Suggested Reading #1
January 16, 2012Here's a new regular feature! I read a shit-ton of books, so why not, I asked myself, share the ones I like? Why not?
This week I read more than usual because of my brain's decision to keep me from falling asleep. Thanks a lot, brain. I don't think these choices helped me, particularly. In the future, I need to choose more boring books. Which I will then not recommend to you. Unless you are also suffering from insomnia. I think that's going to have to be a different feature, however. This is getting really confusing. Or is it just my sleep deprivation?
Lovely. The moment I finished I wanted to re-read. It was 4 am. I decided to hold off for another day.
Sarah Silverman loves doodies and farts, and I love her.
Yes. Not as good as The Magicians, but still damn satisfying. You read The Magicians, right?
Reaffirming my decision to never ever climb anything higher than a few flights of stairs.
Aaand now I'm all out of books to read. So. What are you reading? Gimme. Ideas, that is. You don't need to send me books.
Note: links to books contain my Amazon Affiliate code, which means I get a small percentage from any books you might purchase using those links.
Reader Comments (57)
Best books I read in 2011:
Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton - seriously, go read this
Visit from the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan - you probably read this one already
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson - modern day Austen
Rules of Civility, Amor Towles - anyone who loves New York will love this book
Ooh I love book recommendations! I'll add these to my list. I recommend: A Homemade Life, The Little Stranger, The Paris Wife, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Ghost Writer, and Snobs.
Peter Carey, "Parrot and Olivier in America." So, so very well-written: funny, poignant, such turns-of-phrase(s?). Highly recommended for a funny, poignant, phrase-turner such as yourself.
Currently into John Crowley, "Little, Big." Haunting and lovely.
Read long ago but loved Susanna Clarke, "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell."
And enough of this literary business, if you haven't read "The Gift of Fear" you must. MUST.
I just finished reading Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy": "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest." Fan-freaking-tastic. I highly recommend the series.
dgm, I loved "The Gift of Fear." I tried reading the other one, about kids' safety, and promptly had 3,000 panic attacks.
I don't know, DS, I've tried reading Larsson and I was put off by the clunky writing. Put off, I say! I'll try again.
If you like memiors any of the memiors by Mary Karr especially Lit, Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood especially will remind you how mean little girls can be, and for a recent read Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan about jazz musicians in Paris at the beginning of WW 2. I agree about the Dragon Tatoo books....read the first one but found the writing pretty clunky as well. Perhaps it was the translation? I'm not one for these currently popular series books *cough* Game of Thrones *cough* I did read the first one though to see what all the fuss was about but don't feel the need to read more at this point.
This year I really liked "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern. Really, really liked it. I also liked "Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes. If you read it post about it, because I have a theory and I am dying to talk to somebody about it ;) In non-fiction, I loved "Them" by Jon Ronson and "Moonwalking with Einstein" by Joshua Foer.
I clicked through from your post and bought the Kindle version of your first recommendation. Hope that counts for you!
Right now I'm reading Wilkie Collins - a book I got for FREE for the kindle - called "No Name". It is long and full of interesting characters.
I also just read "Thorpe", which is excellent in a "To Kill A Mockingbird" kind of way.
Oh man. Margaret Atwood for sure, especially The Robber Bride if you've never read it. Also The Blind Assassin. And if you like dystopian fiction, Oryx and Crake. Now THAT'll give you insomnia! Also dystopian: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, I believe. Neil Stephenson, Cryptonomicon. If you need help sleeping, also try Anathem, which I LOVED but it is definitely slow going and a bit soporific. As is his Baroque Cycle trilogy - very very good, but slow. And for a bodice-ripping good time, try Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I'm not a writer, but I think the writing is not half-bad for a series about a time-traveling WWII nurse in 18th c. Scotland. Really. And it's practically never-ending; 8 volumes, I think, each over 800 pages? Heaven.
I just bought "The Magicians" through your Amazon link. ENJOY THOSE 4 CENTS, BRADLEY.
I just finished The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman - which I LOVED and also The Call by Yannick Murphy.
