Single hen

[Willow]

The comments on the 100 books thread made me keen to get some more book recommendations from others, especially books I would not normally chose.

 

I know we have the book club but that only lets us chose one book so this is to supplement the book club !

 

So here's a very small list of some of my favourite books I would recommend to others and why

 

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

An updated Romeo and Juliet story that will change the way you think about race and racism. Theoretically a childrens book but really that just means it is a book for all ages above 10.

 

Little House on the Praire Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I'm sure most will have come across at least the tv series but I realised some people didn't realise the series was based on a set of books. Amazing descriptive powers enabled her to depict growing up in extreme poverty as idyllic. I recently read the entire series to my two boys as they kept wanting to know what happened to Laura next. The tv series picked up elements of the story but also used them as a basis for much that doesn't happen in the books. These books are heavily based on reality but are not a life story exactly, for example she sometimes merges aspects of several real people into one character for the book. Gives an amazing insight into pioneer life. Some of the later books are not readily available in the UK but my boys wanted so much to hear what happened to Laura I had to order second hand from the US. Again for all ages.

 

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

I love everything written by Le Guin. It is many years since I read this book but it immerses you in another world that makes you think about how we define people by their sex.

 

The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata

I toyed with the idea of putting this as my book club choice but decided it was too obscure. Many years ago I had a number of business trips to Japan and one trip I ran out of books to read so I picked up a book by Kawabata in the hotel shop to pass the time. I loved it so much I bought several other books by him (and I just realised they are available through Amazon UK so need to buy the rest).

His books are amazingly subtle that almost build the story in your head through the spaces between the words (which sounds horribly pretentious but I don't know how else to describe it - you have to have peace to read these stories and let yourself feel the story as well as read the words). This particular book is the story of an old man and his every day thoughts about his relationship with his family members. There is much that is universal but it also provides a glimpse into everyday family life in Japan at the time. Some of his other books tell you more about Japan.

 

Edited to correct title and put books/authors in bold

Edited March 11, 2009 by Guest

[Mrs Frugal]

I'll second the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. They are wonderful. I re-read Little House In The Big Woods last year and loved it as much as I did as a child when Mum read them to me and my brother .

[..lay a little egg for me]

oooh, I used to LOVE reading the Laura Ingles Wilder stories as a child and was delighted when we bought a little Swedish cabin for our summer house in Sweden that the walls were made exactly like the log house in The Little House on the Prarie!

 

I also liked The Left Hand of Darkness very much too.

 

A few recommendations from me are:

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

A delightfully insightful book about family relationships. While plans for his daughter's wedding are in full swing, George finds a lump in his side that he is convinced is a cancerous growth. Although it is benign, he is certain he is shortly to die and goes quietly mad while his wife finds solace in another man's arms. Very funny and poignant.

 

Any of the Discworld series from Terry Pratchett. Apart from the first 3 books or so where he was finding his style, the series is a wonderful parody of life here on earth. He uses the fantasy setting to comment on all kinds of silliness that goes on here as well as more serious issues like racism. The literary and folklore allusions are great to spot.

 

Will add more when I think of them, but better get back to work now I think

[Cinnamon]

OK, deep breath .....................

I have not included the Harry Potters, His Dark Materials,Artemis Fowls or the Ladies Detective Agency books, as we all know they are brilliant, don't we?

 

 

'This book will save your life' - A.M Homes

This is the story of a very average,wealthy American man whose life suddenly changes due to a series of strange incidents. It is fabulous.

 

The life of Pi - Yann Martel

Strange story, not an altogether easy read, but a book to really get your teeth into.

 

'The five people you meet in Heaven' - Mitch Albom

A man looks back on his life, as he enters heaven after his death.Not mawkish in the least, & beautifully written. Explores the rights & wrongs of life.

 

'The Red Tent' - Anita Diamant

An amazing book along the lines of 'Memoirs of a Geisha', which I also adore. Its the fictional story of Dinah, sister of Joseph (he of the technicolour coat), & her life as it may have been. Totally fascinating & one that really draws you in to its world.

 

'Driving over lemons' - Chris Stewart

Wonderful true story of Chris, who was once for a short spell the drummer in Genesis before they became famous, as he makes a life for him & his wife in the wilds of the Spanish mountains. The best of these sort of books by far, & totally droolworthy.

