Book Recommendations

[forever1267]

I ended up buying 3 of the Weekday Brides Books (and just realized none of those 3 are the 1st book. I got her Saturday, Monday and Friday's books. They were recommended by Amazon as among the best Romance books of the year, and looked fun and light.

They were discussing on EWWeekly's Sirius XM's cast about a book called The Girl on the Train about an alcoholic involved in a murder, and made it sound really really good. I'll be looking for that one.

Thank you for all the recommendations!

[sumire]

Since North Korea has been in the pop-culture news lately, I'll say (again?) that Barbara Demick's Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea is so, so, so freaking good. You really feel what it would be like to live in an utter dystopia as she recounts the experiences of her various interviewees--the rebellious young girl and the praised scholarly boy, the dutiful wife-mother-and-factory-worker, the doctor, the street urchin. I remember reading it on a plane ride, and being vaguely aware of turbulence, but not caring because the book was so engrossing.

It can also make a good companion to the Hunger Games series--when I read The Hunger Games a while after Nothing to Envy, Panem soooo reminded me of North Korea. (Well, if North Korea's big annual entertainment event was a bunch of kids killing each other, instead of giant coordinated card-flipping shows and flag twirling and stuff.)

[narm]

SGleason, I really enjoyed that book! Did you finish it?

[Frisky Poptart]

My partner never reads (!!!), but is interested in reading something and wanted me to get him a book. He's very intelligent, but more of a math and science type of person. As far as TV goes, hes into sci-fi/fantasy, historical, or educational type of stuff. I believe the last thing he read was Harry Potter. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I've considered The Hunger Games, Stephen King, or Neil Gaimen. I also considered Game of Thrones, but know nothing about that. Does anyone have any other ideas?

[smitten]

You might also want to check out Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. The first book can be a standalone book if a whole series doesn't sound appealing, or there's the option to keep reading!

[SGleason]

Dec 20, 2014 18:19:09 GMT -4 narm said:

SGleason, I really enjoyed that book! Did you finish it?

I finished it that same night, very late, and sobbing through the last 40 pages. Then I held the book and hugged it for a few moments. I want to read it again, when I am ready for the catharsis.

Tonight I am rereading "Murder on the Orient Express" with its cozy, familiar puppet people.

[chonies]

Dec 22, 2014 2:25:33 GMT -4 Frisky Poptart said:

My partner never reads (!!!), but is interested in reading something and wanted me to get him a book. He's very intelligent, but more of a math and science type of person. As far as TV goes, hes into sci-fi/fantasy, historical, or educational type of stuff. I believe the last thing he read was Harry Potter. I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I've considered The Hunger Games, Stephen King, or Neil Gaimen. I also considered Game of Thrones, but know nothing about that. Does anyone have any other ideas?

Would he be interested in nonfiction? Maybe go old school, like Cosmos or A Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan, or any of Mary Roach's books.

I never read sci fi or fantasy, so I really can't help with that, but I'll mention that from a practical point of view, a large, brick-sized Gaiman or King tome, or a heavy series, might be a turn-off. I don't want to sound insulting, but it might be a factor to consider (or it might not matter, of course). What about some of the classics, like Ray Bradbury, HG Wells or even Edgar Rice Burroughs?

Here's a list from NPR: 100 Best SciFi/Fantasy books, chosen by the public.

[Deleted]

I was going to mention nonfiction as well, since he likes educational type stuff. HGTV likes bios of sports people and travel books.

[Ripley]

My favorite SF books this year were The Martian by Andy Weir and Lock In by John Scalzi. The Three Body Problem has gotten a lot of buzz too but I haven't read that one yet.

[chonies]

I've heard a lot of good things about Chuck Wendig, too, but I haven't read anything by him.