What are you reading? (Again!)

[elizabethkott]

I got a Kindle for Mother's Day (YAY!!!!! :cheerleader1:) and now I need some good book recs! :D
FWIW, I LOVED the Outlander series. :)
So what are you reading or have recently read that you've loved?
TIA!!!

[ewpmsw]

I'm reading The Red Tent (again) for book group.

[DrSally]

Who-ho! Great gift!

[cindys]

My most fav book ever....Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers...You will not be disappointed! If you read it, please let me know what you think.

I like Jodi Picoult books alot...Just finished her latest..House Rules..It was pretty good...Not as good as My Sisters Keeper or Nineteen Minutes.

Cindy
Mama to 3 boys...19, 4 & 18mos:heartbeat::heartbeat::heartbeat:

[elektra]

I haven't gotten to it yet but on my last trip everyone was reading and talking about The GirlWith The Dragon Tatoo. ( something like that.)

[Indianamom2]

Hmmm...I've read a lot, but one I liked quite a bit was "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks. It was a really touching book about the parent/child relationship.

[lchang25000]

Been trying to finish "Shanghai Girls" FOREVER and still working on it! Enjoying the book so far!

[Katigre]

Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Sister of My Heart by an author from India (can't remember the exact name)
Anything by Madelein L'Engle
orelli's Madnolin
Snow Flower and the secret Fan
The Feminine Mystique

[MelissaTC]

I got a Nook for my birthday. I feel your joy. :)

I am reading The Kitchen House per the rec by someone on here (forgive me for not remembering who you are!!). It is awesome so far. Loving it.

[ErinMC]

Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson


My book club read Three Cups of Tea last spring. GREAT book!

Just finished reading The Help, and really enjoyed it.

[jenmcadams]

Funny this post comes up b/c we had book club last night and I recently (a few months ago put a big list of books together for my mom. I have extremely eclectic taste - everything from trade fiction to thriller/suspense to fantasy to chick lit to historical fiction to contemporary non-fiction, so the list below has a little something for everyone :)

Last Night's Book Club Suggestions
I just had to make suggestions for my Book Club last night (I was hosting). My suggestions were:

Little Bee (we ended up picking this one)
Girl in Translation
Sushi for Beginners (Marian Keyes is kind of a fun chick lit author a la Emily Giffin, etc. and this was one I picked more for a fun alternative)

Other books our club has read lately include:
The Middle Place (great memoir by a super funny author)
The Piano Teacher (I loved)
Divisadero (I didn't like it, but some people did)
Bad Mother (didn't read it :( )
The Help
Siblings Without Rivalry

Finally, I went and dug up a list of books I sent my Mom a few months ago and copied and pasted it below...

**Recent Fiction Books from Library**
The Komandant's Girl and The Diplomat's Wife (fun historical fiction)
Oliver Kitteredge
The Help
Time of My Life
Time Traveler’s Wife
The Shadow of the Wind
The Kite Runner
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The 19th Wife
American Wife
Memoirs of a Geisha
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Girl With a Pearl Earring
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Percy Jackson Series
Beginner’s Greek
Size 12 is Not Fat
Mrs. Kimble
The Lost Symbol
Geek Love

**Recent Non-Fiction Books**
Under the Banner of Heaven
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Super Freakonomics
The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
The Unlikely Disciple

**Fiction Books On My List to Read**
The Other Boleyn Girl
Gods in Alabama, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming
Still Alice
I Capture the Castle
Trading Up (Candace Bushnell)
This Is Where I Leave You
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
The Book Thief
Water for Elephants
The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo
The Space Between Us
Push
Lush Life
Lullabies for Little Criminals
Let the Great World Spin
The Power of One
Empire Falls
Half Broke Horses
The End of the Alphabet
The Secret History
Artemis Fowl (series similar to Harry Potter)
Girls of a Tender Age
Interpreter of Maladies (by the same author as The Namesake)
Everyone Is Beautiful
The Year of Magical Thinking
Someone Knows My Name
Pillars of the Earth
On Beauty
Catching Genius
Sleep Toward Heaven
Beneath a Marble Sky
Love Walked In
The Historian
The Egyptologist
The Thirteenth Tale
Broken for You
100 Years of Solitude

**Non-Fictions Books On My List to Read**
Where Men Win Glory
Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year
The Last Lecture

**Authors I Like for Fun Fluffy Reads**
Sophie Kinsella (Author of Shopaholic books...kind of british chick lit)
Jennifer Weiner
Marian Keyes
Emily Giffin
One Fifth Avenue (Candace Bushnell — Sex in the City Author)
The Gatecrasher, Sleeping Arrangements, Cocktails for Three (Madeline Wickham)

[cono0507]

Also enjoyed Three Cups of Tea.
Recently read and liked The Help as well as The Kitchen House (recommended here on BBB).
I just started Outlander.
I also have the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in my "to read" pile. :)

[jenmcadams]

Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Sister of My Heart by an author from India (can't remember the exact name)
Anything by Madelein L'Engle
orelli's Madnolin
Snow Flower and the secret Fan
The Feminine Mystique

I loved Snow Flower and the Secret Fan -- I recently read another one of her books that didn't love as much, but she's a wonderful author.

