Next month I’m going on a big vacation – you know the one – it includes long flights, palm trees, and wedding bells and lasts for almost 3 weeks. Lots of time to read! Please comment and leave me any and all of your suggestions for vacation reading! Thanks!
hi rachelle – i always appreciate it when you share the books that you’ve read – my book club is actually reading juliet, naked right now based on my recommendation from your review!
here’s my list of books that i read last year, categorized by those i like and those i didn’t. hopefully this will give you some ideas.
tina
My favorites
Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
Big Machine by Victor LaValle
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
In the Woods by Tana French
The Book of Night by Women Marlon James
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Very good books
Fool: A novel by Christopher Moore
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Weight of Silience by Heather Gudenkauf
Lowboy by John Wray
The Angels Game by Carlo Ruiz Zafron
Miles from nowhere by Nami Mun
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
One Day by David Nicholls
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Double Bind by Chris Bohjallan
Sill Missing by Chevy Stevens
Wishin’ and Hopin by Wally Lamb
Good books
Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner
Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
The 25th Hour by David Benioff
The Lottery by Patricia Wood
A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown
Given Day by Dennis Lehane
Brunt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Steig Larsson
Real World by Natsuo Kirino
Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles
The girl who stopped swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician by Daniel Wallace
That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Good People by Marcus Sakey
Good Enough to Eat by Stacey Ballis
Hell by Robert Olen Butler
The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch
Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
I wouldn’t recommend these – not because they’re necessarily “bad” but just not my to my taste
Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish
Little Giant of Aberdeen Country by Tiffany Baker
The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman
A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore
When will there be good news by Kate Atkinson
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The Likeness by Tana French
Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon
Really, don’t even bother to read
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
Anya by Susan Fromberg Schaeffer
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
That is so good to hear, Tina! I’m glad you enjoy the “reviews” I post. I hesitate to really call them reviews, since half the time they’re like one sentence about whether I liked the book or not. But I’m glad they give you ideas on what to read.
I hope you like Juliet, Naked. I thought that was a great book. I love Nick Hornby and his British humor though.
Thanks for the list of books you read last year and for the ranking. Some of these I’ve read, but I’ll browse through the rest. Thanks!
Did you read Franzen (“Freedom”) yet? It’s quite long. Despite all the backlash/media hoopla, I found it very engaging and a worthwhile read (if for no other reason than being able to read it and have an opinion on it).
I have seen this book being talked about a lot in the press and stuff.. like you suggest. I haven’t really heard what it’s about, but thanks for recommending it. I’ll check it out.
If you like Hornby, I guarantee that you mucho dig One Day by David Nicholls.
Have you ever read Ironweed? one of my favorites, but a bit dark. Do you do non-fiction?
I’ve never read Ironweed, I’ll have to check it out. I read some non-fiction. Do you have recommendations?
Hi Rachelle,
If you’re looking for something a serious, I’d recommend The House of Sand and Fog.
I normally don’t read horror, but I took Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box on vacation once and couldn’t put it down.
Also, I just ordered The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir from Amazon.com. I haven’t read it yet, but the excerpts are hilarious.
So there’s a serious, scary, and funny recommendation for you.
Enjoy your honeymoon,
April
Thanks for the varied recommendations, April. I didn’t have time to check them out yesterday but will for sure do it today!
I really enjoyed Harry Bernstein’s memoir The Invisible Wall, about Jewish and Christian families living across the street from each other in an English town in the 1910s-20s.
What’s fascinating is that Bernstein wrote this memoir when he was in his mid-90s! And the book is really a gem.
I’m now reading his follow-up, The Dream (which follows his family as they emigrate to Chicago in 1922).
Ayelet – That sounds interesting. I don’t know about beach reading, but I’ll take a look for when I get back!
Hi Rachelle, I am a long-time fan of your blog, and of your book lists. Here are three non-fiction books I read this year and highly recommend:
Man is Wolf to Man, by Januz Bardach
Blue Zones, by Dan Buttner
Hero Found, by Bruce Henderson
Hey, Nick – Thanks for chiming in! I’ll take a look at these.
I like to read fun, easy books on vacations. the last time I was in a tropical place I read The Ruins. it’s set in mexico, so reading it while surrounded by heat and palm trees added to the drama!
Hi Bonnie – I read The Ruins a while back. You’re right… it’s a real page turner and a great vacation read.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.
Most excellent.
Thank you for the recommendation, Paddy