Chicks On Lit discussion

My "to read" shelf is out of control. And I mean out of control in a good way.....but I just keep adding and adding and apparently not reading more than one at a time!! ;) Can you guys go thru my bookshelf and tell me which ones I should add to my new shelf that's called "books to read ASAP" Thank you!!! I trust your judgement and would love the recommendations...........

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52...

A woman finding herself. Not necessarily a literary masterpiece.

PS. 825 To-Reads??????? Um, yeah. Out of control about sums that up! :)

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26...

An American classic!!!!!! Must read!!!!!!!!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49...

And of course, many of us Chicks liked this one. I think Tera read it quite recently, in fact...

I'm done raiding your shelf now. :) Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are my suggestions:
The Other Boleyn Girl (Paperback)
Franny and Zooey
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
The Red Tent
I didn't look through all of your books, but I thought this would be a good start.

I went through your list. Wowser!!! If it makes you feel any better it's not quite as long as it seems. You actually have Loving Frank on there twice. Once in hardback and once paperback. I personally would wait for the cliff notes. I didn't love that book in either format.

I noticed you have multiples books by one author. If any of them are authors you haven't read before I would maybe pick their most recommended book at a really to read book and if you hate it then you can move the rest of their works either off your list or lower down.

I LOVED the Red Tent. Truly the very best recommendation I have gotten from GRs was that book. I push it on all my dear friends now.

I ditto what Amanda said. To Kill a Mockingbird = An American Classic and is a must must read. I'm shocked there is a person who hasn't read it.

You had a passle of Phillipa Gregory books too. I can't comment on all of them but I just finished The Constant Princess and really liked it. I asked on Cupcakes board the order of the books because they are all historical fiction that feed into each other and was told that The Constant princess is the first one in the historical timeline (not the first she wrote). So because I really enjoyed it and it is the first in the timeline I would recommend that of her books to start with and if you like it continue with them.

You and I both loved Gone with the Wind and hated The Wind Done Gone. I think you might like Rhett Buttlers People. It was markedly better than Scarlett (hated that book too). I thought it stayed pretty true to her form and had some fun development of characters from the original. Nothing is as good as the original but this was fun.

OK, here is what I did. I found that I will never read all the books I want to read before I die but I am sure going to try! So, I bought an IPOD, and listen to books when I drive to work, garden, do housework etc. This way, I can read books and listen to them as well. It has taken some of the "stress" off my list.

I did notice that you have most of Jodi Picoult's books. I love her! I would suggest that you start with some of her "stronger" books, some of them just didn't do it for me and might turn you off to her.

Anyway, that is just my two cents, Happy Reading!
Meg

I loved all of Phillipa Gregory's books. I'm currently making my way through all of them. I recommended "The Other Boleyn Girl" because that is my favorite. If you don't like that one, you won't like the rest.

The other thing about some of your books like the Philippa Gregory books and other serial books like from Nora Roberts & Janye Ann Krentz...you will definitely want to read them in order. The Other Boleyn Girl is not the first of that series, but it was one of my absolute favorites. I actually read that first and loved it and it litterally made me seek all her others out!

Many on your list I have never heard of, but many I have and find that they are very good. Rosie written by C. Hearne and others by her are a bit slow to read and tend to be saddening and real tear jerkers so don't read them while its dreary & or stormy outside, but rather when you are in a desperate need to shed some tears!

Ok, so I did the comparrisson of your 'To Read' list and my 'Read' list. Here are the results + comment.

1. My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Picoult) - MUST READ so much so that is all I can say about it.

2. Garden Spells (Sarah Addison Allen) - BEACH MUST READ...But I would actually say read the author's second book, SUGAR QUEEN first.

3. Crossing Over: A Woman's Escape from Amish Life (Ruth Irene Garrett)- MUST READ on the "learn about other cultures" list. I had recommened this ;-)

4. Sybil - not asap but still very interesting

5-7. Probabl Future, Practicle Magic & Ice Queen (Alice Hoffman) - all CAN WAIT. All are enjoyable but not ASAP material. PF is the best out of the three.

