Mystery/Thriller Reading Friends discussion

This is the place to list the books you really liked that were not in the M/T genre. I keep the right to move some authors around. Stephen King is not reall M/T but his books are usually listed under that and "other".

TOP:
WEIGHT OF SILENCE - Heather Gudenkauf
CLEOPATRA'S DAUGHTER - Michelle Moran
WE ARE ALL WELCOME HERE - Elizabeth Berg
THREE CUPS OF TEA - Greg Mortensen
ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE - Barbara Kingsolver

i only have 8 non/m't's but my m/t list is bigger than 10, so it kind of balances out. sort of..lol
The Book Thief – Zusak
The Art of Racing in the Rain- Stein
The Last Chinese Chef- Mones
Sara’s Key- de Rosnay
Cutting for Stone- Verghese
Still Alice- Genova
Life Without Summer- Griffin
Secrets of Eden- Bohjalian

My Top Non - MT were all audio books.

Zusak, Markus The Book Thief Audio
10 of 10 heartbreaking yet uplifting

Hoffman, Alice The Story Sisters Audio
9++ of 10 deeply emotional and fabulously read by Nancy Travis

Lehane, Dennis The Given Day A Novel Audio
9+ of 10 sweeping and interesting historical saga

Hicks, Robert A Separate Country Audio
9+ of 10 a fictional account of John Bell Hood post Civil war (audio had fabulous voices)

Tan, Amy The Bonesetter's Daughter Audio
9+ of 10 wonderful history, poignant stories, interesting characters

Gabaldon, Diana A Breath of Snow and Ashes Audio 9+ of 10 book six Outlander - my first in the series, what was I waiting for?

The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
Animal,Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin
The Race by Richard North Patterson
Red River by Lalita Tademy
Rashi's Daughters Book One Joheved by Maggie Anton
Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler

Originally posted in the wrong place:

TOP non M/T



Boomsday: Christopher Buckley
For all that I miss Fitzhugh and his manic wit, I can be somewhat consoled that there is a body of work by Buckley that I have not read, and is every bit as good. I guess I wold have to characterize this as biting political satire, though biting satire seems more the intent than any politics, the use of positions and campaigns was just an available foil. This is wonderful stuff!! (A-)


Cold Choices: Larry Bond
Not may guys writing good techno-thrillers these days, and of those that do, Larry Bond is one of the best. Cold Choices might be the best submarine novel I have ever read. The Seawolf collides with a modern Russian sub, damaging both, but putting the Russian on the bottom. The action is both at sea, trying to affect rescue, and in the halls of power, working the political angles. (A-)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

A reread, but after seeing the movie, I needed to reacquaint myself with where the story goes. (A-)

Turn Coat: Jim Butcher
While the earliest books were lessons in how the supernatural worked, the later books put this all to use as a study in conflict and mystery in the parallel world. As with many m/cs we see, being a friend of Harry Dresden is not a recipe for good health. The level of mayhem remains high, Harry remains in good humor, and the world seems to be moving somewhere, hopefully toward being a better Place. (A-)

The Watchmen
If you like moral absolutism, this might be the place for you. Watchmen is a graphic novel, with a couple of novel within novels going on. The heroes (super, as far as that goes, or at least costumed) are a varied bunch, and none of them have quite the same definition of justice or morality as any other. Perhaps one of the strengths of Watchmen, other than very tight writing, is that you can choose a hero to best match your view of the world, and see how they fare. I was rooting for the paranoid, go figure. (A-)

Little Pink House: Jeff Benedict (non fiction)
This was one I thought I had to read. Not so much the eminent domain case, but because it was local, and I frequently rode my bicycle in that neighborhood, and lost some of my favorite restaurants when it was torn down. My expectation was of some dry reportage that I would have to spend a few days slogging through, but instead, I was presented with a compelling story, one in which I not only knew all the names, but lived it in the newspapers, and worked with some of the people, some of the children of the people, and had some more of them that were part of normal dinner discussion.
The real joy though was that hte book was so readable. The story was one of those that was better than fiction, except that the ending could not change, and there is no escaping the pile of rubble that used to be a viable communityen was torn down one house at a time. (A)


Black Ops: WEB Griffin
WEB is one of the world's great natural storytellers, but you have to already like his chocen subjects: war and warriors. Black Ops takes place in the present time, and uses subjects as real as the headlines. He also uses a unique class of people, and the books are much more about the interaction and development of the people than about action. The theme of this particular series has been the Food for Money Iraq scandal. Easily his best work in a decade. (A)

Here are my top non M/T reads (listed in the order read):

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The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
audio read by the author


The Long Ball The Summer of '75--Spaceman, Catfish, Charlie Hustle, and the Greatest World Series Ever Played
Tom Adelman


Pictures at a Revolution Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood
Mark Harris
audio read by Lloyd James

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Losing Mum and Pup A Memoir
Christopher Buckley
audio read by the author


That Old Cape Magic
Richard Russo


His Majesty's Dragon
Naomi Novik
audio read by Simon Vance


The Machine A Hot Team, a Legendary Season, and a Heart-stopping World Series-The Story of the 1975 Cincinnati Reds
Joe Posnanski


Advise and Consent
Allen Drury

Some of these could fit the mystery category, but since they're supernatural I'll put them here instead.

