skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Have you read any good books?

15 years ago

Nothing is interesting to me lately, I need a good page turner. I loved the last suggestion "After River". I do enjoy a nice clean romance type, any suggestions?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (22)

bigack
15 years ago
Have you read "Winter Solstice" by Rosamund Pilcher? It's good and clean, has a little romance, but is mainly about older people, with a couple exceptions, just a great story!
0
carol_in_california
15 years ago
I am reading She Played With Fire but it is not very clean.....good book but I don't like hearing about bisexual encounters.
0
Related Discussions
Read any good gardening books lately?
Q
Comments (17)
I think any avid gardener needs the basic reference books, such as Dirr, but my favorite garden books to read are those in which the authors talks about their own gardens--how they made them, failures and successes, wonderful word pictures and so on. These I read over and over again. We are lucky in New England to have had a number of such books published thru the years. I have learned a tremendous amount from them, in the most pleasant possible manner. Some I love, in no order: The Country Garden--Josephine Nuese anything by Helen Van Pelt Wilson The Perennial Gardener--Frederick McGourty A Proper Garden--Elisabeth Sheldon (actually upstate NY) Making Things Grow Outdoors--Thalassa Cruso Old Time Gardens--Alice Morse Earle A Patchwork Garden--Sydney Eddison My Garden Comes of Age--Julia Cummins (upstate NY) There are lots more but these are among my favorites. Many are out of print but are easily gotten thru the library or online at bookfinders.com. Would love to hear more recommendations.
...See More
Read any good books this winter?
Q
Comments (28)
Speaking of books, since we're in a tomato forum, I have a question for everyone: Do you know of a really comprehensive book on tomatoes? By that, I mean one that covers everything about tomatoes that a tomatohead might want to know. I have looked at the following, none of which (it seems to me) is quite what I have in mind: 1. Tantalizing Tomatoes , ed. by Karen Davis Cutler (New York 1997) 2. The Tomato in America, by Andrew Smith (Columbia, S.C. 1994) 3. The Great Tomato Book, by Gary Ibsen (Berkeley 1999) 4. The Great Tomato Book, by Sheila Bluff (Short Hills, N.J. 1999) (the last two books have the same title and were published in the same year; rather remarkable) 5. In Praise of Tomatoes, by Steven Shepherd (New York 1996) 6. Exploring the Tomato, by Mark Harvey, Steve Quilley and Huw Beynon (Cheltenham, U.K. 2002) 7. All About Tomatoes, by Walter L. Doty (? 1981) 8. Terrific Tomatoes, by Mimi Luebbermann and Faith Echtermeyer (? 1994) 9. 100 Heirloom Tomatoes for the American Garden, by Carolyn J. Male (New York 1999) (by far the best of the lot - :)) What I do have in mind is something broader, that would cover at least the following subjects: 1. Biology and cultivation (including different species and cultivars), 2. Genetics and genetic modification (e.g., sad story of the Flavr Savr gene), 3. Origin and evolution (your cousin the tomato), 4. World-wide diffusion and subsequent history (how did the tomato get to India and China, anyway? The English? The Portuguese? The Spanish? One author suggests early sea contact with Peru) 5. Adoption and use in different food traditions (e.g., how do tomatoes fit in with the powerful religious aspects of Indian food tradition?), 6. Health aspects (e.g., effect on prostate and lung cancer, macular degeneration, sun damage to skin), 7. Commercial and economic issues (do they really eat 200 pounds per person per year in Egypt?), 8. Connections with famous people (e.g., Ronald Reagan), 9. Film and literature (nobody should miss Attack of the Killer Tomatoes or its sequels), 10. Myths (e.g., the Robert Gibbon Johnson story) and misconceptions, 11. Tomatoes and sex (no misconceptions there, and no conceptions, either, I suppose [smile]), 12. Enthusiast organizations and festivals (the most spectacular is in Spain), 13. Etymology of popular and scientific names (where did the name lycopersicum -- Wolf Peach -- come from?), and 14. Home growing and cooking (somewhat). I know of course that there are many books on how to grow tomatoes, and many recipe books, but what I am thinking of is something broader, one that would not only contain quite a lot of information about tomatoes, but also use tomatoes as a lense to look into some of the things mentioned (history, biology, even cosmology: for example, without supernovas, tomatoes could not exist). Do you think there is a significant market for such a book? Would you buy it? At Amazon prices? As is probably obvious by now, I am considering writing such a book, and in fact already have prepared an outline and introduction. But before I put a year's work into it, I would very much appreciate any opinions anyone may have on the subject. Thanks very much, Jonathan
...See More
OT: Reading List?
Q
Comments (14)
Because I'm very rebellious by nature, I HAD to read a certain book that had been 'removed' from our county library system. Until The Removal, I'd had zero interest in the book. I'd heard folks talking about it, read a bit about it and still had no interest, but that 'don't TELL me I can't read something' in me just reared it's ugly head and I spent (wasted!) $10. on 50 Shades of Grey. Not only is it just not my thing, but it seems poorly written and not worth the paper its printed on!! HA! Of course, this is just my opinion and I realize that many don't share it!!!! The book I'm reading right now is about 180 degrees! It's called 'Sisters of the Quilt' (oddly enough, eh??? LOL). My sister in law had finished it and accidently left it here. It's not something I'd normally pick up, but it was here and I'd 'run out of book'..... it's 3 in 1, a trilogy, and I figured it'd keep me busy while babysitting my grandkids....needed something to keep me quiet in the mornings while they're still sleeping! Really didn't think I'd like it at all, but I'm finding that I'm learning about the Amish and other Plain Folk...things that I did not realize - at least I hope it's fact packed into the fiction. Yes, there is even reference to a quilt in the book! ...I'm into the second book of the trio and am enjoying it. Squeeky clean...by Cindy Woodsmall.
...See More
So ... read any good books lately?
Q
Comments (22)
Well, the library continues to grow ... I just this afternoon recieved Carla Emery's fine reference book 'The Encyclopedia of Country Living' (the updated 9th edition) and have been browsing through it between bites of dinner. Gosh, what an excellent piece of work this is! It's obvious the love she put into it during the 32 plus years that she spent compiling and writing. As an aside, a book doesn't need to be new to be useful ... mine are because I don't have a nearby source of used books of this type. So I get the new ones from Amazon.com and offset that by donating all my unused used books to the Mark Skinner Library ... so far two decent sized boxes of them. But I also have a number of very old used (obviously!) books that I found in a trunk out in the barn.
...See More
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
Just finished Outliers and am just finishing up Moloka'i.
0
User
Original Author
15 years ago
I just never liked Rosamund Pilcher, I tried several of her books.
0
liz
15 years ago
I just read "The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe...it was excellent as was "Sullivan's Island" by Dorothea Benton Frank...I think you'll find them right up your alley...I've put some of their other books on hold at the Library...as well as the new Sue Grafton Book...I love books with the same character and I've read all the alphabet series by Sue Grafton! Any of Nora Roberts books will satisfy that romance need as well...I love her trilogy books!! I wish I woulda kept track of how many books I read this year...
0
sheesh
15 years ago
Go back a few years and try "Cold Mountain" Or go back further and read "Gone with the Wind." Or "Dr. Zhivago" or "Jane Eyre" or "Rebecca" by Daphne DuMaurier. All great page-turner romances.
0
sheesh
15 years ago
For an amazing, short book, try "One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich." Certainly no romance in this little gem, but, wow, what a book. Makes you kind of rethink a few things.

