GTKY Tuesday 4/14

emeraldduchess · April 2020

What are some of your favorite books/authors/genres? Any recommendations while we're all at home?

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emeraldduchess · April 2020

I am a big fan of historical fiction. Here are some of my favorite authors and books.

Philippa Gregory: The Other Boleyn Girl (IMHO Hollywood ruined the book with the movie version)
The Constant Princess

Carolly Erickson: The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette

Alison Weir: Innocent Traitor and her Tudor Queens series

Allison Pataki: The Traitor's Wife

inthewoods23 · April 2020

Oh boy when was the last time I read a book.....

I can't remember the series name, but my grandma recommended a mystery book or series that was about a lady who has these 3 cats and the cats are detectives or they help solve a murder or find something/someone missing? I remember one cat was an Abyssinian breed. It might be from this series?
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-cat-the-lady-and-the-liar-a-cats-in-trouble-mystery-book-3-9780451233028

I read this when I was younger (college years), but The House of Night series was good. It's sort of like Harry Potter but with vampires with vampire schools.

linzrunz · April 2020

I love this GTKY! I don’t read a lot but I’ve wanted to start reading more especially during the quarantine. Anyone have any recommendations for like sci fi/fantasy (wizards, magic, dragons, etc) bonus points if it’s a series

bows22 · April 2020

Right now I’m reading Ruth Ware “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” - my library didn’t have a kindle version so I’m reading it on my phone and that’s annoying, but it’s good. I’ve liked everything I’ve read of hers.

Out of the books I’ve read recently, I really liked “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” I tend to like books that don’t require a lot of thinking but still have an interesting story so I’d recommend it unless you lean towards more complex plots!

@emeraldduchess I loved the traitor’s wife. I recently read Alison Pataki’s memoir “beauty in the broken places.” Her husband had a bad stroke and it’s kind of about that/their life. I didn’t realize until I was reading it and she mentioned her books that’s who she was. I don’t know if I’d recommend the book, it was just okay, but what they went through was interesting for sure.

bluetickgal · April 2020

@emeraldduchess I just finished book #3 of Tudor Queens (Jane Seymour). I started reading them after you mentioned the series sometime last year! I am not a history person at all, but I have very much enjoyed reading these! I have pre-ordered #4...I’m OCD and want all my books in a series to match, and the paperback isn’t available yet so I have to wait! Haha. I guess I need to check out Innocent Traitor too!

@inthewoods23 that cat series sounds interesting/entertaining! I pictured the cats in top-hats and glasses for some reason! 😂

@linzrunz I would highly recommend the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson. There are 3 books in the initial trilogy, and there have been 3 more added to the series (with some different characters) so far...and I’m anxiously waiting for the next one to be released!

@bows22 I just read the synopsis of the Eleanor Oliphant book...I’ve added it to my want to read list! I like a casual, no thought necessary book as well! Thanks for the suggestion!

I used to be a romance only reader (Nicholas Sparks was my dude), but DH got me into Fantasy books which I absolutely love now! I have become a much more well-rounded reader over the past several years, which I’m happy about. I just finished a historical fiction book (Tudor Queens - Jane Seymour) and started The Golden Compass series (I never read it as a kid, so I’m excited to read it now). After I finish that, I plan on reading the Stormlight series by Brandon Sanderson...it’s a huge series, but I think I’m up for it! I would recommend basically anything by Sanderson, and I’ll second @emeraldduchess on recommending the Tudor Queens series by Alison Weir.

emeraldduchess · April 2020

@bluetickgal I didn't get to finish the 4th book before I had to bring it back to the library. I will try again this summer (if the libraries are open by then). ETA her 5th book about Katherine Howard comes out May 12.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Weir's take is. History tends to paint Howard as being "immoral" when most people agree now that she was a victim of abuse from a young age.
I forgot to mention Michele Moran and most of her books. My favorites are Cleopatra's Daughter, Madam Tussaud and Rebel Queen.

inthewoods23 · April 2020

@bluetickgal I first read The Golden Compass in 5th grade or so. I don't think I ever got around to finishing the 3rd book! I should pick that back up. I'd probably understand what I was reading a lot more now than when I was in elementary school.

capnjackharkness · April 2020

@emeraldduchess I have the Traitor's Wife, and just haven't read it yet!

