Recommend a book

[thelittleorchard]

I am going to buy some books on thurs at a charity bookshop that sells all old library books.

Anyone got some good book recommendations?

They dont have super new books, but some have only been released 4-5 yrs ago.

[Emmarose]

Being a Shabby Chic fan, I am going to say keep your eyes out for any Rachel Ashwell interior decorating books. Even though that might not be your style, she has some very creative ideas, and an awesome philosphy about reusing old furniture, fabric, jewelery etc in new and exciting ways.....

I like using old books to scan pictures from to use in collages etc. I envy you LittleO I LOVE old books.

[thelittleorchard]

Oh me and mum used to love Rachel Ashwell, but we also used to pick on her (she used to boss that, was it mark, around and it was really amusing). We love her style of shappy chic! I find a lot of what is being done as shabby isnt my taste, but hers was.

[Emmarose]

Ummm, I agree. A lot of Shabby Chic stuff has become waaaaay to Frou frou (as she herself used to put it.) I wish I could get more fabrics here that resemble hers - that don't cost the earth. I dabble in lots of fabric choices: Candy brights, country browns, and vintage florals (soft pale pastels, and dirty washes), I also have a thing for denim. I haven't found any success selling any of my stuff yet here on madeit. Mind you, I think I need to list a lot more variety. I have just started learning how to make jewelery too, but there are way to many amazing artists here for me to even be game to sell any of my earing attempts!

[thelittleorchard]

hmmn, havent been back to this thread.

I end up getting

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini...really really good! I recommend this book to everyone. I think it is an important novel to read.

The Poisonwood Bible by Babara Kingsolver, I just started this yesterday, and in just 20 pages seems really interesting. Its about a family of missionaries who go to the Congo in 1959.

The Fourth Hand by John Irving. I love John Irving. I would recommend, A Prayer to Owen Meany to everyone, as well as The Cider House Rules, and Hotel New Hampshire. Havent started this yet, but in general I havent found his later books to be as fantastic as his earlier ones, but still good reads.

Also my boyfriend just informed me that Oliver Sacks is doing a talk here!!! Oliver Sacks is a neurolgist/doctor who most famously wrote Awakenings about the patients he put on L Dopa (it was made into a movie with Robin Williams and Robert Deniro). If you like the movie, I really recommend the book because it has all the real cases, which are so interesting, and info about the drug etc...something I found fascinating was that Phenylalanine is a component of the drug but is also a sweetner (see your coke zero!). But that is how they invented sweetners, a chemist tasted the chemicals on his hands (always a good move) and discovered the sweetness.

Anyhows, you know your a big nerd when you get excited about an Oliver Sacks talk!

[belmere]

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini...really really good! I recommend this book to everyone. I think it is an important novel to read.


The second of his novels, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is equally as brilliant and I highly recommend it. I didn't think it could possibly be better than the Kite Runner, but it is ;)

[Jane]

Oh yes I though A Thousnd Splendid Suns was better
The Poisonwood Bible is one of my favourites, love it
Current one that I tell everyone they must read is The Book Thief. READ IT.
Also The Time Travellers Wife

[heidiandseek]

I second the Time Traveler's Wife. It's one of my favourites.

Also, The Princess Bride by William Goldman. And The Dress Lodger by Sheri Holman is fascinating.

[belmere]

Thinking about some other books I have read recently, I would recommend "Look Me In The Eyes" by John Robison (brother of the author of Running With Scissors). It is an autobiography of a man who has Asperger's Syndrome but was not diagnosed until he was 40 years old. I found it an excellent read.

I tend to read biographies and political books.....though I have recenty re-read the entire Anne of Green Gables series in preparation of my trip to Canada in a month.