April TIOLI -- Start a Book Trend on LT 75!

My TIOLI challenge for April is to try and convince a batch of new readers to try and pick up one of your favorite authors or books, someone you feel is worthy of the same sort of word-of-mouth buzz that has convinced a lot of us to read the Jackson Brodie novels, or Rumer Godden, or Team of Rivals.

It's really a two-part thing. You post your own suggestions on this list, below. Then look at the books that others post, and choose one of them to read this month.

When posting your suggestions below: Please shoot for three listings, but let’s cap it at eight. And feel free to add a few words (please keep it short) about each, if you think it will help. This book is for people who liked this other widely-read book, for instance. Aim for some variety, if you can, and try to pick books/authors that while they may be overlooked, may have some broad appeal. (Perhaps not “70 shades of space opera”…)

When making your pick and adding it to the wiki: Please note who listed it on this thread, eg
Master and Commander - Patrick O'Brian (Chatterbox) - LTPoster

The goal here is to get your own favorites more widely read, and to broaden your own horizons. Ideally, too, this will lead to a lot of group reads (hence the idea of capping it.)

I'm going to be draconian: You can’t participate, even as a shared read, without offering up your own suggestions for under-appreciated/under-read books on the thread. If the people before you have picked all your own choices, repeat them, but try to add at least one new name to the list.

It would be great to see if we can get several new waves of enthusiastic readers for the books we love most out of this!

Chatterbox's list:

A Dead Man Out of Mind or any other of Kate Charles's ecclesiastical mysteries
From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple (read by some, but not very many)
The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth, or other of his fab books featuring John Madden, perfect for David Downing/Maisie Dobbs fans.
Fatal Majesty by Reay Tannahill (or her other historical novels)
The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid
George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin
Watermark by Joseph Brodsky
The Lone Pilgrim by Laurie Colwin
The Enigma of Arrival by VS Naipual

This is a great idea! I hope lots of people join in on this one. :)

Here's my list:

Wool by Hugh Howie (Sci/fi. You can purchase/borrow the Omnibus edition which has all 5 parts in one.)
Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe (A darker sort of coming-of-age fantasy. Alternate world/quest story.)
Foundling by DM Cornish (Children's, in the same way Tolkein is for children. For those who like intricate world-building, monsters, and appendices.)
Foop! by Chris Genoa (A LT author. Time travel/absurdism. You either get it or you don't.)

Here's a few...

--This Is Graceanne's Book by P.L. Whitney--a memorable coming of age story set in 1960s Missouri
--the Susan Elia Macneal series of somewhat cozy espionage books set during World War 2. In the first, Mr. Churchill's Secretary, the sleuth, Maggie Hope works for Winston Churchill. In the second book, she is assigned to protect Princess Elizabeth and teach her maths
--Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. MacDonald--a great disaster book about the Halifax explosion of 1917
--Dark Tide by Stephen Puleo--an interesting disaster book about the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919

Two recent favorites...

--You Were Never in Chicago by Neil Steinberg--an ode to my favorite city, my hometown, Chicago
--Baseball as a Road to God by John Sexton--a terrific, yet somewhat scholarly book, using baseball events and people to illustrate religious themes

Western/Biography
Doc by Mary Doria Russell- a biography of Doc Holliday, but not about his supposed gunfighter prowess, but a more in depth look at who this man really was. A keeper.

Fiction
The Running Foxes by Joyce Stranger - this author takes us back to the 1950s in northwestern England, where the old ways are still in place. Wonderfully written and descriptive, and a joy to read. If it's not in your local library, there are used copies online.

Historical Fiction
Follow the River by James Alexander Thom - based strongly upon a true story of an Indian captive who manages to escape only to face surviving a walk through the wilderness in order to get home.

Non-fiction
Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper is the true story of a cat, blinded shortly after birth, and how he affects those who care for him. This is not some sappy "awww" sort of story, but a well written memoir of the author and her cat.

Mystery
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King is a new telling of Sherlock Holmes, but in his later years, and with a new character. The author has not only captured the feel of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters, but improved them. Not "chick lit", but the first in a series of mysteries that hold their own.

