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Gifts for Bookworms - *Closed for Entries but Still Drawing Names*
bloodviolet
Posts: 1,125 Member
Hello Everyone! I like to read but I'm having trouble finding good books. It seems like the market is just overrun with poorly written drivel these days. So, I need your help. Please recommend some good books for me to read. I like a pretty wide range of book types, but there are a few guidelines you must follow:=====
1. You must give me the Amazon.com link to the book. [It's ok if the book is out of print or not in stock, but I use their wishlists to keep up with books I want to buy and read.]
2. Book must have been written after 1950.
3. Book must NOT have been made into a TV Series or Movie in the last 5 years.
[
I like Harry Potter, Vampire Diaries, etc. too but I'm looking for books that haven't been hyped to death. You know, books I don't already know about.]4. If the book is part of a series then you must state the series and all of the books in it will be considered one entry. [You do not have to give a link to each book, just the one you recommend.]
5. You may not enter a book from a series that someone else has entered, nor enter more than one book from a series yourself.
6. Tell me in a few sentences what the book is about, the genre, and why you liked it.
7. No Erotica! [Normal Romances are fine.]
8. Please one entry per post.
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I will give one drawing ticket per entry. You may enter as many times as you like. I will draw at least once a week for small gifts, so please have small single items on your wishlist, I will not be gifting you sets. You may opt to have a friends name placed on a ticket instead of your own.
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I don't know how popular this will be but I hope I get some entries, I have a Sony Daily Edition Book Reader and an e-book reader on my phone that I take with me to work, and use constantly.I prefer epub format for my books, but I still pick up used books sometimes and pass them on. I live in a small space and storing books has become an issue, they take up too much room. I think e-books, are just one of the greatest things that have ever come out.
This drawing might go on indefinitely, as long as the thread is active I will probably continue to give gifts. If I decide to end the drawing I will give at least a few weeks notice.
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I reserve the right to update this post as I deem necessary, and make any changes as I see fit. :twisted:
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Allen, Sarah Addison - The Sugar Queen
Auel, Jean M - The Valley of Horses [Series: Earth's Children]
Brantenberg, Gerd - Egalia's Daughters
Bray, Libba - A Great and Terrible Beauty [Series: The Gemma Doyle Trilogy]
Cast, P.C. - Divine by Mistake
Clavell, James - Shogun
Collins, Suzanne - The Hunger Games
Croggon, Alison - The Naming: The First Book of Pellinor [Series: Pellinor Series]
Fforde, Jasper - The Eyre Affair [Series: Thursday Next]
Fynn, Sydney Hopkins - Mister God, This Is Anna
Gabaldon, Diana - Outlander [Series: Outlander]
Garner, James Finn - Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times
Goddard, Robert - Dying To Tell
Grahame-Smith, Seth - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Hamilton, Laurell K. - A Kiss of Shadows [Series: Meredith Gentry]
Hobb, Robin - Assassins Apprentice [Series: The Farseer Trilogy]
Hornby, Nick - Fever Pitch
Horowitz, Anthony - Stormbreaker
Juster, Norton - The Phantom Tollbooth
Kay, Guy Gavriel - Tigana
Kellerman, Jonathan - Monster
Laverne, Lauen - Candy Pop
Lefebvre, Henri - The Production of Space
L'Engle, Madeleine - A Wrinkle in Time [Series: The Wrinkle in Time Quintet]
Llywelyn, Morgan - Druids
Maguire, Gregory - Wicked [Series: The Wicked Years]
Marillier, Juliet - Wildwood Dancing
Martel, Yan - Life of Pi
Martin, George R.R. - A Game of Thrones [Series: A Song of Ice and Fire]
Mass, Wendy - A Mango-Shaped Space
McKiernan, Dennis L. - The Iron Tower [Series: Mithgar]
Noël, Alyson - Evermore [Series: The Immortals]
Penman, Sharon Kay - When Christ and His Saints Slept
Peters, Ellis - A Morbid Taste for Bones [Series: Brother Cadfael]
Pratchett, Terry - The Color of Magic [Series: Discworld]
Rosoff, Meg - How I Live Now
Rosoff, Meg - Just in Case
Rothfuss, Patrick - The Name of the Wind [Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle]
Sage, Angie - Flyte [Series: Septimus Heap]
Selzer, Adam - I Kissed a Zombie, and I Liked it
Shaffer, Mary Ann - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society
