@Cathy it is the first book in a series. Follows the ups and downs of a strong friendship from childhood to adulthood. It is hard to put down and when you finish it you will want to read the next book. The whole series is excellent.
They’re *all* epic! I liked that one, too. Cryptonomicon was my first by him, and what a ride! That said, my husband hated it. Then he read Seveneves and converted. Anathem is different, but i wouldn’t say typical. If you can’t get into it, read Seveneves first.
Ooo! Thank you so much for the insight! My sister in law loaned it to me a couple years ago, but so far haven’t been able to muster any enthusiasm to crack it open. This might do it.
FYI, all his books are crazy mixes of science, history, computer nerdiness and tongue in cheek commentary. He comes from a family of physicists, I think, but he explains the technical stuff so well you get it. And it’s fascinating.
I don’t mind that combination, at all! If they aren’t obtuse and inaccessible, they sound like perfect winter reading. I’m curious what types of books your husband gravitates towards and what he didn’t like about Cryptonomicon vs what he liked about Seveneves. I get that that’s a lot to ask for here, but just wondering out loud. ?
I think he didn’t notice the bars at the start of each chapter that indicated the era that the chapter took place in. And he thought it was just weird. He’s mellowed since then, and since Seveneves was more linear in time, it made more sense. He’s a computer guy so there’s no explaining why he didn’t like it. He likes Michael Connelly, Nelson deMille, etc.
It lives on my shelf to this day. A delightful story for young and old.
If your not familiar with this book, it’s set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home.
@Matt I’ll admit, it’s been 30 years since I read them, but they left an indelible mark on my reading life. I don’t remember specifics of each book, just the overall love for the series. Been saying it’s time for a re-read!
@D.M. ? awesome!! Man I wish I could go back to reading it for the first time. Really is just an amazing set of stories. Corwin is an all time favorite character of mine
@Barbara Me too. I read a lot as a child, but when I got a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from my Bookmobile library one summer when I was about 11, my life changed. My first “adult” book introduced me to the world created when you live in a book. A world I only reluctantly leave.
Little women
@Carol, I might agree with you! Such a difficult question
@Kristyn, I agree it was a hard decision! Lol
@Carol @Kristyn– it may be time to reread that wonderful classic!
Pillars of the Earth by ken follet
Moonheart
Edge Of Tomorrow
Bible
@Nancy it’s good….read it twice
Poisonwood Bible
It’s in my pile to hopefully finish in 2018.
Rebecca
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Witching Hour
11/22/63
You by Caroline Kepnes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Gone With the Wind
In my pile to finish in my lifetime. Lol
@Wendy me too! Lol
My Brillant Friend
@Kelly what is this one about without giving all the details away?
@Cathy it is the first book in a series. Follows the ups and downs of a strong friendship from childhood to adulthood. It is hard to put down and when you finish it you will want to read the next book. The whole series is excellent.
@Kelly Thanks so much!
The Secret Garden
A song of fire and ice
To Kill a Mockingbird
Beach music
The best laid plans
@Gayatri Kelly Allan what is this one about without giving all the details away?
By Sidney Sheldon kind of a love revenge suspense… good read… would definetly recommend if you like suspense…
@Gayatri awesome thank you!
Things fall apart—Chinua Achebe
11/22/63
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Stranger in a Strange Land
The beach by Alex Garland
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Lonesome Dove
The Poisonwood Bible
I just started it today!
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Notebook
100 Years of Solitude
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
@Belinda ??? too.
Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
A Gentleman in Moscow
The Bluest Eye
The Kite Runner
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
The Bronze Horseman
@Jennifer what is this about ???
@Gayatri it’s a wwII historical fiction about a Russian girl.
The carnival at bray
Infinite Jest
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett.
An Uncommon Reader
The Nightingale.
Hound of the Baskervilles
I forgot that I read that. It was a long time ago.
@Gwenn it’s great!
If you have Audible listen to the version read by Derek Jacobi. I can listen to it over and over again …..and I do. Lol
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Heading Out to Wonderful
To Kill A Mockingbird
This question is very difficult.
Nooooo whyyyy how to pick only ooooneee ::flail flail:: XD
The help!
There are so many, but The Nightingale is one of my top ten!
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
After
How to make the impossible possible by Dr. Robert Anthony
“Fifth Business” by Robertson Davies
Beach Music by Pat Conroy.
Memoirs of a Geisha
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Cutting for stone
It’s on my shelf and I keep casting sidelong glances at it…
its wonderful- don’t hesitate any longer
@Cindy I JUST finished A Thousand Splendid Suns. I feel a book hangover coming on… perhaps Cutting for Stone is my hair of the dog
its not as heavy as Thousand Splendid Sons
You’ve just helped me choose my next read. Thanks! ❤️
Cryptonomicon by Neil Stephenson
I have Anathem, by him, on my bookshelf. It looks epic and I just haven’t taken the plunge!
They’re *all* epic! I liked that one, too. Cryptonomicon was my first by him, and what a ride! That said, my husband hated it. Then he read Seveneves and converted. Anathem is different, but i wouldn’t say typical. If you can’t get into it, read Seveneves first.
Ooo! Thank you so much for the insight! My sister in law loaned it to me a couple years ago, but so far haven’t been able to muster any enthusiasm to crack it open. This might do it.
