Any good book suggestions?

[vivalamac]

I just got back in to reading for fun, with everything else on my platter sometimes it is really hard to sit down and read. I like Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, basically anything that is fast pace and page turning (not necessarily all crime novels) Any ideas? Just a good book in general!!!!!! Thanks

 

[lainz]

the kite runner. OMG.

 

[Araylan]

Running With Scissors (which I read before I saw that a movie was coming out, and the movie sucked lol)
Memoirs of a Geisha (same as above but the movie was pretty good)
The DaVinci Code (same again, but movie wasn't too bad *if* you read the book so you knew what was happening)
Rising Sun (Michael Crichton: a murder case)
The Long Hard Road Out of Hell (Marilyn Manson's autobiography)
The Heroin Diaries (Nikki Sixx's autobiography, very different from any others I've read, after most selections there are commentaries from him and others that were in his life at the time)
The Door to December (Dean Koontz: a girl is found wandering around and it turns out that her dad had kidnapped her and been doing experiments on her since a very early age)
The Mayor of Casterbridge (a classic that I read in 11th grade but thought it was pretty good)
Beowulf (an odd read, but good)
1984 (another that was read in school several times but I just really like the book)

Okay, that's a pretty big list lol...I read quite a variety of stuff so I figured I'd give you options from every category. Hope you find something.

 

[user79]

I was just going to come in here to recommend The Kite Runner and I guess someone beat me to it! I just finished it and I thought it was really good, but sad.

 

[*KT*]

The Kite Runner & Atonement as mentioned before are really good books, both are sad (in very different ways). If you have any interest in seeing the movies you may want to put off reading the book until after. I've always been disappointed in movies if I've read the book first and that nearly always happens to me as I buy at least 2 books every time I step into Costco or Barnes & Noble.

Just skimmed what was on the bookshelf. I read a lot, but these titles stood out to me.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - I read this just a couple months ago. A suspense novel based around the history and stories surrounding Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula). I like fictional books that link back to historical information. Fun read.

Beach Music by Pat Conroy - I've read this book at least 3 times. This was published in 1995 and is one of my favorites. This author has had three of his movies adapted into films though the only one I have actually seen was Prince of Tides (an excellent book).

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - I read this book about two years ago and it drew me in on the first paragraph.
"It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn't sound like much, I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it's all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life."

While the book is purely fiction, it draws off his personal experiences as the main character has just escaped prison in Australia and has arrived in India. I don't think he could have had much wilder of a life with which to base his first novel. Go to Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts and click on author facts if curious, but I think it's amazing he's still alive.

Johnny Depp bought the movie rights to this book and it's currently in pre-production stages. According to imdb, "Russell Crowe was so excited about this project, that when he heard that Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil Production had bought the rights to the book at a whopping $2 million, he offered to be the executive producer just to be a part of the film." While I'm excited for it to be made into a movie, I'm afraid I'll ultimately be disappointed. I won't be re-reading this book until well after the movie is released in hopes I'll forget enough of it to really enjoy the movie.

 

[kaneda]

The kite runner is good - would have been a fantastic book if it stayed at the same pace and been as unpredictable as the beginning - but it is good.

My main suggestions:
- The book theif - Marcus Zusak. I've just finished this and it is one of the best books I've ever read. It's about a little girl living in Nazi Germany and Deaths obsession with her life - its very good - very sad, but very good.

- Shadow of the wind (forgotten who wrote this!). i read this last year and loved it. This is about a little boy who finds a book and gets obsessed with its author

- The secret History - Donna Tartt. One of my favourite books. This is about a set of college kids obsessed with the classics. It is fantastic

.

