Recommend & Review

[Katherine]

Recommendations & Reviews

We HAD a thread but it's gone into Storage and I can't seem to get it out. I guess it defeats the purpose if I can get it out.

Anyways...book recommendations for me anything by V.C. Andrews if you're into macabre, goth novels (beware of Incest)...but they're alot of fun, heart-breaking alot of times but overall a good read.

And I'll come back with a review...later...after I've finished a book.

[seth_is_my_baby]

Oooh! New forum! Love it :)

Incest- ewww!

If you want a teen book, full of everything they should have- but alas, this one is good- check out Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta and Saving Francesca, also by MM.

[Katherine]

Can you get that overseas? I LOVED Looking for Alibrandi. I totally felt for her. I haven't read SF but I've been meaning to because Alibrandi was good. Movie sucked though. Sorry if you liked it...eek!

[seth_is_my_baby]

I'm not sure if you can get it over seas Kat, I hope you can, because then our American and UK friends will be able to enjoy it to.

You must read Saving Francesca, its fantastic!

I liked the movie, I was a huge Kick Gurry fan, he was just too cute, but it could never live up to the book.

[Katherine]

That's why I didn't like it because it didn't live up to the book which is so good...Kick Gurry? Who did he play again (I'm sorry I'm not caught up with Aussie actors...I know Pia Miranda though :D)

[Kari]

'The Gospel According to Biff' by Christopher Moore.

This was a book, I totally loved.
I used to say to my best friend: "When life gets you down, Biff will get you up again".
It is actually the good old story we know from the New Testament, but it is told by Jesus' fictive best friend Biff, who is rather the opposite of Jesus.
It is kind of a parody, but in my opinion it is totally a Christian book.
It is about friendship and faith, and it is about love.

[Summer_Roberts2]

If you want a teen book, full of everything they should have- but alas, this one is good- check out Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta and Saving Francesca, also by MM.

What are they about Em? I love a good teen book :)

[OTH man]

for a recommendation for all Christians and even some of you who arent Christian but would like an inspirational book, "She Said Yes" by Cassie Bernall its about a girl who was killed in COlumbine this was her last conversation before she died

Boys with guns: do u belive in God?
the girl: Yes
Boys with Guns: Why?(shoots her in the head)

its really sad but it goes over her life and she had a strange past she was ready to kill her parents and teachers but then with a strange turn of events turned to be a Christian willing to die for her faith also its a really easy read i read it in one sitting but its totally worth it!

"She Said Yes" by Cassie Bernall

[Katherine]

^^^ Sounds mighty interesting. I'll be sure to look out for it.

Jill. It's been awhile since I read Looking for Alibrandi (I actually bought it years ago and only read it once) but it's a really good book. Its about a girl who's trying to find her place. With all these outside influences around her. Like exams, her father, her culture, boys etc etc...

It's really good, heavy but good and it's a good representation of Multicultural Australia.

[Kari]

'Death and the Penguine' by Andrej Kurkow.

I got this book as a birthday present. I got interested because on the backcover it said that Kurkow was like a Russian John Irving, but then again, it seems kind of popular to compare new authors who are telling good and bizarre stories to John Irving.
However, I wouldn't say that the comparism is too wrong, neither it seems justified.

Fact is, that Kurkow is a really good writer.
In this book he tells the story of Viktor, who lives in Kiew, is about thirty and - apart from that - incredibly lonely.
His best friend is the Penguine Mischa, who he took to him after a part of the local zoo was closed because they couldn't feed the animals any longer.
Viktor is a writer, but he always failed to write a novel. He knows that he can write, his problem is that he can't write something that is longer than a few pages.
Anyway - one day - he gets a job - and a wel-paid one - that perfectly applies to his skills as a writer of short texts.
He writes obituaries for famous people for a big newspaper. Only the people about which he writes aren't dead yet. So, now that he has a new job, he is never publishes.
About that he once complains to a friend of his boss and suddenly several of the people die.
And Viktor is losing grip of what is happening. The friend of his boss leaves his daughter in Viktor's house, the Penguine is suddenly invited to countless funeral's because of his black and white cloak, Viktor makes friend with a professor who always explored Penguines - it turns out that Viktor is actually only a little player in a plot he can't influence.

