Looking for Great Books to Read

there is a serious of books out by Janet Evanovich , they are about a girl becoming a bounty hunter , they are so funny and quick reading, the 1st one is called "one for the money"
they are all numbered in the titles i think there is a total of 14 now, you can look on amazon.com to the list.
good luck.

I don't know if you have gotten this suggestion yet ( since you've already gotten 50 book referrals!) But I have friends that love this website:

www.goodreads.com

My favorite series is the Mark of the Lion Trilogy by Francine Rivers. The first one is called A Voice in the Wind. :0)

Family Fortune by Laurie Horowitz
Alphabet Weekends by Elizabeth Noble

The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (read them in order)

Anything by:
Sophie Kinsella
J. Wiener
Jodi Picoult
Elin Hilderbrand
Anna Maxted
Marian Keyes
Jane Green
Maeve Binchy
Meg Cabot (she wrote teen and adult stuff)

James Patterson
Sara Paretsky
Sue Grafton
Anne Rice

What kind of books are you into to? Me, I don't like love stories and what I call mush, lol, everyone says i'm crazy lol. I personally like mysteries, science fiction, adventures etc. If you like FBI stories, then I would definitely recommend Catherine Coulters FBI Series, I just finished book number 10 in the series, the next one comes out in paperback the end of June. The first one in the series is called "The Cove". Her books are good from the get go, I have a hard time putting them down lol. Another author I like is Harlan Coben, he catches you in the beginning as well. These are my 2 favorite authors. I have a few other mystery and suspense authors I like as well, but these are my 2 favorites. Hope this helped. Talk to you soon and have a great day!

Anything by Jodi Picoult!

Hi J.,

I am a huge reader, and I keep lists of the books that I read. Tell me what types you like to read, and I'll see if I have any that match up.

I read non-fiction: social/psychology, health, religion, bible studies, politics, biography/personal experience, finance. I majored in American Literature, and also highly recommend Charles Dickens, especially A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations.

C.

If you're a dog lover, you could try Marley and Me - very funny and sad in parts too.
A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson or most of his other travel books.
Just a few ideas.

Hi J.,

You don't mention what sort of books you like so I don't know if what I suggest would suit you but here goes. I am an avid reader of Stephan King, so any/all of his books. I also have gotten into books by Deane Koontz, again any/all, tho I favor the Odd Thomas series (Odd Thomas, Brother Odd etc... there are 4 of them out now). Hope this helps! BTW I live in the Highlands Ranch area, if you are close email me at ____@____.com, I'd be happy to pass some books on to you!

Eat, Pray, Love by Elisabeth Gilbert. Its a wonderful book and not religious (I thought it might be when I got it)

I recommend anything by Nicholas Sparks. The Gaurdian, The Notebook, The Wedding is part 2. There are so many to choose from. All wonderful.

J.,
I loved the book called "Memoirs of a Geisha". Another one is called "One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd" by Jim Fergus, J. Will Dodd. This one is really cool.
Hey! I bet you can also give me some recommendations on books.
:)
A..

Hi J.,
Well personally, I love the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer, although I was very hesitant at first. Easy, fun and addictive reads. My favorite all time is Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. Anything at all by Nicolas Sparks or Jodi Picoult. One of my most favorite authors, where I actually laugh out loud while reading is Jennifer Weiner, she is a wonderful and talented writer. Very enjoyable, she wrote Good in Bed, In Her Shoes and many more enjoyable reads. The Mermaid Chair and the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, all great reads in my opinion.
For a little suspense, I love Patricia Cornwell and her Dr Kay Scarpetta series. Just make sure you start with the first one, there is quite a few in the series and there is background of all of the characters that begins in the first book.
I do also love, www.goodreads.com, where many share their favorites.
Good luck and happy reading.

The Kite Runner and The Thousand Splendid Suns. I am about to start Christ the Lord by Anne Rice.

I just finished Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Steve Arterburn. An amazing book for any woman to read. It was a great story.

Happy reading!

D.

Hi Josie!

Pope Joan
Kite Runner
Glass Castle
Slave
Black and White
Mutant Message Down Under

If you're looking for great reads for your kids, try my website:

www.justuzbooks.com

Cheers! P.

Lori Snelling is great and so is Diane Gabaldon. I've loved everything I've read by both of these ladies.

Lori Snelling is a Christian author. Diane Gabaldon is historical fiction.

Both great reads!!

C.

Philippa Gregory - The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance - historial fiction - juicy and fun and educational stuff about King Henry the 8ths wives ;)

Here's some really great memoirs:
I just finished "Beautiful Boy" by David Sheff and I'm now reading the book by his son Nic Sheff called "Tweak"
Others memoirs I recommend are:

The Glass Castle
BlackBird
A Child Called It-trilogy
Running With Scissors
Dry

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I loved it!

