Help! I need something absorbing...

[TEAK's Mom]

OK, mighty readers of MDC, I need some really good book recommendations. I'm in some sort of funk and bibliotherapy is just what is necessary to get me out of it.

The criteria: I want something so absorbing that it is possible to forget everything else for an hour or two after the kids are asleep. I am flexible about genre. Alas, I have a degree in English and have read most of what are considered classics.

Some authors I like:
A.S. Byatt
Alberto Manuel
Robin McKinley
Tamora Pierce
Pamela Dean
Julian May
Christopher Moore
Alice Walker
Lois McMaster Bujold
Toni Morrison
Ruth Reichl

What has totally mesmerized you lately?

[Daffodil]

The most mesmerizing thing I've read lately was The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It was mesmerizing in a pretty disturbing way, though. It might not be the kind of thing you're looking for.

Have you read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell?

[ollyoxenfree]

David Mitchell - Ghostwritten

Kate Grenville - The Secret River

Chris Cleave - Little Bee

Tim Winton - Cloudstreet

[amcal]

Since you have some supernatural on there - have you read The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward? I LOVED them. There are several in the series and some books are better than others but, they were completely engrossing to me.

[Storm Bride]

hm...they're so old that you've probably read them, but what about Jean Auel's Earth's Children books? I've read them while in the hospital post-op...twice.

(My first recommendation was going to be the Vorkosigan novels, but you have her on there already.)

[_betsy_]

I just read The Killing Tree by Rachel Keener and it was pretty engrossing, a quick read, but interesting story and characters.

[TEAK's Mom]

Thanks! I'm heading to the library to try some of these.

Stormbride, the Vorkosigan books are exactly what I want except that I want to read them for the first time again.

[starling&diesel]

What about Sarah Waters?
She has a new one, The Little Stranger.
All of hers are great, big, fat, wonderful reads.

I just finished Barbara Kingsolver's new one, not so impressed.
I'm reading Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections, right now. It's pretty good.
Read Turtle Warrior recently, meh.

Oh! And the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society. Loved it!

And The Navigator of New York ... fabulous, toothy read.

[starling&diesel]

The Hunger Games.

Go read it. Now!

Especially if you like a bit of sci fi/fantasy.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by TEAK's Mom

Stormbride, the Vorkosigan books are exactly what I want except that I want to read them for the first time again.

Oh...me, too!! Miles Vorkosigan is, hands down, my all-time favourite protagonist.

[kangamitroo]

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

[TEAK's Mom]

Just finished The Hunger Games that was a lot of fun. Next, I think I'll check of Sarah Waters since I've never encountered her before. Then, I'm so going for The Shadow of the Wind. This is neat. Maybe I'll see how far I can go on nifty recommendations...

I'm also curious about the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, but they are all out at the library at the moment.

[babycarrier]

Christopher Moore has a new one out last week or so....Just read My Life In France - Julia Child and Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortensen. Wonderful and inspiring