Book Recommendations

[partofme]

Cloud Atlas is a book that I read about 8 pages of and gave up on because I kept reading the sentences over and over and had no idea what I was reading.

[Athena]

What do you all think of Cloud Atlas? Got it as a birthday present, had a few others ahead of it in the queue, wondering if it was hyped so much that it won't live up to any expectations :) 

 

I liked it and liked the movie too. You really have to let go. It can get quite dark though and the movie is less so, but I enjoyed the ideas and the writing for the most part.

[OakGoblinFly]

Open Recommendation:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Jump on this before the adaption hits Starz.  Bryan Fuller is helming it and they just casted Ian McShane in a key role.  That aside, it's a cracking good read.

 

 

Bryan Fuller and Neil Gaiman ...... that sounds like a perfect match.

[NutMeg]

Thank you all for your comments. I did like Ghostwritten, but back then I had never heard of the writer so went with it with no expectations.  

 

I'm quite happy to let go, i don't mind dark and I don't need linear - hopefully I'm in for a treat :) 

[AuntiePam]

What do you all think of Cloud Atlas? Got it as a birthday present, had a few others ahead of it in the queue, wondering if it was hyped so much that it won't live up to any expectations :) 

 

Do you like puzzles?  I really liked the book but I knew I didn't understand what Mitchell had done with the structure.  So I read the Wiki, and then wished I'd read the Wiki first. 

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Someone mentioned they were watching these forums for book recommendations, so why not start a thread for that purpose?  Which books would you recommend to others, and why?

 

One book I would recommend to anyone who likes romance is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  I read it last year, and I thought it was sweet with just the right amount of sadness/realism.  I'm really getting into YA now, so if anyone has any YA recommendations let me know. :)

 

I know this is the first post in this thread, but I just finished Ball Don't Lie, which is the first book by Matt de la Pena, and I'm unashamedly recommending it because it moved me so much.

 

Although the plot revolves around an urban white boy, the protagonist has problems and issues that don't fit the usual tropes of the genre, mostly because we never find out until the book is nearly over what the root of the situation is. I really suggest that anyone who reads YA find this book at your local library, and I'm going to seek out de la Pena's other titles in hopes that they're just as excellent.

[cherrypj]

What do you all think of Cloud Atlas? Got it as a birthday present, had a few others ahead of it in the queue, wondering if it was hyped so much that it won't live up to any expectations :) 

 

Oh man, another one of my favorite books. The structure is quite elegant: it's six stories split in half. Starts and ends with the first story (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). All of them have some tie-in with the previous. 

 

I loved the movie, too, but it wouldn't make sense if you haven't read the book.

[NutMeg]

Oh man, another one of my favorite books. The structure is quite elegant: it's six stories split in half. Starts and ends with the first story (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). All of them have some tie-in with the previous. 

 

I loved the movie, too, but it wouldn't make sense if you haven't read the book.

I'm reading it now and I'm even pacing myself so as to make it last longer. I'm past halfway and am looking forward to revisiting the previous stories. It's been hard leaving each of them! I love how there is a tie-in with the previous, even if it all seem like a fiction within the fiction at this stage, but it's extremely clever, compelling and extremely well done.

[Deanie87]

Any Joyce Carol Oates fans out there? She is someone that I have wanted to read for a long time, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.  I have a feeling that some of her stuff may not be my thing, but others of her books sound so interesting.  I just picked up the audiobook of The Accursed, and so far so good.  Any other recommendations for Oates?  I'm not a huge short story fan, but other than that I'm pretty open to stuff.

[SmithW6079]

On 6/2/2016 at 9:19 AM, Deanie87 said:

Any Joyce Carol Oates fans out there? She is someone that I have wanted to read for a long time, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.  I have a feeling that some of her stuff may not be my thing, but others of her books sound so interesting.  I just picked up the audiobook of The Accursed, and so far so good.  Any other recommendations for Oates?  I'm not a huge short story fan, but other than that I'm pretty open to stuff.

 

The only book of Oates's that I read was "Bellefleur," back in 1980. I didn't care for it and haven't read her since. Sorry.

