serpico Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 I'm an avid reader, and my tastes are very eclectic. Some of my favorites and/or recent reads: John Steinbeck (I'll read some of these over and over) Scott Turow (I think this guy is brilliant) Jonathan Tropper Stieg Larsson trilogy Jonathan Kellerman (though these have gotten formulaic) Freakonomics series Michael Lewis (though his ego is getting a little out of control) Wall Street nonfiction I also enjoy biographies, but autobiographies don't excite me as much (too much of a filter, I think). So I'd love to hear your suggestions. I download most of my books through iBooks, so I can get my hands on about anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 My favorite book ever is The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It might fit with your affinity for Steinbeck, whom I also love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Tomás Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Have you read the Autobiography of U.S.Grant? Good stuff and his ideas still hold true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bear Tomás Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 What I am reading now .. http://cl.ly/2T2u1B0S1R1o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadiangirl Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Nonfiction- works by Alain de Botton and Malcolm Gladwell are in my bookshelf beside Freakonomics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mizpah Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Ever read anything by Jonathan Franzen? The Corrections is the best in my opinion, but Purity is the most recent. Edited to add: President Obama said yesterday his favorite book of 2015 is Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff (who is actually (!) a friend of a friend. Nominated for National Book Award. The story of a marriage, told focused on the man's perspective first, then the woman's. Not the most likable characters, but extremely well-written, and has/inspires insights about marriage/relationships and their complexities, tragedies, and beauties. http://graphics.wsj.com/best-of-the-best-books-2015/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calimom Posted December 10, 2015 Share Posted December 10, 2015 Ever read anything by Jonathan Franzen? The Corrections is the best in my opinion, but Purity is the most recent. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen is good too. Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon The Sportswriter by Richard Ford (first part of a trilogy) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Non Fiction: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver Just Kids by Patti Smith Hugging the Shore by John Updike (essays) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Great choices, mizpah and Calimom! I just finished Just Kids and cannot wait to start M Train over the holidays. I'm about to start Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rememberingjason Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 The Glass Castle: A Memoir Paperback ? January 17, 2006 by Jeannette Walls (Author) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serpico Posted December 11, 2015 Author Share Posted December 11, 2015 The Glass Castle: A Memoir Paperback ? January 17, 2006 by Jeannette Walls (Author) Okay, now that is weird, because I literally just finished that book yesterday, which is the reason I started this thread. Creepy I started The Heart is a Lonely Hunter last night and really like it. Keep the suggestions coming, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portside Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Do you like historical fiction? There are some fabulous books by Allan Eckert covering the settlement of NY, PA and our great state of Ohio. They cover the settlement of the Ohio River valley too. Look for The Frontiersmen, Wilderness Empire or The Conquerors. Many of the chapters cover geographical areas that you are familiar with (heck you live there!) and, if you are lucky, you can locate the exact spots along highways or parks that you've been to a zillion times. Great reading! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracelet Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Personally, I didn't like Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. It's SO DAMN LONG! Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes is a beautiful book. For a good laugh, try The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. Well written and witty. Anything by Kazuo Ishiguro will probably appeal. I also enjoyed Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. Very different. It's about a Ghanain boy who moves to London to live on a council estate. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize a couple of years ago. One tip - the Man Booker prize in the UK is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world. Have a google for the last few years shortlists and you'll be guaranteed some great reads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guaruj Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 I also enjoyed Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. Very different. It's about a Ghanain boy who moves to London to live on a council estate. American readers may require some translation of the term council estate. It is one of those British expressions that, to us, evokes the opposite of what it truly means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mizpah Posted December 11, 2015 Share Posted December 11, 2015 Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes is a beautiful book. Yes! Love this book. Had completely forgotten about it. Know what else is good? Philip Roth's American Pastoral. I heard they're turning it into a movie. I'd read it before they do. It's not beautiful, but it's great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodyTwoShooz Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 great post Serpico. I am adding to my book Lust List. Some of my recent favorites are "Life after Life" by Kate Atkinson "Brief and wonderful life of Walter Woo" by Junot Diaz "Let's pretend this never happened" by Jenny Lawson- if you are offended by the f-word I would skip this one😜 "You Suck" by Christopher Moore Erin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Not sure how I found my way to this book and it is not my usual fare but I loved it: Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North ( novel set during WWII and won the Man Booker Prize). I couldn't put it down. Would love to hear how you felt about The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I'm thinking of rereading it again over the holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Ok, The Sense of an Ending is just beautiful. I'm about to start SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard. If you like history and/or ancient Rome, she's the bomb. I want to be her when I grow up. And because I need more than one going at a time, I'm also starting Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TooSoon Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 I thought of another one. Have you read John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany? Its right up there at the top for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trying Posted December 18, 2015 Share Posted December 18, 2015 Loved Owen Meany! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now