Can anyone recommend a really good book for a mature 22 yr old female? Anything interesting -just not violent?

Question

Ficton, Non Ficton, sociological, religious, inspirational, humerous, informative
Not depressing, sad, drainin
Cheers

Answer 1

Thanks for posting this – it got me to look back at some of my old books! Anyway, here’s a list of some suggestions, mostly fiction.

Jitterbug Perfume (Tom Robbins generally) -- Robbins' writing style is unique; if you haven't read anything he's written I would absolutely give it a try. It's sharp, intelligent, dry, funny, and philosophical in its own way. His characters are memorable, the dialogue great, and he's a master of metaphors. Jitterbug Perfume is crazy saga about some very interesting characters and their quests for perfume and immortality.

Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley -- a re-telling of the Arthurian legend from the points of view of the female players. Wonderfully absorbing story that takes place at a time when Christianity was taking hold over Britain, and including themes of Christianity v. Paganism, and male God v. female Goddess. Lauded as a story loved even by people who don't generally enjoy reading about the Arthurian legend.

The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant -- Biblical novel that re-creates the story of Dinah, a character mentioned only briefly in the Bible. Diamant weaves biblical tales and events with her own characters and imagination to tell the story of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob.

The Sparrow, by Maria Doria Russell -- A wonderful first novel about first contact with extraterrestrials and what it means to be human. With proof of life on another planet, and while the UN argues about what to do about it, the Society of Jesus organizes an 8 person scientific expedition to go and make contact. Sounds like fluff, but it is wonderfully done. Very real dialogue, engaging and thought provoking novel.

Steppenwolf (Hemann Hesse generally) -- A masterpiece. Steppenwolf is about a reclusive intellectual who struggles to reconcile the perceived conflict between the needs of the flesh and the needs of the soul. About the book (which Hesse feared was misunderstood) he wrote: "May everyone find in it what strikes a chord in him and is of some use to him! But I would be happy if many of them were to realize that the story of the Steppenwolf pictures a disease and crisis--but not one leading to death and destruction, on the contrary: to healing."

Roald Dahl -- any collection of his short stories.

My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult – Story about a 13 year old girl and her older sister; the elder has leukemia, the younger was conceived to be a bone marrow match. (Fiction.) Moral issues about what it means to be a good parent and a good person.

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker – great story if you haven’t read it already.

Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Fantastic novel by this Nobel Prize winning novelist, I prefer this book to One Hundred Years of Solitude, for which he won the Nobel.

Like Water for Chocolate, by Laura Esquirel – If you like Garcia Marquez you’ll like this also. Magical, sensual story that takes place in turn of the century Mexico.

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel -- on its surface a story about the son of an Indian zookeeper who finds himself adrift at sea in a life raft with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. To stay alive he needs to use his wits, intelligence, and faith. The author is Canadian; the book an award winner in Canada.

Mutant Message Down Under, by Marlo Morgan -- fictionalized account of the author's walkabout with Aborigines in Australia. Heavy handed in some respects and outlandish in others, but includes interesting details on her experiences with the Aborigines and what it was like as a Westerner to forego what we consider "basics" (much less luxuries) and live with their culture, trekking across the outback.

Nola, by Robin Hemley -- The author's sister was a diagnosed schizophrenic who died at the age of 25. This is a memoir, beautifully done. The author recounts her life, certainly, but also draws on her writings and artwork to consider "what if."

Year of Wonders, by Geraldine Brooks – Story of the Plague in 1666 through the eyes of one woman, the story is inspired by the true story of an English village and its response to the Plague.

Fear No Evil, by Natan Sharansky – Narrative of a Moscow-dissident’s 9 years as a KGB prisoner (that sentence definitely doesn’t do it justice, either – it’s not a downer at all).

The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, by Phillip Pullman

I also highly recommend using amazon.com as a means to discovering new books to read. Between the ratings, reviews, lists, etc. it's wonderful. Or just pull up a listing for a book you've read and enjoyed to see what other readers of that book are also reading.

Answer 2

What a good question, it shows your maturity.
I recommend The Bible, everyone should read it through, to see what it really says. I suggest starting with the "New Testament", & the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to get a rounded view of the life of Jesus. Then continue on. By reading about 5 or 6 pages a day, you can read through the whole Bible it in about a year. It is the world's best seller even today. Enjoy!

Answer 3

Two books by Diana Abu-Jaber may interest you. Both examine what it means to be an Arab-American in the USA today, and both are interlaced with an interesting food/love symbology. Her novel Crescent is set in an Arabian restaurant in modern Los Angeles, and her autobiography, The Language of Baklava: A Memoir, traces the adventures of Abu-Jaber's wacky half-American, half-Jordanian family as it moves back and forth between the US and Jordan during her childhood. Neither is depressing; in fact, you could accurately describe either one as "uplifting."

Answer 4

Karen Moning-The Dark Highlander series.
Jan Koran
Phillip Gully

Answer 5

The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Fiction. By Milan Kundera.

Answer 6

1) Sacred Cursed
2) The autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Excellent reading material.

