I'd like to try reading...what would you recommend?

[Tom]

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson has been mentioned frequently on BookRiot as a recommendation, as have his other books, if those are of interest.

[Petra]

What places do you think you won't see? That would help narrow it down.
How is "travel book" defined?

How about Finding George Orwell in Burma? Warning: there are major spoilers to his books, Animal Farm, 1984 and Burmese Days.
I really thought the book was interesting.

These may fit the definition as well:
Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China (this was a fun read)

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

[hails]

Has anyone read the Mara Dyer series? I just finished the first one and I don't know what I should read next?!

[Hales]

Tom wrote: "A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson has been mentioned frequently on BookRiot as a recommendation, as have his other books, if ..."

Thanks for the recommendation Tom, I have read a few of his books, Notes from a Small Island I liked, being British I found the humour about our little Island to be spot on.

[Hales]

Petra wrote: "What places do you think you won't see? That would help narrow it down.
How is "travel book" defined?

How about Finding George Orwell in Burma? Warning: there are major spoilers to h..."

An excellent point Petra, my problem is I want to see everywhere so it is hard to pick :)

These are great suggestions, Serve the People may actually be good for another one of the challenges which is read a cook book, which seems silly to me so this would serve as a good compromise. I will look into them and see what I can lay my hands on, thank you :)

[Leslie]

How about Tracks: One Woman's Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback?

[B the BookAddict]

Leslie, Tracks.... is an excellent book. I remember reading it back in 1980s.

[Petra]

Leslie, I've added Tracks. Looking forward to reading it.

[Leslie]

B the BookAddict wrote: "Leslie, Tracks.... is an excellent book. I remember reading it back in 1980s."

I think you might have been the one that recommended it to me! I didn't take notes of those sorts of things until recently... I read it two years ago & was glad I did.

[Theresahpir]

Hales wrote: "The next challenge in a 25 step reading challenge I am doing with some friends is 'Read a travel book about a place you probably won't see.' Has anyone got any suggestions? I am a bit stuck."

This is obviously a goofy suggestion, but the book is actually pretty good, lol. The Travellers' Guide To Hell

[Hales]

Thanks Theresapir that looks really interesting, I also liked your review :)

And thank you Leslie for your suggestion. I have added both Tracked and Wild to my TR list.

I went to the Travel section in the Library and found Cold by Ranulph Fiennes. The tag line is extreme adventures at the lowest temperatures on earth. As I am very unlikely to go to Antarctica etc I thought I would go with this one. So far it is very gripping, I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would put themselves through it to be honest :)

[Leslie]

Hales wrote: "I went to the Travel section in the Library and found Cold by Ranulph Fiennes. The tag line is extreme adventures at the lowest temperatures on earth. As I am very unlikely to go to Antarctica etc I thought I would go with this one. So far it is very gripping, I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would put themselves through it to be honest :)
..."

I had that thought when I read Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole -- it was interesting to read about life at the research station in Antarctica though!

[Caecilia]

Shirley wrote: "Please post here if you have been thinking about trying a new genre or author and would like suggestions from the rest of the group..."

Shirley :-) this is such a wonderful idea.
I really appreciate this thread.

If anyone wants to dig into Japanese Contemporary Lit - please, give me a nudge. There are quite a few books I can recommend here.

[Dhanaraj]

Caecilia wrote: "If anyone wants to dig into Japanese Contemporary Lit - please, give me a nudge. There are quite a few books I can recommend here."

Nice to see another fan of Japanese literature.

[Caecilia]

Dhanaraj wrote: "Caecilia wrote: "If anyone wants to dig into Japanese Contemporary Lit - please, give me a nudge. There are quite a few books I can recommend here."

Nice to see another fan of Japanese literature."

:-) hello Dhanaraj ~ well. let's say, modern contermporary literature from japanese authors.
I'm a big Keigo Higashino fan. also read some Natsuo Kirino, but her books require a certain level of toughness. Haruki Murakami is so popular - I guess, no need to go into details.

[Dhanaraj]

Hello Caecilia,

Looks like you are into Japanese crime thrillers. I have read Hiashino's The Devotion of Suspect X. Liked it. I have not read Kirino yet. I was also interested in Ryu Murakami. I have read a Haruki Murakami book (After Dark).
In fact, I loved better Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima, and Shusaku Endo. I also have read a book by Yoko Oawa (Revenge) and I liked it.

[Caecilia]

Dhanaraj :-)

you sure know Jap literature.
"The Devotion of Suspect X" is beautiful. I really liked that one. I also read another of Higashino's works - his ideas for motives and the riddle behind the killings are ace.

Ryu Murakami wrote "Audition", right? - Ugh ... saw the film and had to stop halfway.

As for Yoko Ogawa, she is pretty big, too. But I have never read any of her works.

