Some recs for my mom

ficbot · 04-30-2010, 11:10 PM

With the Kobo being out now, and cheap, I am thinking of loaning mine to my about-to-retire mother, with the aim that if she likes it, she can keep it as her retirement present. I want to load it up with some books for her. She has commented that she thinks she is not sure she would like my books, but in the past we have shared paper books so I am not sure where this is coming from

I know she'll like these ones:

Nora Roberts (she may like the JD Robb stuff; not sure she'll like the straight romances)
Jodi Picoult (she enjoys this author already)
Pat Conroy (his newest is a sweeping saga-esque thing; she goes for that)
Janet Evanovich (she likes mysteries and female authors/characters)

And here are some maybes:

Norbert Davis (she likes mysteries and is a dog fan; this author will be new to her though and is a bit dated)
Ariana Franklin (may be too 'historical fiction' based for her)
Jon Grisham (there are heaps of these in the public library e-system here; she may have read much of them in paper already though)
J.A. Jance (this is just her thing, but I don't have the earlier books so she may feel lost and prefer to start with book 1)
Jeff Lindsay (Dexter is too smarmy and unlikeable for her, I suspect)

I think sometimes I confuse her because I read very different things. So she sees me with Jodi Picoult and tells me she is reading the latest one and enjoying it. Then she sees me with Charlaine Harris and thinks all my books are weird

The two types of books I see her with most often are mystery/suspense type stuff and 'chick lit' like Barbara Delinsky. She takes these massive books to Florida every year that are long enoug to take the whole vacation. They are usually stuff like those giant sweeping romance epic things which follow several families through multiple generations of love and war and babies over the course of a hundred years or so. Oh, and she has a husband with a Tom Clancy habit. She'll read those in a pinch but I don't think she prefers them.

She's still doing this whole 'I don't see why I need these things if I can go and buy a book in paper any time I want' thing, but as the reader will be free, and she's retiring and feeling adventurous, I am seizing the moment. What are some other good authors I can include for her?

dreams · 04-30-2010, 11:44 PM

Well, since you mentioned "massive", how about the Outlander by Diana Gabaldon(<--wiki) (search results)? My boss has just discovered these books and likes some of the other authors you mentioned.

sunnysmiles · 05-01-2010, 02:15 PM

I really enjoyed the Out lander series I think the earlier ones were better than the later ones .

lene1949 · 05-02-2010, 03:26 AM

To be honest, I would ask your mother...

Sometimes we're not as old as you might think...

Shayne Parkinson · 05-02-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

To be honest, I would ask your mother...

Sometimes we're not as old as you might think...

I think Lene's advice is very wise

Just in case your mother might be interested in historical fiction set in New Zealand, I do have something to offer

It matches two things from your list above:

a sweeping saga-esque thing
and she likes... female authors/characters

The first book's a free download.

nohmi2 · 05-03-2010, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

To be honest, I would ask your mother...

Sometimes we're not as old as you might think...

I second that.

My grand-daughter recommend the trilogy by Stieg Larsson.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl who played with Fire
The G irl who kicked the Hornet's Nest

I read through then all so quickly that I started from the beginning of the series again, and then savoured them. I'll probably read them again in a couple of years time.

Cheers.

lene1949 · 05-03-2010, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

I think Lene's advice is very wise

I said this because of some of the presents my kids have bought me...

'OK.. Mum was born in 1949, so we'll look for some 40's music for her... That should make her happy!'

I have no interest in the 1940's music... but I'd love a $5 iTunes card...

Shayne Parkinson · 05-03-2010, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

I said this because of some of the presents my kids have bought me...

'OK.. Mum was born in 1949, so we'll look for some 40's music for her... That should make her happy!'

I have no interest in the 1940's music... but I'd love a $5 iTunes card...

Oh, my goodness! I'm sure their intentions were good, but really

ficbot · 05-03-2010, 07:06 AM

LOL I did ask her and she said 'well, I'd just like there to be books *I* would enjoy...'

She's not very tech-savvy at all though. Her wish list for such a product was 'if I were going to Florida for a month, it would have to have enough books on it for a trip like that.' I asked how many books that would be and she said 'Well, at least 8. Maybe 10. Or up to 12.' Um, the book reader can store about 1500 books. I think she'll b fine for a couple weeks in Florida

Penforhire · 05-03-2010, 04:43 PM

James Patterson's "women's murder club" series.

AnemicOak · 05-03-2010, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

(she likes mysteries and female authors/characters)

Maybe...

Linda Fairstein
Nevada Barr
Kathy Reichs

..."Mysteries" is a pretty big category with lots of 'types' within the genre.

grooks · 05-03-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

James Patterson's "women's murder club" series.

+1 for this James Patterson series. I believe book 9 in the series was just released.

lene1949 · 05-03-2010, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shayne Parkinson

I think Lene's advice is very wise

Just in case your mother might be interested in historical fiction set in New Zealand, I do have something to offer It matches two things from your list above:

a sweeping saga-esque thing
and she likes... female authors/characters

The first book's a free download.

