Book Recommendations (original) (raw)

Thank you to everyone who offered their book recommendations here. I knew I could count on you guys. I'm adding almost all of the recs to my list.

My new list is still quite long, but it's much more manageable than the old one. I also added some titles that I really wanted to read and some recommendations from family and real life acquaintances. I have enough to get me through at least two years of reading.

I have 5 books that have been sitting on my bookshelf for a really long time, and when I asked which ones are considered to be "must reads" the results were as follows. .

The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum was at the top with 14 votes. The movie is one of my all time favorites so many people have insisted that I read all of the Oz books.

The Lemony Snicket books came in 2nd with 12 votes. I've read the first few books, and I own the rest, but I haven't really gotten into the story. I think I'll have to give them another chance sometime.

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift came in 3rd with 11 votes.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy came in 4th with 10 votes.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner came in last, but this is a book that I'm curious about. I think I've read it before, but I can't remember what it was about so it must have been a really long time ago. It must have been in high school because I remember having a lesson about Faulkner's writing style. It wasn't a lesson for another Faulkner book because I distinctly recall discussing symbolism that has something to do with buzzards and coffins. Grr. I have such a terrible memory. It came in last place, but I'm putting it high on my list, anyway.

The one thing I regret about college is that I didn't take a lot of English classes. My major only required the very basic English courses so I have to dig back into my high school memories for great books I had read. My goodness, that was such a long time ago. I recalled 5 books that I absolutely adored as a teen, though. When I asked which ones I should read again, the results were as follows.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was at the top with 18 votes which is a good thing because it was my favorite book as a teen. I have every intention of reading it again very soon.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald came in 2nd with 16 votes. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury came in 3rd with 14 votes.Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert and Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott tied with each receiving 3 votes.

The best part was reading through what everyone had to say, and I gave Amazon, Ebay and Barnes and Noble quite a workout. It's great to be acquainted with so many people who love to read even more than I do. Here is a list of what was recommended with questions and comments from me.

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivil. Ooops! I saw this book at a used book sale a few weeks ago and passed it up. Silly Heather, what was I thinking? Luckily, there are many very cheap copies available on Ebay.

Possession by A.S. Byatt. The movie is on my recommendations list for Netflix, too. I guess that means I need to definitely check it out. Netflix and connielane can't both be wrong. It's going high on the list.

Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters. From what I have gathered, there is a series of Amelia Peabody books. Are there others from the series that I should read first?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. I'll admit that I had never heard of this book before, but I did some research and have found nothing but glowing reviews for it. I'm curious to see how a murder mystery is told from the point of view of a 15-year-old autistic boy.

Amercan Gods by Neil Gaiman. Knowing my flist as a I do, I was expecting some Gaiman recommendations. Like Firefly, I have stubbornly shunned Neil Gaiman because I'm reluctant to try something just because everyone else is doing it. Gaiman's novels seem to be a bit of fantasy and a bit of horror. Is that correct? Does it feel like you're reading fantasy? I'm also kind of lost about whether I need to read other Gaiman books in order to understand American Gods.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. It's going on the list, but I'm going to wait until I'm in the mood for something morbid before I attempt to read it. That's the same reason why I haven't seen the movie, yet.

Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult. Oooh! Why have I never heard of Jodi Picoult before? Wow! This is exactly the kind of author that I could easily fall in love with.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I saw that it was a teen book and almost dismissed it. I usually don't read books like this, but the subject matter caught my eye, and I think I may eventually give it a try.

The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman. Hmm. This is something I'd have never chosen myself so I'm glad for the recommendation. Do I need to know a lot about Richard III to understand the novel?

My Bloody Life. I couldn't find this title.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis. I saw "Time Travel" in the keywords and cringed, but then I read the reviews and beat myself for thinking angua9 would ever steer me in the wrong direction. While browsing through the reviews at Amazon I caught this sentence. It is science fiction, but at the same time it is historical fiction, and thrown into the mix are elements of satire, comedy, mystery, and romance. Yes! This is going to be put very high on the list.

Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak. YES! I will read this.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde Reading what it's about makes my head spin. I'm going to read Jane Eyre again before I try this book.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden Hooray for weasley_girl_ca! It's already sitting in the pile on my bedside table. I read the book a few years ago and absolutely loved it. At the time, I thought to myself that the book would make an awesome movie. Well, I recently discovered that a movie had been made and is ready for release in December so my interest has been renewed. I want to reread it before the movie is released.

The Linnet Bird by Linda Holeman. The subject matter seems a little disturbing. I'll save this one for when I'm in the mood for something sad.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. A refreshing bit of non-fiction. Thank you!

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Sounds very much like Dickens which is a good thing.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Well, I recently finished my second read through of this book so it may be a while until I decide to reread it again. This is a book that I recommend to anyone who hasn't read it. The writing isn't top notch, but the storytelling is superb. It's a page turner, especially if you are an art history nut and enjoy a good riddle.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Yeah, I'm stubborn about Gaiman. It's supposedly a sequel to American Gods which was recommended by authenticjoy. Should I read American Gods first?

The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves, and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece by Edward Dolnick. I'll read this book just for the fact that The Scream is one of my favorite pieces of art.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've been curious about this book for awhile, as well as, the musical. I know nothing about either so I'm adding it.

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. Hmmm. Will I be constantly comparing it to Tolkien? I think that's why I don't like fantasy; I compare everything to Tolkien, and let's face it, nothing can top Lord of the Rings. I know nothing about this author so I'm going to do some research first.

Eldest/Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I'm mildly curious about Paolini because of what he has accomplished at his age. This isn't high on the list, but it is there because I want to know what all of the hype is about. It really sounds like Harry Potter, only from a different angle.

