readers advisory for all discussion

Hey guys. First post ever on goodreads, so if I break any rules, sorry.

I am looking for books in which there are secrets we are trying to get to the bottom of. Little by little, we get pieces until at the end, it all comes together in such a great AHA! moment.

The Secret Keeper is what inspired this post. I read this book and just wanted more like it. It may also be because there are different character stories that seem unrelated and come together in the end.

I guess that is two different kinds of books I am asking for, but either would be great! Thanks!!

That's most of fiction, m'dear. :)

nahh, we can help you narrow it down - that's part of the fun of readers' advisory - it's meant to be a conversation. i haven't read the secret keeper, but i hear she is excellent at the family secrets kind of narrative.

so, let me just try to help you parse it a little. you like multiple-perspective storylines? with seemingly unrelated characters whose connection to each other is revealed at the end? or just a more straightforward single-thread storyline where a secret is promised at the beginning and then is revealed at the end?

were you hoping for a mystery, like a murder whodunit, or something smaller-scale, like a family secret kind of story? does the setting/time period/genre matter to you? like if, for example, a little magical realism snuck in, would that be a problem? does the secret need to be kept from the reader, or is it okay if the characters discover it while the reader knows what's what?

family secret stories are among my favorites, so i can help out with this one, when we figure out what your preferences are. this is what makes RA so fun!

@Marie

Got your message and I'll just reply here. I apologize for my snarky comment. :)

If you liked movies like Fight Club, as you said, you may want to read the books the movies were adapted from. Fight Club was personally one of my favorite books…I've never read anything quite like it. People rave about the movie, though I'm personally less excited about it.

Karen, first of all, thank you so much for your questions. They are perfect to try to get what I am asking for across to everyone. I appreciate the help.

I prefer multiple characters who seem to have nothing in common and in the end, you find out how it all fits together, almost like puzzle pieces.

I enjoy murder mysteries, but what I am asking for here is more of the family secret type of thing. I don't think I prefer one genre over another, but I do not want it to be completely fiction. For example, as you stated above, if some magical realism were in it, that would be fine, but I don't want anything where I have to learn about a whole new universe or anything.

I am okay with either the secret being kept from me or not. I enjoy both of those types of books actually. I like not knowing and getting completely surprised at the end. I also like knowing and seeing the process of the characters putting it together. It's just as exciting as trying to figure it out myself.

So, I am not sure if that helped any, but I believe what I am asking for is the family secret type of story. Speaking of which, you really should read "The Secret Keeper." If you are into that genre, I really think you will enjoy it. It made me want so much more of it.

One more thing... I enjoy flashbacks. I like that when the character realizes that something that happened at an earlier point in their life means something more now. Hope that is in some way helpful.

it is! i will mull this over a bit and get back to you. in the meantime, hopefully someone else will pipe up.

for now, just for fun and because i am at work and can't really focus, here is the "family secret" list i made for work, just in case you wanna browse it while you are waiting for a reply:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/97803...

I recently read The Golem and the Jinni. It had one of the most seamlessly laid out plots that I've read in a long time. At the end, every single piece fit together perfectly. Most, if not all, of the characters are eventually revealed to be connected in some way. It has flashbacks, and secrets kept from both the characters and from the reader. On top of that, it also has beautiful writing.

Thanks Wren, sounds great! I'll give it a try!

I juzt finished Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter and loved the way the story unfolded. As soon as I read your query I immediately thought of this one as it combines flashbacks as well as dual perspectives to get to the meat of the story. I think yhat you will really like it.

I also recommend The Monsters Of Templeton which is also on the list Karen supplied. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time.

You could also try The History of Love for a book where all the pieces fit together in the end. It's one of my favorites. :)

Thanks everyone. So excited. I now have four books coming to me. Such a happy girl! I have never had a favorite genre before. What a great feeling.

i haven't had much time lately - birthday shenanigans and all, but i wanted to pop in and add this to your list of possibilities:

Await Your Reply.

hopefully i will have more time soon...

Allow me to second The History of Love, and also, perhaps Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and the new The Dinner by Herman Koch?

This may or may not fit your description.. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. It's sort of greek mythology, but its a light read and one of those where everything is revealed at the end without you even expecting it. There's two other books after it, but I don't remember those exactly..

I agree with The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Dinner by Herman Koch.

Also try these:
The Silent Wifeby A.S.A. Harrison (Dysfunctional family & some violence)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Violent, fast and furious)

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriorty (Woman’s journey out of amnesia, non-violent)

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides

The Virgin Suicides by Dan Brown (One of my favorite mysteries, fast and furious)

Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Should be on everyone’s must read list)

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafón (One of my all-time favorite books!)

The Partner by John Grisham (an oldie but a goodie)

Pleading Guilty by Scott Turow (another oldie but a goodie)

Happy reading!

Sorry.... it should be:
The Da Vinci Codeby Dan Brown

Okay, I have a really sketchy suggestion. It's not a family secret, but I think you'll enjoy it.

The Hollow City by Dan Wells is amazing. It's about a schizophrenic man and the things he sees. The whole focus of the book is identifying what is real and what is in his head, which is challenging, because you think it's all fake, then you have evidence that it's real, but then evidence that he's making up the evidence that it's real. It's pretty amazing.

Ooh, taylor, that sounds awesome. Marie, here's the link to it! The Hollow City

Thanks guys! I am so excited for the plethora of book suggestions I have gotten. And Taylor, that sounds awesome! Definitely on the list!!

On the Jellicoe Road, though the title was condensed to just "Jellicoe Road" here in the U.S.

