It's been a while, but one of my favorite novels is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I like that the book took place in 12th century England because it gave me the opportunity to escape to a different time and place. I think that the characters were very well developed and I enjoyed discovering how their lives would affect one another.I hated seeing one of the main protaganists die half way through the book, but the fact that a book can evoke so much emotions just shows how attached I was to the characters and I think that it also made the book more realistic. I thought the length of the book gave an opportunity to really know the characters and see their different perspectives. It was a darker book and while I enjoyed it, I definitely have to be in a more somber place for that type of overall tone.
I am also very fond of the Stephanie Plum series. I can't really pick out one book in particular because I've enjoyed them all. I like that they are light and quick reads. I also like to see stong female characters in books and I think that Stephanie Plum isn't just strong, but quirky as well. I like the Jersey setting because I have lived in Jersey and can relate to some of what she is refering to. It makes it easy to visualize and imagine what Evanovich is writing about. I think the tone of these books makes them easy to pick up for a vacation or long weekend when I don't really want to have something too cerebral.
I made a recommendation for Ellen A. on her blog Lost In A Good Book.
You might want to look at The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. It is also a historical fiction and is character driven as oppossed to plot driven.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the Heather Wells Mysteries by Meg Cabot. These are funny and plot driven with a fast-paced style.
I've read some of the Heather Wells Mysteries and enjoyed them so good suggestion. I will have to give The White Queen a go.
ReplyDeleteThere's a new book by William Dietrich called Barbed Crown that I wrote up for our press release this week - his books bring to mind the combination of historical research and good story of Ken Follett. Have you read anything by him?
ReplyDeleteI haven't. I will have to check him out. Thank you for the book recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI think you would like Marta Acosta's Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. It is fast paced, witty with a strong colorful female protagonist, like Stephanie Plum, but with vampires.
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