can you help me find GREAT books?

December 26, 2006 9:43 PM

Looking for more fantastic reads, now for 2007. Please help.

Thanks to those who helped me last year I spent 2006 reading some fantastic books and discovering new authors. Amongst the recommended from 2006, I read: hard boiled wonderland, kafka on the shore, the wind-up bird chronicals, The Cloud Atlas, Kokoro, kissing in manhattan, amy and isabelle, you are not a stranger here, a personal matter, temple of the golden pavillion, the glass castle, lovely bones, and prep.

Here's the same speil as last year:
Here are my requirements: fiction - has to be relatively character based, well written and a book I can't put down. It can be classic or popular. here are a few I'd put in that category: The Kite Runner, The Time Traveler's Wife, Mystic River (tho the last ten pages were terrible), Great Expectations, A Prayer for Owen Meany, one hundred years of solitude, the unbearable lightness of being. As you can see, my taste is all over the place. I generally don't read mystery or sci-fi and never read horror. for non-fiction, I want books that are well written and don't read like they should have been long articles. I've enjoyed the Tipping Point, most of Feynman's work, the elegant universe, personal history, a million little pieces, and mauve just to give you an idea.

Also if you like the work of a particular author, I'd be delighted to find out about new authors. A few I like are: Dickens, Murakami, Kundera, Coelho, Tyler, Irving, Hornby, Banks, Davies.

And a new requirement this year, since now I've reentered the world of those who work 14-hour days and have a two-year-old, is that the book really has to be too good to put down. Any and all help is much appreciated!

posted by karen to media & arts (43 comments total)

Christopher Moore - A Dirty Job or The Stupidest Angel
Tim Dorsey - Florida Roadkill
Cormac McCarthy - The Road
Howard Owen - Rock of Ages

I can't recommend Christopher Moore enough.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 9:53 PM on December 26, 2006

My boyfriend and I are both completely engrossed with two recent nonfiction titles: The Secret Life of Houdini and Thunderstruck (the latter by the same author as The Devil in the White City, which is also a fantastic read). My hands-down favorite, compulsively readable cultural history of this sort. though, is A Nervous Splendor.
posted by scody at 10:03 PM on December 26, 2006

What is the What by Dave Eggers. Even if you've read and disliked his previous work, you need to give this book a chance. It is amazingly amazing. Despite its subject matter (the Sudanese civil war), I found myself laughing out loud at points. And of course, at other points, nearly crying.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I'm trying to read Danielewski's new book, which is great in concept and not so good in actuality, which reminds me of just how fucking brilliant House of Leaves really is.

Maybe more from me later, but it seems you read most of my favorites in '06!
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:23 PM on December 26, 2006

Barry Schwartz's The Paradox of Choice, which is a non-fiction book that's in the same vein as Gladwell's The Tipping Point or Blink.

He argues that Americans are given too many choices, which is a bad thing. Check out his presentation at TEDTalks for a preview - that's how I was introduced to him; plus, he's a fun presenter.
posted by theiconoclast31 at 10:35 PM on December 26, 2006

My faves (books that meet your requirement of "too good to put down")... They're not "new" by any means, but they're new if you haven't read them...

Fiction: "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Non-Fiction: "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt and
"From Alice To Ocean" by Robyn Davidson
posted by amyms at 10:37 PM on December 26, 2006

fiction:
the fermata - nicholson baker
scott pilgrim's precious little life - bryan lee o'malley (really funny graphic novel series- soon to be a huge cult classic film, directed by the dude who did shaun of the dead)
anything by david sedaris: "me talk pretty one day" is my fave
fall on your knees - ann-marie macdonald
white teeth - zadie smith
blankets - craig thompson (beautiful graphic novel)

nonfiction:
the blind watchmaker - richard dawkins
understanding comics- scott mccloud (great even for non-comics fans- i'm not particularly a comics fan, but i found this book had great insight about storytelling in general that were great food for thought re: visual communication)
posted by twistofrhyme at 10:42 PM on December 26, 2006

My dad got me Baker's The Fermata for an in-flight read when I was in high school (he knew I had enjoyed The Mezzanine). Little did he know it was about 10% hard-core pornography. Great book, though.

