Here are some of my favorite books or just books I've read recently (no special order):
- The Wonder Spot by Meredith Bank
- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
- Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
- Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
- Mark of the Lion by Francine Rivers
- The Queen's Fool by Phillipa Gregory
- Experience the Wonders of God Through Prayer by E.M. Bounds
- Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
- Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
- The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
- Sense & Sensability by Jane Austen
- Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
- Wicked by Gregory Maguire
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
- The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen
- Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
- The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
- Exodus by Leon Uris
- Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
- Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
These books are the first ones that come to mind. I'm sure I'll go home tonight and think, "Ugh! I should have added that one!" What are some of your favorite reads? Any suggestions?
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19 comments:
Katy, I have to agree that anything by Jane Austen definitely rocks. And Tolkien should be included on anyone's must read list. however, I find that you are totally lacking in the noble genre of Sci-fi. How could this be? You are intelligent, witty, and a snappy dresser (not to mention that you have a fantastic sense of humor and an appreciation for the finer things in life).
I see that I must shepherd you towards some of Sci-fi's greats:
Isaac Asimov is considered one of the fathers of sci-fi (if not THE father of the genre). I highly suggest reading "Caves of Steel", "The Naked Sun", and "The Robots of Dawn" (a robot trilogy); you may also find his Foundation series interesting, but unless you're really into sci-fi I doubt you'd be interested in reading all of them.
Also, if you're only going to read one sci-fi author may I suggest David Weber? He has an entire series about a character named Honor Harrington. It is FANTASTIC!!!! one of my favorite series (at this point there are probably 11 books and I have read all of them at least 4 or 5 times). If you like historical fiction, then you may have read the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. The Honor Harrington series is in many ways a tribute to Forester's Horatio Hornblower books. One of the most fun things about Weber's Honor series is that the main character is a woman who is intelligent, compassionate, a charismatic leader, and she can kick some serious...I mean SERIOUS butt.
Also, I know you'll be kicking yourself for not mentioning this, but C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia should definitely be on the all-time-best list.
A book I recently read that was very informative as well as interesting was "Rabble in Arms". It is historical fiction about two brothers who go to fight the British in Canada. One of their commanding officers is Benedict Arnold. It is fascinating to read about what a fantastic General he was before he became such a famous traitor. Also, who knew that we sent men to fight in Canada in an effort to avoid fighting the British on American soil? (which we did do in the end). It was somewhat disheartening to learn about the pettiness and squabbling within congress during this time, but very enlightening.
Okay, I've written WAY too much here, but I, too, LOVE to read. I have read at least 4 books in the past couple of weeks. (I have a hard time falling asleep if I don't read before going to bed).
Anyways, I hope that you will take the plunge and experience some David Weber for yourself. It is more than worth the risk. Start with "Basilisk Station".
Yea for book recommendations! Kells - I'm sure you have recommended the Weber series to me before - why haven't I read it yet? Sounds like a trip to Half Price Books is necessary.
Katy - Isn't it fun to go back and reread TCA-required reading now (see #19, 27-28)? I also recommend rereading The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Hiding Place, and anything Shakespeare (better yet - go see them. Surely Chicago has a summer Shakespeare troop).
In non-SciFi, I also recommend The Time Travelers Wife and The Lovely Bones. It might also be good to read The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing before it becomes a movie. If you liked I Capture the Castle, have you read the original The 101 Dalmations? If you liked Clan of the Cave Bear, try Valley of the Horses. I'm drawing a blank on what I have currently loaned out, so that's all I can think of.
In Sci-Fi-on-another-planet-for-newbies, I suggest Glory Season by David Brin. In future-techy-Sci-Fi-for-newbies, I recommend The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.
I often entertain the idea of taking the bus to work, just so I'd have some time to read!
I wish we had an "el".
Shoot. I'd be happy to just have a "i," "jay," or even a "kay".
But an "el": that would be something.
Linds,
I keep forgetting about David Brin. It definitely falls in the "why haven't I read that yet?" category.
also, Macon has also recommended Neal Stephenson to me, and I keep forgetting to pick him up.
So, thanks for your rec's.
F'real: Neal Stephenson is totally great.
I recommend: (ordered by book size from shortest to longest, which also happens to be the same ordering as publishing date.)
Snow Crash
The Diamond Age
Cryptonomicon
The Baroque Cycle
You have to be careful (IMHO) with Neal Stephenson. The first three on Macon's list were truly entertaining to me, although I did get bogged down in the Cryptonomicon at times. I can't get through Quicksilver (#1 in the Baroque Cycle) to save my life. I found that I was having to force myself to read it, and that totally defeats the purpose.
Also IMHO, The Diamond Age is less "out there" than Snow Crash. Snow Crash is definitely more popular, though. It's been many years since I read it - I'll need to add that to my reread list.
Well y'all are speaking Greek to me. Have you heard of Nora Roberts? That's totally my sisters fav. I think it would really hit the intellectual stimulation you're seaking.
I'm not really into science fiction though I do enjoy Tolkein. I'll have to check out some David Weber. I remember Kellsey suggesting some great books when we were back in 8th grade.
Please tell me you have read Francine Rivers! Macon, please tell me you haven't. FANTASTIC chick books. LOVE THEM!
My mom has been reading Francine Rivers and mentioned her to me recently. I have not been reading her, but I may have to borrow her from my mom some time soon.
Katy, speaking of Tolkien, I didn't even get into the fantasy genre because although I love many of the books therein I find that most people make fun of my love for it. Tolkien is an exception in the fantasy genre, of course, as everyone recognizes his genius.
