Books?

[Sarah Arr!]

I'm doing a 50 book challenge, and while I have a queue of books to read next, I want something fun and easy to read. 

I figure that there must be some lit-nerds amongst you lot. What was the last really awesome thing you read? 

[crapandemic]

I honestly am almost done reading The Picture Of Dorian Gray for the first time and it's dense but omg why didn't I read it sooner? I am in looove~

Also, Light Boxes by Shane Jones. It borders on poetry, is easy to read, has creative typography, and is surreal. And the bird masks remind me of plague doctor masks and that is freakin' sweet.

[TimT]

I'm going to throw out some ideas for books you may or may not have read as a kid: 

The Pushcart War, Jean Merrill - hilarious kind-of-sort-of alternative history about a 'war' in New York City between pushcart vendors selling ice-creams, fruit, and the like, and these guys who drive giant trucks. I'm told it's become a classic.

A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle - fabulous fantasy/science fiction - the usual 'kids become involved in quest across the galaxy' type story but herconcepts are unique.

I also actually quite enjoy Dan Brown's goofy thrillers, the plots are silly but fun.

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

I just read Wildwood by Colin Meloy. That was a fun book. I also really like the novel Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God by Joe Coomer and Tina Feys book was really fun.

[Sarah Hoffman]

Anything by John Irving!

[Dave Roche]

Voice of America by EC Osondu was incredible.  For something lighter, I liked Fine Fine Music by Cassie J. Sneider.

[Sarah Arr!]

I finally settled on a book by Kate Adkinson. My partner pretty much made me promise to read one, and I kept forgetting/getting sidetracked. 

I've looked some of your suggestions and they all look really awesome. Yay. 

[Jenna Freedman]

I just finished Feed by Mira Grant. It is a total page-turner, but be prepared that some very sad things happen. 

It's a future dystopia about a world where scientists have cured cancer and the common cold, but in so doing have created a zombie virus. The protagonists are twenty-three year-old bloggers covering a presidential campaign. The science and the politics are contextually believable and pop culture clever. There are fierce female characters and a sweet bond between adoptive siblings.

[Maria Sogna Tutte le Notti]

"Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire", by Margot Berwin. It's about a woman who a plant-seller who is initially handsome, and then begins a big adventure in her life.

It was fun, at least for me, a person who adores plants and herbs!

[Simone Brulee]

All of the old Nancy Drew books are really fun and interesting to read since they're all very old fashioned. I also second what Jenna Freedmad said about Feed by Mira Grant, it's a great book. Some others I really like are Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma, Girl by Blake Nelson, Dream School (Sequel to Girl) by Blake Nelson, Room by Emma Donoghue, and Bunheads by Sofie Flack.

[Sarah Arr!]

I really liked Girl a lot. I will definitely pick up Dream School. Room was amazing and terrifying. And, I've never read a Nancy Drew book! But maybe I should. 

Feed sounds really interesting too, as does the Berwin book. 

I'm reading "Left Early, Took My Dog" by Kate Atkinson right now, and "The Quiet Room" by Lori Schiller, which is so intense that I have to pretty frequently put it down and go do something else. 

[TangleCrafts]

Have you read the other books by Kate Atkinson in that series?  It has its moments, but I honestly don't think 'Started Early...' is the best.  The first one, 'Case HIstories', was my favourite; although I actually read the second, 'One Good Turn', first, and enjoyed it enough to want to read the rest.  If you like Kate Atkinson's style, you might also enjoy Barbara Trapido - no detective/mystery aspect, but the light-but-intelligent prose & intersecting storylines have a similar feel, in some ways.  A good place to start with those is 'Brother of the More Famous Jack'.

[Sarah Arr!]

I kind of had wanted to start at the beginning, but this is the most recent one that my partner had, and I like dogs, so it seemed like the way to go. Honestly, I have been zining it up, so books have kind of fallen off my radar for a minute though.