Tell Me What to Read: Round 20
It’s BACK! After a more than year-long hiatus, I’m back in Tell Me What to Read business.
I am just a little ridiculously excited.
I hope you are too, and that you’d like to suggest something for me to read over the next month or so. If so, here’s the guidelines:
1. Comment with the title of one book you think I should read (any
book you want). One title only, please, lest my brain explode.
2. I’ll select one comment at random and announce it on the blog by the end of the week.
3. On the off-chance that I’ve already read the book you select, I’ll
contact you and ask for a follow-up suggestion (make sure there is a
way to contact you either by blog or email).
4. I’ll get a copy of the book and read it in a reasonable time frame.
5. I’ll write a review of it here. Even if I hate the book, I will not hate you.
Comment away!
A Friend at Midnight by Caroline B. Cooney. One of my YA favorites 🙂
So happy to see this has returned! I tried it with my students this year and was only mildly successful. Anyway, my suggestion is Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel.
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie. It's pretty hefty, and I'm only half way through, but I'm absolutely fascinated by it.
Considering that most of my book recs come from you, this is a bit silly for me to be entering. But my favorite author is David Eddings, so you have to read Pawn of Prophecy by him. Yes, it's fantasy, but it's FANTASTIC.
The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern. One of my favorites this year.
Mudbound by Hilary Jordan. I read this for book club and we all loved it.
I second the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern! Is that allowed? Best book I've read in a long time!
Evertaster by Adam Glennon Sidwell.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. So relevant.
Yay! I was wondering if you were ever going to bring this back!
I recommend Bringing up Geeks by MaryBeth Hicks.
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. One of the best children's books I've read this year for sure 🙂
THE PARIS WIFE by Paula McLain
I'm listening to it right now and it's very interesting to ready.
I want you to read The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta! I haven't finished it yet, but it's really good so far, and I think it raises some interesting philosophical/religious questions.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.
Just one title? Argh, if you insist. I've read 12 books this month and write a monthly (or so) post on my blog if you ever need recs.
Anyway, I'm going to go with "Outside the Lines" by Amy Havtany.
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier! My life goal to get as many people as possible to read it.
I'm de-lurking to say that this is such a great idea for a blog post. What a fun way to find books to read.
Here's my suggestion: What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty. It's a sort of mystery that is light & charming.
Yay, tell me what to read is back! How about Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman? It's perfect for summer.
Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith. It's a really readable biography of the current Queen Elizabeth and timely too. We read it for book club and everyone loved it.
I'm so glad this is back, I used to add several of the recommendations each month to my reading lists! I read a hilarious YA book (that I first heard about on NPR) that you should add to your list – I'm curious as to your opinion. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.
I love that I just added a dozen books to my library list based on these recommendations! I suggest reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
So exciting! I love telling people what to do, er, I mean, suggesting books to read. 🙂 Oh and ditto to the above comment about Ready Player One. I got that for my husband for fathers day and he said it was fantastic. But since someone already suggested it, I am suggesting Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm currently in the middle of reading it so I can't say for sure how great it is overall, but so far so good!
I just discovered your blog and haven't yet commented, but I couldn't help myself on this one!
Anything by Julia Alvarez, but particularly In the Time of the Butterflies. Love it!
I also love that now I have a whole list of suggestions too! Perfect idea.
I'm sticking with my old favorite Precious Bane by Mary Webb. So worth a read.
The Last Shot by Darcy Frey
An oldie, but a goodie. I just read for the first time a few months ago and I'm still thinking about it.
Please don't read any shades of gray. Other than that, I don't actually have a recommendation, which is strange and new for me. 🙂
xox
Oh yay! I've missed this! Oh dear, let's see. So many choices. How about The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss? I'd love to see you reviewing some epic fantasy, which is my fave. 🙂
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
NOt sure if you've read it… but Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. Just finished it and it was amazing.
Although I'm tempted to suggest something horrible like 50 Shades of Gray just because you'd HAVE to read it if my comment won (mwahahahahaha!) I'm going to suggest Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls instead. I read that recently and really enjoyed it.
Oh. Sad. I wasn't the first to think I was clever with the Shades of Gray comment 🙁 And here I was, patting myself on the back for being so hilarious.
Divergent by Veronica Roth. Loved!
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage, it just came out in 2012 and I think it's Newbery potential.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I'm also going to recommend The Night Circus. I loved it, but I'm interested to see what you think. (And I'm excited that several other people recommended it as well.)
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – totally loved it and each time I reread it, it gets even better
Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson. Best book I've read in a while!
Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. (May I add that there is a reason that Two-Part Invention, The Thief, and Precious Bane, are recommended to you on nearly every list? – I think, having read many of your reviews, that you would really enjoy them all. In fact, I would put them all on the top of my list.)
Fall of Giants by Ken Follett…but only if you listen to the audiobook. I know it's super long but it's really gripping historical fiction and I for one always wanted to know what exactly the deal was with World War I. It seems like WWII gets all the books! I feel like in high school history we spent approximately 4 months on the Revolutionary War, 4 months on the Civil War, and any remaining time went to World War II.
I'm going to recommend Blackout by Connie Willis. I think it's the type of book you might like. It involves time-traveling historians and the London Blitz.
Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. I read it almost two years ago, and I still think about it from time to time. P.S. Don't waste your time on the horrible movie adaptation.
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye.
I think you would love "…And Ladies of the Club" by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It took her her entire lifetime to write (80 years!) and while it's a LONG book, it's so incredible!
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, sort of a Pride and Prejudice style story. I couldn't put it down!
I just finished A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller, (I think that's his name) and I thought it was great. BONUS: It's short.
I, Juan de Pareja (Newbery Winner)
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard.
This is non-fiction and was a most unlikely read for me, (I didn't think I liked history) but has stuck with me beyond all reason. It is set in 1880's and deals with James Garfield, his assassination, the assassin and the state of medicine during that time. I kept thinking as I read it–where was I during U.S. History. Did I sleep through this period of time or is this period some how considered lesser? There were several eye opening revelations that just amazed me. This was a fabulous and fascinating book.
An awesome book I recently read was Wonder by R. J. Palacio.
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. I LOVE this book!
Modoc by Ralph Helfler. I love me a cute elephant story!
jj
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.
Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian.
A Work in Progress by Brad Cotton
The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire by Gibbon (vol 2)… just kidding! I suggest Complications by Atul Gawande.
Argh! Several people have suggested The Night Circus, which was going to be my suggestion. It is fabulous, and I definitely think you would like it. But, I will suggest The Sparrow, which I love and recommend to everyone I know.
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf. The author is a friend of mine, this is her first published, AND i might even consent to shipping you my signed copy as long as you promise to send it right back.
Swept Off Her Feet by Hester Browne.
Ahhh, in under the wire!
Two-Part Invention, by Madeleine L'Engle, per yooj.
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson. I am interested in hearing your opinion on it.
Have you read "The Borrower" by Rebecca Makkai? I'd be interested in your take as a former librarian.
Jumper by Stephen Gould. Very different from the lame movie that came out a few years ago, and very good!
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. You might've already read this one, or seen the movie, but I finally got to pluck this one out of my TBR pile, and enjoyed it immensely!