What should I read next?

Question

Now is your chance to influence my life, what should I read next? I'm ok with thinking some, but as a mother to 2 small children who works full time & helps run her husband's business I don't want a book that I have to do research for just to follow, you know? In the recent past I've enjoyed the Harry Potter series, Girl With A Pearl Earring, & the Ruins. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

My first recommendation for you would be the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer (paranormal romance).  I do see that others have recommended that too.  I like this series a lot and for a number of reasons (easy read is one of them).  Another reason is that although they are romance, they have some action and they are a teen book--so they are clean.  A lot of women of varying ages (teen and up) really like these books.

Second, I would recommend Dan Brown (thriller/mystery).  I loved DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, but I am told that some of his others are even better (and less controversial).  If you do read the two I've listed, keep in mind that they are fiction.  I also like Dan Brown when my youngest was at his busiest because the chapters are much shorter.  It was also hard to put them down.  That was a good thing for me when I had to leave and come back to them so much.

Third, I would recommend Terry Brooks.  Specifically the original Shannara Trilogy (starting with The Sword of Shannara).  They are heavier fantasy than Harry Potter, but really easy to get into.  His Word and the Void Trilogy (starting with Running with the Demons) is more of the fantasy in real world kind of thing, but much darker.  I still liked them a lot.

Fourth, I like Dean Koontz.  I didn't read his work for a long time, thinking he was like Stephan King.  But recently I have given him a shot and I like what I've read.  I've read The Light in the Moon (paranormal suspence-not horror) and The Good Guy (suspence, but not paranormal).  A lot of people like his Odd Thomas series, but I haven't read them yet.

Jane Austen is real popular lately.  I liked Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility (which are the most popular), but Mansfield Park was better I think.  I didn't care for Emma.

I also listen to books in the car.  I get them on CD from the library.  Just watch what you get though.  Sometimes they are abridged.  Also, I wouldn't recommend listening to Koontz or the darker Terry Brooks in the car if you have little ones.

Finally, I know that you have read the Harry Potter series, but have you gone back and read them again.  I found that every time I've re-read them (I've read them to my kids too) I've discovered things I've missed along the way.  Things that didn't seem important or of interest the first time around.  I just thought it was to add flavor, when it was really tied to something in later books.  I also love listening to HP when driving longer trips.

I hope this helps.

Answer 2

For something light and heartwarming, I would highly recommend the Miss Julia series by Ann B. Ross. The first book is Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind. The books are hilarious and have good endings.

Another great series is The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede. The series consists of four novels:

1. Dealing with Dragons

2. Searching for Dragons

3. Calling on Dragons

4. Talking with Dragons

The books are fantasy, with good adventure and plenty of humor. I read the series again about every two years. Most of the people I've recommended the series to have enjoyed it. It's a good series for young people because I was student teaching in an 8th grade class when I discovered it. Some of the students recommended it. But so far all the adults I have recommended it to have enjoyed the novels.

Answer 3

You absolutely have to read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, absolutely phenominal.  This book will influence your life, and make you look at life in a completely different way!  This guy was a professor, and is famous for giving his Last Lecture, he was on Oprah, and his lecture was all over the internet.  This book is really inspirational.

Answer 4

What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci (the best book I've EVER and will ever read. It's that influential)

Con-Fidence by Todd Strasser

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Stuck in Neutral  by Terry Trueman

Blubber by Judy Blume (kiddy looking, but emotion evoking)

You should also try manga (japanese graphic novels).

Bleach

Soul Eater

Inuyasha

Answer 5

We of the never never.

Picnic at hanging rock .

The chant of Jimmy Blacksmith .

These are mainly autralian novels but good reads.

