspense, you can go wrong w/anything Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine writes. Also, I enjoy Sue Grafton, Nevada Barr, Elizabeth George, Leslie Glass, and a few others whom I can't readily recall.

wavedancer

01-14-2006, 07:13 AM

I have gotten hooked on the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon over the past couple of years. The first book is called Outlander and is an adventure, fantasy, time-travel, romance, historical fiction that takes place in 18th-century Scotland . Some graphic sex and violence, but I love the detail of the characters and description of life in that era.

Aint Doody

01-14-2006, 07:26 AM

Don't forget about Pat Conroy. I have read Beach Music twice. His language is incredible. Also Prince of Tides is quite good. And he has out a new cookbook that is filled with anecdotes. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, but I've consumed the book!

Mia

01-14-2006, 08:37 AM

I've got a great one for you- Bicycle Love (stories of passion, joy and sweat) it's a collection of personal stories about people that love their bicycle! I got it for Christmas, you can buy it on amazon.com.

DirtDiva

01-14-2006, 09:38 AM

If you like mysteries suspense, you can go wrong w/anything Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine writes. Also, I enjoy Sue Grafton, Nevada Barr, Elizabeth George, Leslie Glass, and a few others whom I can't readily recall.
Ooo. I'd forgotten about Nevada Barr. Her main character (Anna... Something) is a park ranger, so there's always lots of kewl outdoorsy stuff going on.

Another excellent book (non-fiction) with a bit of a bike theme is Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham. I bought it for my Mum for Christmas one year when she and Dad were planning a trip to Vietnam. All three of us ended up reading and enjoying it. Anyway, when the author was a fairly young child he had come over to California as a Veitnamese refugee. As an adult, I think it was after his father died (and his life was generally a bit in the toilet), he sold up whatever possesions he had and took his bike to Asia to travel around and rediscover his roots. Really interesting stuff about the predjudice he faced both growing up in the States and when he returned to Vietnam.

Must. Resist. Waterstone's. Until. Payday. Or at least join the library here. :rolleyes:

bikerz

01-14-2006, 09:52 AM

If you like mysteries suspense, you can go wrong w/anything Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine writes.

Mysteries/crime novels - I love 'em.

Hear hear on Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine - very interesting, subtle stuff, and Rendell's Wexford police procedural series are a lot of fun and not as dark as the other books. P.D. James are also very good.

There's a very interesting mystery series (4 so far) set in Tibet by Elliot Pattison - The Skull Mantra, Water Touching Stone, Bone Mountain and Beautiful Ghosts. The protagonist is a Chinese police inspector who, due to political machinations, has been imprisoned in Tibet. He becomes involved with and affected by the situation of the Tibetans and specifically the Buddhist monks he meets while imprisoned. The author is a veteran journalist, with a lot of experience in the area - he writes well, the plot and characters and very engaging, and the impression of life in Tibet under Chinese rule is vivid. Great stuff.

I'm also going to extract a list of "books to read next" from this thread!

alpinerabbit

01-14-2006, 09:59 AM

Non-fiction: I've read every book Karen Armstrong's written. She writes about the history of religions, and their interactions today. I especially enjoyed Jerusalem, One City, Three Faiths, but you can't go wrong with anything of hers.

Yes - excellent choice - i have read "a history of God", but is that really material you read on a trainer...
For balance - I like How we believe by Michael Shermer as well as Triumph of the Moon by Ronald Hutton.

For some lighter stuff: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy;
Terry Pratchett's Discworld series - try Ment at Arms and Wyrd Sisters, as well as Good Omens he coauthored with Neil Gaiman (try reading that without falling off the trainer laughing, if you like the type of humor......

Political books on the stack: Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions; Philip Roth, the plot against America.

aka_kim

01-14-2006, 10:05 AM

So many new books and authors to check out!

A few not mentioned:

The short stories of David Sedaris are hilarious and irreverent.

Another vote for Barbara Kingsolver, and just about anything by Margaret Atwood.

Some memorable books from the last few years - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber,
Life of Pi, Ella Minnow Pea, Cryptonomicon... and I'm blanking on others.

For some "guilty secret" reading, I got hooked on Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series (A is For Alibi, etc) a long time ago, and fully intend to see them through to Z. Maybe good reading for trainer sessions and airplane trips.

