mama2cntrykids Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 We're going on a trip soon and I would like to bring a good book with. No romances please:001_huh:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Do you like mysteries? I've been reading the Inspector Luke Thanet books by Dorothy Simpson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Well, what kinds of books do you like?? I just finished A Game of Thrones (first book in series) and A Clash of Kings (second book in series) by George R.R. Martin and loved them; I've got the third one on reserve at my library but it's out and not due back til the 19th of this month. :P My favorite series ever, though, is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon- that DOES have a romance storyline to it, but it's not what you would typically think of as "romance"- it's got history, humor, action, drama, romance, sex, great characters- everything I could possibly want all rolled into one lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire; both written by Stieg Larsson. And both were bestsellers. And neither are romance novels.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Have you read The Help? It's so good & no romance! Although there is some romance in these (sort of), the Hunger Games trilogy is very good and a light, easy read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenL Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire; both written by Stieg Larsson. And both were bestsellers. And neither are romance novels.;) :iagree: These were excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Blue House Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Weird name but sweet book. I'd recommend it for a beach vacation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My latest selections: "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown - a great book with a nice feel-good ending "The Borgia Bride" by Jeanne Kalogridis - interesting historical fiction Currently in the middle of "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson - so far, decent, but you have to get past the completely vapid ranting by the narrator, which lasts for what seems like ages. Once you meet the other main character, things get better. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 It really depends upon what you like to read. Some of my faves: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Stardust by Neil Gaiman The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 We're going on a trip soon and I would like to bring a good book with. No romances please:001_huh:. Here's my broken record: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristin_Lavransdatter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 If you like memoirs: Honeymoon with my Brother by F. Wisner http://www.amazon.com/Honeymoon-My-Brother-Franz-Wisner/dp/0312320906 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I'm a big fan of Connie Willis! My favorite of hers is To Say Nothing of the Dog, which has two sort-of-sequels, Blackout and All Clear. I haven't read it in ages, but Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen is good, too. She also has books of short stories which are excellent. I love the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters. Very fun, witty, and they take place in Egypt (mostly). The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins is a very good, old-fashioned read with a mysterious plot. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrrws Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I used to devour books, but hadn't read any fiction in years until Memorial Day weekend. I read the Song of Acadia books by Janette Oke and T. Davis Bunn. I loved them!! They were gripping, inspiring, and entertaining. It was very relaxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 The Help was excellent and clean. I see you are a Christian; my favorite series of all time was the Francine Rivers trilogy Mark of the Lion-it is not at all trite like some Christian fiction! Great read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hikin' Mama Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I'm currently reading Pink Boots and a Machete by Mireya Mayor. It's about the many expeditions she went on, some of them for National Geographic. I love living adventure like this through reading, without ever seeing a snake or having a critter embed in my skin. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homeschooling Again Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 If you haven't read Robinson Crusoe I highly recommend it. For something lighter I like The #1 Ladies Detective Agency. Very light but charming and set in interesting Batswana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jodi-FL Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Weird name but sweet book. I'd recommend it for a beach vacation. and a friend just recommended sarah's key, apparently, same historical fiction, very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) I just finished reading Angela's Ashes and Uncle Tom's Cabin. I loved them both. I can't believe I'd never read Uncle Tom's Cabin before, but I'm glad I finally did. