Need Christmas present book suggestions
December 4, 2010 3:38 PM Subscribe
I hope the Hive-mind isn't terribly tired of answering this sort of question, but I need a Christmas present book suggestion. Of course there are special snowflake details.
I need a book for a female prisoner. Her parents are getting her all the Twilight books, so she will probably be tired of vampires soon. I would like to find something that is entertaining and light, but still has a moral or message that may help her see things in a new way and maybe help change her life when she gets out. Tall order, I know. She's in jail for stealing to support a drug habit, and her boyfriend is the definition of enabler. I guess most importantly, it should be something she will actually read. Atlas Shrugged, Dianetics and Left Behind are already ruled out.
I need a book for a female prisoner. Her parents are getting her all the Twilight books, so she will probably be tired of vampires soon. I would like to find something that is entertaining and light, but still has a moral or message that may help her see things in a new way and maybe help change her life when she gets out. Tall order, I know. She's in jail for stealing to support a drug habit, and her boyfriend is the definition of enabler. I guess most importantly, it should be something she will actually read. Atlas Shrugged, Dianetics and Left Behind are already ruled out.
The Hunger Games books are entertaining, engrossing, and end up a moral message about dealing with others controlling your fate and what do to with your life after trauma. I highly recommend them, and they have some things in common with Twilight ("who will she choose?!") while being much better books imo.
posted by Solon and Thanks at 4:03 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Solon and Thanks at 4:03 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I read it years ago and found it beautiful and inspiring.
posted by daikon at 4:09 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by daikon at 4:09 PM on December 4, 2010
I love Od Magic by Patricia McKillip, Sunshine by Robin McKinely also excellent - both are stories of transformation and advocate family values in non-intrusive wonderful ways. Another good one is A Fistful of Sky by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
posted by zia at 4:12 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by zia at 4:12 PM on December 4, 2010 [1 favorite]
Harry Potter. Moral: "All you need is love."
Can you be more clear about how you want her to see things in a new way and maybe change her life based on reading this book? What specifically is wrong with the way she currently sees things and what result are you looking for?
posted by J. Wilson at 4:13 PM on December 4, 2010
Can you be more clear about how you want her to see things in a new way and maybe change her life based on reading this book? What specifically is wrong with the way she currently sees things and what result are you looking for?
posted by J. Wilson at 4:13 PM on December 4, 2010
Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea books are great. Classic fantasy with a strong moral message that she probably won't even notice she's learning, it's so skillfully woven into the books. A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore are the three classics, written in the early 70s. You can get them all together in one volume (used). LeGuin has returned to the series a few times in later years, writing Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea and The Other Wind.
posted by Kattullus at 4:16 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by Kattullus at 4:16 PM on December 4, 2010
Scott Westerfeld's steampunky books -- Leviathan, Behemoth, and not-yet-published Goliath. It's an alternate WWI era with genetic tweakery including the titular flying whale dirigible thing, and big stompy walking tanks. Main characters are a young prince (fictional son of ArchDuke Ferdinand) and a girl who is pretending to be a boy so she can enlist in the flying navy. It could be considered a young adult book, but I know a bunch of adults (myself included) who loved it.
posted by rmd1023 at 4:19 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by rmd1023 at 4:19 PM on December 4, 2010
On the light side but entertaining/engrossing and stressing independent women, I'd consider The Number One Ladies Detective Agency, the In Death series by JD Robb, which starts with Naked in Death, and Outlander. Or for a light but gripping read about a a wimp forced to become a strong woman, there is Rebecca.
posted by bearwife at 4:29 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by bearwife at 4:29 PM on December 4, 2010
I'd suggest something all-engrossing, but 'moral' like Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, and the followup, World Without End.
posted by dbmcd at 5:00 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by dbmcd at 5:00 PM on December 4, 2010
Maybe she'd like the Tiffany Aching books by Terry Pratchett.
They're good for people of all ages, though categorized as Young Adult reading. The main character starts out age nine, and is (I think) still fifteen in the last book. The books are great fun, and Tiffany is a fine role model, being spirited, full of good sense and compassionate.
