I'm reading "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen. Love it so far; I also loved The Corrections by him so expected to like this. His writing style and character development are really appealing to me.

Just finished, "Daniel's Gift" and "All She Ever Wanted" by Barbary Freethy.
I couldn't put either one of them down. I think I will download more by this author on my nook. I got the first one on special through BN for $0.99, it was so good, I read the second one. Neither are related to one another, but I like the way she writes.
Right now I started "Unbroken" by Laura Hillebrand, it was recommended to me by a friend. It's one the NY Times best seller list, so far it's ok, but haven't really gotten too far.

Don't laugh anyone, but I'm reading "The End of Normal." I just started it yesterday and it's pretty interesting.

It's written by Bernie Madoff's DIL. Her husband Mark committed suicide over the Ponzi mess.

Informative and interesting to see how the .01% lived. lol. But I'm fascinated with these types of stories. I love biographies, especially historical one's, but this one caught my eye.

Easy reading too.

One of the best books I've read in a long time is called "The Kitchen House." A friend recommended it and I read it at the end of the summer.

I also really enjoyed "Room." Disturbing but just so gripping.

"Unbroken" is on my list. Everyone I know who's read it has raved about it.

Ooo, lucky you. You'll need an e-reader to pack enough books for 2 weeks.

I heard an NPR review for Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome and it's now on my reading list. I'd recommend it but with the understanding that I haven't actually read it yet.

I liked Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese but at 667 pages it might be more of a commitment than you want on a relaxing cruise vacation.

Thanks for this thread. I want to get at least one good book for the hospital . . .nothing creepy or disturbing, and nothing that I have to think TOO hard about. (Could be heavy subject matter, but needs to be easy reading!)

i just read 'a dog's purpose' by w. bruce cameron... it might help to be a dog lover- i don't know, but i thought it was a delightful book and very easy to read!

I loved books by Ruth Reichl, especially Tender at the Bone. She was the editor of Gourmet magazine.

I also liked The Paris Wife, the fictional story (though based on fact) of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson. The author is Paula McLain.

I also just adore books by Jhumpa Lahiri. I think Interpreter of Maladies was my favorite, and also The Namesake.

I haven't read this yet, but it's on my TBR list--it has gotten terrific reviews: Ann Patchett's "State of Wonder." Also, the new biography about Catherine the Great is on my Christmas list. It, too, has gotten superb reviews.

What a great bunch you all are. Lots of good ideas. I do like adventure, romance, and biographies. I enjoy doing genealogy so even a diary type journal is good. No on the horror, blood and guts. Please keep the ideas coming, I may be in this funk for a while.

I will second the recommendations for Kitchen House, Hunger Games, and Unbroken. I liked Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells. I also liked Room, but for me, not the kind of book I would want to read on vacation--it's disturbing.

If you like suspense/mystery thriller (that are not scary, graphic or gory), I like authors Tana French and John Hart.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series is good too.

I recently finished Major Pettigrews Last Stand by Helen Simonson. It was recommended earlier this year by Bumblebeez. I really enjoyed it. Its a very lighthearted, fun story. Perfect for a cruise.

Have fun!
Jennifer

sueb -I read all three of those last year, and enjoyed all, particularly Unbroken. Have you read her other book, Seabiscuit? Wonderful!

Good for you for taking care of yourself! I just finished The Barbarian Nurseries by Hector Tobar. I liked it. I also enjoyed The Hunger Games series.

I recently read another Ann Patchett book, The Magician's Assistant, which I enjoyed a lot. Also discovered a new author, and love the way she writes about family dynamics. Read two of her books and enjoyed both very much: The author is Roxanna Robinson. One book was "Cost" the other was Sweetwater.
If you have not read Loving Frank, that remains one of my favorites, as does Cane River and The Poisonwood Bible.

Love these suggestions! Sarah's Key and Those Who Save Us -- both about the Holocaust -- are thought provoking. Final Gifts and Unbroken are on my next to read list.

I read Unbroken earlier this fall for our book club. It was a bit slow going for the first few chapters, but once the book moved to the heart of the story I was riveted.

Here are a few others I have enjoyed that might be nice light reading:

The Alan Bradley Flavia de Luce series. These are absolutely delightful 'cozy' mysteries, set in post WWII England and featuring the eponymous heroine. She is a VERY precocious 11-year old girl, and Flavia not only solves mysteries but adores chemistry and trying to mix up exotic poisons and potions to torment her older sisters, who torment her. The first book is The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and I've got the latest on my shelf waiting for me.

Bossypants by Tina Fey was a lot of fun, very light reading. This might be a perfect fit for a shipboard book.

Blood, Bones and Butter-the Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant education of a Chef. The title pretty much tells you all you need to know. The author has a very distinctive voice, I enjoyed this one a lot.

