Mary and I just finished reading Surrounded By Strangers by Josi Kilpack. It was a pretty good book, and we hope to do an episode on our podcast soon. I am looking forward to reading “Unsung Lullaby”, which I have on hold at the library.
I am interested in other books. What books would you recommend? I am interested in novels currently.
Have you ever read any of Chaim Potok’s books? Excellent Jewish fiction that approaches the universal human experiance
My Name is Asher Lev is a personal favorite
My Name is Asher Lev sounds familiar. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation, AML.
I highly recommend Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize and I found that trying to put it down before it was done was an exercise in futility.
Thanks, Jeff. That looks like a good book. Now I have two to check out from the library today.
It should sound familiar. I have read it more than once. It’s a classic (My Name is Asher Lev).
Julian Barnes writes wonderful, funny but deeply intriguing novels. My favourite book is his A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters. But Talking it Over is also incredible.
Anything by Graham Greene is out of this world amazing. My fave’s End of the Affair but people tend to like Power & the Glory more.
If want to see what a good novelist can do with Mormonism, read Virginia Sorensen’s A Little Lower than the Angels. It’s about a family during the Nauvoo period and some problems of polygamy (but also so much more). She’ll blow away any preconceived ideas about Mormon novels.
(It’s very dangerous to ask a librarian for book recommendations. I could go on for pages, but I’ll leave it with my top ones.)
Really? I don’t I have ever seen you read it, Mary.
Thank you very much for those many recommendations, alea. Hopefully a few of those will make it into our podcast.
One that I enjoyed several years ago is *Lost Boys* by Orson Scott Card.
Mary likes Orson Scott Card, and she has read several of his books. I don’t believe I have read any of his. I will check that out in about 4 months when I’m done all the others. :)
I started reading My Name is Asher Lev, AML. FYI.
I finished My Name is Asher Lev. Good book. As an amateur actor, I really identified with the story in a lot of ways. If I can convince Mary to read it again (she’s read it twice many years ago), hopefully, we can do a podcast on it soon.
I am now reading Middlesex, Jeff.
Middlesex was good. It didn’t take me two months to read it. I just realised I hadn’t said anything. It was very interesting.
I’m reading A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters now, alea.
I have to say I didn’t like it, alea. I was bored with it and made it only through the first two chapters.
I enjoyed Talking It Over much more.