madteaparty Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I find myself in the distressing position of no good books to read. I'm making my way through A prayer for Owen Meany but it does not enthrall me. I also found out I dislike reading on a kindle so maybe that's contributing. I feel very unanchored as a result. Can you list 5 or so books you really loved in the last few years, or ever? I guess I will list the first few that come to might that I really enjoyed in the past few years: Both HIllary Mantel Man Booker prize ones. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (this is one of my most favourite books of all time) Jane Gardam books White Tiger Ellena Ferrante books (My Brilliant Friend, etc) Persuasion Never Let me go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Some of my favorites (I read a LOT): The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky-I think Dostoyevsky is one of the greatest writers of all time. There are a LOT of characters and he gets sort of soap-opera-esque, but one forgives that. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier-A girl's coming of age story. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood-A take on The Odyssey from Penelope's point of view. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James-A ghost story...of sorts. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley-When people ask what modern book has impacted you the most, I choose this one. Persuasion by Jane Austen-It's romantic from a woman's point of view in the same way Pride and Prejudice is romantic from a girl's point of view. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte-Because if you read Austen, you need to read a Bronte sister as a sort of antidote for what Austen tells us about the social classes. The Age of Innocence or The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton-I think these are almost as relevant now as they were then, despite the prevalence of divorce. The Princess Bride by William Goldman-I love modern day fairy tales. Stardust by Neil Gaiman-ditto, with a twist. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett-This is one of the most hilarious books that I have ever read. Rarely do you get a funny take on the apocalypse. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift-nobody does satire like Swift. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald-I appreciate it when everything is sort of tied up in a bow at the end. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut-If you're not sure what humanism is, read this book. Walden by Henry Thoreau The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 A few I've liked recently: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Anthony Marra) Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller) [thanks for the recommendation, Laura!] The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 A few I've liked recently: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena (Anthony Marra) Song of Achilles (Madeline Miller) [thanks for the recommendation, Laura!] The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion) I just finished The Rosie Project! :) I have been thoroughly enjoying Lousie Penny's Armand Gamache mysteries. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier and Middlemarch by George Eliot were faves during my adolescent years-mid 20s. Almost anything by Georgette Heyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I just finished The Rosie Project! :) I have been thoroughly enjoying Lousie Penny's Armand Gamache mysteries. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier and Middlemarch by George Eliot were faves during my adolescent years-mid 20s. Almost anything by Georgette Heyer. I was just coming back to add the Gamache series to my list. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 6, 2014 Author Share Posted February 6, 2014 Thanks everyone. Some great suggestions here that will hopefully make me fall in love with my kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Oh, come join us over on the Book a Week thread. You will find lots of great suggestions there, plus there are a few people that like the same books you do who should be able to give you some recommendations. (Jane in NC springs to mind....) http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/503300-book-a-week-in-2014-bw6/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Favorite books over the past year (note that I mostly read non-fiction): - unbroken - love, love, love(in fact I might need to read again soon!) - nothing to envy: ordinary lives in North Korea - infidel - the grapes of wrath - surprised how much I liked it - enslaved by ducks - read it a couple years ago and loved it (super funny and a great pick me up!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I find myself in the distressing position of no good books to read. I'm making my way through A prayer for Owen Meany but it does not enthrall me. I also found out I dislike reading on a kindle so maybe that's contributing. I feel very unanchored as a result. Can you list 5 or so books you really loved in the last few years, or ever? I guess I will list the first few that come to might that I really enjoyed in the past few years: Both HIllary Mantel Man Booker prize ones. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (this is one of my most favourite books of all time) Jane Gardam books White Tiger Ellena Ferrante books (My Brilliant Friend, etc) Persuasion Never Let me go Jane Gardam's Old Filth Trilogy was one of my great discoveries of 2013. Which Gardam novel should I read next? Another pleasant discovery over the last few years was the amazing Starbridge series of six novels by Susan Howatch. Our own SWB lists them among her favorite novels (here--scroll down). They completely captivated me. When I am dissatisfied with reading in general, I return to old friends: Barbara Pym, Angela Thirkell, E.M Delafield. I too love Persuasion but Mantel's use of pronouns left me feeling confused. I suspect we may share some similar reading taste! Join us in the Book a Week club! I am currently rereading Jane Eyre and Ian Mortimer's Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostSurprise Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 True Grit by Charles Portis: A young teen girl hires a 'marshal' to avenge her father's murder. Yes, it's been made into 2 different movies, but you still need to read it. You need to read it because neither movie completely encompasses the humor and personality of this 14 year old girl. She's intelligent, energetic, and stubborn and is used to getting her way. She has the best way to do everything. She's ready to make over the world...and she still goes into rhapsodies over her little pony Blackie and is confused by her first crush. And the ending is pitch perfect. You can see who she is and how she became what she became. The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis: Another look at young womanhood, but with a lot more baggage. Tevis constructs the life of a young orphan who turns out to be a chess prodigy. Tevis (who also wrote The Hustler) is incredibly good at writing gameplay. The chess matches are tense and wonderful. Even with a great gift, life is not easy and the main character is flawed and broken. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang: Probably the most interesting biography/autobiography for explaining Chinese history in the 20th century. Chang follows the lives of 3 women; her grandmother (concubine for one of the last warlords), her mother (communist party leader), and herself (Cultural Revolution). One thing that makes this biography so amazing is that Chang's parents were high up in the party leadership, making some of the inner workings (at least within their province and their reactions to central command) of the Communist Party much more coherent. The story is all about how the Party affected the author, her parents, and the populace they knew. Politics within a personal story. