Exceptional Books discussion

Here are some of the books I have been reading over the last 8 months and the books on my "To Read" list. Any suggestions along the same lines?

Books Read – 2014/15
All the Light We Cannot See – 4.27
The Invention of Wings – 4.22
The Lost Wife – 4.20
Americanah – 4.17
An Untamed State – 4.12
After Forever Ends - 4.12
In the Shadow of the Banyan – 4.03
The Garden of Evening Mists – 4.05
The Narrow Road to the Deep North – 4.06
Whistling Past the Graveyard – 4.06
All My Puny Sorrows – 4.01
The Husband’s Secret – 3.88
The Goldfinch – 3.87
The Girl who was Saturday Night – 3.89
The Bone Clocks – 3.85
The Lighthouse – 3.40
We Need New Names – 3.68
Us Conductors - 3.88
Still Alice – 4.28
Orphan Train – 4.09
The Secret Life of Bees – 3.97
My Sister’s Keeper – 4.04
The Glass Castle – 4.21
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – 4.10
A Place Called Winter – 4.31

TO READ
A Little Life – 4.27
A Prayer for Owen Meany – 4.21
2666 – 4.19
Barney’s Version – 4.14
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson – 4.13
Natchez Burning – 4.11
Sacred Hunger – 4.11
Mortality – 4.10
Love of a Good Woman – Alice Munro -4.07
Punishment – Linden Macintyre – 4.03
Stone Mattress – Margaret Atwood - 4.01
Room – 3.96
Left Neglected – 3.92
My October – 3.81
The Lives of Others – 3.71

You may like A History of a Loneliness by John Boyne, The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Suite Francaise. I highly recommend all of them.

Pat wrote: "You may like A History of a Loneliness by John Boyne, The Elegance of the Hedgehog and Suite Francaise. I highly recommend all of them."
Thanks ...I will check them all out!

Greg

The Orphan Master's Son
Waiting
Re Jane
Girl on the Train
All the Light We cannot See
The OUtlander

The Martian and Finders Keepers.

Hello all. The last two books I've read are Wind/Pinball and Carry The One.Read The Orphan Master's Son when it came out. 6 stars out of five.

Constellation of vital phenomena, a fine balance, station eleven.

Did everyone but me like Station Eleven?

Loved Station Eleven!!

So far, the answer is yes, I thought to many things occurred, almost magically, for it to be real, which of course it isn't.

Greg, I've read some of the books you mentioned. Would you pick a few favorites?

Pat, The Elegance of the Hedgehog brings a smile.

Rusty, The Orphan Master's Son, All the Light and Girl on Train are books I've read. The others will go on my to read list.

Alice, Have you read The Girl on the Train?

Alice, what else is on your want to list? I'm reading Ahab's Wife and loving the sentences. Sena Jeter Naslund writing is great.

Who reads actual books and who uses an e-reader?

Maybe I'm a dinosaur. I gave my e-reader to my daughter. I love the feel and smell of paper. Books all the way for me.

Although I have a lot of books you can actually touch, I haven't bought one for a long time. I have around 200 books on my kindle and have read maybe 80 of them.

I still read a book now and then. I'm having trouble with my vision, so I really love to read books on my Kindle with larger letters. I also listen to audio books. My hands also cramp up when I hold a book for a long time. I am really pleased that there are other options, so I can still read books.

Just finished reading Ahab's Wife. Maybe, my favorite book of the decade! Bette, are you suggesting I don't take it personally?

Of course, one ought never to take anything I say personally! : )
So glad you enjoyed Ahab's Wife! : )

I agree. So, whose books do you enjoy reading?

Yes Ron e-books much cheaper, and if you are too lazy (like myself) to go to a library, I believe that's the way to go. Besides I have no space anymore

Ron wrote: "I agree. So, whose books do you enjoy reading?"