Answer 6

now this is cool, we like the same books! i recommend reading the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. the protagonist is called Isabella Swan and she is in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. its really romantic plus action packed plus, just plain AWESOMEness. the series has Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and the final book which just came out is Breaking Dawn. Meyer is gonna write Twilight from Edwards point of view in a few years or something, its called Midnight Sun and the first chapter is on her website.

you can get more from here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_se...

it has summaries for each book and break downs of the different characters in the books.

cheers! i hope this helps :) and just so you know, when i go to school, everyone is reading the series so yeah. its THAT good :) and its an international best seller too!

PS: oh hmm since you're a mom, breaking dawn will "help" with parenting. hahaha but you'll understand what i mean by "help" i think, if u read it

Answer 7

JUSTICE INCARNATE by Regan Black

Attacked by an evil nobleman on the eve of her wedding in 1066, her life took a dramatic detour. In the millennium since, she's lived repeatedly with one goal: eliminate the demonic entity that continues to prey on women and children. Through each of her multiple incarnations, she's chased him down to exact her fatal brand of justice, only to lose her own life in the process.

Now, in 2096, he's embodied as a powerful judge and Jaden must fight the monster and the system he manipulates in order to find the one weapon that will break the cycle and banish him forever. [close]

Answer 8

The Twilight Seris they rock! I will have to love them. And not much thinking involved. I read all of them. They are very popular books, u should try them.  

Answer 9

Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (Really lively)

The Host - Stephenie Meyer (I lent it to my friend's mom and she absolutlely loved it.  She has four fully grown children, and three really young children but she really enjoyed it.)

Answer 10

Try

-The outsiders

-Hands of stone the life and legend of Roberto Duran

-To kill a mockingbird

-Goodnight Mister Tom

-The catcher in the rye

-A child called it

-The Miami show band autobiography

there all good books

Answer 11

You should read the Uglies Series.  Read Uglies, Pretties, Specials, then Extras.  You don't have to do research to follow them.  They are fantasy.

Answer 12

I read the Percy Jackson series after Harry Potter. I loved it. Its based on greek mythology, and its about greek gods being in 21st century new york. Its funny but I found it really interesting.

Answer 13

Try some of these

The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Neffenigger

Last Chance by Sarah Dessen

Best of Fathers by Anne Baker

The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

Cell by Stephen King

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Swimming with the Fishes and Swimming without a net by MaryJanice Davidson

Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funkt

Ingo series by Helen Dunmore

Jane Eyre

Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Lord of the Flies and The Inheritors by William Golding

No! I don’t want to join a Book Club by Virgina Ironside

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir......and her other books

Eragon series

Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz

Whistling for the Elephants by Sandi Toksvic

The Book Thief by Markus Zusack

Mr Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Wuthering Heights

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D H Lawrence

My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle and his others

The Arthur Trilogy by Bernard Cornwall starts with Winter King

Mr McGreggor, The Last Lighthouse Keeper, Animal Instincts, Only Dad, Rosie, Love and Dr Devon all by Alan Titchmarsh

Anything by Stephen King, John Saul, John Connolly, James Herbert and Alexander McCall Smith

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind starts with Wizards First Rule

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King starts with The Gunslinger

All the Harry Potter books

Answer 14

You might like the Twilight Series.  It's a love triangle story between a Vampire, a Human, and a Werewolf.  There are 4 books starting with Twilight, then Eclipse, New Moon, and the last one Breaking Dawn.

Any of Jane Austen's books is great too.

If you're open to a more racy novel, you can try the Black Dagger Brotherhood series - vampires again.  But really awesome story progression.  Start with Dark Lover and go to the next book in order.  It goes very fast and skipping books will get you confused.  Very racy though... you can read some excerpts in www.jrward.com to see if you can handle the raciness...

But beware... The books I mentioned above are books that have led husbands to complain that their wives are "buried" in the book and can't seem to find time for the family anymore!  hah hah.

Answer 15

Artemis Fowl Series And The Immortal Nickolus Famel.

Answer 16

read the other boleyn or memoirs of a geisha ot the thirteenth tale r the historian