I want to read something amazing - Page 3

Guns4Hire · 01-09-2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

The Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour. Not a Western but set in the 13Th century Europe and Middle East. I think it is his best book and still do even after reading it numerous times.
Apache

Sounds like a great read definitely will add this to my library.

covingtoncat73 · 01-09-2012, 02:38 PM

Well, I recently read The Crimes of Jordan Wise by Bill Pronzini. It is a rather noir tale of embezzlement, lust, and murder. The Cohen brothers should make the movie.

If you want humor, I second the Carl Hiaasen reccomendation. Any of his, really.

Oh, Medicus by Ruth Downie is a book I recently purchased as a pbook at a secondhand bookstore. I haven't read it yet but it looks good and the Kindle edition is $7.19, which isn't bad.

From Publishers Weekly
The salacious underside of Roman-occupied Britain comes to life in Britisher Downie's debut. Gaius Petrius Ruso, a military medicus (or doctor), transfers to the 20th Legion in the remote Britannia port of Deva (now Chester) to start over after a ruinous divorce and his father's death. Things go downhill from there. His quarters are filthy and vermin-filled, and his superior at the hospital is a petty tyrant. Gaius rescues and buys an injured slave girl, Tilla, from her abusive master, but she refuses to talk, can't cook and costs more to keep than he can afford. Meanwhile, young women from the local bordello keep turning up dead, and nobody is interested in investigating. Gaius becomes a reluctant detective, but his sleuthing threatens to get him killed and leaves him scant time to work on the first-aid guide he's writing to help salvage his finances. Tilla plots her escape as she recovers from her injuries, and just when Ruso becomes attached to her, she runs away, complicating his personal life and his investigation. Downie's auspicious debut sparkles with beguiling characters and a vividly imagined evocation of a hazy frontier. (Mar.)

Sydney's Mom · 01-09-2012, 05:18 PM

Blindness by Jose Saramago. Then try Seeing, also by Mr. Saramago. Best books I have read in a long, long time.

flipreads · 01-10-2012, 01:35 AM

I was thrilled with Maria Dahvana Headley's Queen of Kings

kennyc · 01-10-2012, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

...

Looking for some amazing reads, any suggestions?

Please NO sci-fi or fantasy.

Thanks in advance.

Well then....

kennyc · 01-10-2012, 07:04 AM

The Road - Cormac McCarthy (or anything else by him)

John F · 01-10-2012, 07:42 AM

How about something by John Irving. I'd start with A Prayer for Owen Meany, or The Cider House Rules, or A Son of the Circus.

kennyc · 01-10-2012, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John F

How about something by John Irving. I'd start with A Prayer for Owen Meany, or The Cider House Rules, or A Son of the Circus.

Excellent suggestion! Also his new one (though I wouldn't call it "Amazing" it is excellent) - "Last Night in Twisted River"

Which makes me think of E. L. Doctorow - 'Homer & Langley'
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/...n5324182.shtml

Mel Comley · 01-10-2012, 08:14 AM

One of the best reads I read last year was The Gifts by Linda Prather.

http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Jacody-M...6201214&sr=1-1

kacir · 01-10-2012, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

The Road - Cormac McCarthy (or anything else by him)

A bit of warning here.
Some people, including myself, find the book extremely ... disturbing. I know, I know, ... a good book definitely shouldn't leave you indifferent, but The Road was a bit too much for me - to put it very diplomatically. When I read a book I want to be entertained and amazed. I do not want to feel "emotionally shattered" (a very fitting description, IMHO, shamelessly stolen from a review on Goodreads).
Perhaps you should read some positive *and* negative reviews first.

Many of the books suggested in this thread do not appeal to me, and I guess, that you wouldn't like books that I personally find amazing.

It might be a good idea to go to Goodreads site, register AND fill in your rating for the books you like and dislike. Then you can use their recommendation system, or you can read books that other people (that like the same books as you) rated high.

kennyc · 01-10-2012, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

A bit of warning here.
Some people, including myself, find the book extremely ... disturbing. I know, I know, ... a good book definitely shouldn't leave you indifferent, but The Road was a bit too much for me - to put it very diplomatically. When I read a book I want to be entertained and amazed. I do not want to feel "emotionally shattered" (a very fitting description, IMHO, shamelessly stolen from a review on Goodreads).
Perhaps you should read some positive *and* negative reviews first.

Many of the books suggested in this thread do not appeal to me, and I guess, that you wouldn't like books that I personally find amazing.