The book is funny and an easy read - mainly because it is really well written - and on the other hand it is incredibly sad and full of melancholia. :) Read it when it's really cold and stormy outside and you have it nice and warm. :lol:

[Katherine]

I actually need some recommendations.
For my 21st birthday party...each table is going to be called a book so far I have the following:
- Bridget Jones's Diary (for the mothers)
- Goosebumps (for my guy cousins)
- The BabySitters Club (for my girl cousins)
- Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (for my best friends)
- The Lord of the Rings (for the dads)
- Pride & Prejudice (for well...let's not mention it)

----------

I need 4 more book recommendations for:
- My high school/net friends
- My overly pretentious older cousins
- 2 reject tables (people invited coz of parents)

:lol: Can you all help me...I need semi-well known books that don't have a name in the title aka Matilda, or Jane Eyre...

[Summer_Roberts2]

Harry Potter has a name in the title...? But that's in a different league...I can't think of anything right now, but I'll try to think of something. :)

I finished your letter Kat! It's going in the mail today :D

[Kari]

This is more than sweet, makes me wish again I could make it. I mean, sitting on a table that is named after a book is like paradise...

Well, I don't know. I think for the two reject tables you could take some of those books everybody knows. Like...let me think of something...'Robinson Crusoe' or 'Great Expectations'...you know what I mean
Don't know about the others...for the protentious cousins...:lol: Something by Marcel Proust...he is very protentious. 'Swann's World'

Speaking about letters...you both should get one soon.

[Katherine]

Oh so exciting...Jill I will mail your letter tomorrow...turns out Bella didn't get hers because they couldn't understand my writing. So yeay!

I just thought one for my pretentious cousins "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and for my school friends "Apt Pupil" by Stephen King OR "Sweet Valley High"...:D

Now for the reject table...The Twits? The Witches? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? The Magic Faraway Tree (I actually like that one...)

[Kari]

Hitchhiker always is great...geez, that reminds me of something. :lol:

I just love Zaphod.

[Katherine]

Has anyone read "The Devil Wears Prada Shoes" there's movie out or about to be released but I want to know whether its worth reading.

[seth_is_my_baby]

I recommend "Junk" Melvin Burgess..

Amazon.co.uk Review
Junk is an extraordinary book, and walks a terrain that is at once terrifying and totally compelling.

Tar and Gemma are in love. Tar has reasons for running away from home that run deep and sour, whereas Gemma, with her middle-class roots firmly on show, has a deep-rooted lust for adventure. Together they explore the dark world of the streets as, together, they explore the dark world of drugs, moving quickly on from the first hit of heroin that takes them towards bliss, to the next hit that ultimately leads to despair.

Melvyn Burgess packs one hell of a punch in Junk, a book that is certainly unnerving in its honesty about two teenagers and their very different reasons for wanting to flee their families and their lives.

The narrative is simple and to the point, adding fire to the characterisation of the two main protagonists as they dive deeper into their love affair with heroin and each other. Burgess hits hard with his convincing handling of controversial subjects ranging from alcohol abuse, prostitution, teenage pregnancy and child abuse, skilfully moving the plot and the characters forward with a pace that mirrors Tar and Gemma's spiralling relationship.

Junk is a must-read for any teenager who enjoys gritty realism and a gutsy, honest approach to the books they read. But be warned, this book is not for the faint-hearted: the language is realistic, the situations are occasionally terrifying, and Burgess certainly does not glamorise any aspect of Tar and Gemma's lifestyle. Parents of teenagers should take a close look too.