Katy, are you into mystery novels or detective novels at all? Dorothy Sayers is a woman who has written several fun and fluffy mysteries. She was the only female "Inkling" (a group of authors that included C.S. Lewis and Tolkien among them). She was truly a theologian and considered her best work her translations of Dante's Inferno and Purgatorio (she died before completing Paradisio). Anyway, she wrote mysteries to pay the rent. Her main character was a man named "Sir Peter Wimsey". Very fun.
Also in the mystery/detective genre is the author P.D. James. She is truly fantastic and a joy to read. She is a good writer, and I found myself often asking Macon to listen as I would read to him a paragraph or two from her books just because of the unique and exceptional way she has of turning a phrase. I believe she also has a degree in theology although it is not something you would know from her detective novels. Her main male character is Adam Dagliesh. She also has a line of books starring a female detective named Cordelia (I think...my memory may be a bit blurry on that one).
YIKES! this comment has gotten long. Thanks so much for reading it all (if you've actually made it this far, then you should treat yourself to Ben & Jerry's...in fact, we all should go treat ourselves to our favorite ice cream: for me that would be Stone Cold Creamery's Cake Batter ice cream with Reese's peanut butter cups mashed in....OH-MY-GOODNESS!!!! You've never tasted anything so divine.)
You are SO pregnant!
I don't even know you Kellsey but I could pummel you for bringing ice cream into what I was hoping would be a temptation-free reading zone. Sigh.
Kates, you HAD to slip Clan of the Cave Bear in there, didn't you? Anyway, yes, it was good.
Hello? Harry Potter?! The 5th and 6th books are the best but you can't ride them trains till you read the series. Seriously, how can this many people be wrong?
I'm with you on typically staying away from mysteries & sci-fi but will re-think it all considering the above comments. I did like C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy.
I think the therapist in me likes books that lend themselves to disturbing tramas. Ann-Marie MacDonald wrote "Fall on Your Knees" and "The Way the Crow Flies" which were both excellent & upsetting. Wally Lamb's "I Know This Much is True" is in the same vein. Two therapists I've enjoyed reading are Lennore Terr & Irv Yalom.
Oh! "A Severe Mercy" by Sheldon VanAucken- you either hate it or you give it away as a Christmas gift.
And I have to say I'm a sucker for Southern lit. Rebecca Wells wrote "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" and "Little Altars Everywhere." Both are hilarious and remind me of Pat Conroy, who I also love. But (for girls only) one of the funniest books with the southern charm was "The Sweet Potato Queen's Book of Love." Totally crass so I enjoyed every page.
DAMN YOU CAKE BATTER ICE CREAM WITH REESES CUPS! I didn't even know about you until today and I AM ON THAT CRAPPY SOUP DIET AGAIN!
hemingway, hemingway, and hemingway. so sad to see him missing from your list...also if you liked great expectations try tale of two cities. really, i am an advocate of ALL the classics. in more recent works, you can't go wrong with tom robbins (my personal opinion after reading 2). let me know what you think if you ever get around to him...
Becky, when are you going to learn that the soup diet isn't doing anything but making you hungry? NOT GOOD!
I do like Hemingway, but I don't LOVE Hemingway. Same goes for most of the ex-patriots who lived in France. But I appreciate them...just not enough to put them on my list.
Harry Potter...I will read you someday. I just don't want to read you now because Becky insists that I do. I don't like to do anything she insists I do.
Love me some Ya-Ya. Good choice Beck. Sweet Potato Queens...reminds me of reading by the Kirkham pool laughing at all of the inappropriate things said in that book!
becks: I can see why your diet is effective! If all I had to eat was Crap Soup, I'd eat much much less.
Katy,
I'm going to have to jump on that Harry Potter band wagon and say that those books are fantastic! I LOVE them.
Becks, I am so very sorry for making this a temptation island for you. The truth is that right now I can't even eat ice cream (it leaves this indescribably horrible after-taste in my mouth and makes me feel quite nauseous). So, I just talk and dream about it. I look forward to the day when I can eat it again without it punishing me so afterwards.
Also, for the therapist in you: one of the reasons that I love truly good sci-fi is because of the questions it asks about what it is to be human. Also, sci-fi can get away with posing certain situations that are full of all kinds of relational dynamics (and dysfunctions) because it is using a context that is not real. Therefore, you can look at prejudice and war and love (etc, etc) without having as much of a personal response of defensiveness about your self, your family, your race, your race's history, etc. Because it deals often with situations our world has dealt with in the past in a way that is one step removed, it creates space for the reader to look at and think about issues that humanity struggles with.
ahhhhh! There are so many great recs here! I'm excited.
Kellsey--I can't believe it. I've actually been meaning to ask you to give me some sci-fi recs. I love that you love it....
I have to give a thumbs down to Time Traveller's Wife. Fascinating, creative, but the further I got the more disturbing it got for me....
Thumbs up to P.D. James, Dorothy Sayers, Sheldon van Auken.
I am currently enjoying Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks--A social critique of the "educated elite" in the U.S. Parts of it make me laugh out loud.
:)
oooh. I really want to read Bobos in Paradise. Just haven't gotten to it yet.
I totally just read "Bobos" as "Boobs" and wondered about Macon wanting to read "Boobs in Paradise." Must. Sleep.
Recipe for Disaster:
Take One Blog of Wife's girlfriend.
Add other new & old girlfriends of wife as other blog readers.
As Husband, make reference to female anatomy publicly on said blog.
Combination will quickly move from simmer to boil. Recommend waiting for a long time for cooling.
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