I’ve always been a big reader. As a kid, I was the girl who’d walk and read (and to be honest, I still do that at times). When I got older, I raided my mum’s bookshelves and asked her for recommendations. Then, when I left home for uni, I slowed down. I had new and exciting things to do, and when I did read, it was almost always for class. In the past few months, I’ve rediscovered my love of reading, and it’s been wonderful.
Here are the last three books I’d read. I enjoyed all of them, but I’d especially recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It’s a light and sweet read, but I was completely charmed by it and finished it in just over 24 hours. Right now, I’m rereading The Time Traveler’s Wife, one of my favourite books ever, in anticipation of the movie (which has yet to be released here) and Audrey Niffenegger’s new book (which I ordered yesterday).
Got any good books to recommend?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Ooh, this comes at jsut the right time. I’ve just rediscovered my local libraries. I was the same as you – going through uni I lost the habit of reading purely for pleasure. Then when I started full time work, I just didn’t have the concentration. I’d read fluffy chic lit and get cross at it (it’s fine for sometimes, but a balanced diet it does not make!) or non-fiction, so I could pick it up and put it down without worrying about plots.
But I’ve gotten into it again and it’s like an old friend. But finding books that have enough meat in them, but are easy enough to read is pretty tough, I find. I’d love to hear more recommendations as you go.
I just read a book by Monica McInerney which I really liked – it was a thin one, I’ve just borrowed one of her bigger novels to see how I like it. And I’m reading a book called ‘Winter Close’ by Hugh McKay which I am also enjoying, although I’m only halfway through so I can’t tell you for sure. Have you read any Dorothy l. Sayers? She wrote detective novels, like Agatha Christie, but with more plot and character, and far less sensationalism. She’s one of my favourite authors of all time, I recommend her.
I am rediscovering reading at the moment too – it all started when I got landed with a really crappy commute a couple of months ago which enabled me to get through a couple of novels a week… so the crappy commute actually turned out pretty awesome!
Right now I am loving reading the complete Dorothy Parker – it’s brilliant… so bright and pithy, and reading it is very evocative of how she must have been as a person. I also just found out she was a very keen knitter and took her knitting everywhere she went. I’m sure you probably know her already but if not, make haste to read something of hers!
Fiction-wise I am reading Margaret Atwood’s Cats eye at the moment, which is a really great read, I love her style of narrative…. and I also just started AS Byatt’s the Virgin in the Garden which is part of a 4-part series I somehow hadn’t even heard of…so far so good
I just ordered the new Audrey Niffenegger too… can’t wait to see what that’s like!
I really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as well- such a charmer of a book!
I’ve yet to read GLPPPS yet…it’s sitting on my nightstand ready to go soon though. I too loved Time Traveler’s Wife so maybe a couple of my suggestions won’t be too far off the mark from what you’d enjoy? These are just the first that come to mind…I read a bit too much so could list all day!
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon
A great place to get recommendations for books is joining Goodreads where you can make lists and review books you’ve read, make lists of books you want to read etc. It’s very much like Ravelry except for books….and you can befriend folks and see what are on their lists. If you decide to do that, let us know and I’ll befriend you!
I’m recommending “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak to everybody at the moment. I found it difficult to start with but it has turned into the most intense and moving story. I only have a couple of chapters left and I don’t want to finish!
I’m a huge reader too. I just re-read The Lovely Bones in anticipation of that movie. I too love the Time Traveler’s Wife but the movie I thought was just ok.
I’ve been really, really into travel books this year – anything by Bill Bryson is great and hilarious, and I loved Under the Tuscan Sun (NOT like the movie, so much better), Driving Over Lemons and also The Geography of Bliss.
Also in nonfiction this year, I LOVED Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and In Cold Blood. As far as fiction, I loved The Reader.
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley! I’m listening to the audiobook right now and absolutely love it. I heard about it (and other interesting-sounding books which I can’t vouch for yet) on public radio:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111743357&ft=1&f=6395311
Another fabulous audiobook is Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (loved the narrator but not sure if I would have enjoyed it as much in print). Books I’ve recently read in print and would recommend: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and American Pastoral by Philip Roth.
I’m a librarian and former English major so better stop now!
Two of my recommendations have already been recommended – your readers have good taste!
I’d add to the list To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (time travel/screwball comedy of manners/romantic fiction – but not “romance”), Stardust by Neil Gaiman (lovely, magical fantasy/fairy tale), The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier (really hard to categorize but basically a beautiful mediation on survival and death) and The Girls by Lori Lansens (fascinating and compelling fiction about conjoined twins). Happy reading!