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was also really good (again, can't believe I just now read it). For fiction, The Forgotten Garden was really good. It's pretty long, if you want something that will last a while. ETA: I love memoirs that are a bit gritty, and loved The Glass Castle (Angela's Ashes fits this description also). Edited July 7, 2011 by tammyw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) What kind of trip is this? Some of the books recommended are very emotional. I made the mistake of taking the Gurnsey one on a plane. I cried and cried through the while thing, and I hate crying on planes. There a lot of books I read and enjoyed, but would never take on a relaxing trip Edited July 7, 2011 by Mrs Mungo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where are you going? Sometimes that helps me decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrossFitMama Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I second Outlander and Hunger Games - must reads! If you like sci-fi, I just read the Ender's Game quartet and the Old Man's War quartet and highly recommend them. If you like historical fiction my husband loved Simon Scarrow's Eagle books (set in Ancient Rome). I really like Phillippa Gregory's books on the Tudor line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan in SC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Saint Maybe or anything by Anne Tyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Weird name but sweet book. I'd recommend it for a beach vacation. :iagree:. Charming book. I'm reading it aloud to my MIL right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I just read a couple of really good books by Michele Moran- Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen. They are historical fiction and they're really good. I'm currently reading Cleopatra's Daughter by the same author and I don't like it nearly as much- there's too much violence. But the other two were fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I just finished The Help and really enjoyed it. I'd also recommend any of Kate Mortons three novels or anything by Maeve Binchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam L in Mid Tenn Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 "By the Light of the Moon" by Dean Koonz. I read it yesterday. Exciting, exciting, exciting. Mystery that becomes, well, different. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bairnmama Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My favorite author is Stephen Lawhead. He does fantasy/historical fiction/allegory and it is very easy to get drawn in to his characters. King Raven Trilogy (interesting take on the Robin Hood legend) Song of Albion Series (very Celtic with battles and intrigue) Pendragon Cycle (Merlin & King Arthur) Celtic Crusades Series Dragon King Series Patrick: Son of Ireland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Some of the books recommended are very emotional. I made the mistake of taking the Gurnsey one on a plane. I cried and cried through the while thing, and I hate crying on planes. There a lot of books I read and enjoyed, but would never take on a relaxing trip :iagree: I am totally prone to crying over any little thing in a book. I hate to take those kinds of books w/ me anywhere because of that. Some non-crying (;)) fiction recommendations: the Flavia de Luce books by Alan Bradley (set of 3 mysteries w/ an 11yo feisty girl as the protagonist) books by Terry Pratchett (great fantasy books) "The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack" (fab mix of steampunk/sci fi/historical fiction) "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro (pitch-perfect story of an uptight English butler) "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova (if you're in the mood for a spin on Dracula) "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides (generational family saga w/ the amazing, wonderful narrator Cal/Callie) "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" by Walter Moers (completely zany, imaginative, wild book) Non-fiction recommendations: books by A.J. Jacobs (funny) "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert (loads of fun, imo) "Packing for Mars" by Mary Roach (lots of stuff you never knew about space programs) "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" by Christopher McDougall (fascinating, even if you've never run in your life) "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" by Jack Weatherford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Blue House Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 What kind of trip is this? Some of the books recommended are very emotional. I made the mistake of taking the Gurnsey one on a plane. I cried and cried through the while thing, and I hate crying on planes. There a lot of books I read and enjoyed, but would never take on a relaxing trip I agree! I hate crying during books when I'm not in my own home. But, I remember having a permanent smile pasted on my face while reading Guernsey. I just loved the characters. I remember a few sad parts but nothing throughout the whole story. It's been a while since I read it though. Maybe I need to read it again! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Ever read any Alice Hoffman? My all time favorite is "Here On Earth". I've probably read that on vacation a million times. She makes you feel like a little kid getting lost in a fairytale for the first time ever. Sheer magic. Also, Olive Kitteridge is a standard fave of mine, I always buy this when I see it around and give it to friends. I love discussing it. Both are fiction works, which for me, is unusual to read, I'm generally all non fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I LOVE book lists from these threads... keeps me entertained for months on end! You all are awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 I agree! I hate crying during books when I'm not in my own home. But, I remember having a permanent smile pasted on my face while reading Guernsey. I just loved the characters. I remember a few sad parts but nothing throughout the whole story. It's been a while since I read it though. Maybe I need to read it again! ;) No, really, it's just me. One of my best friends recommended it to me. She talked about how funny it was, how funny her mom