[tutor_ jess]

Has anyone read "The Devil Wears Prada Shoes" there's movie out or about to be released but I want to know whether its worth reading.


I have and even thought it's been over a year I distinctly remember the feeling I felt when I was reading it which was happy as far as books were concerned. It is an awesome book and it is totally worth checking out. This book is great...and also works if you're looking for an escape.

[Katherine]

I love escapism books. Thanks...I'll definitely check it out.

[tutor_ jess]

No problem. After you're done with that one you should check out Everyone Worth Knowing, that's her second book and it is also awesome.

[Manon]

Has anyone read "The Devil Wears Prada Shoes" there's movie out or about to be released but I want to know whether its worth reading.

omg i LOVED that book, it's so funny! I read it in like, a day.

[MizzUnderstood]

I'm quite the reader so can ya'll throw me some titles with authors: I'm interested in:
Mystery
Romance
Horror
Funny
Drama

Hope that helps!

S.a.r.a.

[Katherine]

I'll try my best.

Mystery - A mystery/thriller I enjoyed was "Along Came A Spider" by James Paterson. Don't rely on the movie - the movie sucked compared to the book.

Romance - I love classical romance so Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre are all great. For something more modern? Gothic romance I'd say look at Virginia Andrews. I (shamefully) also adore my Mills & Boons/Harlequin romances.

Horror - I don't read much horror. I love R.L. Stine though. Typical and structured but they're fun.

Funny - This could go under romance but Bridget Jones's Diary and The Edge of Reason both by Helen Fielding are HILARIOUS! And anything by Oscar Wilde. Witty and brilliant.

Drama - As in play? Or dramatic stories...once more Viriginia Andrews are total soap operas.

If you could give us an age range that'd make things easier ;)

[Kari]

How about a little reviving this, because reading back just gave me an idea. Maybe we could pick a certain genre and then everybody can pick a book and recommend, so we get a nice lisiting here...

LIke maybe a book from your home country.

I'd recommend "The Clown" by Heinrich Böll then. Firstly, it's a testimony of post-war Germany and the development of the nation, the trauma war left for some people and the way it didn't get to learn way to many.
Then it is also a social satire, with dark sometimes cynical humour, that makes you laugh and yet think.

[seth_is_my_baby]

Okay, a book from Australia... I recommend "Looking For Alibrandi" by Melina Marchetta- its fabulous. Story of an Australian girl with an italian back ground growing up in Suburban Sydney.


Amazon.com
Seventeen-year-old Josephine Alibrandi is no stranger to conflict. If she's not caught between her strict single mom and her even stricter grandmother, then she's trying to choose between wealthy good boy John Barton and working-class bad boy Jacob Coote. Josephine is always in trouble with the nuns at her Catholic school (who everyone calls "penguins because of them wearing wimples and all that Sound of Music gear") because she fights with native Australian kids over her mixed Australian/Italian heritage. Just when she thinks her situation couldn't possibly get more complicated, her mysterious, long-lost biological father comes back and Josephine must decide if it's worth getting to know this person who abandoned her and her mother. But through it all--including a startling revelation from her grandmother and the suicide of a close friend--Josephine manages to hold on to her sense of humor, as in this reflective moment: "I could have been a model for Hot Pants. Except that when I finally put my glasses on, reality set in. Hot Pants would have to wait."

Award-winning Australian author Melina Marchetta has created a strong and sassy role model in Josephine, whom girls with growing pains on both sides of the Pacific will love. With its accurate and insightful portrayal of a young woman's coming of age, Looking for Alibrandi will have female teens waiting eagerly for Marchetta's next novel. --Jennifer Hubert

[Kay]

Country..as in UK not just England?
The Portrait of Mr W.H by Oscar Wilde [He is from Irland so...]

It such an awesome book, Oscar Wilde' view on for whom Shakespeare wrote his Sonnets. I love it.

