Books

wadingmoose

So, I'm a reader.  I love books - a lot.  I figure a few people around here likely are too so...tell me about your favorite author.  What kind of books do they write?  What is your favorite book?  What are you reading right now?

pumpkinpumpkin

I'm reading Twilight for the 3rd time right now. Only because I'm too lazy to go buy another book.

direy25

I love Carl Hiassen books.  He's got a very sarcastic sense of humor. 

number55

John Irving is one of my favourite authors and A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favourite books written by him.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also one of my favourite authors...A Hundred Years of Solitude is one of my favourite books of all time.

I love the book Lamb by Christopher Moore (very satirical, don't read it if you are very religious and easily offended)

Douglas Coupland is a Canadian author I enjoy, I loved Hey Nostradamus!

I really loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo...I want to read the other two books in the series.

I loved the Golden Compass series even though they are intended to be kids books (but I liked Harry Potter and Twilight too...)

[Deleted User]

I just read Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and loved it.  I really don't have a favorite author and I pretty much get my favorite books from recommendations like this   I love to read though so I'm always looking for ideas.

opalsky007

I've been reading a lot of Preston and Child novels lately. They write murder mystery/thriller type stuff, and several of the recurring characters are archaeologists or anthropologists, which I really like. They're a little weird (I yelled WTF!!! out loud a couple of times during the last one), but addictive.

andy71781

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:4f6db8da-ce09-4e68-99dd-023c17c6ed03">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]John Irving is one of my favourite authors and A Prayer for Owen Meany is one of my favourite books written by him. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is also one of my favourite authors... A Hundred Years of Solitude is one of my favourite books of all time. I love the book Lamb by Christopher Moore (very satirical, don't read it if you are very religious and easily offended) Douglas Coupland is a Canadian author I enjoy, I loved Hey Nostradamus ! I really loved The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. ..I want to read the other two books in the series. I loved the Golden Compass series even though they are intended to be kids books (but I liked Harry Potter and Twilight too...)
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]

I think I copied you on the favorite things post - John Irving is ALSO my favorite author.  I'm currently reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I'm enjoying it.  I also love Wally Lamb and anything by D.H. Lawrence for sexy beach reads.

mandysmear

The Glass Castle - memoir (i love memoirs)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - i just loved it. 
Secret Life of bees (we've talked about this before though
Jen Lancaster's stuff is hilarious.  Love her.  She is so funny.  She's a memoir writer and it's light stuff.  But she's laugh out loud funny.

number55

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:e3f34a16-cdcf-486a-a7b8-fa2c62ff689e">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Books : I think I copied you on the favorite things post - John Irving is ALSO my favorite author.  I'm currently reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and I'm enjoying it.  I also love Wally Lamb and anything by D.H. Lawrence for sexy beach reads.
Posted by andy71781[/QUOTE]

<div>I read <em>She's Come Undone</em> by Wally Lamb...I really liked it even though I found it so sad.</div>

Nebb

STEPHEN KING! He writes a mixture of things, mostly supernatural thriller type of books, but theyre deeper than that. He touches on religion, society, life and death. My ultimate favourite by him is the dark tower series, it is hands down one of the most incredible things I have ever read - when i finished the last book I was just numb, I couldnt get over how HUGE it was. He has a lot of good stuff though, my favourites are the stand, liseys story, bag of bones, duma key, the dome, desperation, insomnia, the shining, and a lot of his short stories/novellas. Right now im reading the talisman, so far im meh about it.

andy71781

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:d022a411-0252-4604-b158-d5e1657332e8">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Books : I read She's Come Undone  by Wally Lamb...I really liked it even though I found it so sad.
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]

"I Know This Much Is True" is also sad but amazing. 

Nebb - can you believe I've never read anything by Steven King?

Nebb

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:0d9dbdc5-8f53-4955-8beb-e03cf1765f4a">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Books : "I Know This Much Is True" is also sad but amazing.  Nebb - can you believe I've never read anything by Steven King?
Posted by andy71781[/QUOTE]
You really REALLY need to.

wadingmoose

I'm currently reading "The Calling," by Inger Ash Wolfe.  She's apparently a well known Canadian author who is writing some crime fiction under a pen name.  I'm interested to know who it is, but the book is interesting so far.

I tend to love mystery/crime/thriller stuff.  I've had to pick some lighter stuff lately like the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum novels so I dont have nightmares so I read those before bed and read the heavier stuff on my way to and from work on the train.

I was reading the Outlander series but am taking a break halfway through book 2 because I was having so much trouble not throwing the book against the wall.  I really want to yell at the author to STFU and let the characters tell the story already since she seems absolutely determined to show off all the research she's done.  Ugh.

direy25

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:c122d488-d69b-430b-a9e7-4bad100e5756">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE] <strong>Right now im reading the talisman, so far im meh about it.
</strong>Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]
How far have you gotten into it?  That's actually one of my favorite books, I've read it twice, although it's been awhile.

wadingmoose

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.  I've definitely added some books to my to read list.

I've read one Stephen King.  H is trying to get me to read the Dark Tower series right now and I just haven't.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

My favorite books:

Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier)
Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
Harry Potter
My favorite author is William Faulkner. I wish I could write the way he does. Every. single. word. seems to have layers of meaning. He writes Southern gothic style fiction.

Number, I really like She's Come Undone and also Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Speaking of Latin American literature, Like Water For Chocolate is really good, too.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is on my kindle to be read soon.

