Is there a book that you are just relentless about telling people about because you like it so much? If so, what is it?
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Alvaro Mutis' Seven Stories About Gaviero
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The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard --- the story of a young girl and the changes that occur in her life when her mother is among those killed at the World Trade Center --- a warm and tender book that brings this tragedy down to one family and how this tragedy changes them forever.
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Not one book in particular, but I am always raving about the books written by Jeffery Deaver!!
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The Bark of the Dogwood by Jackson Tippett McCrae
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Wow, did that make me think!
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Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Alice Steinbach.
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The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks
All his books are my favorite and worth the read.
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I tell everyone about the new book I just read: Gifted Trust by John Paul Allen. Man, talk about a thriller! This one had me on the edge of my seat! This guy gives new meaning to the word 'horror.'
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Rather than a particular book, I have several authors I recommend highly. Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey and S.V. Date are all Florida newspaper reporters with a very insightful approach to politics. These authors (all of their books) should be required reading for all Florida residents. But then there might be a revolution. Anyway, if you want to see what really goes on behind the scenes, try them out.
Also in Florida: Dave Barry's latest, Tricky Business, is great. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Gambling ships will never be the same.
Randy Wayne White writes of the adventures of a marine biologist, former CIA (some kind of dark work?), living and working around Sanabel and Captiva Island in southwest Florida. About half a dozen of his novels and you'll have a great feel for what it's like to live in a marina.
Prince of Tides is a must read for anyone who grew up south of the Mason Dixon Line.
For a historical perspective and a lot of adventure and geographic knowledge, try River God and then The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith. The first is the story of an Egyptian pharoah during trying times when he had to flee up the Nile River. The second is the story of the 20th-century archaeologist attempting to follow his trail and find the treasures of his burial place.
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The Stand by Stephen King.
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I have felt that way about two books in the last couple of years:The Poisonwood Bible and Bel Canto. Both are beautifully written, both are evocative of a particular time and place with characters who act upon and change each others' lives. I was truly sorry to have finished each of them and plan to reread them some day, after finishing the piles of as yet unread books that litter the house.
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I tell everybody I know about Gifted Trust by John Paul Allen.
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The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille.
Just a really good story, interesting characters, and I remember that I kept being surprised by the fact that this book was written for an audience that the author expects will be intelligent! It touched me with its mid-life crisis scenes, and I nodded with understanding throughout much of the book.
I've since read every book the man has written. :) I enjoyed the others, especially the protagonist John Corey, but The Gold Coastremains my sentimental favorite. Word of Honor is a close second.
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Wicked by Gregory Maguire.
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Some YA books: Speak, Ice Age, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Some "adult" books: Crossing to Safety, Alias Grace, The Cloister Walk,
The Hours (really anything by Michael Cunningham), Fortune's Rocks, Pull of the Moon.
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I have to admit I loved The Da Vinci Code.
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A Painted House by John Grisham.
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I tell everyone about The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. A Burly hero with a Spunky heroine, this love/hate relationship book has you hating, crying, loving and sighing by the time you finish it. I read it every year; it is my reality check. Each time I read it my husbands says "oh, Heather and Brandon time" as he shyly smiles and rubs his hands together. It is a feel good book.
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I especially recommend this one to my friends who rarely read. I thought the story touched every emotion and I never wanted it to end. I know that it's a book that everyone will love and hopefully it encourages my friends to turn off the TV and read more.
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I tell people most often about the Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye.
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Although it has been possibly 3 or 4 years since I read it,Resistance by Anita Shreve remains a book I tell all about. It is a small gem about a brief intense love affair between a downed American pilot in occupied Belgium. Exquisite!
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I can't stop talking about In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. A fantastic start to a series!
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The book I tell everyone to read is Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. It
combines mystery and humor and is a terrific read. If there is anyone who
doesn't enjoy this book, I would be very surprised and shocked.
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a riveting page-turner that lassoes readers to a roller coaster of suspense. What an incredible ride!
