I need a good book.. Have an a Suggestion?

I have a couple weeks of downtime so I'd like to pick up a couple books to read and relax. They don't need to be diet or health books, just something to keep my attention and wanting more! I'm open to any ideas...

Mon. Jan 7, 2:56pm

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Monday, January 7, 2008, 2:58 PM

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom and anything by Harlan Coben

Monday, January 7, 2008, 3:10 PM

I love all of the Harry Potter books and they are not just for kids!
Comfort and Joy by Kristin Hannah - actually anything by Kristin Hannah is good.
if you like funny romances Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a good author.
I don't like mysteries so I can't help you there.
I will keep thinking!

Monday, January 7, 2008, 3:16 PM

I agree with 3;10 great book. Also Tuesdays with Morrie

Monday, January 7, 2008, 3:17 PM

The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Memoirs of Geisha

Monday, January 7, 2008, 3:55 PM

The Shopaholic series- so funny and quick reads

Monday, January 7, 2008, 3:59 PM

The Shadow of the Wind
Me Talk Pretty One Day
The Time Traveler's Wife

Monday, January 7, 2008, 4:28 PM

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wahls FABULOUS
The Last Summer of You and Me, Anne Brashares
She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb
Monkeywrench, i can't remember
Grand Avenue--MUST read for women about friendships

Monday, January 7, 2008, 4:39 PM

sorry, forgot one,

my sister's keeper

Monday, January 7, 2008, 4:39 PM

I just finished Atonement and Memory Keeper's Daughter. Both were excellent. I haven't seen Atonement the movie, but I've heard that it's as good as the book.

Monday, January 7, 2008, 4:46 PM

Rain of Gold - Victor Villasenor is the author - I've read it several times -its incredible.

Monday, January 7, 2008, 5:02 PM

I agree with the two posters about "The Secret Life of Bees" and also the "Shoppaholic" series. I will also throw in "Wicked". Oh, and "Marley & Me" (if you're a dog person) and

Monday, January 7, 2008, 5:21 PM

Loved _The Life of Pi_ and _the Spirit Catches You When You Fall Down_.

Monday, January 7, 2008, 5:25 PM

OP Here

Thanks everyone for all the comments so far! I'm planning a trip to the bookstore tomorrow, so I will definitely look at all of these.

I'd rather read something real people recommend instead of the books put out by the bookstore enticing you to buy!

Monday, January 7, 2008, 6:00 PM

I saw many here I'd read and enjoyed! I'll add:
_The Bee Season_
_Peace LIke a River_ (Enger)
_Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close_
_The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time_

Can't recall authors other than Enger, but doubt there will be any duplicate titles.

Monday, January 7, 2008, 11:47 PM

I will second Life of Pi and The Time Traveler's Wife. The Time Traveler's Wife is my all time favorite book! Its being made into a movie with Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. Also, I just read and enjoyed the young adult series Twilight, recommended by my 16 year old. They are exciting, easy to read books... they are being likened to Harry Potter.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 3:01 AM

Paladin of Souls, Lois McMaster Bujold

Tuesday, January 8, 2008, 9:10 AM

not op but want to offer thanks

I was just on amazon and was looking for my next book to read and remebered this post... checked out some of the books that interested me and I decided on memory keeper's daughter - I have an amazing niece with downs and I think I will like this book. thanks for the recommendation!

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 7:07 PM

the kite runner - i hated the ending though, but i always hate the endings. i heard the follow up is really good, A Thousand Splendid Suns

blink

saw a lot of people on the plane reading this: Love in the Time of Cholera (Oprah's Book Club)

a spot of bother - follow up novel from author of curious incident of the dog at nighttime. it was awkward, but entertaining. easy read.

i am trying to find the book my sister recommended. i will ask her and post it later.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 7:22 PM

Good Books

"Eat, Pray, Love" is an excellent book, probably my fave from '07
"Water for Elephants" is also astoundingly good

If you like fantasy novels, check out Terry Brooks's Shannara series or Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 7:32 PM

"The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" is an intruiging read.
"Cryptonomicon" is great, has some very dry humor.
"Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" is hysterical!