I'm going to try this:

Favourite writers that I don't often see other people reading include:

Robert Wilson - A small death in Lisbon or one of his other crime series books, I loved his Javier Falcon books.
Matt Haig - The Radleys - a fun story about a family of non-practising vampires (better than it sounds!)
Craig Silvey - Jasper Jones - Australian coming of age story
Charlotte Mendelson - When we were bad - love this black comedy about a female rabbi and her dysfunctional family
Bernice Rubens - Mr Wakefield's Crusade - everything she wrote was good.

Margaret Mahy - The Changeover - she's written screeds of great books for children and teens.
Marcus Sedgwick - Revolver - another YA writer who isn't that well known outside the UK.
Mollie Hunter - I'm only just discovering her myself so will recommend The Stronghold.

#3: I love the Foundling trilogy.
Suzanne, I'm going with Fatal Majesty which you recommended to me last year.

I had a tough time with this; I had trouble deciding what wasn't being read enough and what had broad enough appeal. These aren't necessarily my favorites, but they all deserve a broader audience. Some are an author's earlier work, others are more recently published. It's a pretty lowbrow list!

Artifacts by Mary Anna Evans (archaeology/mystery a great, very under read series)

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (tween fiction, which I don’t normally read – it’s wonderful!)

Blindspot: A Novel by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore (historical fiction, Colonial Boston)

Cut to the Quick by Kate Ross (or one of her other 3 Julian Kestrel historical mysteries)

Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly (or any of her other fantasy novels from the 80s and 90s)

A Million Open Doors by John Barnes (SF - I'm very fond of this book)

Sick of Shadows by Sharyn McCrumb (or any of her Elizabeth MacPherson mysteries, which are not as widely read as her later books)

I picked your book, Dragonsbane for my TIOLI challenge, @Dejah_Thoris! :)

Excellent! I'm going with Linda's Curse of the Narrows, I believe.

I've had Rennie Airth's River of Darkness on my Kindle for forever so I'm going with Suz's recommendation about this one.

>4 lindapanzo: my sister has been raving about The Curse of the Narrows for quite a while now. I've read Barometer Rising on the same topic, also great. I dont' think I'll get to it this month however.

Fabulous suggestion!

Kerry, Robert Wilson has a new crime series starting, so I'm going to read the first in that one: Capital Punishment.

And I have had Blindspot sitting around forever, so this is a great kick to get it read!! Tks, Dejah_Thoris!!

I may even try The Beekeeper's Apprentice, as I know I number of people who have been following that series...

I have one more name for people to consider, especially mystery lovers:

There is a very good series of mysteries based in England, quasi-cozy/quasi-procedural, by two authors, Staynes & Storey, published in the US under the pen name Susannah Stacey. Any of these would be a great introduction to a new series that I really liked, that is out of print but still find-able at libraries (or via Amazon secondhand).

Suzanne - I had already listed Capital Punishment in challenge #3, I presume I can move it and do a shared read with you in this challenge.

So now for my list! Like others have said, these aren't necessarily my favorite books (but they are good, though!!), but they are the ones that I think the list could fit a range of tastes and these are under-read.

The Shutter of Snow by Emily Holmes Coleman
Death and the Dervish by Meša Selimović
Iphigenia: the diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored by Teresa de la Parra
The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig
The Silent Duchess by Dacia Maraini
Honey from a Weed by Patience Gray
Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me by Javier Marias
Gunslinger by Edward Dorn

Absolutely, Kerry!

What a fascinating list; Christina. I loved the Zweig novel/novella -- but it's the only book I'm familiar with from it, so I'm clearly going to have to check out some of the others. Yum -- new book ideas!!

Here's my list : Mystery, Sci Fi and Fantasy

Janny Wurts series beginning with Curse of the Mistwraith - epic fantasy with complex characterization and intricate world-building
Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride - Tartan Noir mystery series. Grim but great, and there is a brighter, lighter side to it.
The Last Kashmiri Rose by Barbara Cleverly - set in India as the Raj dies. Great location and intriguing mystery.
Retribution Falls - Chris Wooding - sci fi, semi-steampunk. A space pirate learns to be a leader.
Blackbirds - Chuck Wendig - wow, just wow. Fantasy.

