Vacation reading suggestions?

I suggested elsewhere but can't suggest it enough. The Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley are quite original, funny, moving, and delightfully mischevious.
Start out with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

http://www.flaviadeluce.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/books/review/Crime-t.html?sq=sweetness%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20pie&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1311697822-Me0GkyIi8BE/OGLhmLn5hQ

I read all three now and am uberanticipating the fourth book coming out this November.

I've just finished "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger ...

An excellent read.

http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Adventures-Kavalier-Clay/dp/0312282990

The "underworld" scene (necessary to make it an "epic") was a bit forced, IMO, but it was an enjoyable book.

That will be my next Michael Chabon novel to read. It's a shame the film adaptation is forever in limbo.

Both of those sound good tsar and Ben. Thanks for the suggestions.

I've read that DrewDad. I agree it's an excellent book!

Read any Terry Pratchett lately?

Noddy was always trying to get me to read Terry Pratchett but for some reason I could never get into it. I can't remember which one it was but I tried several times to get it started and always put it aside.

Is there a specific book that you recommend? Are they all part of the Discworld series? Do you have to read them in order?

That might be something that holds me back. I'm not a huge fan of series. Even Harry Potter got boring for me. I never could finish the Lord of the Rings series. Or Dune. I suppose I'm fickle.

Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures by Robert K. Wittman

Non-fiction, but a lot of fun. I think you will really like it.

i could never get into Pratchett either, but i did enjoy his collaboration with Neil Gaiman called, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

The book is a comedy and a quasi-parody of the 1976 film The Omen (as well as other books and films of the genre), concerning the birth of the son of Satan, the coming of the End Times and the attempts of the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley to avert them, having become accustomed to their comfortable situations in the human world. A subplot features the gathering of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—War, Famine, Pollution (Pestilence having retired in 1936 following the discovery of penicillin), and Death—the last of whom is characterised in a manner reminiscent of the personification of Death in Pratchett's Discworld novels and calls himself Azrael before his final exit.

That looks right up my alley! I'm a big non-fiction reader and especially like the quirky, off-beat stuff (Mary Roach, Jon Ronson). And, of course, I like art. Thanks!

That sounds a lot like Christopher Moore meets Kevin Smith circa Dogma, both of which I like. I look into it....

Thanks!

Colour of Magic is the first and I enjoyed it. You have to be ready for silly, and a send-up of fantasy tropes. Cohen the Barbarian is particularly hilarious, IMO.


Ditto. I hung on, although through most of the later books I though Harry was an idiot.


They're a bit dated. The art of the fantasy novel has progressed to the point where I find these tedious, nowadays. I still like The Hobbit, though.



I still love Dune.

i haven't read this yet, but it looks promising, sort of reminds me of Soon I Will Be Invincible

After the Golden Age
Carrie Vaughn



Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.

Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.

This all-new and moving story of love, family, and sacrifice is an homage to Golden Age comics that no fan will want to miss.

You might have talked me into giving it another try!

The only reason I stuck with Harry Potter was to figure out what Snape was all about.

I loved the first book of Dune and wanted very much to like the others.

Have you read Ender's Game? I liked the first one and the others are supposed to be good. I'm waiting for Mo to get a bit older because I think he would like them and we enjoy reading things together.

I LOVED Soon I Will Be Invincible. That's how I came across the one I'm reading now -- it's favorably compared to Soon------. That one looks good!

This looks like a good read...

<snort>!

I'm another Terry Pratchett fan. Almost anything with a wizard on the cover should be pretty funny. Not all of his books are set on Discworld. He has some even set for a younger audience (Hatfull of Sky, Johnny and the Bomb, and Maurice and his Educated Rodents). His books tend to be convoluted and sometimes that throws people.

THis just came out in English... (the author is German)

"Bad Karma" is such a funny book! I enjoyed it tremendously, especially
when the lead character meets Casanova while reincarnated as an ant.




http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Karma-David-Safier/dp/1906780226/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1311714519&sr=8-10

That looks great. Unfortunately they don't have it for Kindle yet. (I'm trying to avoid my usually heavy weight suitcase this year.) I'm going to keep an eye out for that one. Thanks!