s/o Surprisingly good books

[sapphire_chan]

What things have you tried reading not expecting much but really enjoyed?

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli is one for me. It was on the shelf at my inlaws when we went for a visit and I finished the book I'd brought.

[Teenytoona]

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. Said to say its sequel Sepulchre didn't pull me in.

[earthgirl]

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Club. I picked it up a church rummage sale when it was the end of the sale and they were letting you fill your bag for $1. I threw that one in along with some others and actually really enjoyed it.

[fruitfulmomma]

Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold! by Terry Brooks. I really don't like fiction and especially fiction for adults but my husband was playing the audio book in our car and it was pretty good. Couldn't get into the rest of the series though.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Club. I picked it up a church rummage sale when it was the end of the sale and they were letting you fill your bag for $1. I threw that one in along with some others and actually really enjoyed it.

OT but I really liked the series on HBO. It was so delightfully innocent (in the sense of no violence or graphic images) and FUNNY!

A non-fiction book I read recently that surprised me was Fordlandia.

[earthgirl]

Originally Posted by Caneel

OT but I really liked the series on HBO. It was so delightfully innocent (in the sense of no violence or graphic images) and FUNNY!

A non-fiction book I read recently that surprised me was Fordlandia.

Oh, I didn't even know it had been made into a series. I'll have to check it out.

[zinemama]

I love, love love Maniac McGee!

I didn't expect to like Eat, Pray, Love after everything I heard about it. But when it came my way for free I read it just to see what the fuss was about. I found it surprisingly entertaining.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by earthgirl

Oh, I didn't even know it had been made into a series. I'll have to check it out.

It is so unlike anything else on TV in recent years.

The clothing and scenery are vilbriant. I let DS watch some of the episodes as he was fasinated by the colors and prints.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by zinemama

I love, love love Maniac McGee!

I didn't expect to like Eat, Pray, Love after everything I heard about it. But when it came my way for free I read it just to see what the fuss was about. I found it surprisingly entertaining.

And I hated Eat, Love, Pray. I thought the author was whiny and spoiled.

Some of my faves....

Salt
http://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-His.../dp/0142001619

In Small Things Forgotten
http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/d...=9780385483995

[Savoir Faire]

The Glass Castle. I thought it would be **okay** but it turned out to be much, much better. In fact, just picked up a copy at a resale shop the other day!

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by Savoir Faire

The Glass Castle. I thought it would be **okay** but it turned out to be much, much better. In fact, just picked up a copy at a resale shop the other day!

I felt the same way. That book really got me wound up. I wish I could have reached thru the pages and grabbed that mother by the neck.

[MysteryMama]

Originally Posted by Caneel

I felt the same way. That book really got me wound up. I wish I could have reached thru the pages and grabbed that mother by the neck.

I know! When she was trying to eat that monster chocolate bar under the covers while her kids were starving in the same room I wanted to hunt her down and really give her the business!

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by MysteryMama

I know! When she was trying to eat that monster chocolate bar under the covers while her kids were starving in the same room I wanted to hunt her down and really give her the business!

Oh. Well. Guess I'm not going to see if my library has that one then.

[Smokering]

Bridget Jones' Diary and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. I picked them up at book fairs as a bit of light relief after having loaded up on classics. I was surprised - they were really very witty, clever and tautly-plotted. The second book in particular was structured perfectly (and reflected Jane Austen's Persuasion, just as the first one reflected Pride and Prejudice): I actually thought it was better than the first one. Sadly, they dumbed the movies way down and caricatured all the characters.

[MysteryMama]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Oh. Well. Guess I'm not going to see if my library has that one then.

Oh don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite books! It just gets me worked up. But I like a book that makes me feel something, you know?

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Oh. Well. Guess I'm not going to see if my library has that one then.

Don't let that turn/scare you off.

I found the book absolutely inspirational. What the author and her siblings accomplished is nothing short of amazing.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by MysteryMama

Oh don't get me wrong, it's one of my favorite books! It just gets me worked up. But I like a book that makes me feel something, you know?

Originally Posted by Caneel

Don't let that turn/scare you off.

I found the book absolutely inspirational. What the author and her siblings accomplished is nothing short of amazing.

I'm sure it's all those things, I just do very poorly with books that make me want to punch the characters.

[*MamaJen*]

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It was really charming in parts, intense in others, and really intelligent but also an enjoyable read.
Also, um, the Sookie Stackhouse True Blood books. Not high fiction by any means, but they're entertaining.

[baglady]

Originally Posted by fruitfulmomma

Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold! by Terry Brooks. I really don't like fiction and especially fiction for adults but my husband was playing the audio book in our car and it was pretty good. Couldn't get into the rest of the series though.

I agree. I found this one on a shelf at my inlaws. It wasn't bad at all.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

I'm sure it's all those things, I just do very poorly with books that make me want to punch the characters.

I understand.

I went on this dysfunctional-family-memior bender for a while (Glass Castle, Shattered, everything by Augusten Boroughs, Growing Up in McBeth's Castle, Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight and who knows how many others) all of which I passed on to my best friend.

She finally said "I think we need to stop, I am getting too angry at these parents" and then I realized how emotionally involved I was getting in their stories.