[ephramwood]

i just recently read wuthering heights for english class and i didnt hate it but i didnt like it either. i felt that it dragged on way to much.

[Kari]

:lol: I really liked Wuthering Heights in a way. I mean, I would certainly recommend it to everyone of you. It's somehow a great piece of literature.
But then a little voice inside of me says how it is not actually a particularly gooood book. I mean, it has its very fascinating parts, but sometimes it is a little too goth for me...:lol:

[Katherine]

See I LOVE the goth novels. I grew up to V.C. Andrews which is a goth-romance if you ask me. I love the dark and nitty gritty side of love.

It's as unrealistic as fields and meadows sort of love...but I think it gives it more depth. It's raw and in your face...goth romances.

I LOVE Wuthering Heights. I honestly do. I don't know why. But Heathcliff and Cathy are love and it's gut wrenching and heart stopping...and it's just brilliant.

[Kari]

I know, I mean, it has its strongest parts, totally strong "ripping your heart out, throwing it to the floor and jumping on it" parts. It is a great love story.
Especially because the love story is so intense and immortal.
But there is something...I don't know. I guess, I will just never get around to saying it is a brilliant book...

[Katherine]

It is confusing...I mean the change of narrators and pov freaked me out the first time I read it.

I won't say it's a brilliant book - but I do adore it and think it's amazing for the plot line...I don't know what I'm saying really...

[Kari]

Well, you say that you love it, because you love dark and twisted people, especially when they are in dark and twisted relationships ;)

[java_junkie]

there is something very captivating, and indeed, sublime about the gothic novels. i think it's just the mere fact that it freaks us out and challenges and questions our rationality that makes it so captivating to us. and there's something about the brooding "villain" (got to love the byronic hero!), and how we can sort of identify with him/her, and at the same time, we distance ourselves from him/her. it's as if we're all byronic heroes in our own ways, whether we are actually conscious of it or not.

i just read Frankenstein for the very first time a couple of weeks ago and i thought it was fabulous!

[channingonfire]

I'm trying to make a list of books/authors I should read. Right now I'm reading Chuck Palahnuik's book "Lullaby", and after that I plan of reading "Fear And Loathing In las Vegas". I'm trying to get my friend to let me borrow his collection of Charles Bukowski.

I'm also working my way through 3 philosophy books ("Classical Philosophical Questions: Edition 2", "Philosophy Of Law" and "Philosophy Of God And Religion") all three being compilations of different beliefs.

Any recommendations that I should consider?

[OC-Lover]

i'm reading lullaby right now, too. Oo

well, here a list of my favorites.
they're all great.

j.d. salinger - the Catcher In The Rye
stephen chbosky - the Perks Of Being A Wallflower
patrick süskind - Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
and if you like fantasy (vampire stories & such), this is an AWESOME trilogy:
sergej lukanienko - the Watch trilogy (Night Watch; Day Watch; Twilight Watch)

[B.Davis]

yay for reading lullaby! no really, I love him.

if you havent already you should check out his other books
Invisible Monster
Survivor
Fight Club

all by Chuck Palahniuk.

[channingonfire]

I've read Fight Club and Choke.

And I ABSOLUTELY HATED A Catcher In the Rye.

I'm not a big fantasy fan but I did/have been reading Laurell K Hamilton's "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" series. But I'll be honest, it was for the sex. lol.

[OC-Lover]

i don't understand how people can hate that book.

to me, it's one of the most amazing things ever written.

[channingonfire]

I didn't like it because when I put it down, I could still here that boy talking in my head. That annoying, jabbering, never-ending constantly-thinking main character drove me up the wall.

[OC-Lover]

it's what i liked...

[oclover24]

What genres do you read? I mostly read chick lit, so I can help you there.

[seth_is_my_baby]

^

Yeah, me to. Love chick lit. It's the best!

Try Sarah Dessen, any one of her books, Melina Marchetta's "Looking For Alibrandi" or "Saving Francesca" or the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

Also "The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants" series is awesome!