Other books I've enjoyed this year:
Iain M. Banks, Inversions.
Patrick O'Brian, the Aubrey/Maturin series (aka Master & Commander).
Glen Gold, Carter Beats The Devil.
Bruno Latour, Science In Action (non-fic).
Robert Caro's AskMeFi mainstay, The Power Broker (also non-fic).
posted by migurski at 11:43 PM on December 26, 2006

You have described W. Somerset Maugham's OF HUMAN BONDAGE. As far as I am concerned, the greatest novel ever written. It is character based on a character you will never forget. As for your requirement of not being able to put it down - I've never read a book that kept me awake so many nights. A classic.
posted by Gerard Sorme at 11:45 PM on December 26, 2006

KITCHEN or GOODBYE TSUGUMI by Banana Yoshimoto
posted by mjao at 12:54 AM on December 27, 2006

It's not new, but I'm still always recommending "The Beach" by Alex Garland. Really involving and a smashing finale. If you had the misfortune of seeing the movie, my condolences. But read the book anyway--trust me. (If you haven't seen the movie, don't. Ever.)
posted by zardoz at 1:22 AM on December 27, 2006

Judging from the books you mentioned liking, I think you might like Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
posted by drezdn at 1:33 AM on December 27, 2006

I'll second White Teeth, as well as Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.

Also -- Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow was written in a different decade, but I just finished it and it's one of the best novels I've ever read.

Now, to start Infinite Jest..
posted by suedehead at 1:58 AM on December 27, 2006 [1 favorite]

For non-fiction, I'd recommend:
- The Genius Factory by David Plotz. It follows the history of the first privately run sperm bank and finds some of the genius prodigy it was intended to produce.

- Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (he also wrote Into Thin Air another great non-fiction book). It looks at the murder of a young mother and her children by religious zealots and in so doing, follows the very turbulent history of the modern Mormon church including the crazy cults it's inspired. In the newer editions, he includes commentary he received from the Mormon hierarchy (they weren't happy).

Fiction:
- White Jazz by James Ellroy. A really great hard-boiled crime noir novel. Although it's the last in Ellroy's L.A. Quartet of books, I think it's the best and you don't need to read the other three (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, and L.A. Confidential) to understand the characters or the plot.

- Caught Stealing and the follow-up, Six Bad Things, by Charlie Huston. Very well-written, fast-paced quick reads. The main character is an Everyman who, unintentionally, finds himself in a war with the mafia and the NYPD.

Some authors you might like if you aren't already a fan (all fiction):
Tom Wolfe - Of his more recent work, I really enjoyed A Man in Full.

Bret Easton Ellis - Is your day going too well? To bring you down, you can always read this author and feel demoralized by his view of our self-important and self-destructive society. I liked American Psycho but it's one of his more controversial novels.

George MacDonald Fraser and the Flashman series - The main character is Freud's Id concept writ large. Fun and historically accurate.
posted by notcomputersavvy06 at 2:43 AM on December 27, 2006

Memoirs Found In A Bathtub - Stanislaw Lem.

The Rachel Papers - Martin Amis.

The Talented Mr Ripley - Patricia Highsmith.
posted by veedubya at 2:47 AM on December 27, 2006

Some of my personal favorites:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
posted by messylissa at 2:57 AM on December 27, 2006

I just finished "The Road" (mentioned in the first reply) last night, so I can definitely recommend it. Anything by Cormac McCarthy, really. "Blood Meridian" was one of my favorites.

"Beasts of No Nation" by Uzodinma Iweala.

For non-fiction, I've really enjoyed "Colors" and "Jewels" by Victoria Finlay.
posted by ersatzkat at 5:39 AM on December 27, 2006

Mortal Love, by Elizabeth Hand. So far I've read three of her books - Glimmering & Waking the Moon being the others - and I can't recommend them highly enough. You definitely won't be able to put down Waking the Moon.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:20 AM on December 27, 2006

Kazuo Ishiguro Never Let Me Go
posted by that girl at 6:28 AM on December 27, 2006

Wow, my reading criteria is very similar to yours. Here are my favorites I've read in the last 6 months.

