Book Suggestions?

[HermioneWeasley]

right now, i'm kinda lacking things to read. well, actually ,not really, but i'd still love to get recomendations for great books to read, that you guys have read. i especially lvoe historical fiction, mythology, mysteries, and fantasy, but i'll raed anything. any suggestions?

[KristoCat]

Hey Hermione,

I have some suggestions for you! If you like historical fiction, mythology, and mysteries Wilbur Smith's River God and its sequels fit the bill - those books have it all! The books are set in ancient Egypt and they weave together historical information with Egyptian mythology and lots of mysteries, political intrigue, and social commentary all woven in together. I thought they were great books.

As far as fantasy goes, my favorites are the books in the Belgariad series by David Eddings. The first one is Pawn of Prophecy and Eddings does a good job of making the books interesting, enjoyable, and engaging, with a richly detailed fantasy world and a large cast of characters that doesn't bog the reader down.

[Libre]

Waiting for the Barbarians, by J.M. Coetzee is astonishingly good. I'd rate it as one of the best books I ever read. I'm in total awe of this work. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Stewart]

• The Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco;
• if on a winter's night a traveler, Italo Calvino

While I haven't updated it with a number of reviews, have a look at some of the reviews on my book review blog, and see if anything takes your fancy; it's varied reading.

I suppose I should write a number of reviews to bring me up to date with my reading. :(

[mehastings]

Originally Posted by Stewart

• if on a winter's night a traveler, Italo Calvino

I'll second that. I started it years ago for a Creative Writing class in college and never finished due to time constraints. I've just recently picked it back up and was so happy I did. The story is truely indescribable, so all I can say is pick it up. It is well worth it.

You might also want to think about The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. It is our November Book of the Month here and discussion starts tomorrow. I'm reading it right now, and I'm enjoying it. The language is great and Wilde is great at saying something without actually saying it.

[Stewart]

Originally Posted by mehastings

The language is great and Wilde is great at saying something without actually saying it.

I find Kazuo Ishiguro to be like that; if you haven't read his work then I recommend it for your consideration.

[mehastings]

Originally Posted by Stewart

I find Kazuo Ishiguro to be like that; if you haven't read his work then I recommend it for your consideration.

I've got The Remains of the Day at home. It's somewhere, I'll have to find it. I really want to read Never Let Me Go, I've heard a lot of griping that it didn't win the Booker. I'm just too poor for buying hardcover these days...

[Stewart]

The Remains of the Day has been, thus far, my favourite read of the year. Never Let Me Go was great too, but I'd recommend you read the former first; after all, it did win the Booker.

[Ice]

If you like historical fiction then you could try some of Rutherfurd's books. I particularly enjoyed The Forest. Cornwell's Stonehenge is also a fairly good read.

[mehastings]

Originally Posted by Stewart

The Remains of the Day has been, thus far, my favourite read of the year. Never Let Me Go was great too, but I'd recommend you read the former first; after all, it did win the Booker.

Yes, but more importantly, it is free as my mom bought it!

[Kenny Shovel]

Originally Posted by HermioneWeasley

...i'd still love to get recomendations for great books to read... any suggestions?

Here's a list I posted for a similar query:
http://forums.thebookforum.com/showp...1&postcount=13

[MonkeyCatcher]

Seeing as how you like historical fiction, perhaps you will enjoy the series of books by Philippa Gregory, beginning with The Other Boleyn Girl.

Amazon.co.uk
Everyone knows the fate of Anne Boleyn, but not many know the story of her rise to majesty and the part played by her rival and sister, Mary, who was Henry's mistress and mother to two of his bastard children before the dazzling older Boleyn girl even caught his eye...
At 13, Mary is little more than a child when she is presented to Henry, ordered by her scheming family to serve her King and country by opening her legs whenever commanded, or doing anything else the great monarch desires. And while his loins are satisfied, life at court is sweet for the unofficial Queen and her pushy coterie. Inevitably though, the King's eyes soon begin to wander and Mary is overlooked, helpless to do anything but aid her family's plot to advance their fortunes, replace her with Anne and give Henry the greatest gift of all: a son and heir.

There are two other books in the series, The Queen's Fool (focused on Queen Mary Tudor) and The Virgin's Lover (focused on Elizabeth I). The books really can be read in any order, though, I don't think that you will miss anything by beginning with the last one to be published.

[GeoffNelder]

I have just finishing reading a stunning debut novel by Howard Waldman, an American living in Paris. The book is called Back There, and is about a photographer falling in love with a beauty in Paris. Of course the course of true loves runs all over the place, but besides an interesting plot, involving New York, Paris living in the 1950s, French rural crofting, and lustlove, Waldman is a master at stunning the reader with his use of words.

Back There is particularly suited to those who have a smattering, or would like to, of French. Don't misunderstand moi. You do not NEED to know more than je t'aime, but it's just that it adds magic to the linguistic nature of this fascinating novel. Find it on Amazon or from the publishers BeWrite.net and you cannot be disappointed - vraiment.

Geoff

[WoundedThorns]

right now i'm reading Fight Club.. i dont know if its your specific cup of tea, but i'm liking it.

[HermioneWeasley]

thank you for all of your suggestions! i know about phillipa gregory, i've been planning to read her books, but i haven't gotten around to it yet. I'll try all of your suggestions, however i think i'm a little too young to read oscar wilde.