Recommendations [Books, Novels, Graphic Novels, Etc.]
I'm going to be honest: I haven't been reading as much as I should. College and real life burnt me out, and I've sorta lost my enthusiasm for reading. However, I still enjoy books, and my love for them is slowly coming back to me, and I wish to share my favorite books with anyone who's interested in seeing how my list is progressing. It's going to take awhile to rebuild the list, because my tastes in books have changed and I'm still a sluggish reader on my personal time.
Underneath this cut is a list of my favorite books--not necessarily the best, but the ones that mean something special to me--separated in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Not only will this include novels, I'll try to include graphic novels and manga series for those of you who are looking for something a little different. I hope you enjoy these books, because I know I do, and I wouldn't recommend anything with you unless I truly loved it.
A
Mitch Albom, For One More Day - An alcoholic, former ballplayer's life is falling apart: he mourns the loss of his career and he loses his entire family due to his drinking problems. He decides to end his life, but instead of everything going to plan, he finds himself returning to his childhood home, to spend one more day with his mother, who had been dead for years.
Hiromu Arakawa, Full Metal Alchemist - Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies, which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy. (Taken and slightly edited from Wikipedia's article.) You can check out onemanga.com or buy the novels at your local bookstore.
B
C
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Charlie is a shy, socially-awkward high school student who writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender about his home life, his first year in high school, and his silent struggle with depression.
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List - Naomi and Ely are best friends. To save their friendship from any threats of destruction, they construct a list of men they should never kiss. The problem is, Naomi's boyfriend wasn't on the list.
John Conolly, The Book of Lost Things - After the death of his mother, a 12-year-old English boy, David, is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality.
D
Kate DiCamillo, "The Tale of Despereaux - The tale of an unlikely, sickly hero with large ears, rats, a princess, red thread, and soup. It's about how even the smallest creature can save the day.
Annie Dillard, For The Time Being - From Barnes and Noble's page: "In Dillard’s meditation on the meaning of life, she focuses on such diverse phenomena as the evolution of sand, human deformities, evil and “acts of God” such as tidal waves and earthquakes, as well as on the wisdom of such religious scholars as Maimonides, Teillard de Chardin and the Baal Shem Tov. It doesn’t come together all that coherently, but Dillard sums up some human truths in images that are unforgettable."
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
Stephen King, Cell - Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Basically, it's book about zombies, in which two middle aged men team up with a teenage girl to save themselves and the world.
Stephen King, On Writing - This book contains essays on King's personal life, how he came to be a writer, tips on how to become a successful writer, and what happened after the hit-and-run accident that nearly killed him.
Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon - A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must do battle for the throne.
L
Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird - With a ten-year-old serving as a narrator, Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge.
M
Gregory Maguire, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Taken directly from the author's website: "Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, [this book] tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister."
Gregory Maguire, Wicked - I know, let's go with the obvious. This book tells the tale of how Elphaba, a shy and misunderstood young woman with green skin, grows to be the Wicked Witch of the West.
Colleen McCullough, The Thornbirds - It's mostly about the inevitable romance between Ralph and Meggie. Where's the conflict? Well, here it is: Ralph is a Catholic priest, and he knew Meggie when he was twenty-eight ... when she was a little girl.
Ian McEwan, Atonement - Young Briony Tallis, an imaginative 13-year-old, sees her older sister Cecilia mysteriously involved with their neighbor Robbie Turner, a fellow Cambridge student subsidized by the Tallis family. Due to her misunderstandings, she points a finger at Robbie when her young cousin is assaulted in the grounds that night.
Christopher Moore, Lamb - A long time, mischievous buddy of Jesus -- who is referred to as Joshua in this book -- named Biff is resurrected from the death so he add another book to the Bible. He writes about Joshua's childhood story and his path to becoming the Messiah.
N
Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife - Henry is a dashing librarian in Chicago who has an unfortunate genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel. Clare is his love interest, an artist who knew Henry since she was a little girl, which is news to him.
