A Good Book

[shh!]

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (also Kitchen God's Wife and most of what she has written)
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemmingway

Let me know if you want more. I don't know what genre you are interested in, so I just listed novels. I happen to prefer fine literature and book award winners, which I realize makes me sound snobby. Oh well.

How did you like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time?

I also liked the Red Tent. I am thinking of having a rabbi-friend facilitate a discussion about it for my book club...

[artyemi]

How did you like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time?

I also liked the Red Tent. I am thinking of having a rabbi-friend facilitate a discussion about it for my book club...

I liked the Cur. Inc. a lot. Could also identify with the mom in the book, at certain point. My son gets sick a lot and get frustrated as she does.

Memoirs of a Geisha, read that. I liked it alot. I think we're pretty much on similar genre, then...

House of Sand and Fog, hmmm.. think I might pick that one up.

[nomas]

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez...

Sheila, I'd like to talk about this book.

I really tried to like it because it was my favorite girl's favorite book, but I just couldn't. I just didn't make too much sense to me. Maybe I missed the point entirely, but it was just a bunch of gibberish to me with too much nonsense and randomness.

Can you tell me what you got out of the novel?..or was it just an enjoyable read to you?

[shh!]

The book is a literary masterpiece, but is sometimes considered complicated because the author uses very similar names for multiple characters, which I believe is meant to demonstrate the cyclical nature of history, particularly family history. What is not to like? It takes the most interesting aspects of life and weaves them into a lovely, tragic story: politics, sex, religion, social class, love... I especially enjoyed the fanstastic, mystical aspects, and the balance of these with realism, making you question what is real and what is myth. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my favorite authors...

Which reminds me of another much-loved book suggestion for Arty: Like Water for Chocolate. An absolute masterpiece....

[artyemi]

shh! you know what you're doing?

it's so great. you're actually reminding me of the names of the book that i wanted to pick up when i was at the book store, but was too poor to buy.. it's been a while that i've forgotten the names of some... but you're reminding me.. which is so totally awesome.

thank you!

[shh!]

I am glad you are interested. Let me know which one(s) you decide to read, and how you liked them... Read Like Water for Chocolate first... I can't believe I almost forgot that book - it is so romantic and tragic! (But not in an insipid, sappy Harlequin Romance kind of way.)

[nomas]

I was wondering if you'd say that, Shh.. EVERYONE who's read or heard of the book talks about the aspect of "magical or mythical realism" but it means nothing to me. I don't see what this brings to the table at all. I would have preferred he stuck with realism, just. Yeah, there is sex, politics, etc. in the book, and I guess I can appreciate how he puts it all into one story, but I guess I wasn't as enternained by it. To me it was simply like "yeah,..whatever..it happens.." nothing shocking, I guess. It's funny cuz other books which are primarily fantasy I like the little subthemes in them..but maybe I'm trying too hard on this one.

I only saw the movie "Like Water for Chocolate" but it was AWSOME. I didn't know Garcia Marquez wrote it...if indeed, he did.

And I TOTALLY don't get Neruda.

[shh!]

Garcia Marquez didn't write Like Water - Laura Esquivel did, but they share that element of magical realism in their books. Funny you mention your appreciation of traditional fantasies, as I normally prefer more realism. I don't know why these stories appealed to me so strongly, but they haunted me for a long time after reading them.

What do you mean Neruda? Are you talking about the poet? If so, I haven't read him/her...

[misombra]

like water for chocolate is a GREAT book. 100 years i thought was okay. a lot of people really like it, and i got out of it the cyclical nature of families and all that. but overall it was alright. you didn't have to write ALL THAT to demonstrate that fact. he could've written more. bless me ultima is a good one. it's a bit sad though. they were both sad. 100 years was more depressing though i had to read a happy book after that.

i read pillars of the earth by ken follett last year. AWESOME! i didn't want it to end. it's loooooooong but so worth it.

[nomas]

Yeah, I was talking about Pablo Neruda, the poet. I haven't read too much of him, but what I HAVE read is too much for me to enjoy.

Thanks for the clarification on LWFC.

Now everybody go read the Harry Potters..they're too much..too much..

[Hada]

Harry Potter!!

no no no I´m too obssesed whit it... to good to be true

[artyemi]

So guys, thanks for your suggestion..

I decided on these books...

Queen of the South, by Arturo Perez-Reverte
How the Garcia Girls lost their Accent.

Almost done with Queen of the South. A different change from the normal drug lord story. In this one, it's a she.

[Junket]

I thought Caucasia was a good book...

[artyemi]

what's it about?

[misombra]

garcia girls? what's that about. i've heard of it the same lady wrote caramelo, which is in my shelf waiting to be read. they seem so cheesy. r they? i'm into more drama and mystery and scifi and history.