I also like Michelle Moran. See my Kate Quinn recommendation below!

@linzrunz The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne! It's funny as well as druid/magic/etc. (I listened to it on audiobook during my long commute, and the narrator was excellent also!)
If you wanna go more teenagey but also excellent, I recommend Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent. (I also listened to this on audiobook, and narrator is excellent).

For Historical Fiction, I loved reading Kate Quinn's Empress of Rome series (and yes, I actually READ them, rather than audiobooking it. LOL. Sorry, my commute is/was hella long!)

For Young Adult, I read the first few Throne of Glass books, which I also enjoyed. I gotta get book 3 yet.

I'm reading an off-the-wall kinda book for me right now called The Designer by Marius Gabriel, which I'm enjoying. It's about Christian Dior, and although I'm not a fashion-type person it's setting is post-WWII France and gets into the fashion world, and romance, and sorta the gritty behind-the-scenes of Paris at the time. Interesting.

ashaislurking · April 2020

Ooh! This is a good one. I've long been a fan of young adult fiction (Natasha Friend and Sarah Dessen), fantasy/sci-fi (J.R.R. Tolkein, J.K. Rowling, Eoin Colfer), and poetry (Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes). Recently the only thing I've been reading is textbooks and journal articles, so it's nice to think back on the days when I used to read for fun.

asf0613 · April 2020

i love this! i've been binge reading everything on Reese Witherspoon's book club picks. i havent come across a bad one yet. AND BONUS--she winds up getting the film/tv options for some of these and then you can be cool and say you read the book first

jackie_dunny · April 2020

Love this!

@linzrunz pretty much anything by Scott Westerfeld. The Uglies series is great and I also loved The Secret Hour. I also really loved Everlost by Neal Shusterman which is a series but I’ve only read the first one for now

@ashaislurking love Sarah Dessen!

My favorite book is My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author)

I’d say my two favourite authors are Scott Westerfeld and Ellen Hopkins. She’s got such a unique writing style and her stories are sooo good. Identical still has me shook.

I’m currently reading The Silkworm by “Robert Galbraith” aka JK Rowling’s pseudonym which is the second novel of a crime mystery series. It’s okay so far. Not a huge fan of her adult novels but LOVE Harry Potter!

_orchid_ · April 2020

I love this GTKY!!

I read all the time (school librarian). I love everything, and an always looking for recs!

@jackie_dunny I've only read 3 books by Neal Shusterman (the scythe series - REALLY good fantasy) and have heard Unwind is good too. I'll have to check out everlast!

@bluetickgal @linzrunz a fantasy author I really like is Laini Taylor- "daughter of smoke and bone" and "strange the dreamer" are the first books in to of her series. I love her writing and her stories are so original and vivid. Also love Leigh bardugo's Geisha series.

@emeraldduchess @capnjackharkness I've only read one or two books by Michelle Moran but really liked her! I'll have to check out Kate Quinn. I read a few books by Gill paul recently and liked her too. I've also read most books by Phillipa Gregory, but not her most recent one.

Any historical and/or fantasy fans who haven't read outlander. It's a huge series, really great, there's a TV show based on it that you can watch after! Finishing the series is on my bucket list... But I don't want to hurry though it bc I love it so much!

I like Tana French too- she writes modern crime fiction and I love her characterization.

@bluetickgal @emeraldduchess once you finish the golden compass, if you like it, get "the book of dust" - it expands the story of some of the characters in the GC.

