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I thought it would be fun to recommend some of our favorite books!

Here are a few of mine (with Amazon descriptions & links!):

PLAIN TRUTH BY JODI PICOULT

The discovery of a dead infant in an Amish barn shakes Lancaster County to its core. But the police investigation leads to a more shocking disclosure: circumstantial evidence suggests that eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher, an unmarried Amish woman believed to be the newborn's mother, took the child's life. When Ellie Hathaway, a disillusioned big-city attorney, comes to Paradise, Pennsylvania, to defend Katie, two cultures collide -- and, for the first time in her high-profile career, Ellie faces a system of justice very different from her own. Delving deep inside the world of those who live "plain," Ellie must find a way to reach Katie on her terms. And as she unravels a tangled murder case, Ellie also looks deep within -- to confront her own fears and desires when a man from her past reenters her life Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a fascinating portrait of Amish life -- and a moving exploration of the bonds of love, friendship, and the heart's most complex choices.



STONES FROM THE RIVER by Ursula Hegi

Ursula Hegi's Stones from the River clamors for comparisons to Gunter Grass's The Tin Drum; her protagonist Trudi Montag--like the unforgettable Oskar Mazerath--is a dwarf living in Germany during the two World Wars. To its credit, Stones does not wilt from the comparison. Hegi's book has a distinctive, appealing flavor of its own. Stone's characters are off-center enough to hold your attention despite the inevitable dominance of the setting: There's Trudi's mother, who slowly goes insane living in an "earth nest" beneath the family house; Trudi's best friend Georg, whose parents dress him as the girl they always wanted; and, of course, Trudi herself, whose condition dooms her to long for an impossible normalcy. Futhermore, the reader's inevitable sympathy for Trudi, the dwarf, heightens the true grotesqueness of Nazi Germany. Stones from the River is a nightmare journey with an unforgettable guide.

NIGHT by Elie Wiesel

Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's wrenching attempt to find meaning in the horror of the Holocaust is technically a novel, but it's based so closely on his own experiences in Birkenau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald that it's generally--and not inaccurately--read as an autobiography. Like Wiesel himself, the protagonist of Night is a scholarly, pious teenager racked with guilt at having survived the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...219-8015318?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by Tracy Chevalier

Set in 17th-century Delft, this historical novel intertwines the art of Johannes Vermeer with his life and that of a maiden servant in his household. From the few facts known about the artist, Chevalier creates the reality of the Netherlands. The parallel themes of tradesman/artist, Protestant/Catholic, and master/servant are intricately woven into the fabric of the tale. The painters of the day spent long hours in the studio, devising and painting re-creations of everyday life. The thrust of the story is seen through the eyes of Griet, the daughter of a Delft tile maker who lost his sight and, with it, the ability to support his family. Griet's fate is to be hired out as a servant to the Vermeer household. She has a wonderful sense of color, composition, and orderliness that the painter Vermeer recognizes. And, slowly, Vermeer entrusts much of the labor of creating the colored paints to Griet.

CHRISTY by Catherine Marshall

When Christy Huddleston leaves a life of privilege and ease to teach in the impoverished Smokey Mountains, her faith is severely tested by her pupils, the love of two men, and the curious customs of the mountain people in her community. Yet she grows to love these people and the simple, fulfilling lifestyle to be found in the heart of God's country. First released in 1967, Christy is based on the life of author Catherine Marshall's mother and was the inspiration for the recent television series of the same name. Beautifully told, this is a charming, timeless tale of love and faith that will appeal to romance readers of all ages.

 
Originally Posted by Joyeuux NIGHT by Elie WieselNobel laureate Elie Wiesel's wrenching attempt to find meaning in the horror of the Holocaust is technically a novel, but it's based so closely on his own experiences in Birkenau, Auschwitz, and Buchenwald that it's generally--and not inaccurately--read as an autobiography. Like Wiesel himself, the protagonist of Night is a scholarly, pious teenager racked with guilt at having survived the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.

Though Night isn't a fave of mine, it's one I'd definitely recommend, although it's so sad!. Had to read it for freshman year of highschool.

Recommendations of mine:

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman.

In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first. The three books in Pullman's heroic fantasy series, published as mass-market paperbacks with new covers, are united here in one boxed set that includes The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Join Lyra, Pantalaimon, Will, and the rest as they embark on the most breathtaking, heartbreaking adventure of their lives. The fate of the universe is in their hands. <taken from="" amazon=""> My favorite series of all time. Got my mom to read it, my best friend to read it, you get the picture.

Classics I Love:

The Cather in the Rye, Jane Eyre, The Grapes of Wrath,

Great Gatsby<don 't="" exactly="" like="" the="" story="" but="" i="" love="" how="" it's="" written="">

Harry Potter of course.
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Oh and Dean Koontz's writing is awesome.

I'll stop now because I could go on an on.
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A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is such a fantastic feel good empowering book about a young woman growing up.

c**t by Inga Musico is also a fantastic book that all women should read. It is about womanhood, sisterhood, loving ourselves and empowering ourselves. I don't want people to get freaked out by the title, but if you search the authors name it will be the first thing that comes up.

 
Originally Posted by suzukigrrl A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is such a fantastic feel good empowering book about a young woman growing up.
c**t by Inga Musico is also a fantastic book that all women should read. It is about womanhood, sisterhood, loving ourselves and empowering ourselves. I don't want people to get freaked out by the title, but if you search the authors name it will be the first thing that comes up.

OMG Suzukigrrl, Inga Musico's book is great! Well, at some points it gets a little much for me, but in general, I love how empowering it is. We should talk about it more in the sex forum!
 
MATERIAL GIRL by JULIA LONDON i soo couldnt put the book down omg and i hate books usually this book was FANTASTIC its a love story but its got so much SPUNK lol its really my fav book EVER and best of all its a trilogy so yep im reading the others!

 

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