Anybody have a good book recommendation?

November 25, 2012 / Rachel

I’m looking for a spectacular, amazing book to read. The best book I’ve read this year is, hands down, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I realize it’s a few years old, but I just discovered it so it’s new to me. I usually read mindless romances and I’m perfectly content with those, but I’m truly restless for something that gets me – really socks me in the gut and makes me think/weep/gnash my teeth/pour over the pages. Can anyone recommend some good fiction? What’s the best book you’ve read this year? I come to you, oh wise WP community, because I trust your intelligence and taste, so… help?

6 thoughts on “Anybody have a good book recommendation?”

Cindy

November 25, 2012 at 11:21 pm

Have you ever read the Outlander series by Diana Gabladon? It’s one of my absolute favorites. The first book is set in both the 1940s (just after WWII ends) and the Scottish Highlands of the 1740s. It has an amazing romance but there’s so much more to it than that.

Reply
- Rachel
  
  November 26, 2012 at 1:02 am
  
  I haven’t read that series but I’m definitely going to look it up! I haven’t been a fan of series until recently. Well, not true… I used to love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, until I realized around, oh, book 13 that Stephanie was never going to pick between Joe or Ranger and I couldn’t handle the indecision (when Ranger is CLEARLY the right choice!)
- Cindy
  
  November 26, 2012 at 8:32 am
  
  That’s just about exactly when I started losing interest in the Plum series, too. The flip flopping back and forth was killing me and it just got so far fetched and silly I couldn’t take it any more. Now I just read the fanfic where Stephanie and Ranger can live happily ever after.
  
  As for the Outlander series, it’s a pretty big undertaking (7 books so far that are all over a 1000 pages and a graphic novel) but I don’t think you’ll regret picking it up.
themisanthropologist

November 25, 2012 at 11:24 pm

Hmm..that’s kind of hard to answer. It would depend on what kind of genres you like. Based on my experience, the best books I’ve read this year are: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (David Mitchell), Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies (Hilary Mantel – it’s a series; books 1 and 2).

I would say that Thousand Autumns is a historical romance…among other things. The Wolf Hall series is historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII (I know, they way I describe it doesn’t make it sound very interesting, but believe me, it is!).

Other interesting reads I’ve had this year were: Ready Player One and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Both are about geeky adolescent boys…among other things 🙂

I’ve been curious about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, but I just can’t bring myself to read it yet. The genre is not usually my type….

Reply
- Rachel
  
  November 26, 2012 at 1:01 am
  
  Thanks for the suggestions! I’m writing all suggestions down so I can spend time milling over them! As for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, the way it’s written isn’t normally something I enjoy. It worked for that book, though, and really clicked with me! If you’re ever feeling adventurous, take a chance and give it a read! I hope you like it!
- themisanthropologist
  
  November 26, 2012 at 1:07 am
  
  Thanks! I hope you also get to read the books I recommended. They might not be suited to your taste, but search around the net for different reviews of them. You will find mixed reviews, of course, but I think, in general, most people find them very good.