A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt
My Old Man by Amy Sohn
I'm technically not done with Angela's Ashes or My Old Man but I'm loving both of them. Heidi, I think you need to be my official book recommender because everything you've recommended, I've loved. I know you've got your hesitations about recommending books that are super close to your heart, but I NEED them! I'm just dying to know what other gems you have hidden inside your sleeves (or chest cavity).
p.s. Everytime I see the "Death at a Funeral" movie preview I think, "I really need to watch that movie. But not THAT version because it sucks."
Hey Everybody! D'ya know who's the BEST?! KAREN! And Rachel, you too. Why? It's obvious. Karen--because you said you "NEED" me to share my gems.
ReplyDeleteAnd Rachel for a similar reason--for inviting me to share and being a receptacle for my "stories."
Aw, K, you tug at my heartstrings! I guess now I'll have to keep searching on your behalf for good "finds." I've been meaning to ask YOU for recommendations. And, also, to ask Rachel. I like almost everything--as K knows, I've read (and enjoyed) things as outside my familiarity-zone as books on BASKETBALL. I barely even WATCH basketball. But I've somehow read closing in on a dozen BB books. Blame that great writer, John Feinstein.
But, although I like nonfic and am in the middle of several (ok, DOZENS of psych books), novels are the dearest to my heart. I like classics, I like new stuff. I just try to avoid anything with rape or torture or child abuse. (And, I don't read horror.)
Anyway--any suggestions, anyone? (I can give more info on my fave. authors & genres, if needed.)
What are your favorite authors?
XO--H.
p.s. I love that there's a new post here, K! You may have motivated me to do another, just to keep the ball rolling. Also--I want to kill that damn preview you mentioned. It gives TOO DAMN MUCH AWAY! Ignore it. Delete it from your memory.
Don't worry Heidi, I hardly ever watch commercials. I don't think I've paid enough attention to that Death at a Funeral preview to even know what it's about.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, back to the important stuff. Have you read any more of David James Duncan's books? Are they any good? He's probably my favorite fiction writer now, but I think some of his other books aren't quite along the lines of Brothers K & River Why?
I also really like David Sedaris... although I can't vouch for his earlier books. I only made it half way through Holidays on Ice because it was just too depressing. Don't think you'd like that one.
Your FAVORITE fiction writer? What, are you trying to get me to marry you? Because I think our husbands wouldn't allow that.
ReplyDeleteIt had not OCCURRED to me that there might be more DJD books! I whispered to Seth (when you guys were here) that I thought he should buy "River Teeth" for you. (And I saw on you blog that Rach recommend it.) The only other thing of his I've read is about saving the salmon. There was a chance, a few years back--the barest GLIMPSE of a chance but it seemed like a true chance--to breach some fairly useless dams to save certain NW salmon. And he wrote about it & campaigned about it. I don't remember much about that book except for crying over it. :( But it's probably good! Although not fiction. Maybe save that for last? For when you're in need of a good cry?
I should totally read more David Sedaris. OR LISTEN! HECK, I bet there's audio galore out there! He's always on This American Life, reading his stuff. Somehow, stuff that depresses the hell out of me when I read it, when read by HIM is simply hilarious. Including... HOLIDAYS ON ICE! We OWN the audio! It's SO funny. In fact, we gave a copy to a friend when she found out she had cancer... you know, as comic relief! Isn't that CRAZY? (Esp. 'cuz I know EXACTLY what you mean. I've tried reading it but, no go.)
Oh, HEY! I wanted to tell you one more thing. So, I googled DJD to see what other books of his are out there, and they have this literature map thing? Where they place writers near each other, based on how similar they are? Well, they had him right next to Norman Mclean, which makes sense. And GUESS WHO ELSE? BETTY SMITH!
I don't get the commonality, but, it delighted me! (To explain to Rach: I'm insanely fond of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and K and I've discovered we own the same edition.)
They also had Sherman Alexie on there. I think he and DJD are friends... And, Alexie wrote the book (and screenplay) that Smoke Signals is based on. (I think the book version is called The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.) I'd recommend that, and, Reservation Blues. But, I personally have to be careful not to overdose on Sherman Alexie. Did you know it's really depressing to be dirt poor and have alcoholic parents? (The most highly concentrated Sherman Alexie I read was--surprise!--a Young Adult novel. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." I thought that would HAVE to be lower-key, being YA. But, NOPE! You just get your suffering undiluted. Although, it was pretty funny and had some joyful parts. I think I would recommend it, too. Just well-spaced from other Alexie reads. I tend to go on tears, and, it didn't work so well with his stuff. Oh, and--skip Indian Killer. :D)
Hey! That last comment was longer than the original post!
ReplyDeleteI should win a prize. Maybe ice cream?
Quick follow up: I was shutting down a link I opened to figure out the name of that YA book, and saw this excerpt of a review of "The Absolutely True Diary":
ReplyDelete"Who has the most hope?” Junior, a Spokane Indian, asks his parents. “White people” is their instantaneous and simultaneous reply, confirming for Junior what he already knew: if he is to have any hope of fulfilling his dreams, he has to leave the rez. Bracing the fierce anger of his best friend, Rowdy, Junior attends a white high school twenty-two miles from his home, where he falls in love, makes a few friends, and becomes a basketball legend. His triumph is always more bitter than sweet, though, as a boy caught between two conflicting worlds of loyalty and responsibility. His sense of humor and his cartooning become his salvation as he bears the loneliness of trying to escape the life of poverty and/or alcoholism that the perpetual grief of his community as they bury more people in a year than his white friends have lost in their whole lives; his pain reaches a peak when.."
I don't want to ruin ALL the fun! PERPETUAL GRIEF is tantalizing enough, ain't it?
Maybe I'll stick with just recommending the other two Sherman Alexie books.