I've got Dragonsbane in the TBR mountain so I'll use it for the challenge. Great challenge!

This is difficult! The list below includes some of my absolute favorites but I tried to only focus on books that I thought would appeal to the people in the 75ers that I have gotten to know, given what I know of their reading tastes....


The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif - two storylines, a century apart, tell parallel tales of love and politics across two cultures. Booker nominated.


Dreamland by Kevin Baker - a big, fun, sad love letter to New York City at the turn of the century, full of fascinating historical details and characters.


Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter - a damaged veteran of WWI returns to Appalachia and forges an unlikely alliance with his guardian angel in the guise of a horse, and a goat, to protect his motherless child. Beautiful and lyrical as befits a novel written by a wonderful singer songwriter.


Cape Random by Bernice Morgan - also known as Random Passage; the story of English settlers on Newfoundland in the early part of the 19th century; really gripping and perfect for fans of well-done historical fiction.


Snow in August by Pete Hamill - friendship between a young Irish Catholic boy and a Jewish Rabbi from Czechoslovakia in late 1940s Brooklyn.

Also, anything by Stewart O'Nan or Mary Wesley, two authors I find to be very under-rated and under-read.

Interestingly, I just realized all my recommended books are historical fiction which I would not say is my favorite genre, though it ranks in the top 3...

I love the idea of all this! Here's my list, with a loose attempt at showing how ridiculously eclectic my tastes and loves are!

Horror/Suspense: The Town That Forgot How to Breathe by Kenneth J. Harvey This is a strange and wonderful book, beautifully written. I picked it up because of the creepy cover, and ended up falling in love with the reading experience as I wandered along...

Poetry: Out of Danger by James Fenton This has been one of my favorite collections of poetry since I discovered it in highschool. Beautiful language, accessable memorable poems...I come back to the poems here often, and still re-read them over and over again on a regular basis.

General Fiction: Ash Wednesday by Ethan Hawke Yep, That Ethan Hawke. This is a fairly short and simple story of a couple trying to find their way through a crisis on an Ash Wednesday. There are so many moments of beautiful language and imagery here that I read the work in a single sitting, and recommend it often.

Nonfiction: Emergency Sex: And Other Desperate Measures by Kenneth Cain This work is told in something like journal entries, from the perspective of doctors who've volunteered to work with NGOs in an effort to use their skills where they're most needed. The book talks about their relationships, the heartbreak and humor involved in what they do, and the places they end up, as well as all the crises they face along the way. Well-written, fascinating, and fast-moving, as well as educational.

Fantasy: Black Ships by Jo Graham I discovered this work through the ER program, and couldn't put it down from the moment it began. If you like fantasy, or works based in ancient mythology, this might well be worth looking up...

Cape Random is excellent! More people should read it.

I went over my favourite book list and checked LT for the number of times they had been mentioned by others. Some of the books on my list of favourites had over 800 mentions, most of them at least over 100.

For our purpose here, I chose those that had the fewest mentions. (13-43)

Typically I don’t re-read (too many books I still want to read for the first time) but recently I seem to have taken an interest in some books from my past. All of these books I read many many years ago and they are all up for re-reads!



Jalna– written by Mazo de la Roche (The Whiteoak Chronicles)
This series is one I really want to re-visit. I read all 16 books in this multi-generational family saga when I was alone for the summer of 1972 while my then husband was away on military training. I loved these books and was devastated when I came to the last one. The series tells the story of one hundred years of the Whiteoak family covering from 1854 to 1954. I really came to feel like these people were my neighbours and best friends!



The Cat Who Went to Paris by Peter Gethers
This is my all time favourite non-fiction book and on my list for a re-read this year. Norton is the most amazing cat you would ever want to meet. Peter Gethers, a publisher, screenwriter, and author was a confirmed cat-hater. Everything changed when he opened his heart to the Scottish Fold kitten and began to take him wherever he went, all over the world. This book tells of their adventures to Paris, Fire Island, and in the subways of Manhattan. THE CAT WHO WENT TO PARIS proves that sometimes all it takes is paws and personality to change a life. I would even recommend this to cat-haters out there. It is a quick read and humorous and touching. And there are two equally wonderful sequels.



