Book Recommendations

[Qoass]

I read two or three books a week sometimes but most are like potato chips for me:  quickly consumed and just as quickly forgotten.  Some books, though, really stay with me.  The latest standout for me is Roxane Gay's An Untamed Season.  It was so well written and absorbing and extraordinary.  However, it was also graphically violent and agonizing.  Not for the faint of heart but for the right reader, a wonderful find.

Someone upthread mentioned The Magicians.  Yes, there are an awful lot of wizard-y books out there but this is my hands-down favorite.  I just got the third novel in the trilogy out of the library (The Magician's Land) and I can't wait to dig in.  Amazon has a hardcover box set of the three so if anybody knows of a philanthropist who would like to surprise me on my birthday next month, please get to it!

[PrincessLuceval]

Dean Koontz's Life Expectancy. His books are so hit or miss with me, because they cover so many different genres. But this one is gripping, and charming, and very well done. 

 

And Boy's Life, by Robert McCammon. Such a wonderful, rich coming of age story, with a little mystery behind it. It was required reading for my son in school, and he loved it so much he recommended it to me. 

[Rinaldo]

The Hugo Awards were announced last Sunday in London. I have to mention the Short Story winner because its author is a longtime friend who has only recently turned to writing SF, and he won this prestigious award with one of his first efforts. Obviously I'm biased, but I think it's terrific:

 

"The Water That Falls on You from Nowhere" by John Chu.

[radishcake]

Wow that is awesome @Rinaldo! Great story too. I'll keep an eye out for more of this stuff. My husband is a writer so I love seeing new writers get accolades. :)

[KarenX]

My current favorite book for recommendations is Affinity by Sarah Waters. It's about a depressed Victorian Lady volunteering in a women's prison as part of her treatment plan. She becomes entangled with a woman in prison because she was running a seance that someone died at.

 

My best sci-fi series recommendation is the Karen Traviss "Wess'Har" books that start with City of Pearl. It's my best recommendation because I liked it a whole lot and I don't think it's that well-known compared to others. In fact, I live in a big city with a Big Library System and I had to go looking statewide to track down all the copies.

 

My best fantasy series is Tad Williams's Shadowmarch series. I am not really a fantasy fan, but I like big, thick...

 

...

 

...books and the first one in the series happened to be available on the library shelf. (Usually it's always a book 2 or 3 on the shelf.) The jacket description reminded me of Game of Thrones, which I am only watching on TV and have frustrations with, but it's--in the blandest terms possible--like Game of Thrones told from the point of view of the people who actually have to fight the wars and deal with the crap that the royals are flinging around. I find their story more interesting that political intrigue.

[AuntiePam]

Fans of mysteries, historicals, and Civil War fiction might like A Faded Coat of Blue, the first in a series featuring the diminutive Abel Jones, soldier and detective.  I think there are five or six books all told.  They're all interesting, and there's a running joke which I won't spoil.

 

I was pleased with two by Christine McKenna -- The Disenchanted Widow and The Misremembered Man.  If I remember right, they might be free on the Kindle, via the lending library.  Set in Ireland in the 1980's, they're "adult" without being explicit -- "mature" might be a better word.  Heartwarming and funny, but not sappy.

[MaiSoCalled]

Someone upthread mentioned The Magicians.  Yes, there are an awful lot of wizard-y books out there but this is my hands-down favorite.  I just got the third novel in the trilogy out of the library (The Magician's Land) and I can't wait to dig in.

 

I just want to second (third) this suggestion. The first book was a bit touch and go for me, but the trilogy really comes together beautifully. The second is by far my favorite. I highly recommend this series. 

 

I also highly recommend The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. One of the best books I've read this year. It's the story of immigrants in New York during the turn of the century, featuring protagonists inspired by the folklore of their home culture. 

 

I like my literary fiction with a splash of fantasy. 

Edited August 30, 2014 by MaiSoCalled

[AuntiePam]

I also highly recommend The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. One of the best books I've read this year. It's the story of immigrants in New York during the turn of the century, featuring protagonists inspired by the folklore of their home culture. 

