Read any good books lately?

[granna]

No one has mentioned Lisa Scottolini - always has female attorneys in courtroom /crime stories with humor peppered in. These are good in audio books too. A lot like Evanovich's Stephanie Plum.

Also Jeffrey Deavers' creepy forensic mysteries. I wouldn't listen to these on audio because I want to be able to snap the book closed and say , "Yuck, I'm not reading any more creepy stuff." Then I always go back and read some more. Same with Elizabeth George's novels.

Even if you have read all the Harry Potters, be sure to listen to the audios. They are even better than the movies!!

 

[kasar]

I hated to finish Hard Eight. Even though they all kind of run together in my mind and they're really not that memorable, they sure are a lot of fun to read. Stephanie Plum is such a fun character. Perfect vacation books - light but interesting enough to "force" you to relax. Ahh, I sure hope To the Nines is in paperback before our Dec. cruise.

Some new books I'm into are the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Cute and very different from any other book I've read.

I can't focus on any other books right now. I won't be sleeping for the next few nights, once I get my hand on Harry Potter. My kids will have to fight me for it!

 

[kmc33]

This has given me some new ideas of author's to try that I haven't yet!

I like the murder mystery type of books. Patricia Cornwell, John Grisham, James Patterson as have been mentioned. But another one that I really like is Michael Connelly. I enjoy all of the Harry Bosch books... Black Echo, Black Ice, and Concrete Blonde are the first three in the series. One of my favorite Michael Connelly books is The Poet, which is a different main character, not part of a series. The Harry Bosch novels are good to read in order. Although, now that I am reading City of Bones which is about the 8th Harry Bosch novel, I can't remember details from the first ones anyway!

 

[bassoongirl]

kasar,

I am in the middle of "Hot Six". I hated to put it down last night, but at 12:30 am, I decided that I had better get to bed! You are correct that all the plots run together in the Stephanie Plum books, but they sure are entertaining! I love Grandma Mazur!

bassoongirl

 

[floridaminnie]

Finished Animosity the other night by David Lindsey. I really enjoyed it!

 

[Armyof6]

Didn't see anyone list John Sanford. I loved all the Patterson books (just finished Beach House). John Sanford did the 'Prey" series. I think it's up to 13 different novels. The latest one is just in hardcover. Anyway, it's mystery/thriller and it follows the same character throughout, Lucas Davenport. I've stayed up till 2-3 am finishing these. (The titles all have Prey in them...Eyes of Prey, Winter Prey, etc.)

Also, Jonathan Kellerman writes a series with a character called Alex Delaware, also mystery/thriller. The character is a child psychologist and works with the police on cases. Very good reads as well.

Aren't you out on 6/28 with me? We can compare notes. I bought three books for this trip. Hopefully I'll be able to get farther than three pages before I have to dog-ear it like at home.

Too many kids...so little time!

 

[Samsma]

Armyof6 - the first "prey" book I read was on a cruise in 1997, took me about 4 hours to read Sudden Prey. Excellent book! Like you said, too many kids, too many kids, too many kids, Oh sorry, got carried away! LOL

 

[kasar]

I love Grandma Mazur

Ah yes, Grandma Mazur is a hoot. Also, wouldn't you love to have a Ranger around?

Don't bother reading the Christmas book about Stephanie Plum -a waste of time, in my opinion! But I really enjoyed Full House and Full Tilt. They were a lot of fun, too.

 

[Megan's Mom]

Another good series of mysteries is the Diane Mott Davidson. She is a caterer. They are very funny and they will remind you of Stephanie Plum.

BTW Janet E is going to be at the Mall of America signing autographs I thinkit is July 21. I know it is the Monday of that week.

 

[KerriL]

In the same genre as Patterson and Kellerman, another good author is James Lee Burke. His novels are set in Louisiana and center around a small-town sheriff's detective, Dave Robicheaux.
Some of my favorites are Dixie City Jam and Cadillac Jukebox.

One other author of note is Elmore Leonard. He wrote Get Shorty(made into movie)and Maximum Bob.

Kerri

 

[gdulaney]

Originally posted by shmoogrrrl
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. It is a kids book that they said would rival Harry Potter, but it really didn't. The book, however, is pretty entertaining and I enjoyed it, I just don't think it is necessarily the greatest kids book as Artemis is a snotty little bad guy, but the hero of the books.

