Please give me book recommendations

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!

Thanks!

 

[arjunajane]

BEG, seeing as you''re coming to Oz, and you like historical novels I strongly recommend Bryce Courtenay.
His novels are fiction, but many are layered with historical characters and references of life in Australia across the times - my faves are the Australian Trilogy, specifically the fitsy two Potato Factory and Tommo & Hawk.

He has also done more well known books such as The Power of One.

My fave author for like the past year has been George Pelecanos - but thats more crime, not sure if you like that genre.?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/13/2009 4:28:19 AM
Author:Brown.Eyed.Girl
I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!

Thanks!

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory? Thick book and fascinating, she also has various others on Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Howard if you like Tudor history.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 4:57:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
BEG, seeing as you''re coming to Oz, and you like historical novels I strongly recommend Bryce Courtenay.

His novels are fiction, but many are layered with historical characters and references of life in Australia across the times - my faves are the Australian Trilogy, specifically the fitsy two Potato Factory and Tommo & Hawk.


He has also done more well known books such as The Power of One.


My fave author for like the past year has been George Pelecanos - but thats more crime, not sure if you like that genre.?

[/QUOTE

Thanks AJ! I''ll definitely check them out. I''m contemplating getting the new Kindle, and I want to stock up

I haven''t really read much in crime. I did go through a mystery/Agatha Christie phase a while back though, even though that''s not really the same, lol.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 6:00:25 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/13/2009 4:28:19 AM

Author:Brown.Eyed.Girl

I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!


Thanks!

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory? Thick book and fascinating, she also has various others on Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Howard if you like Tudor history.

Hey Lorelai! I have actually - The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Virgin''s Lover, and I have The Other Queen but I haven''t started it yet. I definitely like historical fiction!

 

[makemepretty]

I loved the books already mentioned. Did you ever read The Time Travelers Wife? Or The Poisonwood Bible? I just reread those because I enjoyed them so much the first time I read them. The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette was a good fast read. No Place Like Here is kind of interesting, it''s about where missing things and people go, fiction of course.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/13/2009 6:57:57 AM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 2/13/2009 6:00:25 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/13/2009 4:28:19 AM

Author:Brown.Eyed.Girl

I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!


Thanks!

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory? Thick book and fascinating, she also has various others on Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Howard if you like Tudor history.

Hey Lorelai! I have actually - The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Virgin''s Lover, and I have The Other Queen but I haven''t started it yet. I definitely like historical fiction!

I thought you might have come across those titles already - they are great books aren''t they?? I really liked the first three, excellent books!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 7:27:58 AM
Author: makemepretty
I loved the books already mentioned. Did you ever read The Time Travelers Wife? Or The Poisonwood Bible? I just reread those because I enjoyed them so much the first time I read them. The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette was a good fast read. No Place Like Here is kind of interesting, it''s about where missing things and people go, fiction of course.

Ooh I''ve been meaning to read The Time Travelers Wife for a long time now - thanks for reminding me! I''ll put it on my list, and check out the others!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 7:29:44 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/13/2009 6:57:57 AM

Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 2/13/2009 6:00:25 AM

Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/13/2009 4:28:19 AM


Author:Brown.Eyed.Girl


I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!



Thanks!

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory? Thick book and fascinating, she also has various others on Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Howard if you like Tudor history.

Hey Lorelai! I have actually - The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Virgin''s Lover, and I have The Other Queen but I haven''t started it yet. I definitely like historical fiction!

I thought you might have come across those titles already - they are great books aren''t they?? I really liked the first three, excellent books!

I liked The Other Boleyn Girl and The Constant Princess a lot - not so big a fan of The Boleyn Inheritance, but it wasn''t bad. I like Philippa Gregory''s books - they''re so interesting, plus thanks to them I kick ass on the English royalty questions on Jeopardy when BF and I play against each other

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 2/13/2009 6:56:46 AM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 2/13/2009 4:57:30 AM
Author: arjunajane
BEG, seeing as you''re coming to Oz, and you like historical novels I strongly recommend Bryce Courtenay.

His novels are fiction, but many are layered with historical characters and references of life in Australia across the times - my faves are the Australian Trilogy, specifically the fitsy two Potato Factory and Tommo & Hawk.


He has also done more well known books such as The Power of One.


My fave author for like the past year has been George Pelecanos - but thats more crime, not sure if you like that genre.?

[/QUOTE

Thanks AJ! I''ll definitely check them out. I''m contemplating getting the new Kindle, and I want to stock up

I haven''t really read much in crime. I did go through a mystery/Agatha Christie phase a while back though, even though that''s not really the same, lol.

