Jenny in GA Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Back in September, I was looking for a really good book that I would love. I read the Amazon reviews of Outlander about how so many people "could NOT put this book down!" and "got swept up an lost in the book" and I thought, "Yeah! That's exactly what I want!" Well, as I said before, I didn't like Outlander at all. I forced myself to read it for 300 pages and then finally gave up. Recently I started reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. (Someone told me I would love it.) Not badly written, but a real snooze-fest. Nothing seems to happen ... Anyway, I am still looking for that "can't put this book down!" great read. I was going to try Girl With the Dragon Tattoo because it seems so popular right now ... but then I read some of the negative reviews (which is what I should have done with Outlander), and they say it has "graphic violent sexual abuse," which really doesn't sound very fun. Any ideas?? BTW, the last novel I really loved -- which I read a year ago -- was The Help. I also remember devouring I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb many years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I hated Outlander. Didn't even stick it out for the first 10% if I recall, which is my usual rule before giving up on a book ;). Yes, Rosamunde Pilcher - haven't read her in YEARS - nothing amazing. Personally, I loved Girl with the Dragon Tatoo - once you get past the first 60 or 70 pages - boring. And, if you don't mind the graphic stuff. I usually do, but with this series, story was king. I couldn't put these down for the life of me. The graphic nature of it didn't bother me much at all. I sort of let it go in one ear and come out the other ... I loved, loved, loved The Help. I would love to hear what others suggest, since I'm in a bit of a reading rut now. These have been my favorite page-turners: The Kite Runner then wait about 6 months (or else it's Afghanistan overkill) before reading his even better book Thousand Splendid Suns - this one, by far, is amongst one of the best books I have ever read - both have graphic stuff - but not as graphic as Dragon Tatoo - incredible stories The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende - I couldn't stop reading this, loved it Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - some love it, some hate it, same with everything I guess. I have other favorite books, of course, but those are what I would call page-turners. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Recently read "Little Bee" and loved it. Last night I started "The Hangman's Daughter" and it is really good so far. I did NOT like Outlander OR the Dragon Tattoo. Yuck and Double-Yuck. I loved The Help. I also liked The Book Thief and The Thirteenth Tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Back in September, I was looking for a really good book that I would love. I read the Amazon reviews of Outlander about how so many people "could NOT put this book down!" and "got swept up an lost in the book" and I thought, "Yeah! That's exactly what I want!" Well, as I said before, I didn't like Outlander at all. I forced myself to read it for 300 pages and then finally gave up. Recently I started reading Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. (Someone told me I would love it.) Not badly written, but a real snooze-fest. Nothing seems to happen ... Anyway, I am still looking for that "can't put this book down!" great read. I was going to try Girl With the Dragon Tattoo because it seems so popular right now ... but then I read some of the negative reviews (which is what I should have done with Outlander), and they say it has "graphic violent sexual abuse," which really doesn't sound very fun. Any ideas?? BTW, the last novel I really loved -- which I read a year ago -- was The Help. I also remember devouring I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb many years ago. Do you like mysteries? Tana French: In the Woods The Likeness Faithful Place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If you like Lamb, you might like Elizabeth Berg. Maybe Durable Goods or The Pull of The Moon. Eternal on the Water by Joseph Monninger is another possibility. A real page-turner is The Sabbath Day River by Jean Korelitz. An infant's body is found in the river... It's not a gore book, but there is intensity. Two of my favorite authors are Barbara Kingsolver and Alice Hoffman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snipsnsnailsx5 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 A book we read at our book club just before we read The Help, was These Is My Words. I forget the author, but you can search for that on Amazon. The cover looks like a leather journal. That's a pretty good book! :) Its part of a series too, but I haven't read the other books yet. Also, a teen series that *I* thought was pretty good was the series that starts with Fallen, then Torment, and a new book comes out next year. Its by Lauren Kate. It is reminiscent of the Twilight series, but better I think. The main character is stronger and the love story is more solid. Also the backstory is much more involved and interesting. Its not JUST a love story in other words. The main characters are a girl and a fallen angel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen in PA Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Do you like mysteries? Tana French: In the Woods The Likeness Faithful Place :iagree: And even if you don't like all mysteries, these definitely cross over into the psychological thriller genre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The Book Thief was a real page-turner for me. I was sobbing for the last 30 minutes I read; it's definitely sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I blazed through The Hunger Games trilogy in a week because the story was so gripping. Matched was pretty good. I tried The Book