Fiction:

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (Jonathan Safran Foer's wife)

The Other Bolyen Girl by Philippa Gregory

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Non-Fiction:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece by Johnathan Harr

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (also her memoir, Tender at the Bone)
posted by kimdog at 6:42 AM on December 27, 2006

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Walters - lesbian erotica set in victorian england. An absolute page turner, beautifully written, great plot.

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - it's long, but fascinating. Adventure, travel, intrigue, prison escapes, drug addiction, India, Afghanistan, love, based on the author's own life.

I've recommended both these books and people tell me they're their favorite books in years.

Also, non-fiction: A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani.

And, A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman. Reading the book revived my senses in an astonishing way.

I'm currently devouring The Soul of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman, and I've heard great things from those who have finished it.
posted by Amizu at 7:00 AM on December 27, 2006

I second Christopher Moore. I just finished A Dirty Job, and it was one of the top 5 books I read this year.

Now if you want to go for travelogues that are impossible to put down, I'd suggest the following:

Malaria Dreams by Stuart Stevens- A friend convinces Stevens to rescue his car from Botswana and take it up to Egypt. With a leggy blonde model in tow, Stevens finds out that all is not as it seems with his friend or the car. They end up having to steal it back, and then make haste north. They encounter various wacky adventures on the way. A laugh out loud book if there ever was one.

The Wrong Way Home by Peter Moore- Moore goes from London to Sydney without traveling by air. Fascinating looks at the cultures of Iran, Turkey, and a host of other countries.

The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux- He is a bit of a curmudgeon, but this is one of the best books about travel through India or Southeast Asia I have ever read.

Enjoy!
posted by reenum at 7:10 AM on December 27, 2006

I'm currently reading Thomas Hardy's Return of the Native. It's great. (But then I like Hardy.) You say you like Dickens and that you like character-based fiction — I say you'll probably like this, too.
posted by jdroth at 7:20 AM on December 27, 2006

I just finished A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. Ignatius J. Reilly, the main character, is one of the most expertly created literary characters in 20th century literature (and a MeFite, to boot), and the book is ridiculously funny.

As far as non-fiction, check out Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams. The chapter on the baiji dolphins is now especially poignant (and maybe a little depressing).
posted by cog_nate at 7:49 AM on December 27, 2006

The Known World -- Edward P Jones
Empire Falls -- Richard Russo
posted by mamaquita at 7:53 AM on December 27, 2006

Frost
posted by matteo at 7:53 AM on December 27, 2006

I second Tom Wolfe--everything but I Am Charlotte Simmons. In particular: The Right Stuff and The Bonfire of the Vanities. I haven't read A Man In Full yet, but I hear it's good.
posted by markcholden at 7:58 AM on December 27, 2006

I'm currently reading Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman (not William Empson). I've only read about 200 of it's 600something pages so far, but I'm really enjoying it.
posted by amro at 8:21 AM on December 27, 2006

I *nd Christopher Moore, The Poisonwood Bible, The Historian, and The Other Bolyn Girl.

I loved, and could not put down, the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I'm reading her newer book, The Mermaid Chair, now. It is alright so far, but not as good as Bees.

I just finished, and enjoyed mostly (except the end) of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Quite thought provoking.

The Brothers K, by David James Duncan. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.

[I just checked last year's thread and I recommended some of these at that time, too, but I still recommend them!]
posted by dpx.mfx at 8:38 AM on December 27, 2006

As someone with similar taste in reading material, I would wholeheartedly recommend that you read David James Duncan's The Brothers K. The review on the front of the book from the New York Times book review says, "The pages of The Brothers K sparkle!" and I can't think of any better way to put it. This is a book full of goodness. I couldn't put it down.
posted by vytae at 8:45 AM on December 27, 2006

Oh man, dpx.mfx just barely beat me to it. Good call!
posted by vytae at 8:46 AM on December 27, 2006

The Lies of Locke Lamora - A fantastic new book from a new author who has another coming out in 2007 (and a reported six book deal), this book has great characters that drive an absolute genre-bending story. A great read.
posted by sneakyalien at 9:04 AM on December 27, 2006

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
posted by candyland at 9:21 AM on December 27, 2006

I like Irving, Hornby, and Dickens, too, as well as character-driven stuff. So, I'd recommend:

Isabel Allende, especially her classics: The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows. Her nonfiction memoir, Paula, is an incredibly moving account of her daughter's death.