If you liked The Secret Keeper, you should check out another book by Kate Morton, The Distant Hours. It is a different plot, but it still has all the aspects you are looking for, and it is a little darker. I think I even liked it better than The Secret Keeper, if I remember correctly

Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales
sorta kinda.... id def read the reviews on here first

Yes, I second Jellicoe Road. It may not seem like it but it's a very good YA mystery.

Kind of Cruel

Marie wrote: "Karen, first of all, thank you so much for your questions. They are perfect to try to get what I am asking for across to everyone. I appreciate the help.

I prefer multiple characters who seem to ..."

If you can dig Flynn Go with Sharp Objects. Its the least shock porn like youll find of here work.

i could have totally posted this before, but

What You See in the Dark

has some elements of characters cross in various ways.... right up until the end.

The Heart Broke In immediately comes to mind. There's several different characters, two of whom are brother and sister. Initially the stories all seem disconnected but they gradually come together, with the characters' secrets (and the impact of them learning each other's secrets) being the thread that ties them together. Kind of hard to describe without giving everything away, but I think it fits with what you've described.

I would second Gone Girl as well, but it's less of a family secret situation and more one character trying to figure out someone else's secrets (who happens to be his wife). There's more focus on the whodunit aspect and unreliable narrators.

The Turning: Stories , has also recently been made into a film of 17 parts by 17 different directors. The film also has some recurring characters played by several different actors, making the "pieces" even more elusive.

Thanks Peter. I just read the premise and reviews, and it sounds great!

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters keeps you guessing to the last chapter.

Not really secrets per se but resolving several plotlines with one significant event is the trademark of author Arthur Hailey I highly recommend his books, Hotel and In High Places

Kafka on the Shore

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

For seemingly unrelated characters coming together at the end, you can't beat the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. For tightly-woven plots that will blow your mind at the end, I recommend Megan Whalen Turner's Thief series.

Those are both fantasy, though. Sandman takes place in our world and the Thief books take place in a fantasy world that's much like ancient Greece.

Thanks Sophie. I am excited for the Sandman series. I read Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and really loved it and his amazing creativity, so I am excited to get into a series of his.

If you like History of Love, you should try Krauss's Great House too. Seems to fit what you're describing (maybe even moreso than History of Love).

Ohhhhhh, the description sounds fantastic, Leah!! Thank you so much for the great suggestion.

Hey Marie,

I see this question was asked a year ago, but I am hoping you are still up for a good "family secret book". I think the Colorworld Series fits what you are after on several fronts:

1) I prefer multiple characters who seem to have nothing in common and in the end...
---In Teleworld, Book 2, you get exactly this moment in the desert...and it doesn't end how you think it will...not even remotely.

2) I enjoy murder mysteries, but what I am asking for here is more of the family secret type of thing. I don't think I prefer one genre over another, but I do not want it to be completely fiction...
---The world of energy touch/healing is your piece of realism, it very much exists in real life for those who practice it, but everything you need to know about it is part of the book and is "taught" to you as the characters learn about it as part of the story. No external homework is needed to enjoy the story. AND, the secret that's being hid is a family secret as much as one could be. You won't get to the bottom of it in Colorworld. But in Teleworld...the TRUTH COMES OUT! :-)

3) I am okay with either the secret being kept from me or not. I enjoy both of those types of books actually. I like not knowing and getting completely surprised at the end...
---The secret is kept from you and it is a lot of fun to read the twists and turns of what the characters go through to reveal the secret. I honestly didn't see "the reveal" coming and I think you'll love how everything shakes out in Teleworld.


I'd love to know what you think about the reveal. It's one of my favorite scenes and Kaylen really comes to life when it happens. So good!




Marie wrote: "Karen, first of all, thank you so much for your questions. They are perfect to try to get what I am asking for across to everyone. I appreciate the help.

I prefer multiple characters who seem to ..."

Bradley, thanks for the suggestion. I will add it to my list. Sounds pretty interesting.

So it is a year later and you have prolly moved on to some other type of book but I just finished a novel by one of my favorite authors that I think fits your description. However, looking at the other reviews on GR it is obvious that not all readers responded as I did to the book. It is EVERYTHING I want in a novel. But since mine is not the majority opinion please take this rec with a grain of salt:


Life After Life by Jill McCorkle

The story is told from multiple POV and slowly you start to see all the threads come together. Everyone has their secrets and those secrets impact their lives. While there isn't an ah-ha at the end there is a definite sense of connectedness.

That actually sounds like a great book, Aunt Edie. I don't think it will fit exactly what I was looking for, but I will definitely still read it. I love to read stories about older people who have experienced quite a bit. A story about the people in a retirement home sounds awesome!! Thanks!

Marie, I have the perfect book for you. DAY OF RAIN is about a young man who doesn't realize he is a messenger (the 7th messenger) meant to awaken the "sleeping" angels in time to fight against the "fallen ones" at Armageddon. The story begins with Dr. Malecki Sadeq, a biblical archeologist (who is also an angel) reminiscing about being in Iraq in the year 1970 while on an expedition to find a legendary tomb beneath the waters of the Euphrates River (destroyer angels are in the tomb). Unfortunately, the scuba divers find the tomb and trouble. But fast forward to the present, Malecki is now teaching at St. James University, where he lectures on angels and demons. He's interrupted by a stranger who later tells him to visit the demon, Raphan who is imprisoned deep beneath the campus cathedral (and has been for 500 years). The demon knows the plot to kill the 7th messenger, and so the story goes on from there, with more mysterious characters to discover their origins. The book is currently on sale at Amazon for $.99.Day Of Rain: Rise Of The False Prophet