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I have several books I recommend, but the one I try to strong arm all my female friends and relatives into reading is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. It is a book that is so enlightening to me, as a woman, to hear a woman's version of a Bible story. I am a Catholic, and when I was young, the Church did not encourage the reading of the old Bible stories, or maybe because I had no interest in reading them. This book however has sent me back to the Bible to see if there are some other interesting stories that I have missed.
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Gifted Trust by John Paul Allen.
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Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. I am on my third read!!!!
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Not only does this book grab you at the
beginning, it gives you a different slant on the way you have been taught
religion and the Bible.
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I love Ahab's Wife! I try to get everyone I know to read it so I can talk
about it. I've bought it for one friend and loaned my copy out to others. I
actually missed the main character when I finished the book. She was so well-crafted, I felt like I knew her.
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Lately I've been telling friends about the book When the Emperor Was Divine. Although we had read about the topic in history classes, the book made the suffering of our Japanese American neighbors all the more real to me.
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Pope Joan by Joan Woolfolk Cross. I can't stop telling people to read it!!
Also, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
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There are so many books that I'm relentless about sharing. Perhaps because its sequel is around the corner, the Harry Potter series comes to mind. Particularly because so many of my adult friends can't understand my deep devotion to the series until I make them read the books --- then they understand that Harry isn't JUST for kids!
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The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy would have to be a book that I am relentless in praising. It has a combination of lyrical prose, a flavor of South Carolina low country, fascinating characters, and a wonderful story. I've read it twice, and I want to read it again soon.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. This is a nonfiction book that reads like fiction. I've also read this book twice, and it prompted my husband and I to take a trip to Savannah, GA a couple of years ago. There are some extremely fascinating characters in this book.
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. This is a story about an Amish girl in Lancaster, PA who bears an illegitimate child. The baby mysteriously dies, and the girl is brought up on charges of murder.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. I never fail to recommend this book to people who love a good mystery/thriller. There was such depth to the characterization of the people involved, and it is also an exciting mystery.
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Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles.
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The book I am always promoting is Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Incidentally, I have just read his latest book, Shutter Island, and I not only didn't like it, I couldn't believe these two books were written by
the same author.
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The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. A real page-turner with a Tolkien style, this book is extremely well-written and one of the best contemporary books of its kind.
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The Bottoms, by Joe Lansdale, was one of the best books that I read last year. I just can't tell enough folks about it! This book reminded me so very much of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Bottoms is the first book I have ever read that could even compare to that great one.
Thank goodness there was a person online who was so excited about The Bottoms, they insisted that I read it, and did not let up until I did!
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Earlier this year I read Possession by A.S. Byatt. It was my first experience with a Byatt novel and I read it for a discussion group. I became so caught up in the story and the way it was presented, it made me feel like I had fallen through a time warp. As a volunteer at a small community library, I often have opportunities to recommend books. Possession has been on the tip of my tongue every time someone asks. While I have my disclaimer ready for quick delivery, I always mention Possession. It's not a book for everyone and I know of several people who didn't care for this story. But after all, beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.
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Color by Victoria Finlay.
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. It was absolutely fascinating on many levels and is a definite must-read!
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
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What book have I been telling everyone about, encouraging them to read? Simple. It's Thunderland by Brandon Massey. What an impressive, stunning debut novel! Stephen King, watch your back!
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I have several:
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik
Secret History of the Senses
My Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki
Changing Places by (the book Jane Smiley would have written if she could have!)
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My all-time favorite book is Bella Tuscany by Frances Mayes. I hadn't read such a lyrical book as this in so long, I'd forgotten they still existed. This book was written about Frances Mayes's country house that her husband bought in Tuscany. They decided to renovate it. Believe me, it is more than just a book.
Frances Mayes truly makes you feel the Tuscan sun caressing your face, with such melodious words that you would believe you are reading poetry instead of a travel/renovation book. She brings to life the people who live in Tuscany, the village, and the many beauties of this country people. I could smell the fresh coffee that her husband would drink in the town Cafe. I could even taste the wonderful pastas that her friends and neighbors would share with her. I could even see her gathering olives in their garden, and see the ancient mural that was uncovered on their dinning room wall while renovating their home. It was as if I was transfixed to another time and era. I will always remember this book and Frances Mayes's wonderful writing. I would love to share her with everyone I know and those I don't.
