40 really good books I've read, or re-read, recently.

[Lex]

Just in case you're looking for an enjoyable summer read (of course Your Mileage May Vary). A friend wanted me to recommend some good reads, so I thought I'd post the list here too. The list is a mixed bag of stuff. :shrug:

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A Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
Firestorm - Nevada Barr
Shadow Divers - Robert Kurson
Prodigal Summer - Barbara Kingsolver
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Time Bomb - Jonathan Kellerman
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Rubyfruit Jungle - Rita Mae Brown
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
And The Sea Will Tell - Vincent Bugliosi
O Pioneers! - Willa Cather
Roman Blood - Steven Saylor
Double Whammy - Carl Hiassen
Money to Burn - Katy Munger
The Red Tent - Anita Diamant
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon
The Birth of Venus - Sarah Dunant
Shooting at Loons - Margaret Maron
The Good Mother - Sue Miller
Duplicate Keys - Jane Smiley
Handling Sin - Michael Malone
Collected Short Stories of Roald Dahl
One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
Stone Butch Blues - Leslie Feinberg
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain
My Life and Hard Times - James Thurber
Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson
The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck
Naked - David Sedaris
Blacklist - Sara Paretsky
Maybe The Moon - Armistead Maupin
A Year in Provence - Peter Mayle
Misfortune - John Wesley Harding
The Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
Written in Blood - Diane Fanning

[Richardo]

1. Nice list - I've only read about 4 or 5 of them

...and I read a LOT. :thumbsup:

[Lex]

5. Most of it, if not all, is just fun reading.

I have to read boring technical junk all day at work so I like to read the fun stuff when I'm at home.

Several of those authors have written many enjoyable books, but I only listed the one I liked the best.

[Richardo]

7. Of yours, I've read:

Double Whammy - Carl Hiassen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon
One for the Money - Janet Evanovich
Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson
The Partly Cloudy Patriot - Sarah Vowell
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe - Fannie Flagg

...and liked them all. I also like Michael Connolly and Dennis Lehane for my fiction fixes.

[rwork]

2. I was home with the flu one time.

My wife brought home 3 books that I have never forgotten. "Nops Trials", "The Life and Times of Nate Turner", and "Dune" by Frank Herbert.

[Lex]

6. I don't think I've read those.

Thanks for posting them! :hi:

[pitohui]

10. don't forget styron's the confessions of nat turner

it was a pot boiling best seller in its day but is still a wonderful read

there is(fictionalized obviously) background abt the writing of it in his book sophie's choice

both good books but living in the usa south i was touched much more by nat turner's story

[terrya]

3. That's a nice list. I'm glad you listed the Armistead Maupin one.

I very much enjoyed that book. It's based on Maupin's real life friendship with the actress who portrayed "ET". It's just a nice read.

[Lex]

4. I love pretty much everything he's written.

I fell in love with Tales of the City.

He's a native North Carolinian like me, so I always feel like I know him, even though I don't!

[yellowdogintexas]

8. I have read several of these over the years...good list.

These are the ones I have read:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire
O Pioneers! - Willa Cather
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells
Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe - Fannie Flagg
Naked - David Sedaris
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain
My Life and Hard Times - James Thurber
The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

[pitohui]

9. oh those are good books, those i've read anyway!

i was not aware of duplicate keys by jane smiley, i'll look for it, have you read good faith by this author? do! the horse book went on a little too long but good faith (prob. equally long) was perfect

too lazy to make my own list, alas

i'll list a few just quickly

re-reads, libra by don delillo, i'm glad it's getting renewed recognition, it is the story of america in my view

recent reads at least for me, cloud atlas by david mitchell, the sweetest dream by doris lessing, the rottweiler by ruth rendell

anyone who has not devoted a summer's reading to infinite jest by david foster wallace is missing a great pleasure

[China_cat]

11. All of Margaret Maron's Debra Knott series are good.