I think any female would love your books, Shayne... I highly recommend them...

Shayne Parkinson · 05-03-2010, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lene1949

I think any female would love your books, Shayne... I highly recommend them...

Marcy · 05-04-2010, 04:49 PM

I seem to have similar mystery tastes to your mother (although she doesn't seem to also favor the geeky sci-fi I love and I find Jodi Picoult's work hackneyed) so here are my suggestions:

Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton
Amelia Peabody series by Elisabeth Peters
Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series by Faye Kellerman
Aurora Teagarden series by Charlaine Harris (definitely "cozy" mysteries, not hard-core)
Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben (man character/author but really good)
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith

Plus if she enjoys short stories, I can recommend the Ellery Queen magazine. There is also the Alfred Hitchcock magazine, but I find those stories are usually darker and more disturbing than the ones in EQ.

-Marcy

04-30-2010, 11:10 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Some recs for my mom With the Kobo being out now, and cheap, I am thinking of loaning mine to my about-to-retire mother, with the aim that if she likes it, she can keep it as her retirement present. I want to load it up with some books for her. She has commented that she thinks she is not sure she would like my books, but in the past we have shared paper books so I am not sure where this is coming from I know she'll like these ones: Nora Roberts (she may like the JD Robb stuff; not sure she'll like the straight romances) Jodi Picoult (she enjoys this author already) Pat Conroy (his newest is a sweeping saga-esque thing; she goes for that) Janet Evanovich (she likes mysteries and female authors/characters) And here are some maybes: Norbert Davis (she likes mysteries and is a dog fan; this author will be new to her though and is a bit dated) Ariana Franklin (may be too 'historical fiction' based for her) Jon Grisham (there are heaps of these in the public library e-system here; she may have read much of them in paper already though) J.A. Jance (this is just her thing, but I don't have the earlier books so she may feel lost and prefer to start with book 1) Jeff Lindsay (Dexter is too smarmy and unlikeable for her, I suspect) I think sometimes I confuse her because I read very different things. So she sees me with Jodi Picoult and tells me she is reading the latest one and enjoying it. Then she sees me with Charlaine Harris and thinks all my books are weird The two types of books I see her with most often are mystery/suspense type stuff and 'chick lit' like Barbara Delinsky. She takes these massive books to Florida every year that are long enoug to take the whole vacation. They are usually stuff like those giant sweeping romance epic things which follow several families through multiple generations of love and war and babies over the course of a hundred years or so. Oh, and she has a husband with a Tom Clancy habit. She'll read those in a pinch but I don't think she prefers them. She's still doing this whole 'I don't see why I need these things if I can go and buy a book in paper any time I want' thing, but as the reader will be free, and she's retiring and feeling adventurous, I am seizing the moment. What are some other good authors I can include for her?

05-04-2010, 04:49 PM	#15
Marcy Guru Posts: 897 Karma: 950683 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kobo Libra2	I seem to have similar mystery tastes to your mother (although she doesn't seem to also favor the geeky sci-fi I love and I find Jodi Picoult's work hackneyed) so here are my suggestions: Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton Amelia Peabody series by Elisabeth Peters Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series by Faye Kellerman Aurora Teagarden series by Charlaine Harris (definitely "cozy" mysteries, not hard-core) Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben (man character/author but really good) No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith Plus if she enjoys short stories, I can recommend the Ellery Queen magazine. There is also the Alfred Hitchcock magazine, but I find those stories are usually darker and more disturbing than the ones in EQ. -Marcy Last edited by Marcy; 05-04-2010 at 04:52 PM.

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04-30-2010, 11:44 PM	#2
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,110 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	Well, since you mentioned "massive", how about the Outlander by Diana Gabaldon(<--wiki) (search results)? My boss has just discovered these books and likes some of the other authors you mentioned.

05-01-2010, 02:15 PM	#3
sunnysmiles Addict Posts: 279 Karma: 1188010 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: I pad air, kindle pw2 and kindle touch , kindle had fire Nook pad nook	I really enjoyed the Out lander series I think the earlier ones were better than the later ones .

05-02-2010, 03:26 AM	#4
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	To be honest, I would ask your mother... Sometimes we're not as old as you might think...

05-03-2010, 07:06 AM	#9
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	LOL I did ask her and she said 'well, I'd just like there to be books I would enjoy...' She's not very tech-savvy at all though. Her wish list for such a product was 'if I were going to Florida for a month, it would have to have enough books on it for a trip like that.' I asked how many books that would be and she said 'Well, at least 8. Maybe 10. Or up to 12.' Um, the book reader can store about 1500 books. I think she'll b fine for a couple weeks in Florida

05-03-2010, 04:43 PM	#10
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	James Patterson's "women's murder club" series.