Cycling related - Lance Armstrong's War and The Rider.

snapdragen

01-14-2006, 10:17 AM

Good Omens he coauthored with Neil Gaiman (try reading that without falling off the trainer laughing, if you like the type of humor.......

I had tears running down my face while reading Good Omens.

Neil Gaiman is another favorite.

snapdragen

01-14-2006, 10:34 AM

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell. Takes place in the between 2016 and 2060, a story of first contact with extraterrestrials. A very compelling, and I thought tragic story.

Galveston - Sean Stewart. Galveston becomes split by magic, one side is an eternal mardi gras the other "normal". Also by S. Stewart, Mockingbird.

SadieKate

01-14-2006, 10:47 AM

Did anyone mention Terry Pratchett yet?

Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees. Incredibly powerful in a spiritual way without being religious.

RoadRaven

01-14-2006, 11:13 AM

Yes... another vote for Philip Pullmans writing - my daughter has his books and I have borrowed them from her.

Another series about teenagers that is completely readable from an adult perspective is the "Tomorrow" series (by John Marsden)... it begins with "Tomrrow when the War Began" which is about an invasion of Australia and the ability of a group of friends to survive. Very well written.

I've always enjoyed Wilbur Smith novels as light and fun reading though "The Sun Bird" and "The Seventh Scroll" offer something a little different.

For humour - Douglas Adams "Hitchhiker's Guide" series are def worth a read - nothing like the movie or the series... ans also Ben Elton has some excellent satire and observations on humans.

For a slice of reality and critique down in an amusing and/or insightful way... my son is really enjoying Michael Moores books and I am about to begin on those (Farenheit 9/11, waiting for Columbine etc)

For something alternative (spirituality, feminism and awareness of the rhythms of our world) my fave books are;
"Celebrating the Southern Seasons" by Juliet Batten
"Embracing the Witch and the Goddess - Feminist ritual Makers in New Zealand" by Kathryn Rountree
"Book of Shadows" by Phyllis Curott
"Paganism - an introduction to Earth Centred Religions" by Joyce and River Higgenbotham

Also... Clare Francis is a brilliant murder-mystery writer... only a few books but extremely well-crafted... they wrap you right in and hold you close til the end.

<EDIT>
Oh! Just adding in two more books, both classics of their kind and timeless
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S Thompson - avoid the movie like you would leprosy and read the book

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance" by Robert M Pirsig... a trip by a father and son on motorbikes across America with much reflection on life, quantum physics and quality... well worth perservering with!

Have fun... lots of great suggestions in this thread!

bikerz

01-14-2006, 11:45 AM

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell. Takes place in the between 2016 and 2060, a story of first contact with extraterrestrials. A very compelling, and I thought tragic story..
Hey Snap - Did you read the sequel Children of God? If so, did you like it? I also thought the Sparrow was very provocative - and tragic - perfect word for it. Although, on a lighter note, I can't help thinking of it as "Jesuits in Spaaaaaaaaace...." :D

Why am I not surprised that there are so many excellent book recommendations from this crowd? I've already made a list of about 15 books to find and read this year. Thanks everyone.

snapdragen

01-14-2006, 01:31 PM

Yes! I did like it, not as much as Sparrow though.

Hey Snap - Did you read the sequel Children of God? If so, did you like it? I also thought the Sparrow was very provocative - and tragic - perfect word for it. Although, on a lighter note, I can't help thinking of it as "Jesuits in Spaaaaaaaaace...." :D

Why am I not surprised that there are so many excellent book recommendations from this crowd? I've already made a list of about 15 books to find and read this year. Thanks everyone.

yellow

01-14-2006, 04:13 PM

Hah! I knew this would happen! You gals rock. :D :D :D While I've read many of the books discussed in this thread, there is still a bunch o' stuff for me to dive in to. Before I started the thread, I searched for one similar as I figured this HAD to have been bandied about before...but I was surprised to find it hadn't. So now when any of us readers need something new, we can search for "good books" on this forum! I know I certainly plan to. I live 1.5 blocks from the library so I spend a lot of time there. :p

But fer now keep it going!

Gawd, we could almost start a TE Book Club. But since most of it isn't cycling related, I guess that maybe it would be too distracting. :rolleyes:

(For the record, I usually only read for the first 20-30 minutes on the trainer while I get "warmed up" and for my usually-10-minute cool down. I find that it makes the time go by so much faster, and I get to read more than just before bedtime! And the most beloved fiction book on my shelf is Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and the honor for nonfiction goes to all my John McPhee and Edward O. Wilson books.)

