mommydama | (no subject)

I need some book suggestions.

I love sci-fi and speculative fiction, especially character driven stuff, though I like some pretty hard SF sometimes too. I love historical fiction, especially if it involves English history, Nordic history, or Old Testament Biblical characters. Not sure why those always catch my fancy, but they do.

I'm currenlty rereading The Good Earth, for probably the 20th time at least. I LOVE this book. It is joyful and searing and beautiful. I just read the part about Wang Lung taking his starving infant girl, the one everyone thinks of as a "slave" and worthless because she is a girl, inside his coat to keep her warm against his skin and her smiling at him...and it made me totally choke on tears. Good grief, I must be hormonal. If you need a classic to read and you haven't read it, this one is a must for every human being. Not because it makes me cry, but because it is so human.

Anyhoo...give me some good book suggestions! I have a 25% off coupon from Borders for doing a survey and I have to use it by the 18th and 3 points on bookmooch.com to use, so give me your best books list!

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Have you ever read any "Harlem Rennaissance" kind of stuff? Maya Angelou has a many volume, ongoing autobiography that starts with I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. The last couple have gotten a little fluffy and repetitious - I think she's pretty old, now, and recapping a lot of things and publishing whatever she wants to since she has the clout to do that. But the first 4/5 are AMAZING books. I really think you would like them.

Also, Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God is an incredible book that fits into that genre, and Alice Walker's The Color Purple. I discovered all of this and more as a huge, untouched plethora of good books during late high school, and recently re-read most of it.

As far as speculative, character driven science fiction...Stephen King's Dark Tower series is simply my favorite story of all time. I was on pins and needles for years in between installments, and it was a million times what Harry Potter or something is, each time a new one was released. I have all 7 and could (!!!) bring them to your house, if you want. There is the small but relevant disclaimer that the first one is really, really slow. I actually initially read the second one, when I was 14 (and 19...and 23...) and went from there, so going back and trying to wade through #1 (which was written decades prior in a different "voice", if that makes sense, and had already been covered in the later books) was difficult for me. Grant read them at my urging and claims that it is not nearly so arduous if you start there. My personal opinion is that #1 is kind of a crappy book. #2 is much more readable, and has it's good points, but is not something you'd shout from the rooftops about. Then #3 really sucks you in, and is amazing. #4 is what sold me, though, and blew my mind and made me become some kind of raving Dark Tower lunatic, and then it stays at about that level through the end. I have a weird love/hate relationship with Stephen King, wherein I alternately think he's a cheesy, overrated mediocre writer, and then again can't get enough. His movies are awful. But the Dark Tower is NOT horror - I was very confused once, trying to find them in the library with all the other Stephen King and unable to. When I asked the clerk at the desk, she said it was because the first four books were spread out in western, science fiction, fantasy and romance, respectively. I wish I could tell you enough about it...G and I reference it frequently in everyday life, to the point that I think we must be nerds.

I am definitely planning to bring you Ya-Yas in Bloom, which I got a few months ago. It is not as good as the other two, but is still good reading, especially for those of us who can't get enough of that particular story.

I do actually like some "Harlem Renaissance" stuff. I've read The Color Purple. I've not read Their Eyes...but I saw the movie. I LOVED it. Perhaps I should read the book. I usually hate doing that though. I really like reading the books first. I haven't read much Maya Angelou though I'm always meaning to...thanks for reminding me!

I've never much considered Stephen King, but I remember you talking about The Dark Tower series before. I look into that. I always think of him as a horror writer and I HATE horror, but I know he does write other stuff.

I looked at Ya-Yas in Bloom in the Borders the other day and was really tempted...

The book Their Eyes is awesome. I heard a lot of people had negative comments about it, compared to the book. Let me know.

Have you read the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher? It's speculative fiction with a sort of urban fantasy slant--Harry is the only wizard listed in the Chicago phone book. ;)

Also, The Eyre Affair and the other Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde are great. They're intelligent, literary humor set in an alternate England where people care as much about art and books as people in our world care about sports. I have to love that.

There are more I could recommend, but holy cow I'm tired. I can't wait til the house is ready to list!

Will look into all that stuff. Thank you!!

I second the motion for The Dresden Files! I'm currently rereading Dead Beat.....I love these books!!!

Did you know about the series on SciFi? It's not entirely true to the books (though Terence Mann playing Bob is growing on me...), but still pretty good.

I've watched bits and pieces of the show on SF channel. I wondered if it was the same thing...

It's approximately the same thing. ;) Harry gets, um, a lot more women on the TV series, and some of the magic works differently (though I understand why). The books are a lot better (of course), but I still watch the show.

I don't read much fiction but one of my favorite books is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

And if you have not read the Perelandria trilogy by lewis then that is a must.

Oh I LOVE that book. If you haven't read it, Dama, you should. Paige, I read that, like, 20 times when I was in 5th grade.

Space Trilogy is good as well, as is Till We Have Faces, also by Lewis.

I've read all of Lewis's fiction and they are all really wonderful books.

I haven't read A Tree Grows in Booklyn though. I'll do that. Thanks!

Have you read Sharon Kay Penman? I love all her books, but start with either "The Sunne in Splendor" or "Here Be Dragons".