What are you going to read this winter?

[keeperofthehorses]

My shrink told me that I need more balance in my life (no kidding, that's what advice his fancy degree gets me

) and we came up with reading. I haven't read a book that isn't work, horse, gardening or health related for FOUR years. I think the last book I read for pleasure was Undaunted Courage, which I loved. I'm trying to decide what to read this winter. I like non-fiction, especially history and science. I need to stay away from politics, because I get too worked up and apparently I 'need to relax'.

I'm browsing Amazon, but having trouble picking a couple to settle down with. Any good books you recommend? What are you planning to read this winter?

 

[RAPfrosty]

Right now I'm reading The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (for the second time). It is by far the best book I've ever read, definatly my favorite! Here's what the back of the book says:

"Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand in mother" Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina- a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black bee keeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come."

If you haven't already guessed, I highly recommend it!

 

[runamuk]

Anything by Rita Mae Brown her stories are set in the south always a laugh riot and an easy fast read........I can usually do one in easily in a day.

Another great writer is Janet Evonavich laugh out loud funny....life of a female bumbling bond enforcement agent set in Jersey......

I love to read rarely have time and have a pretty good fiction library as well as non fiction let me know what you like mystery, comedy, scifi, fantasy, not so much into romance.......

 

[minimule]

If you like mystery with real life feeling, the Patricia Cornwell "Kay Scarpetta" novels are great. Kay is the chief medical examiner in Charleston, VA and the stories are really good, interesting, and factual. She knows her ME stuff. We've read 8 out of 10 (I think that is how many she has) and have only found 2 tiny mistakes, both gun related.

I'm reading one now that is a true story called "I married adventure". It is written by Osa Johnson. She was married to Martin Johnson and they traveled all over the world LOOONNNNG ago and were the first to film cannibals and natives in the South Seas. Then they moved to Africa and made some of the first films of the animals there. It's interesting if you like that kind of thing.

Also the John Grisham novels are good. Most are lawyer stories. Stuff like Pelican Brief, The Firm, Runaway Jury (nothing like the movie!

)

 

[Horse Hugs]

I am a really avid reader- I always have at least 2 or 3 books going at a time.

I love books that are easy to follow since I am pretty busy and have to read bits at a time.

I just finished "Middlesex". It's not real easy to follow although it was quite interesting.

I liked "The Secret Life of Bees" Great book

Lately I have been working my way thru all of Jodi Picoult's books. I have read about 6 out of 9 of her stories and each one is equally good. Picoult has degrees from both Princeton and Harvard so she's no slouch. I love the way she writes the books from every character's point of view. Try one - you'll get hooked.

I also just bought Nicholas Evans new book, "The Divide" and I can't wait to read that. I liked his "Horse Whisperer" but no where near as much as I liked his book about wolves.

If you want to read something about spiritual enlightenment and personal growth - "The Power of Now" is really good. I am just about finished with it.

 

[Dee]

I'm really bad about picking up a book and reading it...unless you count Cosmo as a book

, but I decided I wanted to get into reading and I just got the book "Funny Cide". It has been so great so far! Its about a total under dog race horse that won the Kentucky Derby just a few years back. He's somewhat of a Sea Biscuit.

I really recommend it!

Dee

 

[Miniv]

Any books by any of these authors.....LuAnne Rice, Nicholas Sparks, or Richard Paul Evans.

MA

 

[Shari]

I love all of James Herriot's books. Then Anne Mccaffery "Freedom"series, and her Dragon books.

Timothy Zahn "Conqueror's series...lets see,, I also like the "time swept" romance books. Quite a few books on Viking history romance. Nice books not a lot of patty fingers.

 

[Heidi]

I love books. The bigger the better!

I have read the Jean Auel series about 8 times, currently it is 5 books and I'm waiting for the final book to be published. Great series based around pre-historic times and early humans...lots of in depth info on the flora and fauna of the areas her main character travels through.

*main character befriends a horse (prezwalski-type?) in the 2nd book and names her Whinny*

7-book series by Jack Whyte starting with "The Skystone" is about King Arthur, though you don't meet Arthur until halfway through the series and he doesn't become king until the end of the series.

Here is a quote about the series:

"From the building blocks of history and the mortar of reality, Jack Whyte has built Arthur's world and showed us the bone beneath the flesh of legend." ~ Diana Gabaldon

All-time favorite historical with a splash of realistic romance is Diana Gabaldon. (this is NOT the author of: the-buxom-18-year-old-girl-who-hates-the-new-duke-but-they-are-kidnapped-together-and-manage-to-fall-in-love-anyway type stories)

Her Outlander series is going to be 7 books, 6th one just came out. I have a difficult time explaining her series, it is a bit of romance, laugh out loud humor, acurate historical involvement, fantasy involving time-travel...she just seems to have it all! I highly recommend her books. Very enjoyable read.

Heidi

ps

I also like Rita Mae Brown and her works with her cat, Sneaky Pie Brown.

Nelson DeMille ~ espionage, usually...some military Night Fall has been his latest and greatest, IMO

Dick Francis ~ England horse racing...not always about horse racing, but race horses are involved in some aspect of the book

Nicholas Evans

Nicholas Sparks

Stephen King, his older works...don't much care for what he has published in the last 12 years or so...with the exception of the Dark Tower series

JK Rowling ~ Harry Potter series

Maeve Binchy ~ Ireland relationship-oriented, large cast of characters but she writes so well you never get confused "Copper Beech" "Circle of Friends"

Jane Schwartz ~ Ruffian, Burning From The Start (Ruffian, TB filly)

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Any of Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" series- two or three times over!! I read them as they came out, then later I read them in order of main characters- I'm just working through my "Rincewind" set again!!

Any of Stephen King except the Dark Tower series- think that is actually plagiarism on Michael Moorcock and I find the language boring, as did I Tolkein, who, along with JK Rowling I think i are the most over rated authors of our time!! (I read the Ring trilogy three times at Art School as I could not work out what the fuss was about- still can't, found the film well made and SO boring!!

Any of Dean Koontz- I like his "proper" endings- no loose ends, or only a few, anyway!! I do wish he would do his research properly, though, the mistakes he makes are glaring.

Worked my way through the Jean Aeul books- I found the first one fascinating but then she lost the plot a bit and turned to amateur pornography, but I just skip pages when I come to that. The descriptions of the landscape is wonderful. Again I do wish she would get not just her facts (Wolves do NOT sweat!!) right, but also her colour genetics!! I hope no-one actually thinks these books are factual, or even based on fact- I'm looking forward to Ayla inventing the wheel and the microwave oven in the next book- I shall see it through to the end, though. The writing style is now totally out of it's depth but the theme is gripping!

Phillipa Gregory- I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" and I was hooked! I haven't read historical novels for years but these are fascinating, especially so as I was born and brought up in the area she is describing, but 500 years later- so I know, personally, all the major landmarks she describes.

I read maybe a book a week so I need a few to keep me busy

 

[Heidi]

I'm looking forward to Ayla  inventing the wheel and the microwave oven in the next book- I shall see it through to the end, though.

(laughing) You, too, huh? Just how many things CAN she discover/invent? I think the next time I read the series I'll keep track.

Heidi

 

[chevycouple]

I mostly read books about people's lives. Right now I am trying to find the time to read Pete Rose and I just got done with Brooke Ellison?