JudoMom Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I'm on a quest to find out what kind of fiction I like. I used to say I don't like fiction, but that's not entirely true because I do like some fiction. I almost exclusively read non-fiction, but I really want to broaden my horizons. I know I don't like to read about murder. I don't like story lines that get into my head and make me anxious, scared, or jumpy. Definitely no horror (just the mention of Stephen King's name makes me nervous). I love Watership Down (I think it's the only fiction book I've read more than once) and I just read Ella Minnow Pea and thoroughly enjoyed it. I started reading Peace Like a River, but don't know if I can finish it. It's making me nervous. I've enjoyed the children's fiction I've read to my kids--some examples are: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Johnny Tremain. Any suggestions for books I should check out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Well, have you read LotR and Narnia? What about historical fiction, I love reading that. Try Jane Austen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I've pretty much given up on adult lit. It tends to be so dark & uncreative. I like YA fiction--The Giver, some of the twists on fairy tales--Princess Academy was pretty good....uh-oh. Diaper duty calls. I'm not much help anyway.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I'd suggest some historical fiction &/or fictional biograpies, but stay away from depressing/stressful topics. One I loved is "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie. You might also enjoy "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves or "Dancer" by Colum McCann. It also sounds like you might enjoy fun/quirky/offbeat (but upbeat) stories. The first one that pops into my mind is "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" by Walter Moers. I'm currently reading "Freddy and Fredericka" by Mark Helprin. You might also enjoy some of the adventure type classics, such as Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island, The Count of Monte Cristo, books by Oscar Wilde, etc.... ETA: LotR is quite dark & depressing, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I recommend The Company series by Kage Baker, starting with In the Garden of Iden. The series is not hard sci-fi, so please ignore the cover (all the covers for that matter) -- most of the first book takes place during the reign of Queen Mary in England. As the series progresses, knowledge of history and mythology will be amply rewarded, though not in a Percy Jackson way; it's more subtle. We find out such things as how the legend of Gilgamesh came about, where "Arthur's" knights are slumbering, and what happened to the 9th Roman Legion in Britain. While these things generally aren't central to the plot, they add greatly to the overall enjoyment of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LG Gone Wild Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I'm on a quest to find out what kind of fiction I like. I used to say I don't like fiction, but that's not entirely true because I do like some fiction. I almost exclusively read non-fiction, but I really want to broaden my horizons. I know I don't like to read about murder. I don't like story lines that get into my head and make me anxious, scared, or jumpy. Definitely no horror (just the mention of Stephen King's name makes me nervous). I love Watership Down (I think it's the only fiction book I've read more than once) and I just read Ella Minnow Pea and thoroughly enjoyed it. I started reading Peace Like a River, but don't know if I can finish it. It's making me nervous. I've enjoyed the children's fiction I've read to my kids--some examples are: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, Johnny Tremain. Any suggestions for books I should check out? Almost everything by Alexander McCall Smith...the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency Series, the Portuguese Irregular Verb series, the 44 Scotland Street Series... Then there is everything by Peter Mayle but the must reads are the books essays on Provence...A Year in Provence, Toujours en Provence, Encore en Provene, Adventures of Knife and Fork.. Then there is Bill Bryson...In a Sunburnt Country, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Neither Here nor There, Notes from the Lost Continent, A Walk in the Woods...but I must say he has dirty sense of humor so beware. Then there is Amy Tan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Thanks for all the suggestions (everyone!!! :D). I'm making a list. Anyone else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I think it's hard to find good adult lit these days too. I like Francine Rivers, Ted Decker, Peter Lawhead and of course, non-fic- whatever I can get my hands on :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in Jax Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Here are some authors I've enjoyed. These first three write non-scary books for young adults with few, if any mature/intense themes: The Pendragon series The Septimus Heap series ("Magyk," etc.) Books by Eoin Colfer ("Artemis Fowl," etc.) Here are a few authors of series of adult mysteries with relatively tame themes (IOW, murder mysteries with only mild imagery/description). Stephanie Grafton ("A is for Alibi," etc.) Janey Evanovich ("One for the Money," etc.) Sue Paretsky ("Burn Marks," etc.) -- all three authors write about