OT - nonparenting fav books

[~karen~]

wow
takes me a long time to get through a book so i usually stick to authors i know and love
much lighter than the stuff above

but one that i was given which is just amazing (and by no means fluff) is called *three women* - i would recommend it to all women


everything by bryce courtenay (1st read was april fools day which was amazing as i worked in wattlebrae - the HIV/AIDS ward at RBH - when i was a very naive 17yo)

nick earls - brissie writer - again some lovely reminiscing

marian keyes - we have a similar history although on opposite sides of the planet - rachel's holiday will give *everyone* an insight to what it's like to be in detox/trapped inside an addiction

janet evanovich (esp the stephanie plum stuff - great laugh about an imperfect woman)

carl hiassen - especially native tongue and sick puppy

john grisham - especially the ones not about the law - skipping christmas, bleachers
but the others can be enjoyable

i've read some patricia cornwall - scared the bejeysus out of me, and i'm not into reading to frighten myself so only read one scarpetta - the other small series was pretty good though (i've got 2 in there)

fannie flagg and billie letts write lovely stories (very south of the mason dixie line stuff) with some great license - think fried green tomatoes and where the heart is - great b/f during the night books (large print from the library)

nick hornby was mentioned - i like him too

agatha christie has and always will be a favourite too!

non fiction
i'm into books about how to encourage kids to read
books about gentle parenting
travelling books - holy cow! is a spectacular read about india (written by an ex JJJ chick)

and kids books
edward and edwina the emu
down by the cool of the pool
giraffes can't dance
almost anything by pamela allen (notable exceptions - black dog [greg banned this one] and mr mcgee and the biting flea - ally was most upset he was being bitten)
sleepy me gets us all to sleep too

hugs
kaz

[Emjay]

My favourite childrens books are the Enid Blyton series (before they went and changed the names *rolls eyes*). And also Babycakes (i THINK that is what it's called) and it's an awesome book about a lady that adopts a baby in China, the girls really loved that one. And Night Ride To Nanna's which has been Ebony's favourite book since she was 2.

[Leah]

Hmmm soooooo many books..I am a book FREAK!!!

Ones that come to mind right now are:

Angela's Ashes - Frank McCourt
Out Of Africa - A Danish Lady whose name escapes me
Bravemouth - Pamela Stephenson
Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
Skallagrig - William Horwood???
My Life In Science - Stephen Hawking
Jessica - Bryce Courtenay
Cloud Street - Tim Winton
Seeing Voices - Oliver Sachs (completely brilliant)
All of the Masters Of Rome series by Colleen McCulloch

Anything by Lynley Dodd , my personal fave is "Scattercat"

There are about 1 million more......................so many books still to read so little time

[Fimail]

I read mists of avalon as a 14 yo too! It is a good read - should pick it up again.

FIona

[susumama]

So many books where to start?
I have just finished Tsotsi by Athol Fugard, set in apartheid-era South Africa. Very confronting about the depths of human nature, about the will to survive when life seems unbearable.DH couldn't read it I think it's not for everyone. I'm actually planning to re-read this soon as I found it a little disturbing the first time and kind of skimmed a lot. I get a little attached to my characters and I'm still 'hurt' that the author did what he did to Tsotsi
Have also recently read A Memo for a Saner World by Bob Brown,
Parenting for a peaceful World (don't think it can only be classified as a parenting book )
The Politics of Breastfeeding and Milk, Money and Madness. DH thinks I am a conspiracy theorist !!
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini *sad ending alert*
Veronika decides to die by Paulo Coelho. This is fantastic, again the theme of wanting to survive. Veronika wakes up after a failed suicide attempt to be told she has three days to live.
The Vital Touch by Sharon Heller: the science of touch and love
Ahab's Wife, or The Star Gazer by Sena Jeta Naslund. A fantastic sweeping historical novel.
The Constant Princess and The Queens Fool, both by Phillipa Gregory, brilliant historical novels. I looooove history.
Affluenza by *I forget*.
Anything and everything by Alice Walker. The Colour Purple,The Temple of my Familiar, The Third Life of Grange Copeland
Maya Angelou's autobiography (I think it is 5 books?) Begins with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings..also All Gods Children Need Travelling Shoes. She's inspiring.

