I Need A Good Book To Read On My Trip

[scootepie66]

Don't know if its been mentioned but our whole family liked Prey by Michael Chichton and now we are hooked on Clive Cussler's - Dirk Pitt novels that a friend introduced us to. Actually we pretty much like sci-fi and mysteries.

[Bookish Angel]

A memoir about life in a North Korean gulag. Superb.

 

And the Band Played on by Randy Shilts - A near perfect telling of the many missteps during the discovery of AIDS and the subsequent crisis. Scary and relevant.

 

Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng - A male perspective on life during China's Cultural Revolution. Another good one in this genre is Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Ching.

 

The Lost Boys of Sudan - harrowing refugee stories. Good to read before of after seeing the documentary.

 

Devils on the Deep Blue Sea - an unflattering look at the cruise ship industry.

 

Any book about Mozart as the 250th anniversary of his birth is this month!

 

Black Like Me - a Caucasian man alters his skin color to experience African-American life in the 1960's USA. Still very relevant!

[ILoveScotland]

One of my favorite series is the Anna Pigeon mysteries written by Nevada Barr. Each book is set in a National Park in the U.S. When we first meet Anna she is a young widow from New York who has become a National Park Service Ranger. The books are best read in the order they were written, because Anna ages, has romances and grows in her work as the series progresses. I have enjoyed them all and have learned a lot about our national parks. Here's the list in order along with the National Park in which each is set.

 

 

Track of the Cat - Guadaloupe Mountains National Park

A Superior Death - Isle Royale National Park

Ill Wind - Mesa Verde National Park

Firestorm - Lassen Volcanic National Park

Endangered Species - Cumberland Island (Georgia) National Seashore

Blind Descent - Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Liberty Falling - Gateway National Recreation Area (Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty)

Deep South - Natchez Trace National Parkway/National Scenic Trail

Blood Lure - Glacier National Park

Hunting Season - Natchez Trace National Parkway/National Scenic Trail

Flashback - Dry Tortugas National Park

High Country - Yosemite National Park

Hard Truth - Rocky Mountain National Park

[tartegnin]

I can't recommend too highly for shear can't-put-it-down reading some recent books:

 

The Historian

Labarynth

Shadow of the Wind

anything by Arturo Perez-Reverte

 

and one of my favorite books: Feast of All Saints (especially if you'll be cruising to New Orleans!)

[scootepie66]

ILoveScotland....Thanks for the reminder about the books from Nevada Barr, I read Track of the Cat(picked it up at a yardsale) years ago. I'll have to grab a couple for upcoming cruise. Can't wait to read the one set in Mesa Verde since that is the area where I live.

[pennycp]

The Eight by Katherine Neville kept me interested. Her others were not as good IMHO.

 

Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini - These are the first two volumes of the Inheiritance Series, a third will be released at a date TBD. I'm not a real fan of fantasy but these are both plain good reads that can be shared with younger readers. Kind of like Harry Potter in that respect.

[Smart Freak]

I would recomend the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia, they are little and you can read one every night!

[Sayyadina]

If anyone out there is interested in good science fiction, I can't recommend Kristine Smith's 'Jani Kilian' series enough.

 

Also, for you Alaska cruisers out there, try anything by Dana Stabenow (mysteries). My favorite was 'Breakup.'

 

Jody

[diverearl]

I didn't read them all but there are a lot of great suggestions, mine would be Left Behind By Jerry Jenkins and Tim Lahey.

[travel girl23]

Like another poster, have been on the CC boards for years and just now checked out this forum. This is a great thread. On of my favorite authors is Rosamund Pilcher (September, Winter Solace, etc.) Love her books and cannot put them down. They take place in England. Her son, Robin has just started writing and I got one of his books for our upcoming cruise. I read on another forum (don't remember which one) where a poster mentioned a book dealing with the history of cruise ships. Cannot for the life of me find that thread nor the post. Anyone else remember seeing it? Thanks for all the great ideas for cruise reading. I agree that the ship's library has a lot of books but be sure to go when it is open as the cases are locked (at least on Carnival).

[IllinoisAuthor]

Hi all,

 

I enjoy "light" amateur sleuth mysteries and "sexy" contempary romances for cruise reading as these types of book are fun, which to me is what cruising is all about. I'm leaving for an Eastern Caribbean cruise on Celebrity in two days and am taking three mysteries:

Crossed Bones by Carolyn Haines

Four on the Floor by Deborah Morgan

Hot Wired by Jane Isenberg

 

and a romance:

Charmed and Dangerous by Lori Wilde

 

Sure hope I don't run out of good books<grin>

 

Best,

Denise Swanson

author of Murder of a Smart Cookie, July 2005

Murder of a Real Bad Boy, Aug. 1, 2006

http://www.DeniseSwanson.com

[HarleyGirl]

Read "A Salty Piece of Land" by Jimmy Buffett---if you are going someplace tropical, you will definitely be in the mood for it when you get there! Have a great trip!

[Sayyadina]

Oh, another one for Alaska cruisers is Icy Clutches by Aaron Elkins. He also has one set in Tahiti called Twenty Blue Devils. They are mysteries, good fun. The main character is a forensic anthropologist, but the books aren't gorey. Highly recommend any of his books (has another set in Egypt).

[CodenCruiser]

Have any of you Janet Evanovich fans read any of her "Full" Series? I was just online looking for the release of her next Plum novel and came across the info that there is another series out there that she writes with Charlotte Hughes.

 

I want a really light, fluffy book or two to bring on our March cruise and thought that Janet would fit the bill.

