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Friday, September 12, 2008

Book recommendations?

I've been looking for new book to read and I wondered if you guys had any recommendations. I am looking for an interesting, fun book. When I say "fun" I don't necessarily mean light. For example, I love the book Coming up for Air by George Orwell and think it's really fun (well, funny), but it's also serious and somewhat meaningful. Which reminds me, some of you might want to check out that book - it's one of my favorites. Although it's by Orwell, it has a different tone than Animal Farm or 1984 (both of which I also love).

But anyway, I'm not doing a very good job describing what kind of book I'm in the mood to read. It might be easier to describe what I'm not looking for (not right now anyway): 

serious non-fiction
Archie comics 1960-2008 (I've read them all)
anything with Fabio on the cover ( " )

But seriously, any recommendations? Have you read a book this year that you loved?

16 comments:

Dani said...

Hey, I just reread Gone with the Wind and really liked it. I also learned quite a bit about the civil war...

Other books recently read and liked:
-Lovely Bones
-Einstein (but it's not fiction)
-The Solace of Leaving Early--Haven Kimmel's first book--it's brilliant;
-The Book Thief.

Anonymous said...

I just scored a whole bunch of classics at the Salvation Army (39 cents a piece). Little Men, Little Women, Under the Lilacs, The Jungle, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Gulliver's Travels, The Scarlet Letter, Spoon River Anthology, and Barack Obama for your mama: The Audacity of Hope. I'm sure you've read all of them at least twice by now, but if for some reason you haven't and would like to borrow, please feel free. And of course, there is always The Boxcar Children, Ameila Bedelia, Nancy Drew, Anne of Green Gables, or any of the American Girl books. All classics and pretty much an all around good time.

The Leo said...

Let me see . . . Are you sure about no Fabio covers? Shucks. Give me a minute. Eat Love Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert is one of my new faves. Non-fiction but fun. You recommended The Life of Pi to me and I loved that book! Thanks.

sterlingandbrandi said...

"The history of love" by Nicole Krauss was soo good. Pure junk food light - Sophie Kinsella's "Can You Keep a Secret?" Twilight series, duh! (just kidding), Persopolis, by Marjane Satrap...

Katherine said...

You know I'm going to recommend the Mitford series (again). I really think you should bust out the Trixie Beldens again, too. I also really love Louisa May Alcott's "Old Fashioned Girl." Old timey, but sweet!

Brady said...

I just finished "The Omnivore's Dilemma" It's non-fic, but it's not serious. Its about food, how serious could it be?

Also enjoyed "The Time Traveler's Wife". If you're willing to try Sci-Fi / Fantasy, my new fav. author is Brandon Sanderson: Elantris, Mistborn, etc.

If you're looking for some light summer reading ( I know it's fall now, but still) try anything by Clive Cussler, but especially his Dirk Pitt novels.

Amy said...

I will second above recommendations for The Book Thief, Omnivore's Dilemma, and Time Traveler's Wife. Also, anything by Bill Bryson (Walk in the Woods, In a Sunburned Country), The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde (with four sequels if it sucks you in), Doomsday Book by Connie Wills, The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue. Stolen Child and Book Thief would probably be my top recommendations from that list.

Elizabeth Downie said...

These are great recommendations guys! I really appreciate it! I'll keep you updated as I read them. And I haven't read most of these, so that's great! If anyone else as any other recommendations, keep 'em coming! :)

Dallan said...

A Thousand Splendid Suns is excellent, and Sedaris' new book actually didn't disappoint.

Anonymous said...

A few years ago, I read "Galileo's Daughter" by Dava Sobel. I'll loan it to ya if/when you want to read it! :) (By the way, can I borrow "Jane Eyre" when you get a chance?)

Elizabeth Downie said...

I've heard A Thousand Splendid Suns is good, but I thought I should read the Kite Runner first. But I started it and it was too sad. I wasn't really up for finishing it at that time. But I'll check out the other one. Good to know about the Sedaris book and I'm glad you finally read it!

Sarah, I'll check that one out! And I'll bring Jane Eyre tomorrow. You'll love it, I'm sure.

Angela said...

ha! i just finished Jane Eyre Sunday night (for the first time, shocking i know). I also read Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict the week before that. It was good, but not excellent. I watched the movie of the Kite Runner a few weeks ago and cried and cried and cried. No plans to read the book. I have had a hard time finding modern books that live up to the classics, so i've read and re-read Jane Austen a lot. Anyway, Elizabeth - you should get on Goodreads.com it's like an online book club for you and your friends. i've got a ton of books on my to-read shelf there but i can't think of a single one at the moment. Everytime one of your friends rates a book/reviews it you see it and it's a great tool for your reading needs. So i think. :)

Kelly said...

The Kite Runner should be read by everyone...in the world. It's excellent. The movie just doesn't do it full justice but I am of the school of thought that always loves the books better than the movies. But that is sort of a serious book. On my to-read-list is Elizabeth Gaskell's "North and South" and Somerset Maughan's "The Painted Veil" both are romances and I have heard they are excellent.

You should not, under any circumstances, read any of the Twilight books, anything by Steinbeck or anything by Thomas Hardy unless you want to be seriously depressed.

Elizabeth Downie said...

Ha! I did read the Twilight books actually! Don't judge. ;) I agree about Steinbeck being depressing - I had to read a couple of his in school and they were pretty sad. Oh, and I read Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Hardy and although it was a bit of a downer, I have to admit that I kind of liked it.

I'll try the Kite Runner again! Thanks for the recommendations!

Shauri said...

Oh man...depressing? Maybe a bit, but East of Eden is one of my all time favorites. Sooooo good. The kind you want to discuss with someone afterwards.

Liz Hughes said...

Any one of The Babysitter Club books are pure gold.