 

Does anyone have recommendations for some good Cold War spy thrillers or authors? I have a hankering for some US/USSR espionage clashes in the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks!

[AuntiePam]

On 6/17/2016 at 0:51 PM, SmithW6079 said:

Does anyone have recommendations for some good Cold War spy thrillers or authors? I have a hankering for some US/USSR espionage clashes in the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks!

Robert Ludlum, John Le Carre, Trevanian (his novels were spoofs but could be read either way), Robert Littell (especially The Amateur) -- their books are from the 70's and 80's but are mostly still in print.  I used to read a lot of these and will come back if I can think of some others. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Ken Follett, Graham Greene, Len Deighton, Robert Ludlum.

 

The Nick Carter books, if you like mass-produced fiction.

[AuntiePam]

38 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

Ken Follett, Graham Greene, Len Deighton, Robert Ludlum.

 

Yeah, Follett's espionage novels are quite readable -- a bit on the light side but that's okay.  I haven't read Deighton.  Greene is excellent. 

[Danny Franks]

Joseph Kanon's The Prodigal Spy is a really good Cold War thriller. Not quite espionage, because the protagonist is somewhat unprepared for the events he gets caught up in, but it's a great read. Probably his best novel.

[Danny Franks]

Joseph Kanon's The Prodigal Spy is a really good Cold War thriller. Not quite espionage, because the protagonist is somewhat unprepared for the events he gets caught up in, but it's a great read. Probably his best novel.

[Maizie131]

Anyone need a good cry?  (C'mon!  Sometimes it's good for the soul!)  Pick up a copy of Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.  Bought Kindle edition last night @ 9:00 pm & finished it today @ noon.  Loved every minute of this book, but gawd!  I'll be happy to get back to my usual murder & mayhem novels!  Ha!    (I'm an I.D. fanatic ). 

[GreekGeek]

On 6/2/2016 at 9:19 AM, Deanie87 said:

Any Joyce Carol Oates fans out there? She is someone that I have wanted to read for a long time, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.  I have a feeling that some of her stuff may not be my thing, but others of her books sound so interesting.  I just picked up the audiobook of The Accursed, and so far so good.  Any other recommendations for Oates?  I'm not a huge short story fan, but other than that I'm pretty open to stuff.

I've read two of her books: Wonderland and Angel of Light. The former is sometimes considered her best, but the latter was especially fascinating to me because it's an update of the tragedy of Agamemnon, his wife, and his children. She's incredibly prolific and has experimented with a variety of genres, so chances are you'll find something that interests you.

[SmithW6079]

Thanks for the Cold War suggestions.

Edited June 24, 2016 by SmithW6079

[Sara2009]

On June 2, 2016 at 8:19 AM, Deanie87 said:

Any Joyce Carol Oates fans out there? She is someone that I have wanted to read for a long time, but just never got around to it for whatever reason.  I have a feeling that some of her stuff may not be my thing, but others of her books sound so interesting.  I just picked up the audiobook of The Accursed, and so far so good.  Any other recommendations for Oates?  I'm not a huge short story fan, but other than that I'm pretty open to stuff.

It's kind of verbose, but I enjoyed " We Were the Mulvaneys."

[AuntiePam]

I'm looking for recommendations for fiction and non-fiction about the Civil War.  I'm reading Jean Edward Thomas's bio of Grant now, and it's made me want more, especially from the Confederate point of view.

I've read Gone with the Wind, The March, Secessia, Cold Mountain and several of Don Robertson's novels. 

If anyone has read Bruce Catton's book, or Shelby Foote's trilogy, I'd love to hear what you think of them.

Also curious whether any of the alternate-history fiction (where the South wins) are worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

[Darian]

3 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

 

I'm looking for recommendations for fiction and non-fiction about the Civil War.

 

You might try March (not to be confused with The March) by Geraldine Brooks.  It's Brooks' take on the Civil War experiences of the father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I haven't read the Catton or Foote books ( I can't remember reading many Civil War books at all, but I so loved Brooks' People of the Book that I read everything else she wrote.  