Seriously, read "Freakonomics" by Steven B. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. Soooo funny and informative. It's the kind of book where you'll be reading it and you'll be like "Hey Honey, listen to this...", then proceed to read passages to your husband, who will then want to read it himself when you're done. Also, I really liked "Set This House In Order" by Matt Ruff, about a multiple personality patient whose identities coexist together, as if in an apartment building or something. It's just a really cool book and highly entertaining. And on the lighter side, anything by Philippa Gregory, who wrote "The Other Boleyn Girl" (which is also an awesome book). I never saw the movie, but I imagine it was nowhere near as good as the read. Happy reading!!

I read a lot, almost anything and everything, although the last few years I have been reading a lot of paranormal books (vampires and werewolves) my oldest DD started me reading them. But I also have tried and true books that I have been reading for years. Here are my favorites..

1. Patricia Cormwell, the Kay Scarpetta series, someone suggested it and it is my favorite series.
2. Tami Hoag, any and all, but her Elena Estes is my favorite.
3.Laurell.K.Hamilton, Anita Blake, Vampire Exicutioner, The first eight are her best, the next 5 are slightly discriptive in there "love" scenes, but fit into the plot, The next 2 start to tone it down, But if nothing else read the first 8. She is my Superhero!
4.Patricia Briggs, Mecedes Thompson series, The first is called Mooncalled, and then there are 2 more, Great Books.
5. Young kids Series, I love the Chronicles of Ancient Darkenss, by Paver, Starting with Wolf Brother, me and my kids enjoyed this series.
6. One I just started is the Vampires Seduction,by Raven Hart, have no clue why they named it that there is no "real" seduction in it, I am ordering the next 3 today, beware the first 50 pages are SLOW, but get really good after that.

I could go on forever, between my DD and myself we have over 300 books. So if anyone wants more ideas let us know!

my two top favorites are Moby Dick and Lord of the Rings series

J., I love Stephenie Meyers as well - the Twilight series is awesome (and they're making a movie out of it); she also released a new adult book this month called "The Host" - I haven't finished it yet, but I can't put it down for very long! :o)

Also, Elantris by Brandon Sanderson is very good. He also has a series called Mistborn that looks like it should be a good one (haven't read that yet, it's sitting in the pile by the bed...)

And last, but not least... Sophie Kinsella does the Shopaholic series which is hilarious! It's a great "beach" read...

eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert is wonderful!

Fannie Flagg has some excellent books. She wrote Fried Green Tomatoes.She has 3 other books out, of which I have read 2."Standing in the Rainbow " is one of them . "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven" is another. Both are good, but my favorite is "Can't Wait..."

Check out www.goodreads.com - it is great place to find whats popular in books. You can invite your friends (similar to mamasource) and see what they are reading and what they recommend. I love it!

Good Luck!

my husband bought me the twilight books and I love them, have lent them to several people who all love them. They are so good you might get addicted though.

My most recent good read are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Spendid Suns. Also Barack Obama's Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope.

I have been reading lots and love Goodreads, but prefer Shelfari, another great way to connect. Here are my favorites that I would recommend: Night by Ellie Wiesel (warning- true story about the holocast; These is my Words by Nancy Turner; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See; Three Cups of Tea by Mortensen; Peace Like a River by Leif Enger; The Alchemist by Coelho. I have to say also that the Twilight series is amazing for Meyer's creativity and imagination and that no one I know has ever regretted reading them. Kiterunner has been suggested to you, but I know people who hate that book because it was too depressing. I did like it, but wouldn't recommend it for that reason.

I don't know what your type of book is, but I've recently enjoyed "Water for Elephants", "A Thousand Spendid Suns", and am currently reading "Three Cups of Tea". All have been wonderful!! Enjoy!

This summer I've been reading all the books I've been hearing other people talk about for years - and I'm loving all of them. "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett (renaissance period fiction - great!), "The Secret Life of Bees" (sorry, forget the author's name - sue something), and I've just started the first of the Harry Potter books and am loving it, too! I can also recommmend one of my all-time favorites "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden. Happy reading!

As an avid reader, I'm thrilled to recommend books. I have no idea what genre you like but I'll give it a try!
Cute, make you feel good books (but NOT cheesey or stupid): Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas, Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler, All the books (starting with Big Stone Gap) by Adrianna Trigaiani; Too Close to the Falls can't remember the author but it was wonderful, with great characters and I laughed so hard). Beginner's Luck by Laura Pederson! Oh, I can't leave out The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

More Serious but beautifully written:It's All Over but the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg, fantastic. He also has 2 more books that are incredible. A true Southern storyteller. ; Year of Wonders (about a brave woman during the plague in England).

2 MUST reads for every American, in my opinion:
both books by Khaled Hosseni: Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns

Sorry for the long list and I didn't even include any classic novels!
Let me know if you need more. I love to talk about good books!