Shinn, Sharon - Archangel [Series: Samaria]
Snicket, Lemony - The Bad Beginning [Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events]
Weiner, Eric - The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
Wood, Barbara - Sacred Ground
++++++++++
Alexander, Lloyd - The Book of Three [Series: The Chronicles of Prydain]
Cherryh, C.J. - The Paladin
Eddings, David - The Diamond Throne [Series: The Elenium]
Kinsale, Laura - Flowers from the Storm
Lackey, Mercedes - Arrows of the Queen [Series: The Heralds of Valdemar]
McKinley, Robin - Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
Tolkien, J.R.R - The Hobbit [Series: The Lord of the Rings]
Williams, Tad - The Dragonbone Chair [Series: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn]
1. flme_5 on 3/15/2011 and Gifted Haute Hip Bookshelf
2. mene on 3/21/2011 and Gifted a Trio of Small Objects
3. Erja888 on 3/28/2011 and Gifted a Skirt
4. Euby on 4/7/2011 and Gifted a Bookshelf
5. fulia_j on 4/7/2011 and Gifted a Bookshelf
6. 123StarSturkk on 4/7/2011 and Gifted an Outfit
7. KATENESS on 4/22/2011
8. 123StarSturkk on 4/22/2011
9. Hanli on 4/22/2011
10. anettesb on 4/22/2011
11. anettesb on 5/5/2011
12. linkat2009 on 5/5/2011
13. shelwass on 5/5/2011
14. Bel008 on 5/5/2011
15. Mom2Elias on 5/18/2011
16. Stinalina on 5/18/2011
17. Jojo777 on 5/18/2011
18. anettesb on 5/18/2001
While I do read a wide range of things I like paranormal romance books the best.
Few things I feel the need to add I since I said I like paranormal romance. I like romance books yes, not erotica! While I am female and steamy is fine I must have an interesting plot - sex sex and more sex does not count as a plot for me. Therefore I would never recommend a book full of erotica.
Secondly, with all the teenage crazy over books like Twilight let me say I generally read what I call the “big people version” of these type of novels so it is rare I will recommend a book targeted at teenagers. Not that these books are not good, just that I tend to go with the grown up versions of these books.
I do most of my reading with my Amazon Kindle my husband got me for Xmas, and I agree that e-books are great. It allows me to have a wealth of books without driving my husband crazy because I have filled up yet another book shelf. Since I am a Amazon Kindle owner I will share books from Amazon often and if you would like will also share some free ones that come free on Amazon (tho, that will be a share and not a recommend since I most likely would not have read it yet).
Now with all of that being said my first suggestion is the very first Aisling Grey novel by Katie MacAlister called "You Slay Me".
http://www.amazon.com/Slay-Aisling-Grey-Guardian-Book/dp/0451411528/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1299494055&sr=8-9
Katie MacAlister books are normally always laugh out loud funny and it was the Aisling Grey novels that first introduced me to this author and I have since read most of her stuff.
To tell you a bit about this novel in my own opinion Aisling is your everyday woman who is just trying to do a job without messing up. Along the way she makes one mistake after the other and it made me laugh repeatedly feeling like if I lived in a Supernatural world I could be this women. I promise you this book will make you laugh, if you like it she has I believe 4 total in the Aisling series and other dragon books splicing off these novels.
Here is the write up given on the book at Amazon…..
All Aisling Grey had to do was deliver a century’s old, gold dragon statue to her uncle's client in Paris, but instead she finds the woman murdered and a strange, sexy man lingering nearby. Drake Vireo claims to be with Interpol, but before Aisling can verify this, he, along with the statue, disappears. Now the French police's prime suspect in the case, Aisling must figure out who really killed the woman and exactly where Drake disappeared to with her artifact. Aisling's efforts to clear her name become even more complicated once she learns she is a Guardian (as in guarding the portals to hell), and dishy Drake is a real-life dragon (otherwise known as wyvern). Scouring Paris' occult community for clues, Aisling, armed with a crabby demon in the shape of a Newfoundland dog, finds herself not only mixed up in murder and magic but also tangling and tangoing with a sexy dragon. Graced with MacAlister's signature sharp wit and fabulously fun characters, this paranormal romance is wickedly sensual and irresistibly amusing.
Ok Blood, hopefully after you read all that you did not run screaming from your computer going “OMG, what have I done!!!”.