Looking for Rachael Wallace by Robert B. Parker.
This is one of the books about Spenser, a strong, smart, funny, tough and big hearted private investigator. I have read almost everything that Parker has written and really enjoy this series. It is light reading, great for anyone who has difficulty concentrating which is why I have read all of them. A number of years ago I was almost bedridden and I could not read much because I could not retain details but Parker was fun and easy. And I love Spenser! Typically I don't read a series out of order but Mom thought that this was the best introduction to Spenser and his character. She was right! In 2002 Parker received the Grand Master Award Edgar for his collective oeuvre, having previously won the Edgar for two of his books. In 2008 he was awarded the Gumshoe Lifetime Achievement Award.



Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman
This book was on my top 10 list, having read it a number of years ago at my mother’s urging. It was on her top 10 list and she wanted me to read it. Remember I mentioned that I don’t re-read books but this is another one of the exceptions. I re-read it last year and it was just as wonderful as the first time. This book is filled with lyrical prose, beautiful descriptions of people and places and things. There is magic in this world Hoffman has created and romance and humour and murder and mystery all wrapped up in one nice magical package. If you want something to bring you joy and happiness on a crisp spring evening or a sunshiny summer, pick this up. You won’t be disappointed.

Apparently I have a taste for the fantastical that transcends genres. All of these would be great books to start trending.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko - magical realism: A Laguna Pueblo GI returns home from the Pacific and tries to find healing and sort himself out.

Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge - fiction: Restless and unappreciated at home, Grace runs off from her family to Croatia. There she meets a younger man and figures out how to be happy again.

The Pinecone by Jenny Uglow - history/biography: The remarkable story of Sarah Losh, the church she built, and the industrialization of Britain.

A Suppressed Cry by Victoria Glendinning - biography: The author's great-aunt struggles to balance her desire to test her wings with her family's desire to keep her close in late 19th century England.

A Turn of Light by Julie E. Czerneda - fantasy: A magical coming of age story (with toads!)

Under the Mound by Cynthia Heinrichs - YA: Part of the Orkney Saga retold. Features Vikings, court intrigue, and barrow wraiths. Somewhere in between all this, a boy begins to sort out his relationship with the world around him.

the only book that I have on any of my vast number of shelves that has been mentioned so far is Foundling so that looks like my read. However, I have a long April list so I may not get to it this month.

BTW, this is a great idea for a challenge and we can reference this thread in the future!

I'm already over committed this month so can't get to any more of these recommendations but:

#8 - I have a copy of Dragonsbane from previous LT recommendations
#17: I have both Retribution Falls and Cold Granite on Mt tbr, also gleamed from LT reviews.
#23: I've been meaning to try Czerneda so will note this title for when I do.

#20: Add my recommendation for Emergency Sex: And Other Desperate Measures.

Throwing in my enthusiastic "yes"! for Emergency Sex. I've put in an order for The Cat Who Went to Paris and discovered to my elation that the Jalna books are all available for Kindle now! I remember them vividly -- discovered them about 1973/74, when I moved back to Canada from London as a kid with free run of the adult library for the first time ever. (I could buy grownup books in bookstores in England, but the librarians wouldn't let me out of the kids' division...) I loved historical fiction and this was a whole series. It was interesting, because I never really identified with it as distinctively Canadian at the time, and even thinking back on it, I have a mental association with Jalna as being in the Eastern Townships of Quebec rather than southern Ontario (where all my own family originates more or less -- from Ingersoll area up to the Ottawa Valley).

Ok, here are two authors I would recommend, and about whom I've seen very little buzz within this group.

First: Graham Swift, writer of literary fiction. His novel Waterland, published in 1983, is set in the Fens in the East of England - and the powerfully-evoked watery landscape is as much a character as the human protagonists. I've lived in the Fens, and have a love-hate relationship with that part of the country, but I loved the book, and would hope to re-read it one day. Last Orders is the only other one of Swift's I've read so far - it won the Booker in 1996. It also has a strong sense of place - East London and the road out to the Kent coast (and all the pubs along that road!). Both of these have been made into films. I have another of his, Ever After, on my TBR pile. There are surprisingly few reviews or mentions of his books by 75ers.

