can anyone suggest good books?

Question

just for pleasure reading, please give me the title and maybe a little about what the book is about.

i don't usually read for fun, but i feel like i should broaden my horizons and get into it. so all suggestions are welcome because i'm not really particular at this point, i don't really know what i want to read.

i'm 22.

i don't really want to read anything that has a movie to go along with it, because i've probably seen the movie and that just ruins which ever on you get to second (the book or the movie).

right now i have a book on communicating and relationships that i heard about in one of my classes. it's okay but not quite THAT interesting. i want something more for pleasure and not like i'm learning about something.

Answer 1

Well, here are some of my favorites, and I'm not a huge fan or reading either.

Mitch Album: The Five People You Meet In Heven, Tuesday's with Morrie, and For One More Day. <-- These books will open your eyes to the world. They will make you laugh and cry. I love Mitch Album because of his thoughtful enotion he puts into it. You should read Tuesdays with Morrie first. They arn;t a series, thats just the best one. It was requied for me to read it in school and I hate required reading books, but this one was so amazing. (It's also a move...and so is 5 people you meet in heaven....not nearly as good as the books though)

Louis Sachar: Holes <-- A classic! It's about this boy who was caught stealing a famous persons sneakers. His dad is an inventor. This boy says he isnt guilty...then gets sent off to this boys camp where all they have to do all day is dig a five foot by five foot hole. It's in the center of a dried up lake and the councelor is a mean old woman who is really just looking for her burried treasure. It's a great story cause, every little fact you find out has to do with something else, so in the end...the entire story makes sence. Also, the best part about it is how the history if the lake that they are on is explained everyother chapter. You'd think it would get confusing that way, but really it helps strengthen the storys plot line. Anywas, I'm not a big independent reader, but I've read this book 3 times all the way through, so it's deff. got to be good! hah.

Emily Franklin: All you need is Love <-- This book explained my life. haha, no but really? This book is actually the 5thin a set of series. I havent read the others yet, but gosh I can't wait to get started! It's about a senior in highschool girl who has friends, drama, boys, teachers...the usual life...but the way she speaks just blows your mind. I loved it very much!

Louise Rennison: Angus, Thongs and full-frontal snogging. <-- Funnny! I don't remember a lot about it, but I remember it being a great book just because of how it was written. It's written like the girl, Georgia's, journal. She tells about her days and her weirdo family. It's a great summer book.

I don't know the author of this one, but it's called "The 12 little enveolpes". I loved this book, again, because it's about a teenage girl who find love in a different country. But!! Her goal is to follow her Aunts rules. Her Aunt set up 12 elvelopes sending her across the world...by her self. I first thought it was a little impractical, but you really get caught up in her travels and troubles.

Answer 2

Try Jean Aule's - Earth's Children series!

Clan of the Cave Bear
Valley of the Horses
The Mammoth Hunters
Plains of Passage
Shelters of Stone

The series revolves around a young girl who lost her family during an earthquake (back in prehistoric times). She is rescued and raised by a clan of people (?) and has experiences throughout her life and travels that are so fantastically described by the author. I would find myself almost living in her time when I read the books. They are quite thick and it may take you a while before you get into the swing of things. However .... once you've read the first book and enjoyed it .... you'll want to know what happens during the rest of this girls life.

This will teach you about the past but only casually ... the story is still about these ancient people. The author's research was marvelous and the story very plausible!

Happy reading ~ and if you do decide to read at least one book ~ I would love to hear what you thought of it! =}

Answer 3

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is an awesome book. Just don't see any of the movies which all give a bad impression of this very dark and emotional story.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Aleixandre Dumas if you don't mind that it's really long but an amazing adventure story.

If you're into fantasy then you can't go wrong with the Draonlance Chronicles trilogy and the Legend's trilogy.

If you want some science fiction the Dune by Frank Herbert is simply amazing.

Anne Rice's Vampire books are really good. Interview of the vampire is excellent. I read up to Tale of the Body thief but stopped there because the stories seemed to be losing steam. But the first 3 are really good.

Answer 4

Emily Ever After by Dayton
The Blue Bottle Club by Stokes
The House on Blossom Street by Macomber
Bookends by Higgs
The Joy Luck Club by Tan
A Walk to Remember by Sparks
Christy by Marshall
A Room of My Own by Tatlock
Marley and Me by Grogan
A Dog's Life by Mayle
The Inheritance by Alcott
The Locket by Evans
Cheaper by the Dozen by Gilbreth
The Sister Circle by Moser
Dove in the Window by Fowler
The Unexpected Mrs. Polifax by Gilman
A Groom Worth Waiting For by Stovall
A Gown of Spanish Lace by Oke
The Great Divide by Bunn
Big Stone Gap by Trigiani
The Shunning by Lewis
Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck

Sorry, I know a lot of these are also films. It seems like most good books get turned into films.

Answer 5

Try Dead Until Dark (book 1 of the Southern Vampire Series) by Charlaine Harris. A bar waitress in backwater Louisiana is totally average EXCEPT she's a telepath. When a vampire shows up in their small town, romance & mystery do, too. It's an easy read and really funny if you can get into that type of genre. (contemporary fantasy)

Answer 6

The Drifter by James Michener (or almost any of his book)
The drifter is about a group of young people during the Vietnam war who meet up and travel together. One is dodging the draft, one got in trouble with the law - I think he was a black panther, one is a poor little rich girl, one is a Jewish boy wondering if he should be fight in Isreal etc.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - Story of a family in the times of the war between Maude and Stephen of England.

Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt - story of his life growing up in Ireland. It's a sad story but it does have a few laughs. 'Tis and Teacher Man are the sequels they are good as well.

The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver - Story of a missionary family in the Congo (I think it was) who were totally unprepared and their trials and tribulations. Very interesting as it is written from the point of view of the various family members. One writes backward so it takes a little patience.

A Fine Balance by Rohan Mistry an excellent book about India in the 1970's which follows the life of 4 people and how their lives become interwoven. Some parts are extremely sad even disturbing but then maybe I'm just too sensitive.

Answer 7

You might read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by the same guy who wrote "The Kite Runner" (Khaled Housseini or something like that.) It's a book that is hard to put down. It gives you some insight into Afghanistan and the problems it has had and still face. And, if you're a woman, it makes you so thankful that you live in a part of the world that doesn't treat its women as lesser creatures than dogs. It really is interesting AND it's become a fairly common topic of conversation as a lot of people are reading it or have just recently read it.

Answer 8

for fantasy i would recommend Lord of the Rings to anyone. Harry Potter will probably be suggested by everyone as well. the Wheel of Time series (10 books i think so far) by Robert Jordan is good too. I will warn you that the wheel of time books don't get interesting until about 30-40 pages in, so give it a little patience. The Hobbit was one of my favorites =)

if you like books that make you think, try the travelers guide to black holes. also "why nothing can travel faster than light and other explorations in natures curiosity shop" those are 2 really good ones.

Answer 9

Start by checking out a book that one of your fave movies was based on. Most movies were based on books after all, and you will probably find you enjoy the book even more!

I loved The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, but i read the book first, and really didn't like the movie that much because the book was so incredibly wonderful :)

Answer 10

i am 22 and i love to read, i read every day. any and every novel by DEAN KOONTZ will completely capture your attention and will leave you wanting more. his older work is a lot more science fiction than the more present work, but they are still great reads. the main characters are placed impossible to get out of situations and somehow have to figure out how to save themselves. the books take place in like like 3 or 4 days so you don't want to put them down for fear that you will run out of time to find the answer. they are truly awesome. you will enjoy, i guarantee