[MamaMolly]

Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools by Greg Mortenson
Sister of My Heart by an author from India (can't remember the exact name)
Anything by Madelein L'Engle
orelli's Madnolin
Snow Flower and the secret Fan
The Feminine Mystique

ITA with the L'Engle!!! Lurve her books.
Snow Flower was odd. I'm glad I read it but I found it disturbing.

I'm reading:
The Middle Place (OMG this has made me laugh and cry. It is a good one!)
Ellyn Sattyr's book about feeding kids
A book about ending over eating. It isn't as good or gripping as I'd like.

Enjoy that Kindle. If I had one I'd load up on:
The Outlander series
M L'E's books
just for goofy fun? Maybe each and every Nancy Drew. Do they even have that for Kindle?

[lowrioh]

I haven't gotten to it yet but on my last trip everyone was reading and talking about The GirlWith The Dragon Tatoo. ( something like that.)

I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and have started on the next book The Girl who Played with Fire. Both are excellent! I found myself staying up to 2 AM finishing the Dragon Tattoo.

[bubbaray]

I want to read Empress of Asia (http://www.amazon.com/Empress-Asia-Adam-Lewis-Schroeder/dp/0312376405/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2)and In the Fabled East (http://www.amazon.ca/Fabled-East-Adam-Lewis-Schroeder/dp/1553654641/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273457149&sr=1-1)by Schroeder.

The last novel I read was The Lucky One -- it was a good, quick read. I also read Animal Vegetable Mineral, which was not a fast read, but very enjoyable.

[Indianamom2]

For non-fiction, which I typically don't read for "fun", I really liked "The Soloist" by Steve Lopez.

[Twoboos]

Currently reading The Dome by Stephen King.

New Sookie Stackhouse release is on the way!!! Can't wait for that one, The Dome will probably be put on hold when it arrives.

Read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I thought it was really good.

I thought The Host by Stephanie Myers was excellent! Not even remotely about vampires and werewolves, and still really good. :)

jenmcadams, you mentioned The Other Boleyn Girl. Fabulous book, one of my favorites!!! Try to read it soon. (And thanks for sharing you list!!)

[mommyp]

Liz! Perfect timing, I got a Kindle for Mother's Day too!
I recently read The Help and The Thirteenth Tale, enjoyed both a lot.
On my nighttable, but not read yet, are I Capture the Castle and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Now I need more recs also, I'll go back and look at the rest of the responses.

[Momof3Labs]

Just finished The Help. Finished the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Girl who Played with Fire, and anxiously awaiting the third book, which comes out on May 25.

The Kitchen Help is lined up next, thanks to the recommendation here!

[Carrots]

I am reading Three Cups of Tea right now. I would love to read The Help next.

My MIL was telling me about an interesting book that is written from a stray dog, or an adopted shelter dog's point of view. I can't remember the title, but it sounded good.

[baymom]

I'm almost done with The Piano Teacher and am really enjoying it. If you haven't read The Help, it's a great book.

[crl]

Recently finished the latest book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. I love those books (and the companion Alpha and Omega series). They are paranormal romance/urban fantasy or some such category, but I think Patrica Briggs is outstanding in the genre.

Catherine

[dhano923]

I got a Kindle for Mother's Day (YAY!!!!! :cheerleader1:) and now I need some good book recs! :D
FWIW, I LOVED the Outlander series. :)
So what are you reading or have recently read that you've loved?
TIA!!!

I just finished Shanghai Girls. Before that, I read Twenties Girl and The Rice Mother. I bought myself a Kindle in January and love it -- I'm an avid reader and I love having all the books at my fingertips! Plus I like that they offer free/cheap books and samples too.

[codex57]

This must be a sign I'm talking to you ladies too much. I'm reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. Getting them from the library so I'm reading them out of order. One of these days I'm gonna reread it, but in order.

I think I only have one or two more books left in the series. I put the newest one on hold so I think I was the first one to read it (I had position 1). Surprised there weren't more ladies more gung ho about it cuz the librarian remarked how lucky I was to get it.

