Books to recommend....
 

I got this idea while reading the random thread when Honey mentioned about the Shopaholic series. I thought it might be a fun idea for us to tell each other great books that we have read (and even possibly books to avoid reading ;) )


I highly recommend the following books :)

Diary of a Mad Bride-to-Be and Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be by Laura Wolf (these books are absolutely hysterical!)

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson (I'm actually reading this one right now and it is so incredibly hard to put it down but I know I have to actually get some sleep)

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts

All of the Harry Potter books (he he)




Can't think of anymore right now but I'm sure I'll have more once school is over and winter break starts and I have more time to read.

I LOVE the shopaholic books!!!! I haven't read the latest one yet though!

I also really loved "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" from Gregory Maguire. It is basically the Cinderella story told with a dark twist. It was AWESOME!!! I've heard Maguires' "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" was also VERY good, but I haven't been able to get my paws on a copy yet (I'm really picky about books.. gotta have the first editions in hardcover.. hehehe). He also has out "Lost" which I believe is the tale of Hansel and Gretel, "Mirror, Mirror" (obviously a version of Snow White), and I think there is another one? I can't remember.

I REALLY loved the Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister though!!!! So I definitely plan on getting his other books.

If you're into girly-type books, I would recommend "Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber"... it was HILARIOUS!

Also another book I would highly recommend is "e" by Matt Beaumont. It is basically the tale of a company told thru inter-office memos. The entire book is in the form of emails, and it is so funny you will seriously laugh out loud.

I can't think of other books I have that I would highly recommend... I have like a library of fiction books...so I will have to go thru those and get back to ya'll on more that I'd recommend. :)

(Note: if you read as much as I do, Half Priced Books is your friend!!! also half.com to get good books cheap! or you could go to the library I guess :p)

Cosign to the nth degree!!! A mixed blessing of my life is that I am a very fast reader (we're talking about reading Dr. Zhivago in one night!), and take a book with me wherever I go. I always have one "good" book, and one "mind candy" book going.

I'm on a David Baldacci high right now, and will read anything by him. Same with Ludlum, Forsythe, Follett, and that whole genre - especially if it concerns either the Russian Revolution or Nazi Germany.

For fun, anything by Fannie Flagg or Florence King is usually fun.

I'd recommend:

* Anything by Dee Henderson (writes a sort of Christian suspense/romance type book...has two series out)

* Anything by Iris Johansen (I started reading her books with The Killing Game, and I'm actually now reading some of her earlier books that came before that)

*Nora Roberts either as Nora Roberts or J.D. Robb (Robb books are a futuristic suspenseful romantic novel...do you sense a theme here? ;))

* Meg Cabot (Yes, The Princess Diaries are great, but she also has a couple of books out written in the manner that t*p was talking about being entirely in the form of emails among co-workers and such)

*Karin Slaughter (mainly suspense novels....can be very graphic, but are VERY hard to put down!)

I may think of more....can you tell how I spend my time???? :D

for anyone really into colorful, creative language and modernized fairytale-esque stories, check out Francesca Lia Block.


'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn' is a great book by Betty Smith.

'Anywhere But Here' by Mona Simpson

'Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man' by Fannie Flagg
'Welcome to the World Baby Girl' by Fannie Flagg
(both of these books are very southern, flagg is the author of 'fried green tomatoes at the whistlestop cafe')

'The Virgin Suicides' by Jeffery Eugenides

AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!




I thought of some more authors.


I have to admit that I love Danielle Steel. My absolute favorite book of hers is A Long Journey Home. Excellent!!!!!

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (Just an amazing book and I hope that I am able to see the play this coming Valentines Day)

Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden (It goes into a bit more depth than the movie, but it is EXCELLENT, it was actually a New York Times bestseller)


I saw a couple of books that I want to read, I'll definately let y'all know how they are.

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is a great book and a even better play.

I LOVE Nora Roberts and all JD Robb books. They are the best best best romanace/mystery books around and she is awesome. All of her books are awesome, but I did just read Blue Dahlia and Northern Lights. Both I recommend.

Skipping Christmas, by John Grisham was also a good book.


I am into romance and mystery.

Seems like we have a very similar taste in books! :)

I also like "The Cat Who..." books by Lillian Jackson Braun.

