BOOKS. OK, obviously we love sharing pet stories and pics and diet challenges and lots of stuff besides our shared love of travel. Just want to add "books" to our common passions.

Actually, I don't think I'd recommend this for 'Fun Paperback To Take On A Cruise'. We all have our favorite, mind numbing, fun paperbacks for taking on vacations.

This is different...but I want to share. I just finished reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. Incredible, Incredible. Incredible. It's heavy, so you have to be somewhat ready for it....but if you are....go for it and please let me know what you think.

Thanks, as always, for letting me share..... :lct:

I will run out and get it as I read "The Pact" by JP... also I LOVE memoirs - "The Tender Bar" J.R. Moehringer..beyond exquisite .. I will not lend it for fear of not getting it back - maybe you have to be a "little" Irish and a "little" from a town like Manhasset NY to relate 100%??.... however..the writing??? Over the top -

OK...I'm on it!!!!!!!!!!!! :app: ;)

Bonnie, this is a timely topic for me, I was at the bookstore yesterday and couldn't find anything that interested me to take on my cruise!

I tend to lean toward fun adventure or "not actually possible" books, like Clive Cussler type or Michael Crichton, anyone have some suggestions for me?

Karen ~ For fun cruise reading type books, I agree with you...and have recently loved Harlan Coben books....I think he's fantastic!!

But what I, and Joanna, were talking about I don't think I'd suggest for casual reading. Actually, the Jodi Picoult book was pretty heavy but incredibly wonderful to read.

Happy book shopping!

You're from Manhasset? Did you tell me that and I forgot?
We eat at the bar that is the subject of The Tender Bar fairly often. Really good burgers.

I like Janet Evanovich "Stephanie Plum" for light fun - I really like non fiction - for anyone who has spent the summer away at camp?? (against your will perhaps?) - serious, interesting, sad, and funny stories - "Sleepaway" Eric Simonoff it is full of great short stories --- and a very, gifted writer, funny but true and sad tales ... David Sedaris - want heavy? "The Day I went Missing" Jennifer Miller very unsettling memoir - If I get desperate, I have been known to read the phone book in a strange city -

Oh yes - Irish/Jewish great combo -

NOT from Manhasset - not too far though in CT - a town similar to Manhasset in many ways - you can be from anywhere and love this book - I just meant that there were Irish tales I could relate to - the love of books, words, writing, dysfunctional families (my family does not read LCT) - have friends here who knew many of the people and the "bar"

I really enjoyed the "Devil Wears Prada" while traveling on ROAR. Much scarier than the movie! Light and funny and frightening!

Enjoyed it too Andi -

Stephen White writes some great mysteries with a psychological bent. His details about psychology and location are dead on. He writes about Colorado and being a psychologist there. I lived in Colorado for 10 years and was a psych major at university of Colorado so I can attest to his accuracy.

The kite runner was very enjoyable (maybe that's not the right word)

I loved "the poisonwood bible".

There is another I'm thinking of...can't remember the name, I'll have to ask my friend who lent it to me tomorrow.

I absolutely loved "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Ditto Poisonwood, Lauri, and all of Kingsolver's other novels.

Karen - among the many other "time-waster" books I read, I'm particularly fond of the series from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child featuring a character called Agent Pendergast of the FBI. It starts off with the book "The Relic" (which got turned into a B-movie) and continues with the sequel, "The Reliquary". But it really got going with "Cabinet of Curiosities" and "Still Life with Crows".

The storyline is currently in a trilogy called "The Pendergast Trilogy" starting with "Brimstone".

Masaki

I love to read but it seems my dvr gets in the way.

Bonnie, I have enjoyed all the Jodi Picoult books, including 'My Sister's Keeper'. Her latest release, 'The Tenth Circle' was also very enjoyable (there is even a trip to Alaska). Harlan Coben is wonderful too.

Lauri, I love Stephen White's books! I actually discovered him in the library of the Star Princess on our last Alaska cruise. I've gone back and read most of them - there are a couple I've missed so maybe I'll pick them up. His latest release was good, but I want to know how Lauren is doing!

G.H. Ephron has written a series regarding psychologist Dr. Peter Zak which I've enjoyed as he is based in Boston.

One of my all time favorite books is 'The Dogs of Babel' by Carolyn Parkhurst. Maybe not in the light reading category, but really gives you something to think about. I have her latest that I've been saving for MUSH. The premise is an Amazing Race-style competition.

Thanks for this great reading list, you all. I haven't been reading much these past 3 years, so now I have a wonderful list to take to the public library.

Prior to my Alaskan cruise, I purchased Murder on the Iditarod Trail by Sue Henry. She has an extensive list of Alaskan mysteries. I started reading Iditarod, but got caught up in the beautiful scenery.

OK ladies, if you want a fun, light hearted, funny book for the cruise try Nancy Thayer's 'HOT FLASH CLUB" and "HOT FLASH CLUB STRIKES AGAIN". Just read those a few weeks ago and thought they were cute, light, easy to read and easy to put down and pick up again.

Not everyone may like them, but as I said, I thought they were kind of fun.

These books have all been cruise tested & they are great:

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

All of the #1 Ladies Dectective books by Alexander McCall Smith

and a final guilty pleasure are all of the Jennifer Weiner books:

In Her Shoes, Goodnight Nobody, Little Earthquakes & In Her Shoes

I forgot the funniest of Jennifere Weiner books, Good In Bed.

When we were in London, i bought a bunch of books at Harrod's - all "Chick Flick" material with a British bent so they have been fun light reading in different venues. I really had fun with the Shopoholic series of books by Sophie Kinsella. The Undomestic Goddess was a crack up.