Plainsong by Kent Haruf. There are mixed reviews at the 3 websites that I visited so I'm cautious about this one, but I trust dome36's judgement so it's going on the list.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. It sounds sweet, and I'm saving it for a time when I want something simple.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. This has been recommended to me before, and it looks like something that I could finish in an hour or two so it's high on the list.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding. I've been wanting to read this for years.

Emma by Jane Austen. I'm so proud of everyone that recommended anything by Jane Austen. She's one of my favorite authors. I recently read Emma again, but the plot is so intricate that even reading 20 times wouldn't be too many. Marvelous recommendation, but since I've already read it multiple times I'm going to pass on adding it to the list for now. Anyone who hasn't read it should give it a shot, though.

Njal's Saga. See, this is why I love having such a diverse group of people recommending books to me. Otherwise, I don't think I would've ever stumbled upon this. I need to expand beyond American and British Literature.

Bulfinch's Mythology. Well, this seems like it's something that I must have on my bookshelf. I don't think I'll sit down and read it cover to cover, but it would be handy to have around.

Dracula by Bram Stoker. It's been so long since I've read it that I don't even remember what I thought of it.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Yes, I definitely need to refresh myself before I read The Eyre Affair.

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. It's Hemingway!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. P & P and S & S flip flop as my favorite Jane Austen book. Like Emma, I think I'll pass on putting this on my list, only because I've already read it multiple times. (This is also the book that was most recommended. Could it have something to do with the fact that most of my flist consists of Ron/Hermione shippers?)

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This is a favorite of mine and won't be going on the list because I've already read it. The book's awesome, but I prefer the musical.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Another one of my favorites. I have read it and seen it several times. Shakespeare gets better the more you read it, though, so it's going on the list, albeit as low priority.

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I liked the movie better, but if I decide to read Scarlett, I'll reread this first.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I'm not adding this to the list because I've already read it.

A Tale of Two Cities. It's either been a really long time since I've read it, or I only read parts of it because I can't really recall much about it so it's going on the list.

The African Queen by C.S. Forester. I didn't even know this was a book.

Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus. I feel illiterate and uneducated from just reading the summary. I think I'll save this for when I'm on top of my game.

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Again, I feel illiterate from just reading the summary. I'm saving this for when I'm in a thinking kind of mood.

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. I own this book, but I've never read it. It's already on the list for that reason.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I remember learning about Madeleine L'Engle in my Children's Literature class in college, but I have a difficult time stomaching most science fiction, especially children's science fiction. Is it hokey?

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. Hm...a political novel. I might give it a try.

Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. Why have I never heard of this book? I feel like I should have heard of it.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This is not going on the list because I've already read it.

Therapy by David Lodge. As an American, would I "get" it?

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. The plot sounds a bit predictable, but I think I'll give it a try because of the way that the characters are described in the reviews that I read. At Amazon.com the following sentences caught my attention. It's a gratifying insight into human nature, that trapped away from the rest of the world, perhaps all our masks can be shed and there is a feeling that the friendships and bonds formed here are more permanent than anything we have experienced. Not even able to speak a common language, they communicate through music, miming at times to each other or playing their feelings on the grande piano. I think that sold me.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. After reading the reviews, I have reservations about this book, but mrs_bombadil and I usually like the same things, so it's going on the list anyway.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Yummy! This sounds like my kind of book. Thanks!

The Sandman graphic novels by Neil Gaiman. Still stubborn.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore. Oh, my! I think I'll like this one.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Another one that I'll undoubtedly enjoy.

The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas. I can appreciate Alexandre Dumas so I'm going to add this to the list.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This is going on the list, but I'm going to put it on low priority for now. It's something that I eventually would like to try, just not right now.

Aubrey/Maturin novels. I've been curious since seeing the movie.

Manxmouse I couldn't find this title. When I typed it into the search engine I got results for Little White Horse which I have already read.

Watership Down by Richard Adams. I'm reading this right now! I requested this book for my birthday and have been wanting to read it ever since it was used as a clue back in Season 1 of Lost. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and am pleased to see that it's not ultimately about talking rabbits.

Nora Roberts makes me wretch so simirina changed her recommendation to The Truth (with jokes) by Al Franken. My mom is a HUGE Al Franken fan so I'll probably buy this for her for Christmas and then borrow when she's finished with it.

Holes by Louis Sachar. I've been curious about this book for awhile so I'm adding it.

Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. I once heard this described as bad GWTW fan fiction. I think I'm going to put off making a decision about this one until I've done more research.

Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman Sounds like a tearjerker. I'll save it for when I'm in the mood to bawl.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I'm not sure about this one simply because it sounds confusing. I think I'm going to put off making a decision until I've done more research.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. Not only have I never heard of this book, I've never even heard of Tom Robbins. I'm going to have to find out more before I make a decision.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Oooh! I've never read a novel that takes place during the Vietnam War. I need to put this on the list.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery. Okay, okay, okay! About a million people have recommended this to the R/Hr shipper in me so I'm going to have to give it a shot.

Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier. I don't know much about Vermeer. Do I need to dig out my old Art History text book before I read this novel?

Moby Dick by Herman Melville. I'm not going to put this on the list because I've already read it.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Hm. The plot sounds interesting, but would someone like me be able to appreciate this book? Do faith and Christianity play a large part in the story? Is it an overly religious story?

A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I was supposed to read this in high school and even earned a good grade on an exam about it by only reading the notes. It's short so maybe I'll save it for a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Paris Spleen by Charles Baudelaire. I'm confused. Is this a book of poems or a book about poems?

Whew! That's a lot of books, and I'll be busy for a long time. I may not even get to all of these books, but it's nice to have a list to turn to whenever you don't know what you want to read next. Thanks to everyone who participated!