Book Recommendations

labro · December 2014

Re-reads forever and ever

Ella Enchanted

The Red Tent

The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett

The Century Trilogy also by Ken Follett

The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

Any book by Patricia Briggs

Other books I've loved and would read again:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The Circle by Dave Eggars (scary scary scary!!)

The Night Circus

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

I read everything...I seriously could make a giant book list but it would take me forever to reminder it all.

hellohkb · December 2014

FeeleyToBe said:

lovegood90 said:

loro929 said:

Yes @novella1186 I want to read your books too! PM me

Me too!

Add me to the list!

Add me as well!

ohannabelle · December 2014

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

amelisha · December 2014

@sarahufl, in what way? I did think it was a very unique first novel but I wouldn't have used "strange." It's definitely an unusual take on what is essentially a mystery novel but I found that to be to its benefit.

"Night Film", Pessl's second novel, does have a couple chapters I would call strange, though, I admit, but its more straightforward mystery approach helps a lot with the one chapter in particular that I wasn't sure how to interpret.

I adore novelists that write from that kind of perspective, though, like both Pessl and Grossman do - the assumption that you've read the same books they have and the referential stuff that comes with it. It's kind of an in-joke even when it isn't humourous and I love that feeling of being in on it. Grossman's is more overt than Pessl's, obviously, with the very clear Narnia/Harry Potter framing, but some of the more sly stuff is great too. Turtles all the way down, if you will.

hellohkb · December 2014

For book recommendations I like anything by Lisa See. Her newest book China Dolls was such a fun and beautiful read. I flew through it and was sad when I finished.

I also agree with @beethery about Alan Brennert's Honolulu and Molokai. I was unsure how they would be when I picked them up at the bookstore but they wound up jumping up to my top 5 favorite books ever. Honolulu is in my top 3.

novella1186 · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

I really love well-written historical fiction and/or non fiction. Have you read anything by Erik Larson? I thought "Devil in the White City" was so good. "In the Garden of Beasts" was SO SO SO good! (Both are non-fiction).

ohannabelle · December 2014

novella1186 said:

ohannabelle said:

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

I really love well-written historical fiction and/or non fiction. Have you read anything by Erik Larson? I thought "Devil in the White City" was so good. "In the Garden of Beasts" was SO SO SO good! (Both are non-fiction).

No!

Thank you, they're on my list, now!

What was that really fabulous one about the Thomas Moore family, based on the Holbein painting and sketches? I loved that, and am drawing a blank. Really well done.

arrippa · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

Wolf Hall is on my list to read next.

phira · December 2014

Anything by Connie Willis, but especially Bellwether and Passage, especially if you're into science.

If you're REALLY into science and don't mind some gross topics, anything by Mary Roach, but especially Stiff and Packing for Mars.

If you're really interested in cancer, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is amazing, as is The Emperor of All Maladies.

If you like fairy tales, anything by Robin McKinley, but especially Beauty or the Outlaws of Sherwood.

If you like feeling like your soul has been torn from your body and crushed into a thousand pieces, read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

novella1186 · December 2014

phira said:

Anything by Connie Willis, but especially Bellwether and Passage, especially if you're into science.

If you're REALLY into science and don't mind some gross topics, anything by Mary Roach, but especially Stiff and Packing for Mars.

If you're really interested in cancer, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is amazing, as is The Emperor of All Maladies.

If you like fairy tales, anything by Robin McKinley, but especially Beauty or the Outlaws of Sherwood.

If you like feeling like your soul has been torn from your body and crushed into a thousand pieces, read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

I've heard some really great things about the title I bolded. I'm not sure if I can read it cuz I know the gist of it and I think I will get too sad, but it's a really fascinating story.

phira · December 2014

@novella1186 There are definitely a lot of sad and frustrating things about the book, but I still recommend it. I feel like the best way to honor the contribution that Henrietta Lacks has made to biological knowledge and research, if you're a lay person, is to learn about her story and her family. I really loved that book.

[Deleted User] · December 2014

novella1186 said:

ohannabelle said:

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

I really love well-written historical fiction and/or non fiction. Have you read anything by Erik Larson? I thought "Devil in the White City" was so good. "In the Garden of Beasts" was SO SO SO good! (Both are non-fiction).

Loved Devil in the White City (I'm from Chicago-land!), but heard his others were not nearly as good so I didn't read them. Maybe I will now.

Another good book about Chicago is Sin in the Second City by Karen Abbot- it's about a famous brothel called the Everleigh Club in the 1900s. Well researched and written IMO.

[Deleted User] · December 2014

Oh! Another great / funny memoir is Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion. I laughed out loud the whole way through.

It's about a woman whose husband convinces her to take a year long road trip across the US in an RV.

Awesome!

ETF: spelling

chibiyui · December 2014

phira said:

Anything by Connie Willis, but especially Bellwether and Passage, especially if you're into science.

If you're REALLY into science and don't mind some gross topics, anything by Mary Roach, but especially Stiff and Packing for Mars.

If you're really interested in cancer, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is amazing, as is The Emperor of All Maladies.

If you like fairy tales, anything by Robin McKinley, but especially Beauty or the Outlaws of Sherwood.

If you like feeling like your soul has been torn from your body and crushed into a thousand pieces, read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

SUNSHINE IS THE BEST VAMPIRE NOVEL EVER.

Sorry. Done now.

phira · December 2014

Also loved Devil in the White City, Ella Enchanted, and Memoirs of a Geisha!

labro · December 2014

@chibiyui‌ Sunshine is the BEST BOOK! I wish she'd write more stories in that world...

sophhabobopha · December 2014

I love the Dexter books. Not exactly amazing literature, but fun reads. My favorite book of all time is Howl's Moving Castle.

sophhabobopha · December 2014

ohannabelle said:

I've been in a historical mood lately.

Enjoying the hell out of Sarah Dunant's "Blood and Beauty," because the Borgias are always great entertainment.

And Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies" were good.

Always love Margaret George's "Mary Queen of Scotland."

I love her books!

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