 

'The Beach' - Alex Garland

Brilliant story of a boy who seeks out a perfect beach in Thailand ,to discover that life in paradise is not always perfect. he slides towards madness, & the book has a violent end, but is just remarkable all the same.

 

Thats for starters

 

 

If any of you are on Facebook, the book app on that is very good indeed. You can update your library, rate your books & se what others are reading.

[Willow]

I have not included the Harry Potters, His Dark Materials,Artemis Fowls or the Ladies Detective Agency books, as we all know they are brilliant, don't we?

 

Yes !!

 

Sarah I noticed you mention how good The life of Pi - Yann Martel was on the other thread. A copy has just dropped into my shopping basket. I love on-line book shopping

[Cinnamon]

me too

 

I have just noticed that there is a River Cottage veggie patch book just been released too

[Cinnamon]

The Sound of the Mountain by Yasunari Kawabata

 

 

Just been to Green Met, & I have bought 'Snow Country' by this author, which has been recommended to me before

Online book shopping is just sooooo easy

[quickcluck]

The five people you meet in heaven, is just brilliant, I recommend it to everyone

 

Also the church of england books by susan howatch are a must

 

or the witching hour by Anne rice!

[Lydia]

A couple that I've read recently have been very good:

 

"The Race" - Richard North Patterson

The by-line for this one is "Can an honest man become president?" It is fiction but is a timely political thriller of a read about the back stabbing, slur campaigns and general nastiness employed on all sides. Patterson is careful to put every point of view across. Though the "hero" here is republican, the parallels with the last election are clear. Patterson's characterisations are very good and, despite myself, I did end up caring who won.

 

"World Without End" - Ken Follett

I didn't think Ken Follett was for me but I'd finished my previous book and the prospect of a 10 hour flight home without a book was not nice. The choice at Cancun Airport was limited so I bought this out of sheer desperation thinking I'd read a bit on the flight then Ebay it.

 

Well it's quite frankly brilliant! It's a follow up to his 1989 novel "The Pillars of the Earth" (now next on my list to read) but is set about 200 years later. Set in 14th century England, the book tells the story of Gwenda, Ralph, Merthin and Caris who are 10 year olds at the beginning and witness a murder in the forest. This act then follows them through the next 30 or so years of their lives, revealing the ups and downs of peasants, monks, nuns and kings along the way.

 

The book has everything from political intrigue, women's rights, revenge, triumph, injustice as well as conniving monks and dishonest bishops.....oh and a good dollop of plague thrown in as well. It's lengthy (over 1000 pages) but well worth the effort. Rarely do I find a book that I can't put down but I've been taking this to work with me!

[Willow]

Online book shopping is just sooooo easy

 

It's funny I much prefer going to our local supermarket than shopping on-line for groceries.

 

But I love on-line shopping for books

 

I don't know if it's because I'd feel guilty going up to the till with an armful of books or that getting a parcel of books in the post feels like it's my birthday

[Old Speckled Hen]

These are a few.

I love Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake and often re-read bits.

Catch 22 is an all-time classic.

Years ago I read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson and I still like the first Trilogy. Subsequent books in the series ran out of steam somewhat.

The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

I spend a packet at Amazon and Waterstone's

When I go down to London to catch up with my daughter we always have a day out at Waterstone's in Picadilly.

[Egluntyne]

me too

 

I have just noticed that there is a River Cottage veggie patch book just been released too

 

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

 

 

Drat that one click thingy.

[Cinnamon]

It looks really,really good

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747595348

[bigmommasally]

A couple that I've read recently have been very good:

 

"World Without End" - Ken Follett

I didn't think Ken Follett was for me but I'd finished my previous book and the prospect of a 10 hour flight home without a book was not nice. The choice at Cancun Airport was limited so I bought this out of sheer desperation thinking I'd read a bit on the flight then Ebay it.

 

Well it's quite frankly brilliant! It's a follow up to his 1989 novel "The Pillars of the Earth" (now next on my list to read) but is set about 200 years later. Set in 14th century England, the book tells the story of Gwenda, Ralph, Merthin and Caris who are 10 year olds at the beginning and witness a murder in the forest. This act then follows them through the next 30 or so years of their lives, revealing the ups and downs of peasants, monks, nuns and kings along the way.