[dely]

Caecilia wrote: "Ryu Murakami wrote "Audition", right? - Ugh ... saw the film and had to stop halfway.

It's one of my son's favorite movies. Of course he obliged me to watch it though I'm not that into horror movies. But I don't remember it was too horror, I was able to watch it till the end.

[Caecilia]

dely wrote: "Caecilia wrote: "Ryu Murakami wrote "Audition", right? - Ugh ... saw the film and had to stop halfway.

It's one of my son's favorite movies. Of course he obliged me to watch it though I'm not tha..."

-- oh, wow! you have my respect for your toughness.
I like horror movies with style (Ringu, for example) - but "Audition" was too psychadelically challenging and awfully cruel. I did not even make it to the heavy torture ... stopped when the content of the big bag was introduced.

-- coming back to Japanese authors, it has always been interesting to me why people like Haruki Murakami in particular, so much. He is also very popular in Japan, but then .. there are so many good Japanese authors. The advantage is that Murakami is opening the door to international bookstores also for other Japaense authors :-)

[dely]

Caecilia wrote: "dely wrote: "Caecilia wrote: "Ryu Murakami wrote "Audition", right? - Ugh ... saw the film and had to stop halfway.

It's one of my son's favorite movies. Of course he obliged me to watch it thoug..."

Ringu was one of those that scared me to death! I had a lot of nightmares and still now I don't want to think about it.
The director of Audition is Takashi Miike and I just loved his "Ichi the Killer". Yes, strange and perhaps psychadelic, also very sick, but I loved that movie.

Among the few Japanese authors I have read till now, I like only Murakami. I like how he is able to create parallel worlds, I just loose myself in these worlds, in a positive way. I also don't care if not everything makes sense or the reader doesn't has always answers to the many strange things that happen. I just like to go with the flow of the story.
I have tried also Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Kazuo Ishiguro and a book with Japanese tales but didn't like them.
I still have Yasunari Kawabata to read and I hope to like at least him otherwise I give up with Japanese authors.

[Caecilia]

:-D ... dely, you continue to surprise me.

there was a time in my life when I focused on watching Asian horror movies // that was how I came to learn about "Audition".
it's interesting that "Ringu" scared you horribly, but you could make it to the end of "Audition".

:-) I like reading mysteries which is why Keigo Higashino or Miyuki Miyabe have my attention. I had my Haruki Murakami phase in the late 90s/beg. of 2000, was reading also Paul Auster, watching David Lynch movies.

as of lately, I am more into sharp, to the point and witty way of storytelling. Murakami is a bit too dreamy for me, nowadays.

[B the BookAddict]

dely, Kazuo Ishiguro is a winner with me too. So far, he's the only 'Japanese' author I've read. But he was six when his family moved to Britain, so I've always just included him on my UK lists.

[Gill]

I also like Kazuo Ishiguro..
I intend to read Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata in the next few months.

[dely]

Gill wrote: "I also like Kazuo Ishiguro..
I intend to read Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata in the next few months."

B the BookAddict wrote: "dely, Kazuo Ishiguro is a winner with me too. "

I know, a lot of people like him but I'm not among them though I've read only The Remains of the Day. Now I have started First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata.

[Caecilia]

B the BookAddict wrote: "dely, Kazuo Ishiguro is a winner with me too. So far, he's the only 'Japanese' author I've read. But he was six when his family moved to Britain, so I've always just included him on m..."

interesting trivia :-) didn't know that ...

[Caecilia]

speaking of Japanese authors,
if you want to read some really amazing contemporary thriller, go for this one:

Confessions (Kokuhaku)
the movie adaptation is also pretty good, but I totally recommend to read the book first.

[Leslie]

B the BookAddict wrote: "dely, Kazuo Ishiguro is a winner with me too. So far, he's the only 'Japanese' author I've read. But he was six when his family moved to Britain, so I've always just included him on m..."

Yes, I have always thought of him as British rather than as Japanese.

Gill wrote: "I also like Kazuo Ishiguro..
I intend to read Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata in the next few months."

Oooh, I want to read that one! I am also planning on reading his Snow Country this year.

[Noel]

Hi all! I've been getting into mysteries and thrillers lately and want to read more, but the problem is the blurbs for these types of books often sound similar. A killer on the loose... A detective on the hunt... I have to narrow it down somehow (there are so many out there!), so I'd love to know your favorites and why you liked them so much, or what made them unique.

If it helps, here are some I've enjoyed: Gone Girl, Dark Places, Broken Monsters, The Shining Girls, Where Monsters Dwell... And since I'm sure someone will say it, The Girl on the Train is already on my TBR, hehe.

Thanks!