 

Thanks,

Sandy

 

Yeah, they are pretty good. Light and fluffy.

[rmillsap]

All the series by the following authors are humorous, romantic mysteries. Love all of them! Lisa Scotilini, Diana Mott Davidson, Suzanne Brockman, Nora Roberts (aka JB Robb) (The QUEEN!)., Dean Koontz for horror, Stuart Woods for Mystery.

 

emerald 777

Glad to see you like Diane Davidson's books, I do the law enforcement advising for her, in fact I’m meeting with her today. One of the books, (The Grilling Season) is dedicated to me, I thought it was a nice gesture and an honor. Can’t seem to talk her into taking her family on a cruise though.

Rich

[Bill-Squared]

I know, it's the worst kind of self promotion, :o but I recently published my first novel. Not sure what your tastes are, but you can check it out at my website. Any questions, just let me know...

[emerald777]

emerald 777

Glad to see you like Diane Davidson's books, I do the law enforcement advising for her, in fact I’m meeting with her today. One of the books, (The Grilling Season) is dedicated to me, I thought it was a nice gesture and an honor. Can’t seem to talk her into taking her family on a cruise though.

Rich

 

How cool is that! Tell her I love her books, but she needs to write faster! :D She's as bad as Diana Gabaldan, making her fans wait YEARS for a new book to come out! You gotta do better at convincing her to take a cruise! As a true cruise fanatic, you are required by law to convert at least 10 people a year!

 

Bill in Dallas - Your book sounds interesting and I'm sure it's very good, but I'm more of a mystery, make believe kind of reader. Too much real life stuff going on in my own life....... Good Luck!

[love2vacation]

Thanks for this thread. I have ordered the entire Joane Fluke series, also Jane Heller's Princess Charming, plus Susan Sussman's Cruising for Murder. I had previously finished the entire Stephanie Plum series by J. Evonovich (sp) and am anxiously waiting from #12. :D

 

I also have a Linda Howard book, and some Jennifer Cruise from a friend at work to take as well. I should have enough reading material for this trip!

 

I now have a long list of authors to check out at the library.

Thanks, everyone.

[kgymn]

She was already mentioned in this thread (albeit a year ago!) But Jodi Picoult's books are some of my favorites right now! My Sister's Keeper was mentioned, but she has many other great ones as well. I've only read one that took a while to get into (Second Glance, I think) so far, and even that picked up nicely.

 

Nothing like a great book to go with the warm sun!

 

~Katy

[Bookish Angel]

A fictional story of a young girl growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay before and after the political uprisings there.

 

This book is the 1997 Milkweed Prize for Fiction winner. I am a big fan of the Milkweed winners and urge everyone to try one.

[Pandora]

I love to read and have a few reccomendations-

James Rollins-Map of Bones-If you liked Dan Brown, you'll like this

Jack Dubrul-If you like Clive Cussler, you'll like any of his books

Kristin Hannah, Luanne Rice or Emile Richards- for the ladies

 

We're leaving in about a month on a Princess cruise and I'm looking forward to picking out a good book for the flight down. Thanks for all the good recommendations! Enjoy! Pandora

[MaryContrary]

I love Diana Gabaldon's books, too. Had the pleasure of dining with her and hearing her speak several years ago at a Scottish festival. Her first book, Outlander is my favorite. Really great to read especially before a trip to wonderful Scotland. I also love Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters'(same person) books. For my upcoming cruise, I'm planning to read (from CC posters recommendations) Skinny Dip by Carl Hiassen, Princess Charming by Jane Heller, and Decked by Carol Higgins Clark. I also ordered Cash Peters' Gullible's Travels. I love his show "Stranded" on the Travel Channel. Bill Bryson makes me laugh until tears roll down my face- my favorite is his book about traveling around Europe, Neither Here Nor There. His Notes From a Small Island (about England) is also a hoot.

 

Happy Travels,Happy Reading!

[patrice1]

I guess I'm the only one here that loves True Crime. I prefer non-fiction and I love Anne Rule and Jack Olson - and any others I can find! I like them because I already know how they end ;) and I enjoy reading how they were caught & what made them do it. Was it childhood - parenting - or just a "bad seed"? Other non-fiction, as mentioned Bill Bryson, a good hurricane book - Isaac's Storm, a good shipwreck book - Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, serious stuff , a concentration camp memoir- A Village of a Million Spirits, a Korean orphan's memoir - Ten Thousand Sorrows, and to feel better about it all - anything by Ann Lamott :) . Happy reading!

[vms]

Lots of great suggestions so far. Here are some of mine that I don't remember having been mentioned already. I'm a very ecletic reader, so take these with a grain of salt- they may not be to everyone's taste. :D

 

True Crime:

any books by John Douglas

 

Non-Fiction:

Freakanomics

Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach

 

Mystery:

the Tempe Brennan series by Kathy Reichs (Deja Dead, etc)

 

Historical Romance:

any books by Julia Quinn

any books by Stephanie Laurens

 

Sci-Fi/Romance:

the Betsy Taylor series by Mary Janice Davidson (Undead and Unwed, etc)

the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands (A quick Bite, etc.)

 

A giant me too for Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and the rest of the series. I've read Outlander 30 times or more and still find something new with each read.

 

Happy reading everyone!

[4merlurker]

I skimmed this thread so I don't know if this was mention or not.

 

Marley & Me

Life and love with the worlds worst dog

by John Grogan

 

Funniest book I've ever read - and I read ALOT!

 

This is a must for dog lovers but I think anyone would really enjoy it too!

 

~Connie