Sherry
0
rosemaryt
15 years ago
I read my book again this morning...

Does that count? ;)

Rose
author (ahem) "The Ugly Woman's Guide to Internet Dating: What I Learned From 70 First Dates."
0
sheesh
15 years ago
Yes! That counts! Can I read it, too?
0
grams33
15 years ago
I just finished reading THE OATH by John Lescroart and enjoyed it. I am now reading THE WINNER by David Baldacci. They are a type of mystery.Both are new authors to me but I think I like them. WINTER SOLSTICE sounds like I would like it. I really enjoyed the book REBECCA and HER COUSIN RACHEL which wasn't quite as good.
0
katclaws_mo
15 years ago
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by
Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Enjoying this alot. Story about the recollections of those living on the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation during the aftermath of WWII written thru a series of letters. Humorous & hard to put down. Written so well, it's easy to forget that it's fiction & not actual letters.
0
majaco
15 years ago
Just finished "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. It's a good book. It's 1962 Mississippi about black maids.
0
socks
15 years ago
Katklaws...I just finished the GUERNSEY book as well. It was really different, being done in letters. I liked it a lot but wasn't always sure of who the various people were, got them a little mixed up. I think this is because it was in letters, not a narrative description of the story so there wasn't a lot of description of what people looked like, etc. I hope this make sense.

I was wanting a Christmas book and got SANTA CRUISE by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark from the used book store. Good thing I only paid $2 for it because it was really bad!!!!

Now I'm reading WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga, and I think I'm going to like it a lot.
0
cheryl_ok
15 years ago
JoAnn...you made it thru one of Jodi Picoults books, try reading another one of hers
0
Pieonear
15 years ago
I just finished reading WHISTLING IN THE DARK. What a cute book!

Synopsis

It was the summer on Vliet Street when we all started locking our doors...

