bethben Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I love to read but I really need help with suggestions. I need a less heavy selection - i.e. non-classics. Classics require a chunk of time to get into the story line that I just don't have. I'm interested in fiction, biographies, historical books... I just don't want a lot of swearing (because it stays in my head) or sex. My favorite books are Christy by Catherine Marshall and Gone with the Wind. I've read both of those several times. Help me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I really enjoyed The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, and am currently nearly finished with the sequel, The Promise. Love them both. But you may have already read them. I loved Gone With the Wind too, btw. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I recently finished Peace Like a River by Leif Enger - it's beautiful. Other favorites: 84 Charing Cross Road, The Last Coin, Three Men in a Boat (to Say Nothing of the Dog), anything by Tim Powers (Declare, The Anubis Gates, etc.), the Jeeves and Wooster series by P.G. Wodehouse, The Martian by Andy Weir. Also, as Stacia mentions down a couple posts, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I'm reading Nearly Orthodox right now -- it's a good read one woman's story of conversion to the ancient faith. Unlike a lot of conversion stories that I've read, this isn't all neat and tidy -- she's an ex punk rocker in a difficult situation, as well as a poet, so her story is interesting and also well written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_in_Switzerland Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 This one is along the lines of Hunger Games, though significantly less violent: Wool Omnibus. It's a future sci-fi book- part of what makes it interesting is that the author self-published on amazon rather than going through an agent and it ended up being a HUGE hit. As someone who likes this genre, I thought it was excellent. It blows the Divergent series completely out of the water. I am reading the sequel now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 This one is along the lines of Hunger Games, though significantly less violent: Wool Omnibus. It's a future sci-fi book- part of what makes it interesting is that the author self-published on amazon rather than going through an agent and it ended up being a HUGE hit. As someone who likes this genre, I thought it was excellent. It blows the Divergent series completely out of the water. I am reading the sequel now. I enjoyed Wool Omnibus as well - it has excellent pacing and characterization. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (+ the sequels in the series) Bel Canto by Ann Patchett 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Alexander McCall Smith is good for light fiction. His No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency takes a bit of time to get into, but once you get past the first book the rest flow much better. I also enjoy his 44 Scotland Street series and Portuguese Irregular Verbs series. For the latter, I started with The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs even though it's the second book. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Negin Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I love threads like these, since I love books & adding suggestions to my wish list. :D I love to read but I really need help with suggestions. I need a less heavy selection - i.e. non-classics. Classics require a chunk of time to get into the story line that I just don't have. I'm interested in fiction, biographies, historical books... I just don't want a lot of swearing (because it stays in my head) or sex. My favorite books are Christy by Catherine Marshall and Gone with the Wind. I've read both of those several times. Help me! I'm like you in that I seem to have great difficulty focusing on classics these days. That didn't used to be the case. Not sure if my Good Reads Favorites page will work, but here's the link. Since you want to avoid swearing, out of those, you should ignore: Confessions of a Prairie B*tch (fabulous biography, but there is swearing) Middlesex (I think there might be swearing, not sure) Funny in Farsi (some mild swearing) Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (I think there might be swearing, not sure) Maus (I think there might be swearing, not sure) The Man Who Left (I think there might be swearing, again, not sure) I love the travelogues by Bill Bryson (but there is some mild swearing now and again) Favorites all-in-all, that I think you may like: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea (written in such an engaging style, it doesn't even feel like non-fiction) The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt (I have a feeling that you would like this - an easy read & so sweet) The Book Thief (but it takes some getting used to) Thousand Splendid Suns The Pillars of the Earth The Invisible Wall - followed by The Dream Books by Maeve Binchy Can't Wait to Get to Heaven Tuesdays with Morrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 My dd read Funny in Farsi for school (9th grade)--it really is funny, and the swearing is super-mild (no F bombs, etc.). It's a memoir of an Iranian woman who comes to the US with her family before the Iran Hostage days. How about short stories? Do you like science fiction? I really enjoyed Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man. Easy read, interesting, and I could pick it up and put it down in 15-20 minute chunks. I don't like mysteries, but Sherlock Holmes is also short stories (sort of--chapters, but nearly complete stories each chapter). Dd likes to read that, too! LOL--I'm not saying your taste may be along the lines of a 14yo... An emotional read but really good--The Lovely Bones. Pretty good, but it seems to fall apart a bit in the middle--A Map of the World Don't know if Anne Lamott would be up your alley, as there is swearing, and she talks about sex (but it's more memoir and spiritual--Christian--insights)--Traveling Mercies, Bird by Bird are my favs by her. (Not fiction) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northwoodsmama Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Jane Kirkpatrick is a wonderful Christian author- All Together in One Place is one of my all time favorite books. Also Francine Rivers, especially her Old Testament fiction based books. It's difficult to find "clean" books in the mainstream fiction selections these days, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Gwen Bristow wrote 3 of my all time favorite books, I first read them in my teens because my Mom loved them. Jubilee Trail, Calico Palace and Celia Garth. Also, Mrs. Mike is fantastic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I love to read but I really need help with suggestions. I need a less heavy selection - i.e. non-classics. Classics require a chunk of time to get into the story line that I just don't have. I'm interested in fiction, biographies, historical books... I just don't want a lot of swearing (because it stays in my head) or sex. My favorite books are Christy by Catherine Marshall and Gone with the Wind. I've read both of those several times. Help me! Plague Journal by Michael O'Brien. Might be a tad bit of swearing, but not much. Fast, fast read. If you like it, there are more books in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 In honour of his death, how about a Terry Pratchett? My boys recommend Monstrous Regiment, and husband enjoyed it too. It's on my list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 The Christmas Bus http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_17?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the%20christmas%20bus%20by%20melody%20carlson&sprefix=The+Christmas+Bus%2Cdigital-text%2C161 When I Found You by Catherine Hyde http://www.amazon.com/When-Found-Catherine-Ryan-Hyde-ebook/dp/B00ANAE6PM/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263648&sr=1-1&keywords=when+i+found+you What's One More by Mel Wells http://www.amazon.com/Whats-One-More-Mel-Wells-ebook/dp/B00L3H50UO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263694&sr=1-1&keywords=What%27s+One+More Doesn't She Look Natural (and the rest of the series) http://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Look-Natural-Fairlawn-Book-ebook/dp/B0085G0UHE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263723&sr=1-1&keywords=doesn%27t+she+look+natural Walking On Broken Glass http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Broken-Glass-Christa-Allan-ebook/dp/B004GHNIH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263759&sr=1-1&keywords=walking+on+broken+glass They Almost Always Come Home http://www.amazon.com/They-Almost-Always-Come-Home-ebook/dp/B007QXW7W8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263824&sr=1-1&keywords=they+almost+always+come+home Nobody's Slave by Tim Vicary http://www.amazon.com/Nobodys-Slave-Tim-Vicary-ebook/dp/B008MYH71Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426263865&sr=1-1&keywords=nobody%27s+slave+by+tim+vicary As you can see this is a wide variety of types of books. All clean and lighter reads but yet not totally fluff books. They were worth reading and thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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