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I thoroughly enjoyed All Together in One Place by Jane Kirkpatrick. I came upon this book through Word Of Mouth and was always intrigued by the early pioneer women. I am now reading the sequel and enjoying that also.
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The Red Tent by Anita Diamant and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.
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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
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Bel Canto. I think I told anybody who would listen just how wonderful I thought this book was. I even talked my book club into reading it.
Fortunately, most of them liked it too.
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The book that I am relentless in telling others about is The Magusby John Fowles. It is a book that you can lose yourself in. In this book the line between fantasy and reality becomes blurred, which makes it even more interesting and complicating.
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The best books I have read in years is the whole Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. I am reading the last book now and will be sorry to see it end. It has everything --- a great love story and adventure on almost every page.
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I am telling everyone I can about Breath: Life in the Rhythm of an Iron Lung by Martha Mason of Lattimore, NC, who has spent 55 years in an iron lung. The book is beautifully written and is a compelling read. But more importantly, it is something all caring people need to read. Mason's life and accomplishments are awe-inspiring.
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Any of the Harry Potter books.
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The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
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Any book by Elmore Leonard plus Shibumi by Trevanian.
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I recently found a new and wonderful writer. He is John Paul Allen and his book is Gifted Trust. It is a great book!! I have finished my third read of the book. He writes on the dark subject of rape, murder, demon spirits, and so much more. The book has complex characters and plots.
I found myself wondering if the things he wrote about were true! That's how great the book was. The things that happened to him while writing this book would be a great book in itself! I felt like I was there with the characters in the book, feeling what they were feeling. I laughed and I cried and felt hate at some of the happenings in this book.
That's why Gifted Trust is the best read of 2003. Anything that can bring out that range of emotions in a reader is a one-of-a-kind gift. John Paul Allen is a writer to watch. Get Gifted Trust. Read it, love it! Just leave a light on!
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Sentinel 2030 by V.J. Kilborn. At times I couldn't put it down. That it could happen is scary.
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I am relentless about telling people about The Poisonwood Bibleby Barbara Kingsolver. Right now, it tops my chart of favorite books I've ever read. I also tell people about one of my favorite authors, Christopher Bohjalian. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I've ever read from him.
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I am always buttonholing people about Small Wonders by Barbara Kingsolver. I read it over and over. It makes me angry, educates me, and comforts me. I need all of these effects in these difficult times.
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The Poisonwood Bible . . . it is incredibly well-written, especially the way Kingsolver writes in the distinct voices of the different characters. An
engaging plot as well.
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It's hard to narrow it down to one book. I will narrow it to two books. These are the ones I feel strongly about:
Traveling Light by Katrina Kittle. It's a great light book to read BUT it packs a punch. With this book you learn what's important in life. A great book everyone should read.
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. A great historical novel. It leads into the mystery of did she exist. It also shows the true strength of a woman. You can do anything you put your mind to. A must read for any woman.
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Blood Brothers by Elliott Arnold.
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Yes, I can't stop telling people about The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly. It was a wonderful story about life, love, and never giving up.
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Blood Lust by Rhys Wilcox is a must! I actually found myself laughing out loud whilst reading this book. Wilcox has a racy style of writing, a sharp wit that makes one sorry when the book is finished. I can see this book being scooped up by a discerning film director in the not too distant future. I look forward to the promised sequel.
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The book or books I can't stop recommending is Jan Karon'sMitford series. Normally, this type of book is not my style --- I am into mysteries. But a friend recommended her to me so I thought...What the hey! Try something very, very uplifting and hysterical.