"Eating the Cheshire Cat" by Helen Ellis was also a really good read! I could hardly put it down. The opening paragraphs seriously grab you into the book. It is basically a story of three girls and their mothers.. think deep south traditions... rites of passage (i.e. sorority rush.. things like that).. perfectly planned parties, social ladders, and the crazy things women do to get to the top. It is a little less than 300 pgs. but well worth it.

Honestly, that was the weirdest book I ever read. If I didn't have this thing against quitting in the middle of a book, I probably would have. It was just really, really odd, and I didn't like it one bit.

Oooo, thank you sisters for some unchartered reading territory for me! I love to read, but I have a really bad habit of reading everything that an author writes very quickly and then I'm left trying to find something else that I would like just as well.

Right now I am speeding through Deception Point by Dan Brown. I'm sad b/c I've read all of his others and I'm savoring the last one. I know that The Davinci Code has gotten alot of press and will be made into a movie, but I have to say that Angels and Demons was so much better.

Other than Harry Potter books (my excuse for reading them is the need to "connect" with my students, yeah right), that is all I can think of to recommend.

Thanks again, I have my holiday break coming up and I plan to do alot of reading then!

hehehe yea it was definitely different... i think that's what i liked about it - that it wasn't like a lot of the books i tend to read. when i read it i was in a little phase of reading all different kinds of girly books (you know.. there's a girl in her mid-20s.. gets dumped by a boyfriend, loses her job... just about everything goes wrong.. she goes through all kinds of craziness but ends up alright in the end) so I liked that it wasn't like any of those

ACK!!!!!!!!!! How could I forget the wonderful books by Maeve Binchy?? She is truly a story teller - 500 years ago, she would have been one of those "wise women" who told tales to others. It's mind candy, but such divine wisdom is between the lines.

oh I forgot the book Mean Season by Heather Cochran. I actually read a review for the book in People and they recommended it so I thought "what the heck". It was very good. It was hard to put it down.

polarpi, do you ever read Beverly Lewis' or Boedie Thorne's books? I love them, too.


Most definitely the strangest, oddest, weirdest book I ever had to read was "The Painted Bird" by Jerzy Kocinski (sp?). It's supposedly based on Roman Polanski's youth, which would definitely explain why he's so odd! I get the shivers, just thinking about that horrible book!!

I haven't....anything that you'd recommend?

Off the top of my head, I'd say that if you enjoy Christian fiction, anything by either author is wonderful. Thoene writes about Israel, WWII Judaism, etc, while Lewis writes mostly about the Mennonite life. The books are kinda pricy, if you go to a Christian book store, but ebay has them better priced, or a sorority sister would probably lend some to you! ;) :D

I was just going to post about Bodie Theone when I read yours, Honey! She is a great author!!!! Some of the books she writes with her husband, Brock. Her series that starts with "Vienna Prelude" is VERY INTENSE!!! I had to stop reading them the 1st time I was pregnant b/c I kept having scary dreams about them.

Also Jan Karon is one of my favorite authors. Her Father Tim series is great- I laugh out loud, cry real tears, and completely enjoy each one! I must admit it took me until the 2nd book in to really get used to her style of writing- it's in short snippets- is that how to describe it?


I try to stick to mostly Christian fiction authors with a few exceptions, such as John Grisham- I'll read anything by him!

My friend just lent me a series by Francine Rivers- I've heard she's great but I'm only on chapter 2 of the 1st book so I'll have to get back to ya on that one.

OMG I LOVE John Grisham. A Time to Kill was amazing. I also really enjoyed The Chamber (although the movie was crap). I need to read more of his works I just don't know which ones are his best ones. Any suggestions WLFEO?

Bri, did you read Skipping Christmas? It's not intense, like Grisham's other books, but it's good. I'm pretty sure I've read all of his books (Street Lawyer is one not mentioned). If you like him, you'll like David Baldacci.

