Merry Generic Winter Day-Off With No Religious Content

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by barely_legal
Thanks. I was trying to keep my post less than book-length but I probably should have noted that I've read all of the Spenser novels and all of Ann Rule's true-crime books (I tried reading her one novel but it sucked). I've also read all of Robert Barnard's novels, and i love his stuff.

I will look into John Sandford. I haven't had a luck with Hiaasen books in the past.

the chef Anthony Bourdain has written 2 or 3 crime novels. they are "hip" crime novels like his whole act (that said i liked the books). Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty etc.) is also good, a bit formula, but aren't all these guys a bit formula?

also Vito- the gay Soprano captain- (joseph Gannascoli) wrote a mafia crime novel set at a dinner party- "A Meal to Die For." good airplane material.

[notcasesensitive]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
the chef Anthony Bourdain has written 2 or 3 crime novels. they are "hip" crime novels like his whole act (that said i liked the books). Elmore Leonard (Get Shorty etc.) is also good, a bit formula, but aren't all these guys a bit formula?

also Vito- the gay Soprano catain- (joseph Gannascoli) wrote a mafia crime novel set at a dinner party- "A Meal to Die For." good airplane material.

I liked Kitchen Confidential by Bourdain. Never read any of his novels. I also like Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on Travel channel.* Not that you asked.



*Although the one where they gutted that seal in Canada made me incredibly woozy. I'm not watching that one again. [bad british accent] Gutting. [/bad british accent]

[barely_legal]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I really liked Curtis Sittenfeld's book Prep and she has a new one out that I intend to buy when it comes out in paperback form. Prep is not a thriller (I'm assuming you like other genres too). It is a novel about an awkward teenager who ends up at a prep school despite her lack of pedigree and struggles to fit in. I have no idea whether you would like that sort of book. But I did. And that is what really matters.

Yep, I've read both her books. Her second one isn't nearly as good as Prep, but it's still not a bad read.

Seriously, I have no life and I read way too much.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by barely_legal
I'm running out of books to read. I've been traveling a lot lately and reading more than normal and my favorite authors aren't writing fast enough to keep up with me.

I prefer fiction mysteries and thrillers and some of my favorite authors include Ruth Rendell, Martha Grimes (although she sucks lately), and Reginald Hill. I've read all of the Kathy Reich and Margaret Maron novels and I like series like that. I don't like the Dick Francis series or stupid series like "The Cat Who" crapola. I love the two novels I've read by Kate Atkinson. and I liked Minette Walters earlier books. I don't like books that Oprah likes.

If anybody can recommend books along these lines that I might like, I would appreciate it. I like some nonfiction as well, so I'll take those recommendations too (I would love to find a decent book on the Crippen murder -- I started Thunderstruck but was bored by all of the Marconi stuff so I didn't finishi it, but I'm interested in famous historic crimes). I finally got around to reading Into Thin Air this week and loved it so any books on similar subjects that are written in the same style would be great. I'm not going to read anything that is over 600 pages long, and 500 pages is a stretch so keep that in mind.

Thank you in advance for any help. NotBob, I love you but you shouldn't even bother responding to this, I think.

Laurie King? I really, really thought that Folly was one of the best books I ever read. It's the only one of hers that I've read, and I'm told that her other series are quite different. Keeping Watch is it's sort of sequel, and it's on my to-read-soon pile.

I used to read the Kellerman (both Johathan and Faye) novels, but those got really boring after awhile. Same goes for Patricia Cornwall.

The Dante Club, I thought, was a good historical murder mystery. I would suspect that his follow up, The Poe Shadow is in a similar vein.

I really thought that the Poisonwood Bible was really good, though it's well over 500 pages.

I liked The Kite Runner quite a bit.

I really, really liked the two Mary Doria Russell books that I've read The Sparrow and Children of God. They're sci-fi, but they don't feel like sci-fi. They feel more like historical fiction set in the future. I'm really intrigued by her A Thread of Grace, which is historical fiction.

I will buy any and all books written by Elizabeth Peters as soon as it comes to the bookstore.

For non-fiction, I really, really liked Devil in the White City, which is an account of the 1892 Chicago World's fair and a serial killer that happened to be there around the same time. My mother read his Issac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and I think she liked Devil in the White City a little better. I saw he has a new one out.

I'll also recommend my friend Rory's book about walking across Afghanistan in 2001/2 again. I'm biased, but I really thought it felt like an old-fashioned travelogue and was really well written.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by barely_legal
I'm running out of books to read. I've been traveling a lot lately and reading more than normal and my favorite authors aren't writing fast enough to keep up with me.

I prefer fiction mysteries and thrillers and some of my favorite authors include Ruth Rendell, Martha Grimes (although she sucks lately), and Reginald Hill. I've read all of the Kathy Reich and Margaret Maron novels and I like series like that. I don't like the Dick Francis series or stupid series like "The Cat Who" crapola. I love the two novels I've read by Kate Atkinson. and I liked Minette Walters earlier books. I don't like books that Oprah likes.

If anybody can recommend books along these lines that I might like, I would appreciate it. I like some nonfiction as well, so I'll take those recommendations too (I would love to find a decent book on the Crippen murder -- I started Thunderstruck but was bored by all of the Marconi stuff so I didn't finishi it, but I'm interested in famous historic crimes). I finally got around to reading Into Thin Air this week and loved it so any books on similar subjects that are written in the same style would be great. I'm not going to read anything that is over 600 pages long, and 500 pages is a stretch so keep that in mind.

Thank you in advance for any help. NotBob, I love you but you shouldn't even bother responding to this, I think.

Have you read Dorothy Sayers, PD James, or Laurie King? King's series on Sherlock and Mary Holmes is good.

