Need a couple good books for Vacation

[laughing lioness]

I am about to embark on a working vacation and need a few fun but intellectually engaging reads. Movie or T.V. suggestions welcome too. 

[speedmom4]

Have you read any of JK Rowling's books under the name Robert Galbraith? 

 

I really enjoyed the first and third books (the second one not so much):

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cuckoos-Calling-Cormoran-Strike/dp/0316206857/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464571381&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cuckoo%27s+calling

 

http://www.amazon.com/Career-Evil-Cormoran-Strike-Novel/dp/0316349895/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0XPE3P54M1NMG3VPW8EG

 

Have fun on vacation!

[Carol in Cal.]

Common Ground, a true story illustrating the bussing crisis in Boston by following 3 major families and bunch of others, won a Pulitzer Prize, and pretty much established the genre of the very readable, novel-like, but true story that uses several families to illustrate an entire part of history.  Kind of like a James Michener novel except true.  Really great book, and if you read it now you will recognize a lot of names of people who were more or less obscure when it was written but became well known, like Jonathan Kozol.

 

Girl Meets God is an outstanding memoir, not really a conversion story per se, framed in the church year.  Very, very well-written.

 

The Ladies' Auxiliary is a fantastic novel that follows an Orthodox Jewish community in Memphis through a Jewish festival year, examining the impact of a convert joining the community.

 

 

[EndOfOrdinary]

The Help is a great one that moves quickly and requires some self exploration.

 

Anna Quindlen's "How Reading Changed My Life"

 

Barbara Kingsoliver "Poisonwood Bible"

 

Sidharta by Herman Hesse

[jjeepa]

Do you know about the Modern Mrs. Darcy website?  She has many, many book reviews and she's my "go to" when looking for a new book.  She just recently released her Summer Reading guide with 30 suggested books.  Check it out - http://thesummerreadingguide.com

 

Her podcast "What Should I Read Next" is awesome too!

[Stacia]

Phoebe and the Ghost of Chagall

Cooking with Fernet Branca

Mink River

Mr. Fox

West with the Night

Pink Boots and a Machete