Okay...I'm finally home from school for the summer and now I actually have time to read for my own pleasure. I'm looking for your opinions on what book(s) would be worthy of my summer reading. Please help! Thanks so much Posted by Flaming Toad on a Stick (Member # 9302) on :
What genre do you normally read?
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
Are you looking for Great Literature, Good Reads, or Cheesy Fun Stuff?
Posted by socal_chic (Member # 7803) on :
Well the genres I like are science fiction (but not too 'out there'), drama/suspense, some historical fiction....stuff like that.
And I guess I'm looking for a combination of great literature and good reads. I like some 'classics' but some just seem to drag for me. Hopefully that helps and thanks to you both for responding! Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Hmmm... If you want a really good suspense/drama I would definitely, definitely suggest Diary by Chuck Palahniuk. It is a fantastic novel, a little bit disturbing, but the twists and suspense parts are absolutely amazing. Try it, you'll see.
Otherwise, I have always, and will always suggest absolutely anything by Tom Robbins. Try Still Life with Woodpecker first, its really good, has some excellent drama in it and is a great love story (also very funny).
Posted by Amilia (Member # 8912) on :
Have you read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books? We have a WWII era nurse who travels back in time to Scotland just in time to become involved with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the '45. It combines all of the genres you listed very well. You'll find it in the romance section of the bookstore, but don't let that fool you. It is not at all your typical cheesy bodice ripper (I know, I've read my share of them) and Gabaldon has really done her homework. The historical stuff is incredible.
On the classic side, one of my all time favorites is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. It is about a little girl growing up in Brooklyn around the turn of the last century. The characters are amazing! None of them are perfect; you see their flaws, their humanity, and you love them for it.
Anything by Connie Willis. If you already read SF, then you probably already know her work. I have not been disapointed by anything she has written. There are not many authors I can say that about.
Anything by Jasper Fforde. This week's Uncle Orson review talks about his Eyre Affair, which is great fun. His newest book, not in the Thursday Next world, is The Big Over Easy in which we meet Jack Spratt, head of the Nursery Crime division of the Reading Police Department. He has to figure out who killed Humpty Dumpty. Very fun spoof on mystery novels.
Posted by andi330 (Member # 8572) on :
If you haven't read it yet, Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner is a fun read. It's mostly fluff, but it'd be a great beach book and the second book in the series is due out in June. It's sort of a, What if Buffy grew up, stopped fighting demons, got married and never told her family deal. Then one day a demon crashes through her kitchen window and she has to back to work.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
I just read Harry Turtledove's World War series, and I would highly recommend it.
Posted by socal_chic (Member # 7803) on :
It all sounds really good...thanks for giving me lots of good recommendations!
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
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