I love this serie, and the last book is to come in a few weeks (in deanmark)
ofcourse I read it in danish
The series name, Earth's Children
Auter, Jean M. Auel
http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Horses-Earths-Children-Book/dp/0553381660/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299495950&sr=1-4
Amonge the 5 books so far I love number 2 the most "The Valley of Horses" close folowed by number 4 "The Plains of Passage" (it is so big that it itself sometimes is in 2 books)
I love the story because I folow the main carecter true life from age around 5 to well she's about 20 now I think.
It is very acurart about what we know about the life under the last iceage, the autor goes out and try to live in that way as a part of recurse.
It has very beutifull descriptions, you can almost paint the landschape from what is writtn.
It is both historical, romantic, mytstik
Oh it is so hard to descrip in an other launguas, but I love this serie, I have preorder the last book, somethingh I have never done before with a book. When I read it was to be puplished in march I literaly screemed of joy (after staring in disbelive) its been a very long time sins the last book.
edit ups the link :oops:
Edit the serie is written before and after 1980
This is fine.
about the time... I belive my dad told me he read 1 of the books in the early 1980' when I was just 2 or 3 years old, I be turning 50 in almost 3 months... so its been on the way for a looooong time
LOL
First thing off the top of my head is
The Elenium Trilogy by David Eddings:
The Diamond Throne
The Ruby Knight
The Sapphire Rose
You can get them combined here:
http://www.amazon.com/Elenium-Diamond-Throne-Knight-Sapphire/dp/0345500938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299498918&sr=1-1-spell
This is the first of two trilogies about a Pandion Knight named Sparhawk. He's kind of mean and snarky fellow but he's also good and loyal. He's a middle aged character too, and that you don't see a lot of in this type of save the world type of adventure/quest story. If you enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, and Lord of the Rings, type adventure you'll probably like these. This has romance, adventure, and political and religious intrigue. [It's a fantasy pantheon of gods, btw.]
The first book is about him and a group of other knights from other orders and kingdoms trying to save a dying queen who has been traped in diamond to save her life.
On the link page you can read an exert from the book. David Eddings has a beautiful and easy to read style of writing. I've read most of his books but these are my favorites and I've read them probably a dozen times.
It is called the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon .
Here is the link to the first book. http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0385319959/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299500779&sr=1-2
It is a really good mix of romance, history and fantasy. There have been seven books in this series so far and at least one more to come as she left the last book mid storyline.
Sorry if my description is a bit brief I have been unwell and have spent most of the weekend resting.
Without giving to much away she has a husband who due to her accidental time travel is 200 years away and it is part of the storyline why she comes to have another relationship in the past.
For more historical fiction, my favorite author is James Clavell and unfortunately, he died pretty young (in 1994) so I believe he has only six or seven books to his credit. I couldn't tell you which is my favorite, but probably it would be Shogun. His bestselling books: Shogun, Tai-Pan, Noble House. I loved all of them and I've read everything he's written. For historical fiction, he was the best. James Clavell
I don't need any gifts. I'm happy to share info on favorite books.
The book is an autobiography and a sports Bible. It starts in 1968 and goes until 1992. It's about a soccer fan who is really obsessed with soccer. His memories are not like "7th of March 1986: That was when my girlfriend left me." no! He's like: "7th of March 1986: It was a bad day: Rainy weather. Arsenal lost 3:1 against Chelsea and... wait... was there something else? Yeah, my girlfriend left me."
(No citations from the book this just describes how the book is written.)
This book falls into the fantasy/sci-fi genre but it's incredibly unique from anything I've ever read before. The plots in all of Sharon Shinn's books work very well, and the characters are so interesting I always want to read more. This series in particular faces a lot of religious questions. I'd say give this book a chance, and if you like it as much as I do there are four more books in this series plus a bunch of other books she wrote!
The link is here. And sorry for ranting about it, I just love this book that much
My own taste in literature is quite varied, and having "lived" in a library and worked in a bookstore I've got far too many suggestions in my head. I'll see what I can do.
Another one of my favorites is the Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray. The first book in the trilogy is A Great and Terrible Beauty.
These books are a very interesting and engaging fantasy series, and I've reread them quite a few times
Really any of her books are great, but I'd start with The Sugar Queen.
From the product description on the amazon page:
In this irresistible follow-up to her New York Times bestselling debut, Garden Spells, author Sarah Addison Allen tells the tale of a young woman whose family secrets—and secret passions—are about to change her life forever.
Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night…. Until she finds it harboring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker, a tough-talking, tenderhearted woman who is one part nemesis—and two parts fairy godmother…
Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey’s clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she’s going to change Josey’s life—because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman. With Della Lee’s tough love, Josey is soon forgoing pecan rolls and caramels, tapping into her startlingly keen feminine instincts, and finding her narrow existence quickly expanding.
Before long, Josey bonds with Chloe Finley, a young woman who makes the best sandwiches in town, is hounded by books that inexplicably appear whenever she needs them, and—most amazing of all—has a close connection to Josey’s longtime crush.
As little by little Josey dares to step outside herself, she discovers a world where the color red has astonishing power, passion can make eggs fry in their cartons, and romance can blossom at any time—even for her. It seems that Della Lee’s work is done, and it’s time for her to move on. But the truth about where she’s going, why she showed up in the first place—and what Chloe has to do with it all—is about to add one more unexpected chapter to Josey’s fast-changing life.
Brimming with warmth, wit, and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love—and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.
http://www.amazon.com/Druids-Morgan-Llywelyn/dp/0804108447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1299516483&sr=8-1-spell
I love the way this book is written, and the feel of it. It comes from the perspective of a young boy orphaned and taken in by the Chief Druid of his village. It is about life in the druid community and his adventures of trying to unite the 3 parts of Gaul to fight against Julius Ceaser and his army.
It has everything you would want in a book, action, magic, romance, friendship, ect.
The author put a lot into researching the history that is included in this book, and it is written in such a manner that although it has historical aspects you get to be part of this one persons insights of the world around them.
I have a hard time explaining it.. but I have had to buy 3 copies of this book, every time I loan it out either they keep it or they buy their own copy when they are done.
first book: http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Shadows-Meredith-Gentry-Book/dp/0345423402/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299518692&sr=1-1
Books in this series:
A Kiss Of Shadows
A Caress of Twilight
Seduced by Moonlight
A Stroke of Midnight
Mistral's Kiss
A Lick of Frost
Swallowing Darkness
Divine Misdemeanors
I love this series but it may or may not be of your taste. It does have lots of sexual moments, however the story is based in a fantasy world of the fae. I suppose the easiest thing I can do is include the wikipedia page on it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Gentry)
it is well written, fast paced, and always new twists and turns.
As a side note, Laurell K. Hamilton is writing 2 book series, this one and the Anita Blake series. Although I have not read the Anita Blake series I have heard good things about it and that is something you can check out.
Uh... anyway...
I'm not really too worried about the gifts, I just like books. And, it isn't that I don't think Amazon wouldn't have the books, I'm just not really familiar with their website and always feel a little overwhelmed when I go to it. I did find a link for my most beloved story ever, and I'll provide that, but the rest I'm just gonna list off some info and you can do with it as you please.
So, for starters: The Iron Tower Trilogy by Dennis L McKiernan. My step-dad had original copies of this series which are so well-loved the covers are falling off and slightly disintegrating over yellowed pages that smell like dust and ink. Buried deep on a shelf among his collection of fantasy novels I found these treasures while in elementary school and have been entranced ever since. While following the typical formula of good versus evil, McKiernan brings a world to live with endearing characters and deep emotions and vivid but not long winded detail (you won't find three pages dedicated to describing a range of mountains here, and there isn't a whole lot of walking... more galluping as fast as possible on horseback). You've got your humans, and your elves, and dwarves, and a delightful race called the Warrows. They are shorter than dwarves, nimble like elves, eat like hobbits... They are by far my favorite fantasy race. Sprinkled throughout you find handsome princes, a brave princess, epic battles... Heart-warming and -wrenching moments with a cast of characters that you feel emotionally connected to (or maybe that's just me?). I have read them several times over the past 15 years or so since I discovered them on that shelf. Everytime I am transported into a world I will never forget. My dad's copies even got some tear stains added to the pages. :oops: I picked up the omnibus edition a few years ago and was very pleased to see that the glossary and notes from the end of book three had been included (in the books you will often see characters speaking in their native tongues, and the author included a list of most of the occurences. He also included notes on different historical events and items which he mentions in the books). There are a lot of other books written about this world, but these three are my favorites. There is a set of two books which directly tie in to events within these three books, but is set a couple hundred years later. Referred to as "The Silver Call Duology", they are also excellent reads, and add a lot of detail to this original story.
