Reading Suggestion, Fiction

I just finally finished reading The 36-Hour Day and Being Mortal. Please somebody give me a pat on the back!

Moose, that sounds like a good historical and spy novel. I think I'll try that.

It brings back memories of a PBS program on women who worked at Bletchley Park during WWII. Fascinating, and wonderful to see a program of women at such important levels of the war effort.

Ooh, what a great thread! Thanks for the great suggestions. This year I got hooked on the "Maggie Hope Mysteries" series, starting with "Mister Churchill's Secretary". She's an American in England at the start of WWII and the Blitz. She gets a job with Winston Churchill and ends up as a spy. Fast, and with each book they go even faster! Easy to read. A part of history that few know about.

Just finished the first book mentioned here, A Spool of Blue Thread. It was much different from books I usually read but I really enjoyed it and am glad to have seen it recommended here. Now looking forward to more titles mentioned here, plus other Anne Tyler books. Many thanks!

I've been hearing great things about The Bright Hour by Nina Riggs. I think I need the reminder to live as fully as possible.

Glad, it is! Just make sure you're firmly grounded or you might find yourself literally flying by getting so high on chocolate!

GA, Godiva and Lindt rolled into one? Must be wonderful!

Read a few more Cussler novels; they're fast paced and I end up feeling as though I've missed a lot because I fly through them. But I'll read them again and again.

Wanted a change of pace with a different historical slant so I'm now reading Steve Barry's The Lost Order, about knights which amassed a fortune. Sounds like it's based on the Templars.

And of course there are the ever present gardening magazines, especially The English Garden, which is like a visual combination of Godiva and Lindt chocolates, and truly inspirational.

Someone already mentioned David Rosenfelt's books -- mysteries with dogs. Those are very good. I know the post topic says fiction, but David Rosenfelt also wrote a hilarious nonfiction book called Dog Tripping. It's about how he and his wife, with the help of friends and volunteers, managed to transport their 25 rescue dogs across the country to their new home when they moved from California to Maine.

Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie books are also good mysteries with dogs. Bernie is a private detective who solves mysteries with the help of his dog Chet, who narrates the books. Chet's take on events can be really funny. The first one is called Dog on It.

I'm currently reading The Paramour's Daughter, 7th (?) in the Maggie MacGowan mystery series by Wendy Hornsby which I know will be good. I've pretty much run through all my favourite authors and have been dabbling at random through the library, unfortunately I haven't hit on any compelling authors. I'm finding it's really difficult to judge the contents of an e book by the online descriptions.

I have been lazy about reading. About half way through Blue Thread now. First unexpected event. Will not spoil it for anyone else that is also reading it or may want to. Thank you Jeanne for the recommendation.

What are others reading?

Ahhh, found it! Great recommendation Jeanne! First chapter of blue thread. OM Goodness! The dysfunction!

Science Fiction - James S.A. Corey writes a series (2 male authors working together with JSA Corey pseudonym) that the series "The Expanse" on Sci Fi is based on. Character development and science exploration. Some strong female characters.
Anne Bishop - novels of The Others - alternate world fantasy with werewolves, vampires, etc. She is a tremendous writer with a gift for writing ways about other Races, not just humans with super gifts. Relationship issues and the idea of human property rights.
Nora Roberts - also writes as J D Robb with Eve a strong female detective in future New York. Lots of sex, though, with her husband after much drama pre-wedding.
Seanan McGuire - also writes as Mira Grant - urban fantasy with great female character that combines modern earth with elves, etc. Under Mira Grant wrote a series about a zombie outbreak, government conspiracy and electronic journalism.

I read another one about Hatshepsut that wasn't quite as good....and I can't tell you what it was called.

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Oh, goodness! I just did a google search and apparently there are a few! Lol.

Oooo, I think I must have read that one years ago Dorianne, I can't imagine there is more than one novel about Hatshepsut!

So....this isn't really mystery or suspense, but I'd like to recommend the historical novels of my fellow Canadian, Pauline Gedge.

She writes mostly about Ancient Egypt, though there was one about Boudica and the Roman invasion of Britain (The Eagle and the Raven) that was pretty good. Anyway, if you like the kind of historical non-romance novels where the writing is excellent, the women are strong characters, and where you almost feel you can actually see, smell, touch, hear, and taste everything, she's the one.

I recommend Child of the Morning to start, which is about Hatshepsut, the female Pharoah. That's the first one I ever picked up.  I think the only thing she got wrong was how she died, and that's because it was written before they discovered how!  So it was a pretty good guess.  And also the two-parter, House of Dreams and House of Illusions, which is about a fictional peasant girl who rises up into Ramses III's harem. (I think these 2 had different names in some countries....Lady of the Reeds was one of the titles, maybe?)

I have been trying to remember another author I have read lots of. Finally the first name hit me, googled first name followed by author, and up it popped! Google is wonderful, isn't it? Karen White. Don't remember much about her books, but I really enjoyed them.

Oh this is awesome, thanks you guys! I have a whole bunch of new-to-me writers to check out!

Just want to toss out a few more:
the Jane Whitfield series by Thomas Perry (yes, I do sometimes read male authors, but the protagonist is still a kick ass woman!)
And if you like supernatural mysteries - Women of the Otherworld series by Kelly Armstrong, the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter, Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs, and the first few books of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton (before the author discovered sex and turned them all into porn), oh, and the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris were a lot of fun!

Carol O'Connell, Sara Paretsky, Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reiches, Charlaine Harris, Laura Lippman....

Yeah, I gravitate toward women authors with strong female protagonists!

Oh, I forgot Karin Slaughter. I'm sure I'll remember a few more as my coffee kicks in!

I love, love, love Laurie R King, I've read everything she has written! I also enjoy the Anna Pigeon series by Nevada Barr, and Kate Shugak by Dana Stabenow.
Oh, and Marcia Muller too.

Me! Me, jeannegibbs! Me! I am a sucker for good writing and women detectives.

Have you ever read Laurie R. King?

My favorite genre is murder mysteries. Anyone else like those?

If you like a Russian history background, consider A Gentleman in Moscow . This was the selection of one of my book clubs in September.

Bumping this up to push down the troll-y threads!  :-) 

My book club read and discussed Water for Elephants a few years ago. It is awesome!

Oh the whole Little House Collection is on my bookshelf. One year when we were at Branson, Mo. Our parents took us to Mansfield, Mo. To see Laura's last home. Wonderful Books!

I can't wait for senior granddaughter (she's two, which I'm forced to agree would be pushing it) to be old enough for the Little House series + Farmer Boy. I will get the whole collection and read it to her during school holidays, is my daydream. Everything I know about handling bears, butchering a pig, making maple sugar and building an ice house I learned from Laura Ingalls Wilder and I bless her memory.

Wonderful thread. Think I will look for “The Romanov Prophesy” next year. I am Russian/Ukrainian through my dad & always like Russian history mostly the Romanov period. That last czar was unfortunately not the person to lead Russia for that time. The Rasmussen era, ie.