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A few years ago, I found this book that totally changed my life. It is called Love is Letting Go of Fear by Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D. This book is about how to change your way of thinking. In short, it talks about how people who have experienced a negative disappointment or experience in their life tend to think that life repeats itself and live in the frame of mind "waiting for the other shoe to drop". It discusses: 1 - Why one thinks that way. 2 - How to over come it. 3 - How to let go. This book applies to all those who are human and make mistakes. If there is one book I would ever recommend, this is it!!! It is a light read of only 144 pages. It is short, sweet and straight to the point. You could knock it out in a day and be on your way to a happy mindset. If you are ready to change your life and way of thinking, this is the book to do it with!!!
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Lamb by Christopher Moore.
I've told everyone --- even my non-reading friends --- to read this book. Most of them have and loved it as much as I did. This is a wonderful, sweet, and funny read. Have YOU read it? You should!!!
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
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I recommend The King of Torts to learn who makes the money on a class action suit "for the good of the injured parties." I was solicited to join a class action suit against Webtv and the winnings were already decided IF we won. I would receive $20 of MSN software, useless with a Webtv and the lawyers would receive $2,300,000. Read The King of Torts!
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The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. My husband and I almost force our friends to borrow it from us and read it.
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The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
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Any of the books in Jan Karon's Mitford series
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The Bible, because it is the inspired Word of God.
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I want to tell everyone about The Life You Save May Be Your Own. It is an awesome account of the impact on American Catholic culture by four of my favorite authors: Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Walker Percy, and Flannery O'Connor.
This book doesn't tell just the story of each writer; rather it shows how intertwined these authors were in the middle of the last century. It's not simply about what they wrote, but also about what they read and about how they lived what they read and wrote.
Merton once said "To be a writer, you have to love words." These four certainly loved words. They lived by them.
I had the honor of meeting both Day and Percy. I was a monk according to the Rule of St. Benedict, like Merton, and I have the same disease that took the life of Flannery O'Connor: Lupus.
This book is a golden treasure. Paul Ellie did a phenomenal job of "bringing it all together."
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Mrs. Kimble by Jennifer Haigh. Incredible first novel...the story of three women who marry the same man. A must read!
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I just finished reading Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, which was passed on to me by my son. Enger's writing style is so unique and the story so compelling that I could not put it down until I finished it and will be telling everyone I meet about it. Thanks for your newsletter. I enjoy it very much.
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The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is absolutely fabulous. My mother's book club is going to read it and numerous people in my dog group have read it and subsequently bought the sequel,Children of God.
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The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
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The one book I am relentless about telling people to read is ...And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. A wonderful look at life in small town America in the late-19th to early-20th century. I have read this several times and own it in hardcover and paperback. Anytime someone asks for a really good book to read, I point them towards this one.
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The Da Vinci Code. Fascinating!
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The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. This book is destined to become a classic! I only know of one person who didn't care for it...she kept wondering when the pace would pick up. That's like asking when Charles Dickens was going to pick up.The Crimson Petal and the White is not about the pace, but about the setting and the characters.
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Two books I've been recommending to all lately have been The Da Vinci Code (hardcover) and The Secret Life of Bees (paperback). Both are exceptional!
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Last summer, I raved to everyone within hearing about Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews. Light reading, lots of laughs, refreshing, southern food, a touch of mystery....just right for summer reading. I can't wait to read her newest, Little Bitty Lies, coming out in July.
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I drive people absolutely crazy by telling everyone I meet that they should read Andre Dubus's stories [not Andre Dubus Fils or Andre Dubus III]. He died around 1999 of an unexpected and massive coronary; he was confined to a wheelchair and was alone at the time, and by the time help arrived, it was too late.
Andre taught me more about writing than anyone else I've ever known. I always wished he had tackled the novel form [he did write one, VERY short novel] but he was most comfortable in the long story format, often approaching novelette length. I think the man was a genius; when he died the New York Times Book Review devoted its "endpaper" to him and his work.
