Comments | briasoleil: Rec me a book please

briasoleil

Rec me a book please

May 28, 2006 09:13

Seriously. I need new book recommendations. Though I have a ton of books, some of which remain unread, I want to be exposed to books by authors I don't know or maybe know of but haven't read yet. Because, right now, I am at an impasse. And I'm just not in the mood to read any of the books I own (well, except for Marguerite Duras' Hiroshima, mon ( Read more... )

books, literature, literary recs

Comments 37

eponine119 May 28 2006, 19:00:20 UTC

Books I've recently enjoyed reading ( ... )

briasoleil May 29 2006, 22:31:32 UTC

Both On Beauty and Interpreter of Maladies sound fabulous. And I do like satire, so Company is a likely candidate. Popco also sounds intriguing.

As for post-apocalyptic fiction, I'm still trying to make my way through Atwood's Oryx and Crake. I keep picking it up and then putting it down. But I need to remember that I want to challenge myself and expand my own personal literary canon, if you will.

Thank you so much for these suggestions.

briary_flower May 28 2006, 21:22:04 UTC

Have you read Bonheur d'occasion by Gabrielle Roy? It's one of my favorite books. I am also extremely fond of Michel Tremblay's plateau de Mont-Royal series, especially Thérèse et Pierrette à l'école des Saints-Anges.

briasoleil May 29 2006, 22:20:59 UTC

I find Michel Tremblay challenging to read, because of the use of joual. I'm not very well versed in it and reading it gives me a headache. I've read others by Gabrielle Roy but not that one. I think I might have it somewhere.

jipsy_girl May 28 2006, 22:07:10 UTC

Any of Elizabeth Noble's books. Her first in The Reading Group, which was really good and her second is The Tenko Club. I am currently reading Alphabet Weekends and so far it is proving to be on par with the first two.

briasoleil May 29 2006, 22:32:41 UTC

Hmmm. Interesting. I wonder if I can get the child into reading them as well. She's stuck on her fantasy books and I'd like her to read something outside that genre as well.

nursedianaklim May 28 2006, 22:15:49 UTC

Well, right now, I'm reading Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and The Flight of the Romanovs by JC Perry and C Pleshakov. They both seem pretty good so far.

briasoleil May 29 2006, 22:23:16 UTC

I saw Penelopiad at the bookstore this weekend and was tempted to pick it up. Maybe I should just add it to my Christmas list (my parents routinely buy me a Margaret Atwood novel nearly every year.) The Flight of the Romanovs also sounds interesting.

Thank you!

kitness May 28 2006, 22:17:34 UTC

The Poinsonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, anything by Gregory Maguire (but especially Wicked or Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister), Follow the River by James Alexander Thom. Those are four of my all-time favourites right there.

briasoleil May 29 2006, 22:37:58 UTC

Oh, falena84 suggested The Bean Trees by her. And this one sounds equally captivating. And Follow the River would be an interesting companion to the films of Deepa Mehta.

The Gregory Maguire books might appeal more to the child, but I'll check them out.

Thank you!

kitness May 30 2006, 02:56:37 UTC

Despite the impression that most peopelg et re. Gregory Maguire's books, they're actually pretty heavy. WIcked in particular - it's very political and dark. Only superficially like the Broadway. But if the Child is interested in trying one of his books, start her with Confessions... it is the easier read.

The Poisonwood Bible is a stunning book - one of those books that you're sad to put down. It's amazing.

briasoleil May 31 2006, 00:28:12 UTC

Okay, I'll have to rethink my opinion on them, then. I really should stop assuming things. Judging books by covers, as it were.

Right now, I'm considering getting the child Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Anansi Boys. She recently read Good Omens and loved it. So, I'm not sure what's her level or not. She's odd.