Need some new books badly...

[Meg]

I have run out of really good books to read.. I've used online book finders over and over and I keep getting the same types of predictable stories. I have read mostly romance novels and historical fiction and am in need of something totally new and different. Something that has a shocking ending maybe.. contemporary..a good tear jerker would be great too :) Anything that isn't typical and predictable from the start..Any suggestions?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton

Strong Motion by Jonathan Franzen

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The Privileges by Jonathan Dee

[Jena]

My favorite books of the last few years have been The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. How do you feel about non-fiction?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

King of the Badgers

[Jena]

One of the small press books I read and have enjoyed recommending is Oonagh by Mary Tillberg.

[Meg]

Thanks so much you guys! These are great recomendations! :) I'm definitely going to get some of them!

[Meg]

Jena wrote: "My favorite books of the last few years have been The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson and The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. How do you feel about non-fiction?"

Thanks Jena :) Hmm.. I like certain non-fiction, but I am usually drawn more towards fiction. :)

[Jena]

Well then I won't recommend a bunch of non-fiction. (However, if you're the apologetic messy, disorganized sort, I'd recommend A Perfect Mess.)

[Booklover]

Thanks guys:)will definitely try The Little Stranger
by Sarah Waters seemed interesting:)

[Phillip]

I would recommend Thomas Harris' "The Red Dragon". It is very well crafted, is different from what you have been reading, and I would consider it shocking.

[Gerriane]

loved the plot twists in these books. You might not find a lot of romance but they're good! Promise! :D

[Lacy]

I cried with all of these:

[Kate]

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery

This book caused strong feelings about the ending, and led to a spirited discussion in my book group about the ending. It is a fantastic book. Be aware that several in my book group said they had to adjust to the vocabulary/style of the writing for a few pages.

[Kate]

Another book: Child of a Rainless Year by Jane Lindskold.
This is another book that did not always go in the direction it was going to go. I enjoyed it.

[Peter]

"Shocking ending" always makes me think of Island, by Richard Laymon. It's not a nice book at all - like many Laymon stories, it's full of so much sex and gore that if they were making an unrated movie of it, someone would say, "Dude, we gotta tone it down or we'll get lynched" - but the man could by God tell a story.

Island is about a college-aged boy who ends up shipwrecked on a tropical island with several attractive women. Which is great, except there's a homicidal maniac attacking them at every opportunity. It's your basic fight for survival with several twists that are as disturbing as they are clever. And the very last sentence will knock you flat on your butt. I shall say no more.

[J]

You have probably already read these, but just in case you have yet to discover the Kingdom series by Cynthia Voigt I HIGHLY HIGHLY reccommend: Jackaroo (Kingdom, #1), On Fortune's Wheel (Kingdom, #2), The Wings of a Falcon (Kingdom, #3), and Elske (Kingdom, #4). The whole set fits your criteria pretty well. (especially Wings of Falcon)

[Pogue]

I love Charles de Linthe is on author that I read over and over.

[Natalie]

I am the Messenger and Underdog by Markus Zusak I HIGHLY recommend. The Book Thief's wonderful also but a lot more well-known.

[Jen]

Anything by Jonathan Carroll should be great for a surprising read. My favorite (of those I've read) is White Apples.

[Emily]

The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast Story, Very Pleasant.

Host by Stephanie Meyers--it's a story about body snatchers told in the point of view of the body snatcher. It has some gentle romance.

The Girl who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson--Everyone over age 12 dies, and Lisa and her brother find a way to survive by using their brains and not bullying others.

[stormhawk]

Neal Stephenson would be really, really different for you.

yes, I know you're a romance reader.

yes, I know this is really out of your comfort zone.

but give it a shot.

I suggest The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer to start.

Then Snow Crash.

And if you are REALLY brave, or hooked, try The Baroque Cycle, which is three extremely long books that tell one story, which is, incidentally, at least partially a historical romance.