I just finished reading Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" about his travels through Australia. He is simply the most brilliantly funny and informative travel writer I have ever read. I even thought about recommending his writing to you (I think you would like it and there are many titles from which to choose) but I thought "why would she care?" yet now you have asked! So I have recommended.
I'm also a fan of Jeffrey Ford's "The Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque" which is a highly imaginative, slightly spooky mystery. In all honesty, it's just plain weird, but I marveled at the author's creativity, and it is very well put together. It would be perfect for an insomniac. (who is not put off with a little bit of weird)
I cannot NOT give props to one of my favorites, Gerald Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals." Mr. Durrell (younger brother to writer Lawrence Durrell) gives an account of his eccentric English family's sabbatical to the island of Corfu during his childhood. Hilarious, charming, exquisitely written, and a fabulous escapist read during the winter months.
Also, I recently read the Hunger Games Trilogy and it was awesome. For real.
HK, "In a Sunburned Country" is one of my favorite books ever in all the world. All hail Bill Bryson.
Oh I do love to read! PLUS I get free books to review online, which you must admit is totally awesome. Recently I enjoyed The Invisible Ones and Starlite Drive-In, to name 2.
A fantastic book that would probably also be fun for Henry is "The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear" by Walter Moers. So rare to find a book that's good for all ages.
I just finished 11/22/63 by Stephen King. I stopped reading him long ago, but this one seemed intriguing and it was. Not spooky monster stuff...just a good page turner.
I think you would like Bedtime Story by Robert Wiersema quite a bit. But, it's hard to find - I had to order it all the way from Canada. It's well worth the trouble though.
http://robertwiersema.com/books/bedtime-story/
I am SO happy that you're doing this. I read a lot, too, and am always on the hunt for the next good book.
Moloka'i - Alan Brennert, and Rules of Civility - Amor Towles. So, so good.
I read all the Game of Throne books--just like the rest of America--this year. Man, I loved them. I kept picking up fantasy novels and finding myself bored and unable to finish them after that. It is very hard to stand the writing--but the Game of Throne books are in their own class altogether because the prose is so clean and seamless.
I'm still in escapist mode so I'm completely reading everything on Jackie's list, above.
Alice, I'm sure you read Motherless Brooklyn ages ago. Everyone in Brooklyn has to read that book don't they?
I'm reading Europe Grandeur and Decline. I never read non-fiction that is not for work but I am enjoying this.
Oh yeah Jonathan Strange can also go on my list! I honestly was sort of at a loss for what to read until coming to this comment thread...so many people on the same wavelength. Thanks y'all!!!
i read 'state of wonder' last year which led to reading 'bel canto' currently. also 'a visit from the goon squad' and 'blood bones and chocolate' (if you like non-fiction books about food...
I too loved "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" -- such a unique premise and written so well (the sandwich that tasted like it was collapsing in on itself? And then the eventual 'destination' of her brother? Pure genius.) But I do kind of feel like the story was a little too focused...like it was a first draft dying to be expanded a bit. Anyway. Glad I'm not the only one (the majority of my book club hated it).
I just read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" and it sounds a little campy from the title, and I guess it might be a little campy (not really), but I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. It was smart. And sometimes it made me laugh, out loud, which I *very* rarely do in a fiction novel. And I liked learning a little bit of history and imagining all those accents. Anyway. I recc'd it.
Just finishing Ali Smith's There. But. For. The.
Brilliant.
The Hunger Games!
I'm so glad someone else already mentioned The Night Circus. You will love it.
And if you do enjoy the Game of Thrones series, I also highly recommend the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. Very engrossing. Like the Magicians, part of its focus is on a school of wizardry. The first book is called Name of the Wind and the second is a Wise Man's Fear.
Oh goodness, I love books. I would highly recommend The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Or the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams, it starts with a book called the Dragonbone Chair, it is highly boring for the first 100 or so pages, but then it just gets more and more AMAZING. Or anything by Anne McCaffrey. Or anything by Neil Gaiman.