Second: Peter Dickinson, who has written over 50 books (starting in the 1960s and still publishing today): he writes children's and young adult fiction on the one hand, and detective fiction for adults on the other. I've only read of the detective ones so far, so I can't really speak about those, but he was one of my favourite authors in my childhood, not least because his books all seemed to be very different from each other, but equally good, both entertaining and thought-provoking. Some are historical fiction, some have contemporary or future settings but with elements of fantasy/magic or alternate reality, or just exploring strangeness and difference. I know that one or two 75 group members have begun to discover Peter Dickinson, but I think that many more of you - especially those who enjoy fantasy and/or children's & YA fiction - would find much to enjoy here.

My favourites from childhood:
The Dancing Bear, set in Byzantium about a slave boy, a bear and a journey into the territory of the Huns
The Blue Hawk is set in an imaginary priest-ruled kingdom (sounds like ancient Egypt) and tells of the action of one small boy that threatens the whole structure of the society
The Changes Trilogy: The Weathermonger, Heartsease, The Devil's Children is set in then-contemporary 1960s/70s Britain, but a Britain which for some mysterious reason has turned against technology, and reverted to a a medieval lifestyle, with anyone who uses modern technology being accused of witchcraft.
The Gift is another contemporary story, a dark tale of a young child burdened with the gift of second-sight.

More recently I've managed to read some others which were published after my own childhood days: of these I particularly recommend
Eva - set in the future, the brain of a human girl is transplanted into a chimpanzee's body to keep her alive after a horrific accident. Very moving exploration of human nature and chimpanzee nature, and of exploitation.
The Kin - a quartet of stories for younger readers set very early in human history, just after the emergence of language.
AK - also with an African setting, but a much more contemporary one, about a boy soldier in a guerilla group.
The Ropemaker - unusually for Dickinson this is a high fantasy story in an entirely imaginary world with magic. He was deliberately having a go at the kind of book his wife, Robin McKinley, tends to write.

Dickinson's website gives more details about these and his many other books, including his own comments on how they came to be written. Quite a few of my favourites appear to have started life as stories told in the car to keep his children entertained and quiet.

Genny - I'm also a fan of Peter Dickinson's children's books, I haven't tried his adult ones yet.
A note of trivia is that he's married to US fantasy writer, Robin McKinley and they have collaborated on a series of short story collections - Tales of Elemental Spirits.

I have Peter Dickinson's Merlin Dreams and started to read it last year and stalled. Must haul it out again. It wasn't that I disliked it, life and other books just go in the way. It has beauitiful water colour illustrations also. Didn't know he wrote detective stories for adults too

I remember reading Heartsease, and loving the title most (as a child) -- it is the English popular name for the little viola tricolor or "Johnny jump up", those purple and yellow baby faced pansies...

I did just find a Dickinson mystery in the discard bin at my library and picked it up, but can't remember now what the title was. It's downstairs, and I'm upstairs, still battling flu bugs.

Excellent suggestions -- I'm a big Graham Swift fan, too, and would enthusiastically second Last Orders.

Suz, somewhere around my home bookshelves, I've got a copy of Dickinson's The Old English Peep Show.

If it hasn't crumbled to dust, that is. I think I've owned it for well over 20 years but never seem to get around to it.

Here's my list of a few favorite authors I haven't seen mentioned much in the 75er group:

Hilari Bell - a teen fantasy writer that kind of flies under the radar, and I recommend a lot at work. My personal favorites of hers are The Farsala Trilogy (beginning with Fall of a Kingdom which when it was first published was called Flame) and the Knight and Rogue Series (beginning with The Last Knight)
Suzanne Strempek Shea - I haven't yet read any of her fiction, but I really enjoyed Shelf Life, her account of a year working at a bookstore that used to be located in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Pamela Aidan - wrote a very fun trilogy retelling Pride and Prejudice from Darcy's point of view
Alberto Manguel - his collection The Library at Night is one of my favorite essay collections, and I want to read more by him

I'll have to choose a read from others' recommendations later, but will hopefully pick one soon!

#32 I met Shea at a book signing more than 5 years ago. I loved her Shelf Life book, as well as, more recently, Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith. It was a top 5 book for me the year I read it.

I've been meaning to read her Hoopi Shoopi Donna.