Re The Time Traveller's Wife which somebody mentioned... I enjoyed this book a lot, but there's a few things to know about it before you choose it. It's not all sunshine... there's a suicide and some other violent incidents, and the main character does a fair bit of stealing. It's necessitated by his condition, which has him randomly time traveling and arriving in places with not even a stitch of clothing, but maybe in this particular case you'd prefer not to give a book that somewhat endorses the idea that sometimes you have to steal to survive. Overall though it is a charming and unusual story love story, so maybe you'll still decide it's a good pick.
posted by philipy at 5:30 PM on December 4, 2010
They're good for people of all ages, though categorized as Young Adult reading. The main character starts out age nine, and is (I think) still fifteen in the last book. The books are great fun, and Tiffany is a fine role model, being spirited, full of good sense and compassionate.
Re The Time Traveller's Wife which somebody mentioned... I enjoyed this book a lot, but there's a few things to know about it before you choose it. It's not all sunshine... there's a suicide and some other violent incidents, and the main character does a fair bit of stealing. It's necessitated by his condition, which has him randomly time traveling and arriving in places with not even a stitch of clothing, but maybe in this particular case you'd prefer not to give a book that somewhat endorses the idea that sometimes you have to steal to survive. Overall though it is a charming and unusual story love story, so maybe you'll still decide it's a good pick.
posted by philipy at 5:30 PM on December 4, 2010
Fiction only? If not, C.S. Lewis' boxed set. Go to a used bookstore and find a nice old set of his classic writings.
posted by Lukenlogs at 5:32 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by Lukenlogs at 5:32 PM on December 4, 2010
Another suggestion: The Cadfael novels of Ellis Peters. They're historical murder mysteries, featuring a medieval monk, Brother Cadfael. Many of the stories also feature troubled young people in them as well, who the warm-hearted and shrewd Cadfael gently helps towards a better future.
posted by philipy at 5:49 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by philipy at 5:49 PM on December 4, 2010
Ha, I came in to suggest Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books too. You could get her the set since they come in quite cheap paperback editions. Spunky girl hero, funny, quick, about "doing what needs to be done" even when it's hard.
(This assumes she will not be put off by having a 9 year old protagonist, or by fantasy themes like witches.)
How old is she? Do you know if she'd prefer something like a detective book, or a fantasy book, or maybe an Oprah's book club style book about the struggles of a real woman dealing with her screwed up life?
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:44 PM on December 4, 2010
(This assumes she will not be put off by having a 9 year old protagonist, or by fantasy themes like witches.)
How old is she? Do you know if she'd prefer something like a detective book, or a fantasy book, or maybe an Oprah's book club style book about the struggles of a real woman dealing with her screwed up life?
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:44 PM on December 4, 2010
How old is she? If she's a young adult, she might also enjoy Megan Whalen Turner's Attolia books or, as Solon & Thanks mentioned above, The Hunger Games.
Other suggestions: Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series or The Red Pyramid. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. Tamora Pierce's Trickster series. Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire.
posted by onegoodthing at 8:16 PM on December 4, 2010
Other suggestions: Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series or The Red Pyramid. Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. Tamora Pierce's Trickster series. Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire.
posted by onegoodthing at 8:16 PM on December 4, 2010
I'm biased because this is an Arizona author, but These is My Words is a great and inspiring read, especially for a woman trying to find her way. The description and some of the many reviews say a lot - it is a wonderful book.
posted by belau at 8:40 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by belau at 8:40 PM on December 4, 2010
I rather enjoyed the Toby Daye books, by Seanan McGuire. (Rosemary & Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night.) They're about responsibility, at heart.
posted by jeather at 8:55 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by jeather at 8:55 PM on December 4, 2010
Response by poster: She's about 30, so I don't know if it would be condescending to send her a YA book. She reads Twilight and Harry Potter; are these considered YA? I don't even know. Right now I'm leaning heavily to Time Travelers Wife, but I might get her 2 books, so keep 'em coming.
posted by ambulocetus at 9:58 PM on December 4, 2010
posted by ambulocetus at 9:58 PM on December 4, 2010
Twilight is considered YA, and Harry Potter is considered an outright children's book.
