sbgrace Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 I am going to have a ton of time to read next month while my kids are gone, and I'd love some book ideas. I prefer books I can get from the library, so nothing current/new is likely for me. Books I've enjoyed in the past include All the Light We Cannot See, Unbroken, Seabiscuit, The Nightingale, Louise Penny books, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Ready Player One. I actually like a lot of books, those just come to mind as ones from a bit of genre and age spread. I'm willing to try about anything, though I don't like disturbing/descriptive violence, particularly sexual violence. I was bothered a lot by Unbroken, though I'm glad I read it. I know lots of book recommendation threads exist, so I'm sorry for asking....but searching here isn't finding those threads for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 (edited) I enjoyed a number of those books you listed, too! Others that I have enjoyed as summer fare: fantasy / fantastical / speculative fiction - The Night Circus (Morgenstern) -- feels like a cross of The Illusionist (movie) + and a lighter/not scary version of Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (book) - The Goblin Emperor (Addison) -- fantasy, interesting world with politics and unexpectedly becoming king playing a large role - Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Wrede & Stevermer) -- it's like Jane Austen meets Harry Potter (:D - Thick as Thieves (book #5 in the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whelan Turner -- can be read as a stand-alone, but very satisfying to read the whole series) - Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Sloan) -- light, realistic/contemporary setting with a fun speculative element - books 1-2, and maybe 3 of the Thursday Next series (Jasper Fforde) -- The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots - Shades of Grey (Fforde) -- creative, fascinating dystopia that is not a "downer" dystopia; the last 2 chapters suddenly veer toward a sequel that has never appeared 😞 mysteries - Josephine Tey's Inspector Alan Grant series -- esp. #1 - The Man in the Queue, #2 - A Shilling for Candles, and best of all #4 - Daughter of Time - Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery series (Bebris) -- do read in order (book #2, but esp. book #4 are weak; but #1, #6, and esp. #5 are quite good) - and of course, the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series (Smith) -- very light "cozy" mysteries (usually no murders!) SOOO charming and life-affirming, lovely Botswana setting sci-fi - Broken Earth trilogy (Jemison) -- strong writing, creative future/sci-fi world, interesting characters - "Bobiverse" trilogy (Taylor) -- light, clean, no depth, like reading Star Trek: Next Generation sort of plot (:D - The Martian (Weir) -- realistic (well, until the last bit of the book, lol) shipwreck survival on Mars realistic/nonfiction - News of the World (Jiles) -- realistic; western 1800s setting - Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Schaffer) -- realistic, a bit of a mystery, WW2 Homefront setting - Born a Crime (Trevor) -- memoir of South African comedian Noah Trevor Edited June 28, 2019 by Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Mrs Pollifax mysteries? Shetland Island mysteries? coffee house mysteries? China Bayles herb shop mysteries? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 Some of the best books I have read for the first time in the last few years are: Fiction: The Overstory The House Between The Worlds Nonfiction: Hillbilly Elegy Janesville 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 A few series that I have enjoyed that should be library friendly are CS Harris’s St. Cyr https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39149.What_Angels_Fear, Julia Spencer Fleming https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113002.In_the_Bleak_Midwinter?ac=1&from_search=true and Linda Castillo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6115138-sworn-to-silence?ac=1&from_search=true. I am also a fan of many of the other books already mentioned particularly Mrs Pollifax and China Bayles by Susan Wittig Albert. I also love The Cat Who mysteries by Lillian Jackson Braun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted June 28, 2019 Author Share Posted June 28, 2019 My library has most of these, thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 28, 2019 Share Posted June 28, 2019 ::doh!:: How could I have forgotten -- if you enjoyed the Bear and the Nightingale, you might like Naomi Novik's Uprooted, but especially Spinning Silver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted June 29, 2019 Share Posted June 29, 2019 The Plover by Brian Doyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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