As yall know, I’m a crazy reader. I’m pretty much obsessed with books. The first time I knew it was love was when I actually got in trouble with my fourth grade teacher because she thought I was LYING on my “reading log” when I said I read 1,000 pages in a week. Of course right when I entered college I knew what my degree would be in…..English! I just love Shakespeare, Milton, Bronte, James, Faulkner, Hemingway and allllll those classics but yall have been seeming very interested in what I read to date and so I wanted to compile a list of books I love and recommend. Here she goes—enjoy!
Prince of Tides (and any other book by Pat Conroy)
Redeeming Love (and any other book by Francine Rivers—esp. And the Shofar Blew along with Atonement Child)
At First Sight (along with anything else by Nicholas Sparks–esp A Walk to Remember!)
ANYTHING by Richard Paul Evans
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles (and ANYTHING else by Margaret George!)
Granny Dan (I also loved H.R.H, Rogue and Coming Out by Danielle Steel)
The Baker’s Apprentice: A Novel
………….there are about a million more but this should get yall started!
bobbi
October 14, 2008 at 2:50 pmThanks do much for the list! I also love to read, when I can find time. But I am always afraid that I ll pick out a bad book, so now I have tons to choose from!
Kelly L.
October 14, 2008 at 2:56 pmJenna- I saw you put Certain Girls on your list. Did you like it better than Good in Bed? I liked GIB but it wasn’t my favorite book that’s for sure. was CG better? I keep passing in the bookstore and pick it up but for some reason can’t bring myself to buy it. HMMM… Anyone?
megan
October 14, 2008 at 3:11 pmThank you!! Thank you!! I love cozying up to a good book in fall and winter and I can’t wait to dive in to your recommendations!
jenna
October 14, 2008 at 3:13 pmKelly L,
Gosh, I read GIB when I was a freshman in college and I honestly don’t even remember it! I put certain girls on the list because I just read it recently and it was awesome! I really enjoyed it!
jenna
October 14, 2008 at 3:14 pmBut let it be known—-there are about 500 books I LOVE that are not on the list because when I made this, I was just thinking out of thin air of books I like. There’s too many!
VeggieGirl
October 14, 2008 at 3:28 pmAMAZING list of recommendations – thank you!!
Melissa
October 14, 2008 at 3:46 pmHey there,
Great list!
Have you tried using goodreads.com to keep track of your reading accomplishments? It’s pretty neat and I swear I don’t work for them.
I love your blog.
Amy
October 14, 2008 at 4:11 pmI’ve been looking for a good book to indulge in, so this is perfect for my need of recommendations. Thanks!
Megan
October 14, 2008 at 4:28 pmI love At First Sight! My other favorites are The Five People You Meet In Heaven and For One More Day by Mitch Albom. I also love Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos!
Anna
October 14, 2008 at 4:35 pmI read Julie and Julia years ago and love it! I just saw that Amy Adams from Enchanted is going to be Julie in a movie version of it coming out in the spring.
Meredith
October 14, 2008 at 4:42 pmI’m so excited about this book list! I love Jodi Picoult! I remember when I was a kid I once checked out 20 books from the library, and the librarian was like “you do know these are due in 2 weeks, right?” I read them all in that time!!! I would stay up really late reading because they were just too good to put down. I am seriously looking forward to winter break so I can read for fun without feeling guilty about unopened textbooks.
Beadie
October 14, 2008 at 4:57 pmGreat list!
ModelBehavior
October 14, 2008 at 5:01 pmWe have VERY similar taste in books Jenna! I have read almost 3/4 of your list! All very good, I’m going to print this page and add the other 1/4 to my “to read” list!!
Grounded Fitness
October 14, 2008 at 5:07 pmthanks for posting this. i love reading but hate picking something up and having no idea if it will be good or not. Ill have to give some of these a try.
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitness.com
Sarah
October 14, 2008 at 5:22 pmHi Jenna! I was an English major too 🙂 If you haven’t already, you should create a page on goodreads.com ! You can list all the books you’ve read, recommend, are currently reading, want to read, own, etc. Plus you can look for lists of new stuff to read too, it’s a lot of fun.
My page is http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/959276
Have a great day!
Sarah
Molly
October 14, 2008 at 5:39 pmHave you ever read anything by Luanne Rice? She is really great.
Natalie A
October 14, 2008 at 6:28 pmGood pics! I’d have to say my fav from your list is probably Grapes of Wrath.
FYI…if you’d like to swap books with others …and save some $ :)… I found an awesome website, http://www.paperbackswap.com. I’m a big reader…and there u can post the books you dont want anymore plus you can request books from others. You only pay the shipping price for ones your sending out, usually around $2. I love it!!
Amy
October 14, 2008 at 6:32 pmI’m so glad you posted a list! I was going to ask if you were planning on doing that at some point. I have a couple of the books on your list that I’m planning to read once this semester ends. It’ll be so nice to have a lot of time to read for fun!
Do you find yourself buying a lot of books or do you typically go to the library? I buy books far too often so I’m going to try using the library more. I remember the stacks I used to bring home as a kid. There’s just something about library books that I love!