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, Darian said:

You might try March (not to be confused with The March) by Geraldine Brooks.  It's Brooks' take on the Civil War experiences of the father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I haven't read the Catton or Foote books ( I can't remember reading many Civil War books at all, but I so loved Brooks' People of the Book that I read everything else she wrote.  

Thanks.  "March" is confusing.  The one I read was by E. L. Doctorow, and I think the title is simply March.  I didn't know Brooks wrote one too, with the same title.  I'll check it out.   I've read one other by Brooks, Year of Wonders, which I liked a lot.

[Epeolatrix]

This might be a little outside, topic-wise, but there's a pretty good book called The Reel Civil War: Mythmaking in American Film by Bruce Chadwick. It's about the way so many of our popular assumptions about the war are derived from revisionist history gleaned from the movies. I thought it was interesting and nicely accessible (I'd expected a more dense and academic treatment).

[Rilla-my-Rilla]

7 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Also curious whether any of the alternate-history fiction (where the South wins) are worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

So I haven't finished this book yet (because I had some library books on hold become available) so I can't really say if it's good overall, but I was interested in the beginning but anyway...

Underground Airlines by Ben Winters. It's set in present times, but the Civil War never happened. There are 4 states that still have slavery. The main character, a black man, has made a deal with the federal government working as a bounty hunter.

[WearyTraveler]

16 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

I'm looking for recommendations for fiction and non-fiction about the Civil War.  I'm reading Jean Edward Thomas's bio of Grant now, and it's made me want more, especially from the Confederate point of view.

I've read Gone with the Wind, The March, Secessia, Cold Mountain and several of Don Robertson's novels. 

If anyone has read Bruce Catton's book, or Shelby Foote's trilogy, I'd love to hear what you think of them.

Also curious whether any of the alternate-history fiction (where the South wins) are worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

It was published long ago (and they even made a TV miniseries out of it), so maybe you have already read it, but I enjoyed North and South by John Jakes.

[Bunty]

I've always found Stonewall Jackson a fascinating character.  You might like this bio about him "Stonewall Jackson : the man, the soldier, the legend" by James I. Robertson, Jr.  His nickname was earned in battle when a fellow officer trying to rally the troops pointed to Jackson and said "Look, men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall!  Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer!  Follow me!"

One of the classics of the Confederate experience is "Co. Aytch" by Sam Watkins.  From Wikipedia In May 1861, twenty-one year old Sam Watkins of Maury County, Tennessee, rushed to join the army when his state left the Union. He became part of Company H (or Co. "Aytch," as he called it), First Tennessee Regiment, and would fight from Shiloh to Nashville and was one of only seven men who remained in the company when it was surrendered to Major-General W. T. Sherman in North Carolina, April 1865.

Shelby Foote is a delight to listen to.  He was in Ken Burns Civil War documentary.   Here is a bit of an interview

I am also partial to the ballads of the Civil War.  Here is an Appalachian version of Shiloh's Hill.  I find it quite haunting.

[Bunty]

Can we no longer edit replies?  Trying to post link to song again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwzLFhlLQ_o

[AuntiePam]

Bunty, Shelby Foote was the best part of the Burns series.  He recorded 80 hours for the series -- I'd love to hear all 80 hours. 

The ballads in that series were wonderful.  I read somewhere that they were played on instruments from that time period, for even more authenticity.  I think Lorena has been played in a lot of westerns -- that song was sure familiar. 

I might look for the Watkins book -- it'd probably be a reliable view from the Confederate side. 

[Deanie87]

On 9/11/2016 at 2:19 PM, AuntiePam said:

I'm looking for recommendations for fiction and non-fiction about the Civil War.  I'm reading Jean Edward Thomas's bio of Grant now, and it's made me want more, especially from the Confederate point of view.

I've read Gone with the Wind, The March, Secessia, Cold Mountain and several of Don Robertson's novels. 

If anyone has read Bruce Catton's book, or Shelby Foote's trilogy, I'd love to hear what you think of them.

Also curious whether any of the alternate-history fiction (where the South wins) are worthwhile.

Thanks in advance!