 

I like my literary fiction with a splash of fantasy. 

 

I liked that book too -- especially the man who created the golem.  Unusual to have a "bad guy" who's sympathetic and multi-dimensional. 

 

Have you read anything by Midori Snyder?  The Innamorati is literary with fantasy.  She also adds a fantasy element to a western, The Flight of Michael McBride.

[atir]

I appreciate this topic. I flove my Kindle and the ebook check outs thru my local library.

 

I've been reading Kerry Greenwood's (I think that's correct) series about a detective in Australia named Phryne Fisher. It's set in the 1920s and there are maybe 20 books. Easy light reading.

[raven]

 

I also highly recommend The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.

Yes, this was very good.  I picked it up from the library on a whim a while back and really enjoyed it; it ended up being one I took my time with, lots to savor.  I thought the blending of past and present was really well done, sometimes that can be jarring but wasn't the case here.

 

The Ruth Galloway novels by Ellie Griffiths are fun to read (The Crossing Places is the first one) - Ruth is a forensic archaeologist in the U.K. who begins helping the police with a case of unidentified bones and her life ends up being radically changed.  The mysteries are pretty straightforward and Ruth is a somewhat difficult but still likable character surrounded by a fun and well realized supporting set.  The series reads quickly and is ideal for when you just want to spend time with enjoyable characters and interesting locations with a mystery thrown in.

 

A much different author is Sarah Monette - she writes fantasy and horror and states Lovecraft as an influence.  I haven't read one of her novels yet but have read The Bone Key, a fantastic collection of short stories featuring Kyle Booth, a museum archivist who attracts supernatural activity.  Somewhere Beneath the Waves is a different collection of short stories by her that I'm working my way through, sadly not more adventures of Kyle Booth but including subjects such as "what happens to the person who slays the dragon" - and that person is a woman BTW.  If you like weird supernatural fiction, give her a try. 

 

I've been debating about starting the Magicians series but thanks to you all I will probably give it a try.

Edited September 1, 2014 by raven

[Bunty]

A much different author is Sarah Monette - she writes fantasy and horror and states Lovecraft as an influence.

 

In case you didn't know, she just released a book under the pseudonym Katherine Addison-- The Goblin Emperor.

 

Changing gears to also post a rec, if you like southern gothic, you might like Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest.  Review.

 

Four and Twenty Blackbirds -- a contemporary ghost story with elements of southern gothic, supernatural mystery, and dark fantasy -- follows an orphaned girl's harrowing journey into adulthood and her desperate quest to find out who she really is.

Edited September 2, 2014 by Bunty

[Qoass]

I bought myself the Magicians trilogy from Amazon.  It's even supposed to arrive on my birthday!

If you're an Eleanor and Park fan, try Like No Other by Una LaMarche: a similar theme but well worth your time.

[GaT]

I enjoyed The Magicians trilogy, I wasn't sure if I would like it at first because I kept seeing it described as "Harry Potter for adults", but that turned out to be some marketing not-so-genius' bad idea. It's nothing like Harry Potter (which I love) IMO.

[Sharpie66]

I tried reading the first of the Magician's books back in April because it was described to me as HP for Adults, but I just couldn't get into it. I'll have to give it another try.

[AuntiePam]

One quick question Auntie Pam, do you have to be familiar with Ireland in order to really get into the story? 

Nope.  The McKenna books could take place anywhere.  I'll check Amazon and see if I can lend them to you.

[SmithW6079]

I love book recommendations. If only there were "world enough and time"...to read everything I wanted to read.

 

I've been all over the place in terms of genres lately, but here are some of my latest:

 

"Life is a Wheel," by Bruce Weber. A New York Times reporter bikes across America. Beautifully written.

"Redeployment," by Phil Klay. A collection of short stories about Marines deployed to Iraq. The author is himself a Marine and was deployed to Iraq during the surge.

