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Friends, I’m at a loss.
I just finished re-reading Gone with the Wind for book club and let me tell you, it’s even better as an adult. All that war stuff you breezed through to get to Rhett when you were twelve is fascinating now.
Rhett, of course, is as shiver-inducing as ever.
Finishing both GWTW and Downton in the same month has been a blow.
So, please help. What should I read next?
xoxo Sarah
P.S. There are a crazy number of pictures of Marilyn Monroe reading. Google it and see. It had to have been a PR directive, don’t you think?
Kaitlin
March 16, 2012 at 6:50 am (11 years ago)I’ve been on a reading drought lately too… Here are my all-time favorite books though!
-The Book Thief, Markus Zusak-it’s a young adult book but mind blowingly-good. The description sounds weird, but it’s really really worth getting into it.
-Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand-NF about WWII, after watching the Pacific last winter, I was totally smitten with learning about WWII, this kept me on my toes and was seriously interesting, my favorite book of last year
-A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving–classic, awesome
-There were some great food memoirs last year, Blood Bones and Butter, Born Round, and Spoon Fed
-The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood–another classic that I just got around to reading, I can’t tell you how crazy and amazing this book is!
-I’m reading As Always, Julia, right now and loving it.
-The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is another one of my favorites from a couple years ago, a little magical realism, a lot awesome.
-Never Let Me Go, by Ishiguro is also a little magical realism, a lot awesome
-Other favs are Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and with that, I’m done. Now I just have to read Gone With the Wind!
Jane
March 16, 2012 at 12:07 pm (11 years ago)Just started the Hunger Games
Peggy
March 17, 2012 at 3:29 pm (11 years ago)strongly recommend The Kitchen House and The Forgotten Garden, and my old favorite the Poisonwood Bible. Tell Lydia to check out my sister’s book, “An Actress Prepares” with Marilyn on the cover…
Teresa
March 17, 2012 at 6:35 pm (11 years ago)Check out Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd. Fascinating book by English author
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazzaville_Beach
Also, reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” as an adult is amazing. I read somewhere that a group of librarians ranked this ahead of the Bible as a must read before you die.
Ditto the Book Thief
Let us know what you are reading!!!!
LMK
March 18, 2012 at 4:38 pm (11 years ago)Alexandra Ripley – Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind (1991)
Read this one years after GWTW, but the characters still resonate. I, like you, became enthralled with the book, and when this one came out was so excited. It is a bit more modern than the first, but, then, was written by a more modern author. Think you’ll still enjoy if you want to continue their journey.
The my other favorites (which you’ve probably read (as they’re old, but timeless), but am gonna put out there are:
Shell Seekers; Coming Home; Winter Solistice, all by Rosamunde Pilcher; Colony by Anne River Siddons (great warm weather read), Land Girls, Angela Huth; Daughter of Fortune, Isabel Allende; Coast Road, Barbara Delinsky & Cane River, Lalita Tademy, just to name a few. Keep posting your reads, love your ideas!
ApplesandOnions
March 20, 2012 at 11:00 am (11 years ago)You guys are the greatest! LMK, I’ve read The Shell Seekers and Colony, but all the rest are new to me. Can’t wait to get started.
@Teresa, we actually chose GWTW after I had asked about To Kill a Mockingbird. I think that might be my next read. I was so young when I first read it that I think I missed a lot.
@Peggy, I heart The Poisonwood Bible too. I just started it on tape for a re-read. I’ll check out The Kitchen House.
@Jane–do you love The Hunger Games so far? I can’t decide if I should read it or see the movie first.
@Kaitlin–thank you for the amazing suggestions! I think I’ll be working off of your list for a while.
xx
applesandonions
March 20, 2012 at 5:12 pm (11 years ago)Peggy I loved Poisonwood Bible and will def check out your sister’s book! I loved the first Hunger Games and read all the rest just to finish out the story. Kitchen House was so good and so upsetting. GWTW was fantastic too. So fun to share. I will get to work on some of these suggestions. xo, Lydia
Lauren
March 22, 2012 at 4:43 pm (11 years ago)I just started: The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood too! People kept recommending it as an awesome classic. I’m only about 20 pages in though so far!
Just finished ‘The Help’ – which I did really enjoy. The movie is out now though so maybe you’ve seen that already!
Our whole office has been crazy about the Hunger Games (and not a ‘young adult’ in sight here!). I finished the three books and really enjoyed the read – they’re very easy to read and engaging – but the author certainly won’t be winning a Pulitzer prize for it!
Lauren
March 22, 2012 at 4:50 pm (11 years ago)I bet she’ll win a Pulitzer prize now after me making the comment haha XD
I just bought The Book Thief on Kindle – thanks for the recommendation Kaitlin!