Books to Buy

[Megan]

Hey Guys

I just received a $100 Dymocks voucher for the course I did last year. Just after some recommendations for books to purchase and stuff.

I think I might get an Atlas, I used to love looking at my mum's. Anything else? Any recommendations?

 

[dobergirl]

What kind of books do you like? What sort of fiction? I am a read-a-holic (so is Molloch! ) so I might have some recommendations if you tell me what you're into

You could check out www.goodreads.com too, I love it! You can input and rate books that you have read, and it will give recommendations based on what you like.

ETA: Also, here's the Goodreads 2011 awards, these are sorted by genre, might help too.

http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2011

 

[molloch!]

Lol yes Dobergirl and I are both on Goodreads. I agree, tell us what you like & I'm sure we can give you some great recommendations.

 

[Megan]

Um, I dont like fantasy/vampires/stuff like that. So no hobbit/twilight/dune etc like books. I dont mind a who dunnit and stuff. For trash, I do read Jodi Piccoult, but I get a bit over that. I like good biographies, not ones that blow smokes up subject's arses.

Oh and I try not to think too much. I dont have the time or inclination to really think about it, if you know what I mean?

I think my favourite book of recent years is We Need to Talk About Kevin.

 

[Megan]

Yep, got that at Angus and Robertson's big book sale.

 

[dobergirl]

Defending Jacob looks good

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11367726-defending-jacob

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

I really liked Room

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7937843-room

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.
Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.
Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

Before I go to Sleep was also great, a real page turner for me.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9736930-before-i-go-to-sleep

As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.

And since you like Biographies and are a dog lover, you might like this one. I got mine at Dymocks.

Saving Private Sarbi

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12733284-saving-private-sarbi

Powerful, dramatic, heartwarming, this is the true story of Sarbi, the scruffy black Labrador-cross trained by the Australian Army as an explosives detection dog for the most dangerous combat mission imaginable.

Thirteen months after Australia's most famous canine warrior went missing in action following an historic battle between the elite SAS and the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2008, she was found by an American Special Forces officer patrolling a village in a region known to be a Taliban stronghold. Against all odds, Sarbi had survived her injuries, the enemy's weapons, a bitter winter, one brutal summer and the harsh unforgiving landscape on her own. She was the miracle dog of Tarin Kot.

Sarbi's story, and those of the other brave Australian Army dogs in Afghanistan, will resonate with anyone who has known the unconditional love of man's best friend, and understands the rewards of unbidden loyalty, trust and devotion. It will appeal to all those who appreciate the selflessness of serving your country and the inherent dangers of putting your life on the line for others in a war zone. And it will strike a chord with anyone who has experienced the magical connection with a dog.

 

[Megan]

Thanks Dober! Will check them out!

 

[molloch!]

Join Goodreads Megan


A couple of other good dog books


Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou by Steve Duno

The moving story of the author’s adopted Rottweiler mix, Lou, a free-thinking heroic dog who changed his life forever

Born of guard dogs on a secret marijuana farm in Mendicino County, Lou truly was one dog in a million. On the winter day that the ailing, tick-infested feral pup was rescued by Steve Duno, neither dog nor man had a clue as to what they were getting into, or where the relationship would lead.

Last Dog on the Hill tells the story of an indigent young Rottweiler mix who, after abandoning his pack and the hills of his birth, went on to change the lives of hundreds of people and dogs, including the author’s, whose career as a behaviorist and writer was made possible through Lou’s extraordinary intelligence and heart. Lou won the respect of gang members, foiled an armed robbery, caught a rapist, fought coyotes and kidnappers, comforted elderly war veterans and Alzheimer patients in their final days, taught ASL to kids, learned scores of unique behaviors and tricks, amassed a vocabulary of nearly 200 words, helped rehabilitate hundreds of aggressive dogs and saved them from euthanasia. He was also a clown, consummate performer and Steve’s best friend for sixteen years. His story will make readers laugh and cry in equal measures.