The stories of Eric Frank Russell, a sci-fi writer from the "golden age" of science fiction (defined, as Robert Silvergberg does, as the stories created in 1950s(. 

"Light Between Oceans," by ML Stedman. It's not the strongest story, but I liked its setting of a lighthouse in 1920s Australia. 

 

What I especially liked about "Life is a Wheel" and "Redeployment" is reading authors whose command of the language is as strong as the stories they're writing about, authors from whom I can learn.

[OakGoblinFly]

Okay book peeps, I am hoping you can point me toward some new authors ~ I have been a a huge steam punk kick lately and I am looking for new books/authors to read.  While I wait for Butcher's Cinder Spires I would appreciate some recommendations.

 

I've read Cherie Priest and adore her work.  I also liked the Parasol Protectorate and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series (as silly as those were, they were great fun reads).

[Skyline]

*quietly adds "The Rook" to library request list*

[Bunty]

Some steampunk possibilities :

 

The Iron Wyrm Affair by Saintcrow, Lilith

"Multigenre talent Saintcrow (Angel Town) launches a delicious steampunk alternate London that pays more than a little stylistic homage to Sherlock Holmes, adding additional excitement in the form of magical duels, backstreet chases, battles with giant mecha, and confrontations with ancient wyrms and gryphons." Publisher's Weekly This is 1st in a series.

 

Dead Iron by Monk, Devon

"In the small town of Hallelujah, Oregon Cedar Hunt earns his way by tracking down beasts and lost items. When a small boy goes missing, Cedar is determined to find him. He enlists the help of the Madder brothers, crazy mountain-men devisers who invent amazing contraptions. In return for their help, Cedar must find the Holder, a mysterious machine that can open the door between this world and that of the Strange, where unearthly creatures roam." Publisher's Weekly Also the beginning of a series.

 

Edited to add Young Adult possibility :

While not quite steampunk, I also enjoyed the Lunar chronicles series-- Cinder,  Scarlet, and Cress by Meyer, Marissa.

This series is a mash-up of  fairy tales & science fiction beginning with a Cinderella who is a human cyborg working as a mechanic when she meets her prince.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Bunty

[halgia]

China Miéville's Bas-Lag series (Perdido Street Station is the first) is kind of steampunky (but pretty different from the norm; it's also kind of Lovecraftian, and largely its own thing), and all-around awesome.

[OakGoblinFly]

Some steampunk possibilities :

 

The Iron Wyrm Affair by Saintcrow, Lilith

"Multigenre talent Saintcrow (Angel Town) launches a delicious steampunk alternate London that pays more than a little stylistic homage to Sherlock Holmes, adding additional excitement in the form of magical duels, backstreet chases, battles with giant mecha, and confrontations with ancient wyrms and gryphons." Publisher's Weekly This is 1st in a series.

 

Dead Iron by Monk, Devon

"In the small town of Hallelujah, Oregon Cedar Hunt earns his way by tracking down beasts and lost items. When a small boy goes missing, Cedar is determined to find him. He enlists the help of the Madder brothers, crazy mountain-men devisers who invent amazing contraptions. In return for their help, Cedar must find the Holder, a mysterious machine that can open the door between this world and that of the Strange, where unearthly creatures roam." Publisher's Weekly Also the beginning of a series.

 

Edited to add Young Adult possibility :

While not quite steampunk, I also enjoyed the Lunar chronicles series-- Cinder,  Scarlet, and Cress by Meyer, Marissa.

This series is a mash-up of  fairy tales & science fiction beginning with a Cinderella who is a human cyborg working as a mechanic when she meets her prince.

 

 

Thank you @Bunty you're the third or fourth person that has mentioned Dead Iron so I it looks like I'll be adding that to my reading queue. 

 

And that Lunar series sounds wonderful, I will have to check out the series for certain.

[galax-arena]

Could anyone recommend some true crime that isn’t as lurid/sensationalistic as the genre is stereotyped as being? Maybe those aren't the right words. I’ve read The Devil in the White City (about H.H. Holmes and the 1893 World Fair) and Our Guys (about the 1989 Glen Ridge rape) and really liked both, so I’m looking for books in the same vein. Basically, books that aren’t just about the crime itself but something bigger, e.g. the surrounding culture/society. 

