What’s a fun book we should read?

The Writing Life
#3

I love reading Jodi Taylor (a British author, so possibly you need to be a Brit to understand some of her humour). The first book in her Chronicles of St. Mary’s series is Just One Damned Thing After Another. The book starts a funny series in a fictitious parallel history, where time travel is made possible and is undertaken by historians to validate the history books – or not. History is semi-personified and takes measures to kill anyone who does anything to change it/her during their time travels, but it is Max’s antics and thoughts (the female protagonist) that are so entertaining.

Jodi Taylor’s voice is quite unique, and always funny even whilst being poignant. She has several series, but another, much shorter series, that I thoroughly enjoyed started with The Nothing Girl. Well worth a read (or a listen on audio if you like the British accent).

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#4

I really enjoyed Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen. It’s magical realism, as is most of her work. I also loved Peach Keeper, another novel of hers.

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#5

John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces”. I read it on the 24-hour trip Jacksonville to Newark when I graduated. It is about the only book I couldn’t put down.

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#6

I can see a great reading list Developing here, guys. :heart_eyes:

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#7

Kristin Cashore has a very fresh approach to fantasy - I loved her Graceling.
Or if you’re more into quirky, I recommend Jasper Fforde’s The Eyre Affair, set in a world where a villain has started kidnapping characters from fiction. It’s a world like ours except books hold a special place and are an integral part of the laws of the universe.

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#8

Brandon Sanderson’s Elantris. I couldn’t put it down.

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#9

@Kellygunteratlas - Sarah Addison is one of my favorite writers! Lost Lake is an excellent suggestion.

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#10

I am reading the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, they are in the fantastic fiction/fantasy genre… These books remind me of the detail that went into other popular titles in which the author(s) carefully created the world the books are staged in. However, the environment doesn’t pull away from the plot and vise-versa, the first book absolutely had some unexpected events that made me dive right into the second book, and here I am on book SIX now. Highly recommended.

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#11

I loved this book! I also enjoyed Britt Marie Was Here. She was such a difficult character in My Grandmother… I enjoyed reading her story.

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#12

Anything by David Sedaris is a quick way to put me in a mood.

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#13

You read, and chuckle. And read some more. Maybe muse a bit, then BAM! there’s some well-placed profanity.

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#14

A fun and sweet book I just finished listening to is The Traveling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, translated from the Japanese. It’s the story of Satoru and his cat, Nana as they travel across Japan in a silver van. :cat2:

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#15

That sounds incredibly cute.

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#16

From Tom Green County Texas(which is just on the other side of Allsup’s , south of the co-op, Wall, TX is home to a wonderful writer named Jenny Lawson. She, too, “writes” about animals. The good news is, we don’t have actually “read” anything. Most of her books are best enjoyed on(shameless plug) audio.

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#17

I love Jenny Lawson, a.k.a. The Bloggess. She’s also opening a bookstore there called Nowhere Bookshop, and has been doing author interviews via their YouTube channel. I’ve really enjoyed them.

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#18

I haven’t read Britt Marie but picked up ‘Us against You’ and loved the characterisation. It’s the second book to ‘Bear Town’ but you don’t need to read Bear Town to follow the story

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#19

Old Filth by Jane Gardam - the only book I have finished and then straight away begun at the beginning again. :slight_smile:

I also love Riddle of the Sands, Cold Comfort Farm and The Mysteries of Uldolpho and Golden Age detective fiction. Hmm I don’t seem to have very modern tastes!

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#20

I need to read that!

#21

I recently read Romanov by Nadine Brandes. It’s a YA novel that adds a magical twist to the Romanov story. It does a lovely job of blending non-fiction and fantasy. A fun, quick read!

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#22

I’m really enjoying this thread!

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