(sorry, I meant to say before "since you''re coming Near Oz", whoops, lol!)

You''re welcome - I reckon you''d love the Australian trilogy .
Pelecanos is great - he writes everything based in and around DC, and I swear its made my Fi obsessed with going there! They are good quick reads, most of them I couldn''t put down.
There is alot of drugs/police/detectives/violence - I guess it depends if you''re keen on that.

I always have fun reading Ben Elton or Irvine Welsh.

 

[cbs102]

Beach Music- Pat Conroy
My Sisters Keeper- Jodi Picault
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith
Time Travelers Wife-Audrey Niffenegger
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond
The Bride Stripped Bare-Nikki Gemmell

 

[CrookedRock]

I have to reccomend anything by Jan Burke. My FMIL gave me a bunch of Edgar Award books, which are always the best, and her book Bones was one of them. I loved it! Now I am going back to the beginning bc it''s actually part of a series, which I enjoy. The great thing about this series is that it is a thriller mystery, but it has a little humor in it. The main character really grows on you.

I''d love to know where you are going in NZ!! We''ll be there in a few months and I am trying to get some ideas of things to do that I didn''t do last time I was there.

 

[tlh]

Ok. Old School. Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonneget.
LOVE IT.

So it goes....

 

[geckodani]

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. Have a little SciFi/Fantasy mixed into modern day, and they are a RIOT!

 

[Honey228]

BF reads a bunch of sci-fi/fantasy. I''d recommend Neil Gaiman, they were all fun reads.

 

[sap483]

Date: 2/13/2009 6:57:57 AM
Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 2/13/2009 6:00:25 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 2/13/2009 4:28:19 AM

Author:Brown.Eyed.Girl

I posted this here because I figured it''d get more traffic. I''m going on a trip to New Zealand next month, and I need books for the 12-hour flight, and also for while I''m there. Nothing too much of a fast read (I read fast and I''m trying to minimize how many I take, so no short reads). I love sci-fi (but I''ve read almost all of Orson Scott Card and Asimov already), love historical novels (I just went through James Clavell''s Asian Saga, read Pillars of the Earth, etc.), love thrillers (reading Clive Cussler''s Treasure of Khan right now). So please help!


Thanks!

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory? Thick book and fascinating, she also has various others on Katherine of Aragon and Katherine Howard if you like Tudor history.

Hey Lorelai! I have actually - The Other Boleyn Girl, The Constant Princess, The Boleyn Inheritance, The Virgin''s Lover, and I have The Other Queen but I haven''t started it yet. I definitely like historical fiction!

If you like Phillipa Gregory''s books, have you read the Duchess? IMO, although it''s a biography, it reads like a novel. Another non-fiction book that reads like a novel is the Devil in the White City. It''s an accounting of the World''s Fair in Chicago and the serial killer in Chicago at that time. It was hard to put down.

 

[Gayletmom]

I recently read The Time Traveler''s Wife and really enjoyed it. I also loved Lottery. It''s a fairly quick read but really heartwarming.

Hope you have a great trip!

 

[julabean]

Have you read the Outlander series? There is some fine historical fiction for you.

 

[fieryred33143]

You know when we flew back from Switzerland (10 hour flight) I really, really enjoyed the audio books they had on the plane. I believe it was Sherlock Holmes. There were 3 books available and I listened to them all. Maybe if you don''t find anything else, you can give those a shot?

 

[Amandine]

Date: 2/13/2009 11:41:29 AM
Author: julabean
Have you read the Outlander series? There is some fine historical fiction for you.

This is what I was going to recommend! Diana Gabaldon rocks! And they should last you for awhile, the books are pretty thick.

I must be the only one who didn''t like the Time Traveler''s Wife. The closer I got to the ending, the more I could see what was going to happen and it really creeped me out. But I had to finish it, kinda like you have to look at a train wreck. In fact, I always liked the name Henry, and the book ruined it for me! Its odd, because there are very few books I don''t like.

 

[vespergirl]

I just read an INCREDIBLE book that''s one of the best books I''ve ever read. I can''t remember the name of the author, but the title is "Fault Lines," and it won the Prix Femina, which is a prestigious literary award. It totally sucked me in - look it up on Amazon.

 

[vespergirl]

If you want a great sci-fi classic, my favorite in that genre is "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert Heinlein.