My recommendation is The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All by Alan Gurganus.  It tells the story of the war and its aftermath through Lucy, the 99 year old "narrator" and her life starting as a child bride during slavery through the war and into the 20th century.  I love Civil War novels (though I could NOT get through Cold Mountain hard as I tried), and this is one of the best I've read.  Its funny and also very moving.  Warning: it is very long, like Gone With the Wind long, but I had not problem as the book was just so good and Lucy was just such a remarkable character.

Edited September 18, 2016 by Deanie87

[Captain Carrot]

I would have to recommend Michael Shaara's 'The Killer Angels'. It's a relatively short book about the battle of Gettysburg with POV characters from both armies. The book won the Pulitzer prize in 1975, and has influenced people such as Ken Burns and Joss Whedon.

It is sometimes referred to as the second book of a Civil War trilogy. However, it was written as a stand alone book, so you can skip the other two. The author's son, Jeff Shaara, wrote the 1st and third books in the trilogy. They're not bad, but Jeff Shaara isn't the author his father was.

[CouchPotatoLady8]

If anyone here is into romance with organised crime, i highly recommend the Ruthless People series by J.J. McAvoy. Actually ALL her books are awesome. Especially Sugar, Baby, Beautiful. :)

[Melgaypet]

Who here is a Veronica Mars fan? I can recommend, in the strongest terms, both the print and audiobook versions of The Thousand Dollar Tan Line. The audible version is narrated by Kristen Bell herself. I also enjoyed the second book Mr. Kiss and Tell, though I haven't listened to the audiobook version. Both books were co-authored by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas.

[dcalley]

4 hours ago, Melgaypet said:

Who here is a Veronica Mars fan? I can recommend, in the strongest terms, both the print and audiobook versions of The Thousand Dollar Tan Line. The audible version is narrated by Kristen Bell herself. I also enjoyed the second book Mr. Kiss and Tell, though I haven't listened to the audiobook version. Both books were co-authored by Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas.

Frustratingly, my library had only the print version of book 1 and the audio version of book 2, so I never got to hear Kristen Bell and had to listen to someone else read the 2nd book when I would have preferred to just read it myself. There are threads for the books in the VM forum. I don't know if book 3 is still happening, but I would definitely read it.

[Mystery]

I'm very late on "cold" books, but "Ghost Story" always makes me feel like I'm freezing. 

[AuntiePam]

17 hours ago, Mystery said:

I'm very late on "cold" books, but "Ghost Story" always makes me feel like I'm freezing. 

Yep.  And The Stand" always makes me feel like I'm coming down with something.  That's a common reaction, from what I've heard.  The power of suggestion, and evocative writing.

[AuntiePam]

I just finished reading Harrison Salisbury's autobiography -- he was a news correspondent in Russia in the 40's and 50's -- and now I'm interested in reading more bios (or even novels) focusing on reporters, journalists, and the news business in general.  Anyone have any recommendations? 

[Epeolatrix]

I was on a war photographer / photo-journalist binge for a while, so that's what I can recommend.

The Bang-Bang Club: Snapshots from a Hidden War by Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva

Here I Am: The Story of Tim Hetherington, War Photographer by Alan Huffman

About to Die: How News Images Move the Public by Barbie Zelizer

And then, unrelated, Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism by W. Joseph Campbell

[Hanahope]

I was thinking of starting the Phillipa Gregory Tudor/Plantagenet  book series. I see she did not write them in chronological order. Has anyone else read them and can recommend whether to read in chronological order or written order? 

[AuntiePam]

On 10/3/2016 at 6:39 PM, Violet Impulse said:

And then, unrelated, Getting It Wrong: Ten of the Greatest Misreported Stories in American Journalism by W. Joseph Campbell

Thanks for the recommendations -- I'll start with the Campbell. 

[Bunty]

Quote

I was thinking of starting the Phillipa Gregory Tudor/Plantagenet  book series. I see she did not write them in chronological order. Has anyone else read them and can recommend whether to read in chronological order or written order? 

Here is someone that says she wishes she had read them in order and then lists them chronologically

http://thebeautifulusefulproject.com/philippa-gregory-chronological.html

[BlackberryJam]

The Constant Princess is the best one. The Other Boleyn Girl is interesting.

The chronological first six are ..not good. The Kingmaker's Daughter is a total ripoff of Jean Plaidy's The Reluctant Queen.

