verity83: (data books)
[personal profile] verity83
Recommend me a book, people.

Date: 2009-07-21 05:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] maryeve.livejournal.com
have you read The Princess Bride? :)

Date: 2009-07-21 05:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
I haven't! I'll see if the library has it. I'm dying for something to read besides pregnancy books. LOL

Date: 2009-07-21 05:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] maryeve.livejournal.com
lol! i'm sure they could get it for you, if they don't have it! :)

Date: 2009-07-21 06:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
They could, but they charge for it because they're not part of a system. Which is really annoying.

I bet I could probably find a cheap copy at the used bookstore, though.

Date: 2009-07-21 08:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] maryeve.livejournal.com
a fee!? well that's just wrong! i hope you can find it! :D

Date: 2009-07-21 08:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
My dad has it, but I never read it while I was at home. Long and shameful story as to why THAT was. *sigh* I would definitely like to read it though.

Date: 2009-07-21 07:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
What genres? I have lots of fic recs, depending on what you like. I don't want to suggest things you hate!

Date: 2009-07-21 08:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
Hmm. I'm pretty open to anything that's not, like, full of lewdness. Which I'm sure would also be your preference. :-p

Date: 2009-07-21 09:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
*giggle* Then how about trying one of the Morgaine books I keep babbling about? I have no idea whether you'll like it or not, but hey!

Other random ideas are Wings of Dawn by Sigmund Brouwer; my brother really likes this one, too. Or Daphne Du Maurier? I've read Rebecca, of course, but my mother strongly insists I need to read My Cousin Rachel. Pretty high recommendation coming from her.

Have you read any Agatha Christie? I can give you specific recs, since some are definitely better than others, not to mention as introductions. Others, similar but quite different, are books by Dorothy Sayers and Margery Allingham.

Date: 2009-07-21 09:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
:-) Is Morgaine something to do with the Cherryh books you've been talking about?

Daphne is one of my favourites! And yes, I'd agree on "My Cousin Rachel".... I love "Rebecca", but it ties closely with "House on the Strand".

I've read a few Agatha Christie. I *loved* "The Secret Adversary"; the others were Poirot and took me forever to get through. Maybe they weren't the best ones; I have no idea now even which ones they were. I've not read any Miss Marple, though - would be glad to know of good ones featuring her and see what she's like.

Date: 2009-07-21 09:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
Yep! Let me see... this entry explains it best. Although it's rather rambly and functions more as an explanation of why I like it so much, with a review/explanation embedded within.
http://nuranar.livejournal.com/66986.html
Cherryh is the author and she's written a lot of different stuff, but the Morgaine books were the first I read and still my favorites.

Glad to for the reverse rec! :D

The Secret Adversary is one of Christie's thriller-type books; they're inherently my favorite! If you like that one, you should definitely read Partners in Crime as well, the sequel. (There are other T&T stories, but they're later and some are weird.) Others in that subgenre:
The Man in the Brown Suit
The Secret of Chimneys; sequel The Seven Dials Mystery
The Boomerang Clue/Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

I recommend all of these highly.

For Poirots, just try a couple of the earliest/best ones. If you don't like them still, don't bother. :)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (the first Poirot and a terrific book)
Murder on the Links
Thirteen at Dinner/Lord Edgeware Dies
Peril at End House

For Miss Marple, two recs at the top of my mind: The Tuesday Club Murders is a set of short stories. Depending on your tastes, it could be a great intro; however, most of the Miss Marple stuff is in full length books. My mother's favorite and mine is Murder at the Vicarage.

Date: 2009-07-21 10:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
OK, I'm pretty positive none of those Poirot are ones I read. I'll check and see what the library has. :-)

Date: 2009-07-21 08:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladybeth.livejournal.com
hmm..not entirely sure what you are looking for, but looking on my shelf: (You may have read some of these already)

Imzadi by Peter David
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Catherine Called Birdy
The Murder of King Tut (if you like Egyptology) -Bob Bryer (I know this has been debunked, but it is still quite informative. They weren't able to take a closer look at the x-rays.)


It didn't dawn on me till now how many fandom and romance novels I have. Most of my non-romance/fandom books must be still packed away due to the ceiling issue (which is still an issue)

Date: 2009-07-21 08:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ladybeth.livejournal.com
Also anything by Jane Austen. I prefer P&P and Persausion personally, but Mansfield Park is also good. I haven't managed to get through Emma or Northanger Abby nor gotten to Sense and Sensibility. But the first three are good.

Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 08:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
Louis Lamour:
The First Fast Draw
Rivers West
Flint


The good news is that he's never hard to find in a library.

