Your Advice Needed- Books

[peefaye]

Formerly an avid reader; these days I find I spend most of my time on web sites or reading work-related magazines. For our upcoming cruise, I simply want to hit the lounger, relax, and make it through some actual books. My problem is that I have no idea what to buy. I don't want anything too heavy, but I'm not into formulatic plots either.
I'm posting here instead of the general cruise question board because I like the posters on this board, and feel as if I've gotten to know some of you through your posts. Any suggestions on a good read?

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[torpeedo]

I love reading as well and always plan my time for reading while cruising. But I always treat myself to Books on tape. The ultimate in relaxation. Only problem is I sometimes fall asleep and miss a few chapters! I generally rent them from Books on tape website.
Kind of books I like are mysterys so the latest Grisham book or one of the other great mystery writers. I try to find some mysteries regarding the Caribbean if they are around.

Carnival Legend 12/05/04
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Caribbean Princess 09/17/05
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Veendam 11/26/05
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[sueclark]

DaVinci Code. It's the best book I've read in years. After that read Angels and Demons by the same author (Dan Brown).

Other than that I read mystery, adventure... most anything except romance or westerns.

Sue
sueclark@aol.com (SueClark)

Constellation Transatlantic 9/7/04
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Infinity Panama Canal 4/17/05

[torpeedo]

I definitely second that Da Vinci Code! What a great thriller! If you haven't read that one, save it for the cruise!

Carnival Legend 12/05/04
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Caribbean Princess 09/17/05
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Veendam 11/26/05
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[sail7seas]

I'm planning to buy The Puppetmaster by Richard Hack for us to read on our upcoming Maasdam cruise. (the story of J. Edgar Hoover....as never told before??? http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

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[Charliesmom]

Middlesex by (?) Eugenides is a beautifully written novel about hermaphroditism. It also goes into a lot of various bits of history.

The Secret Life of Bees is a wonderfully uplifting story about the power of love to heal.

I also think the DaVinci Code is excellent. It makes you want to go and look up facts (not all of the author's "facts" are necessarily correct.

Another good book is The Alienist.

Amy Tan has written several good books - including The Kitchen God's Wife.

I really liked The Shipping News by Annie Proulx.

Have you read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. It was a best seller a couple of years ago. It will make you laugh and cry.

Hope you get to read some of these books.

Roberta

[sail7seas]

I definitely second the suggestion re: The Secret Life of Bees and Angela's Ashes. Da Vinci Code is a must read.

Roberta....we seem to like the same books....except for Amy Tan. Not a favorite of mine.

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[Jacqueline]

All listed are favs... i actually read the secret life of bees on my last cruise ! If you liked the DaVinci code, read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown...
I will say that I depend on the ships library for 90% of my reading (need to bring something for the plane).
Dont forget SeaBiscuit, the book is terrific - better than the movie. You can get it in softcover. I read it on the flight to Tahiti last summer !
So how is the library on the Westerdam/Vista class ?

Jacqueline
Constellation 3/20/04
HAL Westerdam 7/30/04
Tahitian Princess August 2003
Grand Princess Western Caribbean 2003
Brilliance of the Seas Baltic 2002
Ocean Princess- Alaska 2001
Celebrity Zenith- Bermuda 2001
Grand Princess Med 2000

[Krazy Kruizers]

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Books

Whenever we cruise, husband and I take a couple of paperbacks each. At the end of the cruise we donate them to the library. That way we don't have to lug them home. In recent years we gave the books to the Neptune library.

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[Vicar]

I am also a big fan of mysteries.
John Grisham
Nelson De Mille and the like

Also for light cruise reading Steve Allen , the comedian used to write murder mysteries. Light hearted and written tongue in cheek like his comic style, but fun light reading , especially to read on a deck chair *LOL*

S7S ....... A guy at work just read The Puppetmaster. He said it was great. He said it was scary the power that this man had and what he did with it.

He is going to lend it to me , definately will have to read it

[tomc]

There is a book, rather old by now, by Noel Mostert (I think I have the name right) called "Super Ship." It's non-fiction and he wrote it while traveling on a P&O Ultra-Large Crude Carrier (ULCC) or Very-Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). P&O let him on the ship for a voyage from England to the Middle East and back. It's an excellent book -- not just about that voyage, which he recounts in detail, but also about the role of these monsters, as well as their inherent dangers.

It was serialized in The New Yorker years ago. I found a copy in the local library. It might be available from amazon.com as well. Highly recommend it.


(I don't keep count of my posts, but I had 4731 before the board wipe.) :)

[localady]

During the school year I am in college, retraining in Environmental Horticulture. With studies I don't get a great deal of time to read anything but a text or resource book. I need to thank you all for your literary recommendations! I ordered 3 of the recommendations for our cruise in 2 weeks. ;)

[sail7seas]

Happy reading. Hope you enjoy them.

I just purchased The Puppetmaster yesterday and am eager to read it. DH liked the looks of it as well.

[localady]

S7S- The Puppetmaster looks great, plan to read it as soon as it is available in softcover/paperback:) A glimpse into the life of a man portrayed by some as an evil genius...The airlines have gotten really picky on there
weigh restrictions, so I try to carry paperbacks that I can easily carry as I try to carry only 1 bag and a smaller carryon. 2 weeks till we sail, am getting organized a bit daily :)

[peefaye]

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'm going to buy The Puppetmaster, and The Da Vinci Code to read now (I did read Angels and Demons a couple years back and really enjoyed the concept). I think I'll get Super Ships, Secret Life of Bees (recommended by my mom as well) and maybe some mysteries for the cruise. I figure if I lug a bunch of books on board and leave them in the library there will be more room in my luggage for souvenirs fom the trip.

[foreveryoung]

If you like the DaVinci Code, then I suggest you read "The Confessor" by Daniel Silva.

Another great book is "Katherine" by Anya Seton. This one you may have to go to the library or a used book store to find or Amazon.com just re-released it. (orginally published in 1954) It is a historical novel about an actual real love affair between a commoner and a royal. Their affair had a major impact on the English monarchy. Set in England in the period from 1365 to 1409.

[michmike]

hard to go wrong with anything by robt ludlum, nelson demille, ken follett, robt parker, stuart woods, david baldacci, stephen frey, grisham, john sandford,clive cussler and give wilbur smith a try. Just finished his "birds of prey" and the sequel "monsoon" a great sea and land adventure set in africa in the 1600s .. hard to put down.. you'll long for more days at sea ... enjoy!

[ASM]

I think I must be really strange. I normally read between 2 and 6 books a week-more when I'm not as busy as I've been lately. On my last cruise I took half a dozen paperback mysteries, a local history, a biography, an American history, and a couple of guidebooks. I didn't read any of them!!! Unheard of for me. I plan to take just a couple this time. Apparently my reading habits are reversed from "normal" folks!