Off-Topic Spring Reading

[lisarah]

A lot of books on my want to read list here (Me Before You & The Husband's Secret are the last two I saw mentioned).
I just finished Gone Girl (gave it 4/5)& Water for Elephants 5/5!
Currently reading:
Breakfast with Buddha which I wished I like more;
Bitter is the New Black which I may have to quit; &
How to Capture a Countess by Karen Hawkins which is looking like a 3/5 rating.
Is anyone on Goodreads?

[kmissa]

Originally Posted by lisarah

A lot of books on my want to read list here (Me Before You & The Husband's Secret are the last two I saw mentioned).
I just finished Gone Girl (gave it 4/5)& Water for Elephants 5/5!
Currently reading:
Breakfast with Buddha which I wished I like more;
Bitter is the New Black which I may have to quit; &
How to Capture a Countess by Karen Hawkins which is looking like a 3/5 rating.
Is anyone on Goodreads?

I'm on good reads! I've read most on your list save for three.

[Erica H.]

I'm on Goodreads, too.

Finishing "All Joy and No Fun" about the effect kids have on parents. Very interesting book.

Erica

[Jennifer R]

Originally Posted by Judy W.

Just finishing 'Cutting for Stone'. Excellent book; loved it far more than I thought I would! Brilliantly written and plotted. I highly recommend it.

I loved this one too.

I recently read Hell or High Water by Peter Heller about the first group of kayakers to traverse the Tsangpo River gorge in Tibet. Incredible descriptions of water that nobody should be able to come out of alive, yet these guys did it. Interesting social/political descriptions of the various people of Tibet too.

Also nonfiction, another book is Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing about what set out to be an expedition across Antarctica. It also involved unbelievable skills and resourcefulness, but for the purposes of survival in one of the most inhospitable to humans environments imaginable. It also occurred in the second decade of the 20th century, so gear and clothing was nowhere near the ultra fancy stuff the kayakers had. It's one of those stories that just when you think things can't get worse, they do (kind of like the Alien movie!) Very well written, the story is told in a very straightforward manner but it absolutely gripped me. This book was written in 1954, but it stands the test of time. Superhuman effort by the entire group, and no one died, a true miracle.Even though it was somewhat harrowing, I can recommend it wholeheartedly.

[Jennifer R]

Originally Posted by Fit Gal

oh, and totally on another wavelength, I couldn't sleep last night so read Patti Smith Just Kids biography. It got great reviews but I thought it was so very depressing.

Yes, that one was sad. She loved Robert so very much. She has managed to mostly escape the self destructive lifestyle of many people in her peer group.

[wendy2]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

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**Waving my hand in the air** as a big-time fantasy reader. I mostly read YA fantasy, as well as a lot of the YA dystopian books... What have you liked recently, other than The Hunger Games? If you like dystopian/survival type reads, I really enjoyed the Enclave/Outpost/Horde (Ann Agguire) trilogy. Has a much better ending than that horrible Divergent fiasco...

Oh, I'm also much-loving the Lunar Chronicles series (Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress have been released, with one more on the horizon). The author is Marissa Meyer.

Marie Lu's Legend/Prodigy/Champion trilogy was satisfying. Solid ending.

If you can handle dark reads (but ultimately redeeming and rich reads), you may like the Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. I've reread these twice in 6 months because there was just so much TO them. Full of ugliness... but also light. (Sounds silly, but these really have stuck deep in me.) Great fantasy, medieval-esque setting. Marchetta writes broken people very well...

If you like historical fantasy (alternative steampunk stuff), Scott Westerfeld's Leviathon/Behemoth/Goliath is great. WW1 with a steampunk twist. Very cool.

I've also liked some things by Kim Cashore (Graceling, Fire)... Caragh O'Brien (Birthmarked, Promised, Prized), and Rae Carson (Girl of Fire & Thorns trilogy -- love).

Loved the Enclave etc. series (I think it's called the Razorback trilogy). A little wordy in some places, but good stuff.

Loved the Cinder series--didn't realize until the end of #3 that there would be more than three--so surprised and excited to read the next one

Loved loved the Legend trilogy. Totally loved it. So much better than Divergent (couldn't be bothered reading the 3rd one in that series.)

Loved the Delirium trilogy (and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver is exellent, though a totally different kind of book than the others I'm mentioning.) Delirium took a little to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

Liked Graceling a lot, but haven't gone beyond that one. Read that several years ago so don't remember much.

I will look into the other books you've mentioned--thanks so much for posting.

I would also recommend:

Under the Never Sky trilogy.

Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm (the Grisha Trilogy). Not as great, but a good, different YA series.

Shiver, Linger and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (not for everyone, but I really liked these. Slower and not dystopian. Werewolves, but not gruesome.)

For non YA stuff, I've recently read Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen. Loved all her older books, and liked this one a lot.

My Own Miraculous by Joshilyn Jackson. Loved it, and I love all her books.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (the only vampire book I've read. Liked it a lot. This one is YA.) I also liked but didn't love White Cat by the same author (Holly Black). I'm reading the 2nd in that trilogy (Red Glove). It's okay.

Oh, more YA but not dystopian: Eleanor and Park and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. The first is especially excellent.

[alisoncooks]

Originally Posted by wendy2

Shiver, Linger and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (not for everyone, but I really liked these. Slower and not dystopian. Werewolves, but not gruesome.)

Thanks for the recs! I have some books to look into!

I did like the Shiver trilogy, a lot. Did you know there's a 4th coming out this summer? I think it's called "Sinner."

I read Stiefvater's Ballad and Lament (A Gathering of Faerie series)... they had a LOT of potential but fell a bit short (almost like an unfinished series but I can't find more info on them.)

[lisarah]

Ok, I may have to move Cutting for Stone up in my to read list based on all the positive reviews here. Anyone feel free to friend me on goodreads (especially if you also like historical romance or chick lit, my "feel good" old standbys). Full name: Lisa Vogan

[wendy2]

Originally Posted by alisoncooks

Thanks for the recs! I have some books to look into!

I did like the Shiver trilogy, a lot. Did you know there's a 4th coming out this summer? I think it's called "Sinner."

Gasp! Yay!! Going to look on Amazon

[ellaenchanted]

Just started The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Also finishing up The God Theory by Bernard Haisch.

I've read 10 books so far this year.