What Good Books Have You Read in 2007? (vanity for those who have gift cards to redeem)

self | 12/24/07 | randita

[randita]

Merry Christmas, all!

I already have in my possession gift cards to bookstores given to me by students of mine. After tomorrow, others will no doubt have bookstore giftcards burning holes in their pockets, as well.

I thought this might be a good time and reason to solicit advice as to what good books you have read this year.

Please post books you would recommend.

Thanks!

[cajungirl]

Loved Heartbreaking,,Lucky was good. Wonder if Alice Sebolds latest is any good.

I am reading old goldies mainly cause my sony ereader gave me a hundred free classics.

[CholeraJoe]

Same with the "Harry Potter" series by JK Rowling.

1. Sorcerer's Stone
2. Chamber of Secrets
3. Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Goblet of Fire
5. Order of the Phoenix
6. Half-Blood Prince
7. Deathly Hallows

[nmh]

“Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand”

It’s a “good” book for LIBERALtarians that have no moral boundaries and money is all that is important to them.

I out grew Ayn YEARS AGO!

[reg45]

I’ll ditto that.

[nmh]

I’ll be buying the Reagan Diary. I’ve heard they are excellent.

[NeoCaveman]

2007 I started with:
“America Alone” by Mark Steyn then
“The Looming Tower” by Lawrence Wright
then the weather got nice and I quit reading
Then summer ended and I read
“Power to the People” by Laura Ingraham

[spyone]

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.

Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox

Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy

[G8 Diplomat]

I’m in the process of reading The Cardinal of the Kremlin. I finished Red Storm Rising in January. I got America Alone and Indoctrination U for Christmas...gonna read those.

[tioga]

Mmmm. I read the latest Harry Potter book.......supposedly the last of the series. Excellent reading if you have never read them.

I always read the latest Janet Evanovich book in the Stephanie Plum series.....a funny book for women and those are hard to find.

I am not sure if it was this year or last that I read The Historian - very, very good book. Available on the discount tables now.

I spent the entire last winter studying text books......it’s a relief to read for pleasure again.

[Lurking Libertarian]

The Killer Angels, by Mike Shaara. Really made the Civil war come alive for me.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

In all honesty, I’ve been reading mind candy this year. I started a very busy job last March and my reading life suffered for it, but is now stabilized, LOL!

So, if you just want entertaining cr@p to add to your list (because we all need it sometimes!) try these authors:

James Lee Burke
Michael Connelly
John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee series; but Trav WILL make you think about heavy topics...)
Harlan Coben
Patricia Cornwell

(I like murder mysteries and cop & lawyer tales)

[socialismisinsidious]

I’ve read Time Traveler’s Wife and My Sister’s Keeper. You may like Water for Elephants. Great book.

[socialismisinsidious]

Take a look at We the Living. Very good and more concise than Atlas. I even think Rand’s message is stronger in We the Living.

[VRWCer]

Thanks to a recommendation from a friend, I have found a wonderful author this year, Jodi Picault. I have read about four of her novels so far, and they are outstanding! Funny thing is, seems everywhere I go, someone will spot the book I am reading and comment about how wonderful an author she is, ask which of her books I have read so far, and list their own favorites.

Her subject matter is usually based on current issues or events (fictionalized), and her literary gift is to portray the story from the perspectives of various major characters (each chapter is narrated by one of three or four characters). The amazing aspect of this talent of hers is that the reader has the opportunity to understand all the angles of whatever issue the book revolves around (for instance, the first book of hers that I read, called “My Sister’s Keeper”, involved a family’s decision to have a third child (selected by in vitro) in order to provide their second child (who was ill) with a relative who was a perfect bone marrow donor match).

The only thing I can’t promise you is a happy ending - with this author, you never know how the book will end - but she is incredibly talented.

Enjoy your gift cards, what a great gift to receive, books!

[shield]

I bought ‘Never Again’ as a gift for a friend have not read it...is it good?

[bert]

I did not read as much as usual this past year but I did read “Wonderful Life” “The Burgess Shale and The Nature of History” By Stephen J Gould.

I had visited the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta where I realized the real significance of the Burgess Shale. When I got home I found that Stephen J Gould had written this great account of the progress of the work on the thousands of fossils in the Burgess Shale.

Bottom line..... what is alive today is but a small fraction of the species found in the shale.

[shield]

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

[socialismisinsidious]

Wow, nmh is feeling a little cranky, rude today.

Anyway, VA_Gentleman you may like We the Living by Rand (see post 53).

And Happy New Year!

[Eva]

I have not read that particular Grisham book, but the reviews cautioned about generalizing the lessons of this one case to form an overall opionion on enforcing the death penalty.

[Eva]

I read Pillars of the Earth this summer, but put off buying World Without End because I knew someone would give it to me for Christmas. Pillars was great escape reading.