I agree. It's not as good as Harry Potter, Artemis is fairly snotty, and it's entertaining! "Artemis Fowl" and "Artemis Fowl: The Artic Incident" were both good books! I'm waiting for my local library to get the third book in the series.

Also, if you like the Diane Mott Davidson books, you may like the Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanne Fluke. I just finished the "Lemon Meringue Pie Murder." The "Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder" is the first in the series.

Susan Wittig Albert writes the China Bayles series...which are also murder/mysteries.

For a little kinky vampire action, Laurell Hamilton writes a series of Anita Blake books, which I've just started reading.

Rita Mae Brown (& her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown) write a great series of books that give the animals a voice (and a chance to help their humans solve murders).

Actually, talking about books and authors is one of my favorite subjects...

Happy Reading!

 

[granna]

OOOps I forgot to mention Faye Kellerman, wife of Jonathan Kellerman, who writes about husband and wife crime solvers, Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus. there are about 6 of these and I think the first might be "The Ritual Bath".

I also recommend Sharyn McCrumb, whose stories take place in the mountains of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. Usually a mystery, but plenty of humor.

 

[carole88]

Lots of good authors and books listed in this thread.

The Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke books are fun because they include recipes as well. I have made many cookies from the Joanne Fluke books and everybody loves them.

Another good author for light mystery reading is Leslie Meier. Her main character is Lucy Stone. Her books tend to revolve around differnet Holidays. I believe that her first book is The Mistletoe Murder.

If you like medical mysteries, there is always Robin Cook. His books are great! Tess Gerritsen and Michael Palmer also write good medical mysteries.

I don't know what I would do without my books. I always have to have a book on me. I commute to work from Long Island to NYC and even read while walking from the subway to my office.

Happy reading everyone!

 

[dis4me]

Do the Diane Mott Davidson books have a particular order or are they different characters. Are they on paperback. I am looking for an author who is an easy read like Janet Evanavich.I really enjoy her books and don't get lost when I am interrupted 500 times.
I read Hard Eight on the treadmill and I was laughing so hard that I almost fell off and broke my neck.LOL

 

[gdulaney]

The Diane Mott Davidson books are in order...you don't HAVE to read them in order...but I think it's more fun if you do. I think that all or almost all of them are available in paperback.


If you don't mind a bit of bad language...but really want to laugh yourself silly... "The Broke Diaries" is probably one of the funniest book that I've ever read. It's in paperback and the author is Angela Nissel (who is now a writer for the tv show Scrubs). Basically, it's the story of how she put herself through college...and boy was she broke!! Even my husband (who firmly believes that if a book is good then some wise director will make it in to a movie) enjoyed it!!

I LOVE this thread!!!

 

[hilltopfamily]

Originally posted by dis4me
I read Hard Eight on the treadmill and I was laughing so hard that I almost fell off and broke my neck.LOL

What a hoot! Glad you're alive and kicking! So glad to see how many others have also responded about how much they like these books by Janet Evanovich. I got Hard Eight on audio cassette to listen to during our drive to DCL this summer. I hope I like LISTENING to it, as I'm only used to reading the books and thoroughly LOVE them.

I love this thread and can't believe how long it's getting--I'm going to print it out since it has so many great ideas for other books I haven't read. Thanks!

 

[Megan's Mom]

I have only listened to the Janet E books and they are a hoot to listen to. I have to drive across town every afternoon to pick up DD and I listen to books on tape and hers are great when you are tired after working all day and having to fight traffic. I think you will enjoy listening and want to listen to the others as well. I check mine out from the library. I'll probably get some to listen to on our trip I think my dH will like them as well.

 

[kjcolv]

I just finished the book I bought for our cruise (it kept calling me from the bag) "Sushi for Beginners" by Marian keyes, very good fun. light read. It would have been perfect cruise reading material. I'm not a mystery fan, my tatses run to Lovely Bones, Red Tent, Memoirs of a Geisha...currently reading Carmelo (also bought for the cruise but oh well....) I can see a trip to the bookstore will be in order and probably should wait until the day before we leave so I will not have time to read before we leave. My idea of the perfect vacation is to have my children entertained so I can sit by the pool, reading a book with a drink with an umbrella in my hand...ahhhh...