return the favor
Hello everyone. How is your Wednesday going? I have a favor to ask all of you. I am going to the beach for vacation in a a few weeks and I am in desperate need of some good reads. I think some easy reading would be best, no historical novels please. I like stories about dysfunctional families, thrillers like Lovely Bones and of course Chick Lit, just nothing that is too cheesy. Can you help me??
Hmmm - I've been reading a lot of historial fiction lately, so let's see...I'm reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen which is good so far. Our bookclub is reading Summer People which is about the beach by Brian Groh. I also read Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. If I think of more I'll let you know. I'm jealous - I want a beach vacation!
Posted by: Jackie | July 02, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center. (I would let you borrow it but someone else is at the moment...) And this, coming from someone who doesn't read fiction. Like, EVER. Loved it!
Posted by: mary | July 02, 2008 at 12:05 PM
- friday night knitting club
- plain truth, jodi picoult
- garden spells
- empire falls
- the art of mending
- for fun, poli-sci-24-esque reads, any of the Vince Flynn novels (who actually wrote some of the 24 episodes...)
Posted by: miss chris | July 02, 2008 at 12:20 PM
anything by alice munro. anything. all three memoirs by rick bragg. and breaking clean by judy blundt. all extraordinary writers, fantastic reads.
Posted by: kelly | July 02, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Oh my! House of Sand and Fog, The Secret Life of Bees, A Year and a Day,The Glass Castle is a favorite of mine. Let us know what you choose...and what you think!
Posted by: Bridgette | July 02, 2008 at 01:01 PM
I just finished Austenland by Shannon Hale. Fun & quick. :)
Enjoy the beach.
Posted by: laeroport | July 02, 2008 at 02:07 PM
Anything by Elizabeth Berg! Every woman should read her book, "Talk Before Sleep." "See Jane Run" by Joy Fielding. "You're Not You," by Michelle Widgen, "Good Grief," by Lolly Winston, "Water for Elephants," Sara Gruen, and if you like autobiographies, try "Finding Fish, by Antwone Fisher, or "One More Time," by Carol Burnett. Enjoy your beach time, I'm jealous!
Posted by: DeborahW | July 02, 2008 at 04:53 PM
I second the recommendations for:
Secret Life of Bees
Water for Elephants
The Glass Castle
Empire Falls
Relax and enjoy the beach! Take lots of photos!
Posted by: Martha | July 02, 2008 at 09:13 PM
Do not even laugh, but I am ADDICTED to the (young adult) books: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse by Stephanie Mayer. I am nearly embarassed to admit how much I love them. Nearly, but still. You should read. They're easy, cheesy, chicky, and well, thrilling. And they have vampires. Good vampires.
Posted by: Mary Ann | July 02, 2008 at 10:51 PM
The ultimate dysfunctional family book by Jeannette Walls - Glass Castles - absolutely amazing story of survival by a kid in a dysfunctional family - I think you would love it Jen. It is in that large paperback format and is a biography.
Posted by: mom | July 02, 2008 at 11:16 PM
I just read "The Time Traveler's Wife" and that was pretty good. Jodie Picoult's books are also current favorites.
There's a web site called http://goodreads.com where members enter the books they've read and rate them. You may want to check it out.
Posted by: Anina | July 03, 2008 at 08:07 AM
i sent you my goodreads profile in an email...lots of great suggestions here!
Love Walked In is my current favorite book....
Posted by: juliamo | July 03, 2008 at 08:19 AM
I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice for the first time. Before that was some Bridget Jones Diaries guilty pleasure re-reads and before that I read a Haruki Murakami collection of short stories - Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
As far as good vacation reads, I enjoyed reading Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. I like the other suggestions people have made, looks like you have plenty to choose from.
Posted by: Sonya | July 03, 2008 at 09:17 AM
There's a new one out by Alice Sebold, "Almost Moon" and of course, you can never go wrong with an Evanovich.
Posted by: Vallen Queen | July 03, 2008 at 09:43 AM
sounds just like my taste!
my favorite book is "prodigal summer" by barbara kingsolver
i've been reading lots of jodi piccoult too.
Posted by: kate | July 03, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Try 'Mothernight' by Sarah Stovell - incredible (ticks the dysfunctional and unputdownable boxes nicely!)
Posted by: Ali | July 03, 2008 at 03:08 PM
hi sis -
i'm reading 'water for elephants' right now and liking it. before that it was 'eat, pray, love' and 'shadow of the wind' by carlos ruiz zafon. oh yeah and i loved 'the other boleyn girl' especially if you haven't seen the movie {the book was sooo much better but a long read.}
xoxo,
aim
Posted by: amy lowrey | July 03, 2008 at 06:09 PM
For chicklit anything by Marian Keyes or Madeleine Wickham.
The Birth House by Ami McKay, but that might count as a historical novel.
Posted by: Rachael | July 03, 2008 at 08:52 PM
My recommendations: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson or anything by Anne Tyler! Have a good vacation......
Posted by: Marina | July 03, 2008 at 08:59 PM
What fun to look through this list of suggestions. Here's a few more:
Anything by David Sedaris (sometimes dysfunctional family, sometimes just dysfunctional him)
I 2nd Secret Life of Bees (but it's a tad historical in that it takes place in the 50s I think)
Into the Wild (if you haven't seen the movie)
I decided I wanted some easy reads this summer and have decide to read some of the youth classics that I never got around to reading, like those written by CS Lewis. Silly, but I feel I missed something and they're classics for a reason.
Posted by: Anna | July 04, 2008 at 04:58 AM
I loved The Time Traveler's Wife!
Each summer Michel and I can't wait to buy the new Jack Reacher by Lee Child... for us that's the ultimate summer reading!
Posted by: Mirre | July 05, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Lovely Bones is a big favorite of mine, so here's hoping you like some of my others:
On Beauty - Zadie Smith
Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan
All John Irving
The Memory Keepers Daughter
Mystic River
Posted by: Rollerwriter | July 07, 2008 at 07:19 PM
An update- finished Memory Keepers Daughter. It's ok, but I wouldn't move it to the top of my list. A bit over rated.
Posted by: Rollerwriter | July 08, 2008 at 02:39 PM
how about 'love in the present tense'?
Posted by: Péitseoga | July 09, 2008 at 02:01 PM
Where no Gods Came, by Sheila O'Connor. Starts in San Diego and moves to Minneapolis. Fabulous. The characters will haunt you for years.
Posted by: jenn | July 10, 2008 at 10:56 AM