Try-Chick

01-14-2006, 04:42 PM

Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen
Mystery
Recommended by a friend.
Couldn't put it down.:)

Anne of Green Gables is a good one

Pride and Prejudice is a good romance by Jane Austen. Acutally anthing by Jane Austen or Emily and Charlotte Bronte, their classics are good romance reads Wutering Heights Jane Eyre, etc.

All of the Harry Potter Books. We had to buy two sets because my husband and I and the kids were all trying to read them at the same time!

Fantasy: Anything by Marion Zimmer Bradley or David Eddings (Belgariad series) or Ann McCaffery's Dragon Rider series, Amber series by Roger Zelazny. Also anything by Piers Anthony, Barbar Hambly, Philip Jose Farmer, Christopher Stasheff, Clifford D. Simak, Julian May.

If you like current thrillers try Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton. Everything I've read of theirs is great too.

A lot of them I read in college and with 2 small kids, it's hard to find time to read except when they're in bed and by then I'm just exhausted and want to veg these days.

nuthatch

01-14-2006, 04:48 PM

This is great! I'm writing all these down. :)

I'm just crazy about Patrick O'Brien (Master & Commander, et. al.) Twenty books in the series, or "canon" as the devout would say! ;)

RoadRaven

01-14-2006, 05:35 PM

If you like current thrillers try Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton. Everything I've read of theirs is great too.

Yes, Michael Crichton is a good read... though at times I find him dry. However, his research into getting details accurate is impressive

jobob

01-14-2006, 05:43 PM

Great thread !
(OK, I'll fess up, at one point I was grumbling about OT posts. I'll stop grumbling :o )

Lee & I are heading off to the used bookstores in Mountain View - that's our idea of a big night out - and I'm bringing a list !

Here are a few of my faves that haven't been mentioned yet:

Rosamunde Pilcher - I especially enjoy Coming Home, that's a big favorite of mine, one of those books that I pull out & re-read at least once a year. I love her characters. The Shell Seekers is really good too. Her most recent book (the name of which I've forgotten) was a big disappointment, but, she's getting on in years.

Tracy Chevalier - she wrote The Girl with the Pearl Earring (I never saw the movie) and I also enjoyed Falling Angels and The Lady and the Unicorn

I think one of my all-time favorite books is Welcome to the World, Baby Girl by Fannie Flagg, who also wrote Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe.

snapdragen

01-14-2006, 06:59 PM

Tracy Chevalier - she wrote The Girl with the Pearl Earring (I never saw the movie) and I also enjoyed Falling Angels and The Lady and the Unicorn
[/U].

Girl with the Pearl Earring! Another good 'un!

Dang, I've got a stack of books already that are waiting to be read. Must not buy more books......:p

allabouteva

01-14-2006, 09:16 PM

Tracy Chevalier - she wrote The Girl with the Pearl Earring (I never saw the movie)

Hey jobob, I read the book after I saw the movie. I LOVED the movie, became an instant fan of Scarlett Johansson, and equally LOVED the book. One of the few movies that do justice to the book.

I just finished an Anita Shreve omnibus which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Have started reading some Alexander Mccall Smith of the Botswana Ladies Detective Agency fame.

And to be totally obvious Lance Armstrong's Its not about the bike (sorry haven't read the whole thread to know if this has been mentioned before) is a classic and must read for all cyclists!

There's a young Australian writer called Matthew Reilly, who writes FAST paced action novels, that are absolutely not-put-downable. His latest book is Seven Ancient Wonders.

And if you want to read a trashy novel or two, you can't go past Sandra Brown and Linda Howard. (ok, my rep is gone forever!:p )

SadieKate

01-14-2006, 09:19 PM

Dang, I've got a stack of books already that are waiting to be read. Must not buy more books......:pI'm very afraid to read this thread in detail. I've got two stacks of books each about 18" tall beside the bed starved for a little attention.

You know the 3 monkeys? See no evil, hear no evil, etc.? That's the way I'm treating this thread.

SK

PS - I'm blaming the evil on yellow. Hmm, interesting that you like my favorite "messing about in boats" novel also.;)

Trekhawk

01-14-2006, 10:56 PM

This is great! I'm writing all these down. :)

I'm just crazy about Patrick O'Brien (Master & Commander, et. al.) Twenty books in the series, or "canon" as the devout would say! ;)

Got to love Jack and Stephen. Many a night have I spent with these two wonderful men.:D

margo49

01-15-2006, 07:18 AM

Oh yeah...what a thread!

