Hello, avid book fans! I asked my followers for their best book recommendations and had an overwhelming response. Here is the next round of the best, with more to come next week! Thank you to everyone, and I hope their suggestions make it to your Goodreads wishlist. I know they’re on mine!
Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
Margaret says – It’s one I read many years ago, and loved it. The story of a country boy who left his village as a teenager to go off to fight in the Spanish Civil War. The only thing he took with him was his fiddle – it helped him to earn a living by busking. It became a classic – deservedly so – and has lost none of its intrinsic charm with the passage of time. There was a sequel many years later: “As I Walked Out one midsummer morning”. Another terrific read.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
Julie says – One of my favorite books and fav author. I’m softie for her.
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
Carly says – I re-read this every few years, and I never fail to come away without new insights and ideas.
Guns of Navarone / Where Eagles Dare by Alistair Maclean
Craig says – Guns of Navarone was made into a movie with Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, etc. It is a fascinating look at Nazi Germany from the viewpoint of intelligence assets, but with some logic flaws when considered from intelligence work 30 years later. It was a great story and a great movie.
Where Eagles Dare is much more strictly a military story, again based during World War II, during which commandos must assail the Greek island of Navarone and destroy the huge guns embedded in the mountain. Personal animosities and leadership failures make the task more difficult than it would have been. This book also was made into a blockbuster movie.
See Guns of Navarone on: Amazon.com
See Guns of Navarone on: Amazon.co.uk
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
Gara says – The story is narrated by an older man about experiences he had as a young man during the Great Dust Bowl and the years that followed. We see events both through the eyes of the old man and through the eyes of his younger self. Love historical fiction!
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Elena says – A touching female-centric tale.
Digger by Ursula Vernon
Red says – It’s one of my favorite stories, and I’ve read it multiple times. It’s funny, exciting, sad, and well-developed, with interesting and believable characters. It can also be read for free at diggercomic.com, and the comments section frequently makes it even better; sometimes adding information about the inspirations about certain details in the story and frequently being quite entertaining in their own right.
The Other Hotel by Jack Stroke
Nancy says – Because the b*stard is brilliant! The Other Hotel series has you choose …what?? That’s right, you choose. Which I didn’t like when I was younger, but I liked those because it was like six books in one, lol. The characters are believable, and the descriptions of stuff are awesome. I still love the description of the pig farmer going after Lucky to get his drugs. I won’t say anymore, so it won’t be spoiled if you read it. But omg, I read that passage ten times. Hilarious!!! I tell people about that moment, but I am always laughing so hard no one understands me. Great reads!