Books on the Nightstand discussion
Best Recommendations You've Gotten Recently?
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You guys, my wife, my neighbor
tough to say - I think it's the same as movies: if there's a confluence of positive associations around a book (word of mouth, topic, previous experience with the author, etc) I'll read it. Very rarely will I take one recommendation and buy a book blindly.
A colleague at work told me about the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. It's a children/young adult book, but it is such a well-told story that it is wonderful for all ages. It stayed with me for quite a while after I finished the last page.
Michael, I just listened to the podcast where you highly recommended The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I couldn't agree with you more. I read it a few months ago in an afternoon, and absolutely loved it and was so disappointed to see the last page. I wasn't sure about the letter format at first, but I think that made me enjoy the characters all the more. Delightful is the perfect word to describe this book.
Great to hear Suzanne. GUERNSEY was definitely a word of mouth success. And, for any holdouts who didn't want to buy a hardcover, the paperback comes out in May, so we can all start recommending it again!

Dottie M.

Hands of my Father by Myron Uhlberg and it now comes out in early February! I'll be raving about it on a podcast soon!

And, going for the clever title? Oh -- not really a failing -- just a fun, by chance option for finding some fun reading, Dottie. I tend to relate to titles which include certain key words which ring a bell in my maze of "connections" -- colors, things related to the senses, and other rather quirky bits of trivia.
As for a particular book -- recently? I'll be back with that. ETA: In the past year, the best book recommendation I think came from a total stranger/member of GR who recommended the Brazilian author Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis -- counselor Ayres Memorial was one of my favorite books but I grew to enjoy the author's writing style increasingly through the three volumes I've read thus far. Another high ranking one came from the booklist of one of my GR groups -- Dunn's Ella Minnow Pea. By the way, Ann, did you ever finish that? If not, I really think you should read it this year ;)
I find that when a person (IRL or online) is a great fan of many of the same authors who are on my personal favs list that I can trust their recommendations of an author -- even if the descriptions of that author's works seems at odds with my usual reading material. This is how I became a permanent fan of both A.S. Byatt and Alice Hoffman, in fact.
Dottie,
No, I haven't finished Ella Minnow Pea yet. At this point, I think I'll just start over from scratch. This year for sure!
No, I haven't finished Ella Minnow Pea yet. At this point, I think I'll just start over from scratch. This year for sure!

Carla
Books mentioned in this topic
Water for Elephants (other topics)The Story of Edgar Sawtelle (other topics)
What book are you thrilled someone told you about?
Who do you trust most for book recommendations?
What sort of recommendation makes you immediately pick up a book?