The Reading Rainbow
It’s no secret that I love to read. It’s also no secret that I love the vampire/paranormal genre. However, my love for reading expands beyond just one genre. I read mysteries, historical fiction, drama, and even a bit of non-fiction (Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a must read). I’m a veritable reading rainbow in my choices. Lately, I’ve been reading two or three books at a time because there are so many books I want to read and not enough hours in the day to indulge in my favorite hobby. So, today I thought I would three books in three different genres that I have read recently with you and ask you to recommend some good books to me.
Paranormal: I finished reading The Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent this week. This is a young adult series that I stumbled upon quite by accident. I was perusing the Sony Reader Library when I ran across a free e-book called Soul to Lose. The story was only 87 pages, but it sets up the Screamer series quite nicely. Basically, Kaylee Cavanaugh is a high school sophomore living with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousin in Arlington, Texas. Her mother died when she was a baby and her father, unable to handle caring for Kaylee on his own, entrusted her to his brother and moved to Ireland. In most ways, Kaylee is a normal high school girl. But, unbeknownst to her, Kaylee isn’t human; she is a banshee, or a soul screamer. Once she finds out the truth about herself, her life quickly goes from ordinary to anything but in a matter of hours.
This series of books are great reading. They are light, paranormal romance with a good dose of drama mixed in. I think the author does a great job of making Kaylee a very believable character and creating an alternate world where some souls are recycled and others are tortured for eternity. I read the prequel and the two full books in the series in less than a week and am already chomping at the bit for more. If you are in the mood for an easy, enjoyable read, I highly recommend this series.
Classic literature – Another book I read recently and really enjoyed was Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant. I must admit, this was a book I would probably not have read if not for the fact that Rob Pattinson is staring in the movie, which is shooting now. However, I’m very glad I decided to give it a try. Without giving away too much, Georges Duroy is a young man living in Paris. He left the French army and rural life to make his fortune in Paris, but finds himself working at a low level job for the railroad company. Lacking motivation to work hard to reach his goals, Georges is barely existing when he runs into an old Army buddy, Forestier. From this point forward, Georges is on the fast track to success. Forestier gets him a job at a daily newspaper named “La Vie Francaise,” where Georges rapidly ascends the ranks from lowly reporter to chief editor. Through cunning and social maneuvering, Georges ends up scaling the social ladder, trampling anyone who gets in his way. He lies, cheats, steals, and sleeps with any woman who can give him an advantage on his way to the top. Of course, now that I’ve read the book, I’m looking forward to the movie even more. I can’t wait to see Rob Pattinson play the character of Georges Duroy. Rob as a womanizing, treacherous, unsympathetic jerk? This I have to see!
Historical fiction – Last but not least, I have to recommend a novel called The Given Dayby Dennis Lehane. It is set in Boston around the time of WW I. The book follows three sets of characters whose lives intersect in ways big and small. This book is rich with history, capturing the political and social unrest of the time and contains richly written characters that grab both your mind and your heart. There is Danny Coughlin, son of a police captain who nearly tears his family apart when he becomes a leader of the effort to unionize the BPD. Danny’s struggles tug at your heart strings. He falls in love with the wrong woman, becomes sympathetic to a cause he was supposed to infiltrate, and learns that family is more than just blood. Luther Laurence flees to Boston after killing a black Oklahoma mobster in self defense. He takes a job with the Coughlin family, but soon finds out that Boston is no safer for him than Oklahoma. Last but not least, Babe Ruth’s time in Boston is woven through the book, allowing the racial and social tension of the era through the eyes of one of the city’s favorite sons. This is an amazing book that I guarantee any fan of historical fiction will love.
What about you? What books have moved or entertained you lately? I am always looking for good books and would love for you to recommend some to me. I am always looking for good vampire/paranormal series, but when I need to cleans my palate, so to speak, I generally grab a good mystery or historical fiction book.
I can’t wait to read Bel Ami! Especially after your description
Soul Screamers sounds right up my ally!
As far as suggestions I could make, let’s see.
One of my all time favorite books is Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. I have read a few of his books but not all and this one is by far my favorite of what I have read. It’s actually four stories that come together by the conclusion and, overall, is about one of the main character’s, Alobar, quest for immortality. It may not exactly fall into the paranormal realm, but I think you would enjoy it nonetheless. For a thorough description check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitterbug_Perfume. This is a book I could literally read over and over again.
I also would like to mention the author Haruki Murakami who’s work was suggested to me by my younger sister. Murakami is an author of both fiction and non-fiction and I have only delved into the former of his aformentioned work. His stories are haunting and his writing influenced by both his Japanese origins and his exposure to Western influences such as Kurt Vonnegut. I loved his novel, Norwegian Wood, though the ending left me wanting closure -as most of his books do or will. Though his novels are generally set in the modern world, typical rules are not adhered to and the reader is often left to come to their own resolution for the story. I would suggest Norwegian Wood or Sputnik Sweetheart to first time readers of his work. They are quick reads, for the most part and his writing will drawn you in and leave you wanting. Well, at least that’s what it did for me!
Thanks for the book rec’s Saluki!
When it comes to non-fiction, one book that I always ALWAYS recommend people read is “Demon in the Freezer” by Richard Preston. It’s about the eradication of smallpox and it seriously reads like a novel. Simply put: it’s a must read:
http://www.amazon.com/Demon-Freezer-Richard-Preston/dp/0345466632/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267018494&sr=8-1
Also, I have to recommend the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning
For anyone who hasn’t read it yet: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. It’s probably one of my favorite books ever.