Yay books!

bows22 · April 2020

@jackie_dunny what????? I can’t believe that is your favorite book. WORST ENDING EVER. I read it at least 7 years ago and I’m still mad about it 😂

@_orchid_ I love Tana French too!

capnjackharkness · April 2020

@_orchid_ I second outlander! I've read all the main storyline books, but not the Lord John or companion type books yet. LOVE the series also!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

gingermama29 · April 2020

@_orchid_ and @capnjackharkness +1 for loving Outlander!! The books are so well written!

@linzrunz the Game of Thrones series (also known as A Song of Ice and Fire) is amazing!

@bluetickgal and @inthewoods23 oooh I've read the first two books in the Golden Compass series so far. I still need to read the 3rd. Love it so far though!

jackie_dunny · April 2020

@bows22 😂😂 still my favourite! I haven’t read it in a long time so maybe I’ll have to reread it

_orchid_ · April 2020

@gingermama29 @linzrunz I had a hard time getting through GOT (read them 10ish years ago so before the show) bc there were so many characters to keep track of. It was easier for me to keep track listening to the audio bc the narrator changed voices. I live in NJ so I don't pump my own gas. I swear EVERY time I got gas while listening to those books it was in a tyrion section and he'd be saying the foulest things and the gas attendant's eyes would be popping out of their head 🤣 so awkward. But good books and story!

whitealbum29 · April 2020

Love this question!

Hmm one of my favorite books ever that comes to mind is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, I read it a few years ago. It has a historical fiction element to it and a lot of the books I've liked recently were also historical fiction -

-Currently reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, about a women's diving collective in Korea around WWII which is something I know *nothing* about so it's nice to be completely focused on a different time in history! Rather than the current BS haha.
-Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi which is about the slave trade in Ghana and slavery in the US
-Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks which is about the plague in 17th century England

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is another random favorite from when I was a teenager.

@emeraldduchess the Tudor Queens series sounds great! I think you've mentioned Alison Weir, I saw a book by her in a bookstore a couple months ago and immediately thought of the board!
@capnjackharkness Oooh the Christian Dior book sounds interesting

capnjackharkness · April 2020

@whitealbum29 I had to read Year of Wonders for a history class and it was VERY good. I want to re-read it actually!

whitealbum29 · April 2020

@capnjackharkness Yeah it's so well-written! I wonder if reading about a public health crisis right now would be the last thing someone would want to do OR could possibly be comforting to see how people managed and came out of it. Could go either way I think!

capnjackharkness · April 2020

@whitealbum29 I've read a few other books of hers, People of the Book comes to mind, and they were also very well written and good/interesting!

photographerwife · April 2020

@linzrunz I have a ton of recommendations!
anything Sarah j Maas is wonderful! One of the series that I’m reading now is her throne of glass series and it’s so good! The only thing I haven’t read by her is the cat women one, but the others are worth the read! These are more ya fantasy.

the magicians by lev grossman will always be a fave.

a song of ice and fire by George RR Martin is great too! This one is more of a monster series though, so a lot heavier reading.

the storm light archive series by Brandon Sanderson is phenomenal! Also a monster series.

Mistborn is great too! By Brandon Sanderson!

Currently also reading the wheel of time by Robert Jordan too! (Monster series)

The red rising series is pretty good. More ya. But Sifi!

Under different stars by Amy Bartol was a great Ya series too!

I have more if you don’t find something you like. 😂

linzrunz · April 2020

Thanks for all the recommendations!! I have a few books I put on my wishlist and will start working on those on Audible.

@photographerwife I actually read all but book seven of the Throne of Glass series. I loved them. Someone at my old job recommended them to me and since I was listening to them on Audible, I got to hear how to correctly pronounce the names. So it was fun to hear they're interpretation and then find out how they're spelled compared to how they sounded. I still need to read the last book, but I got kinda bored.

photographerwife · April 2020

@linzrunz omg! You HAVE to read book 7! After tower of dawn- the one focused on chaol. I can see why you would get bored. But it is a 100% worth coming back to!

linzrunz · April 2020

@photographerwife yep that’s the one that bored me! It was just so long! I just started Uglies but maybe after that one I’ll give Book 7 another chance.

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