 

I’ve heard that Devil’s Knot is pretty decent, but I’m not that interested in the West Memphis Three.

[Sharpie66]

I really love The Poisoner's Handbook, which is a combination true crime/history of Jazz Age New York/science (of poisons, of course)/tales of corporate malfesance book that is written in a really engaging way. Oh, and it's also about the development of forensic pathology as an accepted science in the United States, by the medical profession, the law enforcement and legal professions, and the public at large, from whom juries are drawn. My sister, who hardly ever reads non-fiction, finally gave in and read it after I kept on recommending it, and she called me a few weeks later and raved about it! It was adapted for American Experience and can be viewed on the PBS website. There are many somewhat familiar stories told in the book, such as the Radium Girls and the real-life story behind Double Indemnity.

 

Also, I picked up Havana Nocturne after seeing the author on The Daily Show a few years ago. It's a great history of Cuba between WWII and the fall of Batista, combined with the rise of the American mafia's influence in Cuba at the same time. My BIL, who was born in Havana in 1959 and got out with his family three years later (his much-older sister and her family actually lived on the same street as Castro's mistress, and his security would shut down the street whenever he came over for some afternoon nookie; BIL's sister also got out in 1962), read it after I did, and he thought it was a good portrayal of life at the time, from what his parents told him when he was growing up.

Edited September 12, 2014 by Sharpie66

[Joe]

OakGoblinFly, if you don't mind RPG tie in fiction, check out Privateer Press and their spinoff Skull Island Expeditions. Also, Warhammer has been edging toward steampunk in recent years. Might be worth a look.

[JayKay]

This thread has single-handedly pushed me towards considering the occasional audiobook just so that I can make time for books when I'm at work. Too many good books in here, not enough hours in the day.

[ALenore]

This thread has single-handedly pushed me towards considering the occasional audiobook just so that I can make time for books when I'm at work. Too many good books in here, not enough hours in the day

 

That's why I listen to audiobooks.  I have a lot more time when I'm able to listen to something, (walking to work, cooking, washing dishes, cleaning house, etc.) than I'm able to just sit and read. 

[Kris223]

Could anyone recommend some true crime that isn’t as lurid/sensationalistic as the genre is stereotyped as being? Maybe those aren't the right words. I’ve read The Devil in the White City (about H.H. Holmes and the 1893 World Fair) and Our Guys (about the 1989 Glen Ridge rape) and really liked both, so I’m looking for books in the same vein. Basically, books that aren’t just about the crime itself but something bigger, e.g. the surrounding culture/society. 

 

I’ve heard that Devil’s Knot is pretty decent, but I’m not that interested in the West Memphis Three.

@galax-arena Have you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil or The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt?

[Jellybeans]

I suggest "One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd". It is the first novel by journalist Jim Fergus. When I put it down I had a very difficult time believing it was a novel.

I don't think there's anything else out there like that out there...but would love suggestions!

[heebiejeebie]

Cherie Priest has an upcoming novella set in her steampunk series world.  It is published by Subterranean Press and I believe is scheduled early in the next year.  I'm pretty sure they do Kindle a little while down the line since they are a collector's press.  I really enjoy her series and am glad there is more coming since she started another urban fantasy series I have yet to check out.

 

Other steampunk series I have enjoyed (though I might be using the term a bit looser than others).  Stephen Hunt's series.  The first book took a little while to get into but I have read all but the last in that series.  From the Wikipedia entry:

 

Jackelian series

    The Court of the Air (April 2007, ISBN 0-00-723217-9)
        Published in the US in June 2008, ISBN 978-0-7653-2042-1
    The Kingdom Beyond the Waves (May 2008, ISBN 0-00-723220-9)
        Published in the US July 2009, ISBN 978-0-7653-2043-8
    The Rise of the Iron Moon (Feb 2009, ISBN 978-0-00-723222-2)
        Published in the US March 2011, 978-0765327666
    Secrets of the Fire Sea (Feb 2010, ISBN 978-0-00-728963-9)
    Jack Cloudie (July 2011, ISBN 978-0-00-728964-6)
    From The Deep of the Dark (Feb 2012, ISBN 978-0-00-728971-4 )

 

I also loved Gordon Dahlquist's Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (and sequels) and Ian R. MacLeod's The Light Ages (and sequels).  Their settings are all "created" worlds but are easily recognizable as mirrors of our own.