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis: If you like humorous Victorian travel literature (like To Say Nothing of the Dog) and time travel I have a novel for you. Willis parodies Victorian tropes hilariously. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones: a fairy tale about an eldest sister who thinks nothing will ever happen to her, until the evil witch of the waste turns her into an old woman, allowing her to let go and just be herself. A fire demon, a wizard who's a bit of a ladykiller, a tagalong scarecrow, and a moving castle round out the cast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I can never do top lists for books. I've been reading for so long and there are so many kinds of books for me to look back and say these were the best... But I can do shorter term, so a couple from the last few months that I really, really enjoyed... Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - a YAish romance about a socially inept, anxious girl going to college with her much more outgoing twin- she writes slash fanfic about an imagined Harry Potter-esque set of children's books and excepts of the books and the fics intersperse the chapters. So, so, so much fun. Best YA I've read in ages. The Goldfinch - longish fiction about a young man whose mother dies and he ends up with a stolen painting that he carts around through half his life - jumps around from NY to Las Vegas to Europe - very intense and lovely book. I didn't love the ending, but it was one of the more compelling things I've read recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 A few that I really enjoyed in the past year or so: Code Name Verity (Elizabeth Wein) Parasol Protectorate series and the spin-off Finishing School series (Gail Carriger) Wool (Hugh Howey) Flavia de Luce series (Alan Bradley) Bellman & Black and The Thirteenth Tale (Diane Setterfield) Dreams of Joy (Lisa See) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Jane Gardam's Old Filth Trilogy was one of my great discoveries of 2013. Which Gardam novel should I read next? Another pleasant discovery over the last few years was the amazing Starbridge series of six novels by Susan Howatch. Our own SWB lists them among her favorite novels (here--scroll down). They completely captivated me. When I am dissatisfied with reading in general, I return to old friends: Barbara Pym, Angela Thirkell, E.M Delafield. I too love Persuasion but Mantel's use of pronouns left me feeling confused. I suspect we may share some similar reading taste! Join us in the Book a Week club! I am currently rereading Jane Eyre and Ian Mortimer's Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England. Wow I loved Mortimer's Medieval book, didn't know he had an Elizabethan book also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Wow I loved Mortimer's Medieval book, didn't know he had an Elizabethan book also! Somehow I missed the Medieval book, but the Elizabethan one is interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 The Goldfinch - longish fiction about a young man whose mother dies and he ends up with a stolen painting that he carts around through half his life - jumps around from NY to Las Vegas to Europe - very intense and lovely book. I didn't love the ending, but it was one of the more compelling things I've read recently. This one gets recommended to me often in those amazon "Customers who bought this item also bought...". Thank you! ETA: I resisted because I had great expectations of "The Secret History" due to reviews and I thought it was rather "meh". This happens to me a lot with critically acclaimed authors, Frazen being another one. A Visit from the Goon Squad is in the same category. Maybe I am more of a Man Booker girl than National Book award? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Maybe I am more of a Man Booker girl than National Book award? :) You're a girl after my own heart! I have (often) really enjoyed Booker nominees & winners I've read, but haven't had much success with Nat'l Book Award books (for example, ditched Goon Squad -- bleh, & I've never been able to take Franzen either). Based on your list & comments, here are a few I've enjoyed that you might too. (Fyi, many of these books were Booker nominees &/or authors who have been nominated....) I love & highly recommend all of these: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif C by Tom McCarthy Parrot & Olivier in America by Peter Carey The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (a Nat'l Book Award nominee that I actually loved) All Men are Liars by Alberto Manguel Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi Dancer by Colum McCann The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt Bel Canto by Ann Patchett ETA: Are you on Goodreads? You can get some great suggestions there too, based off of books you have liked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Thanks Stacia. I can already tell the list you posted is a great one because I've read and loved several on it. Many thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I am loving this thread! Maybe I need to put all of these on my kindle list and see what is available from my library. I just need to get through the 5 kindle books that just became available from our library. I just finished The Swan Thieves and really enjoyed it. I finished it just before starting I am Rembrandt's Daughter for my daughter's book club. Two books on the art world. Fabulous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'll add a recommendation for The Rosie Project. http://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Project-Graeme-Simsion-ebook/dp/B00BSBR9N6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391791203&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rosie+project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I'll add a recommendation for The Rosie Project. http://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Project-Graeme-Simsion-ebook/dp/B00BSBR9N6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391791203&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rosie+project I enjoyed it too! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I didn't care for Prayer for Owen Meany either Some of my favorite books: Angela's Ashes To Kill a Mockingbird Beloved A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Feed Snow Falling on Cedars Gone with the Wind Grapes of Wrath The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing Night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Can you list 5 or so books you really loved in the last few years, or ever? I guess I will list the first few that come to might that I really enjoyed in the past few years: Both HIllary Mantel Man Booker prize ones. The Elegance of the Hedgehog (this is one of my most favourite books of all time) Jane Gardam books White Tiger Ellena Ferrante books (My Brilliant Friend, etc) Persuasion Never Let me go I loved The Elegance of the Hedgehog. :) I really want to read the Hillary Mantel books. Others that you mentioned sound good also. You asked for 5 or so favorite books of the last few years. Here's my list: A Thousand Splendid Suns - this one, by far, is amongst one of the best books I have ever read The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende and anything else by her, but this is her best. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Allende Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea The Book Thief Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides Happy reading. :) I always love these threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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