Sally O'Malley made a promise to her daddy before he died. She swore she'd look after her sister, Troo. Keep her safe. But like her Granny always said-actions speak louder than words. Now, during the summer of 1959, the girls' mother is hospitalized, their stepfather has abandoned them for a six pack, and their big sister, Nell, is too busy making out with her boyfriend to notice that Sally and Troo are on the Loose. And so is a murderer and molester.

Highly imaginative Sally is pretty sure of two things. Who the killer is. And that she's next on his list. Now she has no choice but to protect herself and Troo as best she can, relying on her own courage and the kindness of her neighbors.
0
coral_ok
15 years ago
Hey, Liz, I just started RETURN TO SULLIVAN'S ISLAND. I know I'll love it because I've enjoyed every one of Dorothea Benton Frank's books.
0
nodakgal
15 years ago
I've read:
Mr and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels
Brazen Virtue by Nora Roberts
Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts
The Scoop by Fern Michaels
The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi
Now reading: U Is For Undertow by Sue Grafton
0
stephanie_in_ga
15 years ago
Jodi, I read Moloka'i. I liked it, loved the characters. It is unlike anything I've read before because of the subject matter and setting. Great book!

I am not crazy about a romance. But I did read a book a while back that was a really good love story at the heart of it. It was so much bigger than a love story, though. It was the most poetic, lyrical novel I've ever read. Beautiful language and just a beautiful story about the couple's life and fate. I'd put it in my top 5 favorite books ever. It's how John Steinbeck would write if he were a woman. ;o) It's a well imagined and very well told story, but it's breathtaking how artistic it is. The symbolism and metaphors are perfect. I know I make it sound all serious with my literay talk, but it is so good it can be appreciated on so many levels. I'd call it epic. Sweet, sad, funny, touching. It just flows from page to page. It's just... wow! Read it slowly, savor every word. Here it is... drum roll...

"Evidence of Things Unseen" by Marianne Wiggins.
0
jennmonkey
15 years ago
I just finished After River too, I really liked it. Still have to decide what to start on next.
0
chisue
15 years ago
Two OUTSTANDING books I read this year are: "City of Thieves" and "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle".

Not in the same category, but very good: "How Lincoln Learned to Read"

One of my all-time favorites is: "A Soldier of the Great War"

None is 'easy reading'. Each is beautifully written, with style and originality.
0
bigbaby
15 years ago
I just finished reading another Janet Evanovich book, "Finger Licking Fifteen." It's new this year. Lately I've been reading a lot of from an old writer. She wrote mostly in the 1920's. Her name is Kathleen Norris and I like her because they are interesting to read about life back then. She is good at describing things. Also, I like it when good things happen to the good guys and vice versa!
0
jennmonkey
15 years ago
Chisue, I LOVED Edgar Sawtelle too!!
0

Related Stories

Best Rooms for Reading a Good Book

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Good Read: ‘Landscaping Ideas That Work’

By Paintbox Garden

Get a landscape architect’s strategies — along with gorgeous, inspiring photos — for a yard you’ll really enjoy

DECORATING GUIDES Dinner and a Good Book: 12 Double-Duty Dining Rooms

By Bryan Anthony

Create your own library-inspired reading room by pairing a dining table with bookshelves

FEEL-GOOD HOME 15 Cozy Book Nooks and What They Want You to Read

By Becky Harris

Put the beach reads away; these comfy spaces are creating a fall reading list. What books do they suggest to you?

LIFE Simple Pleasures: Cozy Up Your Reading Spot

By Laura Gaskill

Losing yourself in a good book is even better with these ideas for reading comfortably all around the house

MORE ROOMS Book Nooks: Looking for a Warm Place to Read

HOMES AROUND THE WORLD World of Design: 11 Book Lovers and Where They Like to Read

Bibliophiles across the globe reveal their top books and favorite reading spots, from a 2-story library to an artfully curated book nook

DENS AND LIBRARIES 20 Book Lover’s Spaces That Will Make You Want to Read

By Becky Harris

Borrow these ideas from spaces designed around a love of books

LIFE Houzz Call: Where (and What) Are You Reading This Summer?

By Stacy Briscoe

Whether you favor contemporary, classic or beach reads, do the long and lazy days of summer bring out the lit lover in you?

LIFE What You’re Reading This Summer — and Where

By Stacy Briscoe

Check out Houzzers’ summer reading lists and get some ideas for your own!

Sponsored

More Discussions

Amazon vs Walmart

91

What's unique or unusual that's worth visiting near where you live?

42

Typewriters? Do you own any? Like them?

17

School shooting solution

10

I'll show you mine/you show me yours -- F 1/24/25

5