By all means AVOID the "Twilight" series, they are written for 14 year old girls, the writing is juvenile and it drove me crazy how the main character is only attracted to the vampire guy for his looks. There is absolutely no substance to these books.

Happy Reading!

I have been reading books by Ben Mikelsen and he is a great writer for Children's books but I have really enjoyed reading them. If you go to his web site you can order them through him cheaper then at Barnes and Nobles, or any where eles for that matter.

I love Danielle Steele books also, and of course there are millions of devotional books and books on the gospel that are very good. I love to read Max Lacado, Beth Moore.

Good Luck
Blessings
L.

I love to read, and always have a book with me. I am currently reading a series of children's books by Garth Nix-The Keys to the Kingdom. Very interesting, have some religious undertones, but an interesting take on some things. I have enjoyed all of Patricia Cornwell's books (mystery books told through the eyes of a coroner on a special task force team), all of John Grishom's, I keep hearing about the Twilight Series (or something like that)-about vampires-I have only heard one person say she didn't like them, and everyone else raves-I am going to check them out. Circle of Doors by Ranse Parker was really interesting and hard to put down. Harry Potter series. If you can find a copy-check the library-Campion Towers is my favorite book of all time-but it is out of print (I was lucky to find a copy at a used book sale). I have more if you want more.

I am a member of goodreads.com and have found a few book that I want to read.

If you haven't the Twilight series, those are a good easy read. And I just started Stephanie Meyers new book The Host

I really like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich..very funny and easy to read.

If you want something long with a good story The Pillars of the Earth is a good one.

The "Twilight" series by Stephanie Meyer. So good you won't want to put them down. They are actually Young Adult novels about a high school girl who falls in love with a vampire. It sounds cheesy, but it's anything but cheesy. I haven't met a person who read them who didn't just adore them.

I love the classics...Pride and Prejudice, anything by Jane Austin. I loved Wives and Daughters. if you like this type of books I can give you more of my favs. as well.

J.,
I have some books I could suggest, I just don't know what type of books you enjoy. Here are two book reading networking groups you may wish to join: http://www.goodreads.com/
http://www.shelfari.com/
Have an enjoyable time reading
with Joy, C.

I am also a SAHM with two daughters ages 5 and 5 mos. One of the best books I have ever read on parenting is "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" It is full of great insight into what girls need and what they are up against in life. It has changed the way I see my daughter and my husband!
J.

What kind of books do you like?

I absolutely loved These Is My Words by Nancy Turner. (And the other books by the same author.) The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was a good book also.

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
by Eckhart Tolle

This is a deep read, but if you're into spirituality and personal growth it will be life changing for you. It has been featured on Oprah's website for a while now. You can watch recorded study sessions with the author and Oprah as they go through the book. Excellent read.

Something Borrowed
Something Blue
2 different books that read together. They are so much fun to read! I forgot who wrote them...maybe Emily Griffen?
She also wrote Baby Proof and Love the One Your With.

I absolutely love the Luanne Rice books. I have read every one of them and loved them all. They are easy to read, easy to put down and pick up, keep my interest and I really love the relationship dynamics in them. I can't even tell you which is my favorite because I loved them all! Here's a list:

What Matters Most
The Edge of Winter
Sandcastles
Summer of Roses
Summer's Child
Silver Bells (made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie)
Beach Girls
Dance With Me
The Perfect Summer
The Secret Hour
True Blue
Safe Harbor
Summer Light
Firefly Beach
Dream Country
Follow the Stars Home
Cloud Nine
Home Fires
Blue Moon
Secrets of Paris
Stone Heart
Crazy in Love
Angels All Over Town
Light of the Moon

One of my most favorite books is "One Thousand White Women". It's not a true story, but it is about how one thousand white woment were sold by our government to the Indians in exchange for 1 thousand horses. It is a great book and tells the story from the women's point of view, one woman in peticualar.

One of the best places to go for ideas is goodreads.com You can connect w/ friends and see what they are reading, keep a record of what you are reading and share it, and see what anyone else is reading. I use it a lot.

W.

You should try the author Mary Kay Andrews. Her book Hissy Fit is a riot! I love her others as well, but HF is my favorite :)

I just read a series of books that I could not put down. The first book is The Outlander and I can not remember the authors name, but it is something like Gabalter. I miss reading the books!

