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6.06.2009

for you.



It occurs to me that you all so generously offered up book suggestions and I never gave you anything in return.

This morning I "attempted" to update the Book Club section of the blog. I added all the books suggested in the comments of that post. However, the suggestions scattered throughout comments of different posts have yet to be added...fret not, they will be!

However, here, I will "attempt" (not sure why I'm using quotes, but I am) to offer up my own suggestions.


First, I adore Pat Conroy. I was introduced to his works going into my sophmore year of high-school. I had never, ever come across so many i-need-a-dictionary words all at once. But after fifteen pages of struggling to take it all in, I fell. I fell madly and deeply and desperately in love with his words. 

The Lords of Discipline

and

Beach Music

It doesn't matter which you read first. They are both his. I've read each upwards of three times. And I think I'm due for another run of Beach Music, very soon. 

Others will say Prince of Tides is his best. I would disagree. The two books I listed above are perhaps my favorites of all time.

Though, Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close just gave them a damn-fine run for their money. I'll have a review of this coming soon. This book is the most genius thing I've ever read. Period. Hands down. It may now share the stage with the above two as my favorite.

Another that keeps coming to mind is Anita Shreve's Light on Snow. It's an easy, fast read and undeniably lovely and moving. 

And finally, two books I've written about before, but must, must suggest again: The Time Traveler's Wife and Dancing on Thorns

As for books of poetry: The Forgiveness Parade and The Splinter Factory, both by Jeffrey McDaniel

There you have it. 
If you read any of these (or have read) you must let me know what you think.


photo via visualize.us

22 comments:

Laura C said...

I just got The Forgiveness Parade in the mail:). Skimmed through it for just about ten minutes so far, but I'm excited to indulge:).

And I just read The Poisonwood Bible. It's excellent, one of my new favorites.

happy reading!

Gabby said...

You're awesome.

I just finished The Prince of Tides and have Beach Music right here next to me...I'll let you know what I think!

Ivy Morgan said...

can't wait to check these out :)

Diana said...

jonathan safran foer is amazing and i totally admire his writing. you are already really cool, but this just proves your taste are really great!

Leslie said...

I love, love, love Time Traveler's Wife! I would say it's in my top three all-time favorite books and I am an enthusiastic reader, to say the least. It makes me cry every time I reread it.

I also recently read Cormac McCarthy's The Road. While undeniably bleak, the father-son relationship is really something. And McCarthy's spare prose really illustrated for me how much brevity can illuminate a story.

Also, I'm sort of a closet young adult fiction fan and I highly recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's a really good read! (And fast).

Looking forward to checking out your picks the next time I hit up our library!

Leslie said...

Forgot to add: Pat Conroy is a genius and I too love The Lords of Discipline. Agree - it is much better than Prince of Tides (which was also well done...I think I just liked the TLoD storyline better - plus, the assault scene in Prince of Tides was really upsetting).

Check out My Losing Season if you haven't already!

d jane said...

i love your blog :):):)

AmyK said...

Oooh, more to maybe add to my summer reading list! Woot!

Jill said...

I love Pat Conroy! I don't think I have ever felt more sad to come to the end of a book than when I finished Beach Music.

Looking forward to reading your other suggestions.

rubi said...

this picture reminds me of the bookstore audrey hepburn works at in the movie funny face. :)

SofiaLoves said...

Hey girl!
I saw that you were one of the contributors to Women's World Magazine!

That is so great!
I am as well and hope this project grows.

=)

Thx for joining!

Belen said...

holy schmoly are those really all your own books? i was looking around for a link to see if you'd just found that somewhere but i don't think so! WOW woman, WOW. but its cute the way you kept the on the stairs like that. school's gotten in the way and i've got a list of 25 books i'd like to read this summer. sigh, 2 more days and i have 2 weeks before summer classes start.

meg fee said...

no, no, no--i forgot the image credit!! they're not mine!

Anonymous said...

Meg - I Loved "The Forgiveness Parade' and I just bought Dancing on Thorns because of your recommendation and can not wait to read it.
Also I don't know if you have read "The Geograpy of Love" by Glenda Burgness but it is so fantastic. I read it in 2 days.... lots of late nights.

Micaela said...

i instantly scribbled each one of these down. If YOU love them, I just know that they will be brilliant and worth my read.

I can already tell I'm going to like Extremely Loud from your quotations in reccent posts.

thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Jessica Tingey said...

aren't photos of books on stairs the best? ;) just ordered beach music on amazon. thanks for the tips! and your beautiful blog.

Jayne said...

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is one of my favorite books of all time. Have you read "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides? I think you'd really like it. And if you're into short fiction, there's a fantastic collection by Aimee Bender called "The Girl in the Flammable Skirt." She has a really sharp, wry sense of humor.

Oh! And I've been meaning to ask you - I'm going to New York on the 15th and was wondering if you had any tips on cool places to check out.

Aline said...

I am so excited that you did this!

I am waiting for The Time Traveler's Wife from Amazon...will let you know how I like it!

Natalie Hill said...

megbrockie!

i don't have your number! sick!
i'm having a shacktacular late bday party at the shake shack tonight @ 8!!! madison sq park!
come!!

please!
call me
917 826 8621

Elizabeth Marie said...

Thank you thank you! The Time Travelers Wife...incredible, and now I am going to check out Dancing on Thorns!


xo

Binz said...

I am new to the blogging world as a blogger...but have been a "blog stalker" for a few months now...I know I know Im guilty! So my blog is the new kid on the block. But I have to say I completely adore your blog! SO insightful and beautiful! I was looking into reading "The Time Travelers Wife," because people keep raving about it! Anyway thanks for the other suggestions!

iheartkiwi said...

loving the new additions... i adored "a heart breaking work" and "water for elephants" keep the suggestions coming!