Migraine

What are some of the best books you've read recently?

I've recently finished Time Traveler's Wife, My Sister's Keeper (by Jodi Picoult), and Garden Spells (by Sarah Addision Alan). I'd recommend them all.

I'm looking for another good book. Any suggestions?

Liz,

My Sister's Keeper was really good! I read it a few years back. They are making a movie about it now, opening at the end of the month.

Anything Jodi Picoult is good.

I read a lot of true crime, so I don't know if you are into that at all. For summer reading - if you have not done the Twilight series - read it! It's awesome! Who cares if it's for tweens! I loved it!

Also I really liked The Diva's Guide to Selling Your Soul by Kathleen O'Reilly I think is the author. I don't see it in bookstores, but you can get it on half.com - maybe amazon? It's funny and I found it a good summer read.

Liz,

One of my all time favorite authors is Nelson DeMille. His main characters are always so sarcastic but super brillant so they can get away with it. My favorite book by him is "Gold Coast". They also made a movie of his book "The General's Daughter" that John Travolta starred in a long time ago.

If you like any type of fantasy, R.A. Salvatore's The Drittz Series is awesome.

Or, if you like fantasy/western, the Gunslinger Series by, of all authors, Stephen King, is fantastic! It's not a horror or chiller by any means. I've read the series twice already and so has my oldest son.

There are a few social networking book sites out there to help. I like shelfari.com You can log on, find people who like the type of books you like and see what else they have read, or are reading.

I am reading the fourth book in the series by James Herriot about his days as a vet in rural England, 1930's. Sweet, simple stories, good my migraine head. I also have read the books by CJ Sansom recently. He has a mystery series based in KIng Henry VIII time, first one is called Dissolution. My favorite historical fiction author is Sharon Kay Penman. and just for funny have you read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich? The first 5 or so are the best.

Have fun choosing!
lisa

The books I'm recommending lately are two by Ken Follet, Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

They are set in the middle ages and the main focus is a monestary and nunnary and the main plot is building a church and building bridges.

It might sound dull, but the story is amazing, digging into the lives of the main characters. Very good representation of living in the middle ages.

As for book networking, paperbackswap.com is great.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I like to have a good list to choose from when I'm at the library. I'm still a library patron. I haven't yet upgraded to the technology of reading from a computer device.

If I think of others you may enjoy I'll post them later.

Happy summer reading.

Oh I thought of another good one if you like drama/revenge with crazy plots - I read it last summer and could not stop turning the pages!

It's Fallen by Christopher Pike - he has written a few adult novels along with many young adult. I have always thought he was great. There is also a rumer that he is R.L. Stein of "Goosebumps" but I don't know for sure.

Other good cop revenge type books are the 37th Hour and Sympathy Between Humans by Jodi Compton - they are the same character and plot in both, but I forget which one is first, I think it's Sympathy Between Humans.

I am going to - at some point - when I happen to find time! - start reading P.C. Cast because I liked Twilight so much. Also, I am going to see if I like the Patricia Cornwell books with Scarpetta is it?

I really need to finish the book I started like 5 months ago! I hate when you can't get into a book well enough to have it "grab" you so you can't stop reading it.

Some good candidates I've read lately:

Telegraph Days by Larry McMurtry
Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey by Allison Weir
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

And I definitely second the Twilight series. It's kinda cheesy, but fun and it totally sucks you in.

Diana

Have you guys read any Lori Wick or Karen Kingsbury? Oh.... Amazing! Lets see let me think of some good ones... Bamboo and Lace is a must read from Lori Wick. Umm... Even Now, followed by the sequel, Ever After are great by Kingsbury!!

I absolutely loved The Thirteenth Tale. I also loved the latest Jodi Picoult book.

The most recent "grownup" book I finished was Gillian Flynn's Dark Places. It was nearly as good as her first, but the twist ending wasn't as strong. Then again, it would be hard to top the twist of her first book. The Flynn books can be a bit grisly, and center around very damaged main characters. Not for the faint of heart that prefer their mysteries a lot cozier.

Other than that, I've not been able to read much in the way of books for grownups, since we've been doing our reading of young adult books to choose the list and get ready for our next year's Battle of the Books. There are a couple of rather good ones on our list, that may appeal to older readers too. The Lightning Thief is one, if only for the sheer humor and references alone. The Hunger Games is the other.

I'm so happy to hear the positive things about the Thirteenth Tale! I've wanted to read that one.

Here are a few that I've liked:

The Undomesticated Goddess - Sopie Kisella
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter - Kim Edwards
Open House - Elizabeth Berg
Blessings - Anna Quindlen
My Monastery Is A Minivan - Denise Roy
Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen
The Sister’s Mortland - Sally Beauman

Thanks for all of the great reading ideas!

quote:

Originally posted by dragondroolHOST:

Other than that, I've not been able to read much in the way of books for grownups, since we've been doing our reading of young adult books to choose the list and get ready for our next year's Battle of the Books. There are a couple of rather good ones on our list, that may appeal to older readers too. The Lightning Thief is one, if only for the sheer humor and references alone. The Hunger Games is the other.

My son just finished The Lightning Thief. I thought I'd read it and we could go out, just the two of us and discuss what we liked about it. He is into the next one in the series already.

quote:

Originally posted by Liz:
I'm so happy to hear the positive things about the Thirteenth Tale! I've wanted to read that one.

It's wonderful!

Diana

The Sisters Mortland was an interesting book. Different than a lot of things I've read.

Did you know that they are working on a movie for The Lightning Thief? I think it's due out next summer, the last I'd heard anything. I'm sure I'll prefer the book, but it might be fun if it's done well.

I've been rotating between a few different series, since I also get my books from the library, and I can't always guarantee which will be available soonest. (I read really fast so it's hard to keep enough books around.)

Some of the series I've read recently:
+ Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (first book: Wizard's First Rule)
+ Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
+ Southern vampire series by Charlaine Harris (first book: Dead Until Dark)
+ In Death series by JD Robb (first book: Naked In Death)
+ Alphabet murder series by Sue Grafton (first book: A is for Alibi)
+ The Farseer, Liveship and Tawny Man trilogies by Robin Hobb (first book: Assassin's Apprentice) - these trilogies can be read separately, but all 9 books take place in the same world with the same characters
+ Twelve Houses series by Sharon Shinn (first book: Mystic and Rider)
+ Samaria series by Sharon Shinn (first book: Archangel)
+ The Safe-Keeper's Secret series by Sharon Shinn

And some good standalone books:
+ The Host by Stephenie Meyer (first adult book by the author of Twilight)
+ Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

If I think of any others, I'll post them here.