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsolver (fiction)follows an evangelical Baptist minister's family to the Congo in the late 1950s, entwining their fate with that of the country during three turbulent decades. Nathan Price's determination to convert the natives of the Congo to Christianity is, we gradually discover, both foolhardy and dangerous, unsanctioned by the church administration and doomed from the start by Nathan's self-righteousness. Fanatic and sanctimonious, Nathan is a domestic monster, too, a physically and emotionally abusive, misogynistic husband and father. He refuses to understand how his obsession with river baptism affronts the traditions of the villagers of Kalinga, and his stubborn concept of religious rectitude brings misery and destruction to all. Cleverly, Kingsolver never brings us inside Nathan's head but instead unfolds the tragic story of the Price family through the alternating points of view of Orleanna Price and her four daughters. Cast with her young children into primitive conditions but trained to be obedient to her husband, Orleanna is powerless to mitigate their situation. Meanwhile, each of the four Price daughters reveals herself through first-person narration, and their rich and clearly differentiated self-portraits are small triumphs. Rachel, the eldest, is a self-absorbed teenager who will never outgrow her selfish view of the world or her tendency to commit hilarious malapropisms. Twins Leah and Adah are gifted intellectually but are physically and emotionally separated by Adah's birth injury, which has rendered her hemiplagic. Leah adores her father; Adah, who does not speak, is a shrewd observer of his monumental ego. The musings of five- year-old Ruth May reflect a child's humorous misunderstanding of the exotic world to which she has been transported. By revealing the story through the female victims of Reverend Price's hubris, Kingsolver also charts their maturation as they confront or evade moral and existential issues and, at great cost, accrue wisdom in the crucible of an alien land. It is through their eyes that we come to experience the life of the villagers in an isolated community and the particular ways in which American and African cultures collide. As the girls become acquainted with the villagers, especially the young teacher Anatole, they begin to understand the political situation in the Congo: the brutality of Belgian rule, the nascent nationalism briefly fulfilled in the election of the short-lived Patrice Lumumba government, and the secret involvement of the Eisenhower administration in Lumumba's assassination and the installation of the villainous dictator Mobutu. In the end, Kingsolver delivers a compelling family saga, a sobering picture of the horrors of fanatic fundamentalism and an insightful view of an exploited country crushed by the heel of colonialism and then ruthlessly manipulated by a bastion of democracy.
Lies my teacher told me (non-fiction)Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Revised and Updated Edition
Looking for Lost Bird (non-fiction, autobiographical) Looking for Lost Bird: A Jewish Woman Discovers Her Navajo Roots (Paperback)

Not sure what type of books you like. I really like the
Janet Evonvich "number" series. They are so good, funny,
little bit of everything....and an easy read. They are
addicting......the library should have all of them.
Good luck.

Let me suggest some of my Favorites from several genres
Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
The Great Book of Amber- Roger Zelazny
Jitterbug Perfume- Tom Robbins
The Jerge Series- Steven Brust
Inkheart- I can't remember the author but it's a young adults book
The Dragonriders of Pern- Anne McCaffrey
Tales of the city-Armistead Maupin
Wicked- Gregory Mcguire

I read Lost of fantasy & sci-fi for brain candy but I like many other things too when I get the energy to think after my daughter is asleep. I hope you enjoy
K.

My favorite series of books are The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan. It is fantacy, kind of like Harry Potter, or Lord of the Rings. But in my opinion way better! I cant get enough of them! Love it, Love it!

J.,
Check out www.wowOwow.com for the lsits reader think are wonderful, in the Conversation or Posting (don't remember which!). You can scroll down the topics, on the right, and you will find that these women have fabulous books to recommend! Wish I had the time to read what titles I see.
J.

Check out the website goodreads.com! It is a great place to connect with your friends and other readers with similar tastes. I always have a list of 20 or so books that have been recommended by friends on goodreads.

Hey J.! I am a huge book reader and I am always looking for something too! There are so many genras (sp?) out there but if you really aren't specific may I suggest going to the library and checking out the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They are hillarious! I read those and laugh out loud and my husband looks at me funny. Every one in my family has read them and we all like them alot!

Happy reading!

M.

YES!! "The Bartimaeus Trilogy" by Jonathon Stroud is awesome and funny! Also "Eragon" and Eldest", the "Fablehaven" series, "1984", the series in which "Magyk" is the 1st book, "Inkheart" & "Inkspell", and the series in which "So You Want to be a Wizard" is the 1st book.
K.

I second Three Cups of Tea. Excellent.

If you are looking for something different boy do I have some books for you!!! Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. This book has even been made into a Broadway Musical. It is an amazing retelling of the Wizard of Oz but from the witches point of view. It starts off when she is born and works its way through her college experience where she becomes good friends with Glinda!!

Maguire also has a few other that are good as well. The segual to Wicked, Son of a Witch, plus Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister and Mirror Mirror. Currently I'm reading Mirror Mirror and so far so good. Everyone I had recommend these books to has loved them as much as I have.

Hi J.... huge book lover here!

My short list:
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The No. 1 Lady's Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (series)
Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland

Happy Reading! There is also a cool website called Goodreads.com where you can look for top recommndations and connect with friends to share what you're reading.

R.