I've listened to several of the Elizabeth Peters series on tape and really enoyed them. The one I read, (The Snake, The Dog and The Crocodile) not so much, but then again, it's hard to enjoy a book when you are reading it 3 minutes at a time.

Sudden Sea is making the rounds in my family. It's all about the 1938 hurricane that slammed into New England. The series by Timothy Severin is fascinating.

ETA: The Historian is the current rave among the online knitting blog community.

[barely_legal]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Elizabeth George? PD James?

I've read every book by both, except I couldn't get through the last book by George (What Came Before He Shot Her). P.D. James is wonderful. I even liked Children of Men, her sci-fi novel (which is out as a movie now, right?)

[Flinty_McFlint]

Originally posted by notcasesensitive
I liked Kitchen Confidential by Bourdain. Never read any of his novels. I also like Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations on Travel channel.* Not that you asked.



*Although the one where they gutted that seal in Canada made me incredibly woozy. I'm not watching that one again. [bad british accent] Gutting. [/bad british accent]

It's like my wife and you are long lost twins. Except for the looking alike part. She just read Prep too. The only difference is that when we saw the seal gutting episode she yelled out "The eyes are the best part!"

[barely_legal]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Laurie King? I really, really thought that Folly was one of the best books I ever read. It's the only one of hers that I've read, and I'm told that her other series are quite different. Keeping Watch is it's sort of sequel, and it's on my to-read-soon pile.

I used to read the Kellerman (both Johathan and Faye) novels, but those got really boring after awhile. Same goes for Patricia Cornwall.

The Dante Club, I thought, was a good historical murder mystery. I would suspect that his follow up, The Poe Shadow is in a similar vein.

I really thought that the Poisonwood Bible was really good, though it's well over 500 pages.

I liked The Kite Runner quite a bit.

I really, really liked the two Mary Doria Russell books that I've read The Sparrow and Children of God. They're sci-fi, but they don't feel like sci-fi. They feel more like historical fiction set in the future. I'm really intrigued by her A Thread of Grace, which is historical fiction.

I will buy any and all books written by Elizabeth Peters as soon as it comes to the bookstore.

For non-fiction, I really, really liked Devil in the White City, which is an account of the 1892 Chicago World's fair and a serial killer that happened to be there around the same time. My mother read his Issac's Storm about the 1900 Galveston hurricane, and I think she liked Devil in the White City a little better. I saw he has a new one out.

I'll also recommend my friend Rory's book about walking across Afghanistan in 2001/2 again. I'm biased, but I really thought it felt like an old-fashioned travelogue and was really well written.

awesome -- thank you. I have read Devil in the White City, Poisonwood Bible (and all her other novels), and all of the Kellerman novels. I will check out your other recommendations. And the Poe Shadow was good, but not as good as Dante Club.

I like all of Elizabeth Peters' novels except the Amelia Peabody ones. Should I give them another chance? Unfortunately that seems to be all she writes anymore. I don't think she writes as Barbara Michaels at all anymore, which is too bad bc I like her Barbara Michaels novels a lot.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by barely_legal
I've read every book by both, except I couldn't get through the last book by George (What Came Before He Shot Her). P.D. James is wonderful. I even liked Children of Men, her sci-fi novel (which is out as a movie now, right?)

Barbara Cleverly? I have started in on Raymond Chandler, but that's a different genre.

Do you like the sort of fluffy ones at all, like Jerrilyn Farmer?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
It's like my wife and you are long lost twins. Except for the looking alike part. She just read Prep too. The only difference is that when we saw the seal gutting episode she yelled out "The eyes are the best part!"

and if you aren't limiting yourself to thrillers try Never Let Me Go* by Kazuo Ishiguro, one of the best authors ever. if you don't like it I will contribute the cost to the Death Pool payout IYKWIMAITTYD.


*title considered but rejected by the Spanky/NCS bookclub.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by barely_legal
awesome -- thank you. I have read Devil in the White City, Poisonwood Bible (and all her other novels), and all of the Kellerman novels. I will check out your other recommendations. And the Poe Shadow was good, but not as good as Dante Club.

I like all of Elizabeth Peters' novels except the Amelia Peabody ones. Should I give them another chance? Unfortunately that seems to be all she writes anymore. I don't think she writes as Barbara Michaels at all anymore, which is too bad bc I like her Barbara Michaels novels a lot.

I was also recommended this website by a fellow blogger who reads lots and lots of mysteries.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
It's like my wife and you are long lost twins. Except for the looking alike part. She just read Prep too. The only difference is that when we saw the seal gutting episode she yelled out "The eyes are the best part!"

I've heard the same said of monkey.

[barely_legal]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Barbara Cleverly? I have started in on Raymond Chandler, but that's a different genre.

Do you like the sort of fluffy ones at all, like Jerrilyn Farmer?

Never heard of either (well, I've heard of Raymond Chandler). I will look those up -- thanks!

I am ok with sort-of-fluffy, but I need a little substance.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Barbara Cleverly? I have started in on Raymond Chandler, but that's a different genre.

Do you like the sort of fluffy ones at all, like Jerrilyn Farmer?

Walter Mosley? (Bad Boy Brawley Brown, Devil in a Blue Dress, etc.)

[barely_legal]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
and if you aren't limiting yourself to thrillers try Never Let Me Go* by Kazuo Ishiguro, one of the best authors ever. if you don't like it I will contribute the cost to the Death Pool payout IYKWIMAITTYD.


*title considered but rejected by the Spanky/NCS bookclub.

Ok, I'll give it a shot.

Anne, thanks for your recs too. you are all very very helpful, as usual.

Crap, I realized after posting this that I've already read Never Let Me Go. You are right, it was good. What other books can you recommend by that author?