For the sole purpose of expanding my literary prowess this winter beyond the confines of my academic research, I would like to humbly request that you, my incredible readers, offer up a list of books I simply must acquire before I head back to Jerusalem in the coming week.
Books in English don't come cheap in the Holy Land, so I will be making a run to the Barnes & Noble before I go.
Everyone has a favorite book. Tell me yours. Chances are that I'll love it too.
In fact, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours...
This will be fun.
Much love,
Namaste
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One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Three Junes by Julia Glass
Atonement by Ian McEwan
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett (which you can appreciate even more if you precede it with Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy)
How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed by Slavenka Drakulic
Cafe Europa: Life After Communism by Slavenka Drakulic
I just read "The Last Days of Dogtown" by Anita Diamant, who also did "The Red Tent." Both great.
BTW, I tried so hard and could read "100 Years of Solitude." That's some seriously wacky stuff. Not hatin', just sayin.'
uh, obviously that should have been "could not read it." Now you see why.
"The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" by Murakami. Magical realism in the modern world.
"Never Let Me Down." by Kazuo Ishiguro. Short-listed for the Booker prize, it's a kind of "Brave New World" story about children in a boarding school.
"The Mercy of Thin Air" by Ronlyn Dominique. Aa originally-narrated piece, told by Ravi, an observant ghost who hesitates to meddle. Ravi died before heading off to medical school in the 1920's, when the Comstock Laws were still enforced. As the novel opens, she remains between the dead and the living, haunting a young couple whose marriage is troubled by a similar premature death.
"Without Blood" by Alessandro Baricco. Sparse yet perfect. A childhood trauma becomes a lifetime of revenge for one woman.
"Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston. A collection of short stories about growing up female and Chinese in America in the 60's - 70's. Includes a tasty tale about Fa Mu Lan.
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, by mark haddon.
murakami rocks. for a slighter different version of the same wonderful goodness try norwegian wood.
great expectations. seriously.
Christoper Moore, Lamb: The Gospel according to Biff, Christ's Childhood Friend.
Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex
Michael Chabon: Wonderboys
Catch 22
I've always heard of this classic but never read it until recently.
So hilariously funny it will make you cry, puke, and choke at the same time.
Great, great read.
Slammerkin - awesome book not funny but seriously good with fantasticly vivid descriptions
The Know It All by AJ Jacobs (he reads the Encyclopedia Britannica in one year doesn't seem like much but he does a good job retelling)
Stephanie Plum mysteries are fun, in paperback, and not a strain on the brain
The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Anne of Green Gables
Little House in the Big Woods
Litle House on the Prairie
Cute books every little girl should read
The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns both by the same author. Can't spell his name, though.
Blackbird by Jennifer Lauck
Water for Elephants by ----
Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner
I second the curious incident of a dog in the night from person above and Middlesex, too.
A Fine Balance by ---- great novel about life in India. Amazing writer!!!
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Oh, I'm terrible with authors, but I have a list of my favorites on my site http://thecrookedmadestraight.typepad.com/
Mr Sammler's Planet by Saul Bellow
...heavy but incredibly insightful
Bel Canto or Taft by Anne Patchett
...a great writer! reads easily, interesting plots and very diverse characters
My Antonia or One of Us by Willa Cather
...the America plains in the 19th Cent.
oh and i forgot. this is probably right up your alley
The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
polish journalist recounting his travels in sub-saharan africa. hit up the link for an excerpt on ghana.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0679779078/ref=sib_fs_top/102-7900376-2219350?ie=UTF8&p=S00E&checkSum=w6XUNYDggJ8ukw71kwQbcS2I%2F1pQWknFUGod0mrrc7Y%3D#reader-link
Hi. I would totally get The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll by Jean Nathan, The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, and The Secret House: the Extraordinary Science of an Ordinary Day by David Bodanis. All these books are different and all are wonderful. -sigh- I love books.
Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller.
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.
Stardust and The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman.
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchet... well, everything by Terry Pratchett!
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
The Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman.
The Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (& every other of his books).
You absolutely must read "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl. It's my new favourite book of the decade. The main character will remind you of...you.
For a lighter, sadder read, try "My Sister's Keeper" by Jody Picoult. I sobbed out loud for 20 minutes at the end...fantastic, sweet story.
Wow. Ya'll rock!
Papillon
Wide Sargasso Sea
Franny and Zooey
The Historian
Out Stealing Horses
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