What are some good novels?

WastingTime

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 1:40 pm

Thanks everyone for the loads of responses...now I have to sift through them and google them all to see what sounds appealing. Too bad I don't have a library near by to borrow books from. Oh the joys of my public library growing up in New Jersey (where my mother used to take out trash novels for the cleaning lady all the time !)

Amarante

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 1:41 pm

WastingTime wrote:

Ever since I watched some of the movies as a kid, I feel all his books are so similar. I read the pelican brief last year anyway and was kinda waiting for it to end already...

Yes popular authors do get in a rut and just start cranking them out.

Have you read any of the Kellerman books. He is like that. And his wife also. The first one was great about the murder in the mikvah and then a few others and then they began running out of steam.

But sometimes I just like the characters and so it's comfy to visit old friends so to speak and the plot is less important.

Amarante

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 1:44 pm

WastingTime wrote:

The main time I have to read is Shabbos--- otherwise I would definitely consider buying a kindle!

Catch 22 which is actually a good book LOL

I have time when I am trapped waiting which is when I whip out the phone.

If you have a Smart Phone, you can read on that. I thought it would be weird but it was actually fine and very easy to hold.

seeker

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:14 pm

I just read a novel called Room because someone randomly left it in the laundromat. I enjoyed it. Wouldn't rate it best book ever but if you're looking for something to read it is defnitely worthwhile. It has IIRC three parts - in the beginning this kid is being raised in captivity and his whole world consists of one room. Then there is a suspenseful escape part. And then there's the after. This much is evident from the jacket and table of contents but I don't want to share too much detail and ruin anything. It was written well and thought-provoking.

Amarante

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:16 pm

seeker wrote:

That was a good book and definitely thought provoking.

WastingTime

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:22 pm

seeker wrote:

Someone just mentioned the movie on another thread, I looked it up and no way for me. These people living in captive stories stay in my head while. Remember a bunch of years ago when a girl was found like 20 yrs later with her two kids ( I think her name was Jayce Lee or something that sounds like that). I couldn't get that out of my head for weeks. ( Or those few girls in captive and the video went viral how she ran into the arms of a black man) These things for some reason freak me out! Even if it's a novel I'm sure it would creep me out, but glad you liked it at least!!!

WastingTime

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:24 pm

Amarante wrote:

Catch 22 which is actually a good book LOL

I have time when I am trapped waiting which is when I whip out the phone.

If you have a Smart Phone, you can read on that. I thought it would be weird but it was actually fine and very easy to hold.

I have a smart phone - is the kindle app free? Although I primarily read on shabbos I would download a book or two. How much does it cost per book about?

Amarante

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:26 pm

Yes Room was a hard book especially since one knows it happened to real women even though this was a work of fiction.

It was a very interesting book from a writing perspective because the narrator was the child and so it was told from the viewpoint of. It just a child but one who had no contact with the world.

I understand your not being able to read books with certain subject matter as I also have difficulty with some stuff that I find too personally disturbing.

lfab

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:40 pm

The story of beautiful girl
The kitchen house
Once we were brothers
defending jacob
The Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston books
Lee Child books (jack reacher series)
Jeffrey Deaver books

Don't know which of these meet your criteria but these are some books and a few authors that I like

WastingTime

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:44 pm

Okay thanks for all the help. I ordered 3 books from UK and will order some more used on amazon or what not (the pricier ones!)to my MIL for when she comes here in a few months. Once I try out some of these authors I will know what to get next time!

WastingTime

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 2:48 pm

I love English service:

This is the email I got:

Thank you ever so much for placing an order with us here at Book Depository.

Your books should be dispatched soon, so please review the details below and make sure your shipping address and items are correct.

I ordered:
The Notebook (which is what I wanted from the start)-- will have to put a cover over that one!
The Pact (Jodi P.)
Still Alice

So excited to get some books to keep me busy for a few weeks!

saralem

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 5:23 pm

I heartily recommend all the books in the Maisie Dobbs series, by J. Winspear. Historical fiction, clean, very good. also loved the series by McCall Smith about the First Ladies Detective Agency--tales place in Botswana Africa, and is just wonderful. makes me feel good about being a "traditionally built" woman! clean, and fascinating. they are all short. with both of these series, start at the beginning.
how about Cutting For Stone? very, very good! same for books by Atul Gawande. takes you to another place, a bit exotic.
almost anything by Elizabeth Berg is worth reading.

seeker

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 8:34 pm

I understand the squeamishness about Room. What's most interesting is that I believe this book was written before those stories were uncovered. It would have been not nearly as original afterward and definitely is more creepy knowing that it not only could theoretically happen but actually did, more than once. But I still didn't find the book that disturbing (a little disturbing yes... but the OP said not *too* disturbing) because it was kept pretty clean for the most part, and being narrated by the very naive child it was even more mild. Though I could definitely see others disagreeing. It kept me at the edge of my seat while reading it but didn't keep me up at night afterward, though I still mull over it a bit (read it over last weekend)

PinkFridge

Wed, Jan 06 2016, 8:58 pm

WastingTime wrote:

I'm looking for some good novels to read.
Not classics, things like mystery s or thrillers are good as long as they're not too violent/ disturbing. Romance novels are okay if they're novels not trash.
Or ones that subsequently became movies like the notebook, the help etc
Im really open to any type of suggestions.
Any ideas??

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
I'll come up with some others soon. Will probably remember at 3:00 AM ;-)