Mind you those are kind of legitimized for grown-up reading because everyone knows people of all ages read them.
But anyone that enjoys reading Harry Potter will probably be happy reading other things classified as YA if they're actually good books that match their tastes.
Btw, the Tiffany Aching books are Discworld novels, and there are nearly 40 novels in that series, most of them for adults. There's a good chance that adults that like Harry Potter will like them too.
posted by philipy at 11:06 PM on December 4, 2010
Mind you those are kind of legitimized for grown-up reading because everyone knows people of all ages read them.
But anyone that enjoys reading Harry Potter will probably be happy reading other things classified as YA if they're actually good books that match their tastes.
Btw, the Tiffany Aching books are Discworld novels, and there are nearly 40 novels in that series, most of them for adults. There's a good chance that adults that like Harry Potter will like them too.
posted by philipy at 11:06 PM on December 4, 2010
I guess most importantly, it should be something she will actually read.
I don't know her tastes but I'll offer some suggestions. I'm a woman. I'm 38. I'll list my easy and entertaining reads. I'm not listing anything particularly dark, depressing or overly difficult. I wouldn't list Mary Gaitskill for instance, anything too literary and difficult, or rambling epics.
I think entertainment is the key word here. She is in prison. A little escapism is going to be appreciated. Some of these books I'm mentioning have female protagonists that have plenty of difficulties and triumph at the end.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
The Glass Castle and Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Anything by Jhumpa Lahiri. I like her two short story collections the best.
You might want to check out Marian Keyes -- she writes entertaining chick-lit.
Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston
The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
If you are not adverse to this kind of thing I would highly recommend the memoirs of Barbara Robinette Moss and Mary Karr. They are women that overcame awful life circumstances with grace. It might be too heavy, although they tell their tales without self-pity.
If she enjoys vampires look into the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris
Also, I haven't read anything by these authors but Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and Nicholas Sparks seem to have tons of fans. I imagine they would entertaining and quick reads.
posted by Fairchild at 6:55 AM on December 5, 2010
I don't know her tastes but I'll offer some suggestions. I'm a woman. I'm 38. I'll list my easy and entertaining reads. I'm not listing anything particularly dark, depressing or overly difficult. I wouldn't list Mary Gaitskill for instance, anything too literary and difficult, or rambling epics.
I think entertainment is the key word here. She is in prison. A little escapism is going to be appreciated. Some of these books I'm mentioning have female protagonists that have plenty of difficulties and triumph at the end.
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
The Glass Castle and Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Anything by Jhumpa Lahiri. I like her two short story collections the best.
You might want to check out Marian Keyes -- she writes entertaining chick-lit.
Cowboys Are My Weakness by Pam Houston
The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
If you are not adverse to this kind of thing I would highly recommend the memoirs of Barbara Robinette Moss and Mary Karr. They are women that overcame awful life circumstances with grace. It might be too heavy, although they tell their tales without self-pity.
If she enjoys vampires look into the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris
Also, I haven't read anything by these authors but Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, and Nicholas Sparks seem to have tons of fans. I imagine they would entertaining and quick reads.
posted by Fairchild at 6:55 AM on December 5, 2010
You know, maybe she will just be tired of *sparkly* vampires. I would recommend the Sookie Stackhouse books that the HBO True Blood series is based on, by Charlaine Harris.
Occasionally funny and campy, with a female heroine that stands on her own two feet.
posted by misha at 11:02 AM on December 5, 2010
Occasionally funny and campy, with a female heroine that stands on her own two feet.
posted by misha at 11:02 AM on December 5, 2010
OH Marian Keyes is good. She writes about serious topics wrapped in a chick-lit exterior. For instance, Rachel's Holiday talks about alcoholism and The Brightest Star in the Sky about dementia, rape, & depression. It's so well written though that you don't realize that the topics are heavy until midway through the book.
posted by onegoodthing at 4:22 PM on December 5, 2010
posted by onegoodthing at 4:22 PM on December 5, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
No particular reason, I just love it and it's better than books about vampires.
posted by fernbritton at 3:43 PM on December 4, 2010