DEAD & GONE Charlaine Harris
MEAN STREETS by Jim Butcher & others
LOVE MERCY Earlene Fowler
A KISS BEFORE THE APOCALYPSE Thomas E. Sniegoski
CARPE CORPUS Rachel Caine
JESSICA'S GUIDE TO DATING ON THE DARK SIDE Beth Fantaskey
HUNTING GROUND Patricia Briggs
TURN COAT Jim Butcher
FADE OUT Rachel Caine
THE MACHINE Joe Posnanski

My top non mystery/ thriller for 2009

The Book Thief
World Without End
The Guernsey Literary and Potoato Peel Pie Society

Meredith

My top non mystery reads for 2009:

Revenge of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran
Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood
Christmas Jars by Jason Wright

A post script for "little Pink House", the story of the eminent domain case in New London. All the destruction was done to build a new world headquarters for Pfizer, who announced last month that hey are closing it down, just before the tax abatements expire.

Sherry wrote: "i only have 8 non/m't's but my m/t list is bigger than 10, so it kind of balances out. sort of..lol
The Book Thief – Zusak
The Art of Racing in the Rain- Stein
The Last Chinese Chef- Mones
Sara’s K..."

Sherry, the Last Chinese Chef made my list for 2008.

Barry wrote: "A post script for "little Pink House", the story of the eminent domain case in New London. All the destruction was done to build a new world headquarters for Pfizer, who announced last month that ..."

Unbelievable, Barry!

Non M/T's

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama -- Gwen Ifill
Great Expectations -- Charles Dickens
When You Are Engulfed in Flames -- David Sedaris
The World According to Bertie -- Alexander McCall Smith -- (44 Scotland St. series)
The Comforts of a Muddy Sunday -- (Isabel Delhousie series) -- Alexander McCall Smith
The Given Day -- Dennis Lehane

2009 Non-M/Ts

Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert
Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti
Mulengro by Charles De Lint
The Good Yeomen by Jay Williams
The Daughters of Bast: The Hidden Land by Sarah Isidore
Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein
Chalice by Robin McKinley
Sorceress by Celia Rees

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Sherry, the Last Chinese Chef made my list for 2008. "

i know- that's why i picked it up!

I don't have a top ten non M/T list, but the few that did make my top ten list for the year that aren't M/T are as follows:

The Help by Kathyrn Stockett
Pajama Girls of Lambert Square by Rosini Lippi
Driftwood Summer by Patti Callahan Smith
Black Hills by Nora Roberts
South of Broad by Pat Conroy

2009 Non-M/T's

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid

Non M/T
Turn coat - Jim Butcher
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Lover Avenged - J R Ward

Non-M/T

Conn Iggulden - Lords of the Bow
Michelle Moran - Cleopatra's Daughter
Sharon Kay Penman - The Sunne in Splendour
Lara Adrian - Kiss of Midnight
Dave Cullen - Columbine
Charlaine Harris - Dead and Gone
Ken Follett - World Without End
J. R. Ward - Dark Lover
Karen White - The House on Tradd Street
Jane Lindskold - The Buried Pyramid

Penman's book helped me put in prospective the players in the War of the Roses.

Non MT Favorites -2009

Fool - Christopher Moore
The Given Day - Dennis Lehane
Queen of Swords - Sara Donati
Omnivore's Dilemma - Michael Pollan
The White Queen - Phillipa Gregory
White Tiger _ Aravind Adiga

I just realized something GREAT about goodreads. This post will be here when I am ready to request books. I don't have to say the posts it will be so great to have it all in one place all the time.

Non M/T 2009
1. Cutting for Stone
2. The House on Tradd Street
3 The Help
4. Very Valentine
5. The Story Sisters

Only read 50 total but 28 more than last year! Yay goodreads!

Favorite non M/T's for 2009:

The Other Boleyn Girl~Gregory
Twilight~Meyer
Pieces of the Heart~Karen White
Fortune's Rocks~Shreve
Bridge of Sighs~Russo
Souvenir~Theresa Fowler
Serena~Ron Rash
Fay~Larry Brown
This Is Where I Leave You~Jonathan Tropper
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallaws~Rowling

Cane River by Lalita Tademy
Roughing It by Mark Twain(read this while traveling in the same area that he traveled)
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Undaunted Courage by Sephen E. Ambrose
The Original Wild Ones by Bill Hayes (FYI: National President of the Boozefighters MC works at same company as hubby)
Push by Sapphire

1. Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, Charlie Huston.
2. Turn Coat, Jim Butcher.
3. Beat the Reaper, Josh Basell.
4. The Negotiator, Frederick Forsythe.

Daniel wrote: "1. Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death, Charlie Huston.
2. Turn Coat, Jim Butcher.
3. Beat the Reaper, Josh Basell.
4. The Negotiator, Frederick Forsythe."

I somehow missed adding the Charlie Huston book to my list. I really enjoy his books

top Non m/t

1. Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
2. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
3. One Day at a time by Danielle Steel
4. Summer on Blossum Street by Debbie Macomber
5. East of the Sun by Julia Gregson
6. the Last Song by Nicolas Sparks

Top Non-M/T Reads:

The Handmaid's Tale (Paperback) - Atwood, Margaret
Honolulu (Hardcover) - Brennert, Alan
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane (Hardcover) - Howe, Katherine
Twenties Girl: A Novel (Hardcover) - Kinsella, Sophie
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Hardcover) - Shaffer, Mary Ann

Bottom:

Eat, Pray, Love - Gilbert, Elizabeth
Life of Pi - Martel, Yann
Lost Letter - Mulligan, Neil
The Reader - Schlink, Bernhard
The Shack - Young, William P.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - Wroblewski, David

There were elements of M/T in a couple of these. In no particular order

American Fuiji/Backer
Peony in Love/See
The Art of Racing in the Rain/Stein
Shoot the Moon/Letts

General Fiction
The Given Day-Dennis Lehane
Loving Frank-Nancy Horan
A Reliable Wife-Robert Goolrich
The Senator's Wife-Sue Miller

Mystery
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Lost Symbol-Dan Brown
Scarecrow-Michael Connelly