Another thread got me thinking about this one... I know there are books out there BESIDES cake books (really????)so...
Do you have a favorite book you think everyone else would love too? Have you read a book that made you want to buy copies for all of your friends? Did you read a book in book club that you never would have read, but now you're glad you did? Tell us your favorites so we can enjoy them too!!!
One of the best books I've read is "Military Brats: Legacies of Childhood Inside the Fortress" by Mary Edwards Wertsch. I cried the whole time I read it. It's probably not something most people would get but I'd recommend it to any brats or people considering raising children in the miltary.
I also loved "Holy Blood, Holy Grail." I've promised my little brother that he can borrow it but haven't been willing to give it up yet. 
mbelgard - I'll have to check that one out - we are a military family!
I guess since I started this I should share one 
. For those of you who like autobiography, or autobiography that reads like fiction, I loved
'The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls.
She is a journalist who writes about her very disfunctional childhood with parents who are constantly moving them around. Her mother's idea of a meal is whatever the kids can scrape up, and her father, while brilliant, lacks the common sense or motivation or sense of reality? to ever put anything into practice. These kids have an unbelievably hard life, yet she writes with such grace that you root for her the whole way. I couldn't put this book down.
mbelgard - I'll have to check that one out - we are a military family!
I should have put in a warning about the book though, if you don't want to hear anything that brats find negative about the military life don't read it. This book talks about both positive and negative aspects of growing up in the military from the view of adult brats along with lasting side effects. It covers abuse, alcoholism, moving, growing up on post, parents being gone for months or years on end, etc.
I haven't read a good book in a while, due to time constraints (I have 3 small boys).
My favorite author is a romance novelist, LaVyrle Spencer. They're not the constant sex stuff you find in the cheap romance books. They're actually really good stories and some are funny (My favorite is The Gamble). She does some modern romances and some historical. I prefer the historical ones myself but they're all good. I have read them all 
If you've never read Gone With the Wind, it's really a great book, much better than the movie, IMO. I didn't like the movie much but read the book first so maybe that's why.
I also like a fantasy series called The Wheel of Time. It's a huge series so don't get started if you don't want to read 12 books, 500+ pages each. Very good but very long.
Gotta shout it out for Stephen King's Dark Tower series first and foremost... I am halfway thru the second to last book and have to pae myself cause I just don't want it to end! I know I will literally cry on that day - read it and you will see.
My second favorite author? David Sedaris and I like Augusten Burroughs too.
My favorite is - of course - the Harry Potter series. After that I LOVE John Grisham and Jodi Picoult. Both very good and attention grabbing authors.
Janeil
mbelgard - I suppose a book without conflict wouldn't be good anyway . We are a military family, but we are careful about keeping our private lives separate - impossible, I know, but we live 18 miles off the base and besides the enormous complications from my husband's job, our life is very civilian .
I looked for Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box at my library, and it's very popular! There are a bunch of holds on it! It looks like it's gotten good reviews and I am a Stephen King fan too, so I'll definitely have to get in line for this one! It will be interesting to see how he has been influenced by King, and how he is an individual writer!
Midgit1205 im so glad im not the only Harry Potter freak hate the movies love the books cant wait to see what happens in 7.
lets see if i can spell this right mauve binchy I have only read a couple of her books but she is an irish author always writes about growing up in old irish towns strong friendships first loves all that kind of stuff. but of course thats only when I can pull my eyes away from reading a Harry Potter book for the 9th time.
Give me any James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman, Stephen King, Patricia Cornwell and Nicholas Sparks books and I should be happy for a long time.
Right now I am reading Jesse Kellerman (Jonathan Kellermans kid) and a guy named Sen Doolittle.
Speaking of Stephen king...(nice sedgeway, huh?) who else has seen 1408? GREAT movie...just as creepy as the short story in Everythings Eventual.
Midgit1205 im so glad im not the only Harry Potter freak hate the movies love the books cant wait to see what happens in 7.
Hee Hee. It's been so long that I'm re-reading book 6 right now so that I can have the faintest clue of what is going on in book 7!
Janeil
I LOVED "Marley and Me" ... I just read that recently. What a great book!!! The author's name is John Grogan.
I just finished reading an amazing, inspirational, very well-written book called "In an Instant", by Lee and Bob Woodruff. Bob Woodruff is the ABC news journalist who was embedded with a Marine unit in Iraq in January 2006, when an IED exploded right by him and sheared off part of his skull. He suffered many serious injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. Miraculously, he survived and is doing well now. The book is co-written by husband and wife, and it is truly an excellent read. Even better, all proceeds from the book go directly to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury, to benefit all of the soldiers with TBI's and their families.
I have to third the Marley and Me suggestion. Wonderful book! Grogan is a great writer. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has ever loved a dog!!!!! The pages flew by and I cried a bunch at the end ! This is one I'll have to buy for my own library.
p.s. did anyone see the Grogan family on 'Dog Whisperer'? That was interesting!
I just finished the first Stephanie Plum novel by Evanovich - One for the Money. I am now reading the second.
