good book recommendations

[AlwaysSAI]

I'm a biography nut! Currently reading My Friend Leonard by: James Frey. It's the follow up to his first book A Million Little Pieces I have the hardest time putting his books down!

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

I'm a biography nut! Currently reading My Friend Leonard by: James Frey. It's the follow up to his first book A Million Little Pieces I have the hardest time putting his books down!

Isn't he the author that fabricated parts of the books in a A Million Little Pieces?

[tld221]

John Grisham never disappoints. never. He's my official airport/flight author

[AlexMack]

Tamar by Mal Peet. Officially a YA novel but I disagree, it's absolutely brilliant. Won the Carnegie medal.

Atonement and Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. That man is just a literary feast. I was almost sad when Atonement ended, it's such a beautiful book. I'd read anything by him now.

I'm actually bored by Jodi Picoult now. Her books are so similar that I've grown restless reading them. There's a new one coming out soon, I got an advanced reader's copy from my brother's ex's mom who owns a bookstore. Didn't even get a quarter-way through it because I got bored.

Occasionally I re-read Bill Bryson because the man is brilliant and writes the books you don't read in public because you'll laugh too hard.

I gotta admit this-I'm sort of a book snob. I cannot bring myself to buy any trashy chick lit, be seen reading it, be seen considering it, any of it. Well that and the blatant consumerism in the Shopaholic series sickens me, but yeah...uh...I can't bring myself to read the popular fiction like that. Sometimes I steal other people's books instead. I read so fast they can have it back in a day. It's all formulaic anyway. Woman, late 20s, bad dating life, works in publishing or marketing, neurotic about shopping/weight/food/alcohol or all four, meets guy, he's the boss, gets promotion, falls in love, solves major conflict, the end. Boom, I just wrote some chick-lit. 30 second novel.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AlexMack

I gotta admit this-I'm sort of a book snob. I cannot bring myself to buy any trashy chick lit, be seen reading it, be seen considering it, any of it. Well that and the blatant consumerism in the Shopaholic series sickens me, but yeah...uh...I can't bring myself to read the popular fiction like that. Sometimes I steal other people's books instead. I read so fast they can have it back in a day. It's all formulaic anyway. Woman, late 20s, bad dating life, works in publishing or marketing, neurotic about shopping/weight/food/alcohol or all four, meets guy, he's the boss, gets promotion, falls in love, solves major conflict, the end. Boom, I just wrote some chick-lit. 30 second novel.

I used to feel that way when I was in college. Now that actual, like, work has got me busy and thinking about buildings and money like, all the time, I would rather read Sophie Kinsella and Jennifer Weiner than Freakonomics. It's good subway reading.

[AlexMack]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I used to feel that way when I was in college. Now that actual, like, work has got me busy and thinking about buildings and money like, all the time, I would rather read Sophie Kinsella and Jennifer Weiner than Freakonomics. It's good subway reading.

Hence why I borrow them from friends :P I'm too ashamed to even look at them in the bookstores, even in airports.

I have to wonder, do Americans understand the Shopaholic books well? They are very English, even if they're trashy chick-lit.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by AlexMack

Hence why I borrow them from friends :P I'm too ashamed to even look at them in the bookstores, even in airports.

I have to wonder, do Americans understand the Shopaholic books well? They are very English, even if they're trashy chick-lit.

I've seen some of the second and third editions adapted for American audiences. But, I've read most of them as first editions, and they are pretty English, but not impossible to understand.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by AlexMack

Hence why I borrow them from friends :P I'm too ashamed to even look at them in the bookstores, even in airports.

I have to wonder, do Americans understand the Shopaholic books well? They are very English, even if they're trashy chick-lit.

Bridget Jones's Diary had all kinds of British slang, too, but was easy to understand.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by Lady Pi Phi

If you like spy novels, anything by Robert Ludlum is a good read.

As someone else suggested, Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth .

Aso by Ken Follet, Hornet's Flight.

I love all of those - Follett (have you tried World Without End or Night Over Water?), David Baldacci, Brad Thor, Vince Flynn - the whole genre.

Originally Posted by tld221

John Grisham never disappoints. never. He's my official airport/flight author

Have you read The Innocent Man yet? It's the first Grisham I haven't totally loved.


Just an idea: on another message board, people keep track of every book they read within a year. It's inspired me to keep a list - maybe we can compare at the end of the year?

[catiebug]

I like that idea!!!

Originally Posted by honeychile

Just an idea: on another message board, people keep track of every book they read within a year. It's inspired me to keep a list - maybe we can compare at the end of the year?

[tld221]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Have you read The Innocent Man yet? It's the first Grisham I haven't totally loved.

see, the plot summaries never quite match how good the story will read. they are either WAY more awesome or totally suck. i probably would leave this one on the shelf.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by tld221

see, the plot summaries never quite match how good the story will read. they are either WAY more awesome or totally suck. i probably would leave this one on the shelf.

*whew* I thought it was me! I rarely get halfway through a book and think, "why am I even trying to understand this?"

[RaggedyAnn]

I've read all but the first Jodi Picoult books. I've also read all of Jennifer Weiner's and most of Jane Greene's.

Right now I am reading my first Diane Chamberlain book-the Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes. It is very good. I also recommend The Memory Keepers Daughter (can't remember the author) and The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

[AlwaysSAI]

Originally Posted by Lady Pi Phi

Isn't he the author that fabricated parts of the books in a A Million Little Pieces?

Yeah, that's him.

[sjsoffer]

One of my favorite books of all time is "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger, which is saying something since I have 5 bookshelves full of "my favorite books" :\