Our library has a for-crap science fiction section, so I'm looking for some good old regular fiction. Our library has a for-crap fiction section as well, so please try not to suggest anything really super unusual as they probably won't have it.
I'll read pretty much anything, but I can't stand romance-type books or angsty woman books.
space opera
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Peace Like a River , by Leif Enger.
Beautiful. Sort of To Kill a Mockingbird-like. Closest I can come. Wonderful characters, great story.
Life of Pi , by Yann Martel
Great story. Thought I should be bored while reading, yet couldn't put it down or stop thinking about it for a second.
The Icarus Girl, by Helen Oyeyemi
Weird rather dsturbing story based on a Nigerian myth about twins.
Gates of Fire, by Stephen Pressfield
Story of the battle of Thermopylae. Pretty brutal, but one of the best books I have ever read. Bob also loved it. Very powerful.
All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy
Lovely writing, beautiful story.
World's End, by T. Corraghassen Boyle
Very powerful story about the strength, in a bad way, of family genes. Takes place in the twentieth century with a mirror story set in the 1600's of Dutch settlement in New York. Interesting if only for that. I love his writing, but it is very dark. He has a wonderfully sick sense of humor, though. Reminds me of Evelyn Waugh in that way.
And speaking of Evelyn Waugh, read anything by him. One of my very favorite authors ever.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
The Eight and The Magic Circle by Katherine Neville.
Like The Davinci Code, sort of history mysteries, but better.
Smilla's Sense of Snow, by Peter Hoag.
Mystery.
The Sister Fidelma mysteries, by Peter Tremayne.
Mysteries set in ancient Ireland, featuring a kick-a** nun named Sister Fidelma.
Tony Hillerman, Navajo mysteries.
I love Tony Hillerman, but would not recommend the one I just read. I can;t even remember the title! My favorite was People of Darkness. Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
"Angle of Repose", by Wallace Stegner. If your local library does not have it, well, my dear, I'm afraid that I will have to recommend that you move away from that Podunk Burg at once.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Try looking for some of the Mann Booker Prize winners. I've read several of them, and never been disappointed.
I espcially suggest The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, The Famished Road by Ben Okri, Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, and Bone People by Keri Hulme.
Life of Pi was also a Booker winner, and quite good.
Posted by Pelegius (Member # 7868) on :
Life of Pi and Catch-22 are the best books ever! If you get anything out of this, it will be: Read Life of Pi!
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Thanks for the recommendations! We're going to the library tomorrow, so I'll make sure to look for several of the books listed here. Our library is being renovated soon, which means there will be more room for more books...yay! It's way too small for the amount of people it's supposed to serve.
Tante, I *do* live in a Podunk Burg. My hometown doesn't even have a library; I have to drive to the county one 20 minutes away!
You know, I have The Life of Pi sitting on one of our bookshelves downstairs. I couldn't finish it. I got to the part where he's on the boat with the tiger, and the zebra is partially eaten, and couldn't stomach any more. Is he on the boat for most of the rest of the book?
space opera
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
He is on the boat for most of the story, but you ahould try to finish it, if for no other reason than I NEED you to.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Louise Erdrich is a phenomenal author. If you can find a copy of her novel Tracks, it's a pretty good place to start with her.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Liz, I don't know...it's so gross! However, if you'll swear that the book is worth it then I will finish. But you must swear, because the zebra still being alive while being eaten makes me want to throw up the cinnamon rolls I just ate.
Noemon, I LOVE Louise Erdrich. The Bingo Palace and Love Medicine are two of my favorites, and I just finished The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. I'll look for a copy of the one you suggested at the library as well.
space opera
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I've been wanting to read The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse. How is it? I mean, it's Erdrich, so it's almost bound to be good, but how does it stack up against her other stuff? The only novel of hers that I've read and haven't been terribly impressed by was The Crown of Columbus, which she co-wrote with somebody or other.
