I've read several books... but very few that have kept my interest... I have tried Stephen King books but they are simply not my taste. However, I loved "Life of Pi" and its extraordinary story. It was a page turner and by the end with its awesome twist I was pleasantly surprised... I have also read one of Haruki Murakami's books called the Kafka on the Shore and I found it very readable. Books like Lord of the Rings or The Fountainhead turn me off. I hate Twilight and Harry Potter so don't suggest those. I want a sort of original story with good likable characters. So by sort of knowing what my taste is, can anybody suggest some books for me? Thanks. oh btw, is Yann Martel's recent book Beatrice and Vigil any good? I haven't seen much praise about it so I figured it kinda isn't...
the most popular book (and series, which is 3 books) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo of this last year was good. its graphic sexually and a little violence thrown in, if you can handle that is worth reading.
Beatrice and Virgil is a bit darker than Life of Pi. If you like non-fiction, check out Devil in the White City. It is a mixture of the Chicago World's Fair and the first American serial killer. It is a very good read.
I read Life of Pi for summer reading recently. Worst book ever. I don't understand how anyone could stand to read that crap.
If I really enjoy a book, I like browsing Amazon to see what other people who bought the same book also purchased. Going off their list, I saw a few I had read and enjoyed: Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night (read this and picked up Life of Pi as a recommended book from Amazon. Still haven't read Life of Pi) Kite Runner (although I would recommend Hosseini's second book A Thousand Splendid Suns) Water for Elephants (fantastic book about a traveling circus during the Depression mixed in with the nursing home life of the main character many years later as he recalls the story. One of the best I've read) I have to toss out my usual suggestions: Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (the best book I've ever read) Pillars of the Earth and the sequel World Without End by Ken Follet (truly epic reads. Forget the Starz miniseries. This is historical fiction at its best) Millenium Trilogy (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc. It's the hot read right now for a damn good reason. It's action\thriller fiction at its top form. Had a hard time putting these down, but do be warned. They are brutal, violent, and at time sadistic. These books deal with a lot of very unsavory characters, and their crimes are not whitewashed) Without knowing more of your reading tastes, I'll cut the list there. Otherwise, I would go on pages. You should check out the What Are You Reading? thread. There are quite a few book suggestions to be found.
I never read Life of Pi, so I don't even know what it is about. But I started reading Slaughterhouse Five for my contemporary lit class in college and I couldn't put it down. I hate reading and I read 100 pages of it yesterday.
Kite Runner A Thousand Splendid Suns The Billionaire's Vinegar - About the fine wine industry and the cons some people pull. Stiff - A little disturbing...it's about the "life" of a cadaver and how it is and was put into research. Bonk - The science of sex..funny read. Napoleon's Buttons - (still reading) About molecules that have changed the world. McMafia - (Still reading) So far, about the way crime made its way into the everyday economy of the Former Soviet Union since after Communism fell there, there were really not any rules about their economy so the crime bosses took over. I've been on a "finding out about random stuff" kick lately which explains the last 5 books I've recommended.