thought it was, etc. But, it's a book about war and loss during times of war. I'm a military wife. I read in it things that someone not associated with that sort of world would not have seen. For *me* it was heartbreaking; I think it would be for a lot of military wives, particularly those who have seen a lot of loss. But, it probably would not affect most people that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 My favorite author is Stephen Lawhead. He does fantasy/historical fiction/allegory and it is very easy to get drawn in to his characters. King Raven Trilogy (interesting take on the Robin Hood legend) Song of Albion Series (very Celtic with battles and intrigue) Pendragon Cycle (Merlin & King Arthur) Celtic Crusades Series Dragon King Series Patrick: Son of Ireland :iagree: I love Stephen Lawhead! He's my favorite author too! The Song of Albion series is excellent, and probably my favorite. The Pendragon Cycle is also a favorite, and so is King Raven. Byzantium is another really good one. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels are really, really funny. They have some romantic stuff in them but I would not call them romances. They are mysteries, I guess, and just really entertaining. Great vacation books. The Outlander books are romances. If you don't want romance, don't read Outlander for vacation. They're great books, and I love them all, but you said no romance so I'm just telling you. :) Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books are really good too. They start with The Wee Free Men, which was recommended to me here years ago, and I finally read it recently. I then had to read all the rest of them. They are funny and thought provoking and well-written. If you like outdoors stuff, or if you grew up camping or with a dad who hunts or fishes, you MUST read Patrick McManus. His books are hysterical. By hysterical, I mean that I laugh until I cry every time I read them, and I do re-read them. I am not outdoorsy now and really hate camping, but I still love his books. He also has a series about a mystery-solving sheriff named Bo Tully. They are all right; I have read at least one, but I would stick to his outdoor stories. The Miss Read books are a lot of fun to read, too. They are about a schoolmistress in Great Britain. Colleen recommended them here a while back and I really do like them. If you're going on vacation and would like to avoid thinking about education, maybe not so much, but they are great reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) I've enjoyed The Dresden Files if you like sci-fi/mysteries. There's a bunch in the series & I don't remember too much sensuality until you really get into the vampire battles. Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries are clean (except one has one scene, but that's latter on in the series.) LOVED Pat Conroy's South of Broad Like The Help, in that it's about the south in the '60s, but a very different look and bunches of topics for a book group! Read Gayle Haggard's book about the scandal w/her husband & mega-church pastor, Ted. Very interesting! If you want a really thick book, any of Edward Rutherfurd's novels will keep you busy. I've read London, Sarum & the Princes of Dublin. He starts from the beginning, but doesn't get bogged down in the "forming of the gasses" like Michener does (IMO!!) Edited July 7, 2011 by K-FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 You know what's silly? I really don't know what kind of fiction I'm into. I usually read non-fiction (parenting/Christian/hsing). I just know I'm NOT into romance OR thrillers (killing type stuff). I really like the Harry Potter series, if that helps! I'm open:bigear:! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Oooh, a Harry Potter fan! That helps! Here are some other teen fantasy series I've enjoyed: Fablehaven - Brandon Mull The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Michael D. Scott The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Jonathan Stroud (and now there is a new Bartimaeus novel) 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson One author I really like, and forgot to mention before, is Charles deLint. He writes about faerie in the modern world. Great stuff, fun to read and well written. My library has exactly two of his books but I am on the lookout for more. OR Melling is another author who writes about faerie interacting with the modern world, but there is usually romance involved. I would not call them romance books, but just wanted to let you know up front. I like her books but I don't think they are as well written as Charles deLint's. Another series that was recommended to me that I haven't read yet is Awfully Beastly Business. It appears there is a movie coming out of one of them. I haven't had a chance to look into them at all, but a mom at Abbie's choir recommended them as fun to listen to. You will have to let me know if you try any of these and like them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted July 7, 2011 Author Share Posted July 7, 2011 Where are you going? Sometimes that helps me decide. Ohhh good idea! We're going to Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of SD:auto:----> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 7, 2011 Share Posted July 7, 2011 Because you like Harry Potter, I would suggest: Stardust by Neil Gaiman The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman The Princess Bride by William Goldman The Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy by Patricia McKillip (note: You *must* buy all 3 books at once, trust me on this. It is available bound in one book, that is preferable) The Earthsea books by Ursula LeGuin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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