Contemporary Fiction Books

[treeleafangel403]

I second the above review

[sfloura]

I am in the middle of "Boy, Snow, Bird" by Helen Oyeyemi and am really enjoying it. It's a retelling of the classic Snow White fairytale set in 1950s Massachusetts. Instead of delving into the fairytale, Oyeyemi uses the framework of the story to talk about deeper issues of race, society, and identity. It's making for a really interesting but easy read.

[oywiththepoodlz]

One of the most interesting and immediately captivating books that I have read recently is Perfume by Patrick Susskind. The novel has been made into a movie, which falls far short (as movies usually do). The book is incredibly atmospheric; the tension is consistently high and there are quite a bit of disturbing descriptions. While it is not for the faint of heart, the book is beautifully written, full of gorgeous visuals to eat up or smell up, in this case. If you are looking for something quick and different, this is a great choice!

[lindac1_98]

I would like to recommend The Blood Alchemist by Becca Andre. It is a well written book that is 364 pages in length. The main character who can not remember who she is or where she came from, is found by a young man who knows where her tattoos come from. They are an unlikely pair that would under normal circumstance not become friends. She knows she has certain knowledge in the Alchemy field but is not sure how she came about this knowledge. With the help of her new friend they work together to discover who she is and where she obtained her knowledge.

[Frangipani4]

'Tiger Hills' by Sarita Mandanna is one of the best books that I have read in the year 2012(and believe me I have read a lot..)I fell in love with this book as soon as I read the first line, in fact more than the book it is the protagonist Devi and the wonderful place called Coorg which had me hooked to this book.

The story is about the events in the life of a beautiful and fiery young girl who is forced to marry her childhood friend Devanna even though her heart has already been given to someone else.Apart from the story line , what I loved was the description of Coorg and bits of historical details scattered across the book.After I read this book the first thing I wanted to do was pack my bags and go to Coorg because while reading the book, I actually felt transported to this beautiful place. I have been to Coorg before during a college trip but I feel I have not really been able to see the beauty which the author definitely has captured in her book.For a first time effort it is an awesome read and worth every penny.I hope the author has many more coming soon.

I recently finished this book. I found it at a book swap while travelling and was hooked. It was probably not the best time to read this book as throughout the day as we were sightseeing i would be distracted by thoughts of this book and what would happen next.
I also really want to visit Coorg after reading this book and having it been described so beautifully throughout the lifetimes of the characters in the book. This book was a little intense for me at times, as the book seemed to only go downhill for the main characters and I admit to having cried more than once while reading. It's not really a "they all lived happily ever after" kind of book. The book was written as to show how small actions and events can majorly change the path that an individuals life takes. All in all a really well written, hugely impacting book with a great story line and intriguing characters that the reader can really become attached to.

[tinegunner]

I would recommend two books by Herman Koch, a Dutch author who only has two books translated into English.
The first is "The Dinner" which was pretty popular a few year back. The layout of the story is very interesting and the present day plot takes place over the course a two couples having dinner. It turned out to be a mystery that flashes back to previous times and is written by the dad in the story in the first person. His character is not terribly likable which is what made me enjoy it so much. He was very honest, abrupt, rude even, with a foul mouth. I was laughing a lot at his rudeness. It's a quick read and the mystery keeps you engaged. Koch's other book "Summer House with a Swimming Pool" is similar in format but takes place over a summer and has a similar main character with an underlying mystery to solve. The mysteries themselves are nothing terribly interesting, but the path at which they come to be discovered is interesting and engaging. Note that the main characters are somewhat offending, and as a woman I felt a few chills because there were some generally non-flattering references to women but it didn't bother me enough to not read it.

[davidhan]

The latest book I read, True Love, is hands down the best book ever. I always look at new authors so when I went on a webpage called lulu I picked True Love by Jay Lachelle and I've been a fan ever since. It has this twisted humor, but at the same time it's a serious book. Definitely a great read.

[bookowlie]

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Myers. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well-drawn and the book is very thought-provoking. It would be a good book club pick.

-- 31 Oct 2014, 10:16 --

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Myers. I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well-drawn and the book is very thought-provoking. It would be a good book club pick.

I wanted to add that this book takes a chapter or two to get into. The story is told in an alternating format, from three characters' points of view. As a result, it takes a little while to get into the flow of the story. At first glance, the book may seem like fluff, but it is deeper than that.

-- 02 Nov 2014, 11:48 --

Just read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and really enjoyed it. It's an NYT bestsellers and top book club pick. It brings up a lot of interesting things that lend well to discussion

I totally agree. I just finished Orphan Train last night. This book is a real gem and might be the best book I've read this year. It's my in-person book club's November selection and I can see why the book is a top book club pick. The story will stay with you long after you read the last page. It has made me want to research the history of the orphan trains in this country. Very eye-opening and disturbing subject matter.

[librarydancer]

I'm currently listening to ' A Partial History of Lost Causes', and it is proving to be an interesting, thoughtful novel. I'm halfway done the novel, and I am not even sure I like it. There is imagery that seems to go on forever, and the story is slow; but it provides such an interesting look at Russia in the 1980's - 2000's, and asks interesting & unusual questions that I want to keep reading.

[Ayisyen]

I recommend Junot Diaz's "The Brief Life of Oscar Wao." He blends so many genres in this book, and as a result, creates a book that is distinctly his.

[Melinda1973]

Orphan Train is my favorite book of the past year. And I read a lot.....my guess would be 100. I listen to most on audio while I work. While it is a book of fiction it is based on history...orphans being moved by train to western areas. It was told in such a way that you really felt it could of been a true story. Loved how it connected two stories....one in the past....one in the present.

[Richlearning]

I would like to recommend THE ROSIE PROJECT and, the sequel THE ROSIE EFFECT by Graeme Simsion. It effectively gets into the head of a man who struggles with social interactions, although is likely of genius intellect. Many diagnoses are put forth by those around him, but some of the situations created will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps wonder if you know anyone like Don.

[Faith_Lyons24]

Memoirs of a Geisha is a story about a girl named Chiyo who is taken to a Geisha house after her mother dies. this book is such a good book. it is beautifully written and the story sucks you in from the first page, it has a little romance in it as well. but the book is very dense so it takes a bit to get through, which wasn't something i really liked about it but it is a wonderful book overall.

-- 26 Aug 2015, 15:19 --

the sisterhood of the traveling pants. is a series of books about 4 best friends who are just out of high school and are trying to figure out what they want to do in life, and one day they are in a thrift store and find a pair of pants that fits all 4 girls perfectly and throughout the books the girls share this pair of pants, it's a coming of age story that i think a lot of people would enjoy but especially young girls.

[Parvin_Sultana]

Chimamanda Adichie is one of the best new authors from the continent of Africa. In her latest book Americannah, she traces the journey of a Nigerian woman to America and back to her home country. this book written in her excellent style does a number of things -- it challenges hypocrisy of the Nigerians who have gone to US, it questions the patronising attitude of many americans towards Nigeria, it takes up the political turmoil that Nigeria went through with a take on the corruption which led to a huge gap between the rich and the poor. in other words it humanizes a woman of African descent with all her faults intact. this is what helps the readers to like and relate the protagonist Ifemelu. highly recommended.

[mjholdsworth]

I am currently reading "Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper" by Hilary Liftin. This book is interesting because you read it as a "tell-all" book written by actress Lizzie Pepper. Lizzie and her mega-movie star husband Rob Mars have separated and its a huge scandal throughout Hollywood. Lizzie writes a tell-all book about the relationship and what actually happened. It's a great book for those who love the Hollywood gossip scene!