[Marina]

Hi Shannon! Some time ago I read The Moonstone and I really loved it, I fell in love with Collins' writing. It's a golden oldie. I don't know if you like 19th century novels, but this has not much to do with usual novels from that period. I found it really innovative and a true page-turner. Of course you can notice it's not a recent novel at all, but I liked it a lot nonetheless.

[LauraT]

<Marina wrote: "Hi Shannon! Some time ago I read The Moonstone and I really loved it, I fell in love with Collins' writing. It's a golden oldie. I don't know if you like 19th century novels, but this h..."

That's a great book, along his other famous one The Woman in White.
Lately I'm really appreciating Louise Penny's novels. Still Life is her first

[Petra]

I third The Moonstone and second The Woman In White.

Do you prefer them to be thrillers as well as mysteries?

Here's a few that I enjoy but they aren't thrillers:

Amelia Peabody series - she's a Victorian archeologist interested in Egyptian antiquities. She's one of a kind. Lots of fun to read. The series starts with Crocodile on the Sandbank.

The Brother Cadfael series - a monk (with a past) solves mysteries in 12th century England, close to the Wales border. There's a lot of detail given to the historical aspects of the stories. The first of the series is A Morbid Taste for Bones.
While it is good and the first book, the series really seems to start with the second book, One Corpse Too Many. I'm not sure why that is.

If you enjoy forensics, there's also the Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs series, which starts with The Bone Collector.

Child 44 is good, if you enjoy Russian mysteries.

[B the BookAddict]

Petra, we have someone in this group who reads/enjoys The Brother Cadfael series but I can't think who, maye John or Dhanaraj.

[Pam]

Shannon Noel wrote: "Hi all! I've been getting into mysteries and thrillers lately and want to read more, but the problem is the blurbs for these types of books often sound similar. A killer on the loose... A detective..."

I've liked some of the quirky Bryant and May detective series. The ones I've enjoyed most are the second one, The Water Room, and the seventh, On the Loose. (There are more, but I've only read books 1 - 7 at present.)

Another interesting crime novel, set in a rural English setting in the late 1990s, is A Dirty Death

[Noel]

Petra wrote: "I third The Moonstone and second The Woman In White.

Do you prefer them to be thrillers as well as mysteries?

Here's a few that I enjoy but they aren't thrillers:

Amelia Peabody series - she's..."


I just read the description for Crocodile on the Sandbank and I love that it's two female friends solving mysteries together, that's awesome. :) I'm also intrigued by The Bone Collector. Someone wrote in a review that the killer leaves clues for his next victim at the scene of the previous victim - oooh, that sounds interesting. Thanks for the rec's!

[Noel]

Thank you for your recommendations everyone! I'll check them out. :)

[Sandysbookaday (taking a midwinter break)]

If you are looking for a good Scottish crime series I thoroughly recommend Owen Mullen's Charlie Cameron series. Two books so far Games People Play and Old Friends and New Enemies. These were both 5 star reads for me and I sincerely hope he is working on a third book.

[Leslie]

Shannon Noel wrote: "I just read the description for Crocodile on the Sandbank and I love that it's two female friends solving mysteries together, that's awesome. :) I ..."

Not a very accurate description but I would still encouraging people who like mysteries to try it - I love the Amelia Peabody series!

I tend to like the Golden Age mysteries (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Edmund Crispin, Ngaio Marsh, Rex Stout, Dashell Hammett, etc). I am a big fan of the Louise Penny books for a more contemporary choice.

I also like some of the Scandinavian authors such as Maj Sjöwall & Per Walhlöö, Arnaldur Indriðason and Jussi Adler-Olsen which are probably closer to the ones you have listed.

[Gemma]

Hi. I’m looking for recommendations, but I’m not sure what for. I’m stuck in a psychological thriller rut. It seems to be all I’m reading...help! Would love to hear any recent 5* read recommendations.

[[deleted user]]

Gemma, I just finished the audiobook of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah which was really good. It’s quite an epic historical fiction about 2 sisters in Nazi occupied France during World War Two. If you haven’t read that I would give it a go!

Have you read Lullaby by Leila Slimani? That’s a thriller but slightly different I would say

I always think historical fiction is a good opposites to thrillers and The Nightingale is a gripping and very sad but also gentle read.

[[deleted user]]

Apologies for lack of links but I’m on my phone and my laptop is packed away

[Petra]

Gemma, I compared our "read" books. Going from that, I would suggest looking at these to see if they appeal to you:
The Good People (4-star)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (5-star)
Vinegar Girl (4-star)
Wool (5-star)
Whistling Past the Graveyard (5-star)

[Faith]

Gemma wrote: "Hi. I’m looking for recommendations, but I’m not sure what for. I’m stuck in a psychological thriller rut. It seems to be all I’m reading...help! Would love to hear any recent 5* read recommendations."

