<p>My next Amazon order:</p>
<p>Evidence of Things Unseen (mom’s rec)
Mountains Beyond Mountains
The World to Come
Shalimar
Skarmeta (in English hopefully)
Birds Without Wings
Vanity and Vexation
The Road</p>
<p>Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen</p>
<p>Cheers, I made a list this morning after reading this thread. My brother gave me a very generous giftcard for books for Christmas so I headed out this afternoon and bought:</p>
<p>Digging to America - Anne Tyler
Until I Find You - John Irving
Reading Lolita in Tehran - Azar Nafisi
The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See
The Known World - Edward P. Jones
The Portrait - Iain Pears (they didn’t have An Instance of the Fingerpost)</p>
<p>Will have to order:</p>
<p>The Skull Mantra - Eliot Pattison
Suite Francaise - Irene Nemerovsky
and The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak.</p>
<p>Mountains beyond Mountains is in my ‘to read’ pile. I bought it for one of my Ds for Christmas and she loved it so left it here for me when she returned to school.</p>
<p>“I read Charlotte Simmons, but didn’t care for it (even though Wolfe is a UNC-CH grad ). As the mother of a college age daughter, I found it depressing.”</p>
<p>I read it too, Idmom06, and I agree with you…Way too disturbing and depressing!! (although I could not put it down!)</p>
<p>I’m a huge Cormac McCarthy fan, so I have to put in another vote for The Road. I have to say, though, that my favorite novel of the year was The Echo Maker, by Richard Powers. I was glad to see that Powers finally won the NBA (as if his MacArthur Fellowship wasn’t enough recognition for one lifetime).</p>
<p>Absolutely LOVE this kind of thread! Thanks for all of the suggetions so far and hope there are many more to come!</p>
<p>I LOVE THIS THREAD!!! I’M COLLECT FIRST EDITION MYSTERIES AND OVER THE YEARS FRIENDS HAVE ASKED ME FOR MY LIST. SO FOR THE ENJOYMENT OF ALL
HERE IS THE LIST:</p>
<p>John Burdett Bangkok 8<br>
Outstanding on all levels. A real ride. </p>
<p>Bangkok Tattoo
Very good sequel to Bangkok 8, but hard to surpass Bangkok 8.</p>
<p>The Last Six Million Seconds
Excellent. Rare, can find on abebooks.com,
where I buy all my first signed English 1st editions.</p>
<p>Robert Wilson A Small Death in Lisbon
Outstanding, held the #1 spot for eight years until Bangkok 8. This guy doesn’t have a clunker, all his books are sublime. Before the above title he wrote an ass-kicking series of four books set in West Africa beginning with Instrument of Darkness. After A Small Death in Lisbon, he started a new series set in Spain: The Blind Man of Seville, The Silent and the Damned and The Hidden Assassins. The first two were his usual excellent standards, but the third was equal to and might possibly surpass A Small Death in Lisbon. And that’s saying something! Unfortunately you have to read them in order </p>
<p>Denise Mina Garnet Hill, Exile, Resolution
A trilogy set in Glasgow that I was sorry to see come to an end. A for real hard-boiled girl. I loved the early Minette Walters, until she started ****ing up and driving me crazy.