[galax-arena]

@galax-arena Have you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil or The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt?

I've heard of both but was only vaguely aware of what they were about. Will check them out, thanks! 

[FozzyBear]

The Namesake. It might be the great American novel.

[heebiejeebie]

It might need an author to accomplish that....I'm just saying titles are not unique! ;)

[Danny Franks]

Okay book peeps, I am hoping you can point me toward some new authors ~ I have been a a huge steam punk kick lately and I am looking for new books/authors to read.  While I wait for Butcher's Cinder Spires I would appreciate some recommendations.

 

I've read Cherie Priest and adore her work.  I also liked the Parasol Protectorate and the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series (as silly as those were, they were great fun reads).

 

Have a look at George Mann's books. The Ghost series (only two, so far) is a sort of steampunk Batman story, and it's not bad. Not brilliant, but not bad. The Newbury & Hobbes books are better, in my view. 

 

And I will always recomment Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay books, which have strong steampunk vibes to them. But they're great, fun, swashbuckling novels.

 

 

Jackelian series

    The Court of the Air (April 2007, ISBN 0-00-723217-9)

        Published in the US in June 2008, ISBN 978-0-7653-2042-1

    The Kingdom Beyond the Waves (May 2008, ISBN 0-00-723220-9)

        Published in the US July 2009, ISBN 978-0-7653-2043-8

    The Rise of the Iron Moon (Feb 2009, ISBN 978-0-00-723222-2)

        Published in the US March 2011, 978-0765327666

    Secrets of the Fire Sea (Feb 2010, ISBN 978-0-00-728963-9)

    Jack Cloudie (July 2011, ISBN 978-0-00-728964-6)

    From The Deep of the Dark (Feb 2012, ISBN 978-0-00-728971-4 )

I also loved Gordon Dahlquist's Glass Books of the Dream Eaters (and sequels) and Ian R. MacLeod's The Light Ages (and sequels).  Their settings are all "created" worlds but are easily recognizable as mirrors of our own.

 

 

I read the first of the Jackelian novels, and found it really boring, and far too long. It's a shame, because the premise sounded so interesting. Glass Books of the Dream Eaters was very good, but I've not read the sequels yet.

[OakGoblinFly]

Have a look at George Mann's books. The Ghost series (only two, so far) is a sort of steampunk Batman story, and it's not bad. Not brilliant, but not bad. The Newbury & Hobbes books are better, in my view. 

 

And I will always recomment Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay books, which have strong steampunk vibes to them. But they're great, fun, swashbuckling novels.

 

 

Thank you for the recommendations .....

 

I am reading the fourth Ketty Jay book now and am thoroughly enjoying it -- Really, what's not to like about daemons, golems, and space pirates?

[GaT]

If anyone is looking for a good paranormal YA book, I recommend Anna Dressed in Blood & Girl of Nightmares, the Anna series by Kendare Blake. It's only two books which I find ironic since I keep complaining about how disappointed I am in the 3rd book of trilogies, & I really wanted at least one more book for this series. I thought the first book was better, but still enjoyed them both.

[MargeGunderson]

I've heard of both but was only vaguely aware of what they were about. Will check them out, thanks! 

I'll second those recommendations and add Douglas Preston's The Monster of Florence. Also, John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven and Robert Kolker's Lost Girls.

 

Edited to add Errol Morris' A Wilderness of Error.

