Good Books?

[Crayon]

I am trying to find a good book or two to read. So do you guys have any favorites you would like to suggest?

I wouldn’t mind finding a good series. But any suggestions would be great!

[jerseygirl]

What sort of genre do you like? I remember someone on here + her daughters liking the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. So much that the named 2 of their bunnies after the characters. I’m not familiar with the book, just remember the name. I looked it up to find the authors name and it looks like these books have been around a while.

Then there’s the Twilight series members were talking about recently….(which I also haven’t read! ) If you like the fantasy type genres, my neice is into books be Cornelia Funke and Garth Nix. She’s likely younger than you but has always read “above her age”.

Or if you want to go for a classic – Chronicles of Narnia

So that’s me done, suggesting books I’ve not actually read – bar the last one.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

DEAN KOONTZ !! LOL I love his books! Also Jonathan Kellerman, Jeaffery Deaver, and Micheal Crighton (rip micheal!).

Dean Koontz is by far my fav, he always has an animal in his books, usually a dog and sometimes a super smart genetic experiement dog-lol He’s an amazing author! I’d big time recommend him

[Crayon]

haha Jerseygirl.. thanks for the recomendations of the books people you know liked! That works too.
I am not into any specific genres.. I just like a good story that is written in an interesting way.That could be a lot of things! For instence I like the Harry Potter books. Just for the record I am 25 so I can read beyond that level! I will eventually read the Chronicles of Narnia books.
I thought about reading Twilight but since the movie hit, it is never in the Library and I don’t like waiting lists. Also it will probably be better to wait till the movie is less fresh in my mind before reading it.

I will have to look up the other suggestions later when I have more time.
KK, do you have a favorite Dean Koontz book? I love when a book has an animal in it too!

Thank you guys so much for the suggestions. I spent an hour at the Library today and didn’t check out a single book! I was so frusterated.

[jerseygirl]

Crayon, my apologies! For some reason I had the idea you were younger…not because you sound it- definately not! Maybe you mentioned school once and I assumed that was high school. Serves me right! I read the Harry Potter series through out my 20’s – it was a series for all ages I thought.

I’m a big fan of libraries. Spent much time in them over last few years….then I got broadband internet at home and spend waaay to much time on it! Anyway, I know that frustration when you walk out with zilch and other times you find so many, you wonder how you’ll read them all before thay’re due back. I used to visit the “recent returns” section i.e. the books they hadn’t reshelved yet. Usually all the popular, well read books were there. Also, if you pick up a book you have read that you liked, sometimes they have suggestions of other authors recommended. My local library has little list of authors that have a similar style, or grouped in genres so you could go of and hunt down new books using this.

I’m sure more will give some suggestions. I’m all out – I used to read a book a week but I haven’t been able to do that for a while.

 

[RabbitPam]

We’re big on libraries in my house – I’ll have a book to return in my car, stop at my parent’s house and run into my brother on his way to the library, so he’ll return books for all of us – but we are all Mystery lovers.

If you like mysteries, the writers often have serial detectives whose characters develop as they tackle new mysteries. This summer I started Elizabeth George’s Detective Lynley books from the beginning, and wow, what a great writer she is! Take place in England, and her sidekick, Sergeant Havers (a woman) is a terrific character, even better than Lynley. I just read all but 2 or three, and while they start in the 1990s or before, the latest one came out last year and she’s still writing.

For a cute, light mystery series, I like author Phillip H. Craig, whose books all take place on Nantucket Island, MA. Summer/celebs/sailing/fishing/murder.

No one can surpass Tony Hillerman’s books for mysteries out west in the US as seen through the eyes of Native American detectives. His two main policeman, one retired and one young but studying to be a shaman, are great together and separately. If you want to follow their romances, start from the earlier books and read on. We cried when we heard Tony died last summer. No more of his books! He’s won awards for his portrayals of contemporary life.

If you like vampires but couldn’t wade through Bram Stoker’s original Dracula, try the Sookie Stackhouse series. They’re very popular at the moment, and she’s a waitress with a dating pool of modern vampires in a small town. I forget the author’s name. Fun reading, a bit violent and sexy though.

I’m about to start a Jonathan Kellerman – which will set me up for many new mysteries to tackle this winter.

[Sarita]

I love Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich) as well and Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware mysteries).

I also love the Sue Grafton series.

I love to read – I am also a huge fan recently of the library.

I am interested too in the Monk series – I just finished the first one she wrote – it set in Victoria England and it’s just so interesting.

[kralspace]

Hi Crayon,

I’m 56.

My favorite mystery series author is Dean Koonz. Reading his books is like watching X-files or CSI, you’re not just reading along, you’re drawn into actively figuring out what’s going on. I have 2 shelves of his books. His later stories are much better by far so check the photo on the back, and go for the ones where he’s beginning to go a bit bald…lol.

I love the Harry Potter series, my teenage son and 8 yr old grandson used to tease me for reading them, but then they’d start sneaking my books to read too, by the time Deathly Hollows came out, we bought 2 copies and didn’t speak to each other for 2 days, until we had both finished reading it. It’s nice to have books you can talk about with any age group.

I love to study text books, manuals, non-fiction science which sounds really boring.