My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store-another funny memoir. The characters, both the store owning family and the customers, are a riot.

Before I Go to Sleep - a very absorbing suspense novel about a woman with amnesia. This one had a twist I didn't see coming. Definitely absorbing and hard to put down once I got into it.

Have a great time--time to read is time well spent in my book (sorry couldn't resist!).

Ann

I am reading a biography by Chris Matthews called "Jack Kennedy, An Elusive Hero", very good so far. I am always interested in the Kennedy's. It tells how JFK's mom showed hardly any emotion with her children, especially when she thought JFK had leukemia when he was a little boy, she hardly saw him. And, that Joe Jr., his older brother was suppose to be the high "political" in their family, until he died and then it fell on JFK's shoulders. Very interesting.

In the theme of these forums:

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House
by Meghan Daum

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon.com reviews

The No. 1 ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith is a light sweet interesting series. I also just really enjoyed A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard.

graywings -I LOVED that book!

graywings and bestyears, I will be getting that book! Sounds like my kind of book.

My DIL wants The Hunger Games series for Christmas. When I looked at B&N I couldn't quite understand which books to get. Could someone help me with this?

CAminc,

It is a trilogy so there is the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

I guess I wouldn't consider myself an intellect/intellectual since the only books I buy are decorating books. I 'absorb' every word, every picture, and every idea my pea size brain can hold, and although not necessarily applied, it's the 'idea' of 'what could be'. On a larger scale they're considered useless trash, but I love the thought/thoughts of surrounding ones self with beauty for the time here on this earth, and this is what I glean from the pages of these 'useless' books. ;o)

tishtoshnm, thank you, thank you, thank you!

This one would be especially appropriate to read on a cruise: The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson. Not great literature - just a fun read.

I'll be the fourth (or is it fifth?) for Hunger Games. My 13 year old DD is a maniacal reader. I can't afford to buy books for her and me, so I just read hers when she's done with them. She and I also just read "Perks of Being a Wallflower." Which we both loved.

I just gave DD my favourite book from 25 years ago, "The Bone People" by Keri Hume. I don't remember the story well, but I do remember it was my favourite for years and kept buying copies for my friends.

Last year I read "Special Topics in Calamity Physics", which sounds gruesome, but is really a sort of coming of age/mystery. It is also on my list of all time favourite books.

Love this thread. Will have to save it for future reference and maybe for a Christmas gift or two.

My husband and presented each other with lists of our favorite and formative books and so thanks to him I ended up reading the horatio hornblower series, very interesting read and that might lead you in to the patric obrien Aubrey maturin series, which if you like histories and don't mind wading thru a great deal of authentic detail, turned out to be one of the best stories I've read in a long time. I retread the whole set each summer at the pool. They are both historical /nautical.

I have read so many good books lately that I am not sure which to recommend.

Historical fiction ... I thoroughly enjoyed most all of Philippa Gregory's books with The Other Boleyn Girl as my favorite.

Classics -The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson

The Silence of the Trees by Valya Dudycz

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon was a big surprise as being so good it was almost disruptive to everyday life. These were not my sort of books, I thought. The first book "Outlander" is the best.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO trilogy novels are all great.

Although I enjoyed the The Girl with the tattoo and the others in the trilogy, I don't recommend them to natesgram because she said no horror, blood, or guts.

I like the mystery novels of Louise Penny, but they are about murders so be forewarned. I don't remember horror, blood, or guts but we all have different levels of tolerance for that sort of thing.

I also enjoy the historical fiction of C.J. Sansom.

I wrote down the new to me titles from this thread and I'm heading to the library today. Thanks for the ideas.

I highly recommend Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom. It's non-fiction but he's quite entertaining.

Here's an exerpt:
In Brandwashed, Martin yanks back the curtains and serves up a page-turning exposé of how advertisers and companies make us feel we'll be bereft, stupid, and a social outcast unless we buy that new model of iPad or new brand of deodorant or that make of baby stroller whose price is equal to the monthly rent of your average urban studio apartment.

If that's not to your taste, anything by Adriana Trigiani. I like to think of her books as chick lit with depth.

Enjoy your escape!

I have to give a quick thumbs up for the Diana Gabaldon series. I've read the first one at least three times. Last year I read the whole series back to back again and was bereft after , I missed my "friends". Great escape reading.

Beth p

Love the book threads.
I am currently readin One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus and can't put it down.Very well written and got me at the first page.

I will also second A Dog's Purpose and anything by Adriana Trigiani.

Just finished Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick. He also wrote Hugo Cabret but I liked Wonderstruck better, The book is 600 pages and half the pages are illustrations. One story is in pictures and the other in prose. They come together the last 100 pages.

