Friday, June 17, 2005

Book suggestions, please.

Since I'm spending so much time at the library with my kids, I'm on a mission to read a lot of contemporary classics that I somehow never got around to reading. (By "contemporary," I mean in the last 50 years or so--but not TOO modern, or else it's not a classic. You with me?) For example, I finally read Catcher in the Rye (pretty good). I'm working on Girl with a Peal Earring right now (I know it's not really a "classic," but the librarian recommended it).

So if any of you have a book that you love and consider a must read, please let me know.

(Yes, it's Friday night and I'm asking for book suggestions. I suck.)

19 comments:

ScaryCheri said...

I'm not much of a reader, and I don't think this falls into the 50 year category, but "The picture of Dorian Grey" is a great classic...my random out of nowhere .02 on books :)....oh, and ...hi! :)

sparkydiva said...

"The Good Earth" by Pearl Buck and "Like Water for Chocolate"...but the movie of that one is better than the book.
~b

Nik said...

The Scarlet Letter, Gulliver's Travels, Tom and Huck (or whatever it's called), don't know if you're into fantasy type books but J.R.R Tolkien is awesome, and anything by Stephen King. I love to read just about anything. I'm currently reading Peter Pan, the original, not the Disney version to the boys and they love it, especially when Tink calls Peter a silly ass, go figure!! The Good Earth, as mentioned by Sparky is awesome. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is awesome too! I have an autographed copy!

Jen said...

Hi Cheri!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm starting a list. (PS Nik, no, I'm not much of a "fantasy" person...no LOTR --or Harry Potter for that matter.)

Jen said...

Speaking of black female authors, I tried to read some of Toni Morrison's work but her books never really "grabbed" me. Anyone have any feedback on her?

Fred said...

One of my students was reading the Da Vinci Code and told me how good it was, so I gave it a try. It was a good read.

For a complete laugh, and quick read, try Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs.

Jen said...

I tried Da Vinci code, couldnt get into that one eihter. AS it turns out, art and history are two subjects that bore me. (Which makes it ironic that I'm tring Girl with a Pearl Earring.)

Anonymous said...

I love to read, but the classics are never on my list :-) The only one I was gonna suggest was Catcher in the Rye.

I'm nearing the end of Therapy by Jonathon Kellerman; if you haven't read that yet, it's a good one, and I know he's one of your favorite authors :-)
Renee

Jen said...

Is Dante's Inferno another recommended one? Cuz I haven't read that one either.

Nik said...

Are you insinuating that I read Harry Potter books? No offense to Mrs. Rowling, but ain't my type of hype there. I guess I'm just not as picky as you are when it comes to books. A book has to be totally horrible, matter of fact, I can't even think of a book I didn't like right now! Koontz has some pretty good mind benders.

Nik said...

Hey Jen-- is a pearl earring sorta like a pearl necklace?

Rob, disappointed that you didn't beat me to the comment, you're slippin...

Jen said...

The Outsiders is still, and will always be, my #1 favorite book.

I hated the movie, though.

Jen said...

"I'm gonna finish Therapy tonight after Brent goes to bed"---> LOL.

Jen said...

Well I went to the library; they didn't have The Good Earth (it wasn't in, I mean), but they did have lots of other Peark Buck books if you want to suggest any of those.

So for now, I checked out Faulkners Sound and the Fury. That's supposed to be one of them there classics.

;)

Jen said...

Well that's where contemporary classics comes in. Not stuff written in the 1800s or the turn of the century or anything, but, say, 1940s on up.

Jen said...

Rob and Nikki, you can turn even a conversation about literary classics into smut.

Nik said...

I was just wondering, is all!
My all-time favorit book is "I Love You Forever". It's a kids book, but I absolutely love it. A MUST read. War and Peace will take ya a while. I liked The Old Man and the Sea too.

Nik said...

Ho's don't get paid honey!! You're talking to some high-class booty right here!

Nik said...

Hey, I don't have kids and I own the book! I bawl everytime ya get to the part where the grown man goes and rocks his mom and then goes home to his own little one. Such an awesome story!