I also drive people crazy telling them about what a great author I think Carolyn Chute is. Carolyn is fearless and never hesitates to take on issues that most people find prohibitive. But she says what she thinks and makes no apologies for it. I have heard people say that "she made it all up; people don't really live like the people she writes about," but I grew up around people like those she writes about and I can take you to many communities in Maine where the people she writes about do their best to eke out an existence while fighting with the government, as they try to get help so they can live decent lives. Start with The Beans of Egypt, Maine and keep reading; her output is not great, but with luck, there will be more coming quite soon.
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I constantly recommend The Lovely Bones by Anne Sebold.
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The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly.
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The Forgiving Hour by Robin Lee Hatcher. Every time some one asks me for what they can read, I always recommend this to all my friends. It touches a place in your heart, how to be able to forgive someone who inadvertently ruined your life! Excellent story, great writing, very intense and emotional.
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I tell people to read Where The Heart Is and The Honk And Holler Opening Soon, which are both by Billie Letts, because I think she is such an awesome writer.
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False Memory by Dean Koontz. That was the first....of about 18 books I have read by him.....the whole concept was soooo possible.
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No question here --- The Da Vinci Code. I just finished this book yesterday, but all week we have been discussing it at the dinner table --- my husband went to 12 years of Catholic school, I am Jewish, my middle son is now at Georgetown University, and my youngest son is now in a Catholic high school. I am constantly questioning them about what is truth and what is fiction.
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One title I always rave about is Blind Man's Bluff by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew. The true story of our naval submariners is both fascinating and harrowing. I found it a fantastic read.
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White Oleander, I Know This Much is True, Gap Creek, Blackbird, and All Over But the Shoutin', to name a few. I prefer memoir/biography types. If anyone has suggestions in that genre, let me know.
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Forever by Pete Hamill, Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin.
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I loved The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy. I encourage anyone who has not read it to do so. My favorite Pat Conroy novel yet.
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Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott.
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My book of the moment that I can't stop raving about is Amanda Eyre Ward's Sleep Toward Heaven.
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Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull. If you've ever been in a nursing home, the
descriptions of life there make you weep and laugh simultaneously. The book is also a wonderful story about friendship and love.
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The book that I rentlessly tell people about is James Patterson'sSuzanne's Diary for Nicholas.
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Bel Canto. I am sooooooo passionate about this book. I've told everyone.
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Mrs. Delaney: Room 108 by Patricia Mould is a novel I am relentless about telling everyone to read. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or suspense fanatic, you will definitely find this insightful story about a teacher who is stalked a page-turner. Could it be a mother who throws temper tantrums? One who refuses to have her child do homework? Or could it be a jealous parent or staff member? I'm not telling...you've got to read it to find out.
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The book I persistently recommend is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I hope that it will spread the creed of doing one's best for your own personal satisfaction, enjoying the fruits of your labor, and accepting personal
responsibility for your own action. Our finger-pointing culture needs a good dose of this ideology.
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Recently yes, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I have found myself mentioning it to other non-book readers at work and discussing it with family members, as well as my online book group. (Usually my book discussions are with my online book group only). The premises and research in this book simply blew me away. For me, this book connected many of the dots that have been tidbits of the ideas presented in other books, movies and teachings I have come into contact with --- coupled with a top notch thriller pace and interesting characters. I can't say that I believe everything presented in the book, but it has raised my consciousness and started me thinking in new ways about what might have been.
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When The Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka.
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Anita Diamant's The Red Tent is beautiful --- a prayer, a gift from the heavens.
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The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, especially the first book,Outlander!
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I have doggedly shared many books with many sorts of people. There is one book however I share with everyone. If you are ten years old, it resonates with wonder. If you are 35 it brazenly dares you to use your youthful imagination with a simple illustration, and when you see the agreed upon "adult" picture, it smiles and forgives you. And if you are 80 it makes you care even more about what you have grown into. This book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is named The Little Prince.
I am not sure who will be reading this. I know nothing about you. (Excuse me, I just lied. I know only one thing about you. You are reading this.) Whoever you are, I ask you to read this book. Get it from your local library or bookstore. Better yet, get a copy from one of your friends. I will make a deal with you. If you have to buy the book to read it and it genuinely does not make you smile, I will buy it back from you. I have purchased this book at least thirty times so I could give it to someone. I am always happy to have an extra copy around. (I would like to specify that this deal is for the paperback edition, around $7.)