I’d like to recommend three under-read books:

The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, Jan-Philipp Sendker
Fathers and daughters, love, blindness and a fascinatingly written setting in Burma.

Safe from the sea, Peter Geye.
Debut novel, fathers and sons, Lake Superior. Gripped me from the start with the realistically written family dynamics, and the so-real setting.

The Lilac House, Anita Nair
Weaving Greek mythology tales with a story of two families, a mystery set in contemporary India; life paralleling weather events.

And three series which deserve more readers:

William Kent Krueger’s ‘Cork O’Connor’ series, which begins with Iron Lake:
Set in the north woods of Minnesota, Cork is part Ojibwe; Native Americans figure prominently in this thriller-mystery series.

Philip Kerr’s ‘Bernie Gunther’ series, which begins with March Violets:
Noir crime historical novels set in Nazi Germany; atmospheric in tone and setting.

David Rosenfelt’s ‘Andy Carpenter’ series, which begins with Open and Shut:
Legal thrillers set in and flavored with New Jersey, but not in an overkill kind of way. If you like dry humor, dogs and mysteries, give this series a try. (I really enjoy this one on audio.)

Wholehearted agreement with those who spoke earlier about:
Joseph Boyden
Colin Cotterill
Artifacts, Mary Anna Evans
Follow the River, James Alexander Thom

My library has Cape Random and Curse of the Narrows available now, so I’m starting with those.

I have Open and Shut so might take a look at that one. is he anything like Robert B. Parker?

I'm a big fan of Canadian authors even though I am not Canadian. Here are a few I would heartily recommend:

Wayne Johnston - The Colony of Unrequited Dreams
Dianne Warren - Juliet in August
Margaret Laurence - The Stone Angel
Michael Crummey - Galore
Alistair MacLeod - No Great Mischief

I have to make a pitch for space opera because Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga is so much fun and contains several of my all-time favorite adventure stories: The Warrior's Apprentice; Memory; and A Civil Campaign.

Then I'll make a pitch for a quartet of Irish authors: Bernard MacLaverty (Grace Notes); Sebastian Barry (The Secret Scripture or Annie Dunne; anything by Colm Toibin or Roddy Doyle

No, a septet of Irish authors, because I also want to include Anne Enright and Michael Collins and John Banville / Benjamin Black

OK, I've decided to go with Kerry's rec of The Radleys. I have not a single one of the books mentioned here on Mt TBR! Can you believe it? So I browsed through and The Radleys caught my eye... and since it's inexpensive to pick up a copy... choice made! :)

So many books that I want to read are listed here that I will have a hard time choosing just one - and one is all that I'll have time for since I plan to read the 3rd LBJ bio volume by Robert A Caro. Anyway, that and the fact that a bunch of us are reading another favorite series *Dance to the Music of Time* has made me think of the series that I love, and I'll offer the first book in each.
Means of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro
The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott (India during WWII and striving for independence told from the pov of the British raj)
Ross Poldark by Winston Graham (Cornwall in the late 18th century - action and romance - easy reading!)
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (16th century Scotland and England - action and romance - not the easiest reading)

There have been so many wonderful books suggested that I know I’ll be reading some of these long after April. I’ve read and liked some of the books mentioned, so I thought I’d second a few nominations.

Renie Airth’s John Madden books are great – I particularly liked the first, River of Darkness. The disaster book Dark Tide that Linda suggested is very good and tells a little known piece of Boston (MA, USA) history. I love The Beekeeper’s Apprentice and have enjoyed most of that series. Ditto for Barbara Cleverly’s The Last Kashmiri Rose – it’s another fabulous historical mystery series. And what can I say about Lois McMaster Bujold other than I’ve them all, most more than once? I think there were a few others, but that’s all I can remember at the moment.

Suz, I hope you enjoy Blindspot – I’m glad you had it sitting around! Jean and fuzzi - I’ve been fond of Dragonsbane for a very long time. I may not be able to resist joining you if I need a familiar imdulgence….

If I do manage a few more books, I’ll also try for the enormous A Turn of Light and The Game of Kings, which I have been meaning to read since sometime in the 1990s. So many great books - thanks, Suz!

