Favorite books?

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FrankieHeck
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Favorite books?

#1

Post by FrankieHeck »

I'm in the rare situation of not having a meta to work on and not having a book to read. Anyone want to give me a suggestions? What are your favorites?
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Hector
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#2

Post by Hector »

What do you like? I'm just starting in on Fleishman Is in Trouble: A Novel, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, which has gotten good press.
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FrankieHeck
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#3

Post by FrankieHeck »

Hector wrote: Tue Jul 16, 2019 5:30 pm What do you like? I'm just starting in on Fleishman Is in Trouble: A Novel, by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, which has gotten good press.
I just looked that book up, and put a hold on the ebook. It passed the "first three sentences" test, and looks like a fun read.

As for what I like, I've always had trouble getting into books that take place much before I was born. Serious character flaw, I realize. Other than that, I'm not too picky.

Some books I've particularly enjoyed:

Carolyn Parkhurst's "The Dogs of Babel"
Garth Stein's "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
Benjamin Hale's "The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore"
Hanya Yanagihara's "A Little Life"
Jonathan Safran Foer's "Here I Am" and "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"
Audrey Nifenegger's "The Time Traveler's Wife"
Rohinton Mistry's "A Fine Balance"

I also like Vonnegut. Those are good for re-reading, because I read books really quickly, but I can never remember anything at all about them afterward, other than whether or not I liked them.

Funny books are good, but I do love a good book that is really, really depressing. So far "A Little Life" wins the prize for the most soul-crushing book I've read, but I'm always looking to top it.
Inca
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#4

Post by Inca »

Like you, I do not remember much about the books I've read. There is one book that I read a looong time ago (over 10 years ago for sure). It is amazing that I remember the title AND the author and I remembered that I thought it was an excellent book and recommended it to others who also enjoyed the read. It is Hart's War by John Katzenbach. I understand that there was a movie made. I hope you haven't seen it because I am sure that the book is better and having seen the movie would surely spoil it for you. Don't remember the plot exactly, only in a vague way but I'm sure you can check it out.
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BarbaraK
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#5

Post by BarbaraK »

I found my next book from MGWCC. I think of Le a Guin as a fantasy writer and was going to nitpick the puzzle’s saying sci-fi (*) But I decided to check that first and found out (or was reminded - I probably knew this once) that she also wrote science fiction. So now I’m reading her The Left Hand of Darkness.

(*) I may as well still make an ultra nerdy complaint about the use of sci-fi to refer to science fiction. The proper abbreviation is SF. Sci-fi is a derogatory term, used for schlock, not quality work. Or at least that’s how it was once upon a time, when I was young and dinosaurs roamed the earth. I gather the world has gone and changed on me. But I don’t have to like it!
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#6

Post by SewYoung »

My very favorite book of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. A close second is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I also liked the movie based on the book (Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier); there were some key points that were changed in the movie, but the movie really captured the tone and mood of the book.
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Randy
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#7

Post by Randy »

The books that have caused the most smiles in my life were the All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot. I first read them decades ago and still pick one up from time to time and read a chapter for a small uplift on the day. And it's fun to see how quirky people were in different small populations before TV homogenized us all.
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- Mr Bennet
Laura M
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#8

Post by Laura M »

I second James Herriot, and these are some of my other favorites in no particular order:
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul (or anything else) by Douglas Adams
The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (the miniseries is excellent but the book is actually funnier)
The Reason You're Alive by Matthew Quick
The Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series by Robert Crais
Blackout and All Clear (or anything else) by Connie Willis
A Man Called Ove (or anything else) by Fredrik Backman
A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty (or anything else) by Joshilyn Jackson
Nickel Plated by Aric Davis
The Inspector Lynley Series by Elizabeth George
The Spellmans series by Lisa Lutz
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
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Joe Ross
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#9

Post by Joe Ross »

Laura M wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 7:34 pm The Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series by Robert Crais
! ! ! ! ! ! !

My favorite books have tightly constructed, realistic, & humorous conversation.  The genre is secondary.  I tend toward histories & who-done-its, only because I’ve found good writers there.  Make me laugh and not want to slam the book closed every time a character opens their mouth and I am hooked.

Nobody does it better than Robert Crais, IMO. I snagged a ticket to see him in Cleveland on the 14th, promoting his latest, A Dangerous Man. Start the 19 book series with The Monkey's Raincoat.
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𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
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𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
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Al Sisti
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#10

Post by Al Sisti »

Joe Ross wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 9:35 pm
Laura M wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 7:34 pm The Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series by Robert Crais
! ! ! ! ! ! !

My favorite books have tightly constructed, realistic, & humorous conversation.  The genre is secondary.  I tend toward histories & who-done-its, only because I’ve found good writers there.  Make me laugh and not want to slam the book closed every time a character opens their mouth and I am hooked.

Nobody does it better than Robert Crais, IMO. I snagged a ticket to see him in Cleveland on the 14th, promoting his latest, A Dangerous Man. Start the 19 book series with The Monkey's Raincoat.
Newest Cole/Pike due out in 4 days...
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Joe Ross
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#11

Post by Joe Ross »

Al Sisti wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:00 pm Newest Cole/Pike due out in 4 days...
I am stoked. Have the first ebook copy reserved at library. Will have finished it within 4.2 days from now.

