Book Recs For A Picky Reader (Me, not LO)

StrawberryAlarmClock

I'm a PITA to please when it comes to books. I like realistic fiction (not sci-fi or fantasy), a little mystery/suspense, believable characters, a touch of romance doesn't hurt, murder mysteries are great. I hate what I call "Mad Libs" books: Plug in whimsical name of strong-willed but beautiful female, choose rustic name for handsome but untamed nemesis-come-lover, set in small town or mountain village, sloppily hide references to long lost family secret in cheesy, clich?-ridden dialogue, murder seemingly-unrelated character who turns out to be the tie that binds man with chiseled features and woman with long legs, add Taming of the Shrew plot and Voila! Straight-to-paperback romance murder mystery best seller. I'm looking for something intelligently written from which I may actually learn something, a plot with twists and turns and new, discreetly and tastefully written characters. "ChicLit" is fine but I'm not in the mood for a tearjerker or reading the phrase "throbbing member" at all. So......any suggestions???

Lotte134

Caleb Carr - The Alienest and Angel of Darkness.  They are period mysteries set in NYC - 2 of my all time favorites!

StrawberryAlarmClock

Lotte134:

Caleb Carr - The Alienest and Angel of Darkness.  They are period mysteries set in NYC - 2 of my all time favorites!

I love period pieces. That fits the "learn something" part of my long list of reqs to a T.  Thanks!!

StrawberryAlarmClock

fredalina:

Have you ever read "East of Eden"? Not really a murder mystery but lots of other elements you mentioned.

You know, I should have but I never did.  I didn't love Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men when I was in HS, however I did go though a James Dean crush phase and so, admittedly, I watched the movie but never read the novel.   Good rec. Thanks!

On an unrelated note, I?ve always read your s/n as [Fre?d ??lena], but everyone calls you ?Fred? making it appear that you?d read your s/n as [Fre?d ??lena]. Could you please appease the Linguist in me and tell me which is correct?  Thanks!!

rmm17

Have you read any patricia cornwell?  I usually hate "fluff" books but i like her forensic mystery series.  Just don't read the most recent one or her first 3. 

I just read The Girl with the Pearl Earring and it was really good.

makpar

Just finished, and loved, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

rosiemomma

j.f freedman "fallen idols"

I love james welch his "fools crow" I couldn't put down.

I just read a classic by Herman hesse called 'demien' it is short but good. 

I just started Steinbeck's 'cannery row', so far its good but I'm having trouble getting the kid to let me sit down to read this week.... 

StrawberryAlarmClock

makpar:

Just finished, and loved, The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Good to hear it. I've been considering this one!

StrawberryAlarmClock

rmm17:

Have you read any patricia cornwell?  I usually hate "fluff" books but i like her forensic mystery series.  Just don't read the most recent one or her first 3. 

I just read The Girl with the Pearl Earring and it was really good.

My mom has all of her books. I will borrow the 4th one to start. Thanks!

StrawberryAlarmClock

rosiemomma:

j.f freedman "fallen idols"

I love james welch his "fools crow" I couldn't put down.

I just read a classic by Herman hesse called 'demien' it is short but good. 

I just started Steinbeck's 'cannery row', so far its good but I'm having trouble getting the kid to let me sit down to read this week.... 

Thanks for the list! That's the 2nd Steinbeck rec. I guess I'll start with him.

scrh2010

I don't know if you have read anything by him, but I really like James Patterson. I am addicted to his Women's Murder Club series. But I also like most of his other mysteries. There's one called The Jester that isn't his normal writing style but is great. It is set back during the Crusades. Other than that I can't think of others off hand, I've had a one track mind lately. 

EmmieB

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King. Everything she writes is AMAZING. Trust me.

lisa5201

fredalina:

Have you ever read "East of Eden"? Not really a murder mystery but lots of other elements you mentioned.

My all time favorite!

Also recently read and recommend:

Non-fiction: "Soul Survivor", anything Bill Bryson but specifically "At Home", "Nuture Shock" and "Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet"

Not particularly scholarly but Chelsea Handler's books are laugh-out-loud-pee-your-pants-funny 

Fiction: "The Poisionwood Bible"  anything by William Kotzwinkle, and "Water For Elephants"

Army_Wife_04

I also loved "The Help" and "Water For Elephants".  "Room" was another good one, although neither of these are mysteries they are great reads, IMO.

I love anything by Jodi Picoult and I can usually learn something from her books.  They are usually very thought provoking.

For an easy summer read (so no, not quite well written) and hilarious series, I love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.  Funny stuff with some mystery and a little romance, but definitely no throbbing members.  Yuck lol.  I can usually get through those books pretty quickly, and I'm always laughing.

 

msdonnas

Not mystery at all but I love Barbara kingsolver-especially the poisonwood bible. It meets most of your criterion and Is the most interesting perspective book I've ever read. I also recently read girl in translation and found it really interesting and thought provoking. Also, some historical fiction may intrigue you. Little bee is also excellent and has some mystery to it, although I did not enjoy incendiary which is by the same author.

StrawberryAlarmClock

Oh great! The list is growing awesome. I see a few titles releafed so they'll be at the top of my list! Thanks

kacelle

My favourite book is The Fountainhead.  It definitely made me think.

I've heard a lot of great things about The Help.  I'm definitely going to have to read it after seeing several people mention it here! 

June2007

SFL :-)

waterfly

My first thought was Lauren Willig's "Pink Carnation" series.  It alternates between modern and historical fiction, since the main character throughout the series is researching flower-named spies during the Napoleonic era(starts with the premise that the Scarlet Pimpernel was an actual historical figure, and that there were others who followed in his footsteps throughout the period), and so it goes back and forth between the researcher(and modern-day descendants of one of said spies) and the people she's reading up on.  A little bit of swashbuckle, a little bit of history(the author actually told her grad-school professors that she was working towards her PhD in order to write "historically accurate romance novels," and includes notes on what did and didn't actually happen, in the afterwords), a smidge of "chick lit" and happily-ever-after-eventually, and a healthy dose of humor.

sevans1975

If you don't mind Christian Fiction, you cannot go wrong with anything written by Bodie & Brock Thoene.

Seriously...I haven't found a bad one in the bunch and I've read nearly all of their books.