Don't tell me you don't read books

[libodem]

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[Manifestor_of_Light]

1. I read non-fiction.

Most modern fiction is not appealing to me. But I do read a lot of books.

The best modern fiction novel I've read is "The Cider House Rules". John Irving's grandfather was a doctor in New England and that was a case of writing what you know. I thought it was much better than Garp, which I read previous to the Cider House Rules. "Garp" was rather strange and I couldn't find a point to it other than the theme of castration.

I also read "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All" by Allan Gurganus. That was interesting.

So I really have no idea what modern fiction would appeal to me. I'm not into spy novels or bodice rippers or sci-fi or fantasy. In high school I read some classic sci-fi and every non-fiction Asimov book I could find.

The only Stephen King novel I've read was "Misery" and it was relatively short.

I tried to read Jane Austen and gave up because I had to stop and figure out who was saying what and who the characters were.

I recently read "All Quiet on the Western Front". That's about World War I.

Suggestions?

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I have a few suggestions,

but it really depends on what topics interest you.

The Lacuna or The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver...totally different subjects but both are very good books.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

These are all fiction, but I learned a lot of history from them as well so I didn't feel as if I wasted my time with any of these.

[scarletwoman]

4. Suggestions? Well, this being the Fiction Group, pretty much every thread here could be taken

as possible suggestions.

I suggest you read through a few of the "What Are Reading the Week of _____" threads, and see if any the books people have posted about sound interesting.

I read nothing BUT fiction, having never been interested in non-fiction, so I really have no idea what would appeal to a non-fiction fan. My personal favorite genre is Scandinavian crime fiction/police procedurals.

Come to think of it, I actually DO have a suggestion. Are you familiar with the 1986 assassination Swedich Prime Minister Olof Palme? There's an absolutely fabulous (imho) trilogy of books by Swedish author Leif GW Persson that are woven around that event. Fiction, yes, but referencing real historical events - not just the assassination of Palme, but the 1975 blowing up of the West German embassy in Stockholm by supporters of the Baader-Meinhof group. Woven throughout the trilogy are true historical events; Cold War political machinations, the rise of the Welfare State in Sweden, the long-lasting reverberations of WWII and Nazism in Europe, and more.

Maybe you'd find them interesting.

Here's the author's page on the Fantastic Fiction website: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/leif-g-w-persson/

The three Olof Palme related books are listed at the top of his book list, as the "Story of a Crime" series:

1. Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End (2010)
2. Another Time, Another Life (2011)
3. Free Falling, As If in a Dream (2014)

If you decide to give them a try, I hope you'll come back to this group and let me know what you think of them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. Yes I do remember the Baader-Meinhof Group and Olof Palme.

I saw the movie about the Baader-Meinhof Gang on TV. The guy who played Baader, Moritz Bleibtreu, also played the Sultan Malikshah, in my favorite movie, The Keeper:The Legend of Omar Khayyam (2005). More info: www.greatomar.com

I used to read true crime stories like Blood and Money, which happened in Houston(the suspicious death of Joan Robinson Hill, in possibly from toxic shock syndrome which was unknown then and the subsequent murder of her husband, Dr. John Hill) when I was a kid. I later knew the lawyers and judges mentioned in the book from working with them. I was a court reporter for 20 years and my dad was a lawyer and my mom typed for him, so I grew up in a law office. And mom would explain all the phrases on the wills and deeds and petitions she typed, like "Wherefore premises considered" and "Know all men by these presents" and "defendant prays that Plaintiff go hence without day" in a general denial. (Not delay.)

True crime is always more interesting to me than fiction, because it's more complex and motives can be complex too. But I got tired of it because I was so drenched in law. Did I mention I went to law school at night for five years while working at the courthouse and earned a J.D. I never used?

I will look into those books.

[libodem]

6. I like Ken Follett

I just read a world war one book of his called Fall of Giants. It took me over a year because I stymied at the start of the war and couldn't bear to read the beginning.

There are two more in the series I'm looking forward to.

[Enthusiast]

8. I have read every book by Follett.

I liked them all. One that stands out is Eye of the Needle. They made that one into a very good movie.

[libodem]

9. Pillars of the Earth

Is my all time favorite!

[Enthusiast]

10. My wife's favorite too. Really very good.

It's hard to have a favorite.

[scarletwoman]

2. That's hilarious!

[Enthusiast]

7. My younger brother, now in his late 50s, has only read two books in his entire life.

This despite both our parents being avid readers. I feel certain my son has never read a book in his entire life. Same for my brother's son. They are not illiterate. They simply will not read anything beyond a magazine article.