From that chronological list, I'd read 7, 8, 10-13. Skip all the others unless you're desperate. There are better books out there, particularly Plaidy.

Edited October 11, 2016 by BlackberryJam
To clarify which list.

[Hanahope]

Thanks.  I'll looking into Plaidy too.

[Chaos Theory]

Hey with all the time travel tv shows out there (also new contacts.,..yay I can see!!!!!) I have been thinking about looking into time travel/alternate history stories.  Does anyone have a recommendation?  I already read Fatherland and really enjoyed that but didn't care for Man In the High Castle (but that could have been because I saw that Amazon show first).

[Danny Franks]

44 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Hey with all the time travel tv shows out there (also new contacts.,..yay I can see!!!!!) I have been thinking about looking into time travel/alternate history stories.  Does anyone have a recommendation?  I already read Fatherland and really enjoyed that but didn't care for Man In the High Castle (but that could have been because I saw that Amazon show first).

Harry Turtledove's Days of Infamy series is good. Two books on the idea that the Japanese invaded Hawaii in the immediate aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack.

He takes a lot of real tales of Japanese atrocities in the Malay peninsula and the Philippines and relocates them, as well as exploring how the war would have been fought in these new circumstances.

[auntlada]

5 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Hey with all the time travel tv shows out there (also new contacts.,..yay I can see!!!!!) I have been thinking about looking into time travel/alternate history stories.  Does anyone have a recommendation?  I already read Fatherland and really enjoyed that but didn't care for Man In the High Castle (but that could have been because I saw that Amazon show first).

If you liked Fatherland, you might like Archangel by the same author.

[Hanahope]

Ok, I need to find some book(s) for my 12 year old.  I love mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, so my bookcases are full of those kinds of book, but my oldest daughter doesn't like any of those genres.  She also doesn't like "depressing" books (so I'm not entirely sure whether she'll like The Thorn Birds - the book every girl in my 8th grade read - but I gave her my copy anyway).

Anyone have a suggestion for a book or two that is something else a 12 year old might like?

Fortunately, my younger daughter (age 9) does like fantasy, so she's now reading through my Piers Anthony collection.

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Ok, I need to find some book(s) for my 12 year old.  I love mysteries, science fiction and fantasy, so my bookcases are full of those kinds of book, but my oldest daughter doesn't like any of those genres.  She also doesn't like "depressing" books (so I'm not entirely sure whether she'll like The Thorn Birds - the book every girl in my 8th grade read - but I gave her my copy anyway).

Anyone have a suggestion for a book or two that is something else a 12 year old might like?

Fortunately, my younger daughter (age 9) does like fantasy, so she's now reading through my Piers Anthony collection.

What does your 12 year old like?  My daughter is a little younger than that, so I'm not as familiar with books with that age range, but I might be able to come up with something.

For you 9 year old, has she read the Inkheart books (by Cornelia Funke).  I've read the first one and really enjoyed it and will be giving it to my daughter soon.  The first one (Inkheart) was made into a very mediocre movie, but the book is worth the read.

[RealityCheck]

Hanahope, it's not clear what your daughter's reading level is.  Having said that, I would recommend Anne McCaffrey's Pern series beginning with the Dragonriders of Pern.  Another series I would recommend is Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books beginning with "Arrows of the Queen".  Mercedes Lackey is prolific so if she enjoys Lackey, your daughter will have a lot of books to read.

[auntlada]

It's hard for me to think of books that are not science fiction, fantasy, mystery or depressing, since my favorite books fall in all those categories, but lately I've been re-reading Rosamond du Jardin books that I loved when I was a teen. They were old then, so they are really dated now, but they are nice, sweet coming-of-age romance books. They aren't great literature by any means, but they are nice, and everything always turns out well.

[Hanahope]

When I ask my 12 year old what she likes, she just shrugs.  She likes stories, just not fantasy or sci fi.  She also likes the books by youtubers, which are mostly non fiction (Tyler Oakley, joey gracefa, Miranda something). She reads at her age level or a bit above.  I'm trying to get her to read more instead of watching YouTube videos.