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Post by mszue on Mar 1, 2011 14:41:54 GMT -5
I see lots of recommendations with themes of either fantasy or history. I haven't indulged in those genre's either ever or for many years but perhaps the time has arrived...hmmm....
One of my favorite books of all time is Anne Marie MacDonald's "Fall on your knees". It is absolutley fantastic...somewhat dark [my preference for some reason] and one of those page turners that have you trying to slow down and postpone the end because you just do not want to be finished.
My choices here are all Canadian....we actually breed very good hockey players and writers [singers too actually but....]. I would highly recommend anything by Timothy Findley....he was my all time fav for many years. My choice of his would be !. Headhunter and then 2 & 3 in any order, the Pilgrim or Not wanted on the voyage. Scuttlebut says they are making a film of Not wanted...it is a funny one which is not the norm for Findley...also his most 'feminist' offering. He died not so long ago after a long monogamous relationship with Bill Whitehead. Great books.
Most of Marget Atwoods works. Also Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Michael Ondaatje's English Patient.
This is a non-fiction work that is really, really engrossing. I have loaned this book out so often I no longer know who has it....and everyone has loved it. The name of the book is: Rewriting the Soul by Ian Hacking. He is an academic, teaching philosophy at the University of Toronto but do not let that dissuade you. It is not a difficult read and has done well in the popular press. He traces the origen of the psychlogical diagnosis of multiple personality....or dissascociative personality disorder...but from a Social Constructionist perspective. It is absolutely fascinating and another compulsive page turner.
Love this thread.....
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crispy
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Post by crispy on Mar 1, 2011 19:02:23 GMT -5
Most of Marget Atwoods works. Also Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Michael Ondaatje's English Patient. Mszue, some of may favorites are in this group. I'll check out some of your other recommendations. And (getting back to Adam related for a moment) if you haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy, find yourself a free weekend and jump headfirst into these books. The story is wonderful and I cringe every time someone compares them to Twilight because a. there are no vampires and b. they are really well-written. |
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Post by mszue on Mar 2, 2011 2:53:35 GMT -5
Most of Marget Atwoods works. Also Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Michael Ondaatje's English Patient. Mszue, some of may favorites are in this group. I'll check out some of your other recommendations. And (getting back to Adam related for a moment) if you haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy, find yourself a free weekend and jump headfirst into these books. The story is wonderful and I cringe every time someone compares them to Twilight because a. there are no vampires and b. they are really well-written. I am in the middle of that trilogy myself...it got so much 'press' around here I decided to give them a go. They are really a fun read. Very plot drien and could use a it of character complexity but I am thoroughly enjoying them. I'm about a third of the way throug the second in the trilogy. I would recommend them also. |
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readon
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Post by readon on Mar 2, 2011 9:44:04 GMT -5
Mszue, some of may favorites are in this group. I'll check out some of your other recommendations. And (getting back to Adam related for a moment) if you haven't read The Hunger Games trilogy, find yourself a free weekend and jump headfirst into these books. The story is wonderful and I cringe every time someone compares them to Twilight because a. there are no vampires and b. they are really well-written. I am in the middle of that trilogy myself...it got so much 'press' around here I decided to give them a go. They are really a fun read. Very plot drien and could use a it of character complexity but I am thoroughly enjoying them. I'm about a third of the way throug the second in the trilogy. I would recommend them also. I read the Hunger Games Trilogy a couple of weekends ago. I have never read Twilight and have no plans to do so. The HG is well written. The gaming strategy and the fact that the people involved are between 12-18 years old is disturbing but thought provoking. However, the thought did occur to me that the Hunger Games reminded me of American Idol except there was killing instead of singing. |
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readon
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Post by readon on Mar 6, 2011 22:48:14 GMT -5
Reading is my passion . . . at a pinch, I will read anything. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is one of my favorites. I think there are six books by now. For those of you who don't read fantasy, it might put you off if I told you there are dragons in this series. However, it is so well written and the characters so vivid and real that you will quickly be caught up in their world. I introduced the first book "His Majesty's Dragon" to my bookclub ( no other fantasy readers and long suffering objects of my book choices :  and got five of them hooked on the series. Hope some of you will give it a try - you are in for a treat! I finished reading the first book. I like the character development. I like when an author takes the time to carefully develop the people and the relationships. I like the first book enough that I will have to read the second. Why? I am interested in how the relationships develop between the humans and dragons. Most of the members of the Aerial Corp form somewhat symbiotic relationships with their dragons, but their seems to be an overall lack of awareness of the dragons as sentient beings with free will. These dragons talk, most are intelligent, they love mathmatics, music, art,etc. However, the aerial corp seem caught in between treating them as pets, service animals, or servants. I don't know how the series evolves, but I would hope that future story lines address these issues. I am intrigued. I love the character of Temeraire. The situation with Levitas was sad. What am I missing? |
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Post by spring2009 on Mar 7, 2011 14:12:36 GMT -5
I will agree with mszue - Anne Marie MacDonald's "Fall on your Knees" is an excellent book!!! Read it many years ago for the book club I belong to. Have belonged to this book club for 16 years, so have read many wonderful books. I look forward to everyones suggestions!