O
P
Q
R
S
Reymundo Sanchez, My Blood Life and Once A King, Always A King - Both of these books are about the author's personal experience as the member of a gang called the Latin Kings. The first book goes through his days as a gang member when he's a teenager, while the latter goes over his road to redemption.
Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - A story set in 19-century China. It's about two girls, two friends (or "old sames"), and the story of their lifelong, intimate friendship.
Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale - As a famous author who is infamous for lying about her life story time and time again, Vida Winter discovers her life story is coming to an end. Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop, is called on by Miss Winter to record her biography.
T
Amy Tan, The Bonesetter's Daughter - Ruth Young is a 40-ish ghostwriter in San Francisco who periodically goes mute, a metaphorical indication of her inability to express her true feelings to the man she lives with. Then her mother LuLing is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, but luckily she had recorded in a diary the extraordinary events of her childhood and youth in China. Slightly based on Amy Tan's own experience with her mother, who was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Amy Tan, Hundred Secret Senses - Olivia was born to an American mother and a Chinese father. She meets her 18-year-old Chinese half sister, Kwan, for the first time shortly after their father's death. Kwan believes she has something called "Yin eyes," which enable her to see spirits of the past. With her "Yin eyes," Kwan tries to introduce Olivia to her Chinese heritage through stories and memories.
Amy Tan, The Opposite of Fate - A series of essays about Amy Tan's personal life, about writing, about language, and about the relationship between mothers and daughters. She also discusses her struggles as an Asian American and how that impacts her work.
U
V
W
Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Brought up to preach the gospel by working-class evangelists in the North of England, Jeanette is destined for the missionary field, but her high success rate of converts turns into a charismatic encounter with one girl in particular. Love and sex were not scheduled into her timetable, but at 16, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves. (Slightly edited from the author's website.)
Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body - The narrator, a lifelong philanderer ("I used to think marriage was a plate-glass window just begging for a brick"), has fallen in love with Louise, a pre-Raphaelite beauty. Louise is unhappily married to a workaholic cancer researcher, so the narrator leads her into a sexually combative affair. This scenario seems obvious enough, but Winterson never reveals whether the narrator is male or female. (Slightly edited from Amazon.com.)
X
Y
Z
Underneath this cut is a list of my favorite books--not necessarily the best, but the ones that mean something special to me--separated in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Not only will this include novels, I'll try to include graphic novels and manga series for those of you who are looking for something a little different. I hope you enjoy these books, because I know I do, and I wouldn't recommend anything with you unless I truly loved it.
A
Mitch Albom, For One More Day - An alcoholic, former ballplayer's life is falling apart: he mourns the loss of his career and he loses his entire family due to his drinking problems. He decides to end his life, but instead of everything going to plan, he finds himself returning to his childhood home, to spend one more day with his mother, who had been dead for years.
Hiromu Arakawa, Full Metal Alchemist - Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies, which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy. (Taken and slightly edited from Wikipedia's article.) You can check out onemanga.com or buy the novels at your local bookstore.
B
C
Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Charlie is a shy, socially-awkward high school student who writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender about his home life, his first year in high school, and his silent struggle with depression.
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, Naomi and Ely's No-Kiss List - Naomi and Ely are best friends. To save their friendship from any threats of destruction, they construct a list of men they should never kiss. The problem is, Naomi's boyfriend wasn't on the list.
John Conolly, The Book of Lost Things - After the death of his mother, a 12-year-old English boy, David, is thrust into a realm where eternal stories and fairy tales assume an often gruesome reality.
D
Kate DiCamillo, "The Tale of Despereaux - The tale of an unlikely, sickly hero with large ears, rats, a princess, red thread, and soup. It's about how even the smallest creature can save the day.
Annie Dillard, For The Time Being - From Barnes and Noble's page: "In Dillard’s meditation on the meaning of life, she focuses on such diverse phenomena as the evolution of sand, human deformities, evil and “acts of God” such as tidal waves and earthquakes, as well as on the wisdom of such religious scholars as Maimonides, Teillard de Chardin and the Baal Shem Tov. It doesn’t come together all that coherently, but Dillard sums up some human truths in images that are unforgettable."