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 08:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
Golly, I've never read Rivers West, but Flint is a big favorite. Catlow and Borden Chantry and, of course, The Daybreakers are also ones I really enjoy.

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 08:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
Ohmyword, I've read nearly all his stuff except some of the later Sackett books and the ones he published under pen names early on.

Just trying to get Jael started on some of more exciting and non-series ones.

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 09:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
Good thought, and I agree. Catlow's certainly got lots of action; Borden Chantry not quite so much. I like Daybreakers mostly just as a stand-alone book anyway. Oh, and Man Called Noon is pretty good as well.

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 09:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
Is that the one where he falls out of the window and doesn't know what his name is or what's happening? <3 that one!

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 09:30 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
Yes! I love it, too! Awesome hook.

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 09:54 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
I loan it often to middle and high school boys who aren't interested in reading. Works like a charm.

(I'm a teacher, FYI, not a creep with fascination for boys!)
Edited Date: 2009-07-21 09:55 pm (UTC)

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 10:07 pm (UTC)

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 10:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
*gigglesnort* That possibility never occurred to me!

Re: Just try

Date: 2009-07-21 08:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
ROFL. I thought of you as I wandered by the Westerns aisle today. I know they have enough Zane Grey there to bury Goliath with. It was insane.

I'm sure they're bound to have at least one of those. I need to branch out and I've never read anything remotely Western. I lied. I did read one once called "When a Man's a Man" or some such.

Date: 2009-07-21 08:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
Stardust, Neil Gaiman (SO different from the movie)
The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck
The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova (weird and long, but GOOD)
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot (funny poetry, esp. if you like cats. Which you do)
Freakonomics, Two guys (It's about economics, but trust me, not boring.)
Outliers, Malcom Gladwell (About what exactly contributes to success)
1984, George Orwell (classic dystopian fiction)
A Walk in the Woods & other books by Bill Bryson (hilarious travel writing)
Till We Have Faces CSLewis (Retold Greek myth)

Date: 2009-07-21 09:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
AHHHHHHH... Bill Bryson. I've always wanted to read one of his books and I never have because I always forget.

Yay, I have plenty of titles to hunt for now when I go back to the library.

Date: 2009-07-21 09:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] betteontoast.livejournal.com
'Wise Children' by Angela Carter. It's the best book in the world ever, and I've got one and a half degrees in Literature, so I'm qualified to say that. :op

If you like classic stuff, Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' was my favourite thing I read at uni throughout my whole undergrad degree. 'The Ruby in the Smoke' by Philip Pullman is a kids book, but I adore it, and the sequels. I like them better than his more famous 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. For funny books, you can't beat P. G. Wodehouse. I'm trying to think what modern fiction I've read recently ... I quite liked 'Desirable Daughters' by Bharati Mukherjee.

Date: 2009-07-21 09:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
Ironically, I did finally select a Wodehouse today since I haven't read him before. I'm always hesitant to get books that are supposed to be funny because a LOT of times, while they may not be bad reads, I just don't get the humour. Like with Terry Pratchett. I've read several of those with a perfectly straight face - just am not on that humour wavelength or something. My dad picks one up and is in hysterics the whole time. We'll see!

Date: 2009-07-21 09:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] nuranar.livejournal.com
It would be very sad if you don't crack a smile over Wodehouse.

Date: 2009-07-21 09:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
<3 WODEHOUSE <3

Who can resist characters named Gussie Finknottle and the various Biffy, Beffy, Stiffy, Tipper, Tuppy, Corky, Sippy, and let's not forget Honoria Glossop!

Date: 2009-07-21 10:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
They had quite a few to choose from, but I chose Psmith based on the fact that the description on the back explains that the P is silent.

This harks back to my Tintin days. "It's Thompson. With a P! As in PSYCHOLOGY!"

Date: 2009-07-21 10:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ruthette.livejournal.com
I haven't read those, but Katherine loves them.

I've concentrated on the Blandings Castle books as well as Jeeves & Wooster.

Date: 2009-07-21 10:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
Guess we'll find out soon!

Date: 2009-07-24 01:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gatherlilacs.livejournal.com
I second Wise Children- just fabulous. I adore Angela Carter in general. For a classic of 1930s self-deprecating British humour, I recommend The Diary of a Provincial Lady by EM Delafield (the way it's done as a diary makes it very easy to dip in and out of depending on your attention span) and Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson.

Date: 2009-07-24 02:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] butterbobbin.livejournal.com
I'll add those to my list!

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