Jen (Multigenrefan)'s recommendation thread

A couple of books come to mind for you.  First, at the top of my list for this year is The Help by Kathryn Stockett...set in the '60's in Mississppi about a rich white girl who secretly writes a book about the experiences of the black maids, and what their lives are like working for the wealthy.  The personalities are rich, and risk everything to "do the right thing". 

The second book that comes to mind is actually a crime series written by James Lee Burke.  The series revolves around a damaged cop and his alcholic sidekick that live in New Orleans.  It's gritty, the characters are tortured, but are good guys.  The one I particularly liked was Tin Roof Blowdown, which took place post-Katrina.

Since I mostly read fantasy and sci-fi too, this required a little bit of thinking...

Black Ships by Jo Graham was one of my favorite books of 2008... it's about 3/4 historical fiction and 1/4 fantasy, with a wonderful narrator (it's based on the Aeneid, and the narrator is a slave and an oracle who goes with the Trojans when they sack the city where she lives).

Bloody Jack (and its sequels) by L. A. Meyer might also be good for you.  It's historical fiction and YA, about an orphan girl who passes as a boy to join a navy ship, and her subsequent misadventures.  They're good fun, and Jacky Faber is a highly memorable narrator.

I have really enjoyed The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's an adventure/mystery story set in 1950s in Barcelona. Very well written, strong characters, and great for getting out of a reading rut.

Have you read Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl?  I think you might like that a whole lot.  It's not science fiction or fantasy, but it almost had that feel to me.  It's still one of my favorite books in the past three years.

Can you read mysteries? I liked Earlene Fowler's series. Very good. Very real. The first is Fool's puzzle I believe.
 
How about nonfiction travel books. Bill Bryson writes good travel books. I really liked the one about the Appalachian trail. He walks part of it and just tells about his trip. It is called A Walk in the woods. It is funny in spots. He has one where he visits Australia called In a sunburned Country.
 
I read a good  young adult one by Libba Bray called Great and terrible beauty. It is about the order which is basically a girl how finds out she is a witch. Not a traditional witch story. SEt in the 1800's I think it was. there are more to that series too. Rebel Angels is #2.

I just finished reading The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama.  I totally loved it.  It's set in India and the main character is retired but opening a marriage bureau to make matches for people.  There's lots of authentic incidental stuff about India in it.  It's a very comfortable and fun sort of read.

Maybe you could try some Murakami? His novels, while not being "officially" classified as fantasy, would definitely appeal to fantasy fans. And since he's Japanese you'd be diversifying your reading as well. Kafka on the Shore is a great one to start with.

Do to a number of reasons I need to take a hiatus from blogging and as such will not be able to complete this challenge. My apologies.

Well I decided not to take a hiatus from blogging after all, but I'm not sure about this challenge. I'm not even sure when we were supposed to read the first books by. Either way I'll be reading Kafka on the Shore at some point.