Also, on my last cruise, I read Carl Haissen's (sp?) Skinny Dip. That was funny reading too. When I mentioned it on board WAVE, half the crew said they were reading it too. It starts out with a husband and wife on a cruise ship.

Kathy, I bought one of Sophie Kinsella's books, Shopaholic and Sister(?) when we were in Waterford at a great bookstore. The book didn't get released in the states for another 6 months!

Nancy

Nancy, I enjoy purchasing books when traveling, too. In the Hermitage last summer, I bought a fiction book entitled The Kitchen Boy: A Novel of the Last Tsar by Robert Alexander. In Skagway this summer I purchased a non-fiction called The Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush by Lael Morgan. It's a bit dry, but has interesting facts about how women were treated, how they lived and the laws during the gold rush era.

I am loving a wonderful book by Villasenor, "Rain of Gold" about his family, it is well written and interesting. It takes place in Mexico and Southern Calif. from the time of the Revolution until I think 1940's. There is romance, intrigue and adventure. Jeanine

Beth, I got hooked on Sophie Kinsella's books...very light stuff but fun. I was so excited to get a new book that hadn't been released in the states at that point. Thanks for the book suggestions from your travels.

Nancy

Bonnie - thanks for getting this thread going!

Sophie Kinsella has been a welcome addition to the chick book choices. They are a fun, light read. Imagine the very pleasant surprise when we found ourselves at lunch with Sophie and her dad prior to the matches at Wimbledon a few years back! It turns out Gary had played tennis with Sophie's dad. Gary and her dad were reminiscing about tennis matches and putting a friendly bet on the day's matches. I got to chat with Sophie. Nancy, it must have been great to get an advance edition of one of Sophie's books whilst in the UK.

I also really enjoy the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I found those books rang true when we were visiting Botswana and talking with the locals. Having been there, re=reading the books were even better the second time.

Our book group is moving on to "The Wife" by Meg Wolitzer. It's short and got good reviews. Hopefully it will be in my mailbox when I get back home.

cheers, Anne

Nancy,

How great to receive an advance copy!

Anne,

What a wonderful lunch companion for you and tennis partner for Gary!

You were both at the right place at the right time! Her LCT fans are going to be green with envy, no doubt!

Denise - you are right. I had to pinch myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming. We were as lucky as could be. She's such a nice, down-to-earth person.

Cheers, Anne

The added bonus to your good fortune, Anne, was finding her to be as down-to-earth and nice as you hoped she would be. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way and it's a terrible dissapointment.

So wonderful that you had a fantastic meeting that some may never have the opportunity to experience.

I'll second The Kite Runner, and Alexander McCaul Smith. Try his 2 1/2 Pillars of Wisdom, The Portuguese Irregular Verbs Trilogy. Rather intellectual, but incredibly funny--I thought David was going to die laughing, I read this book on the flight to Nice in June, and he read it on Voyager.

Nancy and Anne: How neat for both of you - I loved sticking my head in cute little bookstores in Ireland but only bought my granddaughters some sweet Irish tales -

While we were in Botswana, I kept thinking about the #1 Ladies Detective Agency's Precious, bouncing around in her little vehicle, just like we were "bouncing around" across the countryside. Wonderful. - :) Michele

Anne, how exciting that you were able to have lunch with Sophie Kinsella! I can't wait for her next book.

Nancy

Just finished At Risk by Patricia Cornwell and it was a stinker. I wondered if it was just me but after reading the reviews of it on Amazon I see it rated only one star, if that, by most readers. Agree with all of your choices. Am bringing a paperback of Harlen Coben whom I just discovered this summer. Think he's great. See you all soon! (If the Ernesto doesn't interfere--we fly JAX to Houston then Vancouver so we hope he stays out in the Gulf!)

Jean, I tried to read the one before Cornwell's latest and just couldn't get into it. Here's hoping Ernesto stays away!

Michele, I love your story of you bouncing around in Mma Ramotse's little white van's evil twin.I am sipping my Botswana rooibos herb tea now only Mma Makutsi didn't make it for me.

Jean & Andrea, I can't get into Patricia Cornwell either. I googled her & she is one weird lady.

Thanks for the Sophie Kinsella reviews.She is on my list to buy tomorrow. She sounds like perfect vacation reading.

Yum, rooibos herbal tea - wonderful, Jackie!

What a great experience to have met Sophie Kinsella, Anne!

Jean,
I also just finished AT RISK and I agree--what a disappointment. I read alot of the "series" books, Cornwell, Grafton. I'm waiting for the next John Sandford release in his "Prey" series. Does anyone else like those? I think they appeal to me because they are set in the Northwoods of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the UP--my stomping ground.
Jacki

I just bought Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants to read on MUSH...there are two other companion books I also bought. I read an exerpt somewhere and enjoyed that.

Jacki, no I haven't read Sanford, but thanks for the tip, I'm always looking for a new series. I get tired of waiting for Sue Grafton, Anne Perry, Elizabeth Peters, Reginald Hill to put out a new book.

Jacki,

I have never heard of John Sanford but will look him up. Both my children & I spent many happy summers at camp in Boulder Junction & Woodruff. My daughter also went to camp in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota.

I like the Sara Peretsky novels set in Chicago for the same reason that we live here. Father Andrew Greeley lives in our building so i like to read his books but even though Jerry Springer lives here also, I don't watch him. Chris Farley lived & died here but he was very a very nice & polite Irish Catholic boy to me when we would meet.

but for that matter, Jerry springer lives in our building but I odn't watch him.