You might try Circe by Madeline Miller

[Tamara]

Gemma, I suggest The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro for something very different and very thought-provoking. Set in the time of King Arthur with knights and monsters, it's a blend of allegory, fable, and magical realism. I loved it.

From my 5 star review:

Ishiguro gradually builds meaning as the narrative unfolds. The language is mesmerizing; the world he creates blends history with mythology with fantasy. This is a fable that raises profound questions about the efficacy of personal and collective memories and their role in healing and reconciliation—questions as relevant today as they were in the past.

[Brian Christiansen]

I will try to keep this short since the # of characters is limited. Currently I am considering 4 books to read next. Last year I read 4 books simultaneously, and that is not a good idea, at least not for me. On the non-fiction side I am considering:

1. The better angels of our nature by Stephen Pinker. I saw this book mentioned in an online article I was reading, and found the wikipedia article about it, and a New York times review of it, and it just looks like and interseting read.
2. The Koran. I have read the bible and the Bhagadav (SP?) Gita and the bible, and just sort of have an interest in reading hoily books

On the fiction side I am considering:

1. Moby Dick, but not the original version by Melville, but an abridged version. I tried reading this in the past, but the diversions into stuff like whale classification (if I wanted to learn about whale classification, I would use Google or something that might have slightly more up-to-date information), 1850's whaling law, or whatever, made me lose interest fairly quickly, I think the "wonderful adventure" part was quite good if I remember correctly. I found an abridged version by William Pocock (I think I have the author correct) that looks promising.
2. Title to be determined at a later date. I have an app on my kindle that lists books that Amazon has "on sale" or is giving away for free on any particular day. There are usually several self help books, lots of cookbooks, several different kinds of fiction, etc. Some months back I downloaded a book called Startoucher that was quite good and I am thinking of trying this again. I think I wood be most interested in fantasy or science books through that route.

Brian Christiansen

[Tamara]

Brian Christiansen wrote: "I will try to keep this short since the # of characters is limited. Currently I am considering 4 books to read next. Last year I read 4 books simultaneously, and that is not a good idea, at least n..."

Brian, I haven't heard of The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined, so I can't say anything about it.

When I wrote my text for a Women in Religion course, I read several translations of the Qur'an and can recommend a couple.

If you're looking for a very scholarly study that provides context and a variety of possible interpretations, you can't do better than The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. The text is heavily footnoted and includes commentary and different scholarly interpretations. It also includes a selection of essays by Muslim scholars.

If you want something that isn't quite as academic and/or one that doesn't include such an extensive analysis of each verse but provides a good introduction, I suggest The Qur'an: Basic Teachings by T.B. Irving and Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations by Michael Sells.

You can find a whole host of other recommendations if you go to my bookshelf and click on Monotheistic Religions.

As far as Moby-Dick, or, the Whale is concerned, I've read the novel several times. I enjoy the novel although I, too, find the parts about whaling and whale classification tedious, but I know some people enjoy it. We did it as a group read fairly recently in another group. You might want to look at the discussion. I hope it's ok to mention the name of the group here--it's Classics and the Western Cannon.

Happy reading.

[Brian Christiansen]

Qur'an and can recommend a couple.

As for the the Qur'an, there is a translation on project Gutenberg, that I apparently downloaded at some time in the past. I looked through it a bit, and it appears to be by William Powell, if I am remembering correctly. There are also several translations available on Amazon,some of which are free kindle editions.

As for the group you suggested, Classics and the Western Cannon,I am not quite sure how to find it. The original group "all about books" with the subgroup "ask the moderators",I did not find by "luck" ,but I really do not really remember how I did either.

As for this specific subgroup, "what should I read next" , I found it by a link provided in the answer to my original question in "ask the moderators."

Brian Christiansen

[Tamara]

Brian Christiansen wrote: "As for the group you suggested, Classics and the Western Cannon,I am not quite sure how to find it..."

Brian, this is the link to the discussion of Moby Dick that I mentioned:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

[Julia]

I'm in a reading rut... nothing I pick up lately seems to hold my interest.
Looking for recommendations / suggestions please.
Lately I tend toward:

historic fiction - WWII or Holocaust rescuers or resisters
womens fiction

fave authors are: Nora Roberts, Kristin Hannah, Patricia Briggs, JD Robb, Jodi Picoult

[LauraT]

As Historic fiction, even if not far away from our days, I've read The Red Collar: A Novel by Jean-Christophe Rufin; really worth the reading. If you're interested in Spanish History Homeland by Fernando Aramburu describes magistrally the conflict with the Basques. Annie Ernaux Gli anni describes France and Europe after WWII, same period for World Cup Wishes by Eshkol Nevo

[B the BookAddict]

Julia, maybe try John Boyne; a few of his books are set in either WWI, WWII/and or the Holocaust.

Besides which, he a brilliant writer.