I love the light mysteries (not a lot of sex, swearing, or gratuitous violence). My favorites are the culinary mysteries, especially Diane Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear" series about a caterer and Joanne Fluke's series about a woman who owns a cookie shop.
Someone please write a series about a cake decorating sleuth!!!
If you guys like funny books, you should try Janet Evanovich's, Stephanie Plum novels. They're supposed to be mysteries, but they are hilarious. The first book is called One for the Money.
I totally recommend these books (I just finished 13).......but a bit of warning if you are offended by language (mainly the F word) watch out.....but even though I dont love dirty language myself these books are worth it to me because they are HILARIOUS...even my older Aunt's are reading them and loving them. I giggle through-out them all!
Not as funny but good reads if you like mysteries that are not too gory (as I do) I recommend Leslie Meier's (bake sale murder is one of her books--but there are probably 10 that go in chronological order)...she is a mostly SAHM who stumbles into some things in a small town...also Jill Churchill (the Jane Jeffry series --one title off the top of my head was Farewell to Yarns)
also Sue Grafton's series (that starts with A is for Alibi) I have read them all!
happy reading ya'll
My favorite author is Dean Koontz, there are only two books of his that I have tried to read and couldn't. But once I start on one of his books I get nothing else done until I have finished.
I am another one that really likes Joanne Fluke. I like the fun mystery and it is even better when the main character is into food! Also in all of her books almost all of the food mentioned has a recipe in the book. I have tried quite a few and haven't been dissapointed yet.
Marley and Me is a great one! Lately I've been into the time travel/romance variety by Lynn Kurland... she has a series of 18ish novels/short stories that follow 2 family trees.. I really enjoyed them! The first one is A Dance Through Time. It takes place mostly in Scotland in the 1300's and then comes to modern day... It was just the escape from reality I needed this past year to relax during the winter weather! She has a website with book information and family trees http://www.lynnkurland.com/index.html
If you like a good time travel/romance, start reading the books by Diana Gabaldon. The first in the series is "Outlander", I believe. It's about a nurse on holiday in Scotland after WWII, and she goes back in time thru something similar to a Stonehenge monument. (She figures later that these are time portals). There are a number of books in the series, and they follow her adventures in Scotland. I believe that a movie is being filmed based on the first novel. Excellent, excellent escapism!
Yes!! Diana Gabaldon is awesome!!!! The books are the best ones I have ever read! I've read them all and waiting for the next one. They are long but they are so hard to put down that they go fast. I've read them all twice. I love Jamie and Claire! I hope it's true that there is a movie being made. I can't wait to see who they would get to play the characters.
I also like Catherine Cookson and Lawana Blackwell. They are all good!
I love this thread because I love to read and always looking for something new to try.
Anna
The Diana Gabaldon books are the best!!!!! I love all the historical details, but then her stories are great too. A little romance, but not too much mush, lots of action, and great characters. I have them all in my collection - the books are so detailed you can go back and read them again. It's hard to find anything to match her!
I just finished 'The Kite Runner'. It's about a boy who grew up in Afghanistan and his relationship with his servant's son. It's a bit of a look into life over there. It's also about redemption, acceptance, and love. Great book! I finished it in two days.
Anna, I've read them all twice, too! It's kinda sad when you finish that last book...hope there's another.
I think there is supposed to be two more in the series. Have you seen her website? It's www.dianagabaldon.com. I haven't checked it lately but she has updates on there sometimes and bits and pieces of the next book. You're right, it is sad when you finish the last one! I hope she comes out with the next one soon! It's nice to have found another Gabaldon fan! 
I actually have Outlander and another by her... They were highly recommended... . So many books, so little time Thanks for the reminder... it's been on my shelf for quite some time... I had bought it when I had my wisdom teeth taken out years ago and took a week off of work, but with the medicines I was on I just couldn't follow the story line (or anything for that matter)... I'd finish one page, get to the next and not remember anything!
Recently I've also liked:
Otherwise Engaged by Eileen Goudge- I'm hoping there is a follow up to this one, but haven't had time to look. It focused on 2 modern day women who switch homes/lives to see if things are really better on the other side.
Until You by Judith McNaught- Historical, Mistaken/Forgotten Identity
Uncertain Magic- Laura Kinsale an Irish historical romance where one of the main characters had the power to hear other's thoughts.. it was an interesting depart from the standard romance novels...
I really enjoyed the DaVinci Code when that came out as well.. has anyone found anything similiar that they enjoyed?
Currently reading book 7 of the Harry Potter series. My favorite author is Julie Garwood (love heer historical romances). Another fave book is For My Daughters by Barabara Delinsky.
dydemus, I just finished "The Kite Runner" as well. Kinda on the depressing side! My sister passed it along to me, as well as "The Tenth Circle"..forget the author's name. (Jodi Picout?) It's kinda depressing, too, but interesting. About family dynamics when the teenage daughter is date raped by her boyfriend. (The title comes from Dante's Inferno, and the nine levels of Hell.)
Still one of my all-time favorite authors is James Herriot, and the "All Creatures Great and Small" books. I think I've read them all at least three times, and might have to start re-reading them!
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