[Natalie]

I don't know what kind of romance novels you read, but if you want some exciting modern times ones, I would suggest Marjorie M. Liu's Dirk and Steele books. They are supernatural romances and very exciting and adventurous.

If you've never read supernatural romances or adventure stories it might be a way to ease into something different while still keeping a little bit of that romance you're more comfortable with.

[Krystal]

Here are some of my favorites from my bookshelves (I'm leaving off some of the more well-known series, such as the Mortal Instruments and the Hunger Games ... all good reads, but doubtless you've heard of them all. No need for me to repeat suggestions.)

Some of these are romances, some are mysteries, some are tearjerkers, all are just good books that I loved.























And here's a list of authors that I will read whenever they publish anything new. I don't even need to read synopsis because they are so tried and true for me, I know I will love whatever they write. I therefore suggest them to everybody. (Some of these were included in the list above, but I'm just reiterating now.)

Sarah Addison Allen
Cassandra Clare
Charles de Lint
Juliet Marillier
Kate Morton
Sharon Shinn
Jacqueline Carey

** Jacqueline Carey writes some very erotic romance novels (her Kushiel series ... there are 9 so far), to put it simply. Of course, her novels aren't that simple because though, yes, there is a lot of sex, they have such great historical, political, and religious plots that they are some of my favorite reads. But they're certainly not for everybody.

Hope some of these suggestions are helpful! :)

[Barbara]

Try Gentleman and Players by Joane Harris and
A Handful of Ashes by Evelyn Waugh.

[Darcy]

If you want something different than romance or historical fiction and want shocking ending then I recommend A Game of Thrones. It's fantasy, but it's a got a Medieval feel about it and the author pokes convention in the eye.
I'd also suggest The Good Fairies of New York if you're in the mood to laugh. Not what I'd call a tear jerker, but it is funny.
Finally, if you want a different approach to a mystery series The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It's set in post-war small town Britain, there are some crying bits in this series.

[Pogue]

I loved The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

[Kate]

Whenever I need a good cry, I read I Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven. It's a gentle story, with great depth between characters. Craven is wonderful in her style.

[Jen3n]

I don't know if you've read it yet or not, but The Thirteenth Tale is a modern novel that has a 19th century gothic-novel feel. It has a little bit of romance to it, but mostly it's a .. sort of mystery/horror with an unreliable narrator and a bit of a twist at the end. It's only a step or two away from what you say you've been reading, but it's really well written, contemporary, and has parts that will jerk a tear from you.

[Brenda]

Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones
A Glimpse of Tiger by Herman Raucher
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

[Lindsey]

I really liked 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' Lionel Schriver and 'A Kind of Intimacy' Jenn Ashworth

[Debbie's Spurts (D.A.)]

Three of my recently enjoyed reads if you want to head for hilarious versus tear jerker:

quirky more end of romance than strictly romance book. Funny and I enjoyed but really could have done more dastardly things to the ex. And romance does re-enter the picture (not back with ex, that would have ruined it for me).

or the omnibus version of trilogy -- just a complete genre change with absolutely zero romance and warped sense of humor.

PNR genre also with a warped, irreverent sense of humor

[Emma]

House Rules by Jodi Picoult? It's pretty well known, but it's interesting with an ending that I didn't find very predictable.

[Lauren]

Here are some you might enjoy although Carpe Diem is more of a YA novel its different then other books i've read

[Sairah]

A set that came to mind was the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray.

A Great and Terrible Beauty
Rebel Angels
The Sweet Far Thing

(I'm typing this from the mobile version, so I can't link anything. =/)

[MJ]

Suzannas Diary for Nicholas
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7494

[Anna]

I love anything and everything written by Ilona Andrews, especially Burn for Me. The series is not complete but the first three books focus only on one couple, and those have already been published.
Also love A Court of Thorns and Roses.
I have read both of those thousands of times.