Calling all Bookies...........BOOK thread!

banslug

banslug

Cathlete
OK, so here I go, asking for some enabling to lengthen my already-SUPER-long to-read list! :D

Each summer, a friend/neighbor of mine holds a used book sale right out of her garage, and all the proceeds go to grant a wish for a child as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Each year, this book sale gets bigger and bigger and BIGGER! Because I donate each year, I get to shop pretty much from the time the books start trickling in from donation, right on thru the last day of the sale. I like to stock up NOW and read them throughout the year, then turn around and donate for the next year's sale.

Soooooooooo........

Let me hear it. What book(s) have you read that you just LOVE, can't live without, would recommend them to the Pope, or otherwise carry with you to your grave? :D:D:D
 
Hi Gayle. A couple of my favorite books are Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith (I pretty much liked all of her books) and The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx. Right now I'm enjoying the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. I'm sure I'll think of others.
 
Have you read the Dragon Girl Tattoo series? I just finished the 3rd book, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest...loved it but sad that it is the end of the series since the author is now deceased.

A few others I've enjoyed:

Wildfire by Nelson DeMille
Amber Room & The Templer Legacy, by Steve Berry
The Last Oracle & The Doomsday Key by James Rollins
Anything written by Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, Michael Palmer
 
Can't say I'd recommend anything to the Pope. Anything I read would probably give him a coronary.

All of the "Kushiel" books by Jacqueline Carey. There are 3 trilogies. The 2nd book in the 3rd one comes out next month, so you'll have plenty of time to catch up. You gotta go in order, or you'll be awfully confuzzled.

As always I gotta recommend the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop, a whole lot dark, a whole lot magical, and a whole lot sexy. The follow ups aren't bad, either.

Also, always have to pimp out the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR WARD. Again, you have to start at the beginning, or you will get confused later one. These are addicting.

Also, I really enjoyed the book "Ireland" the author is some guy, and the book is in my basement and I'm at work. I think his name is Frank something. Delaney? Maybe.

"The Autobiography of Santa Claus" loved it. Might want to save that for winter time. Also by some guy who's name I can't remember. Not good with names here.

George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. Although he's been writing the newest one forever now, so we might never find out how it ends. High fantasy. DH and I both enjoyed

Another fave is Acheron by Sherrilyn Kenyon, falls in the middle of a series, but I think it could stand alone. The 1st half is very dark, very violent, and somewhat disturbing, FYI.

The 13th Hour by Richard Doestch. A backwards mystery ala Memento

I also still love all the Wizard of Oz books. The originals by L Frank Baum. The schmuck who picked them up after he passed killed them

So that's my list for now

And thanks for thinking of me!

Nan
 
The Something Dangerous trilogy by the British author Penny Vincenzi. They are sagas about a family... beginning in World War I and then into the 60s. Sooooooooooooo good!! She's a great author! I also LOVE East of Eden as my favorite classic novel. And I'm reading Eat Pray Love right now and am loving it.

On a cheesy note... Hoping this doesn't totally negate everything I just said, but I just finished the Twilight series, and loved it. I SWORE I'd never ever read those books because vampires.. really? But they totally sucked me into them. I wanted to climb inside those books!! If you're looking for a fun summer read, they are fun! Other great summer reads: anything by Jennifer Weiner and Paullina Simons (Simons' Bronze Horseman is great). :)

Oh, and the book I loved and would recommend to the Pope? The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, a really great book that symbolically talks about heaven/hell (though they aren't referred to as heaven/hell in the book).
 
Hi Gayle,

I'm so jealous! I love, love, love book sales. Here are my faves.

Lee Child - Jack Reacher Series

Sue Grafton - Alphabet Series. I love her books!

Lisa Lutz - Spellman Series. I love this series about a family PI business. Very intelligently written with lots of wit.

James Lee Burke - Dave Robicheaux Series

Moloka'i - Alan Brennert

Whistling in the Dark - Lesley Kagen

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

Night Ferry - Michael Robotham

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami

Have fun!
 
The Perfect Vehicle: What it is about Motorcycles......Melissa Holbrook Peirson

Mutant Message Down Under.....Marlo Morgan

Portrait of an Artist: A Biography of Georgia OKeefe...Laurie Lisle

Harley-Davidson Motor Company: An Official Eighty-Year History....David Wright

Triumph in America....Brooke & Gaylin

The Perennial Gardeners Design Primer....Cohen & Ondra

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook....Moskowitz & Hope

The entire Harry Potter Series....J.K. Rowling

The Pelican Brief: A Novel....John Grisham

Anything by Agatha Christie

Documentary film "On Any Sunday"....Bruce Brown, just because :)

I wonder what the Pope would recommend I read ? hmmmm? could I just peruse the Vatican Library?

Linda
 
Sometimes I can't remember the author's names but:

Cutting for Stone by Verghese (?)
Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving
The Help
The Historian
Olive Kitteredge
The Lottery

I will think of more!
 