[oclover24]

^ Agreed about the Traveling Pants series! Gossip Girl as well, for a light read.

[OTH man]

I second the suggestion of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" its awsome

[oclover24]

^ I've always wanted to read that, but I haven't yet.

[channingonfire]

Chick lits are okay...IDK really how to decribe what type of book I like. I like books that make you think.

Has anyone read The Myth Of Sysphus(sp)?

[oclover24]

^ If you like books that make you think, I recommend "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.

It's a story of Christopher McCandless, who, in 1992, died alone in Alaska on the Stampede Trail. McCandless was a dropout of society by choice, wandering America while hitching rides The author also integrates stories of other hitchhikers, and his own personal story of climbing Canada's Devils Thumb. It's really great and it makes you think about your own life. It's very inspiring.

[channingonfire]

Read it. Didn't like it.


lol, I'm sorry, I'm like the worst person when it comes to recommendations, because I want them, but at the same time I am so darn picky.

Add to that I was a bookworm in my earlier days.

I read White Oleander, and LOVED IT, so then my friend told me to read Prozac Nation and I got bored with it.

[oclover24]

You didn't like it? Why? It's one of my favorites.

I liked Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell To Arms." It's a bit tough to read, but it's a good story.

[channingonfire]

Like I said, I'm a complete snob when it comes to finding things I like, but hey look on the brightside, when I find something I do like, I not only like it. I love it.

I think I've heard of that book before. What is it about?

[Megan+Milo=<3]

I recomend any books by Sarah Dessan. They are great

[oclover24]

I think I've heard of that book before. What is it about?

It's about a solider in WWI who falls in love with a woman. It juxtaposes love and war. I really liked it.

[channingonfire]

Sort of like "Year Of My German Solider"?

[Andrew]

I agree with "Catcher in the Rye"... HATED it.

If you're getting into Bukowski, definitely pick up "Post Office"; extremely short, yet strangely effective.


Others...

• Richard Yates' "Revolutionary Road"

• Joseph Heller's "Catch 22"

• George Orwell ("1984"; "Animal Farm")

• Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist"
(although I found the ending to be overly simplistic)

• Walker Percy's "The Moviegoer"

• Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything is Illuminated"

• Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five"

• Stuff associated with the Beats Generation:
- Jack Kerouac ("On the Road"; "The Dharma Bums")
- Tom Wolfe's "The Election Kool-Aid Acid Test"
- Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"

• For simple amusement:
- Tom Perotta ("Election"; "Little Children")
- Nick Hornby ("High Fidelity"; "A Long Way Down")
- Augusten Burrough ("Running With Scissors"; "Dry" --> read them in that order)

[channingonfire]

Finally, someone who isn't chewing me out for not liking "Catcher In The Rye".

I've read both "1984" and "The Alchemist" for school. We just got done reading "All Quiet On The Western Front" and I liked it alot considering I HATE reading war books (for the most part).

I tried reading one of Jack Kerouac's book "Big Sur" and ended up not finishing it. I'm afraid to pick up "On The Road" because of fear of disappointment. And I've read excerpts from "The Electon Kool-Aid Acid Test" so I've been thinking of reading that.

Other then that, your list is awesome, I've heard of most the authors, but you know how things go when your trying to make a list. Thanks. :)

[Manon]

If you haven't read it yet, read "To kill a mockingbird" and "breakfast at tiffany's"
I just finished reading to kill a mockingbird and absolutely loved it. I read breakfast at tiffany's a couple of weeks ago and i read it in like 1 day, because it's really short and i couldnt stop reading. I also loved "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime"

[Webeh]

• Joseph Heller's "Catch 22"

Best book ever!! This is one of those rare books that makes you laugh out loud. That doesn't happen often. :)

Tom Wolfe's "The Election Kool-Aid Acid Test"

I heard that's a good book. My friend recommended it the other day.