Edited September 22, 2014 by MargeGunderson

[PrincessLuceval]

 

Have you read his novella "Blue World"? It's the last in a collection by the same name, and I think it's pretty wonderful. Also, "Night Calls the Green Falcon" from the same collection.

 

No, I haven't. I've been hesitant to read anything else of his for a while, because Boy's Life was just that perfect. But I'll have to look into it. Thanks for the recommendation!

[SunshineOnMe]

I mentioned I've written a memoir in the Real Housewives of NY thread. I couldn't resist after all of Aviva's comments on the show. So, if you want to read a survivor's memoir, can I suggest mine? It's called Ghost No More, available as paperback everywhere, but as an ebook only through Amazon kindle.

I wrote Ghost No More because I know what it feels like to not have hope. I want to connect, validate and encourage people who've overcome or are trying to overcome abuse in their life. I wrote it because I've been swallowed by pain, confusion, and fear, and I don't want anyone in that place to stand alone. I don't have a magic wand to make anyone feel better, I just have my story.

I wrote it because for so long I was told it was just me, my fault, if only I could be better, or change, or different, then someone would love me. Those "if only's..." ruled me, and I tried so hard to live by them. I know the failure of failed relationships no matter how hard I tried to be different or make it work.

I wrote it to remind everyone who reads my words..... You aren't what someone has ever said about you that's negative.

Thanks for letting me share. :)

[psychoticstate]

I'll second those recommendations and add Douglas Preston's The Monster of Florence. Also, John Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven and Robert Kolker's Lost Girls.

 

Edited to add Errol Morris' A Wilderness of Error.

 

If you read Errol Morris' Wilderness of Error you need to read Joe McGuinness' Fatal Vision as well.  I've read both (also Fatal Justice and The Journalist and the Murderer).  What's fascinating to me about the case is that it's gone on for over 40 years - - and that Jeffrey MacDonald is a class A narcissist IMO.

[bmasters9]

I would recommend The Complete Peanuts series by Charles M. Schulz, because not only in my opinion is Peanuts one of America's great comic strips, but also because of the way the books are organized, two years per book (I have two books covering 1969-1972, and five more covering 1979-1988). 

[psychoticstate]

Could anyone recommend some true crime that isn’t as lurid/sensationalistic as the genre is stereotyped as being? Maybe those aren't the right words. I’ve read The Devil in the White City (about H.H. Holmes and the 1893 World Fair) and Our Guys (about the 1989 Glen Ridge rape) and really liked both, so I’m looking for books in the same vein. Basically, books that aren’t just about the crime itself but something bigger, e.g. the surrounding culture/society. 

 

I’ve heard that Devil’s Knot is pretty decent, but I’m not that interested in the West Memphis Three.

 

Devil's Knot, as well as Mara Leverett's other book, The Boys on the Tracks, is a fantastic read because she does delve into the corruption in the city/county that plays into the crimes.  I have her newest book, which is all about what happened to Jason Baldwin after he was arrested.  It's frustrating and sad because so much was wrong there - - but you may not be interested as he was one of the West Memphis Three.

 

I enjoy Caitlin Rother's true crime books - -she writes narrative nonfiction and she doesn't go for gory or highlighting the violent aspects of the crime,  She explores them but moreso the backgrounds and psyche of the offenders.

 

ETA:  Dave Cullen's Columbine was an interesting read for me.  Very, very sad that the red flags Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold gave off weren't noticed.

Edited October 14, 2014 by psychoticstate

[ZaldamoWilder]

I mentioned I've written a memoir in the Real Housewives of NY thread. I couldn't resist after all of Aviva's comments on the show. So, if you want to read a survivor's memoir, can I suggest mine? It's called Ghost No More, available as paperback everywhere, but as an ebook only through Amazon kindle.

I wrote Ghost No More because I know what it feels like to not have hope. I want to connect, validate and encourage people who've overcome or are trying to overcome abuse in their life. I wrote it because I've been swallowed by pain, confusion, and fear, and I don't want anyone in that place to stand alone. I don't have a magic wand to make anyone feel better, I just have my story.