Thief and couldn't get into it. I'll try it again when I'm in the mood for something a little slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Recently read "Little Bee" and loved it. Last night I started "The Hangman's Daughter" and it is really good so far. I did NOT like Outlander OR the Dragon Tattoo. Yuck and Double-Yuck. I loved The Help. I also liked The Book Thief and The Thirteenth Tale. I also loved Thirteenth Tale!! OP, do you like historical fiction? I loved alison weir's Innocent Traitor. And Vantrease's Illuminator. And Bennett's Portrait of an Unknown Woman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sibbis Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I blazed through The Hunger Games trilogy in a week because the story was so gripping. :iagree: I couldn't wait for my library to get the second and third books in so I bought them at Target, read them and then returned them. Such a cheapskate! But I made sure I didn't eat while I was reading Target's books.:blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The best page-turner I've read recently is The Host by Stephanie Meyer. It's an alien invasion story. The aliens who invade are parasitic and are using humans as hosts. I recommended it to my 15yo because I thought the psychological aspects of the story would be very interesting to her. She read it in less than 24 hours despite having to do a full day of school as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xuzi Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 A real page-turner for me was "Angry Housewives Eating Bon-bons" (I forget the author's name, sorry) It's not so much a page-turner because it's thrilling or suspenseful, but the author does such a good job at getting you to really LOVE her characters and want to learn more about them and how they move through the decades of their lives that the book covers. I felt like a best friend had moved away when I finished the book, I was so sad to not be able to read more about the characters! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 If you like Lamb, you might like his recent book, 'The Hour I First Believed.' I also second 'The Book Thief" 'The Kite Runner" and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns.' I don't know if I would call it a page turner but I enjoyed reading Alan Bradley's books (Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag) and Audrey Niffenegger's 'Her Fearful Symmetry' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sthompson Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I recommend 'One Second After' by William Forstchen. My husband and I both finished it in a day (and he's not too much of a casual reader) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 :iagree: I couldn't wait for my library to get the second and third books in so I bought them at Target, read them and then returned them. Such a cheapskate! But I made sure I didn't eat while I was reading Target's books.:blush: Please tell me you did not do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The Book Thief was a real page-turner for me. I was sobbing for the last 30 minutes I read; it's definitely sad. Yup, and equally as page-turnery but not as sad, is Zusak's I Am The Messenger. Loved it! Finished it asap - couldn't stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 :iagree: And even if you don't like all mysteries, these definitely cross over into the psychological thriller genre. I agree. I think you described them better. They are "more" than just mysteries. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Margaret in GA Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 What about Water for Elephants? I found at some point, it was impossible to put down. Also a real page turner for me: Rebecca I liked Girl with a Dragon Tatoo, but it took a while to get into. Once hooked, though, it had me. Kind of like a Dan Brown book. The graphic s*xual stuff didn't bother me too bad. It's easy to just skip over. Happy Reading! Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The Hunger Games was a real page turner for me! I read the first one -The Hunger Games - in November. Read the next two -Catching Fire and Mockingjay - one right after the other in December. Another author I have really loved this year is Jude Morgan - I recently finished Indiscretion:A Novel and loved it! The sharp-witted conversations between two of the characters had me laughing out loud. Or for something more modern/memoir how about The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls or Half Broke Horses which follows the life of her very unconventional grandmother? I stayed up far too late in the night reading these! Oh, and a second vote for Rebecca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The Hunger Games was a real page turner for me! I read the first one -The Hunger Games - in November. Read the next two -Catching Fire and Mockingjay - one right after the other in December. I got the trilogy for Christmas and could not put them down. The ending of Mockingjay I found really disturbing, however. Even though the whole series was pretty violent, the climactic event of the 3rd book really bothered me. I understand why the author chose to end the series that way, but I didn't like the moral ambiguity of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarawatsonim Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I don't know if you like SciFi/Fantasy books but the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning are major page turners. There are currently 4 books with the fifth (and last) to be released the middle of January. I am in love with this series and am currently re-reading them in preparation for the new release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I didn't love Outlander either, and can't bring myself to finish the second title in the series. I second both The Thirteenth Tale