I must admit that I *used* to read a lot of John Grisham....I definitely prefer his books to the movies made for them (except for A Time to Kill...I LOVE that movie!) I haven't read anything of his since I started to read The Chamber a little bit after it first came out, so maybe I need to start reading him a little more? :cool:

Honestly I haven't read anything by him that I didn't like. BTW, I don't even bother with the movies- they're never as good as the books! BLECH! Anyway, besides his "lawyer" books, I also emjoyed Skipping Christmas (a fast read) and also Painted Houses (or The Painted House or something similar to that- we've got his books packed away right now b/c we're doing a little remodel of the house and had to move the bookcase to install the new flooring).

Oh, of course, I find the ADPi COB to be a fascinating read. Whenever I pick it up- I just can't put it down! :D I recommend it to anyone. Anyone who is an ADPi, that is!

No, not yet. It is on my list though to read.

I also want to read the book by Nicholas Sparks A Bend In The Road.

I just finished reading the James Patterson book Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. SO GOOD!!! I couldn't put it down. It was sad though.

I just managed to buy myself four more books (at a discount store) so I'm excited to have some stuff to read.


This might sound funny but another of my favorite books is actually a kids novel. It is by Lois Lowry and it is called Number the Stars. I read it as a kid and I loved it. (FYI: I hopefully will get to meet Lois Lowry in February when she comes to a bookstore here in Arizona).

Slight hijack: My adopted aunt just lent me a BUNCH of books (mainly Nicholas Sparks), and A Bend In The Road is one of them...if Bri wants to read it, then I'm sure I'll enjoy it as well! She also lent me The Five People You Meet in Heaven, which I'm excited to read!

WLFEO: I am still WANTING to sit down and read the COB! The more I learn about advising and areas of the chapter that I wasn't familiar with before, the more I want to learn! :)

Okay, off to go start a new book! :)

Jen, maybe we should start our own "ADPi book club". :) We'll read the book "together" and discuss.

Call me crazy but that actually sounds like fun.

Definitely - but I think I'm going to read the Five People You Meet in Heaven first! :)

Here's my two cents. I love books with good characters, ones that I can relate to.

Jennifer Weiner is a great "chick lit" author. Her first book, Good in Bed, is funny and makes you feel good! In Her Shoes was also good and Little Earthquakes in her latest.

I got a big kick out of the Nanny Diaries and The Devil Loves Prada - don't know the authors of those off the top of my head. Fun reading!

:)

I LOVED Nanny Diaries & Devil Wears Prada Too!! I was looking for other books that have that same feel. Anyone know any good ones?

I love the idea of starting an ADPi book club. I think it would be fun!!

Nanny Diaries and Devil Wears Prada were great books.

I recommend Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding (Bridget Jones author). But don't expect this character to be another Bridget. Olivia Joules is a little darker. She kind of reminded me of Sydney Bristow on Alias. This is a great read.

I also highly recommend The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. In the beginning this book is a little confusing because it jumps around in time a lot. But if you stick with it you'll be glad you did. It is one of my favorite books of alltime.

Also, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb are two more of my faves.

The authors of The Nanny Diaries just came out with their second book - Citizen Girl. I have not read it yet, but the reviews have been pretty good. (Acutally, not sure if its out yet, but I believe if not it will be within the next few weeks).

If you enjoy this type of book try Marion Keyes books. They are great. I have read Angels, Sushi for Beginners, and Last Chance Saloon. I put all the rest of her books on my Christmas List. They have the "girly" feel that the Shopaholics, Nanny Diaries, etc have, but they are a little more sophisticated in the writing style, for lack of a better way of describing them.

OOOH! My Christmas list just got longer...:D

Thanks for the recommendations!

ROTFL!!! I SO love to read!! But on my Christmas list, I have American Brutus. I had the good fortune to take the John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tour (a must for the Lincoln/Civil War buff!), and the man who wrote this book (Michael Kauffman from CNN) was our tour guide.

Of course, I love the mind candy, too!

I absolutely loved all the shopaholic books. They are easy reads and hysterical. The main character totally reminds me of myself and the situations I get into.

Also, I just read the Devil Wears Prada which was great and I recommend the Go Girl's Guide to Surviving her 20s with Style, Soul, and Savy. It is a book that prepares you for things you could encounter in relationships, work, and spiritual life and surviving it all with grace.

Angels and Demons written by Tim Brown is my all time favorite book. I thought it was better than the DaVinci Code which is all the rage right now.

