Reading Recommendations
From the Heart – Share your Story
Over the past six years, many of you have so generously offered your valuable wisdom on our site that we are now asking you to go one step further by contributing a short story From the Heart. This new column offers an opportunity to share with other members of the Mamasource community what is in your heart, and on your mind.
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Read a good book lately? A member of the Mamapedia community recently wrote in to ask for some good reading recommendations, and the response was tremendous.
Here is a partial list of their ‘must-reads’ in the romance and mystery genre, with a link to the entire list below.
Remember – reading can expand your mind, fire your imagination…and is not fattening!
Can you recommend a good book for me?
Jessica T. from Crystal Lake asks:
I have never been a reader, however, I am proud to say that I just finished reading my first “for pleasure only” book as an adult. 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?
Heather from Highland Park answers:
You might also like the author Chris Bojhalian.
Here are some other good ones: ”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,” and “Expats.”
Elizabeth B. from Downers Grove answers:
The Maise Dobbs series by J. Winspear 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.
Jessica V. from Lansing answers:
I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich! They are quirky, funny mysteries. All have titles with numbers in them. I think the first one is “One for the Money.” They are just fun, well written books.
Karen S. from Glen Ellyn answers:
There are tons! I like anything by Mary Higgins Clark (mostly mystery, but very easy read), Danielle Steel, Dorothea Benton Frank (excellent stories located in the “low country” of SC), Maeve Binchy, Fern Michaels, and many others that you’ve already received suggestions for.
Some of Fern Michael’s books go in a 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 – “Vigilantes” – which have mystery and romance. A group of women getting even with people who did them wrong…very modern and good reading!
J W. from Warminster answers:
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,”
and any book by Jennifer Weiner.
My next book will be “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Keep hearing about it!
K E. from Oswego answers:
I like Kristin Hannah’s books. Many of them have a little romance 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.
Tara W. from Mason City answers:
Any Nicholas Sparks book. They 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!
Victoria W. from Waverly answers:
I don’t usually read romance. The ONLY romance stuff I can read are classics, like “Gone With The Wind,” or “Pride and Prejudice.” I have never met a soul who, having read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” didn’t enjoy it.
Oh yeah, and “Pillars of the Earth.” That and the sequel were both good. I thought “Pillars of the Earth” was better.
Two Boysunder10 from Crystal Lake answers:
“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.
Hazel W. from Portland answers:
Romance and mystery…. how about Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre” – one of the original gothic novels?
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. I really enjoyed the book, the unfolding of the characters’ personalities through their very witty and descriptive letters.
Mamalu from Irvine answers:
Anything by Jen Lancaster, starting with “Bitter Is the New Black.” It isn’t romancy or flowery though – it is more snarky and hilarious!
Jen P. from Schaumburg answers:
“Water for Elephants,” and “The Art of Racing in the Rain” – wonderful!
Love2Read K. from Overland Park answers:
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” by Kathryn Stockett, “
The School of Essential Ingredients” by Erica Bauermeister, and “
French Lessons” by Ellen Sussman.
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!
Didn’t see your favorite here? Please comment below to add your book selection to the list.