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 7:37 PM

Anna Karenina is my all time favorite book.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 9:36 PM

The Time Traveler's Wife is stunning. I read it two years ago and still think of it often. I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns--sad, but very beautiful, too.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 11:52 PM

Harry Potter series
Dan brown books (davinci code, angels and demons)

Friday, January 11, 2008, 12:36 AM

Kite Runner, Red Tent, Jane Eyre, anything by James Mitchner or Anita Shreve, I could go on and on. It would depend on what your in the mood for.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 2:02 AM

Monsoon Rain and Icicle Drops by Libby Southwell

From a Mongolian nomad's tent to a hedonistic party complete with igloo in a Nepalese
jungle, Libby Southwell has been to some amazing places and seen incredible things. But
these are experiences she would never have had if tragedy hadn't struck her life. Libby was a
young and successful advertising executive in Sydney when her beloved fiance
died in a mountaineering accident. In horrific circumstances, several other friends died soon
after this happened, and Libby was plunged into a numbing grief so strong that it led her to
run from everything she knew. First she went to Sri Lanka, where she became a chef for a
millionaire Brit. Next she headed off to trek in Nepal and Tibet, then stayed with herdsmen in
Mongolia and travelled to France for a silent Buddhist retreat. Back in Sri Lanka and working
at a luxury eco-resort, Libby survived dengue fever only to be caught up in the 26 December
2004 tsunami. She survived, but then, in a bizarre turn of events, developed acute
appendicitis the very same day - could there be worse timing? Libby made it through this as
well, as she has done with everything life has thrown at her, and she emerged with her
characteristic good humour and energy intact. She still lives in Sri Lanka and has established
a charity to help rebuild the lives of those devastated by the tsunami. This is her colourful
and astonishing story.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 2:16 AM

Special Topics in Calamity Physics - that was what my sister recommended. i am off to BN!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 9:39 AM

Angel's Crest

this is a book about a recently divorced dad in WI that takes his three year old son out to the woods to see the deer in winter. The son was sleeping and the father decided to leave him in the truck and go look on his own. He doesn't realize it, but he'd been in the woods for over and hour. When he gets back to the truck, his son is gone. This all happens in the first three chapters. This is based on a true story and absolutely incredible, heart felt book. It's an emotional book, but truly amazing.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 9:50 AM

Amanda Eyre Ward

I can HIGHLY recommend anything by Amanda Eyre Ward. "How to Be Lost", "Sleep Towards Heaven" and there's another one that just came out. They are the kind of book you read in two days because you just can't wait to see what happens! Another great author is Barbara Kingsolver. The "Bean Trees" and "Pigs in Heaven" were wonderful.

Also, Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell is a amazing true story about a Navy Seal who makes it home after his teammates are killed (not my kind of book either, but it was phenomenal).

Friday, January 11, 2008, 10:08 AM

I remember when that happened (the event on which Angel's Crest is based).

Friday, January 11, 2008, 11:34 AM

i'm in MN--are you from the midwest? If you don't like reading, I download books free from the local library, pop them on my MP3, and listen to them in the car during my one hour each way commute. Works great!

Friday, January 11, 2008, 11:38 AM

Agree with Barbara Kingsolver recommendation. I LOVE her essays...High Tide in Tucson is a collection I read and reread. There are several collections of essays I think. Also I LOVE The Poisonwood Bible. It took her 10 years to write it but it is wonderful storytelling.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 1:53 PM

Along with the Harry Potter books, I really enjoyed Phillip Pulmans' series His Dark Mysteries which includes the Golden Compass, the Subtle Knife and a third book with a title I can't remember.

Friday, January 11, 2008, 1:56 PM

I second the suggestion of The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Anything by Jane Green (Jemima J, Bookends)
Good in Bed
Spoiled Rotten America by Larry Miller
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs
A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Classic but one of my favorites still..)

Friday, January 11, 2008, 4:00 PM

i also vote for the "shopaholic" series

i laughed through the whole book when i read-
my horizontal life" a collection of one-night stands by chelsea handler

Friday, January 11, 2008, 4:12 PM

OP Again

Thanks everyone for all the comments!! I just went out and got the Life & Times of the Thunderbolt kid. I figured this dreary, rainy weekend deserved some uncontrollable laughter to keep the spirits up. Especially when being locked down inside usual ends up with endless food grazing for me! Atleast now I will be busy.