FYI, all his books are crazy mixes of science, history, computer nerdiness and tongue in cheek commentary. He comes from a family of physicists, I think, but he explains the technical stuff so well you get it. And it’s fascinating.
I don’t mind that combination, at all! If they aren’t obtuse and inaccessible, they sound like perfect winter reading. I’m curious what types of books your husband gravitates towards and what he didn’t like about Cryptonomicon vs what he liked about Seveneves. I get that that’s a lot to ask for here, but just wondering out loud. ?
I think he didn’t notice the bars at the start of each chapter that indicated the era that the chapter took place in. And he thought it was just weird. He’s mellowed since then, and since Seveneves was more linear in time, it made more sense. He’s a computer guy so there’s no explaining why he didn’t like it. He likes Michael Connelly, Nelson deMille, etc.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austin
War and Peace
Europe: A History by Norman @Davies
Lamb in His Bosom
Lord of the Rings(split into a trilogy on first publication but meant to be one book).
I can’t pick just one.
Anne of Green Gables, “Because when you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worthwhile”. ❤️
The Stand
A wrinkle in time
Dracula
Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon
Watership Down
It lives on my shelf to this day. A delightful story for young and old.
If your not familiar with this book, it’s set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home.
A beautiful book.
Kokoro by Natsume Soseki
War in heaven by derek prince
Song of Achilles
Imitation of Christ.
Wolf Hall, All The Light We Cannot See, Cold Mountain, The Magicians series, The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, 5 Days at Memorial
The last unicorn
Sleeper’s castle by Barbara Erskine
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
Water for Elephants
Once in a lifetime by Danielle Steele
Forbidden by tabitha suzuma
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
The knife of never letting go by Patrick ness
The Shack
Game if Kingsby Dorothy Dunnett
Song of the Sun God by @Shankari
The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley
Ready player one by Ernest Cline
Good morning Mr Mandela by Zelda la Grange
Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch Albom.
Lonesome Dove
Jane Eyre
The Three Musketeers
Also in my pile for this year.
Outlander
Six of Crows
Howard’s End is on the Landing by Susan Hill – non-fiction book about books
Famous Last Words
Bram Stokers Dracula
Pride and Prejudice
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The Balcony by Cervantes
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
East of Eden
This was my #1 pick as well!
Taltos by Anne Rice
Mine is The Witching Hour. Can I hear a vote for Lasher and get all three of the series on the list.
@Patricia I almost put that one.
The Shoemaker’s wife
Perfect Lie by Dinah McCall
Pavilion of Woman by Pearl S Buck
A little princess
Pride and prejudice
Warmth of Other Suns
Pride & Prejudice
??♂️??♂️
Samurai’s Garden (Tsukiyama)
Weight of Water
Ellen Foster
Bad motherf*cker by Jasinda Wilder
Lonesome Dove
The forest hands and teeth
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Lord of the Rings
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Quran
La sombra del viento / The Shadow of the Wind
I have that in English & in French – love it. Need to find one in the original language.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks
Mayor of Casterbridge
The Chronicles of Amber
So good. I recommend these books often
@Jed LOVE these books! 5&6 were not my favorites but the flurry ending of 9&10 was amazing. So much Magic’s
@Matt I’ll admit, it’s been 30 years since I read them, but they left an indelible mark on my reading life. I don’t remember specifics of each book, just the overall love for the series. Been saying it’s time for a re-read!
@Matt Love fantasy and thanks for the recommendation. Just ordered all 10 from Thriftbooks… Xmas gift to me?
@D.M. ? awesome!! Man I wish I could go back to reading it for the first time. Really is just an amazing set of stories. Corwin is an all time favorite character of mine
@Matt so looking forward to a few months of being in an alternate universe and thus, my love for fantasy! Thanks again.
Giver
The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine
Les Miserables
One? Can’t. do. it.
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. Highly underrated.
The Stand Stephen King
Tough to pick only one, but I would have to choose The Stand by Stephen King.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
IT
The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy
The Book Thief
Master and Margarita
Sorry, can’t pick just one. That’s like asking my favorite opera or favorite flower. There are too many that are too beautiful. <3
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng.
silas marner by george eliot
Middlemarch by George Elliot.
Small is Beautiful by E. F. @Cb.
Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott.
Akik nem sirnak rendesen by Kata Tisza (it’s a hungarian book, the title means ‘Those who don’t cry enough’ or something like that)
no
love, stargirl
Harry Potter series
“Mountains beyond Mountains”
—Tracy Kidder
Only one?!? Can’t!
‘Rules of Civility’ by Amor Towles ♥️
Outlander
Gone With The Wind
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Stein
Night Unbound by @Dianne
Gone With The Wind
One Hundred Years of Solitude
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Color Purple
Bear town
the latest? Sarah Hilary “Come and find me”
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Bel Canto
Lonesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry
@Aaron Talked my Book Group into reading it, so dang good!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
@Laura, this book taught me to love reading!
@Barbara Me too. I read a lot as a child, but when I got a copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn from my Bookmobile library one summer when I was about 11, my life changed. My first “adult” book introduced me to the world created when you live in a book. A world I only reluctantly leave.
Wild