Monday, February 12, 2007

Books for Becca...

...and anyone else looking for a good, imaginative read.

Becca and I were having a conversation last week about books. I started reeling off the names of books she might like, and the list had gotten so long she told me to e-mail them to her. This got me to thinking that there might be others of you out there looking for a good read and had never heard of these books. So, I present to you my list of books I strongly recommend.

Oh, and one thing to note about these books. Many of them are considered "Young Adult" or "Juvenile" Literature, but I greatly enjoy them because they are much smarter, sophisticated books than we had in high school and junior high. As Becca pointed out, "Yeah, just about all we had was Sweet Valley High". LOL!

Some of these are older books that, if you read them again as an adult, you get sooo much more out of them.

Enjoy! And please let me know what you think if you read any of the books I'm about to present.

Title...Author
Twilight...Stephenie Meyer
New Moon (sequel to Twilight)...Stephenie Meyer
Inkheart ...Cornelia Funke
Inkspell (sequel to Inkheart)...Cornelia Funke
The Thief Lord ...Cornelia Funke
Otherland: City of Golden Shadow...Tad Williams
The Time Quartet: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, and Many Waters...Madeline L'Engle
Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)...Christopher Paolini
Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2)...Christopher Paolini

Okay, this list ought to give you all some books to get started on, anyway. Once you finish these, let me know, and I'll be sure to make another list. Enjoy!

P.S. I didn't include the HP novels on here because it's pretty much a "given" that Harry Potter is on my list of must-reads!

9 comments:

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Okay, guys, feel free to add some of your favorite books to my list of "must reads"...

Becca said...

I would add anything by David Eddings. I would recommend, based on what I know you like, that you start with the Elenium Trilogy and read The Diamond Throne first. Everett might consider it sacrilege that I'm recommending Elenium over the Belgariad, but I think it would prepare you well. The Sparhawk books are the soup, salad, and appetizer, and the Garion books are the main course and dessert.

Beyond that, I don't read a whole lot. Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs were interesting reads, but since Harris is sloppy in his writing, you'll either like it or hate it. I'm also a big fan of The Prince of Tides--although the movie stinks and avoid it at all costs.

Kitchen Confidential is very fun if you don't mind the language and plan to never eat at a Sunday brunch ever again.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

I actually have read some of his stuff a long, long, long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away... oh, wait, sorry. Back on track then) Based on the fact that you like Eddings, I think you would like Tad Williams' "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" trilogy. The first book is "The Dragon Bone Chair", the second is "The Stone of Farewell" and the third is "To Green Angel Tower".

Suze said...

This doesn't follow the trend you started with your list, really, but some books I'll never, ever tire of reading are:

The Poisonwood Bible by B. Kingsolver
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Straight Man by Richard Russo
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
The House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende

That's a start, anyway!

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

Suze, P&P is one of the books I re-read on a yearly basis. Little Women is another I'll never get tired of.

ann said...

Becca, I can't believe you "don't read much." I mean, I don't understand it. I don't understand how you can be so smart and introspective and know so much and not read much. I always assumed that was how people got so very very smart. Hmm...

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

I had almost five years where I didn't get to read much - from the time Stinkbumps was born until he started Kindergarten. Is this the same issue you're having, Becca?

Suze said...

I'M certainly having that issue. Sigh.

Jenn-Jenn, the Mother Hen said...

This too shall pass. Before you know it you'll have more time to read, I promise!