Looking for a few good books to read...

[Mumph39]

Any of the James Patterson Books with Alex Cross as the lead character. He has written many. I believe the series starts with Along Came a Spider. You don't have to read them in order because they can stand on their own. Some other titles are Roses are Red, Jack and Jill, Violets are Blue, The Big Bad Wolf, (You get it, all nursery rhyme titles). He is one of my all-time favorites.

By the way, they are suspensful scary. (The lead character is a detective in Washington D.C.)

 

[lakely]

I agree with whoever reccommended Katharine Neville's The Eight, great book, lots of history but with a great gripping story. Secret Life of Bees was good, that was a book club discussion book, but I don't know that I would have picked it up just to read for pleasure. I just finished "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde. I've been reccommending it to all of my friends. Its a combination of mystery, classic literature and sci-fi. I really loved it and it was totally different from anything I've read lately, but still a page turner. There's a whole series featuring the main character, Thursday Next. I'm currently reading the 4th one. I'll have to start stocking up on books for our January 2005 land/sea vacation, can't wait.

 

[lisamacd]

I agree...any Jodi Picoult book is good although the best two in my opinion are Keeping Faith and The Pact.

I just finished Tom Wolfe's new novel - I am Charlotte Simmons - although it is a rather large book - he tells a good story and I read it in a few days over the Thanksgiving break.

I also loved Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons....that is a perfect cruise book. It is light, but you really get involved with the characters and are very sad to leave them when you finish the book.

Finally, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is also excellent.

 

[NYGiantsRule!]

I read Davinci before Demons and Angels. I liked them both, but it took me longer to get into Angels. I am taking the Rule of Four along on our 3 day Wonder trip tomorrow.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Another one by Tom Wolfe that I enjoyed was "A Man in Full." That's another lengthy one and might be all you need for a 7-nighter. "Kite Runner" was on the list I posted on the other thread. That was one that someone recommended and I just picked it up and read without knowing anything about it. One of the best books I've read in the last few years.

For really scary, I'd recommend "It" by Stephen King, if you're a fan of his. It's one of his best and I thought his scariest.

Another suprisingly good book for me was "Hart's War" by John Katzenbach. If you've seen the movie, blot it out of your mind before reading the book. The movie doesn't come close to doing the book justice. For a Caribbean flavor, try "Havana Bay" by Martin Cruz Smith. A good 'nautical' story is "The Bounty Trilogy" by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordoff, but don't get any ideas of starting a mutiny....

 

[marie2004]

I also love all of James Patterson's books, I think it is best to start in the beginning as they make reference to cases he has solved and his life, family.

 

[gassmandy]

I also am one who loved Suzanne's Diary to Nicholas. Whew! Tear jerker for me since I read it when Addison was just under one year old. Talk about hormones raging still!!

 

[Julanne]

Thanks for the suggestion of The Eight - it's in my shopping cart now!

Another thriller/mystery series that I highly recommend is the Patricia Cornwell series featuring Kay Scarpetta. The first is Postmortem. These are a little more grisly than I generally like (Kay is a Medical Examiner and the details can be pretty graphic), but I absolutely love them and they keep getting better throughout the series.

 

[GoofyFD]

I will be taking Skipping Christmas with us! My friends highly recommend it as a laugh out loud book as well. Do you think they will show the movie on the cruise? Might be fun to read the book then see the movie, while Skipping Christmas! Since my son Colton, who is in 4th grade, is required to do 36 book reports this school year...yes thirty-six, that's not a typo...we will also be taking Where the Red Fern Grows, My Side of the Mountain and probably Old Yeller. Since he is going to miss a week of school, he has already done his extra report, but if we can get another book or 2 read while traveling, we are driving, then he can write the report when we get back. Sometimes the classics are nice for easy light reading.
Michele

Skipping Christmas is a great book!
I would recommend 'Left Behind' By Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
Great series!!!!

 

[WMILLER86]

Try Skinny Dip. The wife gets thrown overboard from the cruise on the first page.



Willie

 

[ptlycloudy]

With the new pirate night a fun read is Peter and The Starcatchers by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. It is about Peter Pan and how he met Captain Hook and Tinkerbell. Technically it is for the 12+ years old, but I really enjoyed it.

Ridley Pearson writes a great series set in Seattle.

