Any Great Books?

July 25, 2008 | Stephanie32

[Stephanie32]

(My first thread, hope I'm doing this right!)

[Stephanie32]

Didn’t see this when I had just posted to you. We’ve had some books recommended around the time of Lincoln and now George Washington. Thank you, they sound very much worth reading.

[stylin_geek]

You had no idea what kind of floodgate you were opening, did you?

Enjoy the reading suggestions.

[Stephanie32]

I didn’t know about Dorothy Garlock, just looked her up and her books do sound very interesting, I don’t know if I ever read anything set in the depression era that I can think of, thank you!

[Stephanie32]

Yes, I would read the book too, sometimes films or different types of remakes can be great but there’s nothing like a book to transport you !

[Stephanie32]

You’re right, I had NO idea! I love reading all of these opinions and it’s like getting an education and making friends at the same time. Thank you, I do enjoy them a lot.

[Dysart]

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel

[LongElegantLegs]

Well, I did without an atlas on my first reading, and just sort of skimmed over the extremely nautical parts. You can use Google if you really need an explanation of a term or location. There’s a very nice site called “A guide for the perplexed” that translates all the ‘foreign’ for you, and reveals some jokes you might otherwise miss out on.

[finch]

The Virginian is outstanding.

I would suggest Louis Lamour’s Autobiography, “Education of a Wandering Man”. Self-educated, Jack of all trades, and avid reader. Fascinating life. I literally could not put it down.

Another autobiography worth reading is Stephen King's “On Writing”. The first part of the book is pre-accident, the final part is during his recuperation. Two different attitudes. I didn't know he was practically falling down drunk while writing many of his books.

[saveliberty]

Thanks, rk!

Any book written by Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector.

[Daffynition]

The PDF version is here.

Chapter One starts on “page 11” … as convenient as online books are, I find it difficult to read them from a screen … I like to ‘hold’ the book in my hands. But this will give you an idea of what ET is about and finding a used copy for sale is quite easy if you like it. Good luck.

[kitkat]

***I am currently reading Dorothy Garlock’s depression-era romances/historical fiction. They are terrific.***

Hi there, Justa. Thanks for another entry for my “must read” book list.

[Hegemony Cricket]

If you liked Ender’s Game, I would recommend that you check out some of the other books that OSC has written in that same series - my favorite so far has been Ender’s Shadow. It’s the story of Bean...

[Savage Beast]

And There Was Light is one of my all time favorites. I don't understand why it hasn't become more well known. Somebody should make it into a movie; it would be a spellbinder.

I read The Sound and the Fury--literally--five times. I still couldn't understand it. When I read Faulkner's explanation, I was even more confused. Then one night at a party, I met a woman who taught Faulkner in college. I said, "You're not leaving here tonight until you tell me what that thing is about." We spent the next two hours on the sofa, she explaining it to me in detail. Then I read it again, and it was crystal clear.

I love these threads too. I love to talk about books.

I thought of another must: The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, translated by Edward Fitzgerald. If anyone isn't familiar with it, the poetry is gorgeous. I've practically memorized the whole thing. Here's a sample (from memory):

The worldly hope me set their hearts upon
Turns ashes, or it prospers, and anon
Like snow upon the desert's dusty face
Lighting a little hour or two was gone.

Yon rising moon that looks for us again,
How oft hereafter will she wax and wane?
How oft hereafter rising look for us
Through this same garden, but for one in vain?

And ah that spring should vanish with the rose,
That youth's sweet scented manuscript should close,
The nightingale that in the branches sang,
Ah whence and whither flown again? Who knows?

Would that some winged agel, e'er too late,
Arrest the yet unfolded scroll of fate
And make the stern Recorder otherwise
Enrigister, or quite obliterate.

Ah, Love, could you and I with Fate conspire
To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire,
Would we not shatter it to bits
And then remold it nearer to the heart's desire?

[Savage Beast]

Uh...angel...not agel.

[JustaCowgirl]

A lot of Garlock’s historical books are set along Route 66 during the depression. You would think that would be unrelentingly depressing, but they are not. However the good guys and the bad guys are really clearly delineated, so you definitely know who to cheer for!

If you haven’t read Curtiss Ann Matlock, she’s very good.

Also, does anyone else like Charlaine Harris (Dead Until Dark, Definitely Dead, Shakespeare’s Champion, Grave Sight)? She has several series that I think are very original, very good, and very different from each other.

[JustaCowgirl]

I think Will Thomas is one of the bright lights in new fiction writers, dynachrome.

I love books that are a painless way to learn some history.

[JustaCowgirl]

Stephanie, if you like mysteries, Margaret Maron’s series about a woman judge in North Carolina are really terrific.

Thanks for your post! I am getting so many good recommendations from this set of replies.

[iceskater]

Haven’t filtered through the whole thread yet so this may have already been mentioned. I’m reading Gone With the Wind right now. Never read it before. I really like it and I’m not particularly one to dwell in the confederate past. It’s long, of course, but definitely worth it.

[DariusBane]

Thanks, have not seen that web site before. Have bookmarked it for later.

[kalee]

Thanks for the suggestions. Louis Lamour’s Autobiography, “Education of a Wandering Man” is on my list to find and read. I am not a Steven King fan. I have only read Christine and The Stand. I will see if the library has his bio, but the Lamour I want to buy. I have had other recommendations about it.