I wrote it because for so long I was told it was just me, my fault, if only I could be better, or change, or different, then someone would love me. Those "if only's..." ruled me, and I tried so hard to live by them. I know the failure of failed relationships no matter how hard I tried to be different or make it work.

I wrote it to remind everyone who reads my words..... You aren't what someone has ever said about you that's negative.

Thanks for letting me share. :)

 

I read this book.  I found it so moving as to write the author {{waves}} Hi Cee'c.   From the list of titles and genres in here, ya'll sound more highbrow and literary than I think I am, but if I get to vote in a recommendation, this one's mine. 

 

I also loved the commercial Ken Follett series from years ago but haven't picked up what I think is his latest.  Steig Larsson's dragon tattoo was an unexpected treat for me too.

 

PrincessLuceval, I do believe you talked me back into Dean Kootz.  Thanks ;-)

[AuntiePam]

I'm re-reading a favorite, Eifelheim by Michael Flynn.  It's about aliens whose ship crashes near a Bavarian village in 1348.  Without giving too much away, the charm of the story is the religious aspect.  Rather than view the aliens as monsters or demons, they're accepted as God's creatures -- just a little different.  (They look like giant grasshoppers.) 

 

It's a combination of historical  and alien contact fiction -- two of my favorite genres.  I read it whenever I'm in a slump, or when I despair of humanity.

[Qoass]

 

Dave Cullen's Columbine was an interesting read for me.  Very, very sad that the red flags Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold gave off weren't noticed.

This book blew my mind as it laid out one fallacy after another about this tragic event.  Journalists just jumped to conclusions and created their own story which was far, far from the truth.  I keep it in mind every time I hear about a school shooting or other disaster:  never believe anything you hear in the first week or so, even from "trustworthy" sources.

[psychoticstate]

This book blew my mind as it laid out one fallacy after another about this tragic event.  Journalists just jumped to conclusions and created their own story which was far, far from the truth.  I keep it in mind every time I hear about a school shooting or other disaster:  never believe anything you hear in the first week or so, even from "trustworthy" sources.

 

So true.  It really was incredible how many half truths and flat out falsehoods were reported to the media and by the media as fact and accepted as such for years. 

 

I've heard the same thing with regard to events like shark attacks - - shark attacks haven't necessarily been on the rise but when it's a slow news summer, the media will bust out coverage a la Summer of the Shark.  And the public guzzles it down like poisoned Kool Aid.

[Lovecat]

I'd like to get my book club to do Columbine, but I we just did And The Band Played On, which I had forgotten was over 700pp. Not that they're lazy, but that's a pretty hefty length for a once-a-month club, and they'd likely revolt if I recommended another non-fiction tome so soon :) But that book rocked my socks, and I'm itching for a re-read.

I've heard the same thing with regard to events like shark attacks - - shark attacks haven't necessarily been on the rise but when it's a slow news summer, the media will bust out coverage a la Summer of the Shark. And the public guzzles it down like poisoned Kool Aid.

See also: EBOLA.

[psychoticstate]

Lovecat, I found Columbine to be a very fast read because it was that engrossing and I couldn't put it down.   According to Amazon, it clocks in at 442 pages so definitely shorter than And the Band Played On.

 

Re: Ebola.  So true.

[Mischievious]

I just discovered this thread and am so happy. I'm in a rut of finding books to read. One of my favorite authors is Jen Lancaster. I enjoy some "chick-lit" (ugh, I cringe typing that) but not most. I really enjoy mysteries and the classics. I'm also preparing for a beach vacation later this year so I'm looking for books to put on my nook for easy reading. Any suggestions?

[Kris223]

For mysteries, I like Ellen Crosby's wine country series and on the lighter side, Krista Davis's Domestic Diva series.

[Mystery]

raven, I just finished The Crossing Places and loved it. I read it straight through in a few hours. I'm so excited to find a "new" author with lots of books to read! Thanks for the recommendation. 

 

I think I'm 2-2 for recommendations on this site, and I have more coming from the library.