My small contribution: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Also second Barbara Kingsolver, Karen Armstrong and Marion Zimmer Bradley

Suggestions for re-reading from childhood: AA Milne's Winnie the Pooh series and Joy Adamson's Born Free and Living Free

snapdragen

01-15-2006, 07:28 AM

Have started reading some Alexander Mccall Smith of the Botswana Ladies Detective Agency fame.

Ladies Detective Agency books got me through three weeks of jury duty!

Surlygirl

01-15-2006, 09:54 AM

Thanks Yellow, this is a great thread.

Here are a few I like.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey. Even if he did embellish it still is a powerful read.

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. This one stuck with me.

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner. Funny

Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage. Great book about bicycling.

Hey Mom, Can I Ride my Bike Across America by John S. Boettner. Geez, I loved the book, but I'd never let my kid ride across the country with this guy.

The Sue Grafton series is always a good mystery read too.

tattiefritter

01-15-2006, 10:08 AM

Must admit I've been struggling lately with deciding what to read as I seem to have read quickly through what I have. My favourite read of recent times is a book I had skimmed through before, but really read this time:

"Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" Jung Chang, detailing the lives of three female members of a Chinese family. They are from three generations - from when warlords ruled china through life under Mao, fascinating.

I've also started re-reading some of my Ian Rankin books, the Inspector Rebus series about a gruff Edinburgh detective (although that's probably because it can make me homesick for the locations).

Am also wading through "Reading Lolita in Tehran", which I am finding interesting in the same way as Wild Swans as it details a life under an oppresive regime.

Next to read are the "Bookseller of Kabul", "The Time Travelers Wife" and "Mao" (again by Jung Chang). No idea what they are like as I have only just bought them.

Embellina

01-15-2006, 02:54 PM

Wow, some incredible recommendations on this list!

First, I have to second some books already mentioned (yes, I'm punny):

White Teeth, Zadie Smith. This is an incredibly engaging, funny and surprising story about immigrants in London (and some Londoners). One of my all-time faves.

Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie. This drew me in like few other books have.

The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen. Completely heart-wrenching and true-to-life depiction of a Midwestern family, often very funny.

Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini. I loved that this book was about the path to redemption, and the fulfillment you may (or may not) find along the way.

Anne McCaffrey. I read her Pern series as a little girl and every now and then, when I need something familiar, return to them. They're sort of like macaroni and cheese to me, but I recommend them if you like fantasy novels.

On to some others:

Atonement, Ian McEwan. This might be my favorite book of all time. The first 75 pages were a little slow, but I have never felt so horrified, bewildered and in awe of a character. Its message about the power of guilt is something I will carry with me forever. The writing is beyond spectacular and the plot is intricate and ultimately perfect.

Gilead, Marilynne Robinson. One of the most beautiful and touching books I've ever read. It's a small-town minister writing a letter to his young son just before the minister dies. But it's not preachy in any way, many of my friends who are atheists appreciated it, too. I think the book helps to understands life's gifts.

Three Junes, Julia Glass. Great story, tells another journey of a family. The whole book seemed very real to me, and I love the characters' dilemmas and actions. Again, very moving and very funny.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon. This is about comic book creators. When my friends recommended it to me, I laughed at them. I have zero interest in comic books. But the story of Kavalier and Clay is so engaging, imaginative and so universal that it's another of my very favorites.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke. As a work of pure imagination, this is tops on my list. The publisher billed it as Harry Potter for adults. I love the Harry Potter books, but this is almost nothing like them, except that it's about magic. At times, the magic is much more ordinary than Potter's and at times, more extraordinary. There is enormous tension and suspense in this book, but also an incredible feeling of the quotidian. The characters and writing really drive the novel. It's super, super long and sometimes you feel it (Clarke uses plenty of footnotes, which are often the best part of the book -- invented, uniformly hilarious stories about the history of magic.)

I also have to heartily recommend any of the Best Non-Required reading books. They're published every year and include short stories from places I've never heard of and from many that I have.

There are so many more books I love, but I'm sure I'll get to add some new ones after checking out all y'all's recommendations!

Lise

01-15-2006, 04:03 PM

How is it that none of us has mentioned To Kill A Mockingbird? Harper Lee is the author. It's an American classic. I've reread that one more times than I remember.

