Good Books

What are some good books that people have read recently. I am talking about fiction, easy read, not romantic Mills and Boon type stuff.... Am always looking for new authors....[]. I have read a couple by Harlan Coben, he writes easy to read detective type books, all good.

Anything by Marion Keyes (except Angel), anything by Rosemary Pilcher

Yep, think I've read them all, also loved Mary Wesley's books..... Rosamunde Pilcher is great though huh, loved the Shell seekers

Oskatd - check out Diana Gabaldon's series.
There's Cross Stitch - the 1st, then Dragonflys in Amber, Drums in Autumn, and another.
They are the best books I've ever read, then, the latest ones from that original 4 are The Fiery Cross and a Breathe of Snow and Ashes.

Amazing, quite saucy too[]

Has anyone else read these?

I read Diana Gabaldon's books years ago, at least the first 4 (I think there have been more since?). It was exciting at the beginning, but then got heavier and heavier as the series went on. I'm a big fan of historical fiction though, so it was a fun read anyway.

I also really enjoy Catherine Cookson, Philip Pullman (yes, a young person's writer, but his stories are really engaging!), John Steinbeck and Ray Bradbury (ok, American-ness showing here), Jane Austen among others.

I wish I could find more in the way of NZ historical fiction, but I really haven't found very much in our library system. Any suggestions?

Andrea
Oxford

Yep, I have read Diana Gabaldon too - got up to the Fiery Cross, like Andrea I found them a bit heavy and have never read the last one.

So what else is everyone reading??? I like Jodi Piccoult too.

OMG really? I loved them But then if we all had the same tastes.... we'd be boring!

ok... what about Paulina Simmons books the Bronze Horseman, Summer garden ... and I forget the last in the trilogy .... I have those too!

Also, Bryce Courtenay? Got all his.. the latest - the Persimmon Tree - that's outstanding.
Can you tell I'm an avid reader?!
Best thing in life... a cold savvy, great book and a hot bath[:0] [^][^]

Paulina Simons books:
Tully
Red Leaves
Eleven hours
Bronze horse man
The bridge of the holy cross
The girl from times square
Summer garden
and there is a new one out - they are best read in sequence

I also like anything by Barbara Delinsky, Meave Binchy, Patrica Cornwell, Leasley Pearse, Cathy Kelly, Anita Shreve, Patrica Shaw, Jane Green, Jojo Moyes to name a few, all easy relaxing reads - (perhaps not patricia cornwell)

Love books, love to read, can read half the night is I'm enjoying a book

TKP: what did you think of those Russian Paulina Simons books?

I loved the Bronze Horseman and the others, her new one The Road to Paradise is also a great read. What I like about her books is that they are all quite different.

Don't get me wrong about Diana Gabaldon, I loved the first ones, and loved them less as they went on.....

I really enjoyed them. they carry a good story and they are not all mushy and girly, they have a lot of detail about why things happened. You feel you know the charactors as you follow the story - although each book is a story in itself. Is Paradise the latest one? I try not to go into bookstores at present because I always spend too much.

David Eddings for straight out sword and sourcery fantasy.

I tend to go for SciFi. Catherine Asaro is a rocket scientist (true, NASA physicist) and writes very good Science Fiction.

Kiwi303[], I am a huge David Eddings fan too! Also enjoyed Tad Williams, The Dragonbone Chair series but not The Otherland series.

Oskatd, I have just finished reading a couple of books by Judith Merkle Riley. Vision of Light and Pursuit of the Green Lion, they follow the life of a fictional character Margaret of Ashbury set in the fourteenth century. There is a third book too which I will try and get out from the library. I enjoyed them very much and are quite light reading. Google them to see what they are about.

I am currently reading a book my neighbour gave me to read and finding it nice light reading also. Silver Wattle by Belinda Alexandra.

I have hundreds of books and love reading

Now my American-ness is going to show through
I don't like the bodice-ripper books. I just finished reading Dean Koontz's newest release "Darkest Evening of the Year". I like most all of his books. (The address in the back of the book is really his address. I wrote a letter and he responded. Not just a typewritten letter, he actually wrote it out long-hand. ) If you like scary books, you can't beat Stephen King. If you like spy stories, anything by Robert Ludlum is good. For courtroom drama, try John Grisham. For old-fashioned westerns, Louis L'Amour is very popular. If you have a favorite movie, just find the book it was based on, and see how much more you enjoy the book.

You know, there was always so much hype over Stephen King movies and books when I was in high school that it just turned me off so I never went near them. I recently couldn't find anything else at the library that interested me, but found a collection of his short stories. I discovered that he is a really good writer, engaging, thoughtful stories, interesting plot twists, and I read that book in a day. I still haven't seen many of the flicks, but there's one from a few years back that stands out, the one with Johnny Depp called Secret Window.

I also really like sci fi, but not hard core (I don't like Heinlein or Asimov). Have you ever tried Ursula K LeGuin? Good stuff, not too far out, especially her Earthsea series.

Cheers
Andrea
Oxford