8. Great & Terrible Beauty (Libby Bray) - CAN WAIT - I didn't finish it. I can see the potential but I found it slow.

Thank you all SO SO much for your suggestions and help. I really needed it and I'm working on cleaning up my list right now! LOL

I only got through 6 pgs as of yet!

Keepers:
~My Sister's Keeper
~Garden Spells & the author's second book, SUGAR QUEEN
~Sybil
~To Kill a Mockingbird
~Seabiscuit: An American Legend
~The Bell Jar
~Here on Earth
~Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

I Didn't like:
~The Pilots Wife (Try instead Light on Snow by Anita Shreve!)

OK...I'm working on my list and need to know which book by Joyce Carol Oates should I start with???

I have to stop looking at everyone's lists myself....I keep adding more to read!!! I have read about 8 books in the past 2 weeks, but added at least 20 more. Not going in the right direction myself here! I have the house empty and quiet this weekend so I am planning on working on some of that pile this weekend!!

OK....I went through and got rid of alot. Thanks for all your help!! I still have multiple books on there from some authors but that's because I know I like those authors and I have to read all of what they have written if I like them LOL

Hey Holli. I know I'm jumping in on this a little late, but here is my 2 cents, based on the ones still on your to-read list that I have read....

READ SOON-
The following Picoult novels: My Sister's Keeper, Plain Truth, Harvesting the Heart
Their Eyes Were Watching God- Hurston
Picture of Dorian Gray- Wilde


READ EVENTUALLY-
The Bell Jar- Plath
Old Fashioned Girl- Alcott
The Wedding- Sparks


NOT WORTH STARTING (in my humble opinion)-
Anything by Libba Bray or Jennifer Weiner
Prep- Sittenfeld

Thanks Brittany!!! i always appreciate the comments and love the advice :)

With the Picoult's you may find after you've read one or two, you are tired of her style. That has happened with me.
Listening to books is the only way I get any reading done. I was able to get through The Fountainhead (would not put it on your list) which was 30 something hours long, in just two weeks. But I clean houses, so I can listen while I work as well.
Get them from the library (free) and put them on an MP3 player, best way to do it. And you'll whip through that list in no time!!!!

Hi there Holli,

I quickly compared books with you and of those in your to read pile here are my suggestions:

* Sail - I read this last week, great, fast, action packed read. I really liked it and his books are just so easy to get through that it shouldn't take up too much time so you can get on with other books.

* My Sister's Keeper - fantastic book, definitely recommend, it was the first book I read by Jodi and I loved it. I have heard some of her books tend to go along the same lines so probably best not to read them all in a row if you were thinking of reading others. I have read others of hers but this book just stays in my mind.

* Year of Wonders - one of my all time favourites, it's right up there with Sister's Keeper although nothing alike. This book is one of the books I regularly recommend to people, it's always one of the first I think about.

* Howard's End - ugh, sorry, not my cup of tea at all, it seemed like a really long read to me and I would probably say don't worry about reading it in the immediate future, you and I have heaps of books in common and I'm just not sure if this would be your cup of tea either. However, if and when you do read it be sure to let me know what you think of it, I'd be really interested.

* Anybody Out There - this one is next on my books to read so hopefully should start it some time this week, I've had loads of recs for this one so fingers crossed it's a goodie.

I hope all that helps and I know how you feel, it just seems like there's too many books out there to read and it's hard to make the right choice what to read next!

Hey Holli!

Your to-read list is narrowing down, good for you!! I'm just as bad continually adding books whenever I find something interesting. And it doesn't help that when I go the library, I pick up 3 additional books to the one I already have on hold waiting for me! Argh!

Anyway, you and do have a lot of reading interests in common, I see your a huge Nicholas Sparks fan as am I, did you know he has a new one coming out this September called The Lucky One??! I'm pumped!

One of my all-time favorite books and authors is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. All I can say is Wow. Even though Francine Rivers is a Christian author, her books aren't preachy and this one is just so captivating and amazing of a story, I've read all FR's books.

I also loved The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve, such a great book!

Happy reading and don't get too overwhelmed!

Kim