Book Recs for Mom in Hospital

bunni727

My mom will be going in for her LVAD surgery later this week and will have a pretty long recovery stay. I'm putting her a little basket together with a sudoku book, variety puzzle book, coloring book, pens, crayons, aloe-infused gripper socks, an eyemask, and some of her favorite snacks.

I would like to include a novel of some kind, but she and I have very different tastes. I really like modern and postmodern lit, and don't care about level of language or violence, linear narratives, or happy endings. Mom likes things that are interesting, but not too violent, tense, or graphic. She also doesn't like sci-fi or high fantasy. She likes a straightforward plot with good characters that have a neatly wrapped up ending in which all questions are answered. The only books I can think of that she liked are To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe,  and all of Mitch Albom's books. She also likes Joyce Meyer and Max Lucado, but I think she'd prefer a fiction work while she's recovering.

Any suggestions?

thejucheidea

I really liked The Hunger Games series. It's nice and dystopian.

jessicabessica

What about books by Jodi Piccoult?  Her books more or less follow the same line: different chapters from the perspectives of various characters, interesting story line, gripping enough.  I would just look her up on Amazon and see if any of the topics of her novels might interest your mom. 

I recently read The Art of Racing in the Rain and really enjoyed it.  It's sad, though, and I would not recommend it if your mom isn't a dog person.

GoodLuckBear14

Elenor Brown wrote a terrific novel called The Weird Sisters.  I usually do not like fiction but the writing is great and I immediately got caught up in the stories of the three daughters of a college professor: The oldest who is scared to death of learning to let her inner adventurer out, the middle daughter who has totally effed up her life in NYC and has to head back to the hometown she thought she left in the dust forever and the baby of the family who leaves her free spirited ways behind to come home after she discovers she is pregnant.

krizzo17

Books by Maeve Binchy would be nice. Her books usually take place in small, Irish towns, and you get to know 10 or so characters in each town (I think some might overlap between books). Scarlet Feather was a nice happy one - just a little bit of marital tension, but no violence, gore, or super depressing issues.

bunni727

Thanks everyone so far! Keep 'em coming, please; our bookstore has a limited and ever-changing selection, so I'll have to go in with several in mind.

Hunger Games is a no-go, basically because I liked it. Actually, I told her what it's about once and she said,  "That's just awful. Don't know who'd want to read about kids killing each other." I just raised my hand and we laughed. She is very surface about things; if a character or situation in a book is or does something bad, the whole book must be bad.

Where the Heart Is may be a good option.

The only Jodi Picoult book I'm familiar with is My Sister's Keeper. Do they all have a sci-fi lite kind of feel?

TKzilla

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are good for a laugh. I always recommend Harry Potter because I'll never stop waiting for my Hogwarts letter. If she doesn't like violence, then I don't think she'd enjoy The Hunger Games novels. Also, any books by Sheri Reynolds are good. I say that because she was one of my professors in college and she's amazing in print and in person.

zizibet

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. It's a novel about life on the Jersey Islands during WWII primarily. Really charming and fun.
I Second The Weird Sisters rec.
Hunger Games is likely too violent for her.
Doomsday Book, To Say Nothing of the Dog, Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis. To Say Nothing of the Dog is really funny.-the other two are more serious.
   They are all about historians using time travel to research history. Doomsday Book is about a young historian researching the plague years, To Say Nothing of the Dog is a romantic comedy  about two historians in the Victorian era, and Blackout/All Clear is about life during the bombing of London in WWII. While they are science fiction because of the time travel, really they're goo historical novels about those periods.
Hope these help.

bunni727

I think so. With Abigail Breslin, maybe?

I took a Science Fiction class in college, and we had several girls who were just in there for an easy grade argue over who got to do that book as their big project, so it kind of stuck in my head.

The Plain Truth sounds like it's worth looking into; she just doesn't like "weird" (science fiction, unconventional structure, multiple narrators) books, so it's kind of hard to pick things out for her.

bunni727

Mom can handle old-timey weird, it's all this new-timey nonsense she isn't fond of

Hummingbird125

Okay, I've never recommended this book to anyone, but from everything you've said I think it may be good for your mom. It's called "The Christmas Train" - look into it.

ETA: From one Amazon reviewer: "One truly refreshing aspect of this book is the complete absence of any objectionable material - the book could be easily rated G (or stretch to a PG for one honeymooning couple). It's nice to know there are authors who can write an enjoyable novel without heavy doses of profanity, sex, or violence."

This is what makes me think your mom might like it. 

I also second "Where the Heart Is". 

Amsdragonfly

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. If she's anything of an animal lover, she'll love this book. There's a sequel too. Cameron is a great author. 

[Deleted User]

Would she go for anything with vampires? The Sookie Stackhouse novels go quickly, are very lighthearted, but really entertaining. The last one is coming out this year so it's not like she'd have to wait forever for the series to end either.

I always recommend Jane Austen for sick reading. She's entertaining and intellectual while still being sort of easy and romantic to stick with.

If she's at all interested in historical fiction, The Other Boleyn Girl is good as is Innocent Traitor.