 

The book has everything from political intrigue, women's rights, revenge, triumph, injustice as well as conniving monks and dishonest bishops.....oh and a good dollop of plague thrown in as well. It's lengthy (over 1000 pages) but well worth the effort. Rarely do I find a book that I can't put down but I've been taking this to work with me!

 

I'm half way through this book too and absolutely loving it. I've already read Pillars of the Earth which I loved too.

[Lydia]

It looks really,really good

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747595348

 

It is very good! Hubby already has adopted it as a veritable vegetable bible.

[Cinnamon]

Thanks for that Lydia

 

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the cover is beautiful, isn't it?

 

[chickencam]

Online book shopping is all very well for cheap books but you just can't beat that book shop smell and browsing in a quiet shop.

 

When we first moved to Cheltenham our Waterstones was lovely, in a beautiful regency building with a staircase in the centre. In the autumn the leaves used to blow through the doors in a romantic sort of a way and they would play classical music. The atmostphere was fantastic.

 

Sadly it has now moved and is much more like WHSmith

[Cinnamon]

I must add another set of books, which are I think wonderful.

they are the oscar Wilde murder mysteries, by Gyles Brandreth....yes, him!!!

 

They have to sort of gentle charm of the No1 ladies dectectives agency books, but are set in London, & feature the wonderful Oscar Wilde, & his friends Arthur Conan Doyle & Bram Stoker amoung others.

The second book,'The ring of death' is just out now & I am storming through it - very good stuff indeed. They are hugely atmospheric & feature plenty of the legendary Wilde wit

 

The first book was 'The candlelight Murders'

 

If you like the No1 Ladies, & a bit of history & humor, you will love these books

 

One note - beware if ordering from Amazon as the 2 UK versions have been renamed for the US market & are also available here.

[Olly]

OK, my recommendation:

 

Patrick O'Brien, 'Master & Commander' and the subsequent novels (you may remember this first book was made into a film a few years back, starring Russell Crowe).

 

A friend told me about these books years ago, and I was not interested as I had bad memories of trying to read the 'Hornblower' books when I was younger. I couldn't imagine why I would ever want to read a book about a naval captain. Consequently I wasted several years refusing to try them!

 

These are absolutely brilliant - not only the language, but the historical and technical detail and the pace, especially the first few books, to be fair the very late ones are not quite so good. If you like historical novels, if you're interested in sailing ships, or if you just like an exciting read then these are brilliant. In my opinion these are the books Jane Austen would have written if she'd been a man!

[Christian]

I really enjoyed When the wind blows by James Patterson. He is one of those authors that I could read over and over again. Dean Kootz is another one I love reading.

 

Love the No. 1 Ladies detective agency series, Harry Potter and the Big Cherry Holler series by Adriana Trigiani

 

I have a pile of books by my bed that I haven't had time to start yet, just not enough hours in the day!

[Egluntyne]

I have a pile of books by my bed that I haven't had time to start yet, just not enough hours in the day!

 

Same here.

 

I couldn't limit my list of faves to less than 20.

 

Am reading a book at the mo called The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry.

 

It is unputdownable.

[little chickadee]

The Time Travellers wife by Audrey Niffeneger

Just one of those books you really can't put down and which stays with you for a long while after you've read it. My mother in law won't read it because she thinks it sounds like science fiction, but it really isn't!

 

I'm really enjoying the Twilight series at the moment and am rationing the books so I don't read them all at once. I think I've got read another 6 books before I'm allowed to read the 4th one in the series!

 

Loads of other favourites too

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I compiled a list of all these recommendations and took it to the library this morning . Couldn't get any of the first 10 or so but did pick up other books by 2 of the authors .

 

I usually just browse and pick but I do like to have recommendations so thanks everyone .

[Egluntyne]

me too

 

I have just noticed that there is a River Cottage veggie patch book just been released too

 

Nooooooooooooooooooo!

 

 

Drat that one click thingy.

 

 

It came today. Haven't had tie to look at it properly yet.

[Tessa the Duchess]

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series has been mentioned a few times. Although I like this series I prefer the other 4 series by McCall Smith, three of the series are set in Edinburgh and one in a university in Bavaria or somewhere like that. They are all brilliant. Thank goodness the man is such a prolific writer and brings out a new book in every series once a year

 

Tessa