Can you recommend a book for an adult gift, please?

My grandmother wants to buy me a book for my birthday and has asked me to say what I'd like.





Usually I just ask for something from the Booker or Orange Prize shortlists but this year I've read them ~ or don't want to.





So, I thought I'd see what else is out there!





I enjoy both fiction and non-fiction, prefer 'serious' and 'literary'


(but not humourless) writers and would like recommendations of the books that 'grabbed' you this year.





Last years 'best books' for me were 'We Need To Talk About


Kevin', 'Pomegranate Soup', 'Purple Hibiscus' and 'The Kite Runner', plus two books about Italian art history.





I'm not keen on 'romance', 'action', 'conspiracy', 'self improvement' or 'throwaway' as genres, but don't mind elements of any of those in a book.





I'm a mature reader with a reasonable familiarity with the classics and a wide ranging interest.





Any recommendations would be appreciated!





Thanks :-)

Can you recommend a book for an adult gift, please?
One of my favourite, most appreciated and over read books ever is John Birmingham's "Leviathan". Yes, we know he's the guy who wrote "He died with a falafel in his hand". But this was his epic... underpromoted yet brilliant.





It took him many years of frustration and tireless research to prove himself as a serious writer with this book in the 90's. And it's a beauty - should be on every senior school curriculum. It's historical non fiction about the underbelly of Sydney since the convict times to the present. But it's so entertainingly written. If you want to learn about our more obscure social history, way beyond the political history you were taught in school etc, and be tantalised by lots of amazing little stories... it's the book to keep your eyes glued to the page. It's long too.


I'm going to read it again!
Reply:I am so glad you will get this book. Warning - it's usually not in stock in most bookstores, even the big ones, and may need to be ordered. Cheerio :) Report It

Reply:I'd go with a nice "Soup for the Soul" book for granny.
Reply:Books that i read recently that 'grabbed' me this year were 'Drowning Ruth'; kinda drama that weaves back in forth through diff characters and time about a family and its 'secret'; the book was on Oprah's book club. My personal fav book is 'The Time Traveler's Wife'.





A good scifi fiction that was funny was 'The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy'...i heard the movie sucked, but the book got me laughing hard





As for nonfiction, 'Naked' by David Sedaris was hilarious...series of vignettes on his life...guy is a riot to read





For 'classic-types', 'Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrel' was a good read, but that one's kinda thick. I liked how it was historical and fantasy-kinda (magicians) based novel, and how it weaves between those two characters
Reply:Here goes:





http://www.life-after-harry-potter.com





Included is a list of only the best sorcery fantasy books, grade reading level, a short review of each book along with a brief summary of adult content. There is also a "Reader's Choice" list of favorite books, and a list of heroine sorcery fantasy books.





Also these: http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/grto... . Lots of lists, but I especially like the Harvard Classics list - all the books that I should have read, but (mostly) never did.





Finally, these: http://www.awardannals.com/wiki/Honor_ro... - pick your genre, find the best books ranked by how many awards they've won.





I hope this helps.





Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/
Reply:I'm sure you've already heard of her, but my favorite author right now that would fit what you are speaking of is Toni Morrison. She writes about black history, but her books go much deeper than that rather they touch humanity. Jazz is my favorite of her books, but I'd also recomend Paradise. As far as humor goes Dave Berry is my favorite contempary author (of comedy), but his two novels (mabey he has more now) are fairly bizarre. You did say this year and to be honest I haven't read many books from this year.
Reply:Have you read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke? It's fantasy, but very literary, and has a sly sense of humor. The author has a web page at http://www.jonathanstrange.com/
Reply:Tess of the d'ubervilles and Brave New World
Reply:I second the recommendation made by Twight: Marion Zimmer Bradleys "Mists of Avalon" is, not only a "must read," but a "must have". But, given the chance that you have already read it and have a copy, I'd like to recommend:





The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (2005)





and/or





The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra (2004)
Reply:i like the clique series
Reply:For pretty heavy spiritually oriented drama, I recommend "Foucaults Pendulum" by Umberto Eco (famed for Name of the Rose)





For feminist/lesbian lit with just amazing emotional depth, anything by Jeanette Winterson with "Written on the Body" top of the list.





For semi classical early 20th century coffee table psychologically oriented ...stuff.... Aldous Huxleys "Point Counterpoint" and "Eyeless in Gaza" top the list.





If you like a bit of self flagellation and haven't yet read it, John Miltons Paradise Lost is worth the visit.





If you're into swords and sorcery, Marion Zimmer Bradleys "Mists of Avalon" is a true classic.





A return to student days and self involved sexuality with some good twists can be enjoyed in Brett Easton Ellis "Rules of Attraction" which he wrote before "American Psycho" and in my opinion, it is the better book.





Starhawks "Spiral Dance" for some visions of utopia, and in modern Sci Fi I cannot recommend highly enough CJ Cherryhs Invader and Foreigner series of books, or for a slower pace the series commencing "Fortress in the Eye of Time".





Happy hunting (p.s. if any of these seem like your thing, easy enough to use a search engine to pull up reviews). Happy journeys!



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