Recommend a book

xgwishyx

I ditto the Robin Hobb suggestion, especially the Farseer Trilogy.

I'll also thrown in a recommendation for Tamara Pierce, I originally read The Song of the Lioness series when I was a young teen but at the ripe old age of 28 I still enjoy them. A light (dare I say) girly fantasy series, featuring strong female leads, certainly had a strong influence on me in my impressional days.

Lyaiera

You fantasy fans should read The Magicians by Lev Grossman. It's one of those "teenager finds out he's a wizard and goes to wizard school" books. But it's written by someone who knows being a teenager involves smoking, drinking and shagging and how if you're a really powerful magician you have your own set of teenage fun to have. It's quite a dark book.

The Dresden Files series of books by Jim Butcher have a wizard paranormal investigator as the eponymous hero and are highly rated on Goodreads. I haven't read any yet, but fantasy/paranormal fans might be interested.

Aidric

Dolbert wrote: »

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami is one of my favourites, it really stayed with me for ages.

Murakami is by some distance my favourite writer. I recommend him to all my friends. No other writer has moved me in the way he has. His capacity to put the reader in to the heart of the story in unparalleled. Read anything you can get your hands on by him, perhaps 'After Dark' is a good start point as it is one of his lighter volumes.

LenaClaire

Candie wrote: »

The Dresden Files series of books by Jim Butcher have a wizard paranormal investigator as the eponymous hero and are highly rated on Goodreads. I haven't read any yet, but fantasy/paranormal fans might be interested.

My brother gave me the first three for Christmas a few years back and I really enjoyed them. I need to hunt down a few more in the series.

GalwayGuy2

My brother gave me the first three for Christmas a few years back and I really enjoyed them. I need to hunt down a few more in the series.

Their pretty cheap on book depository (5-6 euro), and there's free delivery.

Malari

Aidric wrote: »

Murakami is by some distance my favourite writer. I recommend him to all my friends. No other writer has moved me in the way he has. His capacity to put the reader in to the heart of the story in unparalleled. Read anything you can get your hands on by him, perhaps 'After Dark' is a good start point as it is one of his lighter volumes.

Me too, I love Murakami.

I haven't even read all of his stuff either, and I actually have After Dark, as well as Kafka on the Shore lined up on my shelf!

Dolbert

Aidric wrote: »

Murakami is by some distance my favourite writer. I recommend him to all my friends. No other writer has moved me in the way he has. His capacity to put the reader in to the heart of the story in unparalleled. Read anything you can get your hands on by him, perhaps 'After Dark' is a good start point as it is one of his lighter volumes.

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was the first of his that I read, after that I was hooked

Merkin

Dolbert wrote: »

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was the first of his that I read, after that I was hooked

Me too! It blew my mind. I've yet to get round to reading IQ84, have you read it? A lot of diehard fans don't consider Norwegian Wood to be typical Murakami and consequently don't rate it but it's actually one of my favourites too. He's so talented.

vitani

Oh, wonderful! Other Murakami fans. I love how he blends the utterly bizarre with the banal. 'Dance Dance Dance' is my favourite of his, so far. It's a sort of follow up to 'A Wild Sheep Chase' but it's not really necessary to have read that first. I liked 'Norwegian Wood' but did find it to be quite different to his other work.

I've read Book 1 of IQ84 and loved it, but haven't gotten around to the rest yet. It's on my 'to read' list along with a few more of his.

ViveLaVie

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

I'd recommend, keeping fantasy in mind, anything by Robbin Hobb and also the Kim Harrison series. She writes excellent character dynamics

I tried a Robin Hobb book and could not finish it. It was the first book in the Soldier Son trilogy and I found it quite boring in parts.

Aidric

Malari wrote: »

Me too, I love Murakami.

I haven't even read all of his stuff either, and I actually have After Dark, as well as Kafka on the Shore lined up on my shelf!

Good to see so many other Murakami fans.

Kafka is my favourite of his so far. I purchased 1Q84 recently but at 1318 pages it's a daunting task. Nonetheless looking forward to getting stuck in.

Malari

Aidric wrote: »

Good to see so many other Murakami fans.

Kafka is my favourite of his so far. I purchased 1Q84 recently but at 1318 pages it's a daunting task. Nonetheless looking forward to getting stuck in.

It's good, I really enjoyed IQ84!

Hersheys

http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography/dp/1439170916

The emperor of all maladies

It's a biography of cancer but an amazing read.

Oscars Mum

Just finished THE ROSE PETAL BEACH and it was amazing!!

GalwayGuy2

I tried a Robin Hobb book and could not finish it. It was the first book in the Soldier Son trilogy and I found it quite boring in parts.

Yeah, I have heard those complaints about that series. I liked it, but each to their own

You could give her Live ship Trilogy a go? It's less a memoir of one character and more a many viewpoint book?

Although, she will make you absolutely hate characters that your reading, and there are graphic scenes of abuse against women. So, you know, thought I'd put in a trigger warning there.

Has anyone any recommendations for adventure/thriller type novels, other than the likes of Clive Cussler?