This sister took her place. Had a stand alone after the trilogy
that was pretty much a brain fart, but published a new book
The Field of Blood that’s very good.</p>
<p>Michael Gruber Love his books. Tropic of Night, Valley of Bones and Night of the Jaguar. All excellent, but Tropic of Night is the ****!</p>
<p>Lee Child The whole Jack Reacher series, starting with The Killing Floor. </p>
<p>Giles Blunt In order: Forty Words For Sorrow, The Delicate Storm, The Black Fly Season. Canadian writer, wonderful series. </p>
<p>James Crumley This guy is a master. Starting with The Wrong Case, his books alternate between two characters (and best friends)
Milo Milodragovitch and C. W. Sughrue. It’s great to start at the beginning to get the history of these guys, but not necessary. The last two books will give you a taste: The Final Country (Milo) and The Right Madness (C.W.). Love both, but The Final Country is lovely in its nastiness.</p>
<p>Minette Walters The Sculptress. A talented writer that as been in a rut for years. But this book is the gold standard.</p>
<p>Richard Price Freedomland and Clockers. Two brilliant books made into two abysmal movies. Hope you haven’t seen the movies, read the damn books. You can taste the atmosphere.</p>
<p>David Peace I honestly fear for this man’s sanity. His talent is immense,
truly brilliant. But heavy and dark, no humor, he doesn’t
let his characters or the reader off the hook. I was depressed
for weeks after reading the first two books in his Red Riding
Quartet, cried after reading the third book and (after two years of sitting on my shelf) have not worked up the courage
to read the fourth book. The guy is deep, intense and his writing talent is really unsurpassed, but</p>
<p>Minette Walters The Sculptress. A talented writer that as been in a rut for years. But this book is the gold standard.</p>
<p>Richard Price Freedomland and Clockers. Two brilliant books made into two abysmal movies. Hope you haven’t seen the movies, read the damn books. You can taste the atmosphere.</p>
<p>David Peace I honestly fear for this man’s sanity. His talent is immense,
truly brilliant. But heavy and dark, no humor, he doesn’t
let his characters or the reader off the hook. I was depressed
for weeks after reading the first two books in his Red Riding
Quartet, cried after reading the third book and (after two years of sitting on my shelf) have not worked up the courage
to read the fourth book. The guy is deep, intense and his writing talent is really unsurpassed, but</p>
<p>Ken Bruen He’s the big new thing and I collect him, but I’m frustrated with him right now. His best work is the earliest, the Brant
series which are: The White Trilogy: A White Arrest, Taming the Alien and The McDead (if you find any of these in individual book form grab it! Impossible to find anywhere), Blitz and Vixen. Hit the big time with The Guards.</p>
<p>Gillian Flynn Just published her first book, Sharp Objects, and it’s so good I could cry. She has to be good to make this list! </p>
<p>Mo Hayder Great hardboiled gal. Birdman, The Treatment, Tokyo (UK
title), Pig Island.</p>
<p>John Lawton Great, great series and character (Fredrick Troy). First book in the series is Blackout (1940’s London). I started in the middle (he jumps back and forth in time with this character)
with A Little White Death (early 60’s), which made me a fan. It’s a good start.</p>
<p>Bill James Harper and Illes series starting with You Better Believe It.
He’s been around forever and is so underrated. I am devoted to this series, even if it’s gotten a bit tired of late.
But the first 10 books (I think there are 15) are the ****, with
Protection, Take, Club, Come Clean (hard to find), Astride
a Grave, Panicking Ralph, Halo Parade, Roses Roses, at the top. Protection is beautiful.</p>
<p>John Harvey MUST HAVE. The ten books in the Charlie Resnick Series
beginning with Lonely Hearts, ending with Last Rites. Great
short story editor also.</p>
<p>Val McDermid A Place of Execution. Excellent, excellent book, her other stuff is garbage.</p>
<p>Duane Swierczynski The Wheelman, first novel, fun ride, fast read.
John Stanford Fast read, good writing, perfect summer vacation or tour reading. My husband and I read the whole series (a book a day) on vacation in Cape Cod. Huge series that can be read in any order. Any of the “Prey” books (Rules of Prey, Shadow Prey, Eyes of Prey, Silent Prey… you get the picture). Personal favorite is Certain Prey.</p>
<p>James Lee Burke I know, I know…he’s been writing the same books for
years. But he does it so well, you have to buy it. </p>
<p>Ian Rankin Rebus series, starting with Knots & Crosses. Last book was tired, he should know better. But overall series is wonderful.</p>
<p>George Pelecanos Every and anything. My man! Personal favorite is Soul Circus. His lastest is The Night Gardener.</p>
<p>Scott Phillips The Ice Harvest and The Walkaway. I actually adored The Walkaway.</p>
<p>John Connolly Charlie Parker series, beginning with Every Dead Thing.</p>
<p>William Laidlaw, The Papers of Tony Veitch, Strang Loyalties.
McIlvanney If you find any of these in hard or paper back, grab them.