OK! I've marked the entire list down! LOL We'll see what we have 'in stock' later today! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! (and keep them coming!)

Robin, thanks! I had never heard of either of your first 2 listed!

Ninjamim, I have read Wild Fire by Demille.....have YOU red Demille's The Charm School???????? Good one!

Nan..........wow you've got a long list of recommendations! LOL On the topic of The Wizard of Oz, while I was shopping (again) at the book sale yesterday, a friend of mine HIGHLY suggested I read Wicked...have you read that one? I think it might be the very next one I start (later today)!

P'hagger, we have a TON of MHC in stock....any specific ONE call out to you???

Stephanie, Eat Pray Love is a very good book and I really REALLY enjoyed reading it. The Twilight Series, hugh? My BFF has read the entire series 6 TIMES!!!!!!!!! 6 TIMES! I borrowed the first one from her for about a week and I just couldn't get myself to even OPEN it up. Do I really REALLY need to reconsider that??? :)

Lioness, I read the Sue Grafton series, starting with A, in a summer...but now I forgot where I left off! LOL The Glass Castle is PHENOMENAL!!!!!!

Linda, I wonder if any of us would be surprised to see what was in the Pope's PERSONAL library, besides the Bible, of course! ;)

AmySue, I just finished The Help on Monday night (for my Book Club) and LOVED IT! I read it super slowly because I just didn't want it to end!!! Great book!
 
Yeah, I read "Wicked" I personally thought it sucked. But lots of people liked it, so who am I to say. For me, it ruined one of my favorite childhood (and adult) stories. Blech.

Someone else mentioned The Historian. That was a good book.

Nan

ETA: Also The Thirteenth Tale, good one too
 
Stephanie, I am reading "Eat Pray Love" right now....a very easy read! Wishing I could take off for Italy right now to try some of those foods Liz mentions in the book! :D
 
I just finished "The Help." Different from my usual murder-mystery summer reads, but what a great book!

I felt silly picking up "Twilight" after our school librarian said it was written on a fifth-grade level. Having said that, I COULD NOT put it or the other 2 down. Something about the way it's written sucks you in. Pun intended.

Harlan Corban novels fall in my usual pattern. (That being the murder-mystery genre).

I am currently reading my childhood favorite "Where the Red Fern Grows" to my 9 and 10 year old daughters. I have no idea how I'm going to read the last few chapters without bawling. I starting tearing up at the first chapter!
 
Nan, I just went on Amazon wish-listed almost everything you recommended!! I love dark gothic/fantasy novels!!

I'm just finishing up "The Mortal Instruments" by Cassandra Clare. There are 3 books in the series. They're YA, but SO addictive and very entertaining. I couldn't put these down.

I'd also recommend anything by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club). I haven't read his latest, but everything else is sooooo good!! If you like satires, you'll love his stuff. "Choke" was probably my favorite.
 
I love John Sanfords "Prey" Series; Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware Novels, and Fay Kellerman's Peter Decker Novels. Good Stuff. :) Wish I could go to the book sale!! What a wonderful thing your neighbor does!
 
I've listened to some great audio books that I can recommend. I usually get "unabridged" so it's just as good as reading it, right? (he,he!)

1) Racing in the Rain - It's told through the eyes of a dog. A heartbreaking, funny, touching story about a dog and his owner who is a race car driver. I think I read somewhere that eventually there may be a movie? I'd love to see it if they do. :)

2) Ultrarunning Man - A MUST have if you're a runner. I've read the book and listened to the audio book twice (lol!)

3) 50 in 50 - It's also written by Dean Karnazes (Ultrarunning Man) and it chronicles his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days that he did in 2006. LOVE this book and the DVD!

Kathy
 
How funny! I just picked up Pride and Prejudice yesterday at the library in my quest to add some classic literature to my fluff reading:rolleyes:

I too got sucked into the Twilight books as well as the vampire series by Charlaine Harris.
 
The last novel I read was Edgar Sawtelle, the 1st novel by David Wroblewski. I couldn't put it down! One of the best books I've ever read.
 
WOW!!!!!!!!!! I'm always amazed at our Book threads on these boards. So many different opinions and insight! I've got my LONG list and I'm going down the street in 30 minutes! Better bring my wallet...although since I shop for 2 months leading up to the sale, I just start an 'account' and pay up at the end.

I wanted to also fill you guys in on what we're doing with the money this year. (I say WE because this has become a huge neighborhood/friend project. I coordinate the bake sale under a tent and we now have 4 days/times of the sale. We needed to add more time slots because we have SO MANY books this year.) ANYWAY, this year, the money raised is not only helping a Make A Wish child, it's helping a child IN OUR VERY OWN COMMUNITY! Her name is Averi and she has leukemia. Cutest little thing EVER. If you're interested, here is her website:

http://www.braveri.org/

She and her family have been thru so much with this illness. And she's just a constant source of smiles, giggles and just plain ol' FUN!!!
 
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