 

[ohMom]

hi karen!

my vote for Janet Evanovich's series starting with One for the Money, Two for the Dough. If you are a fast reader by the "Three Plums in One" for the first three books in one. they are a hoot!

for something a bit sappy but not romance how about Jan Karon's Mitford Series. or Karen Kingsbury --both are christian authors and good. I also like Liz Curtis Higgs, bit more humorus

now if you're into some thriller-gore type stuff try James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell or the "Prey" novels (cant' think of that author off top of my head)

J. Evanovich still gets my top vote! Good luck!

 

[whnim64]

I started working in our local library this summer and have our patrons ask me all the time for good books. I enjoy James Patterson Alex Cross series, Patricia Cornwell and Janet Evanovich, also. My 10-year old DS read "Peter and the Starcatchers" and really loved it. Another fantasy geared toward children is "City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau. I just checked it out on the suggestion of the head librarian. Of course the Harry Potter books are also on the top of my list. These books aren't just for the kiddies. Nora Roberts has oodles of romance paperpacks and is very popular. I've copied down all of these recommendations and will list them on our bulletin board at the library for our patrons.

Sandi

 

[Masonpips]

If you read the Nora Roberts trilogy about witches, it is VERY good, although there is romance/sex thrown in (but hey, a little never hurt right?). And I enjoy her books as J.D. Robb which are all set in the future (2050's) about a woman detective. They are very fast paced with a little science fiction thrown in as well as some steamy scenes with her dh. They are all titled "_____ in Death" like Visions in Death, Glory in Death, etc. It is nice to start at the beginning of these because her personal life develops a lot through the series

 

[pvangordon]

My favorite Carl Hiaasen book is Native Tongue. It takes place at the Amazing Kingdom of Thrills, sort of a Sea World-type amusement park. The story about the whale had me rolling on the floor. If you've read it, you'll know what I'm referring to. If you haven't read it and like this kind of humor, be sure to pick it up.

Also, books by Michael Crichton are good for a quick read; I think I read Timeline in a single airplane ride. Not sure if anyone's mentioned the Kellermans, Faye and Jonathan. I haven't read many of his books, but she's written a very interesting detective series with Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus.

Great suggestions on this thread...I'm on my way to the bookstore tomorrow!

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I've read most of Jonathan Kellerman's stuff. In fact, one of the books I'm currently in to is his "A Cold Heart." Most of his novels are mysteries featuring Alex Delaware, a psychologist/detective-wannabe. The Delaware novels all take place in LA, so it's kind of cool reading about places I've been and seen.

The Kellermans have just recently released a joint effort, titled "Double Homicide." It's actually two short novels written jointly.

Two other mystery writers with a character series set in LA are Michael Connelly and Robert Crais. Crais' character is Elvis Cole, a kind of smart-aleck private investigator. Connelly's novels mostly feature Harry Bosch, a LAPD homicide detective. Connelly's books seem to be a bit darker, but both are good reads for mystery fans. Connelly also wrote "Blood Work," which became a film starring and directed by Clint Eastwood.

 

[cristit14]

I love Patricia Cornwall and James Patterson. For a change from murder mysteries I like Nicholas Sparks and Luanne Rice, although if you hate crying at a book don't pick up those, they are tear jerkers.

 

[Mumph39]

I love this thread! I just went out and bought Skinny Dip and One For the Money...! I have a few more on my Xmas list.

Another book I thought was great was Song of the Humpback Whale by Jodi Piccoult. I believe it was her first book. It is told in two voices. One by the Mother and one by the daughter. One tells the story from beginning to end, the other tells it from end to beginning. You get really into the story, and can't wait for the two stories to come together. It reminded me a little of my all-time favorite book, The Time Travelers Wife. (Which is waaaay too long to read on a cruise). I highly recommend that book too.

 

[plutojudy]

Those of you who like Patricia Cornwell, you will also like Kathy Reichs.
I have read all the Cornwell, Reichs, Patterson and Evanovich books. I still think Evanovich's books are the best for light vacation reading.

 

[CheapMom]

Sorry to be the nay-sayer but I would not read a James Patterson (Alex Cross) book on my cruise. There is always a serial killer running around- it can get pretty sick and gruesome. Don't get me wrong- I kind of like the books- but I don't want to think about serial murderers on my vacation.
Skinny Dip sounds good though- One single murder- and the weapon being the ocean- now I could handle that.