Heather
October 14, 2008 at 7:06 pmthanks so much for the list! I’ve been looking for a good read 🙂 All the ones you’ve been reading (water for elephants, three cups of tea, etc.) have been all checked out at my library. I’m sure they’ll have some of these 🙂
Foodie (Fab and Delicious Food)
October 14, 2008 at 7:21 pmAwesome! Thanks for posting this list! I, too, love all books by Nicholas Sparks!
Stacy
October 14, 2008 at 7:22 pmJust have to say that I got the Outlander series after your recommendation and I love them! I’m currently finishing the last book and I’m sad that I’ll be done with the series soon….at least this will give me somewhere to start when picking my next book. Have you read any of Diana Gabaldon’s books on Lord John Grey?
Amy
October 14, 2008 at 7:35 pmOne more question. Do you watch very much tv or do you mainly stick to reading? I get hooked on shows but am trying to cut way back so I have more time to read. I work full time and am taking 3 classes so I should cut out tv anyway! 🙂
LisaR
October 14, 2008 at 7:48 pmI’m so happy you put up a list of books you’ve read and liked! My husband and I just got new library cards today and I was so stinking excited about it!! Ashamedly, I haven’t been to the library in like 4 years! ha! So I was super pumped to renew my card today! I went in looking for “Redeeming Love” and/or “The Atonment” by Francine Rivers but came out with “French Women Don’t Get Fat” and the Moosewood Cookbook! The library I went to was out of both of the original books I wanted so I searched around and found these other two books instead! I can’t wait to read them!
jenna
October 14, 2008 at 8:00 pmAmy,
For the past couple years I haven’t even owned a tv. I don’t watch any tv at all except for the 6:30 news on nbc and sometimes parts of the Today show. I’ve never seen Grey’s anatomy, desperate housewives, dancing with the stars or any other those popular shows…..I don’t even watch the food network! I might live in a hole but I’m fine with it! 🙂
Stacy,
I haven’t! Let me know if they are any good! I LOVED the outlander series!!!
Amy,
In Orlando I went to the library a lot because it was really nice…..but I have to say, I buy most of my books (I have like 50 book boxes at home stuffed). I rationalize it to myself though because I rarely go shopping and don’t spend a whole lot of money on myself. I would rather buy a book than a new pair or shoes or a top and a book lasts forever! 🙂 Ryan is SO excited about our future library (hahaha yeah right).
april
October 14, 2008 at 8:16 pmI’m so happy you put Midwives on there! its one of my absolute favorite books! (maybe just because i’m planning on becoming one 🙂
Catherine
October 14, 2008 at 8:53 pmLoved the book list – I too have read the majority of those and plan on adding the others to my “to read” list. I wasn’t an English major in college, but I very well may have been… I took so many un-needed English classes (and Spanish classes + a semester abroad) because I was so into English & Spanish (I was a finance major) that I graduated a semester late!! 🙂 Love the blog!
mi
October 14, 2008 at 9:25 pmhi jenna,
i have a book to recommend you that i have a feeling you will really enjoy – called “the time traveller’s wife” by audrey niffenegger (sp?). it’s her one and only novel (so far) and i’m sure you’ve seen/heard of it, maybe you’ve even read it! i LOVED it. couldn’t put it down.
also, have you read “the bronze horseman” by paullina simons? there are 2 books that follow, and i’ve read that you like war-time set stories – this is based in russia, and is SO emotionally engaging and just incredible! i’m eternally grateful to the friend who recommended it to me. i hope you get to read it, if you haven’t already 🙂
Rachel
October 14, 2008 at 10:09 pmI love Pat Conroy. I think “The Lords of Discipline” has to be my favorite book. Ever.
LisaA
October 14, 2008 at 10:48 pmThanks for the recommendations! I’ve read many of those books and I too was going to ask if you’ve read “The Time Traveler’s Wife”… amazing!
caitlin
October 15, 2008 at 12:27 amhave you read any margaret atwood? i love “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Surfacing”. Have you read either?
jenna
October 15, 2008 at 12:32 amCaitlin,
I had to read The Handmaid’s Tale for school for a Literary Theory class a couple years ago!
Anita
October 15, 2008 at 1:46 amI am an absolute bookaholic… you know, in case my blog didn’t give that away. 😉 I’m a voracious reader and have been ever since I was a kid too… I learned to read when I was two and a half, and I haven’t stopped since! It always has been and always will be my absolute favorite thing to do.
Thanks for the awesome suggestions I’ve already added some of them to my “to-read” list, which continues to expand!
Have you ever gone on goodreads.com? It’s a really addicting website… it’s like a social site for bookworms, kind of like myspace or facebook for people who love to read. It’s pretty cool, but a little overwhelming!!! There’s so many great-sounding books out there!
Tiffany
October 15, 2008 at 2:10 amOkay I must suggest “The Shack” by William P. Young. Amazing!
Gingersnap
October 15, 2008 at 2:14 amI love your list…and I think I’ll definetely keep some of these ideas for when I’m done with my current book! I looove Jodi Picoult, too, and I also agree on the Memory Keeper’s Daughter!!
Lauren
October 15, 2008 at 4:00 amI liked Certain Girls. I think Jennifer Weiner is great, Have you read Good in Bed which is the same characters but before Joy is even born? I thought it was great.