Well, enough of my babbling... here are some other good books/authors:
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes: author of many books, all about vampires, witches, shapeshifters, etc... She was first published at the age of 14. In the Forests of the Night was her first book, and the first of her vampire books. All of her writing is enjoyable, and the books are short without sacrificing immersive detail.
Douglas Coupland: Don't read his books if you're looking for a life-affirming, feel good tale. Eleanor Rigby (about a sad woman and her long lost son), The Gum Thief (about a lonely office supply store employee and a teenaged coworker), All Families are Psychotic (duh?)... These could be about your neighbors. Plain yet absurd, morbid and witty and insightful; he spins a tale that is almost dizzying, but still a little modest. Also, J-Pod was hilarious.
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides: Don't let the fact that this was an Oprah favorite turn you off like I almost did (I won't touch things with her name on it normally). While the book can be a bit slow (or perhaps a bit daunting in its length) it is a wonderful look into the life of Cal, and all of Cal's trials, tribulations, and events surrounding a life defined by... Well, not quite being a male or a female. Spanning 3 generations and providing historical context from Greece and Detroit, it makes you wish you had this sort of insight into those crazy people who came before you in your own family.
Chuck Palahniuk: Read Fight Club, then go watch the movie. Excellent book, and hey, who doesn't love a good film with shirtless Edward Norton, right? Really though, any of his books would be an adventure worth taking. Survivor, Choke, Rant... Good stuff.
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison: A memoir styled autobiography of a man with Asperger's who happens to be the brother of the next entry on this list. An appealing look into the life of a person who struggles to interact with society, and manages to make the most of it (all while designing guitars for KISS).
Augusten Borroughs: The youger brother of the the above author, best known for sharing with the world his memoirs of a life few believe could be true. Running With Scissors may have been turned into a film, but the book is far more interesting, as well as his several other memoirs which follow it. Absurd and shocking, he offers a comical look on events and topics which normal people don't talk about in polite company.
Meg Cabot, Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, Sara Mlynowski: Chick lit at its finest, with a fair share of light-hearted nonsense and some insight to balance it all out. Jane Green's "Jemima J" and Sara Mlynowski's "Milkrun" are most notable for me.
Nora Roberts: You can't go wrong with a classic romance! Roberts offers up delicious stories with engaging plots and lovely character work. Her supernatural offerings are well done, and a welcomed departure from the "girl meets boy, they fall in love and get married" romantic formula. Check out the Circle trilogy for time traveling vampires or the Three Sisters Island trilogy for witchy goodness.
Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson: Imagine the future where every suburb has a corporate sponsor and the internet is more than just an information super highway. The mafia sets up a recruiting booth at your school's job fair. A late pizza delivery can cost you your life. People know your avatar better than they might ever know you. (So, if Second Life was REAL life? kinda)
I've got more in my head, but trying to type this while taking important phone calls is not a good combination so I'll stop for now.
I'm going to share two of my favourites with you. I discovered both of these a couple of years ago when I took a "Forms of Fantasy" literature course during my second year of university. So, yes, they're both fantasy, but still very different from one another.
In this post, i'll talk about the first one, Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay (on a personal, patriotic note, he's a Canadian!
Tigana is one hefty work of deep, detailed fantasy. It takes place in a fictional world, the Peninsula of the Palm (apparently modelled after medieval Italy), which has its own very detailed mythology, history, and political landscape. The book follows different characters who are key players in a time of political/social unrest in the land, and, as a reader, it is so easy to get completely pulled in to the conflict, as you're seeing it from so many perspectives and the influences that events have on the world as a whole, and each character, as an individual. I'd say that the world-building was a huge undertaking, and to start reading Tigana feels the same way as starting to read about Tolkein's world of Middle Earth - a lot of information, at first, a lot of figuring things out, but after a few chapters something just clicks, and the book becomes impossible to put down. I mean, I read this as an assigned class reading, which are usually the very last thing on my to-do-list, but this one was keeping me up at night!
The amazon link has the "look inside" feature, so you can see a few pages of the praise that was handed out for the book - and I can guarantee that they're all right! You can see a bit of the prologue, too, to get a taste for his writing style. Guy Gavriel Kay even came into our class as a guest lecturer at the end of the term, which was a great treat, and he was just as impressive there as his writing is in Tigana.