I've read "I Am Charlotte Simmons" and I found that I loved to hate it. I enjoyed it and all. But, I absolutely loathed all of Wolfe's characterizations of students. They were either dumb@$$es or "freak". In the latter category, he included feminists or any other sort of activist. I thought that was unfortunate.

I tried reading "On the Road", but I found that I couldn't get through the whole book. The continuous slackerdom activities got tiring to read after the 150 page range.

I also loved "the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime"

I found that I didn't love this book as much as other people did. I enjoyed it and all, but it wasn't as great as I expected it to be.

Some books I'd recommend (I didn't bother putting the author's names because those could easily be looked up in Amazon):

The Fountainhead
Ella Minnow Pea
Catch-22 --> I'm doubling the recommendation here. It really is that good.
Trainspotting
House of Spirits
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy --> If you need a good easy laugh
Snobs
Intuition --> I recommend it if you're at all into the world of academia

Tom Perotta ("Election"; "Little Children")

Little Children. I just saw that the other day. Fantastic movie.

[Andrew]

Finally, someone who isn't chewing me out for not liking "Catcher In The Rye".

Yeah. I mean, I get it... a teen in angst. So what?


We just got done reading "All Quiet On The Western Front" and I liked it alot considering I HATE reading war books (for the most part).

Oh cool! Coincidentally, I have to read that novel for my history class. When I bought the book, I originally thought the "greatest war novel of all time" tagline was a bit ostentatious, but maybe it'll live up to the claim.


I tried reading one of Jack Kerouac's book "Big Sur" and ended up not finishing it. I'm afraid to pick up "On The Road" because of fear of disappointment.
I tried reading "On the Road", but I found that I couldn't get through the whole book. The continuous slackerdom activities got tiring to read after the 150 page range.

I must admit, Kerouac can be very self-indulgent (I personally find this true in all books written in a "stream of consciousness" prose). But "On the Road" is probably the most accessible. So if you can't get through it, definitely avoid other titles of his like "Visions of Cody" :lol:


dumb@$$es

Funny you should write the word like that. It's actually very prevalent in "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test": quirky text and onomatopoeia.


Little Children. I just saw that the other day. Fantastic movie.

Yeah. Kate Winslet :love:
Although I do prefer the book's ending; a little darker and less quixotic.

[Webeh]

Yeah. Kate Winslet

Speaking of Kate Winslet... I know this is mean, but I kind of hope that she doesn't win an Oscar for a nice longtime. Apparently winning as Oscar for a female results in some kind of curse. For a lot of actresses (especially if they're reasonably young) the career stagnates afterwards. (Ex. Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank to a degree, Annette Benning hasn't done anything cool in years, even Nicole Kidman has been doing a lot of s**tty movies, etc.) I don't want this to happen to Kate Winslett. (Although, not all of her films are great either. But, she does get a lot of amazing projects to make up for it.)

Although I do prefer the book's ending; a little darker and less quixotic.

I'll have to read the book. Thanks for the suggestion. I added that to my reading-list. (I have this notebook that's basically a freakishly long list of books. I have not yet made a significant dent in this list. ;) )

[oclover24]

All Quiet on the Western Front was a tough read, but the language was beautiful. :D I think it made me cry, but I don't remember.

[channingonfire]

I read it in a night because I had to write a paper on it and it was due the next day (Lets here it for slackers!) so I'm just surprised that I can remember what happened in it, though I think the only reason I do is because I had to quote almost every chapter. Didn't help that I got confused with the timeline and thought it was WW2 when it was really WW1. Still a really good book, great for discussion on just how far should the first amendment go. He brings up many valid points even if I didn't equally agree with him.