I'm looking for some escapism, so something fairly lightweight would be okay. I just read The Snow Leopard by Peter Mathiesson, which was brilliant but not really a light read.

ViveLaVie

ViveLaVie wrote: »

I tried a Robin Hobb book and could not finish it. It was the first book in the Soldier Son trilogy and I found it quite boring in parts.

Yeah soldier son isn't great
The assassin one is great, the dragon ones are great, and liveship
Maybe go with either of the latter two as a contrast, since assassin is still first person guy

clairefontaine

Candie wrote: »

Has anyone any recommendations for adventure/thriller type novels, other than the likes of Clive Cussler?

I'm looking for some escapism, so something fairly lightweight would be okay. I just read The Snow Leopard by Peter Mathiesson, which was brilliant but not really a light read.

I picked up a James Patterson once. Light quick read. Chapters very small. Pretty entertaining. You'll read one in an hour and half though.

LenaClaire

Candie wrote: »

Has anyone any recommendations for adventure/thriller type novels, other than the likes of Clive Cussler?

I'm looking for some escapism, so something fairly lightweight would be okay. I just read The Snow Leopard by Peter Mathiesson, which was brilliant but not really a light read.

I read the Bourne Identity books a few years ago (by Robert Ludlum), I thought they were much more interesting than the movies. They are more about cold war politics, due to when they were written, but I found them to be fun and fairly quick reads.

Malari

I read the Bourne books too, but much preferred the movies

I've just started Kafka and I love it! I'm only about 30 pages in

LenaClaire

LenaClaire wrote: »

I read the Bourne Identity books a few years ago (by Robert Ludlum), I thought they were much more interesting than the movies. They are more about cold war politics, due to when they were written, but I found them to be fun and fairly quick reads.

I've a bit of travelling coming up so I've downloaded the trilogy to keep me occupied

Candie

Candie wrote: »

I've a bit of travelling coming up so I've downloaded the trilogy to keep me occupied

Half way through the first one, very entertaining

Das Kitty

Malari wrote: »

I've just started Kafka and I love it! I'm only about 30 pages in

Ha ha! Me too.

You'll be finished way before me though. I'm slooooow.

Malari

Das Kitty wrote: »

Ha ha! Me too.

You'll be finished way before me though. I'm slooooow.

Don't read this spoiler unless you are squeamish and want to avoid something, but I got to the bit last night where

the cat-catcher starts killing cats and had to skip over it completely and all I read was the last paragraph :eek::(

.

I'm really enjoying the read though

Das Kitty

I'll save that for later as I'm still practically at the start. 11% says my kindle. :P

Merkin

I read Charity Norman's After the Fall recently and thought it was brilliant. So easy to pick up and put down mid-sentence but a gripping story nonetheless, perfect for a holiday read!

jimbobaloobob

The cocaine diaries. Makes for a good read, and might be a deterrent too.

Das Kitty

Malari wrote: »

Don't read this spoiler unless you are squeamish and want to avoid something, but I got to the bit last night where

the cat-catcher starts killing cats and had to skip over it completely and all I read was the last paragraph :eek::(

.

I'm really enjoying the read though

I finished it last night. Jaysus!

Great read though. I love to be left pondering!

Malari

Das Kitty wrote: »

I finished it last night. Jaysus!

Great read though. I love to be left pondering!

Oh, I have about 20 pages left, looking forward to seeing how he ends it!

Dark Phoenix

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. She is the woman who wrote 'Gone Girl'. I liked Gone Girl but this book is way better IMO.

"The Woods" or "Six Years" by Harlan Colben I've been enjoying his books lately.

Das Kitty

Malari wrote: »

Oh, I have about 20 pages left, looking forward to seeing how he ends it!

I did as well, that's why I stayed up til 1.50am.

gnilhsa

I love a bit of lesely pearse, more so her older stuff! Just finished Annie's girl by Maureen coppinger, a true story about a young irish orphan who tries to find her birth mother, really well written!

Must get myself a kindle thing, spent 20euro on my last book!!!

The_Conductor

gnilhsa wrote: »

Must get myself a kindle thing, spent 20euro on my last book!!!

The last ebook I bought cost me 28 Euro. Just because its in electronic format- doesn't mean its any cheaper than the physical paper book. Apparently Apple are in trouble in the US over colluding with publishers to keep ebook prices artificially high- it was in the news a little while back. If you are buying a Kindle- don't imagine you're going to save yourself a fortune on books- you're not.

Malari

Candie wrote: »

Have you read Big Brother Malari? I might line that one up.

Candie wrote: »

You can let me know how it goes

Aha, I forgot about this thread!

I eventually read Big Brother and loved it! I really must get the rest of Lionel Shriver's books, the writing is amazing. It really makes you think long after you've finished reading.

Malari

Malari wrote: »

Aha, I forgot about this thread!

I eventually read Big Brother and loved it! I really must get the rest of Lionel Shriver's books, the writing is amazing. It really makes you think long after you've finished reading.

I read it too, and loved it too. I agree, like all of Shrivers work that I've read, it stays with you.

I've got 'The Female Of The Species' lined up, looking forward to it.