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Permalink Reply by Kiri on November 3, 2008 at 10:54am

Ok, I'll Start (Although these 5 Change on a daily basis, just like my music taste)

1. TANDIA - Bryce Courtenay
Following on from one of the best books ever written *The Power Of One* -> Tandia continues the narrative with even more honesty, and graphic detail of the painful personal situations that a human can endure, during the time of Apartied. (when I first read it, it was a mammoth book to read) but the story keeps u hooked. Awesome read.

NO KAVA FOR JOHNNY - John O'Grady
It was my first ever Samoan story, and after reading so many fantastic tales of adventure in far and distant lands and cultures, to have a book, read from a "Samoan" perspective, put a whole new addiction to my reading Schedule. Cute book *and I've reviewed it here*

DETECTIVE SERIES- (Detective Bosch) by Michael Connelly
If you thought C.S.I was gruesome, try reading about it, for me, it sounded so much more scarier, and trying to figure out the motive and killer by the end of the book - while scribbling my predictions on the front cover - was just fun..pure joy to read (and not my usual type of reading, but i was HOOKED)

THE BLUEST EYE - Toni Morrisson
No one can do it like Toni Morrisson, when I read this story about a little african american (black) girl, growing up thinking that she was white, or let me re-phrase, idolising the blonde/blue-eyed ideal - I identified somewhat to the confused within one's culture. great read.

MALCOLM X
Inspiring! Strengthening! and a beautiful life, Malcolm X changed the world, changed the civil rights movement, and empowered a nation of under-dogs'. An alltime Idol for me.

Permalink Reply by Hamo Geek Girl on November 3, 2008 at 12:18pm

1. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
This was the first like really grown up book I'd ever read.. it took me maybe 10 attempts before I finally got past the second chapter and OMG.. the way this writer pulled together elements of history and film and lyricism and politics and spirituality is incredible... and then the storyline is so gritty and real and so wonderfully absurd at the same time. This book is the reason I list Rushdie as just about my favourite author of all time.

2. Hotel Honolulu, Paul Theroux
I love how this writer de-mystifies Waikiki (once and for all!) with tragic, cynical, 'lmao' portrayals of the people who frequent this less-than-ritzy backstreet hotel. This might have been a little more entertaining for me because I know Hawaii, but Theroux's got this caustic sense of humour combined with amazing insight that I know a lot of ppl will appreciate. Oh so funny reading material!

3. A Widow for One Year, John Irving
This is one of Irving's lesser known novels, I think (he's famous for Cider House Rules, Hotel New Hampshire, etc.) but I loved it because the storyline was so..foreign to me, it was educational. This girl Ruth grows up in the shadow of her two older brothers - who she's never met because they died in an accident before she was born.. and she watches how repercussions of that event continue to affect the lives of her parents and herself. It was fascinating, especially told by such a masterful writer. (I'm SO not gonna kill it for myself and watch the movie they made from this book lol)

4. The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
When I become a filmmaker, I want to capture scenes and images the way this lady writes them. Reading this, you might as well be physically there in Kerala (India) because she has this way of making all the sights, sounds, smells and even the weather come to life with her words. The story is simple (in the complicated way that a lot of stories are simple) but so tragically beautiful... I was just about breathless when I finished this book... all 5 or so times that I've read it...

5. Mother Earth Father Sky, Sue Harrison
Okay, I HAD to include one of my fave teeny bopper books because I think I'm still an avid reader today thanks to amazing stories like this one. It takes u into the world of a young girl, dealing with things universal to all young girls, but also having to handle situations none of us could ever imagine..because the story is set a couple centuries ago near the top of the world in Eskimo land... And still somehow the writer makes everything so real and relevant to us today.. Sooo cool.



Aw what, only five?

Permalink Reply by Kiri on November 3, 2008 at 12:23pm

you can go on..as much as you like. :)

I'm so hunting down Hotel Honolulu!! & wow, i love your "why" - *looks @ my own list*.. ok..

after your first 5.. just keep listing*

*one of our member's were after a few refferals for a good read*.. *cough* list it for her.. and me :D

thanks Chi!! the all knowing, all see-ing one.

Permalink Reply by Hamo Geek Girl on November 3, 2008 at 12:39pm

LOL yay!! I continue to list!!

Don't worry.. I'll be back!! :)

but OMG I love Bryce Courtenay... been meaning to check out more from him.

Sadly, I haven't done much reading lately .. just been crazy busy... but thank u so much for the reminder to visit the library sometime very soon...

Oh.. and to read that Kava for Johnny book you keep going on about....

hehehe

Can't wait!

Permalink Reply by Hamo Geek Girl on November 6, 2008 at 8:51am

Oh i LOVE reading about Cambodian history and people's experiences during Khymer Rouge... what continues to shock me is how recent that whole thing was... I know people not all that much older than me who were in the camps...

Wow.. thanks for the reading suggestions! Gonna try and find Gogo Mama. That sounds cool....

Permalink Reply by Hamo Geek Girl on December 2, 2009 at 6:04pm

Ooohhh missed this list.

Maaannn I need to do some reading!

Thanks for these suggestions, WestCoast...

Permalink Reply by Lani Wendt Young on February 4, 2012 at 6:40pm

I cant choose just five favorites...but here's SOME of the greatest books I've ever read and will re-read time and again. In no particular order:
1. Little House on the Prairie . Read them all again...last time i was pregnant. Four yrs ago. Something so satisfying and soothing about them.
2. the Narnia series by C.S Lewis. The books that first sparked my imagination of 'other' worlds. And yes, even as a old woman now, I still read them.
3. Woman Warrior - Maxine Hong Kingston "girls are like maggots in rice" "My raised me to be a daughter/slave but told me the story of the woman warrior." A powerful and disturbing read - the first book that forced me to think about what it means to be a woman and a writer/creator of stories. The power of the storyteller and stories as a form of fighting against that which oppresses us. Stuff like that...
4. Twilight - yeah yeah, go ahead and roll your eyes! I love this series in its entirety. The movies suck.
5. Harry Potter - do i even need to explain?

Ooh and some more...everything by Amy Tan. (Joy Luck Club etc)