Can You Recommend a Good Book for Me?

Updated on April 09, 2012
J.T. asks from Mansfield, TX
27 answers

I have never been "a reader." However, I am proud to say that I just finished reading, as an adult, my first "for pleasure only" book. My best friend and I read Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. We both really enjoyed it. I like the way Picoult writes--flowery but not too much so.

We'd like to start another. We want a book with romance and mystery but nothing science fiction. Can you recommend a favorite of yours?

Thank you!!

2 moms found this helpful

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Featured Answers

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

***Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
*Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Just some of my favorites!

3 moms found this helpful

⊱.H.

answers from Spokane on

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Redeeming Love

Left Neglected

just a few of my recent favorites...but are not romance or mystery. Just good books.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Anything by Jen Lancaster, starting with Bitter Is the New Black. It isn't romancy or flowery though - it is more snarky and hilarious!

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

Water for Elephants, and The Art of Racing in the Rain- wonderful!

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I don't read much romance/mystery but my sister does. Here are some of her favorite authors:

Nevada Barr (Anna Pigeon mysteries)
Robyn Carr (Virgin River series)
J.D. Robb
C.J. Box

www.goodreads.com is a website that can be useful in finding books, as well as amazon.com of course

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L.K.

answers from Kansas City on

Love the Jodi Picoult books! I can also whip through any Janet Evonovich books fairly easy as well. Completely different styles though.

I loved read then when I went back to school to finish my BSN with little kids I got out of the habit. I joined a book club 5 years ago to get me back in the groove and now I've always got 1-2 books going at a time.

Here are a few of my favorites. These are completely different genres and I enjoyed each one for different reasons.
The Women by TC Boyle
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg
Life List by Olivia Gentile
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister
French Lessons - Ellen Sussman

But the ones I ALWAYS recommend are Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Follett and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. Those books, I literally could not put down and couldn't wait to get to the next one!

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A.P.

answers from Dothan on

I like Catherine Coulter's books - especially any of the ones that contain the characters Savich and Sherlock.

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B.K.

answers from New York on

I'm on the 3rd book of the Hunger Games. Haven't been able to put them down. LOVE THEM!!!

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S.B.

answers from San Diego on

I love JD Robb books. It's not really romance books but the sex that she has w her husband is hot and steamy!

Hunger Games is huge right now and it's a young adult series, but the series is awesome and a fun, quick read.

Those are some to start with. Enjoy!!!!

2 moms found this helpful

J.✰.

answers from San Antonio on

I am currently reading the first book of The Hunger Games and am enjoying it. There is a bit of romance, but a lot of killing. Yes there's mystery as in you are not sure who's lying, who's doing what in secret, etc.

I started with my first "read for pleasure" as an adult ALSO on a Jodi Picoult book. I have since read all of hers except two. I liked all of them. Plain Truth and 19 minutes were probably my favorites. But I did like Vanishing Acts too.

When I was in your predicament, I sent a text to my friends and asked for suggestions. One suggestion is my all-time-favorite book now that I recommend to everyone: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. I loved it. It's from the point of view of the dog, which is unique. But I am a dog-lover and it is an interesting read. The dog sees things that people do not and it is a unique perspective. I loved it so much I read the other two Garth Stein novels and they were NOT so good.

enjoy reading!

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J.V.

answers from Lansing on

I love the Stephanie Plum series! They are quirky funny mystery. Janet Evonavich they all have titles with numbers in them. I think the first one is "One for the money". They are just fun well written books.

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

Romance and mystery.... How about Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre", one of the original gothic novels? Loads of both....

If you want something shorter and lighter, I just finished "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The format is letters exchanged among characters; takes place in England and Guernsey (The Channel Islands) and reveals what happened in Guernsey during the German Occupation during WW2. I really enjoyed the book and the unfolding of the characters' personalities through their very witty and descriptive letters. Not mystery genre, per se, but certainly an element of suspense as the story unfolds.

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K.E.

answers from Chicago on

I like Kristin Hannah's books. Many of them have a little romance and and mystery but aren't flowery. Maybe start with True Colors--it has both. It seems slow in the first chapter, but is a great book.

On Mystic Lake is also another good mix of romance/mystery.

