Fall of Giants and other books

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett doesn't have any dogs in it.  But it is really good historical fiction.  A look at World War I ( which I knew little to nothing about) throught the eyes of families from Wales, Russia, England, and USA.  The author also wrote Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.   Both excellent - written quite awhile ago and set in medieval Europe.  Fall of Giants is complete in itself, but is also the first of a trilogy.

If you have read the Glass Castle, be sure to read Half Broke Horses , which is the story of the Author's grandmother's life on an Arizona cattle ranch in the early 1900s.  Both books sound weird, but are great reads.  Glass Castle is actually the author's memoir of her childhood, and Half Broke Horses she describes as a fictionalized biography based on her own and her mother's memories.

 

Kate Morton's Forgotten Garden is a good read as is the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

 

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

I read Kate Morton's Forgotten Garden. Her book The House at Riverton is excellent also.

Has anyone read Diana Gabaldon's Highlander series? I'm a HUGE fan. Read them ALL. Time travel, historical fiction, swashbuckling, love and lust. It's all there and she is an excellent writer. I love books when you know the characters so well and they continue from book to book. When I pick up her next book I always feel like I'm revisiting old friends and catching up with their lives. Her books are the reason I want to visit Scotland.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I have not read any of her books, I will give them a try. Thanks

[Lynda Kamrath]

How many in he Highlander series?  I am thinking of getting them as e-books.

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

Lynda...here's Diana Gabaldon's link:http://www.dianagabaldon.com/writing/the-outlander/  Start with the Outlander book. I hope you enjoy them. I'm counting the days for the next book. When I finished An Echo in the Bone I was upset because I knew I had to wait at least 2+ years to see what happens next!!!! She actually wrote a Companion book that gives a synopsis of the first few books because she takes sooooo long to write the next one:) I have it if you ever want to borrow it.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I love getting to know characters and places over time too. But time travel is not for me : ( I love the Donna Leon books, of which there are over twenty. I have gotten to know Venice and the Brunetti family well.

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

I've read a few of her books too.They're good.

Oooooo you just gave me a great idea...... off the subject....my son is getting married in August and they're going to Italy for their honeymoon. I'm giving them a night in a hotel in Venice for their shower gift and have been trying to be creative with the gift. My thought was to put Venice "things" in the box with the hotel reservations. So far I have a bottle of Pinot Grigio called Ventician Moon, and a mask from Venice. I also plan to do a map of Italy and mark where they're going. A Donna Leon book would be great to put in there as well. Which one would you recommend? I'd also like to do a DVD that takes place in Venice. Any suggestions?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I guess a trip to the book store is in order.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Yes, Nancy, enjoy the priviledge of having book stores available.  They have all closed up in this area and I loved Borders.  Can you believe a city the size of Salinas does not have a bookstore?  I can drive 30 minutes to a Barnes and Noble but I am not impressed with the way they do business.  Ordering e-books on line?  That has been my best choice, and I have an iPad that I love to use when traveling, but I really prefer to have a book in hand that I can pass on to a friend after I enjoy it.  There is a book closet at school for staff and I get lots of book from that.  So, enjoy the book store and I like Carla's suggestion of the Highlander series.  TIme travel, historical fiction - sounds great to me.

I have been reading David Balducci and enjoy his books, but my all-time favorite author is Koontz.  Recently finally read his book WATCHERS and it really is one of his best.  IT is about a lab dog with artificial intelligence that escapes the lab and is found and cared for by a man and his girlfriend.  Great book!  He is coming out with another book in the Odd Thomas series this summer that I am looking forward to.  Oh, yes, and if you can find it, please check out Merle's Door, another dog book that I really enjoyed.

Sorry, I am living vicariously through your planned trip to a book store.  I would love to be with you.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

I miss my Borders too.  Shopping on Amazon books is just not as fun, although I can do it at midnight, which is a plus.  I just ordered RIverton and the first one in the Outlander series.  I forgot to mention that there is a series by David Rosenfelt (d?) with a golden retreiver loving lawyer that I enjoy.   Also a new Bernie and Chet mystery.

People of the Book is not about dogs, but is a great book about a book.  The first bit is confusing, but then it is one of those you have a hard time putting down.

The author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has an adult book due out soon.  I have high hopes for it.

 I would love more book suggestions from other doodle readers.

 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I got An Echo in the Bone today as a e-book.  It sounded like the best match for me.  I love time travel themes.  I need to finish my Balducci book first and then I will get into this series (if I like the first one).  I also read Castle of Glass and Half Broke Horses which were interesting to me.  My mother is from West Virginia and I know Nevada and Arizona pretty well so I could relate to a lot in those books.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

If you like time travel, have you read The Time Traveler's Wife?  it is really good.  I just read the first of the Outlander series.  Not for me. 

If anyone likes non fiction, The Red Queen is fascinating.  I usually have one non fiction/ science type book going while I blitz through fiction.  The Red Queen is about the influence sex ( not sexuality, sex as in male or female of the species) has had on the evolution of different life forms.  It is an "easy" read in the most part for this type of book.  One chapter was too full of unknown words ( yes I could look them up, but I didn't).

 

 

[Carla, Lucca and Izzy]

I saw the movie but didn't read the book. Isn't the Red Queen a Philipa Gregory book too? I have read most of her books and loved them.

Sorry you didn't like the Outlander book. That's the great thing about books.....there are a gazzillion books out there. Something for everyone!!!!