Michael Chabon is another mainstream author I've been reading a bit of lately, and have been impressed by. He's got a young adult book, Summerland: A Novel that is an interesting take on and blending of a number of myths, folk beliefs, and baseball, which I enjoyed despite having almost no interest whatsoever in the sport. He's got a collection of short stories called Werewolves in Their Youth that contains some good stuff, and I've heard all sorts of great stuff about The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (including a rave review from George R. R. Martin), but it's always been checked out when I've tried to get it from the library. Right now his The Final Solution: A Novel of Detection, about an geriatric Sherlock Holmes. I'm reading a bunch of stuff at the moment, so I haven't gotten very far into it yet, but it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun.
Posted by Alistair (Member # 7858) on :
Personally I am big fan of some of the older classics (not all though, I'd sooner choke on a Steinbeck than read it), the benefit here is that almost any library should be able to come up with at least one book from my list of favorites.
The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Idiot - Fyodor Dostoyevsky Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexadre Dumas
I have found the my love of Dostoyevsky is a taste that is not shared by many of those I know. The two of his listed above are in essence lengthy, very philisophical narratives.
For lighter reading I would go with either Don Quixote or Monte Cristo which are more what you could call adventure novels, though still lengthy, both weighing in at 1000-1500 pages.
Just my 2 literary cents.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
SO,
You might want to put it down, then. I do not want to be responsible.
It is not an ungross book, by any means, but boy is it fascinating.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
::loves Steinbeck::
::also loves Dostoyevsky::
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
There is a new translation of Don Quixote out, Alistair, did you know that? My friend had it with her when she visited.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Robert Parker's Spenser novels are fun, quick reading.
Bernard Cornwell's historical adventures are also good, but depict some fairly gruesome battles realistically.
I admit an enjoyment of Billie Letts ('Where the Heart Is,' 'Honk and Holler Cafe') and Olive Ann Burns 'Cold Sassy Tree.' Southern fiction-- gotta love it. In the same category is Carl Hiassen's novels about living in Florida-- I liked 'Lucky You' more than 'Stormy Weather.'
While it is the bane of OSC's existence, I really, really enjoyed Charles Frazier's 'Cold Mountain.' I usually can pick up on the things that might, or do annoy OSC, but I can't for the life of me figure out what bugs him about this spectacular novel. Unless its the pretensious hyphens that connotate dialogue rather than the normal quotation marks. Like this:
-Mary, would you pass me the salt?-
vs.
"Mary, would you pass me the salt?"
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Oh, your mention of Cold Sassy Tree reminds me of one of my favorite all time stories: Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man, by Fannie Flagg. Also Fried green Tomatoes. (Bailey White)
There is also another southern story that cracked me up called Quite a Year for Plums, but I cannot remember the author.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Anybody read Mary Doria Russell's A Thread of Grace? I read an interview with her that made me want to read it, but I haven't yet done so.
Posted by Promethius (Member # 2468) on :
I am currently reading the stand by Stephen King, it is pretty good so far and really starts to pick up the pace after around 110 pages. The book is over 1000 so taking 110 pages to get better is ok with me.
Posted by Alistair (Member # 7858) on :
A new translation of Don Quixote. That is very tempting, of the books I listed that is the only one that I hav yet to own. Sounds like now is a prime time to remedy that.
Posted by not hansenj (Member # 8066) on :
For a long treatise on the humanity in general and a fabulous read, though not for the plot obsessed action reader, Les Miserables by Vitor Hugo is amazing. All 1400 unabridged pages of it.
For a more contemplative look at life and what matters about it, I suggest A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean. I loved it, and it's only 107 pages.
And, for a just so darn fun and hilarious that it gives you a nice ab workout To Say Nothing of the Dog, or How We Found the Bishop's Birdstump at Last by Connie Willis. It is usually listed without the second half of the title. The book that inspired it, Three Men in a Boat, to Say Nothing of the Dog by Jerome K. Jerome is a comedy set on the Thames in Victorian times that is enjoyable, though not a necessary prerequisite to Willis's book.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
I've finished World's End and am about halfway through Peace Like a River. Yes, I read fast. Thanks for recommending them! I liked the first well enough that I will probably seek out other books by the author. The "Saint of the Woods" was probably my favorite character in that one, though I felt a lot of sympathy for Walter and even Dipe by the end.
space opera
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
SO, Hooray! I also enjoyed "Water Music," but did not enjoy "Tortilla Curtain," mainly because it was ultra depressing. I loved ""The Road to Wellville," but it left me with a sick-to-the-stomach feeling. After "Tortilla Curtain," I was all Boyled out. ha ha.
