Book recommendations?

[pixiecrinkle]

Lately, I've not been reading as much as was normal for me about a year ago, chiefly because I have not yet mastered simultaneous reading and knitting. I used to read about 4-6 books a month. I'm good to be doing a book each month now.

Part of the problem though is that I'm not falling in love with the things I am reading. I'm wading through the things on my shelves I haven't read yet, and not feeling anything click.

So please recommend a book to me.

Some background info: I'm not big on genre fiction at all. My favorite authors are Carol Shields, A.S. Byatt, Margaret Atwood, Edith Wharton, Nick Hornby, Jeffrey Euginedes, etc. I have recently read:

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (liked it)
Elizabeth Costello by JM Coetzee (didn't quite know what to think)
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (actually felt it painful to read in spots)
Brick Lane by Monica Ali (Ok, but could have been better)
The Rainbow by DH Lawrence (was ok)
Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (loved it)

My amazon recs are failing me. Help!

Comments

[zeroshapiro.livejournal.com]

Read Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue. It's about 18th century whores and fasion.

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

Oooooooh....that sounds perfect!

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

if you like that try

sarah waters - fingersmith
michel faber - the crimson petal and the white

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

How did I miss that Sarah Waters had another book out? I read Tipping the Velvet a few years ago and it was great fun.

I seem to have a thing for Victorian sex novels. Little did I know.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

Fingersmith has the best plot twist. Ever.

[luminesque.livejournal.com]

Try the other Dan Brown books. I liked the ones I read much better than Da Vinci Code ... I've read Deception Point (not bad) and Digital Fortress (my favorite of the three)

Another of my favorites was Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson (I also read Princess Sultana's Daughters which was the sequel, but haven't gotten the third book, Princess Sultana's Circle, yet) If you like Princess, let me know. I'll loan you my copy of Sultana's Daughters

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

Are the other Dan Brown books better written though? Because I found the writing cringe-worthy in Da Vinci. I will admit to being extraordinarily picky about that.

The others sound good--I'll check them out.

[luminesque.livejournal.com]

I had problems with Da Vinci Code myself. Not so much the story line or that it goes against my beliefs like some have mentioned, but I found myself wanting to skim sections just so I could get the the next part ya know? I couldn't really put my finger on what the problem was, although I wasn't really trying either. I just wanted to get it over with so I could move on to another book.

Digital Fortress I thought was a tad more fast paced, there were fewer boring sections that I wanted to skim over, and I finished it in a weekend. I usually can't do that with books that don't flow nicely. DaVinci kind of felt like one of those "I have to write another book to complete my contract so I'll just spit one out" kind of books.

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much my issue with it too. The pacing was way off because the chapter breaks were terrible. I want to edit that book so badly!

So if you thought that too, I'll take your word on the other ones. ;-)

[masterbetty.livejournal.com]

I just read that How I Got Into College book, by Marc Acito, and that was great. I keep a list of everything I've read during the eyar, with Amazon links here. It's been updated through last month.

Shouldn't you be reading patterns in the new Stitch n Bitch anyway?

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

I love the list. I've read some, but not a lot of those, so I'll check them out.

I'm making the Basic Cable hat out of SNBN right now, and I'm forbidding myself from turning the page, for fear I'll cast on a few more projects. I have a cabled sweater vest to attempt to finish in the next 4 weeks, as well as many smaller holiday projects, so I am *not* allowed to do any other projects (except that I may cast on Rosedale from knitty tonight, but only if I get enough done on other stuff).

It's a sickness, a sickness I tell you!

[luminesque.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain in the WIP department. I have 6 going, have ordered yarn for 2 more (which I will invariably cast on as soon as the package arrives), am drooling over both the Shocking jacket in IK and the Ultra Femme sweater in SNBN, and hubby keeps hinting that he wants a new sweater.

It is a sickness!

[masterbetty.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're finding stuff to read. For some strange reason, this year has been the year of the YA fiction for me.

[chaptal.livejournal.com]

mark haddon - the curious incident ofhte dog in the night time
jhumpa lahiri - interpreter of maladies
percival everett - american desert

[kalioppe.livejournal.com]

Have you read Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides? If not, I HIGHLY recommend it.

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

Yep. That's right up there on my top 5 list right now. I've been annoying everyone else by making them read it too! :-)

[qe2.livejournal.com]

Are you a fic-only reader, or do you do nonfic at all?

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

Occasionally, but mostly fiction. I'll take recomendations on both though.

[qe2.livejournal.com]

Hm. Okay. I read very little nongenre fiction, so I can't rec much there, but here are a few of my favorite nonfic reads:

Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America, by Lily Burana.

How I Learned to Snap: A Small-Town Coming-Out and Coming-of-Age Story, by Kirk Read

Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic, by Martha Beck

This Day: Diaries from American Women, ed. Joni B. Cole, et al.

Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year, by Anne Lamott

I think most of these are almost impossible to blurb effectively. The subtitles hint at their subjects, but they're all much more than that.

[pinupme.livejournal.com]

sarah waters actually has 3 books out. "affinity" is the other which, besides being very depressing, is quite good. i'd also recommend "oranges are not the only fruit" by jeanette winterson.

[pixiecrinkle.livejournal.com]

I love Oranges are not the Only Fruit, and actually have been meaning to read more Winterson based on yerpretty's recommendation from a while back but have forgotten. I can't remember if I read Affinity or not. Thanks for the recs!