Or rather, fill my Kindle. I'm on a quest for book recommendations. Now, be forewarned, I am an extremely picky reader. And an even pickier book purchaser (which, as of right now, is the only way to read books on my Kindle...no free library e-books for me). So, dear readers, here is your chance to offer up the titles of your favorite books: those that inspired you, gripped you, made you think, made you laugh, made you keep turning the pages late into the night.
In an effort to not waste your time (since I've already explained how picky I am), I'll attempt to draw a vague picture of the kind of books I do like so your recommendations can be of greater use:
Old favorites (I already own these and read them again and again)
The Bean Trees
Pigs in Heaven
White Oleander
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
God-Shaped Hole
The Time Traveler's Wife
Everything is Illuminated
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
The Glass Castle
Baby Catcher
The Cider House Rules
The Red Tent
An Unquiet Mind
Madness
Books I've read recently and liked
Water for Elephants
The Help
Bonobo Handshake
The Happiness Project
Committed
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (and its sequels)
The Hunger Games (and its sequels)
The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Half the Sky
Books I've started three million times and can't get through
Under the Banner of Heaven
I Know This Much is True
The Poisonwood Bible
Wicked
The Great Gatsby
House of God
Okay, so moral of the story (ha) is, I like memoirs, non-fiction, and great novels. I also like babies (and books about them), sarcasm, and complicated plots. I hate bad writing, celebrity authors, any book recommendation that Alix has ever had, and anything Oprah endorses.
Thanks everyone!
xo
10 comments:
1984? I know its your...er...my...favorite?
I just read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and really liked it! It's fiction, but historical fiction (WW II Germany), and the narrator is Death....so it's unlike any other novel I've ever read.
Just got a Kindle yesterday for my birthday - already completely obsessed. Reading 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest' right now. Also downloaded one of the free books 'A World I Never Made.' For the life of me, I can't remember what it's about, but it's under the 'Top 100 Free'
Books! Alright, here's what I've read and loved since graduating from Smith College:
The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan
Full Frontal Feminism, Jessica Valenti
Female Chauvinist Pigs, Ariel ??
Jane Sexes it Up
Betty Friedan and the Making of the Feminist Mystique, Daniel Horowitz
When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women since 1960, Gail Collins
some Jane Austen
obviously, I've been in an American feminism nonfiction phase, though I'm starting to think it's about time for a good novel. And I also am enjoying my Kindle!
1. To continue the series that begins with The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie:
The Weed That Strings The Hangman's Bag : A Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley.
then
A Red Herring Without Mustard : A Flavia De Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley.
2. Similar to The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie:
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
3. Similar in sarcastic humor and spare, yet upstanding characters amidst adversity, to The Bean Trees and Pigs in Heaven: anything by Sherman Alexie (I especially like the short stories)
4. Similar to The Time Traveler's Wife for its strong female protagonist in a world where fantasy touches reality: Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
5. Similar to The Hunger Games: anything by Robin McKinley (my personal favorites are The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword Dragonhaven, and Rose Daughter)
6. Complicated plots and full of great women characters: Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen and The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
7. A fortune teller like in A God-Shaped Hole and a tough protagonist trying to survive like in White Oleander: Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
8. And because it's magical and as short as a bedtime story: The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
I know you said nothing Oprah endorses, but The Rapture of Canaan is one of my favorite books and contains babies! It's also a pretty quick read and has lots of incredible story-telling in it.
Also good:
The Frontrunner (Patricia Nell Warren)
The Awakening (Kate Chopin)
I have been on a Salman Rushdie kick lately. I wouldn't start with The Satanic Verses, pick The Enchantress of Florence or Haroun and the Sea of Stories or Grimus. they're all amazing.
Thank you SO much everyone! I have an entire list of titles and authors to peruse, both in my library and for my Kindle.
"The Art of Racing in the Rain" It was a super easy read! But a great story and is completely from a dog's point of view. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 6 hours.(ps. as I finished it I was in my room on my bed bawling my eyes out at 2am) But totally worth it!
Prodigal Summer! I see that you seem to like Barbara Kingsolver, Prodigal Summer is my favorite of hers.
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