Two more, and then I'll give it a rest (for today...:p):

Stigmata, by Phyllis Alesia Perry. A young woman inherits a quilt from her grandmother, and begins to experience the life of her enslaved ancestor who made the quilt. Is she crazy? Is she re-incarnated? Fascinating little book.

Lying Awake, by Mark Salzman. The story of a nun who is a poet and a visionary, and then learns that both the poetry and the visions may come from a brain disorder. She struggles with the nature of faith and her willingness to be "cured". A beautiful, spare book. I'm astonished that a man could write so well of this woman's experience.

RoadRaven

01-16-2006, 10:44 AM

OMG TatieFritter!!! How could I forget “The Time Traveller’s Wife” …. Oh yes, you must must must read that… it’s written in quite a unique way, but persevere, once you “get” what is happening it is marvellous. I thought the end needed a bit of work to be as well-written as the beginning, but I recommend this book to so many and can’t believe I left it off my list!

Great thread… first thing I look at when I visit here (though when I am going to get the time to read all this… I wonder if work will still pay me if I answer my emails from home as if I am at work and I just read, bike, read, bike, read instead…?)

Deanna

01-16-2006, 10:57 AM

Here's my two cents worth:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, by Mark Haddon. A "can't put it down" book about an autistic boy investigating the murder of a neighborhood dog.

Bill Bryson--all of his travel writing is hysterical. There's one passage in a "Walk in the Woods" that is so funny I get belly laughs no matter how often I read it.

Patricia Highsmith's "Ripley" series is a fun read. How often do you get to enjoy the exploits of the "bad guy"?

Though they are very strange and I hesitate to recommend them without knowing somebody very well, I read everything Chuck Palahniuk publishes. He wrote the book that the movie "Fight Club" was based on, if you want an idea of what to expect.

For some biting, and at times very funny, non-fiction, don't forget the late, great Hunter S. Thompson.

And another recommendation for the Phillip Pullman series.

tatormc

03-25-2006, 06:49 AM

*title - Riding With The Blue Moth
*author - Bill Hancock
*fiction or non-fiction? - Non
*short summary - Bill rides his bike cross country after the death of his son
*why you liked the book - It's about riding a bike
*how you ended up reading it in the first place - It was mentioned on the news and sounded interesting

Susan126

03-25-2006, 07:04 AM

Some of my favorite books are:

I love the Harry Potter Series . . . can't wait for the final book (estimated June/July 2007) too long!

LOTR! Read it twice. The second time just before the first movie came out.

The Da Vinci Code - Looking forward to the movie this May. Love comparing movies to the books.

Angels and Demons

Memoirs of a Geisha

Snow Falling On Cedars

Down the Common: A Year In the Life of a Medieval Woman (excellent historical fiction!)

The Molly Murphy Mystery Series

I JUST LOVE THIS SERIES: Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
Big Cherry Holler
Milk Glass Moon
and coming the fall of 2006 . . . Return to the Big Stone Gap! I can't wait!

And my all time favorite: To Kill a Mockingbird

Those are just my top favorites. Besides cycling I love to read!

Lise

03-25-2006, 08:36 AM

I'm with you, Susan. To Kill A Mockingbird. I think it's time to re-read it. Gregory Peck, who played Atticus in the movie, looks a lot like my father, who died when I was 5. I identify with both Scout and Jem. Couldn't tell you how many times I've read the book. Recently my sister put a tall cabinet out on her front porch for resale pick-up. I went in the house and said, "You've got a chiffarobe on your front porch." She's read the book, but didn't get the reference :o .

Have you read One Hundred Years of Solitude? That's the other book I've reread many times. Lise

Susan126

03-25-2006, 02:41 PM

Lise,

Gregory Peck played the perfect Atticus. Love the movie as much as the book.

No I have not read "One Hundred Years of Solitude." I checked it out at amazon and read what others thought about it. It sounds very very detailed. And everyone gave it high marks. I will have to read it. I will save it for my summer break. Thanks for the recommendation. I'm always looking for my next book.

withm

03-25-2006, 03:46 PM

Anything by Bill Bryson

Anything by Carl Hiasson (Skinny Dip). Mostly with an anti-development theme in South Florida - think the Everglades with condos.

Anything by Christopher Buckley (esp Little Green Men & Thank You for Smoking.) Son of William F., extremely intelligent writing, and with a welcome irreverence.