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
Stephen King, Cell - Mobile phones deliver the apocalypse to millions of unsuspecting humans by wiping their brains of any humanity, leaving only aggressive and destructive impulses behind. Basically, it's book about zombies, in which two middle aged men team up with a teenage girl to save themselves and the world.
Stephen King, On Writing - This book contains essays on King's personal life, how he came to be a writer, tips on how to become a successful writer, and what happened after the hit-and-run accident that nearly killed him.
Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon - A kingdom is in turmoil as the old king dies and his successor must do battle for the throne.
L
Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird - With a ten-year-old serving as a narrator, Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge.
M
Gregory Maguire, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Taken directly from the author's website: "Set against the rich backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, [this book] tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who finds herself swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path quickly becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister."
Gregory Maguire, Wicked - I know, let's go with the obvious. This book tells the tale of how Elphaba, a shy and misunderstood young woman with green skin, grows to be the Wicked Witch of the West.
Colleen McCullough, The Thornbirds - It's mostly about the inevitable romance between Ralph and Meggie. Where's the conflict? Well, here it is: Ralph is a Catholic priest, and he knew Meggie when he was twenty-eight ... when she was a little girl.
Ian McEwan, Atonement - Young Briony Tallis, an imaginative 13-year-old, sees her older sister Cecilia mysteriously involved with their neighbor Robbie Turner, a fellow Cambridge student subsidized by the Tallis family. Due to her misunderstandings, she points a finger at Robbie when her young cousin is assaulted in the grounds that night.
Christopher Moore, Lamb - A long time, mischievous buddy of Jesus -- who is referred to as Joshua in this book -- named Biff is resurrected from the death so he add another book to the Bible. He writes about Joshua's childhood story and his path to becoming the Messiah.
N
Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife - Henry is a dashing librarian in Chicago who has an unfortunate genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily time travel. Clare is his love interest, an artist who knew Henry since she was a little girl, which is news to him.
O
P
Q
R
S
Reymundo Sanchez, My Blood Life and Once A King, Always A King - Both of these books are about the author's personal experience as the member of a gang called the Latin Kings. The first book goes through his days as a gang member when he's a teenager, while the latter goes over his road to redemption.
Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - A story set in 19-century China. It's about two girls, two friends (or "old sames"), and the story of their lifelong, intimate friendship.
Diane Setterfield, The Thirteenth Tale - As a famous author who is infamous for lying about her life story time and time again, Vida Winter discovers her life story is coming to an end. Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop, is called on by Miss Winter to record her biography.
T
Amy Tan, The Bonesetter's Daughter - Ruth Young is a 40-ish ghostwriter in San Francisco who periodically goes mute, a metaphorical indication of her inability to express her true feelings to the man she lives with. Then her mother LuLing is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, but luckily she had recorded in a diary the extraordinary events of her childhood and youth in China. Slightly based on Amy Tan's own experience with her mother, who was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Amy Tan, Hundred Secret Senses - Olivia was born to an American mother and a Chinese father. She meets her 18-year-old Chinese half sister, Kwan, for the first time shortly after their father's death. Kwan believes she has something called "Yin eyes," which enable her to see spirits of the past. With her "Yin eyes," Kwan tries to introduce Olivia to her Chinese heritage through stories and memories.
Amy Tan, The Opposite of Fate - A series of essays about Amy Tan's personal life, about writing, about language, and about the relationship between mothers and daughters. She also discusses her struggles as an Asian American and how that impacts her work.
U
V
W
Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Brought up to preach the gospel by working-class evangelists in the North of England, Jeanette is destined for the missionary field, but her high success rate of converts turns into a charismatic encounter with one girl in particular. Love and sex were not scheduled into her timetable, but at 16, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves. (Slightly edited from the author's website.)
Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body - The narrator, a lifelong philanderer ("I used to think marriage was a plate-glass window just begging for a brick"), has fallen in love with Louise, a pre-Raphaelite beauty. Louise is unhappily married to a workaholic cancer researcher, so the narrator leads her into a sexually combative affair. This scenario seems obvious enough, but Winterson never reveals whether the narrator is male or female. (Slightly edited from Amazon.com.)
X
Y
Z