OT: Summer Reading Recommendations

[pperfectmom]

I too loved "The Time Traveler's Wife". I did not, however care for "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" at all. Some other good summer reads I would recommend are "The Stolen Child" by Keith Donohue(about changelings and sooo entertaining), ""The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, "Ahab's Wife" by Sena Jeter Naslun(a fictionalized account of the wife of the Moby Dick captain-she also has a new book about Marie Antoinette that I have on my shelf to read called "Abundance") and "The Secret History" by Donna Tart. These are all books that I have read and absolutely love. I am getting ready to start "In Memory of Running" soon. Has anyone read that?

Also, the person who recommended "Eat, Pray, Love" did you like it? I read her book "The Last American Man" and found it very entertaining reading.

 

[badblackpug]

I, too, love the Harry Potter series. I can't wait for the new one.

Right no I am reading "The World According to Garp" here are some of my favorites:

The Color Purple
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Kite Runner
Water for Elephants
The Rapture of Canaan
The Grapes of Wrath
The Prince of Tides
The Lovely Bones
Roots
Middlesex
The Secret Life of Bees
Gone With the Wind
Good in Bed
The Red Tent
The Devil Wears Prada
The Nanny Diaries
She's Come Undone
Where the Heart Is
A Map of the World
Ellen Foster
Bridget Jones Diary
Falling Leaves
Fortune's Rocks
Cold Sassy Tree

 

[muggy425]

If anybody is looking for a summer read. A book called Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson is terrific. About 5 kids that actually save Magic Kingdom. Ages 9 to 90/ One that you shouldnt miss

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I think most of my faves have been mentioned, but I'll second them anyway:
John Sandford--the Prey series and Kidd books are good, Dead Watch I'm reading now and it's kinda slow

Clive Cussler--I like his Dirt Pitt series (undersea adventures/mysteries)

Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele, and Janet Daily for light reading

Nicholas Sparks

I'm in preschool mode right now so I'm having trouble remembering some authors and titles, but I really liked the DaVinci Code and the other book by the same author.

 

[disynut]

Besides my "normal" stack of young adult books I have set aside to read(I'm a middle school librarian) here are the ones I am reading for myself:

Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin'
Murder Plays House by Ayelet Waldman
Bergdorf Blondes

I like to read fluff for myself, I don't want anything I have to think about when I'm reading for enjoyment I think it's because even though I enjoy reading the young adult books for the library--it's still kind of like "work" because I feel like I "have" to. I don't read them all, but try to read the popular ones.

I am very unpatiently awaiting the last Harry Potter and the next Stephanie Plum(by Janet Evanovich) novel. These are my favorites. I also like Sue Grafton and James Patterson every once in a while---his sometimes scare the pee out of me!

The young adult novels I have a stack of:
Cirque du Freak
The Higher Power of Lucky
The Road to Paris
a few more I can't think of right now....

 

[My2Cinderellas]

lots of my favorites have been mentioned here,

The Time Traveler's Wife
anything by Ariana Trigiani
shopaholic series
Water for Elephants

I'll probably re-read the Diana Gabaldon Outlander books and anything by Dorothea Benton Frank is good for the summer.

 

[pperfectmom]

lots of my favorites have been mentioned here,

The Time Traveler's Wife
anything by Ariana Trigiani
shopaholic series
Water for Elephants

I'll probably re-read the Diana Gabaldon Outlander books and anything by Dorothea Benton Frank is good for the summer.

Oh, I forgot "Water for Elephants" on my list. Loved it!!!!

 

[starbox]

I too loved "The Time Traveler's Wife". I did not, however care for "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" at all. Some other good summer reads I would recommend are "The Stolen Child" by Keith Donohue(about changelings and sooo entertaining), ""The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, "Ahab's Wife" by Sena Jeter Naslun(a fictionalized account of the wife of the Moby Dick captain-she also has a new book about Marie Antoinette that I have on my shelf to read called "Abundance") and "The Secret History" by Donna Tart. These are all books that I have read and absolutely love. I am getting ready to start "In Memory of Running" soon. Has anyone read that?