I was going to with Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill, but Dejah_Thoris has that one listed in Challenge #17, as is The Coroner's Lunch, so still looking for something I have on hand or can get from the library that is also on my TBR.

Additional Edit: Alrighty then. I am next in the library queue for The Beekeeper's Apprentice. Hopefully it will get in during the month of April.

Peggy, I definitely want to read the first LBJ book by Caro but don't think I can get to it in April.

Dejah, I have never read The Beekeeper's Apprentice and am toying with adding it to my list.

I'm not ready to embark on the multi-volume LBJ bio (have more interest in reading the multi-volume Teddy Roosevelt bio...) but the rest of Peggy's suggestions are damnably tantalizing... I adore the Poldark books, but have read only a handful -- my intro to them came via the TV series of which I have all the (hard to get, in UK editions) DVDs. I may have to add the Dunnett, but then I'll end up hopelessly overcommitted... But on the other hand, it is sitting there on my Kindle, waiting for me -- as is Jalna, now...

ETA: I'm waiting for the ARC of the new Bernie Gunther novel to arrive, and may have to add that, as well, given Cindy's nomination of the series. I really enjoy these books, even given the uneven quality of some of the later titles and the fact that he skips around, back and forth in tie, in the latest novels.

Overcommitted is my middle name...

Suz - If you add Dunnett, I will.

ETA: I've been trying to find shared reads for April, having had a really good March....

I discovered Dunnett last year thanks to this group (Peggy was one of those highly recommending her. I can't believe I'd never heard of her before. I'd second the recommendation. Not a quick read, and full of quotations and literary allusions but I loved its textual style which very much reflects the personality and style of the main protagonist. It's high time I read the second book in the series...

Sigh, OK, DejahT -- I've signed up for this. If I fall by the wayside, please remember that I'm also organizing a move this month...

>36 ccookie:. ccookie, By the time I discovered Robert B. Parker, he had so many books out, that it was too daunting for me. So I confess - I have not read a one!

>50 countrylife:
i have to say that I find Parker to be a wonderful, fun romp.
I have read (and own) almost every book he has written. If you want to try one start with Looking for Rachel Wallace. It is the best introduction to Spenser's character. Then, if you like it, you can start at the beginning. They are quick and easy to read. An evening or two and you are done!

LOVE the idea of this challenge! Here are my recommendations:

Non-fiction:
The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel - This book tells so much more than give the inside scoop on how John Ford's classic Western was made. It starts with the backstory of Cynthia Ann Parker and her son Quanah Parker and then goes on to explore the author of the novel that the movie was based on, the novel itself, the screenplay, the director, etc. Very well done and very interesting, I just finished reading it yesterday and I gave it five stars.

Finding George Orwell in Burma by Emma Larkin - I second Suz's rec for this lovely memoir that retraces the steps of George Orwell through Burma when he served there for five years in the 1920s. It provides insight into both the novels of Orwell and the history of Burma.

Historical Fiction:
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli - Set in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, the main character is an American female photojournalist who finds herself forever changed by the country and the people. Beautifully written, this is a debut novel and as such has some flaws, but the descriptions of the land and the events will take your breath away.

Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors - Set in 1177 when the great Khmer Empire dominated what is now known as Cambodia, this book tells a fictionalized version of the actual invasion of that Empire by the Chams from what is now Vietnam. Filled with the sights and sounds of that ancient kingdom, this story beautifully captures the struggle between two cultures for the same lands. It starts out a bit slow, but it really picks up as the story unfolds.

Mystery:
Colin Cotterill - I would agree with everyone else that the Dr. Siri books are great fun.

Craig Johnson - Not sure if this was already mentioned, but the Walt Longmire books are great favorites of mine.

Philip DePoy - Set in Georgia, the Fever Devlin books combine wonderful characters with beautiful writing.

Philip Kerr - Already mentioned above, I would second the recommendation of the Bernie Gunther books set in WWII Germany.

I will probably read Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly that Dejah recommended above since I have recently acquired it and it provides a shared read. I read another book by her earlier this month - Ladies of Mandrigyn, and that was great fun. I am also reading the newest Philip Kerr that comes out in late April - A Man Without Breath which I was lucky enough to win from the February ER batch,so I'll add that to the wiki as Suz mentions it above.