Ron - I read nearly anything (fiction and non-fiction) as long as it's not a western or a Harlequin or fantasy. I like "survivor" stories, politics, science, art, psychology, biographies, and anything about relationships. My all time favourite mind you was Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind, which doesn't really fit any of those categories. Plus I tend to read a lot about the Victoria era, which I can't explain either! : )

Bette - what book lover could read a book about books and not love it! Have you read The Angel's Game ? How about the Book Thief? I just pulled my copy of The Shadow of the Wind off my bookshelf. Yes, Karen a real book.

Ron: Yes - it was a book about books...so very good. I did read the Angel's Game but I didn't think it was as good. However, the Book Thief is a gem...and even the movie was good which isn't always the case. Generally if a movie is made from a book, the book is almost always much, much better.
BTW, this is on a totally different plane, but I also really liked Ready Player One - I laughed all the way through it It's a sci-fi dystopian novel by Ernest Cine. Again, another book that appears to be not in my preferred genre but hey, every now and then I get surprised. I hear Cline's later novel is not as good so I haven't picked it up.
Just for the record, however, I think the BEST sci-fi (not that I'm an expert in this field) are David Gerrold's Chtorr series. Very hard to get second hand - I think they've been out of print for years but they are one of few books I've re-read a couple of times.

What do you read?

Bette: I've read everything by Cormac McCarthy- everything by John LeCarre. Lots of Jane Smiley. Almost all of Thomas Pynchon. I don't know much about Sci-fi, but I love David Mitchells' books. I think I'd like Ernest Cine and David Gerrold. What about Station Eleven?

Ron: I'm impressed!. I've read about half of John LeCarre's; McCarthy's No Country for Old Men but I couldn't possibly read The Road. Way too dark for me! Besides, isn't there a child in that book...I can't generally read "dark" books that involve children, except real crime stories where I know before I start to read that they've already locked up the criminal. I haven't read any by Pynchon or Smiley so I guess I'd better get cracking. And I know nothing about Station Eleven. Tell me more.

Bette- Station Eleven is a dystopian novel by Emily St. John Mandel that was a national book award finalist. I read about her book on a web site called The Millions. Do you remember the 1st book you read? My 1st was Exodus by Leon Uris many years ago.

I know this not my discussion, but the first book you remember is Exodus? Didn't you read as a kid?

Ron and Annette: I'm sure I read a few books as a kid but since I didn't live in a town with a library, or attended a school with a library...and didn't even know publishers put out children's books...(I must have grown up in the Monty Python proverbial hole in the road)...it would have been something like 365 bedtime stories that my parents gave me for Christmas. There was a story on each page...I remember that book. But the first BOOK that impressed me was Uhuru by Robert Ruark. I was about 16 and it scared the bedevil out of me! Even though my parents were voracious book readers I didn't really get into reading until I was in my late twenties. I probably read Uris' Exodus about that time and was impressed.
What's the last book you read?

The last book that made an impression on me was Wolf Hall. Excellent, but not for everybody. I'm reading The Blind Assassin now, almost done, and it's so good, I don't want to finish it! If you get past the first 3 chapters, you're hooked.

Annette: Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try these, although if I can get past the first 3 chapters of a Margaret Attwood book, it will be a first for me. I don't refute that she's a wonderful author...but somehow I've never managed to be able to enjoy her books. I'm reading Transatlantic and loving the style and the way the author Colum McCann can draw out the length of a day by noting all the details. Interesting book both in subject matter ad style.

Well now lets talk! Annette, Wolf Hall is a book I loved and also Bringing Up The Bodies. Hilary Mantel is just a great author. I read The Handmaid's Tale, but nothing else by Margaret Atwood. I've read Let The Great World Spin by McCann and am looking forward to his other work. Recommend Swamplandia by Karen Russell.

Swamplandia is on my to read list. Bringing up the Bodies as well. I did read half of Let the Great World Spin, but I couldn't finish it. Isn't it funny how some books appeal to some but not others? This has always been a mystery to me!

Bette....if you like "survivor" stories I still think youd find The Road an intriguing read. The "child" is actually a young teen and his relationship with his Dad is a riveting part of the story. Dark? You bet, but then most "survivor" tales have dark elements. Just my $.02!

