In Desperate Need of a Good Read

[Kylix]

I'm very bored right now on during my holiday break and thus I'm going to the library tomorrow to check out some books in order to occupy my time.

I need some good book recommendations however. I got several here last time and they were all great. I wish I still had my list cuz I didn't get to read all of them.

Some books I've read in the past that I've liked are:

All the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling
The Ladies' Auxillary Club by Tovah Mirvis
The Wholeness of a Broken Heart by ???
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant (?)
Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Expecting Adam
Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

Those are the ones that jump out at me the most.

So what are your fav books? What books would you def recommend?

Kylix

[the sunshine]

The House of Sand and Fog

The House on Mango Street

[Dragonfly]

"Tales of a Female Nomad" by Rita Golden Gelman. It's a hugely inspirational book - non-fiction - about a middle-aged woman with grown children whose marriage is falling apart, so she sells off her material possessions and treks the globe with only the stuff on her back and the goal of truly experiencing the places she lives. Her stories are *amazing*.

[weetzie]

Well, i havent read this yet, but plan on it asap

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides is supposed to be really good.

And if you want a very quick read Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block is amazing (i guess its obvious that I like that book -its young adult fiction, and short, but so wonderful )

[plum]

i thought these books were really good:
oryx and crake- margaret atwood
glamorama- brett easton ellis
the house of leaves- mark danielewski (sp?) VERY weird book. creepy.

[Gemini]

I just finished this last month. "Wild Swans" by Jung Chang.

A great book about the author, her mom and grandmother growing up in China from 1900 on.

[Kylix]

Weetzie--I think I actually own that book "Weetzie Bat"
I never got around to reading it but my sister did and loved it. I'm going to have to dig around and find it.

I didn't make it to the library today but it's probably for the best cuz I hadn't written down these suggestions yet.

Thanks guys!!

Kylix

[RidentMama]

"Searching for Solomon's Mines" by Shakir T???? (can't remember his last name). It's non-fiction, but a good read. Kind of eye-opening.

[Kylix]

Weetzie--I just realized that I own "Witch Baby" and not "Weetzie Bat". Should I read "Weetzie Bat" first? Will it make a difference? Is "Witch Baby" as good as "WB"? lol

Kylix

[Tanibani]

Shucks, I was going to recommend Expecting Adam.

I loved the DAVINCI Code.

[pamamidwife]

I LOVED Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. His book, The Virgin Suicides, also is GREAT!

Other books you might enjoy:

Secret Life of Bees
Into the Forest


I'm reading DaVinci Code right now - although my knitting is taking up most of my off time!

[emmaline]

currently reading "Anil's ghost" by Michael Ondaatje, pretty grim but excellent reading

but...anyone wanna tell me how to pronounce his name??

[juicylucy]

I third Expecting Adam.. wonderful story. And OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS : A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott. Both baby-related, but both beautiful.

[aquarianangela]

i think i just read a book by francesca block about her first year of motherhood with her daughter- let me check hold on- yup it's called guarding the moon: a mother's first year by francesca lia block. it is wonderful like poetry! i had never heard of her before i picked this up. she is a vegan ap older mama. highly recommendit and now i want to get everything else she has written. also louise erdrich i will always plug her because she is so wonderful esp last report on the miracles at little nohorse and the master butcher's singers club but really everything she writes is great.

[Mothernature]

glamorama- brett easton ellis

I found this one extremely disturbing and I like dark novels. It seemed vapid and I read the whole thing hoping for redemption, but it just got worse. If it bothers you put it down and walk away.

I can think of a few right off the top of my head that were wonderful.

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold - by C.S. Lewis and
Mutant Message Down Under- by Marlo Morgan
Gitterbug Perfume- by Tom Robbins
The Alchemist- by Paulo Coelho

I'll go through the collection to find others.

[azyre]

If you liked the Mists of Avalon you might enjoy Bernard Cornwell's Arthurian tales, I think the first is called Enemy of God.

I used to love Anne Rice, I think I'm over the vampire thing now but love her historial novels, The Feast of All Saints and Cry to Heaven. I also like the Mayfair Witches books, The Witching Hour is the first.

I like "Like Water for Chocolate" and Isabelle Allende's "Eva Luna" books. They have magic weaved into every day life.

I also liked "The Book of Ruth" and "A map of the world" by Jane Hamilton. I also like "The Most Wanted" by Jacquelyn Mitchard, and "She's come undone" and "I know this much is true" by Wally Lamb.

For aussie stuff, I like Ruth Park a lot. Her "harp in the south" trilogy is great, set in Surrey Hills, Sydney, written in the 1940's and still accesable today, about a family living in poverty. I also like "swords and crowns and rings" about a man named Jackie who is a dwarf.

These are all great stories, well written and entertaining, gripping

[Liz]

The book I am recommending to anybody who will listen is:

Mister Sandman by Barbara Gowdy

The characters are bizarre but she writes so well that by the end you feel like you know them and they don't seem weird at all.

emmaline: Ondaatje is pronounced on-DAH-jee. If you want to read more of him try Running in the Family. It's about a family living in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) loosely based on his own experience. I've read most of his books and love them but images from this one (one of the first I read) still remain in my head.

[Shantimama]

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiama
Stones from the River by Ursula hegi
Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Davita's Harp by Chaim Potpk
The Colour of Water by James McBride

[plum]

ooh i thought of another book- cruddy by lynda barry. has anyone else read this? i thought it was so good but i don't know anyone who has read it.

[Joi]

the house of leaves- mark danielewski (sp?) VERY weird book. creepy

That book ROCKS!!!

I love just about anything written by David Foster Wallace (Infinite Jest, Girl with Curious Hair, Supposidly Fun Thing that I'll Never do Again,...)
Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy, How to be Good)
Nick Bantock (The Griffen and Sabine series, The Forgetting room...)