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Good Books

Great Books For Grown Ups

I love to read, and used to read all the time, sometimes several books at the same time. Last year I woke up one morning and, with horror, realized that I haven’t read one book worth mentioning in the entire year. Sure, I read a few: textbooks, child development books, articles, technical books, even a sappy romance novel or two, but nothing that I truly enjoyed or remembered. I turned to the well-read people of facebook. I asked my friends list on facebook for book recommendations. It turned out into a great discussion about books, and this is a list I got from it. Some of the books I have read, and some I am going to read. I am planning on reading as many as I can on this list. Please enjoy this wonderful list of great books!

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Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I did read this book when it came out. I liked it, but it had a much more quiter and subtle feel to it then I first expected. I did enjoy it though.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.

Shogun by James Clavell.

The Memoirs of Cleopatra: A Novel. I have read this book as well, a long time ago. It is a great book for those curious about that turbulant time in Egypt. The author does a great job transporting the reader to Cleopatra’s palace. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Lamb by Christopher Moore.

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt.

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper.

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain.

The Husbands Secret by Liane Moriarty.

Little Golden America by Ilya Ilf.

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

The Naming by Alison Croggan.

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I just got the first book at our library sale. Will read it right after A Prayer For Owen Meany

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradlley.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

The Wood Wife, by Terri Windling.

Onion Girl by Charles DeLint.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers.

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. This was the first book on this list that I took out from our library and read. It was different from books that I normally like, but enjoyable nonetheless. My only thing is that I like it when I see eye to eye with the main characters, but I didn’t always here. Dany seemed a bit, hmm… what’s the word, dim (?) maybe. Otherwise, I loved the Ketchum character, and how he caused both peace and turmoil throughout the story.

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving. I am currently reading a copy that I borrowed from a friend. I have to say, I am stuck. Really stuck. I have been reading it for close to half a year, if not more. I can’t seem to get into it. I won’t put it down. Partly because I don’t like quitting things half way through, and partly because my friend says it’s one of her favorites of all time. She is quite a reader, and I trust her opinion in this, so I will finish the book.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.

The Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

Beloved by Toni Morrison.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

Corrag: A Novel by Susan Fletcher.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Half Broken Things by Morag Joss.

Smila Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg.

And here are some of my favorites:

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I love this book!!!

Dune by Frank Herbert. Not just the first book, but the entire series of books. Also, don’t forget books written by Brian Herbert, both prelude to Dune, and the grand finale. The final book was based on his father’s, Frank Herbert’s, notes.

Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. Not just Three Musketeers, but The Man In The Iron Mask and Twenty Years After, and many more!

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. You just have to read it. There are no words to describe it properly.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Song Of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. Who hasn’t heard of The Game Of Thrones. Great epic fantasy series. I wish he would write faster. I was a fan long before it became televised, and the gap between books 4 and 5 was so long, that by the time book 5 came out I had to re-read the entire series. It was worth it!

Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.

Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough. As far as love stories go, this is the one I liked a lot. If you watched the silly tv series based on this book, ignore it and read the book instead.

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman. I loved The Red Garden, but I didn’t really enjoy her other books. It’s all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.

Magician: Apprentice by Raymond Feist. I love Feist and all of his books. It’s a great adventure series. He has written many books, all taking place in the same world, more or less. What’s great about his books is that even though there are many of them, the story ends every three books or so. This way you don’t have this never ending fantasy, which many fantasy books tend to be. There is a definite satisfaction to reading Feist’s fantasy series. Kid or adult will enjoy this book.

An Inconvenient Wife by Megan Chance.

The Help by Katherine Stockett.

The Sunflowers by Sheramy Bundrick.

Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny.

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.