Will purchase it in hardcover, when in Clevetown, & hope to get Crais's signature.
Whole blood, platelets, or plasma: Donate 4 in 2024

PLATELET 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 ENORMOUS 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲:
𝟰𝟬% 𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰,
𝟯𝟬% 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰,
𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 & 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗘!
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Al Sisti
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#12

Post by Al Sisti »

Joe Ross wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:33 pm
Al Sisti wrote: Fri Aug 02, 2019 10:00 pm Newest Cole/Pike due out in 4 days...
I am stoked. Have the first ebook copy reserved at library. Will have finished it within 4.2 days from now.

Will purchase it in hardcover, when in Clevetown, & hope to get Crais's signature.
I pre-ordered a signed book from Barnes and Noble. Can't wait...
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FrankieHeck
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#13

Post by FrankieHeck »

Well it looks like I have some serious catching up to do, but I just borrowed The Monkeys Raincoat from the library. Doesn't look like I'll be lacking book suggestions for the rest of my life! :D
Laura M
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#14

Post by Laura M »

I'm a little embarrassed because I was all "Yay book recommendations!" and didn't read the thread carefully. Now, seeing that Frankie had posted an example of some of her favorites, I'm not sure that my recommendations were at all appropriate.

So that anyone can better judge my list, this is what I like in a book (roughly in order of importance):
1) A plot that keeps moving at a pretty good clip, driven by some assortment of the following: problems to solve, mysteries to figure out, and obstacles to overcome
2) Well-developed characters that I end up caring about, and (preferably) feel that I would like and respect
3) Humor
4) A good proportion of (well-written) dialogue
5) A satisfying conclusion: there's some sort of denouement that feels right, and even if everything isn't happily ever after, at least there seems to be hope for the future

Obviously I gravitate toward mysteries and thrillers because they're the most likely to hit most of these (2 is sometimes in short supply). But there are other books that work the same way for me. For example, the James Herriot books are great because usually each chapter introduces a new problem for the vet to figure out (sometimes it's an animal's owner), and my other preferences are also very well covered.

The Cole/Pike series is one of my favorites in the private detective category, and I'm psyched to find out that there's (about to be) another one! Thanks to Al and Joe for bringing that to my attention; I honestly thought I'd heard at the time that The Wanted would be the last. Robert Crais is great for pulling you in with what starts out as a lighthearted caper, but somehow ends up gutting you near the end--these books wring you out, but in a good way.

Anyway: Frankie, it might not be your usual thing but I hope you like The Monkey's Raincoat!
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#15

Post by SewYoung »

"5) A satisfying conclusion: there's some sort of denouement that feels right ………" Yes this. That's why I like mysteries. So many other novels don't end; they just stop and I end up feeling unsatisfied.
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Randy
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#16

Post by Randy »

Speaking of a series abruptly ending before the finish: Sue Grafton took us all the way from A is for Alibi through O is for Outlaw to Y is for Yesterday. Then she died before she could give us Z is for ______________. That must disappoint some collectors.
For what do we live but to make sport for our neighbours and laugh at them in our turn?
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Al Sisti
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#17

Post by Al Sisti »

If you're looking for a quick, satisfying read with tons of humor, tie-everything-up endings, good courtroom sequences, lots of humor, a great ensemble cast, and -- oh, did I mention lots of humor? -- you really can't do better than David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series.
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Al Sisti
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#18

Post by Al Sisti »

...and at the other extreme, my favorite author of all these past few years is John Connolly. His Charlie Parker series has been building for 20 years now, and while I anxiously await the ending, I also hope it doesn't end. If you like your protagonists to be like Matlock or Miss Marple, this series is not for you. If, however, you're okay with a protagonist who is flawed -- dangerous, even -- as he sometimes does bad things for noble/altruistic reasons, you should give it a try. And on top of that, there is a thread -- okay, a "rope" -- of the occult throughout, as he straddles the line between this world and the world where his dead daughter is...
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Al Sisti
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#19

Post by Al Sisti »

Randy wrote: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:10 pm Speaking of a series abruptly ending before the finish: Sue Grafton took us all the way from A is for Alibi through O is for Outlaw to Y is for Yesterday. Then she died before she could give us Z is for ______________. That must disappoint some collectors.
Matt Gaffney's MGWCC #229 (https://xwordcontest.com/2012/10/mgwcc- ... xword.html) was a Sue Grafton-themed meta.
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Joe Ross
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#20

Post by Joe Ross »

Al Sisti wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2019 7:45 am If you're looking for a quick, satisfying read with tons of humor, tie-everything-up endings, good courtroom sequences, lots of humor, a great ensemble cast, and -- oh, did I mention lots of humor? -- you really can't do better than David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series.
Thank you Al and everyone else making suggestions, particularly FrankieHeck for creating the thread. I will give the first Andy Carpenter book a read after finishing A Dangerous Man, then on to another two yet-to-be-selected recommendations, here.
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