I paid a fortune for a reader’s copy of Tony Veitch.</p>
<p>Jon A. Jackson DS Mulheisen series, but the real star of this wonderful
series is a character named Joe Service. Service turns up
in Hit on the House and the series takes off from there.</p>
<p>Boston Turan I fell in love with his first two books, then he wrote a pretentious, horrible third book. I’m still waiting for him to come back. God is a Bullet (great book and title) and Never Count Out the Dead.</p>
<p>Bob Truluck Street Level and Saw Red.</p>
<p>Michael Malone Uncivil Seasons, Times Witness and First Lady.</p>
<p>Luiz Alfredo
Garcia-Roza Brazilian series featuring Inspector Espinosa beginning with The Silence of the Rain.</p>
<p>Mark Billingham Stand up comedian turned mystery writer. Series begins with Sleepyhead.</p>
<p>Otto Penzler Best American Crime Writing. This series is American true crime reporting. Otto started editing this excellent series in 2002. The 2002 edition edited by Otto Penzler and Thomas H. Cook is my favorite.</p>
<p>Dennis Lehane Everything, except the weak Shutter Island and Coronado. Big hit was Mystic River, but Gone Baby Gone is my personal favorite. </p>
<p>WHAT I WOULD STOCK UP ON IF I WERE ON TOUR</p>
<ol>
<li><p>John Burdett Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tattoo</p></li>
<li><p>Robert Wilson A Small Death in Lisbon</p></li>
<li><p>Gillian Flynn Sharp Objects</p></li>
<li><p>Michael Gruber The Tropic of Night</p></li>
<li><p>Denise Mina Garnet Hill (Exile and Resolution. Only because you’d kick yourself if you didn’t have the other books on hand).</p></li>
<li><p>James Crumley The Final Country</p></li>
<li><p>Minette Walters The Sculptress</p></li>
<li><p>George Pelecanos Soul Circus or The Night Gardener</p></li>
<li><p>Peter Blauner Slipping into Darkness or Slow Motion Riot</p></li>
<li><p>Richard Price Freedomland</p></li>
<li><p>Dennis Lehane Gone Baby Gone</p></li>
<li><p>Val McDermid A Place of Execution</p></li>
<li><p>Duane Swierczynski The Wheelman</p></li>
<li><p>John Lawton A Little White Death</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Some of my favorites are already on the list, so I’ll just add my supporting vote for:
Z. Smith --On Beauty
Ishiguro-- Never Let Me Go
E. Jones-- The Known World
Haddon–The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night</p>
<p>In addition I would recommend:
P. Roth-- The Plot Against America</p>
<p>And for mystery fans:
P.D. James The Murder Room
I</p>
<p>Two older books that I loved:</p>
<p>Paris Trout by Pete Dexter
Snow Falling on Cedars by Guterson</p>
<p>Also loved: The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith</p>
<p>(almost) anything by Louise Erdrich</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for all of your suggestions. I’m adding many of the titles to my Amazon wishlist.</p>
<p>A friend of mine thought it would be fun to try to revive our <em>book club</em> by having a mardi gras party and reading a New Orleansy book. Suggestions anyone?</p>
<p>mstee, one of my favorite books of all time is set in New Orleans:</p>
<p>A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole</p>
<p>Something a little shorter would be Barbara Hambly’s first mystery with Benjamin January - A Free Man of Color. I like Cane River as well, though it’s set up river a bit from New Orleans. It’s the somewhat fictionalized family history of by Lalita Tademy’s. The story of free and enslaved blacks and their relations with the French and Anglo whites.</p>
<p>Books writeen by NOLA’s favorites:
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy</p>
<p>Dinner at Antointe’s by Francis parkinson Keyes (Visit her house if you go to NOLA)</p>
<p>Vampire Chronicles by Ann Rice</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Pyewacket, I read The Plot Against America last year and thought that it was great, as well. Do you have any other Roth recommendations? Years ago I read Goodbye Columbus(which I liked)and Portnoy’s Complaint(which I didn’t).</p>
<p>Tks. I’ll pass your suggestions along. I am leaning toward reading the Confederacy of Dunces, as I have been meaning to get to it for awhile.</p>
<p>To those of you who mentioned “The World to Come” (it’s definitely on my “to-read” list), if you haven’t already read Dara Horn’s earlier book “In the Image”, I’d highly recommend it.</p>
<p>My Own Favorites from 2006:
Fiction:</p>
<p>“The Washington Story” by Adam Langer</p>
<p>“City of Shadows: A novel of Suspense” by Ariana Franklin</p>
<p>“Gatsby’s Girl” by Caroline Preston</p>
<p>“The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets” by Eve Rice</p>
<p>“Once Upon a Day” by Lisa Tucker</p>
<p>“The Other Boleyn Girl” by Philippa Gregory (so good that even though it’s around 680 pages long, I finished it within 48 hours)</p>
<p>Non-Fiction Favorites:</p>
<p>“Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee” by Charles J. Shields</p>
<p>“Guests of the Ayatollah” by Mark Bowden (about 1979-81 Iranian hostage crisis–very relevant today)</p>
<p>“The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade” by Ann Fessler</p>
<p>“Chronicles, Volume 1” by Bob Dylan </p>
<p>“The Beatles” by Bob Spitz</p>
<p>The Girls Who Went Away is an amazing book.</p>
<p>I think we’re going to try “The Moviegoer” by Walker Percy (will get to Confederacy later, I guess!).</p>