Also, the person who recommended "Eat, Pray, Love" did you like it? I read her book "The Last American Man" and found it very entertaining reading.

Your tastes are very close to mine. Read Special Topics in Calamity Physics. You will love it. I promise.

 

[larkles]

LOVE Harry Potter and can't wait for the new one

Serving Crazy with Curry- funny and soulful
The Bean Trees (anything Barbara Kingsolver!)
The Power of Focus -Jack Canfield
Walking Across Egypt- Clyde Edgerton- laugh out loud, short and funny
The Secret Life of Bees- I second that one!
Jodi Picoult- love her work
Dresden Files- just starting this one- saw SciFi rendition and thought it was cool


Love, love, love to read on vaca

 

[thiabelle]

First- I just finished "Eat, Pray, Love" and LOVED it! highly recommend it!
Also- if you have a slightly twisted, macabe sense of humor try Christopher Moore. I read "Dirty Job" last May and just finished "You Suck- A Love Story". One of my favorite authors.
Also looking forward to an adult book by the author of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (which I admit I absolutely loved- weird looks from my junior high students when they would catch me reading!)
I love the library

 

[ptmmg]

my faves are

The kite Runner
She's come undone
I know This much Is True
The Red Tent
The Time Travelers Wife

I to love all of Sidney Sheldons early work!

 

[Ileana]

Wally Lamb - She's come undone
Wally Lamb - I know this much is true
Jeffrey Eugenides - Middlesex


Something a little different:
If you're into Zombies
Max Brooks - World War Z

Currently I'm reading "Confessions of an ugly step-sister" by Gregory Maquire who also wrote:

Wicked
Son of a Witch
Mirror Mirror

Then of course there's always the classics!!
I love books like:
1984
Brave New World
Fahrenheit 451
Anthem
Lord of the Flies
etc...

I browse B&N & Borders and look at the "Summer Reading" book tables they have set up for the kids and I pick books from there.

After I read the Gregory Maguire books, I'm going to read "The Jungle"

 

[disynut]

Also looking forward to an adult book by the author of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (which I admit I absolutely loved- weird looks from my junior high students when they would catch me reading!)

Thiabelle,
I read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants aloud to my husband on a road trip once...he was laughing out loud at parts of it! When is her adult book due out?

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

Okay I have to add my 2 cents:

anything by Kathy Reich, Dee Henderson, Nicholas Sparks, Laura Childs
The Sisterchick series by ROBIN JONES GUNN
Miracles on the Water--Non-fiction but o, so interesting

For a classics I like Wuthering Heights and anything by the Jane Austin or the Bronte's

I try to read a non fiction and a classic a summer.
Gosh there are so many good books. I feel like I could go on and on

 

[Ileana]

my faves are

The kite Runner
She's come undone
I know This much Is True
The Red Tent
The Time Travelers Wife

I to love all of Sidney Sheldons early work!

You should read Middlesex - the style was a lot like Wally Lamb IMO

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

Also you should try paperbackswap.com

You list paperbacks and then you get like 2 books. Then as members choose your books you get a credit for another book. So all it costs you is postage to send the book someone requested from you! It is great.

 

[Ileana]

I just thought of more

Amy Tan is a wonderful writer

These are her books I've read that I loved:
The Joy Luck Club
Kitchen God's Wife
Bonesetter's Daughter

I have "Saving Fish from Drowning" but haven't read it yet.

 

[trulygoofy]

I noticed that a couple of people suggested "To Kill A Mockingbird". I am reading it now and I can't put it down. I also like anything by Conelia Funke.

 

[thiabelle]

Thiabelle,
I read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants aloud to my husband on a road trip once...he was laughing out loud at parts of it! When is her adult book due out?

I think sometime in June- I admit that I bought this book and the new Evanovich because I didn't want to have to wait in line at the library. I think if you search BN.com with her name it will come up under "to be released" or something like that!

 

[starbox]

Then of course there's always the classics!!
I love books like:
1984
Brave New World
Fahrenheit 451
Anthem
Lord of the Flies
etc...

Have you read Margaret Atwood? You'd probably like The Handmaid's Tale or Oryx and Crake if you tend to like dystopian fiction.