Book Recommendations

[Jessie702]

I know that we have a libary section here on PS....but it isnt very active. So im just wondering, does anyone have any good books they have read lately, or period that you would recommend. School is officially out for me on friday, and have time to read something, not school related.

So if you ahve any good books, please post it here, im dying over here for a good book.

 

[Porridge]

Well the PS book club are reading The Help. I loved it. What kind of books do you usually like? Other ones I really liked recently are: Shantaram, American Wife, A Dance in Time, and The Glass Castle. I also loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series.

 

[movie zombie]

given i don't usually read anything on the best seller lists, i certainly enjoyed:

The Help
Corrections by Franzen
and am now reading Freedom also by Franzen.
MoZo
ps and if you're into vampire stories and historical fiction, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

eta: also enjoyed the Millenium triolgy aka girl with the dragon tattoo series.

 

[Jessie702]

I read everything, but usually like a series.I saw that they were reading The Help, and im going to stop by my libary to get it. Ill check out that The girl the dragon tattoo also. Thank you

Im still reading the Anita Blake series, so far, so good, and i finished off The Vampire Huntress series too by LA Banks. Also, the sleeping beauty triology, and the Dark Hunter series

 

[dragonfly411]

Most recent:

The Help
Cry, The beloved country
Little Women (I'm enjoying it now)
Snow Flower and the secret Fan

Others I always recommend:
Memoirs of a Geisha
Watership Down
The Great Gatsby
Life of Pi
Wicked
The Secret Life of Bees
Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Lord of the Rings
The Sword of Truth Series
Beloved
100 Years of Solitude
Love in the time of Cholera
Living to Tell the Tale
White Oleander
The World According to Garp
Jurassic Park

 

[TooPatient]

My go to interesting but sort of mindless stuff is the Dirk Pitt series by Clive Cussler.
Stories are interesting (not all are very believable) and fast paced. Some books are better than others but all are a pretty quick and attention-keeping).

Sad but good: Sarah's Key

 

[Jessie702]

Thank you all....i can load my book list now...

Dragon- what is Life of Pi about excatly?

 

[dragonfly411]

Jessie
Life of pi is um... hard to explain? Basically the adventures of a boy stuck on a raft with animals.

 

[Jessie702]

Thanks Dragon...it sounds...different, ill check it out though.

 

[Circe]

My two favorite books of the year have been Elizabeth Hand's Generation Loss and Mira Grant's Feed. They're both on the horror side of things, and both utterly mesmerizing, though in two very different ways - the former is the tale of a burnt-out photographer sent to interview her idol on a sparsely inhabited island up in main, and the latter the story of a political campaign in a world where you don't just have to worry about brain-dead voters, but flesh-eating zombies. Highly recommend both.

 

[lulu66]

most recently, i read & can recommend "the glass castle (Jeannette Walls)," "water for elephants (Sara Gruen)," "her fearful symmetry (Audrey Niffenegger)," & "shutter island (Dennis Lehane)." over the summer i made it through the "sookie stackhouse series (Charlaine Harris)." i enjoyed it but i don't think it's for everyone. right now, i'm reading "the help" but just started so can't really chime in on the book club discussion.

 

[lulu66]

ps and if you're into vampire stories and historical fiction, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

eta: also enjoyed the Millenium triolgy aka girl with the dragon tattoo series.

just checked out AL:VH, it's now on my "too read" list. and "the girl with the dragon tattoo" already was next in line thanks for you recommendations.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

You can order this book on Amazon, I'm re-reading it

"Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy

It's the story of WWII told thru the eyes of several people, some Americans, some Europeans. I originally read it in the 80s and just HAD to re-read it.

 

[Porridge]

Oh the Life of Pi is great! An Indian boy is adrift on a raft in the Pacific with animals - as a result of being in a boat accident with his zoo-keeper parents. It's a good read, I really enjoyed it.

 

[Circe]

You can order this book on Amazon, I'm re-reading it

"Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy

It's the story of WWII told thru the eyes of several people, some Americans, some Europeans. I originally read it in the 80s and just HAD to re-read it.

Oh, Marge Piercy is awesome - highly recommend most of her books, actually. My personal favorite would probably be Small Changes or Summer People. I've never read Gone to Soldiers - will have to look that up!

 

[AdanaEsq]

The Elegance of the Hedgehog. One of my absolute fav books ever that I read earlier this year. May re-read it soon. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is very sweet and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is another book I read recently that's wonderful.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

You can order this book on Amazon, I'm re-reading it

"Gone to Soldiers" by Marge Piercy

It's the story of WWII told thru the eyes of several people, some Americans, some Europeans. I originally read it in the 80s and just HAD to re-read it.

Oh, Marge Piercy is awesome - highly recommend most of her books, actually. My personal favorite would probably be Small Changes or Summer People. I've never read Gone to Soldiers - will have to look that up!

You will LOVE this book.

 

[HopeDream]

I'm currently reading Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and enjoying it immensely.

The Skystone by Jack Whyte is one of my favorites too (And the rest of the dream of eagles series)

 

[AGBF]

I think I just listed all of these in "The Library", but I read the latest books by several of my favorite authors, all of whom write legal thrillers and books in that general genre:

Perfect Alibi-by Sheldon Siegel (if you have not read the series, I recommend the entire series, which is written by a lawyer and is about two lawyers, one of whom is a former Roman Catholic priest, who marry, then divorce, but continue to have a law practice and two children together. The writing is very witty and it is easy reading.)