Louis de Bernieres, especially the trilogy of The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts, Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord, and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman (might not be exactly the right order). De Bernieres is a Brit who lived in South America for years, so his writing is magical realism with a British sensibility. All very hard to put down, and alternately hilarious and heartbreaking.
posted by CiaoMela at 9:31 AM on December 27, 2006

White Teeth by Zadie Smith. I read this for a modern lit class in undergrad and loved it. Very character driven.
posted by sarahkeebs at 9:39 AM on December 27, 2006

Iris Murdoch: The Black Prince. Very funny, strongly character-based.

Not really about much; the narrator is a guy who wants to write a book, whose ex-wife has reappeared in his life, and it's about his muddled relationships with her and other friends and relatives.

This is my follow-up read after 100 Years of Solitude. It's not the same vein but it's as enjoyable (and harder for me to put down).

If you haven't yet read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, give The Golden Compass a try (first in the series). It's nicely written, though the protagonists might be too young depending on taste; alternate-reality kind of stuff, quite anti-dogma, and rather long -- but very hard to put down.
posted by anadem at 9:51 AM on December 27, 2006

I would recommend anything by Pat Conroy in the can't put down category.
posted by bananafish at 9:51 AM on December 27, 2006

Seconding The Historian.

And although it's not new at all, Love in the Time of Cholera.
posted by Amizu at 11:23 AM on December 27, 2006

Chiming back in to third The Historian! It's a wee bit overly digressive in a few spots, but I definitely couldn't put it down.

Another possibility on the fiction front: Possession. Definitely couldn't put it down the first time I read it.

Yet another: Foucault's Pendulum. (Warning: the first 100 or so pages are a bit hard-going, but Eco apparently did that on purpose. Once you sort of get past the first level or two of the book, though, it just breaks wide open into a dizzyingly rewarding narrative. One day, in the midst of reading it for the first time, I was so engrossed that I missed my train stop and didn't notice until I ended up in another state.)
posted by scody at 11:41 AM on December 27, 2006

I recently wrote my best friend, who has impeccable taste in literature, with this question:

"I haven't read a work of fiction that has really fired me up in a long time. I generally read non-fiction, but the holidays are coming up and I need ONE GREAT BOOK to re-awaken my love of serious fiction. I need a suggestion from you; I'm not asking anyone else, and I don't want a list. One book, take your time."

His response: Gould's Book of Fish

I'm reading it now and it's blowing my mind. Good luck!
posted by jtajta at 1:23 PM on December 27, 2006

2nd The Lies of Locke Lamora. It was my favorite read of 2006.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 5:10 PM on December 27, 2006

All of Eliot Perlman is worth digging into. Lately I keep thinking about how much I enjoyed Any Human Heart by Will Boyd. Definitely character based, not genre fiction, and I found it unputdownable.
posted by roofus at 3:19 AM on December 28, 2006

Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's an utterly engrossing alternate history, imagining world history as if all of Europe was wiped out by the black plage, and therefore Indian and Asian and Muslim and Native American cultures become ascendant. It's wonderful. I just read it for the second time and loved it at least as much as the first time around.
posted by purenitrous at 10:33 PM on January 2, 2007

Hmm...hopefully, I'm not missing a requirement or two but here are my suggestions:

-Les Miserables (long as hell, but just plain worth it)
-All the Kings Men (if you haven't read, then I recommend that at the top)
-Run with the Horseman (very well written, witty, intelligent, does a great job at describing southern culture)
-A room with a View (EM Forster)
-The Goshawk (TH White - nonfiction, I believe, though it could just as well be autobiographical fiction - it's a fairly quick read and simply one of the best written books I know of)

Peace. Good luck
posted by gbinal at 7:29 PM on January 3, 2007