[mS.loVeLy]

A Rose For Melinda by Lurlene McDaniels is a good book. about a girl who has cancer and her childhood sweetheart. It was a very emotional book, sad and romantic

[lostflight2]

I was first introduced to Cornelia Funke in The Theif Lord. I liked it so much that I was very excited to read Inkheart, and Inkspell, a series which follows a little girl Meggie whose father has an extraordiany gift when it comes to reading aloud. I would highly reccomend this book to everyone, and, although it is a bit long, it is great for parents to read with their children, so they can be transported to the fantastic world in which I found myself when I read Inkspell, which now claims the coveted number one position on my long list of favorite books. This summary poured out of me when I finished it.

Cornelia Funke is a magician, and her magic wand is her pen. Her words take me into the Inkworld, summoning me into their story, as fluidly and effortlessly as Meggie’s gentle voice. When I read the descriptions of the Wayless Woods, of Ombra, and the Laughing Prince, or even the Silver Palace, I feel as though Mo’s magical reading has taken me there, just as it did his wife Resa, so many years ago.
When Farid and Meggie find out what true love is, I cannot tear my eyes from the page. And when Roxane loses true love, her tearing heart fuels my tearing eyes. I am trapped in their story, just as Dustfinger was in ours for those long ten years.
As I approach the last words on the last page, I realize my journey through this incredible story is almost over. I begin to frantically read aloud, trying, as Meggie did, to slide between the pages and be at the mercy of Fengolios ever-growing story. But I am not as successful as the daughter of the legendary Silvertouge. I cannot visit the world where words are the most powerful weapon and can change and grow as if they were alive. I despair and know I would even put up with the cheese-faced Orpheus, if only he would take me to the world where Fengolio’s pen rules mightier than any sword.
Are there people like Meggie, Mo, Darius and Orpheus in my story? People who could take me anywhere I wanted, into any literary world I choose?

[Donna_Kebab]

The Chemistry Of Death By Simon Beckett
For a debut novel i must say this book was brilliant and would highly recommend it to any crime/thriller fans.

In a nutshell the story is about an ex forensic anthropologist who leaves London to work as a GP in a small village in Norfolk. Then when women start to disappear and get brutally murdered in his village he finds himself helping the police out with their enquiries.

As a massive fan of programmes like CSI and Bones, I loved the forensic aspect to it (rather morbidly, I find this stuff fascinating!) and the attention to detail is amazing

[Andiee]

Poems from Paul Elvard.
Many his poems are realy realy nice. ;)

And the second thing i recomend you is the Diary of ceasar Markus Aurelius. Is not a novel but his thouhts about the world and stuff like that. It's ful of so called "universal truths" and very, how should i say...well it gives you something. :)

[nicnac]

just read all af raymond.e. feist books again, never get boring if you like the fantasy genre. He has a new one coming out at the beginning of next year, the next of the darkwar sega,looks good.

[vmkids]

Tuesdays with morrie now that is food for thought!

[twinreader]

For the pretentious table - how about War Peace. It is about 1 1/2 feet thick - I only skimmed through it even though it was on one of my final exams.

For the rejects table - how about a novel whose title asks more questions than it answers, like DH Lawrence "Sons & Lovers" or Nabokov's "Lolita" (There is also Melville's "Moby Dick", but maybe we won't go there......)

[twinreader]

Ilike Raymond Feist too. When does his new series come out?

(My favorite series is The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett. )

[nicnac]

feist did the riftwar series the next book is due out very soon

[twinreader]

Just finished Three Cups of Tea. Great book! It is a true story about a mountain climber who almost died on a climb.He was rescued by villagers in a remote village. They nursed him bac to health and sent someone to get rescuers. He promised to come back and build a school, which he did. Great story - I am wondering if someone is writing the screenplay.

[nicnac]

wrath of a mad god is the next book in the dark war saga, pre-orders are available from Amazon at the min

[twinreader]

I want to pre-order and get it sent to myself at work. If my husband gets the mail at home, he will get to read it first!

[Mother Earth]

I have just finished reading Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, and I quite enjoyed it.

