The last time I asked this, I got a bunch of great recommendations, so here it goes again! I will be traveling a ton next quarter, so I will need some new books. In the last few months, I’ve been reading a lot of fiction, with a memoir thrown in here and there, and a few business books. Here are several recommendations.
The Princess Bride (William Goldman). My favorite movie of all time, recently found out there is a book, so of course I had to read it! I loved it. It’s written in a very interesting way, with the author interjecting stories about his “life”. Big blocks of the dialogue are taken directly from the book, so it was very easy to hear the voices of Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin in my head as I read. Highly entertaining!
The Help (Kathryn Stockett). Could. Not. Put. Down. I still haven’t seen the movie, but I looooved the book. You’ve probably heard the premise—in the fifties, a white woman writes a book about the African-American domestic help. Very well written.
Yoga Bitch (Suzanne Morrison). My sister slipped this in my bag as I was leaving Chicago the last time, and I’m glad she did. It was so good! I want the writer to come hang out with me and be my friend. It’s her story of going to Bali and going to yoga teacher training, and figuring out her relationship with her teachers. Fantastic!
American Wife (Curtis Sittenfeld). I’ve had this for a while, and recently re-read it. A fictional story based on the life of Laura Bush. Very well written, with a great story, and great sympathy for her characters.
Knitting Mystery Series (Maggie Sefton). Quick, light reads, but fun stories. If you’re a knitter, it’s fun to hear about the various projects and yarns the characters are working with. At the end of each book, the author gives a knitting pattern and a recipe.
Mom, Incorporated (Aliza Sherman and Danielle Smith). I haven’t finished it yet, but I am learning a ton from Aliza and Danielle. They give great advice for taking charge of the work-life balance and starting your own business. (And check out the interview I did with them!!)
Next up: My Stroke of Insight (Jill Bolte Taylor), about a brain scientist who had a stroke and recovered from it.
So what have you been reading? What do you recommend? I think I’m ready for some more nonfiction and memoirs, so bring on the suggestions!!
My favorite this year in fiction was the Pulitzer-prize winning “A Visit From the Goon Squad,” by Jennifer Egan (fiction). It was brilliant! Another great novel is “Let the Great World Spin” by Colum McCann.
For non-fiction, try “Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America” by Erik Larson (set in Chicago!). It was a really fun read.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea, nonfiction by a Los Angeles Times reporter. Poignant and timely.
I loved “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children…”
The Games of Thrones series (“A Song of Ice and Fire”) is absolutely addictive. I’m so not a fantasy or sci-fi person but they are so well written. I’ve read probably 4,000 pages since October!
The Game by Neil Strauss. Entertaining book. Don’t think it’ll help me bed a hot flight attendant anytime soon though.
+1 for “A visit from the Goon Squad”. It probably isn’t for everybody, but I really enjoyed it. Another was Tom Rachman’s “The Imperfectionists” about a group of ex-pats that work for an international newspaper in Rome. Lastly, David Mitchell’s “Cloud Atlas” which will be coming out as a movie next year.
I used to read SciFi a lot but fell away from it 20 years ago. However, I recently had David Weber’s Honorverse recommended and I love it. Space opera books written 20 years ago that could easily have been written today. For those who never got into SF, it is a way for an author to explore a current issue without igniting knee-jerk reactions from the readers. Pick anything from equal opportunity, Fascist states, Ultra-religious jurisdictions, evil corporations and/or politicians and a good SF author can delve into the topic along with the readers by setting it up on a foreign planet and then bending the rules, economy, laws and weapons as needed to make the point. The first two books here are free from the author’s site if you use an e-reader.
Other than that, I’ve picked up some Crombie’s that I had missed and a relatively new Karen Slaughter (Fearless).
Love in the time cholera and 100 hundred years of solitude both by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. For years this author has been recommended to me. Finally I got to read him. He so romantic and writes beautifully. Right now I’m reading The cave by
Stoke of insight is totally on my list. do you have it already? can i have it?