Kathy

[hooty22]

I read a few fabulous books recently

1) Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike
2) 1984 George Orwell
3) East of Eden John Steinbeck

East of Eden was phenomenal. I watched the movie with James Dean about two months after I read it. It was a great movie, but soooooooooo much great stuff was cut out of the book. I’m currently trying to make my way through A Clockwork Orange, but since much of it is written in Nadsat, which is the author Burgess’ made up experiment in use of language, its a tough read.

[KatnipCrzy]

Most of my fave’s are considered paranormal romance/ fantasy with shapeshifters, vampires, etc

I love all of Richelle Mead’s books- she has one Young Adult series and 2 adult series- I have read all 3, and all 3 are currently ongoing.  She grew up in SW Michigan and graduated from one of the major Michigan colleges- can’t remember which one, she was a schoolteacher and when her writing began to be picked up by publishers- she began to write as her full time job.

I am a big believer in the library system- and all the books I read are checked out, and usually requested/transferred thru the library.

I also like Rachel Vincent books she writes as series about werecats.

The Sookie Stackhouse books are by Charlaine Harris and HBO started a TV series called “True Blood” based on the books.  I have not read any of the books but liked the show- and for some reason do not want to read the books and spoil the upcoming seasons of the show.  I DON’T want to know what is going to/might happen.

I LOVE the young adult series- by PC Cast and Kristin Cast- House of Night, also Rachel Caine’s YA series that starts with Glass Houses is really good too.

Other authors I like are Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Anya Bast.

I like the Laurrell K Hamilton books- Anita Blake series and Meredith Gentry series- they are hugely popular- but are quite graphic and there are A LOT of sex scenes detailed (probably why she is so popular )

Even though I am 34, I do read some of the YA (Young Adult) series as they are very good and not “dumbed down” for the younger age just more PG than some of the graphic adult stuff- which is fine by me- I read for the story and characters not the “R rating” stuff anyway.

 

 

[bunnytowne]

oh boy kellerman and dean koontz yeah.

OH I love werecat books.   I read one years ago can’t find it again though  about werecats in the jungle  was so good called  rainforest.  Can’t find it anywhere.

Rachel Vincent I just wrote that down.   Love werewolf books too.   Movies you name it.

Hubby doesn’t like scary movies though

[KatnipCrzy]

bunnytowne- I think the werecats in jungle book that you are talking about was probably written by Christine Feehan- she has written a couple in the series now.

[Crayon]

Oh my gosh you guys are awesome! I am going to bookmark this thread so I will never be without a book idea again!

[Lily]

The “Bitten” Series by Kelly Armstrong kept me busy for awhile, and it was so awsome! And yeah Twighlight.

[Sica]

I can second the Richelle Mead and Laurell K. Hamilton book, Vampires, Werewolves, Farries, shapeshifters, Goblins, Pixies other were animal/people, necromancer…. I do agree that Ms. Hamiltons books can be quite graphic at times, but if you go to her website she post an adopt a pet every month…… that means she has to be a great person!      So I will keep waiting untill June until her next book comes out!!!!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Crayon-EVERY single book by Dean koontz is my fav! LOL

Watchers-the first one I ever ready, and I was hooked by like page 2!!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

No wait-also ‘The Taking”

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Oh Kralspace-your fav Dean Koontz book??

[kralspace]

Favorites:
Cold Fire (first one I read)
The Bad Place
Dark Rivers of the Heart
Darkfall
Watchers

Scariest, “Whispers”

His biography talks about his having a tryannical father, but it seems in a lot of his stories the villian is created or influenced by a really monsterous mother figure.

 

———————————

hmm….after looking at some websites I better revise my “balding” warning……
“Early author photos on the back of many of his novels show a balding Koontz with a mustache. After Koontz underwent hair transplantation surgery in the late 1990s, his subsequent books have featured a new clean-shaven appearance with a fuller head of hair.^[1] Koontz explained the change by claiming that he was tired of looking like G. Gordon Liddy.”   hahahahah

Here’s a list of all his books and most have a link to a short synopsis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz_bibliography

Now I want to start re-reading them…lol

 

[bunnytowne]

I was into Anne Rice for a while.  I love her last vampire and first vampire books best.

Oh good someone is familier with Rain Forest.  Now I can go see for her other books.   Hurrah  at last.  I found the author Cool. Thanks so much

[RabbitPam]

The easiest way to read a book series, or author from early to later (or to avoid early) is to look next to the title page where they list other books by the same author. The longer the list, the late the book in your hand. And they are always listed by pub. date so they are listed in order. So you can follow it along to read several in sequence. The title page itself has the date of the 1st edition published, so that tells you when it first came out. A “new” reprint is like hair plugs – it won’t change the first copyright date.

[Crayon]

Crayon, my apologies! For some reason I had the idea you were younger…not because you sound it- definately not! Maybe you mentioned school once and I assumed that was high school. Serves me right! I read the Harry Potter series through out my 20’s – it was a series for all ages I thought.

Thats cool jersey girl! I’m not offended.
I never mentioned school.. but I bet I know why you figured I was younger!
I have said a couple times that my bunny does not like my sister and pees on her and such (haha). So yeah, most people associate someone living with their sister (family) to be young.

[jerseygirl]

Haha… well I also share a house with my sister and I’m 32. And she and my bunny are….mmm, well distantly polite to one another shall we say.

[Author]

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