A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz thought he had everything he needed. A novelist for nearly forty years, with more than twenty #1 New York Times bestsellers to his credit, his career was thriving. He had been married to his high school sweetheart, Gerda, since the age of twenty, and together they had forged a happy life for themselves in their Southern California home. It was the picture of peace and contentment. Then along came Trixie. Dean had been researching his novel Midnight--a book which includes a service dog named Moose--when he came across Canine Companions for Independence. He was so impressed with the training that the dogs received, and the valuable service they provide to people with disabilities, that he formed a relationship with the organization. Never having had a pet, the last thing he was looking to do was adopt a dog...but that's what happened a few years later when a beautiful golden retriever named Trixie was retired from CCI service because of an elbow injury--and that put her in need of a home of her own. Once in Dean and Gerda's home, Trixie very quickly found a way into their hearts. A Big Little Life tells the story of unexpectedly falling in love with a dog in middle age. It details Trixie's life with Dean and Gerda, the tremendous impact she had on them, and the things she taught them along the way. A lively and joyful read, it presents Trixie in all her complicated glory--her smarts, her lack of vanity, and her uncanny knack for living in the present. But there's sadness here, too. Trixie held a special place in her family's heart, and her passing left a tremendous void. Dean doesn't shy away from that loss, he meets it head-on, with humor, love, and longing. A powerfultribute to a beautiful friend, A Big Little Life will remind readers everywhere that the love of our canine best friends is a love that lasts more than a lifetime

Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him by Luis Carlos Montalvan, Bret Witter

During two tours in Iraq, Captain Luis Montalvn survived stab wounds, a traumatic brain injury, and three fractured vertebrae. The pressures of his physical injuries, agoraphobia, and crippling PTSD proved more than he could endure. That's when he met Tuesday, a highly trained service dog who became his constant companion. "Until Tuesday" tells the unforgettable story of how these two wounded warriors found salvation in each other and became best friends for life

Endal: How One Extraordinary Dog Brought a Family Back from the Brink by Allen Parton, Sandra Parton

Allen Parton suffered a serious head injury while serving in the Gulf War and returned home unable to walk, talk or remember most of his life. He couldn't even remember his wife, Sandra, and their two children. After five years of rehabilitation, he was still severely disabled.

Sandra was a nurse so thought she would be able to help her husband, but the Allen who had returned didn't remember her, and couldn't cope with what life had dealt him. Determined to be strong, Sandra would have to fight to keep her family together.

Endal was a Labrador puppy with problems of his own until he 'adopted' Allen and Sandra. He was to change their world, and give them back their family

 

[Megan]

I ended up getting The Slap, Cloudstreet, Jodi piccoults latest,and an atlas

 

[mebe]

If you can get the Wool books by Hugh Howey they are very good ... I know he has ppl working on getting his stuff out to AUS

 

[TerryV]

My partner loves the Wool books and has read 1 and 2 (I think) I haven't as yet, not usually a Sci-Fi fan but might give these a go they come highly recommended.

 

[Danny]

I'm also on good reads and I love having good books to read

Add me!

 

[James T]

i would definitely recommend the hunger games series.
it is simply unputdownable. it is a good read.

 

[Wormow]

I agree with James, definitely 100% check out The Hunger Games. After around 50 pages in, you won't put the book down, literally. It'll suck you in because the writing is so good and thrilling. They cost $12 each or you can buy the whole trilogy set for $26. Read it now!!

 

[Megan]

Yeah? I'm not into fantasy stuff do you think they'll still appeal? I'm looking for some new stuff to add to the kindle..

 

[Cowie]

The Sleeping Doll by Jeffery Deaver is a good psychological thriller. That's about all I read, thrillers and true crime and biographies.

Have you seen the movie of The Slap Megan? It's a little odd, I'm not a fan of Aussie movies but it kept me enthralled it was so odd. I'd friggen slap the kid too, there's always one kid you want to slap but you hold back because their parents would go berko.

 

[Megan]

Yep we watched it when it was show last year loved it

 

[Wormow]

Yeah? I'm not into fantasy stuff do you think they'll still appeal? I'm looking for some new stuff to add to the kindle..

It's not really fantasy. It's set in the future, presumably thousands of years in the future (but everything's virtually the same other then some districts being extremely poor, and the Capitol advancing with hovercrafts, high speed trains and extremely weird fashion tastes). Hunger Games is extremely popular on Kindle too

 

[Tee]

I'm also on good reads and I love having good books to read

Add me!

I love good reads.

It is a super clever little app. And it encourages me to read more, just to write the review (talk about liking the sound of your own voice... Ha!)

 

[Candlewick]

If you like mystery books and thrillers this is a good site. You can write reviews and take part in the challenge.

http://paradise-mysteries.blogspot.com.au/