Thursday, June 28, 2012

Good Books?

I have a gift certificate to our local bookstore, and I want to get it's full worth lol. So I'm looking for book recommendations.
I loved the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series, and the Kushiel series by Jaqueline Carey. But I've read them all...Poor me.

So, any good fiction recommendations? Pretty please lol.
Any votes for Fifty Shades of Grey in any incarnation will be ignored--I thumbed through it at the store. I'm no literary genius, but to write first person in present tense takes skill the writer clearly lacks. And yes, I am judging based solely on skimming four paragraphs.

And thanks to everyone for the lovely comments on my last post.

24 comments:

  1. someone told me recently about 1Q84

    Maybe you wanna read the reviews online ?

    not my thing, but the "serious" readers out there seem to think it's quite wonderful.

    Personally, I enjoy the Stephanie Plum capers by Janet Evanovich.

    Also -
    Neil Gaimon's American Gods
    Or Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series - if you're into abstract fantasy stuff.

    Or if you want classics Look at this site

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FA, thank you. And I do tend to enjoy the abstract fantasy stuff.

      Delete
    2. OMG - I have given away the Incarnations of Immortality series like three times (and then rebought it for me). I don't think everyone likes it as much as I do, but I love them.

      Hunger Games was in fact good IMO.

      Delete
    3. Kitty,
      Ooh, to give away and replace that many times, it must be quite good!

      Delete
  2. (Random Lurker who loves reading)
    I second Neil Gaiman anything.
    If you haven't read George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire cycle (Game of Thrones et al) I highly recommend them. One of the most completely realized fantasy worlds since Anne McCaffery's Pern, IMHO.
    Michelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. wlscbone,
      I love seeing it when random lurkers speak up!
      I have been debating whether or not to read that series. It boils down to the fact that I like the tv series, and I have never really been able to enjoy movies made out of books I read--because the books are always better. And I kind of want to keep liking the tv show...Backwards reasoning huh lol.

      Delete
  3. JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood vampire series is super hot. I'm also resisting the 50 shades of gray. I'll probably break down at some point and read em, but...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. reneerose, I'll check it out.
      And yea, I had thought that I might eventually succumb to the fifty shades books despite the blog reviews I have read. But then I skimmed some of the books and they struck me as being so poorly written that I would regret not making a better purchase lol.

      Delete
    2. I am going to second the BDB series by J.R. Ward. I'm glad I skimmed the comments so I didn't double. Third book in the series is the best!

      Delete
    3. I really must quit looking all these up...I'm up to years worth of gift certificate purchases on my wish list lol.

      Delete
  4. Paranormals:
    The Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin (I stole my name from the title character, that's how much I like her!)
    The Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
    The Black Sun's Daughter series by M.L.N. Hanover
    The Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost
    and, of course, Sookie Stackhouse! (books very different than the TV show)

    Mysteries:
    The Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series by Laurie R. King (or anything by her, really.)
    The WWI series by Anne Perry

    I'll stop now before your eyes cross...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jz,
      would it sound greedy and ungrateful of me to say that I think I need a much more expensive gift certificate?
      My mom's a doll when it comes to giving me gift certificates for books. Unfortunately, she's so far removed from computer literacy that I can't say "hey mom, I want one for Amazon because I can get twice as many books for the same amount of money!"

      Thank you for all the suggestions!

      Delete
  5. I'm close to finishing Game of Thrones. I found it hard going actually at times, although I've enjoyed them, but I'm glad that I'm finally near the end of the last book!

    Dee x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dee, like I said above, I'm not so secretly afraid of ruining the joy I find in the tv show by reading the books lol.
      So many great books have been ruined in movie form!

      It's hard when you find yourself in a series and just want it to be over lol. It takes so much of the joy out of the reading.

      Delete
  6. I loved the Game of Thrones books, all but the last one, though I have snobby friends who say they aren't well written either. What else? I read the Hunger Games and liked them too. I read Stephen King's Under the Dome and liked that. I like Nora Roberts Eve Dallas books. I like The Time Traveler's Wife. Some classics, cause lots of people haven't read them, Wuthering Heights, Gone With the Wind, Forever Amber?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sin,
      my former employer, while being a totally creepy jerk, had phenominal taste in books (that's where I was introduced to Diana Gabaldon and Jaqueline Carey, so wrong right lol), recommended The Game of Thrones before the tv series started.

      Have you watched the series? And if so, does it seem really lame having read the books?

      Thanks for the suggestions. I'm thinking I have fodder for more trips to the bookstore than I can afford lol.

      Delete
    2. I have watched some of the TV series, all the first season and some of the second. I'm really more of a book person than a TV person. I saw the shows right after I had read the books, and will watch the rest. They are a bit different in places, but no, it doesn't seem lame after having read the books.

      I like the JR Ward books too. Yum.

      Delete
  7. Along with the Jennifer Rardin and Jeaniene Frost, i'd suggest Gena Showalter and Keri Arthur, as well as Kim Harrison. All yummy and sexy...but dear sweet green Goddess,no 50 shades of anything. Oh, one more..an obscure little series that i've read eight times now, by Adrian Phoenix.....OMG. So hot.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. pepper, lol@the fifty shades bit. I did pick up the book and look at it...But I figure if you can't stand something after skimming a few paragraphs, it's not worth paying for lol.

      Thanks for all the author suggestions!

      Delete
  8. I am currently reading book one : Song of Fire and Ice/ Game of Thrones, and I had to jump in here (although the question was directed at sin). I began reading just as the HBO series got started, but was way ahead in watching then reading. (simply don't have time to read)
    There is great detail in the book, that explains so much. It's hard to catch what people are saying in the TV series, and to stay aware of how important it will be in the future. The book has helped me to understand so much that was a bit confusing.
    IMO, the series if *very* true to the book, and anyone who had previously read would likely be very happy with the production.
    I'm enjoying the book, even though I know what is coming next.
    I too will pass on Shades of Grey.
    I've made note of the suggestions of others, but I have a feeling that I will be reading all 7 (?) books in the Game of Thrones series. Just wanted to let you know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elysia,
      Thanks for the information! I do feel better about reading the books now that I know it won't ruin the show.
      And it is a very complex story. A kid gets out of bed for a drink of water and you miss the beginning of the next round of plotting lol.

      Delete
  9. Hi Lil,

    I have read the Game of Thrones series and I am now watching the Tv series and love them both. I am going to try and re-read the books as soon as I can re-borrow them of a friend.

    I am half way through 50 Shades of Grey. I am not a literary genious but I am totally loving this book. It is so hot and I think I am in love with the lead man..........whats not to love, he is rish sexy and so very Dominant. For a light enjoyable read I would recomend it.

    M_Akitten

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. M_Akitten,
      I think that after all the comments about it, I'm going to end up reading the Game of Thrones series.

      Regarding Fifty Shades, as I said, I based my judgement on a few paragraphs, but I did find her style of writing not to be to my taste.
      But as long as you're enjoying it, I say read them all! There's nothing quite like getting sucked into a story you enjoy.

      Delete
    2. I am onto the second fifty shades book lil, and i am starting to think you are right in not reading them. They paint the dom as being somehow broken because he likes to do what he does.............i don't think we are broken at all, just different.

      M_Akitten

      Delete

Play nice.