Oh man all my books are mouldering away in the garage getting eaten by the roaches. Why do I not have enough money to get bookshelves? I'm getting depressed just thinking about my poor neglected books

[susumama]

I see a couple of you put Jessica by Bryce Courtney. I read it ages ago but even now get a bit of a cold chill thinking about Jessica's mother it just all seemed so freakish and wierd. Do you guys feel that way? Or am I just getting too attached to my characters again?
Jackie (who needs to get out more)....

[jayne]

oh wow...this is so INSPIRING!!! Makes me want to just curl up with a favourite book!
There are so many books here that I have wanted to read!
Now, my faves:
-all time favourite writers are Tim Winton and Anais Nin. Conmpletely different ends of the spectrum. Anything by Tim Winton, my husband and I just devour. We love the guy. Not just his writing but his whole outlook on life. You're not married to him are you Kristy? LOL!! I did wonder once, when you were talking about the surf, and the bush. And, he can't live too far from you?
I love reading the diaries of Anais Nin, what a timless woman. Her book, A Woman Speaks is my bible. I can get so lost in her thoughts. When I was a crazed uni student, I used to believe I was she, re-incarnated!! I think I probably wanted to believe that anyway!!!
Anyway, life changing books have included:
Celestine Prophecy, at the time.
Sea Change, A Message of the Oceans, Sylvia Earle-awesome reality check on our environmental impact on the seas
The Tao of Health, Sex + Longevity-Daniel Reid, awesome inspiration/ shock on living life more healthily.

Now, favorites for a good read, great entertainment...
all timer is Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
anything and everything by Nikki Gemmel and Paullina Simons
the Red Tent was brilliant too
Paul Theroux travel books
Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace
Sue Woolfe...Leaning Towards Infinity
Paulo Coelho Veronika Decides to Die
The Thoughts of Nanushka...all volumes...Nan Witcomb
Sark books
Curious George for the kids
Shel Silverstein for the kids..The Giving Tree is so lovely and peaceful and thoughtful
Mary MUrphy books for the kids, and Peter Pan. My fave childhood book was The Secret Garden. can't wait until the kids are old enough to share that one.

Fave read in magazine format is Dumbo Feather, Pass it On...extraordinary lives of ordinary Australians.

[Beanie]

Some great titles mentioned here!

I have so many that I love but here are some of the books that I've read many times (which I guess indicates they are my favourites):

Wild Swans - Jung Chang
Red China Blues - Jan Wong
The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
The Joy Luck Club - Amy Tan (love the movie too)
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood
The Shipping News - E. Annie Proulx

For fun:

Anything by Bill Bryson. I've read all of them apart from the brief history one, and the Africa one.
Holy Cow - Sarah McDonald (travels through India)
Anything by Maeve Binchy (for the soapie-like fix)
Colour - Victoria Finlay. This is a truly engrossing book about the origins of colour in art and industry. I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone interested in textiles, painting or just for interest. It is a fun and lighthearted style too.

[KristyMum]

oooh this is so good and so bad all at the same time lol - as a child I used to fill up what was left on my brother's library card, use my Dad's and mine on a Sat morning at the town library, and have finished the whole lot by the end of the weekend - couldn't get enough!
Sooo miss book-reading too... but once I pick up a book, I find it hard to put it down...

[Musikat75]

Hey kaz - I knew i liked you for some reason - we read the same books!!!

i have ust been introduced to Marian keyes - Anybody Out There? I both laughed and cried out loud. Amd ust starting Rachel's Holiday - love it . I really relate to the Irish and Catholic family dynamics

I love Janet Evanovich too!! Stephanie Plum is the funniest woman - love her to bits

Other fluff I like to read - Georgette Heyer period romances - very un-PC and stereotyped male/female - well she was writing at the beginning to mid 20th C. Plus all the social/cultural stereotypes of English upperclass - but hey - light holiday reading.

The Red Tent is one of my alltime faves - so glad to see so many others love it.

Anything by Amy Tan and also Wild Swans by I can't remember!!!! Can somebody help me out there?

Kat