*side note - I swear I'm NOT obsessed by books about obsessesions

)

Also:


-Memoirs of a Geisha (please persist with this - it does get good).
-Knowledge of angels - JIll Patten Walsh - fantastic book. it's really hard to get into, but ultimately it is a very rewarding book.
- American gods - Neil Gaiman (Neil is my favourite author, has an amazing way of writing).
- Stardust - Neil Gaiman (recently been turned into a film - the book is very light hearted but still very good).
- Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (my favourite Neil Gaiman book).
*side note - really anything written by Neil will be good! - eeven his short stories!).
- The mermaids singing - Val McDermid (if you live in the UK, this is the book the television series wire in the blood is set on. the book is very good - its a bit sick, but very good).
- Perfume - Patrick Suskind (SO much better than the film)>

Think thats enough for now

 

[kaneda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by *KT* Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - I read this book about two years ago and it drew me in on the first paragraph. "It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured. I realized, somehow, through the screaming in my mind, that even in that shackled, bloody helplessness, I was still free: free to hate the men who were torturing me, or to forgive them. It doesn't sound like much, I know. But in the flinch and bite of the chain, when it's all you've got, that freedom is a universe of possibility. And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life." While the book is purely fiction, it draws off his personal experiences as the main character has just escaped prison in Australia and has arrived in India. I don't think he could have had much wilder of a life with which to base his first novel. Go to Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts and click on author facts if curious, but I think it's amazing he's still alive.

Thank for this. I also read a lot and that first paragraph does definately draw you in. I will be checking this out.

 

[*KT*]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaneda - Shadow of the wind (forgotten who wrote this!). i read this last year and loved it. This is about a little boy who finds a book and gets obsessed with its author

Shadow of the Wind is by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, I also read this and also thought it was quite good.

 

[Dark_Phoenix]

Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite.
I think I've read Lost Souls three times, lol. It's amazing, very dark and sensual without being cheesey.
Summary from Amazon:
Quote:

It is the story of a lost soul, a boy named Nothing, who was born of a vampire and is searching for his true family. But he dimly understands that joining his vampire brothers will cost him more of his humanity than he wants to give up. A mysterious, caring psychic named Ghost tries to save him from his fate and, because Nothing loves this man, he must choose to preserve his own humanity in order to save Ghost's life. The book is graphic in its presentation of kinky sex mixed with vampirism and murder but nonetheless compelling.

Drawing Blood, by Brite too, is also a great novel but has more sex and less vampirism.

 

[ms_bloom]

Anything by Matthew Riley, but my favourite and definitely a page-turner is Contest.

 

[vivalamac]

Thanks so much, I am going to go get Shantaram right now!!!!

 

[vivalamac]

White Oleander is one of my favorites

 

[frocher]

......

 

[MadchenRogue]

Sideways--all time fave book, better than the movie although i DO own the movie *hehe*

Killing Me Softly by Nicci French----WAY better than the movie...

 

[Hilly]

She's come Undone
Summer Sisters...or any adult novel by Judy Blume. All Fantastic!

 

[tabou82]

On Beauty & White Teeth by Zadie Smith are very good reads!!!

 

[captodometer]

Pox: The Genius, Madness, & Mysteries of Syphilis by Deborah Hayden

The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf

 

[Fairybelle]

Pulitzer Prize winning author Jhumpa Lahiri's two novels:

The Namesake (which was recently made into a film starring Kal Penn)--very few books have ever made me shed a tear, and this one has. Very touching story of a boy whose parents meet in India, but he is born and raised in the US. Fantastic read for anyone.

Interpreter of Maladies--short stories in a compilation book. Quick reads, but gripping tales that take place both in India and the US.

Note: Read "The Namesake" before you rent the movie. The movie stays pretty darn close to the book plot, however the book is what touched my heart the most.


The wonderful thing about Ms. Lahiri is that she writes like a true storyteller. No fluff, no over the top drama. Just a beautiful story that just makes you fall into the book from cover to cover. I just discovered her works and just hope she writes MORE soon.

 

[kaneda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frocher The Kite Runner is awesome. John Irving is a great author. A Prayer for Owen Meany is a great book, but crappy movie.

Forgot a prayer for Owen Meany! Great book - took a bit of time to get into, but really really liked it when it got going.

Really nice to see so many people on specktra reading good books

 

[threelittlebirds]

I loooove Middlesex by Eugenides. It is so beautifully written, and I really have a thing for atypical characters in books. It is a strange and compelling tale but if you're more of a conservative thinker, you may want to shy away from it.

I am also a devout Haruki Murakami fan (I pretty much worship the guy). He is a Japanese author -- fiction that is humorous, enlightening, sci-fi, romantic, erotic all in one. I hope I am not hyping him up too much but his books are incredible. His most popular novel is Norwegian Wood, but a good starter might be a short story book, like The Elephant Vanishes or Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.