Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Recommended Reads

I got a message from my cousin Sandra today asking for book recommendations, and I realized that I haven't talked books much here lately.  I haven't talked much of anything, really, because I have a now 3 year old who never naps and that's life for now.  But M is home from school today so I just send the kids off to play together so I could blog books.

First off, this year's book club reads:
A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout - a journalist from Alberta and her story about the 15 months she spent in captivity, kidnapped for ransom in Somalia.  I didn't love it, but it was still interesting.
Peony in Love by Lisa See - set in long ago Japan, and a story about love and longing; interesting on the other culture level, but as the main character is a ghost for most of the book, sort of strange...
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - found this one very interesting and plan to read for more of his.  This one's about success and why some people have what it takes to excel.
Luminaries by Eleanor Cattan - set in New Zealand in the gold rush days, this is a really interesting trip to another unfamiliar time and place.  She writes with so much detail, including the many characters wound throughout.  It is a massive book, and some in our group found parts of it tough, but I quite enjoyed it all.
In the next few months we will read:
Carry on Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield (I gave this one for Christmas last year meaning to borrow it back to read, but haven't done it yet.  Looking forward to it.)
Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King

Other books I have read in the last while that have stuck with me, which makes them recommendable in my mind, are these:

I read Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay sometime in the past and mad a note to look for more of her books.  I recently picked up a couple more - The House I Loved, which I recommend; it's set in Paris during the rebuilding, when many old streets were razed to make way for the new modern Paris.  I also read The Other Story which while well written, was not as enjoyable.  I like to like the main character, and this guy didn't quite get there.

Jeannette Walls is another author I read before (Glass Castle - highly recommended), and I picked up The Silver Star.  I enjoyed that one, too, and need to find her other one, Half Broke Horses.

Rainbow Rowell - I read Eleanor & Park (fun & recommended), and Attachments (also pretty good).  She has a few others that I will keep my eyes open for.

Kate Morton - The Secret Keeper.  She writes bigger books that are easy to get lost in.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - read and enjoyed.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson.  Ridiculous and fun.  Will check out more from this author.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Really liked this one.

Twelve Years a Slave.

The Giver by Lois Lowry.  Quick read, a classic that you should have on your read list.

Tana French - Haven't read her in a while, but I quite enjoyed her Irish murder mystery stories The Likeness and In the Woods and Broken Harbour.

There you go - a whole handful of maybe new-to-you authors and books to look for when you are looking for something to put on hold at the library.  What have you been reading?  My list to read is long, but I'm always looking for more recommendations.  Leave a comment and add to the list!


3 comments:

Suzanne said...

I'm currently reading A House in the Sky, but it's taking a while. I find it so intense that I have to put it down for intervals at a time. I saw her speak last year and she signed my copy of the book. She's an amazing women, but knowing that the story is true is haunting.

My sister and I gave my mom The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect for Christmas and am hoping to read them this year. We also got her The 100-Year-Old Man... and The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules, and The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, which I'm looking forward to reading as well.

Jamie Tait said...

I am reading the Secret Keeper right now....SO GOOD! I absolutely LOVED the first book I read by Kate Morton, The Forgotten Garden. Other ones I have enjoyed lately are Arriving, Thriving and Choosing, a trilogy written by a Canadian author (Corrine Jeffery)that follows a Pioneer family on the Canadian Prairies. I really enjoyed these! A stolen life by Jaycee Dugard was good too, but heart wrenching. I also really enjoyed The Birth House by Ami McKay. I read her second one too on my Kindle, but the birth house was better. And my absolute FAVORITE as of late is the book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, which I am enjoying the mini series on TV right now......

Carolyn Ward said...

Suzanne - Isn't it great gifting books that you can borrow back?

Jamie - I read The Birth House, too - not what I expected, but good. And I enjoyed the Book of Negroes, too. Good picks!