Worth Dying For-by Lee Child The latest in his series about Jack Reacher, the former MP who drifts around the country righting wrongs. This book, unlike the last one, is great.

Hell's Corner-by David Baldacci The latest book about Oliver Stone and The Camel Club.

The Rule of Nine-by Steve Martini His latest book about Paul Madriani.

The Reversal-by Michael Connelly A book with two of his protagonists, not one, in it!

Deb/AGBF

 

[sctsbride09]

The Help was great, fast read too. Currently Im reading Even silence has an end by Ingrid Betancourt, about her 6 years of captivity in the Columbian jungle by the FARC, its very good so far. Ive also enjoyed Water for elephants by Gruen, The time travelers wife by Neiffenegger, My life in France by Julia Child ( Im a cooking nut though) , and I loved ( Im such a nerd) the twilight saga. I avoided that last one for so long, because I guess Im kind of a book snob, but I really loved it, it was so different from what I usually read. Im going to read the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins next, I hear its very good.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

I am currently reading "Legacy" by Susan Howard--a fictionalized account of Elizabeth I's life. Interesting take on her life and love of Robert Dudley and Robert Essex.

 

[Laughinggravy0]

I'm really enjoying Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle which is vast, sprawling and hugely eclectic. A real blast. An amazing amount of research, swift, witty narrative and very solid characters. KInd of book in which you lose yourself and when you are done, the characters still stroll around for while before they fade. And eight whole huge fat books to munch through.

I'm going to be devastated when I get to the end

Do check it out.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I actually have a go-to list of book recs from a while back - there are a lot, organized by categories, and I'm sure I'm missing more (these are mostly what were on my Kindle). I can provide synopses for any that sound interesting

Historical Fiction
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Brother Cadfael series - Ellis Peters
Alaska - James Michener
Hawaii - James Michener
Shogun - James Clavell
Taipan - James Clavell
Templar Knight Mysteries - Maureen Ash
Imperial Woman - Pearl S. Buck
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Science Fiction
Ilium/Olympos - Dan Simmons
Foundation series - Isaac Asimov
Robot series - Isaac Asimov
Time Travelers Never Die - Jack McDevitt
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Discworld - Terry Pratchett (I recommend starting with Wyrd Sisters or Guards! Guards!)
World War Z - Max Brooks
Vorkosigan series - Lois Bujold
Lamb - Christopher Moore
Fool - Christoper Moore
Old Man's War series - John Scalzi
The Strain - Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Song of Kali - Dan Simmons
Dune - Frank Herbert (though personally, I prefer the prequels written by Brian Herbert, beginning with House Atreides)

Fantasy
Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin (first book is A Game of Thrones)
Belgariad/Mallorean - David Eddings
Southern Vampire Mysteries - Charlaine Harris
Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn trilogy - Brandon Sanderson
Dies the Fire trilogy - S.M. Stirling
Nantucket trilogy - S.M. Stirling
The Curse of Chalion - Lois Bujold
Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow trilogy - David Gemmell
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
The Fairy Godmother - Mercedes Lackey
Godspeaker trilogy (begins with Empress) - Karen Miller
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King

Young Adult/Kids
Alchemyst series (begins with The Alchemyst) - Michael Scott
Tapestry series (begins with Hound of Rowan) - Henry Neff
Percy Jackson series - Rick Riordan
Kane Chronicles - Rick Riordan
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart
The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Dealing with Dragons series - Patricia Wrede

Action/Adventure
Sigma series - James Rollins
Cotton Malone series - Steve Berry
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
Timeline - Michael Crichton
Andromeda Strain -Michael Crichton
Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

Chick Lit
Shopaholic series - Sophie Kinsella

Classics
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Emma - Jane Austen
Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Wizard of Oz series - L. Frank Baum
Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
The Call of the Wild - Jack London
White Fang - Jack London
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Princess Bride - William Goldman
1984 - George Orwell
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - Tom Stoppard
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
Night - Elie Wiesel

Biography
Lost City of Z - David Grann
Princess trilogy - Jean Sasson
Skeletons on the Zahara - Dean King
Infidel - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Honeymoon in Tehran - Azadeh Moaveni
One L - Scott Turow
The Ivy Briefs - Martha Kimes
Chambermaid - Saira Rao

 

[iLander]

Jessie
Life of pi is um... hard to explain? Basically the adventures of a boy stuck on a raft with animals.

It's a parable, a metaphor.

 

[iLander]

I prefer non-fiction over fiction and I like books written in a clean, journalistic style. If it's fiction, it has to be REALLY good for me to like it. I also have a huge collection of travel books, some going back to the early 1800's. With those you can "travel" through space AND time.

Big Trouble by Dave Barry- funny and fast-paced

The original Jason Bourne series- page turners

Disclosure by Michael Crichton- page turner

Farm by Richard Rhodes- fascinating slice of life

The ORIGINAL Under the Tuscan Sun- if you like old houses

Anything by Farley Mowat or Gerald Durrell - nature and animals

Any of Bill Bryson's Travel Books-

Anything by Anne Tyler- everyone seems so real and ordinary.

The Tales of the City Series- hippies in '70's San Francisco

Travel books by Norman Lewis--especially "The World, The World", fascinating RL tales. His "Voices of the Old Sea" about his life in a small fishing village in the 1940's is one of my all time favorites.