 

[Circe]

The single best work science fiction I''ve read in the last ten years (and I read a LOT of SF) would have to be Richard Morgan''s Thirteen. It''s a near-future noir thriller that bases itself pretty heavily on the idea of genengineering. Brilliant. Someday I want to teach a class that uses Neil Stephenson''s The Diamond Age in conjunction with Morgan - I just need to figure out a framework! Right now, all I''ve got is "they''re both damn cool works of predictive paranoia," and I doubt that would fly with my department.


Ooo, though if I tossed in Cory Doctorow''s Little Brother ....

Ahem. Yeah, those three.

 

[AprilBaby]

"The Autobiography of King Henry VIII with notes by His Court Jester Will" It will take you there and back to read it but it was magnificent!

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I am strongly recommending The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.

Yes, I have recommened this book over and over again because (to me) it''s an amazing read that shouldn''t be missed or overlooked.

Wally Lamb is a little known author. He busted on the scene by having two Oprah book club books...but he''s a slow author and during a 10 year period where he published nothing fiction and eventually fell off the scene.

The Hour I First Believed is about Columbine, Hurricane Katriana, and the ties that bind us as a family. It''s a slow, savory read. It''s rich in detail, and family, and there is a strong story line that keeps you involved and engaged.

 

[Steel]

If you have not read them yet I highly recommend anything by Stephen King. Nice long read is the The Stand - uncut version.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 8:12:33 AM
Author: cbs102
Beach Music- Pat Conroy

My Sisters Keeper- Jodi Picault

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn-Betty Smith

Time Travelers Wife-Audrey Niffenegger

The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond

The Bride Stripped Bare-Nikki Gemmell

Thanks CBS! I''m looking some of those up on Amazon now!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 7:56:36 AM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 2/13/2009 6:56:46 AM

Author: Brown.Eyed.Girl

Date: 2/13/2009 4:57:30 AM

Author: arjunajane

BEG, seeing as you''re coming to Oz, and you like historical novels I strongly recommend Bryce Courtenay.


His novels are fiction, but many are layered with historical characters and references of life in Australia across the times - my faves are the Australian Trilogy, specifically the fitsy two Potato Factory and Tommo & Hawk.



He has also done more well known books such as The Power of One.



My fave author for like the past year has been George Pelecanos - but thats more crime, not sure if you like that genre.?


[/QUOTE


Thanks AJ! I''ll definitely check them out. I''m contemplating getting the new Kindle, and I want to stock up

I haven''t really read much in crime. I did go through a mystery/Agatha Christie phase a while back though, even though that''s not really the same, lol.

(sorry, I meant to say before ''since you''re coming Near Oz'', whoops, lol!)


You''re welcome - I reckon you''d love the Australian trilogy .

Pelecanos is great - he writes everything based in and around DC, and I swear its made my Fi obsessed with going there! They are good quick reads, most of them I couldn''t put down.

There is alot of drugs/police/detectives/violence - I guess it depends if you''re keen on that.


I always have fun reading Ben Elton or Irvine Welsh.

Hehe I figured as much, although I was confused for a minute!

The crime stuff would go well with one of the seminars I''m taking this quarter (it''s about race and the criminal justice system) so maybe it''ll give me some good insights for my reaction papers too!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 8:15:36 AM
Author: CrookedRock
I have to reccomend anything by Jan Burke. My FMIL gave me a bunch of Edgar Award books, which are always the best, and her book Bones was one of them. I loved it! Now I am going back to the beginning bc it''s actually part of a series, which I enjoy. The great thing about this series is that it is a thriller mystery, but it has a little humor in it. The main character really grows on you.


I''d love to know where you are going in NZ!! We''ll be there in a few months and I am trying to get some ideas of things to do that I didn''t do last time I was there.

Bones looks really interesting! I love series too - I''m always a little sad when a favorite stand-alone ends!

I remember talking with you about NZ a while back! We''re going to the South Island. BF has been planning pretty much everything (he is SO good at researching things he cares about - I hope he cares about my e-ring that much in the future!

). We''re flying into Christchurch and picking up our rental car, then we''re going around the island basically - we''ll be going to Queenstown for bungee jumping, the glaciers, Milford Sound, Te Anau and the glowworm caves, Lake Tekapo, Mount Cook, Wanaka, Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura. We''ll try to stop by one of the wineries towards the end, and go greenstone-shopping in Hokitika. And go knife-making on our way to Hanmer Springs.

It''ll be an exhausting 2 weeks with driving and all, but so much fun!

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Date: 2/13/2009 8:26:19 AM
Author: tlh
Ok. Old School. Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonneget.

LOVE IT.


So it goes....

One of my favorite books!