TKzilla

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_book-recs-for-mom-in-hospital?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b54346e2-30c3-4e81-9a51-7a02d2eda327Post:3e09ee79-a15e-4e0e-862b-b82d10186e3c">Re: Book Recs for Mom in Hospital</a>:
[QUOTE]Would she go for anything with vampires? The Sookie Stackhouse novels go quickly, are very lighthearted, but really entertaining.<strong> The last one is coming out this year </strong>so it's not like she'd have to wait forever for the series to end either. I always recommend Jane Austen for sick reading. She's entertaining and intellectual while still being sort of easy and romantic to stick with. If she's at all interested in historical fiction, The Other Boleyn Girl is good as is Innocent Traitor.
Posted by vonclancy[/QUOTE]

<div>OMG like ... the LAST last one?! I love that series.</div>

jessicabessica

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_book-recs-for-mom-in-hospital?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:b54346e2-30c3-4e81-9a51-7a02d2eda327Post:a605f819-ee79-417b-8dc0-dde6e586c44a">Re: Book Recs for Mom in Hospital</a>:
[QUOTE]That's the movie I was thinking of, made me cry. Plain Truth isn't weird, unless you think Amish are weird, and I guess they are a little, but not Scientology weird, just old timeyweird. It is an easier weird to swallow.
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

<div>Yes, I liked the Plain Truth.  I don't think her stuff leans sci-fi at all.  I've also read House Rules, which is about a boy with Aspergers that is accused of murder, and Perfect Match, which is about the aftermath of a child sexual assault.  </div><div>
</div><div>I like Sherman Alexie as well.  I think his book of short stories The Toughest Indian in the World might be your mom's taste, from what your describing.  Some of his other stuff is a little more abstract.  Oh, and both of Jeannette Walls's books (The Glass Castle and Half-Broke Horses) are phenomenal, have a story line, and aren't too abstract.</div>

bunni727

Plain Truth, Half-Broke Horses, and Where the Heart Is sound like some good options.

I just really want her to like her basket, especially since I won't be able to visit very much. I can go down the day of her surgery and stay for a few days, but need to save most of my vacation for when she comes home and needs someone with her.

jessicabessica

Bunni, I am sure she will like it.  I have some other suggestions to include--along the lines of the fancy socks, what about hand lotion and lip balm that she likes?  Also, what about some photos of her favorite people and places?  

I hope she has a speedy and uncomplicated recovery.  

bunni727

Oh thanks! Lotion and lip balm are good ideas, and she would love a picture or two. Now just to pick some out

Summer2011Bride

I love Jodi Picoult and have read many of her books. My personal favorite is Nineteen Minutes, which is about a school shooting, so I don't know how she'd feel about that topic.

I ditto the Art of Racing in the Rain but it is a tearjerker. I would argue that dog lovers and non-lovers alike might appreciate it, but it is definitely sad. Same with Marley and Me--that one has some hilarious parts in it though and really just the ending is sad.

Another good one is Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. It is SUCH a good book if she has a sister she is close to or a really close girlfriend. The ending is sad but in an uplifting way as well and it's a favorite of mine. It follows two close friends from adolescence all the way through their lives.

Emily Giffin has some "chick lit" type books. I enjoyed them as some light reading.

For an older book, has she read Gatsby? That is one of my all-time favorites.

bunni727

Gatsby is one of my favorites! But no, she would not like the ending.

Update: Our bookstore had absolutely none of the suggestions. They were having a sale though, so I was able to get her a couple to better my chances. I got her The Notebook (I think it will be okay, but I've just seen the movie. Another friend liked the book) and something I had never heard of and can't remember the title now. A lady sees a missing children flyer, and her adopted son is on it. So I guess it's a mystery/courtroom drama type thing. It's hard to find  mysteries that aren't about "fitin' and killin' (mom's words)," so I'm optimistic about it.

Thank you all for your help. Her hospital is in the city, so I might have to pick up a few of them while we are out there.

Alex3Mom

Any of James Herriott's books would be wonderful to read while recovering from surgery.  I also love Richard Russo's novels and got my mother hooked.  Of course, if she hasn't already read Victorian classics - Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Middlemarch - this would be the perfect time. 

xxstardust

A big second to James Herriott! I always feel like an old lady when I reccomend them, but they are sweet, simply stories about animals and/or the best traits life has to offer. My grandmother loved them throughout life, and passed them onto me about 6-7 years old, but reread them faithful as her health failed when I was 11-12 vears old. I remember her loving the strength and fortitude that Herriott expressed, on his own behalf and on the behalf of animals, in addition to his wonderful way of making emotions real and meaningful. To date, I reread them once a year - and cry each time.

I also really loved 'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan', by Lisa See. It's not happy, persay, but it's incredibly well written and relatable. I picked it up in a train station on a whim as a college freshman and have read it annually or more in the five years since.

I also loved, as a history teacher,  The Bonesetter's Daughter, for it's perspective on storytelling and the way it blended multi-generational stories into one cohesive whole. It was wonderful, and sad.

Speaking of wonderful and sad, I sobbed readding The Memory Keeper's Daughter, a phenomenonl contemporary (or largely contemporary - for your mom, but not for me  bornin the late 1980s/1990s) tale of what makes of family by blood or by friendship.
I also cried while reading "The Secrets of Jin Shei", which is a predominamly  female novel with few fantasy elements. It really focusecd on the relationships between the relationships between girls and women, which I liked.