Just thought of another

The house at Riverton by Morton. There is another but can't remember the name.

kiki_thinking, I was despairing over what to get my DH for Christmas, and then you mentioned the O'Brian series. He'll love that! I just bought the complete set on Amazon & a beautiful book of illustrations to go with it. thank you!

I reading "The Virgin Blue" by Tracy Chevalier at the moment. My favorite of hers is "Remarkable Creatures".

Has anyone read "The Little Stranger" by Sara Waters? Just wondering what others thought of it...left me hanging too much. I became interested after seeing the film "Affinity" - didn't see that ending coming!

This past summer I read a lot of books by David Baldacci. Light reading but always with a twist. He has more than one series, as well as others that are stand-alone (not part of a series).

Rucnmom, I read The Little Stranger. Definitely absorbing--I'm still not quite sure exactly what the 'truth' of the story was and talk about a quintessential unreliable narrator! But I enjoyed it.

Am finishing The Family Fang and it has definitely kept my interest.

I thought of another book I read a few years ago and liked a lot-Cold Sassy Tree. Sort of a combination coming of age book mixed with a lovely unlikely romance tale. It would make a great escapist read, I think.

Rucnmom and runninginplace, did The Little Stranger not give you nightmares? I remember reading late one night and the story had me so terrified, I went and slept in my DD's bed (bit of a role reversal). I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like they were left hanging.

Awm03. So glad! Hope he loves them. Hope you like them too! The story arc runs over about 15 books, I can't believe that someone who didn't live then could write such a complete world, and pob has a subtle sly wit that really entertains once you know how to hear it. I notice new things each time I read it! Oh, there was a movie made. It is lame.

Runninginplace

Cold Sassy Tree is one of my all time favorite book! Have you read the sequel Leaving Cold Sassy Tree? The author completed 15 chapters before she died and then she left notes on how she wanted the book to continue and these make up the last part of the book. Very interesting. I also watched the movie and it was pretty true to the book.

kiki_thinking, I'm sure we'll both enjoy the series. There's a good reason it has an enormous cult following (Keith Richards is a fan). Actually, we loved the movie too, but I'm sure it can't compete with the books for richness of story. And thanks again for mentioning it, otherwise I probably would have come across our Master & Commander DVD & thought, "Dohh! That's what I should have gotten him for Christmas..."

Just back from Mexico and read The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian. Have really enjoyed everything I've read of his; Secrets of Eden, The Law of Similars and Skeletons at the Feast. His stories always twist in unexpected ways and I love the way he weaves in information on subjects pertinent to the story.

Have to go through this new thread and add your suggestions to my list - I have discovered great books from many of you!

I just ordered The Little Stranger. I got it used for $3.80. I'm reading Looking Up by Linda Pressman, and I can't put it down!

I was just reading reviews of Cold Sassy Tree, and it occurred to me that those who like it might like The Education of Little Tree. I like The Peacable Kingdom by Jan deHartog. Imperial Woman or Pavillion of Women by Pearl Buck. Steven pinker's how the mind works. Arturo Perez Reverte wrote several good three musketeers type books. Sort of a funny cyberpunk book that is kind of neat for non-scifi fans is The Diamond Age: A young Lady's Illustrated Primer. And irreverent but funny is Good Omens by Terry Pratchet and Neal Gaiiman. I'm sorry for deviating from The no sci fi stipulation , natesgram : )

Chris Bohjalian, who's been mentioned already, also had a book out of compilations from a column he wrote when he moved to Vermont. It's called "Idyll Banter," and I really enjoyed it.

Right now, I'm reading "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," which is a few years old. I'm enjoying it.

"The Distant Hours" -- (fiction) about a letter posted in 1941 that reaches its destination in 1992 -- is one of the titles on my to-be-read list.

"A Vintage Affair" I read a few books back. Really liked it.

A mystery to go along with your cruise theme? Mary Higgins Clark's "Santa Cruise."

I read Guernsey... for my book club. A book I'd almost certainly have never picked up on my own, but I liked it a lot. I actually picked up a motto that I love and try to live by: "If she says she will, she will. If she says she won't, she won't." Don't know exactly why but I just think it covers pretty much how to live one's life! :).

I just finished The Buddha in the Attic. A deceptively short and simple read, but tremendously powerful. Warning-NOT a happy book but very well written.

I haven't read the Cold Sassy Tree sequel, although I may do that now it's been mentioned.

I have the new John Grisham on my nook and the new Patricia Cornwell (Red Mist) in hardback. Not making too much progress on either at this time!

On recent camping trip I did read Janet Evonovich's latest, the 18 one. Can't remember the title - love those, they make me LOL.

tina