Can You Recommend a Good Book?

10 years ago

Today is my birthday, and I actually have a free day. It's beautiful weather to sit outside and read, but I'm at a loss for a good book. Would love to download one to my Kindle and sit on the deck with my dogs and a pitcher of iced tea beside me.

I've been going through a stressful patch caring for sick family members, and given the recent TV news I don't want to read about murders, incest, rapes, etc.

I'm not into chick-lit - not looking for something that light and predictable. Anyone read any good books lately that they could recommend? Doesn't have to be a new release. I'm sure I've missed some good ones from the past.

Thanks -

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Comments (25)

Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
10 years ago
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is delightful and charming. I loved it. An easy read.
4boys2
10 years ago
Amck~ I don't have a book to recommend ...
Just wanted to say Happy Birthday to us !
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abundantblessings
10 years ago
B-Day Blessings!

Just starting to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. So far I find it as BB described her recommendation: delightful and charming.
deegw
10 years ago
Just finished an oldy but goody, 'A Tree Grow in Brooklyn' and I just started reading 'Wool Omnibus'.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wool Omnibus
deegw
10 years ago
I forgot to add this. Happy Birthday!
terezosa / terriks
10 years ago
Happy Birthday

I'd recommend:

Room

I Capture the Castle

Before I Go to Sleep

Still Alice
golddust
10 years ago
Happy Birthday. Let us know what book you decided on.
nanny2a
10 years ago
Terriks, I just started "Before I Go To Sleep" - good to know someone recommends it!
amck2
Original Author
10 years ago
Came back from walking the dogs and was delighted to find your replies. Thanks for the recommendations, and the BD wishes!

I posted here because I had a hunch that many on this forum would share my taste in books. Most you've listed have been among my favorites and I will look up those I haven't read yet.
bestyears
10 years ago
Happy Birthday!

A couple come immediately to mind:

Loving Frank
Poisonwood Bible
Cost, by Robinson
Truth and Beauty by Anne Patchett, as well as any of her novels
All Over But the Shoutin by Rick Bragg
The Color of Water by James McBride
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan
One True Thing by Anna Quindlen
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Help
The Kite Runner
denali2007
10 years ago
I especially love anything by Adriana Trigiani. Just finished her newest book The Shoemakers Daughter. Others by her That I have enjoyed Queen of the Big Time, Lucia, Lucia, Bravo Valentine and Merry Valentine. They are about turn of the century women who make a business for themselves. She also has a series of 4 books which I haven't read yet.

Saving Cece Honeycutt
Same Kind of Different as Me
One Thousand White Women
ellendi
10 years ago
Ann Tyler older books. I am a bit disappointed in her recent ones.
The accidental Toursit is my favorite.
Same thing woth John Irving. I like his older bookds as well. Cider House Rules is one of my favorites.
Water for Elephants
Any Where But Here Mona Simpson
sheesh
10 years ago
The devil in the white city by erik larson. Not fiction, but reads like it. Great read.

Happy birthday!
Bumblebeez SC Zone 7
10 years ago
One of my favorite books of all time is The Grand Sophy. It is witty, funny, surprising and well written but it is a quasi romance, sort of anyway. More of a penned Downton Abbey type of drama.
fourkids4us
10 years ago
Hmm, I've read probably 3/4 of the books mentioned here and have taken note of several others that look interesting.

Here are some that I've recently read that I liked:

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Defending Jacob by William Landay
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Locust and the Bird by Hanan Al-Shaykh
Someone Knows My Name (aka The Book of Negroes) by Lawrence Hill
City of Thieves by David Benioff

I'm currently reading a book called Wish You Well by David Baldacci. He usually writes legal thrillers though I've never read any of them. This book is more of a coming of age tale that takes place in the rural mountains of Virginia's coal country during the 1940s. So far, it's good!

Oh, one other that I've seen recommended quite a bit lately and seems to be on all of my friends reading lists is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It must be popular (perhaps indicative that it's good?) b/c I'm #346 on the waiting list at the library! I might just have to break down and buy that one. Anyone here read it?
dedtired
10 years ago
Thanks for that list, Fourkids. I've saved it. I very much enjoyed City of Thieves and The Paris Wife.

My book club just finished Unbroken and our next book is Doc, a novel about Doc Holliday. It is historical fiction.
terezosa / terriks
10 years ago
I picked City of Thieves for my book club based on the recommendation on the forum. We all enjoyed it.
Delilah66
10 years ago
"...I realized...I hadn't been paying much attention to things like the sunrise, but that old sun had been coming up anyway. It didn't really care how I felt, it was going to rise and set regardless of whether I noticed it, and if I was going to enjoy it, that was up to me...." Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls (also wrote The Glass House).
dedtired
10 years ago
Javachik, the name of Walls other book was The Glass Castle. I just loved that book. I forgot about Half Broke Horses and will have to read that now. What a writer.

I highly recommend any book by Jhumpa Lahiri, especially Interpreter of Maladies.
hhireno
10 years ago
I just read Gone Girl, I think I picked it up from a recommendation here. It was good, I really liked it. Lots of twists and unexpected turns.

I even paid the rental book fee instead of waiting on the list. It's $3 for a 21 day rental. I figure the library needs the money so I splurged. I usually just wait on the list but I couldn't find anything else I wanted and the title jumped out at me. It was definitely worth $3 to read it.

My library just put a kiosk, like a vending machine, in at my community center. It has movies, kids book, and adult books. I can take out a book, from the vending machine, while I'm at the gym. How cool is that?

The kiosk books are free, the rentals are extra copies of the extremely popular titles and are kept in the main branch. I imagine it's a nice little money maker for them.

I did make a note of a few new books from this thread. Thanks.
Delilah66
10 years ago
ded - You're right, of course! You should see all the other mistakes I made this morning while still a half quart low on caffeine!
funnygirl
10 years ago
I just finished "Shipping News" by E. Annie Prouix. She has a very interesting, rich writing style and obviously did her homework w/this one. My daughter loaned it to me, then my husband (who typically doesn't read fiction) read it, and it is now loaned out to a friend of his.
susieq07
10 years ago
You could read my 1st. Novel published as a FREE E-book here at link I provided and would appreciate a review/rating if you enjoyed it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Authorstand
daisychain01
10 years ago
I love these book threads - especially when I'm on vacation.

I'm just reading

"The Lace Reader" by B. Barry.

I'm half way thru and am loving it. It is a New York Times bestseller and I haven't always had good luck with the bestsellers. but I'm really enjoying this one.
Sueb20
10 years ago
I just finished The Age of Miracles. Really enjoyed it.

Can You Recommend a Good Book?

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Bumblebeez SC Zone 7

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