female sleuths who're snarky and sarcastic, but fun. ..... Others authors I've enjoyed: Ann Perry writes two series -- the Charlotte Pitt Mysteries -- set in turn-of-the century England -- "The Cater Street Hangman," etc., which is about a former Nightingale nurse who becomes an amateur sleuth, and the William Monk series, "The Face of a Stranger," etc., about a English police inspector in Victorian times who wakes up to find his memory gone after an accident, but must continue to work as a policeman w/o revealing his memory loss. Charlaine Harris writes several series that may be okay, but do some research to see if they're a good fit for you. I've enjoyed them, but they are more intense than the books I mentioned above -- while nowhere near as intense as Stephen King or the like. The first series of hers that I read was the "Southern Vampire" series about Sookie Stackhouse, who can read others' minds. Sookie discovers that there are real vampires (and werewolves, and fairies) in her Lousiana parish, and gets involved with some of them b/c of her clairvoyance. There are some intense parts, but either I skimmed them and wasn't bothered, lol, or they weren't too intense. The second series of hers that I read is the Harper Connelly series, which focuses on a woman who can find dead bodies and tell you how they died. She and her brother get paid to go from town to town to help people learn how their loved one died. Along the way, they solve some murders. It's not a gruesome as it sounds, but it does have touches of somewhat intense "stuff" in parts of the books, so it may not be for you. Dick Francis wrote a gazillion horse racing-oriented mysteries that were pretty tame in terms of intensity and violence. They do contain some risque stuff, here and there. Robert Heinlein wrote a bunch of futuristic books in the 50s-70s about life in the far future that are tame. They do have some free love, sex, etc., in them, so they're more R (lite) than PG-13, but not for violence or intense imagery. HIH, Lisa who's just started reading Charlaine Harris' "Aurora Teagarden" series, after finishing Harris' Southern Vampire series and the Harper Connelly books. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilyK Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 I love Amy Tan. China Men and the Joy Luck Club are my favorites by her. Anything by Kurt Vonnegut, and I mean anything, is good. I also love Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. Her other books are pretty lame. Russian literature is another passion of mine. If you have an inclination to read Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, try one of the Pevear and Volokohnsky translations. Someone told me that translations make all the difference, and boy, they weren't kidding. I went from hating these authors to loving them. If you are a Civil War buff, one of my favorite history writers, Shelby Foote, is also an excellent fiction writer. Check out Shiloh by him. He is really amazing. Oh, how could I forget, The First Man in Rome series, by Collenn McCullough. Fantastic. You are going to get such a broad spectrum of tastes from this board I hope I offer something that you are even remotely interested in. Happy reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Anything by Kurt Vonnegut, and I mean anything, is good. ... Russian literature is another passion of mine. If you have an inclination to read Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, try one of the Pevear and Volokohnsky translations. Someone told me that translations make all the difference, and boy, they weren't kidding. I went from hating these authors to loving them. :iagree: on the recommendation for Kurt Vonnegut. Thanks for the info on Russian translations. I will have to look up some of those versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Have you read the classics like A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Girl of the Limberlost, the Little House books? A lot of these are still my very favorites, and I don't care that they aren't adult! Also the whole Anne of Green Gables series is pretty ok in my book (arrr arrr!). Oh, and you would LOVE The Tale of Despereau, by the same author as Edward Tulane. (Read it and let me know how much you like it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 As a member of Romance Writers of America, I will speak up for romance & I'd suggest checking out some women's fiction. Susan Wiggs. http://www.susanwiggs.com/ Her new Just Breathe is lovely. I like Wiggs because her women sound and act like most women I know & they triumph over their troubles. Jane Porter writes what is sometimes called 'mom lit'. Her Flirting with Forty is a good sample. http://www.janeporter.com/bookshelf/flirting.html She also writes traditional romance. See if you like anything like that - then it's easy to go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 But I have found lately I am liking my children's or YA fiction. Some ideas: Eragon series Inkheart series Artemis Fowl series Series of Unfortunate Events John Bellairs - Lewis Barneveldt series (old) I will try to check my dc's bookshelves tomorrow as see what else I turn up. I am also hearing Twighlight series is lot of fun. Finally, I make time for humor as I can really use the laughs. Oldies but goodies are: Bill Cosby Erma Bombeck Dave Barry Bill Bryson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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