book reviews, really?
I had no idea my book reviews were so missed. This is a little akward, because I can see a few ways of proceeding: Only reviewing books I really like and would recommend highly (which means, not many reviews); reviewing everything I read (which would be a bit much); a mixture of good and bad. But the last option means I'd be putting up negative reviews, and you remember what a stink that caused, right?
So here's a list of novels I'd recommend, in no order at all. Everything mixed together, all genres, but just novels, and all modern. With another hour to spend I'm sure I could double it without hesitation. Which means: there are many, many other novels I would recommend as well, if I had time. But I'm stopping, because otherwise I'd be sitting here all night.
- The French Lieutenant's Woman, John Fowles
- Jim Fusilli's series
- John Sandford's series
- The Light in the Piazza, Elizabeth Spencer
- The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
- A Thread of Grace, Mary Doria Russell
- The Sparrow, Mary Doria Russell
- My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
- Ain't She Sweet, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
- Every Secret Thing, Laura Lippman
- White Doves at Morning, James Lee Burke
- A Catch of Consequence and Taking Liberties, Diana Norman
- Harmful Intent and Wrongful Death, Baine Kerr
- Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels
- The Love Letter, Cathleen Schine
- All Saints, Karen Palmer
- Dorothy Dunnett's Niccolo Rising series
- Shutter Island and Mystic River, Dennis Lehane
- Dennis Lehane's Patrick & Angie novels
- Bride of the Wilderness, Charles McCarry
- Dan Simmon's series starting with Hardcase
- Jenny Crusie, everything she's written
- Flowers from the Storm and For My Lady's Heart, Laura Kisnale
- Judith Ivory (aka Judy Cuevas), everything she's written
- Stephen Hunter's series
- Sacred Hunger, Barry Unsworth
- The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer
- Shipping News, Annie Proulx
- The Inn at Lake Divine, Elinor Lipman
- Possession: A Romance, A.S. Byatt
- Margaret Lawrence's four novels about post-revolutionary Maine and New York
- Greg Rucka's series
- The Magician's Assistant, Ann Patchett
- A Soldier of the Great War, Mark Helprin
- the first three novels in the Outlander series, Diana Gabaldon
- The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
- The Rose Grower, Michelle de Kretser
- Passing through Paradise, Susan Wiggs
- The Water Method Man, John Irving
- Beloved, Toni Morrison
- Straight Man, Richard Russo
- Rose, Martin Cruz Smith
- The Moonflower Vine, Jetta Carlton
- The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood