I am a book fanatic. When I am in my “reading zone” I shant be disturbed or interrupted for any reason . . . it takes away from the impact of the words I have just processed. My family can attest to my reaction should one try to interrupt my rumination.The written word is a powerful thing. . . It can transport one from the “real world” into a world of excitement, fantasy, dread and anticipation . . . that is also why one must be extremely careful in what they read. It is a dangerous thing to get caught up living through and in the fictional findings of literature and forget to live your own life which can be just as exciting and fulfilling (if not more so). With that being said, there are only a handful of things that I find more enjoyable than curling up on the sofa, in front of a fireplace, with a fuzzy throw blanket and a cup of hot coco reading a wonderful novel. Whether it is mystery, murder and intrigue (I would recommend Mary Higgins Clark), love, life and trust (Nicholas Sparks), thrilling with a medical perspective (Robin Cook), or one of the good ol’time classics (Lord of the Rings, Gone with the Wind, Jane Austen, Little Women, etc), I find pleasure and enjoyment in most everything I read. . . . . .which leads me to the purpose of this post. I have just finished reading the third book in a wonderful series, in my opinion, written by Christopher Paolini. The fourth book in the Inheritance Cycle will not be released for some time and I am currently looking for more literature with which to satiate my cravings. The readings must be worthwhile with wholesome content and highly recommended. Has there ever been a book or series that you have read that has changed the way you view something or has had some sort of impact on your life??? or maybe it was just a great read and you would recommend it to others? If so, please let me know :-) Feel free to comment and post on your favorite pieces of literature and why you would recommend them. . . . it will not only help me immensely, but also others who might be in the same quandary as I.
As for myself, I would recommend all of the above books and series as well books written by Francine Rivers (Mark of the Lion series is incredible!), The Count of Monte Cristo (written by Alexander Dumas), and some of Frank Peretti’s creations. I know there are many more that I have read and would recommend but at the present have slipped my mind.
10 comments:
hey sarah! a voice from the past...enjoy your blog. regarding books...have you tried any of harlen coben, lee child, or brad meltzer? coben and child sort of have series within their creations...some use the same characters...but all are hard to put down. tell your mom and dad i said hello! tara!
Francine Rivers is awesome!! I noticed you have already read The Mark of the Lion series...my fav!!! Redeeming Love is also another good book of hers if you haven't read it yet!!
I've read tons of great books you'd love Sarah, and here's a few:
1. "Pierre Goirot" by Balzac (A French classic written in English that is a little rough start but once you get into it you can't put it down. It's amazing, and Balzac was one of the greatest writers of history)
2. Elizabeth Peters series. They are about an Egyptologist/archeologist named "Amelia Peabody" and how she meets her husband, travels, adventures, has children, etc. They are written by a lady who has a doctorate in Egyptology, and her writing is extremely witty. She also uses tons of big words I've never heard of and so you feel like you're being highly entertained, but yet learning new words that you can add to your vocabulary as well as history about Egypt. Her adventures are so hilarious and gripping, and her marriage with her husband is adorable. It makes you feel happy when you read her books, and you laugh a lot as well as learn.
3. Elizabeth Peters also writes as Barbara Michaels. Under the name of Barbara Michaels, she writes a little bit more of fantasy-type stories although they're not weird. I'm not sure how I would label them--historical romance? They're stories about like a girl gets trapped on a Greek island (set 500 years ago) and a strange man is after her and she has to solve a mystery before he kills her, but then she finds out he's really her protector or something and they fall in love and get married. Hehe! REALLY cheesy sometimes, but extremely interesting and the author puts a lot of accurate history so that you're still learning.
4. "Vicky Bliss" mysteries also by Elizabeth Peters. (can you tell I like her?) If you're into "girl power" you will love these books. They're about a 30 year-old 6 foot blond girl who lives in Germany and is a brainiac. She's also extremely gorgeous but doesn't care, because she's a nerdy historian. Somehow she's constantly caught up in lots of adventures and travel, and you really get a sense of travel when you read the books. (And lots of laughter!)
5. Louis L'Amour westerns..ok, everyone knows about these but they are such great "escape" books that you can pick up and put down easily if you don't have a lot of time. They don't grip you and they're still entertaining. So you can still get stuff done and go about your day but if you want to relax, you can read one in about an hour.
6. David Baldacci, "Saving Faith". Kim G told me about this book and it's excellent. In fact, I think I'll read it again because I don't remember exactly all that it's about, but it involves murder, the FBI, and a very smart woman. LOL!!
(His other books aren't as clean or very interesting so I don't recommend them)
7. The "Million Dollar Series". These are Christian, but I'm not sure if they're sold in the Bible House anymore. The series starts out with "A Penny" (or something that has the word 'penny' in it) and is about a lady who's employed by an anonymous rich man to give money to real charities and expose charities that are fake. It's more business-oriented but still extremely hair-raising and you can't put the books down. By the 3rd or 4th book the girl finally meets her employer and they start falling in love. I couldn't find the rest of the books because the author was still writing them but they're fabulous!!
Hope that helps!! I'm anxious to check back what other people write, since I love to read and am always looking for new books as well. (I think I exhausted the Elizabeth Peters series) haha!
Hey tara!! I have not read any books by those authors before, but I think my dad has a few written by harlen coben. . . hummm. . . thanks for the suggestions! good to hear from you!
Carly, I believe I have read Redeeming Love. . .is it set in the western age and about a prostitute who keeps leaving the man that loves her but he still keeps going after her?? If so, it was a good book but I just got so MAD at her!!! Couldn't she see how much he truly loved her??!!! ha!
Janis. . . wow!! I knew you would have lots to say on this subject! lOL!! Soo. . . u really like this E. Peters huh??? ha! I will HAVE to read them now (after hearing such praises!!)
One book that I just found on the counter at home and of which I have heard nothing but praises from some of the young men at our church (my brother included) is Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. The book is set at Thermopylae in northern Greeces and tells the story of the 300 Spartan soliders that stood against the Persian army. I think I may start my readings here and the proceede to the suggested readings on this post. . .thanks guys!!
Hey, don't forget about The Picture Of Dorian Gray. I described it to you a while ago (I think!) and it sounded like your kind of reading. It's about a young man who is vein, and he gets his portrait painted. He makes a deal where his portrait will age instead of himself. I haven't read it but I would, and hopefully will soon...
It was written in like 1890 sometime, and is considered one of the last works of classic gothic horror fiction...
Lemme know what you think if you should in fact read this one!
Oh yeah! Biffy is right! "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is one of the books my dad is always telling me to read. He said it was amazingly written, and he had to study it in a college class for an entire month and analyze the author's writing.
I haven't gotten to it yet, but heard a lot about it as well!
Aside from any of the numerous great works of prose to which the appellation "classic" is ascribed
(I'm using big words, because your post seemed a little verbose, I'm just trying to fit in :-p)
I would suggest James Michener. I've fallen in love with his epic novels, and can't get enough of him. Some of his can be difficult to start, but if you can labor through the first several hundred pages, you won't be able to put the book down, ie: Hawaii. Others are easy to read from the start, ie: Mexico.
Being a dog lover like yourself, I recently read a great story called "Merle's Door". You'd love it.
Sarah if you liked Francine Rivers, another great Christian author I discovered is Linda Lee Chaikin. The series that I just finished "The Silk House Series" is fabulous. It is written during the 16th century, and it is about Catherine de Medicini, Italian Queen Mother to King Francis who married Mary Stuart(Mary, Queen of Scots). So it is a little historical fiction, romance, religion all mixed together. Very intriguing!
An update on the Gates of Fire. . . .it is an "ok" read so far. I haven't gotten to the main battle yet, but I am about 1/3 of the way through. There is some cursing as well (wasn't really prepared for that) and it was good that I had taken an ancient Greek history class at Sac State to understand some of the terms used. Not really my type of reading, but it is alright. I might have a different opinion by the time I finish.
Kim. . . hummm. . . .sound very interesting. I may have to try that out!
Thanks for all the input on this. I now feel equipped for the long winter ahead! :-)
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