Ooh, I can't wait until ou finish "Peace Like a River."
Posted by camus (Member # 8052) on :
you must finish Life of Pi. Once you get to the last twenty or so pages, you'll start to realize why it's so special.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
camus, I can totally understand why SO can't right now, or maybe ever. It is gruesome.
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
Finished Peace Like a River this morning. Liz, what a great story! I normally am annoyed with books that have a lot of religious/God stuff in them, but the tone the story was written in made it palatable. There was such innocence and wonder that came from the narrator; I had a hard time remembering that he was looking back as an adult, not writing it as a child. I think that made it all the more poignant. I would definately recommend it to someone, and I'm glad you did to me!
space opera
Posted by Treason (Member # 7587) on :
by Stephen King.
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
For something light, try Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist and Veronika Decides to Die. Two very good stories; they deserve more than a superficial read. Translated very well from Portuguese.
Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
quote: We the Living
One of Ayn Rand's best novels.
I have to disagree Treason. We the Living is just barely above Anthem in my book. I thought it had the same poorly developed characters as her other novels, but it lacked the philisophical explanation that made the others good. If someone wants to read something by Rand, I suggest Atlas Shrugged. She makes absolutely certain you get every single one of her points. And personally, I found it a better read than the others.
Posted by Rico (Member # 7533) on :
A very long read.
I really think the book could have been shorter and still gotten the point across.
I'd like to second Treason's recommendation for the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I just finished reading the last book and I enjoyed the universe quite a bit.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I was mad at King for the "twist" he added into 6 and 7. I'm not saying what so I don't spoil anything, but those of you that read it know what I mean. I did have a pretty good hint it was coming when Eddie and Roland were looking at the bookcase at the end of 5, but it could definitely have been handled better. I loved the way he brought in some of my favorite characters from other books. And I literally threw 7 across the room when I read the second ending.
But I still love love love King and I'll read just about anything he puts out. I'll need to find some more room, though, because he's got a new one coming in October ("The Colorado Kid", I think it'll be paperback only) and then at least one more, the one that's involved in that character auction.
Posted by rCX (Member # 8503) on :
Ender's Game or anything by Tom Clancy if you like military strategy.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
If you like military potboilers, Tom Clancy. For strategy, avoid it like the plague.
Posted by CStroman (Member # 6872) on :
For light reading I've heard that "The Secret Life of Bees" and her new book "The Mermaid Chair" are pretty good by Sue Monk Kidd. Especially if you like Fried Green Tomatoes, To Kill a Mockingbird type feel books.
Posted by Treason (Member # 7587) on :
Amanecer, I know that I am in a real minority when I say We the Living is one of Ayn's best books. I just love it because it is the dark one, the one where almost nothing goes the way you want it to. (I'm trying not to spoil the book for anyone, so I can't explain myself very well) I like that the characters are up against impossible odds but a certain character never gives up inside herself. The feel of the book just makes me hopeful. My boyfriend hates that one because of the darkness in it. Anthem is his favourite!
And Goody, I thought the ending for 7, while it was not exactly what I wanted, was the only way it could have ended. It felt right. If I can be clear (and I am not very eloquent so I'm never clear, sigh) it's as if Stephen did not write fiction, he was reporting facts (or channeling Gaia, if you will ) and that is the way it ended so that's what he wrote. Hope that made some sense.
Posted by human_2.0 (Member # 6006) on :
I just read the newly re-released Tears of Autumn. Awesome JFK assassination thriller. After reading it you will never believe any of those other JFK assassination theories.
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My hometown doesn't even have a library; I have to drive to the county one 20 minutes away!![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
Thanks for recommending them! I liked the first well enough that I will probably seek out other books by the author. The "Saint of the Woods" was probably my favorite character in that one, though I felt a lot of sympathy for Walter and even Dipe by the end. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
or anything by Tom Clancy if you like military strategy.
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