Good novels you recommend that were published in the last 5-10 years

[kd2005]

Apparently since many of the books I read are popular fiction, I have no taste, so I need to be enlightened about what are some good novels written in the last 5-10 years that I could read? What is actually considered "good"?

Please list any books you recommend. Thanks.

 

[-Carlos-]

Although I have not as yet read the novel, I understand that Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides is superb reading.

 

[beer good]

Agree whole-heartedly with the above.

A couple others I loved:
Jonathan Lethem - The Fortress Of Solitude
Paul Auster - Oracle Night
Siri Hustvedt - What I Loved

 

[Ronny]

Although I have not as yet read the novel, I understand that Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides is superb reading.

Middlesex is a very good, one of my favorites.

 

[kd2005]

Looks good so far.

To be honest with you I haven't heard of any of those except Middlesex. I guess I need to look harder for books.

Hows The Kite Runner? Thats a book I've considered reading here lately.

 

[Kenny Shovel]

Apparently since many of the books I read are popular fiction, I have no taste, so I need to be enlightened about what are some good novels written in the last 5-10 years that I could read? What is actually considered "good"?

Please list any books you recommend. Thanks.

...I don't read much contempory fiction, so I may not be able to help all that much...but I would say the most important thing is that you enjoy your reading and that you find books that you consider good rather than fall in line with the taste of others...so perhaps it would be a good idea for you to mention the kind of taste you have?...funny books? thrillers? character or plot driven etc...

Regards,

K-S

 

[kd2005]

Well...I don't have a set criteria...but I'll do the best I can.

The genres I enjoy.....historical fiction, sci/fi (i dont really care for fantasy that much), mystery, thrillers, not so big on the romance. Other than that, I am always up for a good solid character driven novel. I tend to enjoy character driven novels, plot driven is good, but the books that impact me the most are ones with solid character development.

 

[Kenny Shovel]

...ok, not contemporary but there you go...follow the links and see if anything takes your fancy...

...historical fiction...try "The Gladiators" by Arthur Koestler...and if you like that move on to "Darkness at Noon"...

...sci-fi...try "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem...his books are more philosophy than phasers...

...character driven...try "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole...

Have fun exploring,

K-S.

 

[Ronny]

A Confederacy of Dunces does have some very interesting characters in it and of course I'll never really forget Ignatius

 

[NotTheDoctor]

A few I thoroughly enjoyed:

Fear and Trembling, by Amélie Nothomb
The Seville Communion, by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Iacobus, by Matilde Asensi
Immortality, by Milan Kundera

 

[ions]

While not a perfect indication of a good book looking at the books that are shorlisted for, or win, the major literary awards is not a bad place to start. The Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, Nobel Prize and the Giller Awards - A Canadian Literature prize is not a bad place to start. I'm Canadian so I'm aware of it - your country probably has a similar award for it's authors.

Here's some off the top of my head:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Won the Booker.
The Sea by John Banville. Also won the Booker.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Booker shortlisted.
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. Booker shortlisted.
Shalimar the Clown by Salomon Rushdie. Booker shortlisted.
Vernon God Little by DBC Peirre. Won the Booker.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Pulitzer winner.

It's not hard to find these books, use Wikipedia or Google to search what books were shortlisted and which won. Spend some time here reading posts of people you think appear to know what they're talking about. When they mention an author you haven't tried give that author a shot. That's how I found Paul Auster, who I like, and Martin Amis, who I don't like so much. Pick up a newspaper and read the Arts section where they mention new authors, not just the bestssellers. Look in the more intelligent magazines at the book reviews.

And lastly, why do the books you read have to be written so recently? There is nothing wrong with reading the classics. In fact it's good for ya. Improves the palate.

 

[steffee]

Although I have not as yet read the novel, I understand that Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides is superb reading.

Oh wow, I love that cover. The novel is excellent, but I want it with that cover.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I'll second Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Both are on my list of favourite books

 

[sirmyk]

I recommend Pi. We need more novels like this.

 

[steffee]

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer.

 

[aniela]

i would suggest Kundera with Immortality too.

 

[mpop]

somebody asked on this thread about the book "kite runner"
I am reading it out. it's ok, easy reading, but nothing special.

 

[rnmichelle]

Oooooh - I love making recommendations....

Life of Pi by Martel is an excellent novel - my favorite - has great character development and is a fabulous story

Lolita by Nabokov and The Bell Jar by Plath are two classics of recent years and both feature great character studies

Lamb by Christopher Moore is funny historical/fantasy fiction

Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady by Florence King is just plain hysterical...a misanthropic, sarcastic memoir

Midnight's Children by Rusdie - named the Booker of Bookers

Good luck

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

Lolita by Nabokov [a] classic of recent years

If you consider 1955 "recent"

 

[rnmichelle]

Well....I do, as compared to Anna Karenina, The Scarlet Letter, Jane Eyre, etc. In the bigger picture I guess I consider novels within the last century to be "recent."