Reading is my favorite activitiy! Here's my long list of reccomendations:
"Chick Lit"
*by*Meg Cabot-
--All-American Girl
--The Boy Next Door
--Boy Meets Girl
*by*Donna Kauffman-
--The Big Bad Wolf Tells All
--The Cinderella Rules
--Dear Prince Charming
*by*Julia London-
--Material Girl
--Beauty Queen
*by*Katie MacAlister-
--Men in Kilts
--The Corset Diaries
*by*Kacey Michaels-
--Can't Take My Eyes Off You
*by*Hailey North-
--Love: Undercover
--Opposites Attract
--Tangled Up in Love
*by*Melissa Senate-
--The Solomon Sisters Wise Up
--See Jane Date
*by*Nora Roberts-
--The Keys Triology: Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor
--The Three Sister's Island Trilogy: Dance Upon the Air, Heaven and Earth, Face the Fire
--The Irish Triology: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, Heart of the Sea
--In the Garden Trilogy: Blue Dahlia (Only one of the books is published so far)
"Western Romance"
*by*Linda Lael Miller-
--The Women of Primrose Creek series: Bridget, Skye, Megan, Christy
--Springwater Seasons series: Rachel, Savannah, Miranda, Jessica
--Springwater Christmas
--Springwater Wedding
--High Country Bride
--Shotgun Bride
Christian/Inspirational
*by*Norene Morris-
--Tumbleweeds series: Cottonwood Dreams, Rainbow Harvest, Pioneer Legacy, A Heart for Home
*by*Janette Oke-
--Love Comes Softly series (there are 8 books- I won't list them all)
--Canadian West Series: When Calls the Heart, When Comes the Spring, When Breaks the Dawn, When Hope Springs New
--They Called her Mrs. Doc
--The Calling of Emily Evans
--Roses for Mama
--Julia's Last Hope
Actually pretty much any book by Janette Oke is good.
Sci-Fi/ Fantasy
*by*Anne McCaffrey-
--Any of the Dragonriders of Pern series: my favorite is Dragonsdawn
--Crystal Singer
--Killashandra
--Crystal Line
--Pegasus in Flight
--To Ride Pegasus
--Pegasus in Space
--Nimisha's Ship
*by*Mercedes Lackey-
--Any of the Valdemar books: many series in all of these. I think my favorite would be the original series The Heralds of Valdemar
*by*Connie Willis-
--Water Witch
--Promised Land
--Bellweather
*by*J.K. Rowling-
--Harry Potter series (of course!)

Ok thats it.
Edited for spelling!

"Angels and Demons" and "The DaVinci Code" by Dan Brown are the best books I have ever read. I absolutely loved them and would probably read anything that Dan Brown wrote.

If you want something very dark and disturbing, read "Less than Zero" by Bret Easton Ellis. It was hard to put down, but DEFINATELY a troubled story.

"Tuesdays with Morrie" is one of the most inspirational books I have read recently. It is by Mitch Albom who also wrote "The 5 People You Meet in Heaven". It makes you want to cherish every moment. :)

Oh, and I also have to throw in my recommendation for the Harry Potter books. If anyone has read the HP thread, then you know why. Those books are my escape. :D

adpi*nurse, you and I are SO similar when it comes to books! Each of these that I've quoted here are ones I've either read or have on my shelf waiting to be read! :D

No wonder we got along so well in college (besides being sisters!) ;) :)

I loved the Keys Trilogy!!!!
And I read Janette Oke when I was a little girl. My mom owned the Love Comes Softly books (the first 3 anyway). After one, I was hooked. But every single one of her books are absolutely fabulous. My brother bought the Calling of Emily Evans for me (since my name is Emily) and it's probably my favorite, well, actually I can't pick a favorite........

Ok besides Nora Roberts books, anyone read any real good romance/mystery books lately. I love Noras books because of the mystery and the romance, but Ive had no time to read. Now that Im looking for a new job, I think Ill have some time. I need some good reading. I have read all Noras latest books already.

Also, I don't think anyone's mentioned them yet...

Religious or not, the Left Behind books tell a really good story!

LOL!!!

I've been waiting until they're all out to read them! I read so fast that I get frustrated if I have to wait more than a few months between books!