Here are her other books. They almost all have a bit of both, but the above two more than others. She has written a lot, which I am glad!

http://kristinhannah.com/content/books.php

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J.S.

answers from Chicago on

Cutting for Stone.
Those Who Save Us.
Wake of Forgiveness.

1 mom found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My friend wrote this, I haven't read it yet but it is getting wonderful reviews.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kidnapped-to-South-America...

His child was taken to South America and he had to fight a long time for laws to work in his favor. Maybe you could look at it and see if it is something you might enjoy.

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P.H.

answers from Chicago on

Jodi Picolt is a great author. I've read everything she wrote. It will take you awhile to read them all. Have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I don't usually read romance. Unless the romantic liaisons between detectives and their spouses or questionable investigative targets counts as "romance".

The ONLY romance stuff I can read are classic types. Like "Gone With The Wind". Or "Pride and Prejudice". I have never met a soul who, having read Jane Austen's P & P, didn't enjoy it.

Ooohh....yeah.. .and Pillars of the Earth. That and the sequel were both good, but I thought Pillars of the Earth was better.

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M.W.

answers from Chicago on

The Red Tent is a great book! I like to read...but never seem to find the time...I actually read that one in a relatively short amount of time....it has so many great elements to it.... It is based on a female character from the bible...Dinah. She is raised by her mother and all her mothers sisters who are all married to the same man. She thinks of all the women as her mothers. Since it takes place in biblical times it is so very interesting to read about life at that time period..... midwives and herbs used in healing. The Red Tent is where all the women go for their "Time of the month" and to have babies...only women are allowed in the tent.

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E.B.

answers from Chicago on

The Maise Dobbs series by J. Winspear (Winspare?) is a lot of fun and usually available at the library. It's set in the 1930's and has a strong female character that is very smart and likable.

1 mom found this helpful
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T.W.

answers from Springfield on

Any of Nicholas Sparks books. The are more romance than mystery, but there seems to be some twist or surprise in every one. I'm not a huge reader myself but I have loved every one I've read!

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A.M.

answers from Chicago on

I think you got some great suggestions from others like the red tent and the night circus, cutting for stone etc. Another one that I recently read was called Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (note there are 2 books with the same title -so look for the author). I normally do not read anything with vampires and witches nor do I read many romances - but this one is just great. It is just wonderful. Also, it is the first book in a trilogy - the next one comes out this summer. I highly recommend it.

Enjoy!

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C.C.

answers from Dallas on

Oh - I just read the Hunger Games trilogy. (Not science fiction.)

I loved them and my son sucked me into reading them. I read all three in about 10 days!

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A.H.

answers from Chicago on

You might also like the author Chris Bojhalian(sorry about the spelling). Here are some other good ones, which others may have already suggested:
The Namesake, Snowflower and the Secret Fan, The Memory Keeper's Daughter, The Time Traveler's Wife(this is a really good one), Kite Runner,
Up from Orchard Street, The Book Thief, Gardens of Water, The School of Essential Ingredients, Expats.

1 mom found this helpful
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B.B.

answers from Missoula on

You could try Before I Go To Sleep, for mystery, or anything by Marisa de los Santos for a bit of romance with good writing, character development and plot.

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J.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

Here are some of my favorites...
The Help
Sarah's Key
The Kite Runner
The Secret Lives of Bees
A Thousand Splendid Suns
The Red Tent
Any book by Jennifer Weiner
The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mocking Jay

My next book will be Fifty Shades of Grey, keep hearing about it!

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K.S.

answers from Chicago on

There are tons! I like anything that Mary Higgins Clark (mostly mystery but very easy read) Danielle Steel, Dorthea Benton Frank, (excellent stories located in the "low country" of SC) . Maeve Binchy, Fern Michaels and many others that you've received suggestions for. Some of the Fern MIchaels ones go in "series" so you need to read them in order...For example, her first ones which are EXCELLENT, are Vegas, Texas and Kentucky. Those are all connected and make an excellent read in that order. She also has a series with different titles about the "Vigilantes" which has mystery and romance..a group of women getting even with people who did them wrong...very modern and good reading!

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J.Z.

answers from Chicago on

Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve. I have just finished reading all her novels-there are about 14. Her books are wonderful. Hope you enjoy her style.

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