When I thought about the answer to this question, many books came to mind. From One Hundred Years of Solitude to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, from All the Pretty Horses toSkinny Legs and All, from Wizard's First Rule to Gravity's Rainbow, so many books I would like so many people to read. Someone might find any of these books to be worthy of relentless promotion. Another person might find the same book worth only the paper it's printed on and use its pages to wipe the oil from a dipstick. The Little Prince crosses the boundaries of prejudice and language. I am going to use an archetypal cliche: The Little Princetouches the daringly elegant humanity in us all.
What do you think? Write me back. Have you read The Little Prince before? If you haven't, do you think you will now? If you have read it before, how did I do?
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When talking about books, at THE top of my list is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.
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The book I'm relentless about telling people about is The Brothers K by David James Duncan. I read it for the first time in 1992 and, since then, have given approximately 50 copies away. I work in a library, and every time I see it on the shelf, I foist it on someone, be it a co-worker or a patron. It is the best book ever.
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I find that since I have finally read The Grapes of Wrath, I just can't find enough people to encourage reading this book. I feel that it was exquisitely written and portrayed a very real period of American history. I am not a big history fan, but if all my history could be obtained in this manner, then I might read more along those lines.
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There are two books I tell people to read because the characters are so
well-developed and the stories are so good: The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow.
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I must mention The Dive From Clausen's Pier as it was an engulfing
literary pleasure.
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Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. This was such an unusual book and I've recommended it to everyone I talk to who likes to read, and some who don't!
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I recommend the book Midwives by Chris Bohjalian to all of my friends. It was a great read.
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I always tell people to read The Stand by Stephen King. It is my favorite
book of all time, and I read it again every couple of years. Another book I recommend a lot and that I read over and over again is The Tightrope
Walker by Dorothy Gilman. It's a quirky mystery with lots of interesting
characters and a great storyline.
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I have told everyone I know they should read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. That was (is) a great book!
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My favorite book is As The Crow Flies by Jeffrey Archer. I have read it numerous times and loaned it to at least 15 people. It is my most traveled book as people borrow it to take on vacations, etc. While I am a fan of Jeffrey Archer, this is by far my favorite. At a distant second would be The Eleventh Commandant. No one who has read my As the Crow Flies has disliked it. Most agree with me --- and that is a lot of different ages from young to old.
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Bed of Lies by Teresa Hill is an excellent book that I finished in two days.
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Miss Garnet's Angel by Salley Vickers is my choice for our book club next season. It's a gem --- lucid and direct and staged mostly in beautiful Venice, Italy of old. Read it and see for yourself.
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There is actually a series of books I never stop telling people about: the Harry Potter books! I point out they are not just books for children but fascinating reading for adults as well. Well-written, interesting and funny too.
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Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and Mystic River by Dennis Lehane.
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I am not so relentless with adults as I am with children. I adored the Anne of Green Gable series and Little Women as a child. I am always telling my little cousins about these books and how much I adored them. I have even bought copies and have given them to children I know, in hopes they will discover how wonderful these stories are. I believe that a love of books should be instilled at a very young age so that, as a child grows older, he/she can appreciate all the different views of the world.
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I recommend Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.
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I loved A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute, an English writer. This story takes place during World War II and involves an Australian man and an English woman who meet when he tries to help her during the Bataan death march. The book was made into a mini-series by the BBC in 1980 or so, and I loved it so much I bought the videotape of it. I have tried to convince many of my favorite readers that it should be read, and all who have read it have also enjoyed it immensely
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I can't stop talking about A Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It doesn't matter how many times I read it, especially the introduction, that I find myself truly amazed, inspired and awed by this marvelous treasure chest. The gift edition makes a great present for anyone!
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Between Friends by Debbie Macomber.