It might be a good idea to go to Goodreads site, register AND fill in your rating for the books you like and dislike. Then you can use their recommendation system, or you can read books that other people (that like the same books as you) rated high.

Well since you now veered off topic..... WARNING! WARNING! Some people find The Road full of hope.

HarryT · 01-10-2012, 09:24 AM

Wouldn't you classify "The Road" as SF, though?

kennyc · 01-10-2012, 09:27 AM

No more so than many other similar books. There is nothing in the book that makes it science fiction in the traditional sense.

HarryT · 01-10-2012, 09:33 AM

I'd classify it as SF because of its post apocalyptic setting, just as I would Neville Shute's "On the Beach".

wvcherrybomb · 01-10-2012, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kacir

A bit of warning here.
Some people, including myself, find the book extremely ... disturbing. I know, I know, ... a good book definitely shouldn't leave you indifferent, but The Road was a bit too much for me - to put it very diplomatically. When I read a book I want to be entertained and amazed. I do not want to feel "emotionally shattered" (a very fitting description, IMHO, shamelessly stolen from a review on Goodreads).
Perhaps you should read some positive *and* negative reviews first.

Many of the books suggested in this thread do not appeal to me, and I guess, that you wouldn't like books that I personally find amazing.

It might be a good idea to go to Goodreads site, register AND fill in your rating for the books you like and dislike. Then you can use their recommendation system, or you can read books that other people (that like the same books as you) rated high.

Thanks for the warning about The Road. My husband watched the movie and was telling me what is was about when I was skimming over channels. I couldn't even listen to his entire description as it was so disturbing. I can't read anything where children (even fictional) suffer.

I had completely forgotten about Goodreads. I am a member there but have never explored all of what they have to offer.

To everyone who has offered suggestions: Thanks, there are some of these on my TBR list now.

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01-09-2012, 02:38 PM	#32
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	Well, I recently read The Crimes of Jordan Wise by Bill Pronzini. It is a rather noir tale of embezzlement, lust, and murder. The Cohen brothers should make the movie. If you want humor, I second the Carl Hiaasen reccomendation. Any of his, really. Oh, Medicus by Ruth Downie is a book I recently purchased as a pbook at a secondhand bookstore. I haven't read it yet but it looks good and the Kindle edition is $7.19, which isn't bad. From Publishers Weekly The salacious underside of Roman-occupied Britain comes to life in Britisher Downie's debut. Gaius Petrius Ruso, a military medicus (or doctor), transfers to the 20th Legion in the remote Britannia port of Deva (now Chester) to start over after a ruinous divorce and his father's death. Things go downhill from there. His quarters are filthy and vermin-filled, and his superior at the hospital is a petty tyrant. Gaius rescues and buys an injured slave girl, Tilla, from her abusive master, but she refuses to talk, can't cook and costs more to keep than he can afford. Meanwhile, young women from the local bordello keep turning up dead, and nobody is interested in investigating. Gaius becomes a reluctant detective, but his sleuthing threatens to get him killed and leaves him scant time to work on the first-aid guide he's writing to help salvage his finances. Tilla plots her escape as she recovers from her injuries, and just when Ruso becomes attached to her, she runs away, complicating his personal life and his investigation. Downie's auspicious debut sparkles with beguiling characters and a vividly imagined evocation of a hazy frontier. (Mar.)

01-09-2012, 05:18 PM	#33
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,895 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	Blindness by Jose Saramago. Then try Seeing, also by Mr. Saramago. Best books I have read in a long, long time.

01-10-2012, 01:35 AM	#34
flipreads Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 433632 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: iPad	I was thrilled with Maria Dahvana Headley's Queen of Kings

01-10-2012, 07:04 AM	#36
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	The Road - Cormac McCarthy (or anything else by him)

01-10-2012, 07:42 AM	#37
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,231 Karma: 65190611 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Glo HD	How about something by John Irving. I'd start with A Prayer for Owen Meany, or The Cider House Rules, or A Son of the Circus.

01-10-2012, 08:14 AM	#39
Mel Comley Addict Posts: 318 Karma: 602031 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: France Device: none	One of the best reads I read last year was The Gifts by Linda Prather. http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Jacody-M...6201214&sr=1-1

01-10-2012, 09:24 AM	#42
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Wouldn't you classify "The Road" as SF, though?

01-10-2012, 09:27 AM	#43
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	No more so than many other similar books. There is nothing in the book that makes it science fiction in the traditional sense.

01-10-2012, 09:33 AM	#44
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'd classify it as SF because of its post apocalyptic setting, just as I would Neville Shute's "On the Beach".

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