Jackie’s Favorites

I read about 50% fiction and 50% nonfiction.

I do love mysteries, especially the one’s called “cozies.”  You know, body in the library and everyone drinking tea and saying, “Oh, my! Poor chap.”

My current favorites include (read them in chronological order, unless otherwise indicated):

Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear, set in post WWI England

Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, also set in England with a funny young girl detective.

Anything by Anthony Berkeley, who wrote in the 1920s-19302.  Devilishly clever.  Not necessary to read in order.

The Louise Penny series.  Love, love, love it.

I also love historical fiction.  I recommend the first two books of Hilary Mantel’s trilogy of the life of Thomas Cromwell.  They are: Wolf’s Hall  and Bring Up the Bodies.

I heartily recommend Ken Follett’s books set in 12^th century England.  The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End.

I just realized every book I names above is set in England.  Hmmmm. I must be an Anglophile.

MY ALLTIME FAVORITE nonfiction book is The Fourth Turning by Strauss and Howe.  I could practically pay someone to read and discuss it with me.

Recommendations:

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

A Dog Walks into  Nursing Home by Sue Halpern

The “Gordianus the Finder” mystery series by Steven Saylor.  The first book in the series is Roman Blood.

Maureen’s Favorites

Maureen’s favorites:

• Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors. Her Poisonwood Bible is one of my all-time favorite books.  It took me a while to get into The Lacuna, but when I reached the end I was soooo glad I got all the way through it.  I haven’t read her latest yet, but it’s on my list of books to read.

• Detective stories:  I like the same kinds of books that Catherine described, and I have read Fred Vargas and Louise Penney from her list.  I like them a lot and I’ll keep moving through their books, and then I’ll go on to her other mystery authors. 

• Patrick O’Brien wrote 20 novels referred to as the Aubrey-Maturin Series, and I’ve read them all.  Captain Jack Aubrey and Steven Maturin, a naturalist and ship’s doctor, sail all over the world for the British Navy starting in 1805.  The books should be read in order, starting with Master and Commander.

Russell Crowe played Aubrey in a movie of the same name, which I liked very much although the story is actually a combination of later books and not the same as the first book.  I like the historical context and details and the sea-going adventures.

• I like to read classics, and recently I’ve been going back to Victorian novels.  I’ve read all of Jane Austen and most of Charles Dickens, as well as Emily and Charlotte Bronte.  Another writer of that time that I recently “discovered” is Elizabeth Gaskell.  By the way, a very interesting book about certain writers of that period is Parallel Lives by Phyllis Rose.  It gives portraits of 5 Victorian couples, people who were literary leaders of the time.  Charles Dickens and George Elliot are among the people profiled within their relationships. 

• I have enjoyed Colleen McCullough’s series on ancient Rome, starting with The First Man in Rome, and also Jean Auel’s prehistory series which starts with Clan of the Cave Bear.  I don’t consider these exceptional literary works, but both authors have done extensive research and they write intelligently. I like them especially for the details about daily life in each historical context. 

• Other books I recommend: 

• The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz  (3 books)
• My Reading Life  by Pat Conroy, nonfiction
• Shadow of the Wind  by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, nonfiction
• Parallel Lives by Phyllis Rose, nonfiction
• Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Catherine’s Favorites

Here is the list of authors that I really enjoy.  I go for the mystery with a great atmospheric storyline and unique characters.

Louise Penny, Chief Inspector Gamache series of mysteries which take place in a small Quebec town.

Martin Walker, Chief of Police Bruno which takes place in a small French village in the Dordogne region.

Andrea Camilleri, Inspector Montalbano which takes place in Sicily.

Fred Vargas, Commissaire Adamsberg, a wonderfully intuitive French policeman.

All have great storylines and they get into the history and other interesting aspects of the region where the stories take place, such as the truffle trade and the cave paintings of the Dordogne valley.  Reading these authors is like taking a vacation and moving into the various towns for a month, meeting the locals, smelling the smells and tasting the food and wine.  They all build on the prior book somewhat so I like to start at the beginning of a series.  There are 5 to 9 books from each author in a series and I watch with anticipation for new releases.

Catherine