and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, even with the graphic abuse in the latter. Still Alice was gripping - I read it in one day, something I have not had time for in years. A great read gleaned from the WTM boards (where else?) was Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I loved The Help. I also liked The Book Thief and The Thirteenth Tale. These three were my top reads last year. Everyone I recommended them to raved as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I got the trilogy for Christmas and could not put them down. The ending of Mockingjay I found really disturbing, however. Even though the whole series was pretty violent, the climactic event of the 3rd book really bothered me. I understand why the author chose to end the series that way, but I didn't like the moral ambiguity of it. Yes, I understand what you mean - it bugged me, too. I wanted things more clean-cut. I also felt that by the end the author was writing for the inevitable movie, kwim? I still couldn't put it down, though. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I like Maeve Binchy's books. I have most of them and I've read them several times over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in GA Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 Thanks for all the replies. I printed out this thread and took it the bookstore. Came home with Water for Elephants, but haven't started it yet. Oh, and I love Maeve Binchy, but I've already read everything by her. Two of her books I read twice! That's why someone told me I would like Rosamunde Pilcher, but I found her to be much more boring and slow-moving. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The best page-turner I've read recently is "The Host" by Stephanie Meyer. It's an alien invasion story. The aliens who invade are parasitic and are using humans as hosts. :iagree::iagree: Oh. My. Goodness. I don't know what happened around my house while I was reading this book :lol: What's funny is I didn't expect to like it. I was thinking about it days after I finished it. Not quite the page turner that "The Host" was but I just finished "Juliet" by Anne Fortier and I couldn't put it down either. Excellent story of Romeo and Juliet woven throughout medieval history and modern history. Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 I hate saying this, but I didn't make it past pg 15 of Outlander. Your 300 pgs are far better. :D The book that I loved when I was in a reading rut was WATER FOR ELEPHANTS. It was just such a breath of fresh air as far as storytelling. I also really enjoyed Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen--very Alice Hoffman/Practical Magic like. If you want long and gutwrenching read The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons. It's *so good* though. My kids didn't like any of the Hunger Games books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oasis Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 (edited) :iagree: I couldn't wait for my library to get the second and third books in so I bought them at Target, read them and then returned them. Such a cheapskate! But I made sure I didn't eat while I was reading Target's books.:blush: Do you know about paperbackswap.com? It's one of my favorite sites! :D http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=8&r_by=myoasis To the OP, do you like reading true accounts? Both of these books were recently page-turners for me: Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by William Queen Escape by Carolyn Jessop Edited January 3, 2011 by oasis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sibbis Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Do you know about paperbackswap.com? It's one of my favorite sites! :Dhttp://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php?n=8&r_by=myoasis I do but I lack the patience to wait when I want to read a book!!! It's really bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Sarah's Key was stunning. I also loved The Help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 13 Treasures--YA fairy tale The Anubis Gates--time traveling fantasy/steampunk with the poet Keats, underground beggar associations, werewolves, Egyptian gods, and a really creepy clown The Woman in White--classic detective fiction (although I must admit the first 100 pages was sort of stilted Victorian to set the love story...it really ran from there) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted January 4, 2011 Share Posted January 4, 2011 My page-turner of 2010 was The Passage by Justin Cronin. What a story! Loved it. It's a long one, but it didn't seem so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I liked Girl with a Dragon Tatoo, but it took a while to get into. Once hooked, though, it had me. Kind of like a Dan Brown book. The graphic s*xual stuff didn't bother me too bad. It's easy to just skip over. That's how I felt about it also. Get past the first 60-70 pages. The graphic stuff didn't bother me much at all. I also skimmed through it. "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" (particularly the latter) were far more emotionally wrenching for me, than Dragon Tattoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I like Maeve Binchy's books. I have most of them and I've read them several times over. :iagree: Love her. Wish I could meet her someday. I've been enjoying her since I was a teen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjlcc Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I didn't finish The Book Thief. Couldn't get into it. I enjoyed When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. I also enjoyed Beauty and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Currently reading Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers. :thumbup: Looking forward to trying out The Help. :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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