Comments on: delectable brain floss?

By: Wabi Sabi Me

Wabi Sabi Me — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:19:00 +0000

While working on a directed research project this summer, I’m enjoying Linda Berdoll’s books continuing JA’s Pride & Prejudice: Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, and Nights & Days at Pembereley.

I cover them with book sox so no one will know what I’m reading LOL!

By: girlwithtrowel

girlwithtrowel — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 01:57:40 +0000

I can highly recommend Tamora Pierce, especially the books set in Tortal. If you don’t already know about her, she looked at YA sci fi and fantasy in the 1980′s and asked ‘where are all the heroines?’ then wrote them as she couldn’t find any.

I love the books, have done since I was about 12 (27 now) and keep going back to them for comfort reading. It’s like visiting with old friends.

By: Sonya

Sonya — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:23:30 +0000

I highly suggest Nancy Farmer novels. They’re YA, and so so good. Usually somewhat dystopian. My tfirst was “The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm”, but I love “The House of the Scorpion” more. But only by a little.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:31:52 +0000

The Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket).

By: sy

sy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:31:22 +0000

My wife recommends a series of books by jacqueline carey that start with “kushiel’s dart” (something like that anyway).

By: Rachael

Rachael — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:41:40 +0000

I’ll de-lurk for a minute too.

I looove Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series–I started reading it in high school and have stuck with it in the years since when I’ve had time. It’s not really fantastical besides the fact that the main character has to take princess lessons and everything associated with that, but otherwise, I love the books. Mia, the main character, is in high school and mostly talks about her friends and the two boys she likes, but being socially-aware and nerdy, not to mention impossibly neurotic (though not to hopeless Bella-like levels), Mia is a character that’s pretty down to earth and fun to read. It’s not trashy, but it’s fun and light YA reading.

Second on the Stephanie Plum series. Evanovich is always good for laughs.

By: Marina

Marina — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:05:08 +0000

I love to dive into YA material for mindless fun. I’m currently 50 pages into Breaking Dawn and must admit, it’s a little scary that I’m so sucked in I don’t want to put it down. As for other brainless fun – I’m a big supporter of Juliet Marillier; she’s an Australian author and she’s only written a few YA novels but I like her style of epic romantic fantasy. Also on the list of guilty pleasures are Emily Giffin’s novels.

Will have to check out some of the other recommendations and just to note: this is the second place today I’ve seen a recommendation for “Uglies”. Will have to give this a look.

By: Liz Ditz

Liz Ditz — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:03:04 +0000

I agree that Tamora Pierce’s series are lovely brain floss — I too like the Protector of the Small series the best

Angelle said Laurell K. Hamilton to be meaningless fun with an extra-extra helping of smutty. — I like the first five or six in the Anita Blake series, then it just gets to be boring.

Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series suits me fine — always with the slapstick. (Evanovich: “If Mickey Spillane wrote Archie and Veronica, Stephanie would be Betty.)

Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse (barmaid and telepath, with vampire and shapeshifter lovers..) novels are good beach reading fodder, as are Patricia Briggs’ Mercedes Thompson (VW mechanic and shapeshifter…with vampire and faerie friend).

If you are in the mood for period mystery, Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series is satisfying.

By: Scott Gunsaullus

Scott Gunsaullus — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:02:28 +0000

I like Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone. He has three books. The most recent, The great derangement, may be his best yet. It's nonfiction but I find him thoroughly entertaining. It's organized in essay format for optimum flossability! I also recommend Cormac McCarthy's the road, if you're looking for a post-apocalyptic adventure that will leave you very depressed. But there's a reason it won the pulitzer in 2006. The prose is expertly crafted. There is an economy of words that approaches elegance. The story literally flies off the page. It's one of my all time favorite books.

By: Melanie

Melanie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 09:52:14 +0000

This got me thinking of being a young adult and the disparity between what we’re told we should like/read and what we really like/read. I was on the receiving end of the Judy Bloom books – most of which I loved. These were great books that spoke to my intelligence and issues as a young girl. But at the same time, they didn’t give me thrills I sought. So I would secret away copies of those terrible VC Andrews books up to my grandparent’s cottage. Those books were creepy and gothic and trashy all at once. I tore through them. I’m currently checking out Feed and plan to read Little Brother and the Pretties series. But these are smart YA novels. Seems many adults rave about them. I wonder how teens are responding …