I'm currently reading Wurthering Heights. I meant to read it in 8th grade or something, but I got through about 10 pages before it bored me. It's going better this time.

opalsky007

Mery, I have tried SO hard to like Faulkner. I really have. I kept thinking, I just need to read more, and I'll learn to appreciate it the way my favorite English teacher did. But I just can't.

I definitely agree about Wuthering Heights, though. It's been on my shelf forever and it was so dull the last time I tried to read it that I'm trying to make myself pick it back up again.

emarston1

Janet Evanovich - Stephanie Plum series (mystery.)  They are fun, quick reads and very entertaining!  I can't recommend her enough.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:41120784-fd17-44a8-8110-8b4cc1962660">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]Mery, I have tried SO hard to like Faulkner. I really have. I kept thinking, I just need to read more, and I'll learn to appreciate it the way my favorite English teacher did. But I just can't. I definitely agree about Wuthering Heights, though. It's been on my shelf forever and it was so dull the last time I tried to read it that I'm trying to make myself pick it back up again.
Posted by opalsky007[/QUOTE]

Faulkner is TOTALLY love it or hate it. Don't beat yourself up over it! I read As I Lay Dying when I was 17 for my AP English summer reading. When we got back to school in the fall everyone was like, "WTF is this?" I <em>liked </em>it, even though it took another reading or two to understand it!

I got through Jane Eyre earlier this year, and they're similar in style. To be honest, I love Jane Austin's stories, but her books can be a bit dry, and I was afraid of that with the Bronte sisters. I'm not going to say they are super exciting, but they're nice to curl up with on a long afternoon.

Nebb

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:f2dc6542-cddd-4198-b26f-7528d13a1ea7">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the suggestions everyone.  I've definitely added some books to my to read list. I've read one Stephen King.  H is trying to get me to read the Dark Tower series right now and I just haven't.
Posted by wadingmoose[/QUOTE]
DO IT!! you wont regret it AT ALL. It will take you a while, but its so worth it.

Direy - I am not very far, he only just got to the territories and met the captain. My reading has seriously suffered lately and it takes me forever to read now.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Every so often I look at this list and try to read a few books:

http://www.ranker.com/list/mla-board_s-100-best-novels/web-infoguy

I found it in high school and I've only ready about 20-25 of them!

opalsky007

Ooh, thanks for the link. I love lists like that. I've only read 16--I think I dodged a  few bullets in high school English

wadingmoose

Eeek.  I've only read ONE of those.  I mean, I think I read 1984 once and I might have read Brave New World, but I don't remember enough to count them.

I feel hopelessly behind on that list.

andy71781

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:9e688dae-2a66-46d8-9d13-2802014c127b">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]Every so often I look at this list and try to read a few books: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/mla-board_s-100-best-novels/web-infoguy" rel="nofollow">http://www.ranker.com/list/mla-board_s-100-best-novels/web-infoguy</a> I found it in high school and I've only ready about 20-25 of them!
Posted by msmerymac[/QUOTE]
I've been working on this for the past 6 months or so.  I've discovered some authors that I love (Edith Wharton, D.H. Lawrence) and some that I don't love (Faulkner).  I highly recommend it as a 3-5 year project.

direy25

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:b58ed569-4595-4c61-a7b4-72b7f126c00f">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Books : DO IT!! you wont regret it AT ALL. It will take you a while, but its so worth it. Direy - I am not very far, he only just got to the territories and met the captain. <strong>My reading has seriously suffered lately and it takes me forever to read now.
</strong>Posted by Nebb[/QUOTE]
I'm right there with you, lately I can get about halfway through a book, then for some reason or another I don't have the time to keep reading and I never finish it.  I do remember the Talisman being kinda slow to begin with. 

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

I just recounted and I've only read 16 of those as well. And probably 6+ were for class.

Jaytee501

Like some others, there's no one author I read frequently.

Recently I read and loved:

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (rich characters, the prose could make your heart ache at times)

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz (some more complex & engaging characters here, great story involving female relationships in a family but not psychoanalytical. Beautifully written) 

I tell anyone who has never read (or who hasn't read it in a while) to get their hands on To Kill A Mockingbird. It's my all-time favorite.

[Deleted User]

i don't know that i have a favorite author. i'm currently digging christopher moore. my favorite book of al ltime is hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_books-3?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b4ab07e2-d16a-4f71-bf51-c7e03b6f7080Post:4f6db8da-ce09-4e68-99dd-023c17c6ed03">Re: Books</a>:
[QUOTE] I love the book Lamb by Christopher Moore
Posted by number55[/QUOTE]
oh hells yes this is the one i'm reading now. LOVE.

Moneypenny424

Currently reading The Girl who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson (the book after The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo).  Love these books.

I love Antonia Fraser's biographies (Marie Antoinette, the Wives of Henry VIII, etc.).  Much better than Alison Weir, IMO.  She's a good writer and researcher, so you get a lot of the politics, not just salacious details.

Anything by Jhumpa Lahiri is wonderful.  She's my favorite.

After what I'm reading now, I will go start vol. 3 of A Suitable Boy.  Very interesting, but long story about an Indian family.

I also LOVE Nick Hornby.  I think he is absolutely hilarious and I love reading everything he writes.

Moneypenny424

Oh, and David Sedaris is also hilarious!  Dress Your Family in Courduroy and Denim and one of the funniest things I've ever read.