Answer 7

My Fight for Irish Freedom by Dan Breen or Guerrilla Days in Ireland by Tom Barry. Get them off Amazon. I think Dan Breens one is one of the best books I've ever read

Answer 8

You might find the book'The life of Pi' by the author Yann Martel quite interesting.Its philosophical but its nice to read that kind of books once in a while
Cheers..

Answer 9

The Sword and the Scimatar - David Bell (history/fictional romance)

Answer 10

Garlic and sapphires by Ruth Reichl.
As the New York Times's restaurant critic for most of the 1990s, Reichl was determined to review the "true" nature of each restaurant she visited, so she often dined incognito--each chapter of her book highlights a new disguise, a different restaurant (including the original reviews from the Times), and a fresh culinary adventure.

Rebecca Paisley-A basket of wishes.
Its about a fairy Splendour who is ordered to marry a human( a duke).The poor hero is confused by the woman who will shrink if not kissed regularly,drinks apricot face lotion.On top of that he is harassed by splendour's sister who even turns him into a snail.His cousin Emil thinks that Splendour is exactly what the doctor ordered for the staid ,boring Jordan.

The Cop and the Anthem by O.henry.Its about a young tramp Soapy who tries desperately to get arrested so that he can spend the winter in jail.He eats in expensive restaurents,steals,insults women,cause general mayham.But to no avail.he just doesn't get arrested until...
The Gift of the Magi,From the cabby's seat,Last leaf all by the same author are terrific stories.

Landslide by Desmond Bagley.Bob Boyd wakes up in a hospital with no memory,the only surviver of an accident.He was burned badly all over and needed extensive plastic surgery which was payed by a mysterious sponser.He is told that he's a geology student with a bad history.However Bob recovers and gets on with his life.Hired by the powerful Matterson Corporation to survey land before they build a great new dam, he begins to uncover the shaky foundations of the Matterson family and becomes a fly in their ointment.His accident and the Matterson family have more in common than he thought.

Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini.When his best friend, a young clergyman, is killed in a mockery of a duel by an arrogant noble, just to quiet his eloquent expressions of democratic ideals, Andre-Louis Moreau vows revenge. From that point, through meteoric careers as a consummate actor and scenario writer, then as a fencing master, and finally a politician, the brilliant Moreau keeps thwarting the aims of the aristocratic Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr. However, the nobleman causes pain to Moreau as well, and the time must come when the two will meet to settle their enmity once and for all. You are not likely to guess how their confrontation finally turns out. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, this swashbuckling novel is exciting throughout, and it presents one of the most dashing heroes in fiction, a man who can fight equally well with his mind, his mouth, his pen, and his sword, a man who stirs up events wherever he goes.

Mercedes Lackey's Take a Thief is the tale of Skif, a young orphan reminiscent of Oliver Twist, making his way in the knock-and-tumble neighborhood between two of Haven's outermost walls. Skif is intelligent, good-hearted and creative enough to forage up three meals a day in a place where food is scarce and kindness almost unheard of. After a chain of events leave him homeless, Skif lands in the lair of Bazie, an Faginish ex-mercenary who trains thieves...until he is "Chosen" by one of Valdemar's magical horses and becomes a Herald serving the Queen.

Dragonjousters series(joust,alta,sanctuary,Aerie) by Mercedes Lackey.The setting is ancient Egypt.Hunger, anger, and hatred are constants for young Vetch, rendered a brutally mistreated and overworked serf by the Tian conquest of his homeland. But everything improves when a Tian jouster requisitions Vetch to become the first serf ever to be a dragon boy. His training is intense, and his duty clear-cut: to tend his jouster, Ari, and his dragon, Kashet. That is only the beginning.The rest of the books are about his escape to Alta,how the war between the two kingdoms is stopped etc.

Dance with the devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon.The following review is taken from Amazon

Zarek was mad, bad and more than a little insane, and now everyone wants him dead. But hey, that was nothing new to this loner. Born the bastard son of a Roman nobleman and a Greek slave, Zarek had known a lifetime of abuse, torture and humiliation.

It takes a very special woman to see past that hostility and find the lost, unloved boy inside. Happily, Astrid is such a woman (or demigoddess, actually). Her empathy, patience and unconditional love make the perfect foil for Zarek's personal demons. They truly are a match made in heaven -- or should I say Mt. Olympus?

Savage and Ascension by Kelley Armstrong.Both are available free from the author's website.They tell the story of Clayton,how he was made a werewolf,how Jeremy rescued the feral child wolf and earned Clayton's undying gratitude,and how Clayton became someone to reckon with in his Pack.Told in 1st person from Clayton's view,it is poignant and touching at times and humorous.We understand how his childhood influenced his later life.

Dresden file book series by Jim Butcher.There are 8 books in the series beginning with stormfront.It narrates the story of Harry Dresden,chicago's only professional wizard who works as a detective.He stands between the general population who is ignorant about the supernatural world and the monsters - vampires,werewolves,fallen angels,fey.He is aided by Bob,a talking skull.Karrin Murphy-a police officer and Thomas-a white court vampire.

Answer 11

Power of Now - A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle - it has shown me to disidentify from my ego, through it, I have also learned the source of all "abnormal" or "insane" human behaviour, and through that knowledge I can forgive everyone. Its hard to summarise..