I will definitely keep looking back here everytime I need to find another book. =)

Friday, January 11, 2008, 6:05 PM

_Pride & Prejudice_ by Jane Austen (wonderful classic)
_Dove_ by Robin Lee Graham (true story-solo 16 yr old sails around the globe)
_Snake Hips_by Anne Thomas Soffee (hilarious)

Saturday, January 12, 2008, 4:34 PM

Anything by Augusten Borroughs will be funny and entertaining, quick reads.
Alice Sebold wrote The Lovely Bones and Lucky... both incredible!
Marley & Me

I'll second the following good reads:
Water for Elephants
The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair
Memory Keepers Daughter
The Kite Runner
The Glass Castle
Memoirs of a Geisha
The Time Traveler's Wife

Also--- have you gone on www.shelfari.com ? You can log on and create your own shelf of what you liked and didn't like and look up other people's suggestions and join groups that interest you. Very good source for book ideas.

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 2:21 PM

books

I would have to say that these two books came to me instantly.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
Eat, Pray, Love

Sunday, January 13, 2008, 11:16 PM

great books

Sailing Between the Stars by Steven James
Story (also by Steven James)
DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

Monday, January 14, 2008, 2:05 PM

bump

Monday, February 11, 2008, 9:46 AM

The Guardian by N. Sparks

Monday, February 11, 2008, 4:46 PM

B/c of this post I read the Time Traveler's Wife and I am mesmorized. I finished it a week ago and it still haunts my thoughts. I loved it just the way it is, but i think that my mom will like the more romantisized version that Hollywood is sure to give us.

Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:48 PM

books i've read recently i've really enjoyed

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Sense & Sensability by Jane Austen

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 11:37 AM

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

For those of you who thought that Jane Austen was too conspicuously lacking in zombies, flying ninjas, and general mayhem, this will be hilarious.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 12:27 PM

Such a Pretty Fat- Jennifer Lancaster
Hilarious book about the author who is just like most of us. Loves food, doesn't see herself as big most of the time but decides she should probably lose weight- this time not for vanity but uh, cause she doesn't want health issues and is rounding into her 40th year. Absolutely real and hilarious.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 1:02 PM

Monsoon Rain

Sounds interesting. Will look for it.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 2:03 PM

Bump- need some new suggestions! Thx

Monday, May 3, 2010, 10:23 AM

My friend and I are taking a break from our fun, fluffy chick lit and revisiting the classics this year - Jane Austen and the like.

Blink and The Outliers are two others I've read this year that have been really thought provoking.

Monday, May 3, 2010, 2:34 PM

I just finished Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and was completely taken by it. It's a memoir about a Somali woman who escapes an arranged marriage by fleeing for Holland to become a refugee and end up in a member of the Dutch Parliament. I'm going to force all my friends to read it.

Link

Monday, May 10, 2010, 7:25 PM

Any book written by Jodi Picoult

A good health related one is Thin Thin Be Thin: 101 Psychological ways to lose weight by Doris Helmering.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 11:24 PM

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Should be an awesome espionage. Compared to Scarpetta novels, Alex Cross. international voice, Sweden

the Magicians by Lev Grossman. Just started it, fantasy, disinfranchised genius wants escape and gets it in a world of magic. Thinking about recommending it to my book group.

Saturday, July 3, 2010, 10:56 AM

recommendations of magicians and girl/tattoo by nylvoh. Still looking for a group to join. trying to log in daily to keep up with food etc. Need online buddy. If you are open, post me.

Saturday, July 3, 2010, 10:57 AM

_Little Bee_ by Chris Cleeve.

Monday, July 5, 2010, 10:52 AM

Related Content: How To Lose Weight- The Basics Weight Watchers Points System The Fat Smash Diet The Eat To Live Diet The Beck Diet Solution How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight		How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer How To Burn Fat Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight? Tips On Using PEERtrainer Visit The PEERtrainer Community Diet and Fitness Resources
Fitness Weight Watchers Meetings Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are Writing Down Your Daily Workouts Spending Money On A Personal Trainer? How I Became A Marathon Runner		Preventive Health How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot? Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer? Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy Reversing Disease Through Nutrition
New Diet and Fitness Articles: Weight Watchers Points Plus How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program		Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne: Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough How To Delay Short Term Gratification How To Stay Motivated How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule
Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight? Are Protein Drinks Safe? Nutrition As Medicine?		Everyday Weight Loss Tips How To Eat Healthy At A Party How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight The Three Bite Rule Tips On How To Stop A Binge