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The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory --- the best book I've read in a long time. I gave a copy of it to about eight friends so far. Loved it!
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Any books in the Left Behind series, with only one left to be issued next year.
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I have two books that I recommend to my clients and friends. They are equally important, but if I had to pick one, I would pickThe Dynamic Laws of Prosperity by Catherine Ponder. Why? Because if you read her book and follow her instructions, you can literally change your life. It has changed mine and others I know. Usually, when a client reads the book and starts practicing what Catherine Ponder talks about, they get some kind of a windfall, or a job, or something seemingly miraculous happens.
The other book I highly recommend is Angelspeake by Barbara Mark and Trudy Griswold. Why? Because these sisters teach you how to write to your angels and get your own personal messages from your own personal angels. What could be better than that?
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The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. A great love story...recommended to me by a guy! And I love it!
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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. There is something about this story that captures every emotion. I recommend this book to people who don't read much, because I know they will love the story and will possibly encourage them to read more.
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Tell No One by Harlan Coben. It's a great suspense book with lots of twists.
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I have three that I try to push at every woman I know:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
If they don't like these types of book, I push my thrillers and detective stories:
- The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich
- Anything by Robert W. Walker (a female forensic pathologist almost as messed up as Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, but more interesting)
- Recently the Lupe Solano PI series set in Miami by Christine Aguilera Garcia
- Jeffery Deaver's books
- Harlan Coben's thrillers
And if that still doesn't get them, I push the medical thrillers by my favorite authors:
Still Robin Cook
Tess Gerritsen
Gwen Hunter
Michael Palmer
Leonard Goldberg
AND if they still don't bite, I hit them with the best in YA and Juvenile fiction!
I don't care too much for nonfiction, but the one I'm recommending this summer is Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons, which is the study of hidden aggression in girls.
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I am telling everyone who will hear me that my favorite book of all time is simply I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb. Mr. Lamb needs to get another one of these gems out. This book made me cry, laugh, think and forgive where I was. I sure will not forget this book.
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The book that I recommend to every woman I know is The Hours. I always recommend that it be read before seeing the film too. The only man I suggested read it is my husband because he claims himself to be a post-feminist and thought he too might find it interesting how well a male author was able to understand the woman’s psyche, heart, and soul.
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The book that I most like to tout is These is My Words by Nancy Turner. It is a story about a self-educated girl who grew up in Arizona during the time of the Indian incursions (right after the Civil War). She marries a young cavalry officer who rides out on Indian hunting expeditions while she homesteads in southern Arizona.
It is, of course, of interest to Arizonans, but should appeal to a broader group of readers. One finds romance, danger, excitement, history, and well-developed and attractive characters.
For some reason, which I cannot fathom, it has not been taken up by the big book chains. It is so very much more deserving than three-quarters of the books that reach the bestseller lists, as a fictionalized piece of American history, if nothing else.
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I happened to read the first Harry Potter book --- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. I found I had to read all of them, and am looking forward to the newest book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I've read books and recommended books all my life, but I can't remember the last time I got caught up in anything like this. Certainly not in my adult life.
J.K. Rowling has researched the material she uses extensively. The stories are about young people but the story line is not just for the young; it's also for the young at heart. There are little clues throughout the books that give you hints on what is to come, and what has been, but they are not obvious. I seldom read a book more then once, but I have read these three times and refer back to them often because of discussions online. Each time I reread them I find something I missed before.
In the past I haven't been able to reread books because I get bored, since I know what is coming. It is not that way with these books. Not for me anyway.
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I have been telling everyone I know, including a reading buddy from high school (I'm now 50), across the country about The House on Beartown Road by Elizabeth Cohen. Cohen is a reporter in my hometown who tells her story in this memoir, of moving from New York City to take her current job here, and of the difficulties she encounters as her husband leaves her, her father with early stage Alzheimer's comes to stay, and she copes with parenting her baby daughter and suddenly living in a drafty farmhouse in the dead of winter. This memoir is funny, sad and moving, but never a search for sympathy. I couldn't put it down and neither could any of the people I recommended it to.