[saschalicks]

Just read:
The Help
The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Literary Society
What I Thought I Knew (nonfiction)

On my shelf:
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Girl Who Played With Fire
Three Junes

[fauve01]

some good ones everyone in my book club liked/loved:


The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle (the only one on this list we didn't all love, but it was the best discussion--we still talk about it 2 years later!)
The Eight by Katherine Neville
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (LOVED!)
March by Geraldine Brooks
(also People of the Book by Brooks)
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon by Billie Letts
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (if you liked the other boleyn girl, read this, along with her other books)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (amazing)


my favorite book ever= Pillars of the Earth :love5:


I recently read "the Gargoyle" and really really enjoyed it. it has a tough start, with a horrific car crash & fire, and the main character is a burn victim. after the first couple chapters it's easier.


on my own "i'll read that soon" list:


Wives of Henry Oades by Moran


Cutting for Stone. by Verghese


Secrets of Eden by Bohjalian. my sister loved this one.


Look Again by Scottoline.


One Foot in Eden.


A Year on LAdybug farm.


LAcemakers of Glenmara.


The LAce Reader by Barry.


The Shcool of Essential Ingredients.


Ahab's Wife. My mom's friend said it was her favorite book club selection ever.


The Diary of MAttie Spenser. i read this last month and really liked it. others by the same author (Dallas) are good too.


Heart and Soul. by Binchy. I'm reading this now. I love this author, especially her newer books.


The HAppiness PRoject.


KAtherine by Seton. Phillipa Gregory wrote the foreward.


the Queen's Fool by Gregory


The Commoner. this is one my book club almost chose twice.


Harry and ISabella.


The Mists of Avalon.


take these all FWIW. I"ll tell you i *hated* Three Cups of Tea.


good luck and keep us posted on what you're reading and liking!
Anne


p.s. sorry if this list is too long!

[luza]

I second the Book Thief and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If you like mysteries Smilla's Sense of Snow is very good.

[wellyes]

Oh I saw a mention for 'I Capture the Castle'. I love that book - it's what brought me back to reading after going through one of those dry spells that sometimes happens where you just don't read for a few months.

At the library I just picked up a Christopher Pike thriller -- from the grown up section -- I remember reading his YA novels in high school (early 90s) like Chain Letter and Remember Me and Slumber Party. They were what you read between Sweet Valley High books back in the day!

[karstmama]

jennifer crusie! love her, love her, love her.

if you like the stephanie plum series by janet evanovich, try her 'metro girl' & 'motor mouth'.

i loved 'the flamenco academy'. 'the hindi-bindi club' was really good, along the lines of 'the kitchen god's wife'.

thanks, everyone, for the recs! i love to read & can't wait to put some of these on my list.

[groundhog74]

I just finished the latest Sookie Stackhouse book. Not sure what I am going to pick up next.

I second the recommendation for Patricia Briggs. I read Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series recently and it was good too.

I always have to recommend Maria V Snyder to people. I really liked her Study series.

[ThreeofUs]

What a great gift!! Congrats!

I'm currently reading:
Three Cups of Tea
The Tinkers (just got the pulitzer - really great book)
and working my way through the Patrick O'Brian Aubrey/Maturin series again - old friends!

[billysmommy]

These are some of my recent reads that I really enjoyed

The Rose Labyrinth by Titania Hardie
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
A Perfect Royal Mistress by Diane Haeger


I love all of Phillipa Gregory's books ~ especially the Tudor series. I just read The White Queen which is the first book in the Plantagenet series

[erosenst]

I got a Kindle for Hanukkah, and have been LOVING it. Timing of this is great - I need to refill my Wish List :).

If you haven't read The Help, that would definitely be the top of the list for me. LOVED it, as did everyone I know who has read it.

Other books I've read recently and liked:

Fiction:
An Inconvenient Wife (really good/different - couldn't put it down)
Balancing Acts
The Opposite of Me
Good in Bed (old, but I hadn't read it)
World without End (sort of a sequel to Pillars of the Earth, but you don't need to have read it first.)


Non Fiction:
The Checklist Manifesto (quick, but excellent)

Lots of other good books on PP's lists!

[mommylamb]

I just picked up Anna Karenina.

Books I've recently finished:
The Help
Water for Elephants
Breakfast at Tiffany's
The News from Paraguay
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo
Other Voices Other Rooms
The Book Thief
Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society (I didn't like this as much as many of you did)
A Fine Ballance

And one of you had recommended Geek Love... that is one of my FAVORITES!!!! I like a book with an edge.

[karstmama]

oh, yeah, another by jennifer weiner (author of 'good in bed') - 'in her shoes'. the movie was good but the book is better!

maryjanice davidson's 'undead & unwed' series is good, and she has some hot short stories, too.

[lizzywednesday]

oh, yeah, another by jennifer weiner (author of 'good in bed') - 'in her shoes'. the movie was good but the book is better!...

TOTALLY AGREE!!!!!

(Yes, I am shouting.)

I saw the movie because I <3 Toni Collette, so I bought the book at Target for s's & g's to see if I would enjoy it as much.

It's now a standard loan-out book for friends.