In fact, all of these authors are irreverent. Not as much as Hunter S. Thompson but they are guaranteed to have you have you laughing out loud.

Mostly I do books on tape from the library, and listen in the car, or on my walkman at the gym. They really make the miles go faster. My library has a pretty good selection, and can get anything in two counties. I have a "wish list" on-line with them, and when I"m ready for the next book, I order it, and they call me when it comes in - usually in a couple days. So convenient.

doc

03-25-2006, 04:15 PM

doc

03-25-2006, 04:17 PM

Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees. Incredibly powerful in a spiritual way without being religious.

Yes, so true!!

OMG, how could I forget to mention The Lovely Bones. What a great book. Definitely leaves you thinking.

Tater

03-25-2006, 04:38 PM

Okay, here's my recent list:

Currently reading: I'm in a bit of a classic kick right now! :rolleyes:
The Awakening[U] Kate Chopin
[U]Les Liaisons Dangereuses Pierre de Laclos
Reading Lolita in Tehran forgot author

Recently read:
A Dangersou Place Marc Reisner
Cadiliac Desert same as above
Desert Solitude Edward Abbey
Of Snow and Ashes Diana Gabaldon
French Revolutions Tim Moore. This is a hoot! The author attemps to ride the same route as the TdF, without much knowledge of cycling or being fit for such an endeavor.
A Suitable Music Vikram Seth
Hopscotch Kevin J. Anderson

In the pile by to be read:
The Monkey Wrench Gang Edward Abbey
A Tale of Two Cities Charles ****ens
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Maya Angelou

More to come...

eofelis

03-25-2006, 08:35 PM

I am revisiting some books I have read in the past by Jo-Anne Mapson. I've been re-reading Hank & Chloe. What a fun book, witty characters, horses, the twists and turns of life. Sequel of this book is Loving Chloe. I also need to track down some other books of hers: Blue Rodeo and Shadow Ranch. She has also written several other books.

It's been a great way to avoid my chemistry homework....

I also love Barbara Kingsolver. Animal Dreams is my favorite of hers.
And Bill Bryson is great too.

I'm also a fan of Jean Auel's Earth's Children books. Good story, also feeds smoe of my anthropology interests.

brok

03-26-2006, 05:13 AM

The Devil in the White City, Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, by Erik Larson. It has a great deal of history about Chicago during the time of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. Being from Illinois it was especially interesting to me but I would think everyone would enjoy it.:)

Susan126

03-26-2006, 07:11 AM

And you ladies have given me some great summer read choices.

I'm always looking for good books to read. My best friend, who lives on the east coast (I'm on the west coast) we are both library media assistants and we read books together and then discuss them. Especially during our summer break. We must read a dozen or more books over summer break. Every morning we sign in and chat away or email each other and discuss the last chapters we read with our morning coffee. It's a great way to begin a summer morning. Coffee, good friend, discussing a book. Then we sign off and I go for my morning ride! It's become a summer time ritual for us. She is on at 9 eastern and I am on at 6 pacific we usually chat for about an hour or more. We've been doing it since 1997! The year my husband, kids and I moved out here. We used to work in the same school district back east. We decided to stay in touch and WOW we have! I will have to share some of your recommendations with her.

:)

DrBee

03-26-2006, 08:40 AM

Susan126

03-26-2006, 08:55 AM

I'm not sure if you're a science fiction fan or not, but Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow (and their sequels) are outstanding. These are the kind of books that you stay up all night to read and you don't even realize it. They are by Orson Scott Card.

I love science fiction! And I especially love books that you just have to read, even into the night, to see what happens!

Gee, but my list is growing! LOL BUT that's great! Thanks!

kjay

03-26-2006, 09:04 AM

This is a GREAT thread. Having been an English major eons ago, I must have read nearly everything out there (or so I'd like to think), so nowadays, I will not pick up any fiction, but I love true adventure. One of my passions is camels, so I think I've read all there is to read about camel expeditions across the deserts, etc. However, knowing that this is not making any of you salivate, I will tell you about the book I just finished (because it's not about camels, per se) which is Desert Flower by Waris Dirie, a Somalian nomad in her early years who faced painful and difficult challanges and later became a famous international model. Today she has her own foundation and web site for the purpose of educating people about female genital mutilation, a practice still going on today. I found this book by "googling" the word camels. :D