To go into the plot is too difficult, so it is best if you simply read a few reviews on the novel itself. I have chosen two which I think explain how good this story is.

First, a review by Kathryn Hughes of The Guardian: http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,1547905,00.html
Second, a review by Ross King of the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/23/AR2006032301450.html


It is rather difficult to explain what the story is about myself, which is why I have provided the links to the reviews.
If this book sounds like the sort of novel you would read, go for it! You won't be disppointed, that I can promise. :happy:

[Taminar]

I just finished reading "Hidden" by Eve Kenin (http://www.evesilver.net/evekenin.html). It's a sequel, but I never read the first book, and I didn't have any trouble following the action. The main character is Tatiana, a genetically altered super-warrior. Her one shortcoming is that she doesn't have much experience in social interaction, because she was raised by a computer and kept for years in prison cells by a psychotic scientist. Now she's after the scientist to kill him and keep him from harming anyone else. Along the way, she meets Tristan and immediately gets the hots for him, but she doesn't want to get involved with anyone and she certainly doesn't trust him (or anyone else). He may, however, hold the key to finding the evil scientist. The whole thing is set in the not-too-distant future, in a frozen area of the north known simply as "the Waste." Everything is described very clearly, so it's easy to picture the settings and all the action, but the plot doesn't get bogged down with exposition. I highly recommend it, and I'm heading out tomorrow to snag a copy of the first book, "Driven."

[twinreader]

That sounds really good - and I have a gift card to the bookstore that I got for my birthday! Thanks, Taminar for the suggestion.

[twinreader]

Just finished The Ghost & The Dead Deb, a light murder mystery ( I know, but it is a murder mystery and it is light.) Just loved it - I will have to try to get the first in the series (this is the 2nd.) It is about a young widow & her son who live above a book store that she manages. The bookstore is haunted by a hard-boiled PI that only she can see/hear. Yummy.

[TheClzr]

Anything by Eudora Welty. Great Southern author.

Currently reading and recommend Loverboy by Victoria Redel. Dark story about a mother's love for her child.

[twinreader]

My grandmother is dying. She can't watch TV, but still likes to read. She needs something not violent, not sad, with a love story (that ends well!) and doesn't have too many characters or plot twists. Any recommendations? I will be seeing her in a few days and I wanted to take her at least 3-4 books. I really appreciate any help I get! (Her hospice worker says she will keep the books and read/share them later.)

[Lorren]

I just read (over the last month) the entire Last Jihad Series by Joel C. Rosenberg.

I liked it a lot, although these were his first published books, and the books definitely get better as the series goes along. There is a lot of action, and you have to keep reading to find out what happens next. It deals with a lot of terrorism issues and the like. The first book was written before September 11th, and revised afterwards, so it was kind of thrown in at the last minute... that book seems more like alternate history because they go to war with Sadaam Hussein in that book, and it ends up a lot differently than what actually happened.

[twinreader]

How many are in the series? I need something to take on vacation and I like to read series books in order.

[twinreader]

If there are any other Terry Pratchett lovers out there, his new book Nation comes out 9/30. I pre-ordered the book and I am taking the day off work to read it.

[Katherine]

There's a student of mine who is...hands down..a genius.
He loves English but he's quite under-read.
Can you provide me a list of books to recommend to him? I've got quite a few from my collection but they're classics. I need something more modern.

[la_ny]

twilight saga is a really entertaining, escapist read ;)

[Twilighters4for]

LOVE TWILIGHT, city of bones and city of ashes, the hunger games, books by lurlene mcdaniel are sad but good, scott westerfeld, kate brian, wicked lovely and ink exchange

any recommendations of romance books? i can't read something if it doesn't have romance in it.

[twinreader]

What about Jack London? The Call of The Wild and White Fang are exciting and the language is not too out of date. There is also Issac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, etc. are good books. For a YA title, he might like Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. Good luck.