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Post by evergreen on Mar 12, 2011 21:38:51 GMT -5
From AlisonBuderschnookie, what's wrong with a good "bodice ripper" every once in a while? Wink One of my favorites is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I haven't read them in years (and I only read the first four) but I have been planning on revisiting them. They are part historical fiction (18th century Scotland), part fantasy (time travel/witchcraft), lots of medicine, plenty of battles, detailed descriptions of Highland flora and fauna (Gabaldon used to be a professor of ecology), a strong female character, and total hotness of Highlanders in kilts Very Happy. They are pretty steamy. I recommended the series to a friend and received a personal "thank you" from her husband Laughing. Here is an interesting interview with the genre defying author. I think she would fit in here on Atop quite nicely. januarymagazine.com/profiles/gabaldon.html Alison - I've read all the Outlander books. Didn't start until she had written four, and read them all at once. Then as soon as the next would be finished, I would rush to get it - until the last one... a certain singer was taking all my free time! But I have finally finished it and am looking forward to the next two. I like historical fiction, and she does a great job. It starts in Scotland, but the latest books are in America pre Revolutionary war. Hope the next one isn't too far off... and in the meantime will have to look at the other recommendations here. |
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Post by LindaG23 on Mar 13, 2011 11:28:12 GMT -5
I would like to recommend The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
I picked the book up in Costco because I cannot seem to walk past the book table without buying something even though I have a stack of books I have yet to read because Adam stanning has made a big dent in my reading time. Anyway, it seemed interesting in a slightly Victorian vein. I could not put it down. The writing alone is the most evocative I have read in a while; plus the story was tight and the characters were memorable. Brilliant.
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readon
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Post by readon on Mar 13, 2011 22:04:47 GMT -5
I would like to recommend The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. I picked the book up in Costco because I cannot seem to walk past the book table without buying something even though I have a stack of books I have yet to read because Adam stanning has made a big dent in my reading time. Anyway, it seemed interesting in a slightly Victorian vein. I could not put it down. The writing alone is the most evocative I have read in a while; plus the story was tight and the characters were memorable. Brilliant. Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out. I can read anything if the writing is good and the story is tight. Further, shout out to all the readers. Let's have some other recommendations. We are going to be in a dry spell with Adam news and for readers nothing is as fulfilling as a good read. I know that readers are reading. It's what we do. Just as Lindag23 can't go by a book table, the rest of us are afflicted with the same addiction. Let's not be book snobs here in this thread. It doesn't matter what genre you like. I used to be a book snob, but I am over that. If the writing is good, I don't care about the genre. Reading is "fun"-damental. I can't wait to hear from you all. BTW, Dean Koontz, "Relentless" and "What the night knows". They are not deep, but they are a great rainy afternoon, ice cream or popcorn, comfort read. Both books are about families with extraordinary children. Good reading fast food. |
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Alison
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Post by Alison on Mar 14, 2011 7:40:53 GMT -5
I read The Thirteenth Tale and really enjoyed it. I don't know why, but I love books about books or ones that are set in creepy libraries. One of my favorites is Umberto Eco's
The Name of Rose, a murder mystery set in a monastery in the 1300's.
You guys sound like you read much more than I do, so don't count on many ideas coming from me. Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth was great. I read it when it was featured in Oprah's book club. A lot of people I know were scared off by the length -- don't be -- it's a page turner and I was sad when it was finished. His sequel World Without End was not as good.
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