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White Oleander by Janet Fitch.
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I gave Katherine Valentine's A Miracle for St. Cecilia's to my wife several months ago, and intended to read it after her. Wrong. She loved it and promptly told all her friends about it and began lending the book to her mother, a sister, and assorted friends. I ended up buying additional copies for my sister and a daughter-in-law, who also loved it and began talking it up and lending out their copies. (Fortunately, I read the book before giving it to them). Now everyone is awaiting Katherine's next book.
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Kickback and The China Conspiracy by P.M. Terrell
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Losing Julia by Jonathan Hull (my absolute favorite)
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I am relentless about telling others to read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. If you read any reviews, they always say "I couldn't put it down." It is absolutely true. This is a complexly woven story including murders, secret societies, the Catholic Church, great art, a chase through Paris and further --- not to mention the decoding of encrypted codes that are ingenius.
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Two books: Bel Canto and The Lovely Bones.
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The Lovely Bones and Lucky, both by Alice Sebold.
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There is a series I tell everyone about. It's the J. D. Robb series. I'm always afraid I'll miss her next book in the series.
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It's a new book called Mrs. Kimble. I loved this book because it had three different phases of being married by the same man, how each woman handled it, and how his children were able to cope or not cope with him. I won't tell anymore but I loved this book and nothing compares to it.
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The book I constantly recommend is Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt. It is his first novel and a great read. No disappointment here!
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The book I love so much that I can't stop telling people about it isDaughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal by Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann. Incredible --- you have to read it.
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The book that I am recommending to everyone is The Confessorby Daniel Silva. A must read!
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The Dive from Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer. I expected this story to be very depressing. Instead, it was humorous, heartwarming and extremely well written. I've been telling everyone to read it.
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No Second Chance by Harlan Coben.
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An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears was a favorite --- such a surprise. I want to re-read it now that I know how it turns out. I also really enjoyed and tell people about Life of Pi.
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The Da Vinci Code exceeds my hyperbole repertoire. It is a fast-paced thriller with most of its action occurring in about 24 hours, and it is worth reading just to find out who killed the victim and why. But the beauty of the book is its depth. I tried so hard not to read little sections aloud to my husband, grown children, and friends so they could have the whole experience when they read the book. But I just couldn't stop myself from passing on some of the word derivations and customs that Dan Brown tells about throughout the whole book. I keep thinking he should save some of this good stuff for later in the book, but he has enough fascinating bits of information to last throughout the book.
I have a little knowledge of church history and some acquaintance with Leonardo's Last Supper, enough so that I didn't have to look up the picture to know what the book was describing. And everything it claims could be true. I am dying to discuss it with someone.
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The books on tape by Neal Donald Walsch --- Conversations with God, Friendship with God, and The New Revelations. I'm looking for Communion with God on tape also, but have had difficulty finding it. Walsch is such a wonderful and thought-provoking author; anyone who reads or listens to his books should be moved to the soul. The books on tape are so magnificent, mainly because of Ed Asner and Ellen Burstyn narrating with Walsch. I'd love to, one day, meet Neal and sit and talk with him --- maybe even have a lunch with him. His books brought out thoughts in me that I thought only I had all this time. And to find someone other than a few in my family who think that way is wonderful!
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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.
I started to read this book on a flight from NC to San Francisco, CA and I don't think I put it down the whole time. It was a very different book, very unique. I learned a great deal about the culture and geishas. I was fascinated with the fact that a man had penned this novel that delves so deeply into a woman's world. People also ask me what's a good book to read, and this one always pops into my head first.
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Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers (3 books)
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There are too many to list just one:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
...and the list goes on and on.
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The Chess Garden by Brooks Hansen.
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There are two books I tell everyone about: Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates (I've been talking about this one for years) and the other I just finished but have already raved about to numerous people is The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. It is a novel, a story told from the viewpoint of an adult autistic man, and it is fascinating.
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Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. A must-read for anyone, especially those raised Catholic!! Laughter from page one to the end.