Bobby: Thanks. Maybe I'll give it a go then, on your recommendation. It always surprises me that I can read some "dark" stuff - for example, I can read lots of true crime stories - regardless of how bloody they are. And I loved the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Even the Book Thief is grim, never mind how much I've read about WW !!. On the other hand, I didn't sleep well for weeks after reading The Lovely Bones - and even then, once I started I had to stay up reading until 4 am to be sure they got the culprit. And I nearly threw the book across the room I was so disappointed over how he died. I'm ashamed to admit that I must have wanted some kind of revenge but I suppose that's true. So...the long and short of it is that I"m pretty careful about what books I read and what movies I watch if children are involved. Thanks again though for the recommendation.

Hi, got lost somewhere. I'm almost finished reading Arcadia by Lauren Groff. I read The Monsters of Templeton a few years ago and am looking forward to Fates and Furies.

Bette, you say you enjoy victoriana, have you read The Crimson Petal and the White? Extraordinary, 5 stars.

Annette: No, I haven't read this. I usually read Victorian non-fiction (biographies) but thanks for the suggestion. I might try it. thanks.

Bobby wrote: "Bette....if you like "survivor" stories I still think youd find The Road an intriguing read. The "child" is actually a young teen and his relationship with his Dad is a riveting part of the story. ..."

Ok Bobby - I took your suggestion and started The Road. It's so grim I can't stand it. I'm on page 99 and I find myself wanting the dad to just use his last two bullets and get this over with. The boy (even if he is a young teen) is still a child...and he's scared, and cold and hungry. This is painful to read....and I've started to dream about it ....and that's painful too, so I'm going to stop here even though I think the book is so well written. +But thanks for the suggestion just the same.

Yes Bette, The Road was one of the toughest books I've ever read, and I like that sort of stuff. I can totally understand putting it down. I was weeping as I read it.

Wow, a book that makes you cry and have dreams. What a great reaction. If I wrote that book I would believe I had reached the goal intended! McCarthys' Blood Meridian still gives me the shivers after all these years.. Bette, Marilynne Robinson might be worth trying.

Ron, since you said you enjoy survival stories, and since this discussion is about exceptional books, I'm going to recommend 2 that you really should not miss. Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, the other is A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marrs. If you've read them I'd like to know what you think.

Ron: I'm sure McCarthy reached the goal intended! I can see why it's a great book, even though I couldn't finish it. I'll check out Marilynne Robinson. Thanks.

I read Three Day Road but it was quite some time ago. I don't think I can remember enough about it to tell you what I thought about it other than that I found it amazing enough and enjoyed it sufficiently to recommend it to others. The bit that I recall was that I liked how it was slow moving...travelling along day by day. It was pretty sad but the slow movement of the plot allowed for a lot of thinking and contemplating. Besides, the book is about healing and I found that redemptive.
I know nothing about Marrs' book but I doubt I could read that either.
It sounds more than a bit grim, even for its humour.

I'll put both of those on m TBR list. Next up for me is Slade House by David Mitchell.

Bette wrote: "Bobby wrote: "Bette....if you like "survivor" stories I still think youd find The Road an intriguing read. The "child" is actually a young teen and his relationship with his Dad is a riveting part ..."


Ouch....so sorry Bette! There's no doubt The Road is a hard read with a tough premise but really thought their survival instincts would be enough to hold you. It certainly is an environment that's as dark and bleak as they come but, then, that's what a lot of authors spend their entire writing lives to try to create. Boy was I wrong about this one for you and I apologize.

I just finished Slade House, absolutely awesome! It was the perfect read for Haloween. It works fine as a stand alone, but better after The Bone Clocks. And if you're a David Mitchell fan, I'm sure you've read it already. And thinking about creepy books, exceptional creepy books, I highly recommend Houdini's Heart by Ki Longfellow. Fantastic novel.

Houdini Heart