I think Dr. Siri probably falls into my category of books that already have found a lot of readers over the months -- there are a bunch more popping up in SE Asian challenge. But Bernie Gunther seems much less read by LTers, just like Rennie Airth's John Madden.

(42) & (43) & (44) The Beekeeper's Apprentice...

READ IT!!!!!!! READ IT!!!!!!!

@lizzieD, I have read all the Poldark books except for the last, Bella Poldark, which I have on my April list.

I've also read the entire Raj Quartet. Did you realize there is a sequel, Staying On?

@brenzi, I have Cool Water aka Juliet in August on my April TBR (to be read) list, a first time read of a book by Dianne Warren

I'm glad to see people taking up the Dunnett recommendation, I must get on to book 5.

Yes indeedy, Ms. Fuzz! I'm delighted that you're getting to *Bella* which was sort of an afterthought, I believe, and which wraps up the series nicely. And I do indeed know Staying On for which Scott won the Booker. That certainly had to be acknowledgement of his achievement in *Raj* rather than for itself, don't you think?
I CAN'T READ THESE BOOKS AGAIN RIGHT NOW. but I want to..........
And I have the Phillip Kerr and When We Were Bad, and it's time to read another Peter Dickinson mystery and more Kate Charles and Spenser, and this is just too much fun!

Hm. I'm doing a shared read of The Beekeeper's Apprentice -- which I'm enjoying a lot -- so I must add some recommendations of my own. Suzanne calls this "draconian" but I don't suppose it's too draconian to ask participants to participate.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. A couple of months ago I re-read this for a RL book club, and thought it was the even better the second time around. If you haven't read it yet, perhaps it's because you heard it was math-y. Don't let that stop you. It's short, it's heartfelt, and it's unforgettable.

Revenge : Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa. On the other hand, I'm not sure THATP can be described as "overlooked," as it's been widely read among 75ers. So I'll also recommend Ogawa's latest work (latest in English translation anyway), which is an intricate lacework of gothic short stories, engaging and effective and masterful. Fair warning: there is a bit of grotesquerie; if Stephen King churns your stomach, stay away.

Sea of Grass by Conrad Richter. This covers some of the same territory as Owen Wister's The Virginian: set in the 19th-century range wars, a rugged individualist rancher loves a civilized blond beauty hailing from the east. But <heresy> I think this is the better work, more economical, more poetic, and less polemic. </heresy>. Read it and prove me wrong.

How to Live by Sarah Bakewell. This is one I've been thinking about rereading: it's a biography of Michel de Montaigne, inventor of the essay, in the form of twenty answers to the question, "How to live?" I recommended this to my RL book club last year, and the organizers turned it down: the organizer who read it thanked me for the recommendation but said that it contained so much to talk about that he couldn't imagine having a conversation restricted to just one hour. For comparison, one of the books they chose instead was A Tale of Two Cities. So ...

Oh, gosh! I just read the part about how I have to make recommendations if I take one. Ok then. I can't think of anything wildly underground at the moment, so here are three lesser-known novels (I think) by rather well-known authors. I don't believe I've seen them mentioned much on LT. At least not during my time.

Sci-fi:
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler - The first book in her trilogy about an advanced alien civilization that invades other planets in order to mate with new species for evolutionary purposes. Of course, a lot more is going on. I suppose, avoid if you're bothered by large quantities of alien sex.

The Memory of Whiteness by Kim Stanley Robinson - Far-future culture sort of based on music. Crazy, elaborate instrument that requires one master at a time. It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember it being trippy and profound.

Literary Fiction:
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead - Fascinating racial allegory involving elevator inspectors in a bizarre, sort of noirish setting.

Sea of Grass, hmm?

And yet another book gets added to my TBR list...

::muttering::

;)

>59 swynn:. Loved The Housekeeper and the Professor. (Didn't think I would - what with the math AND baseball!)

Did someone say baseball? Where, where?

I'm taking the day off to watch opening day games, my Cubs and the ESPN quadruple header.

This should be called "the official book bullet thread"...

These are not necessarily my favorite books, but they are books that I am surprised seem to be rarely read or at least rarely mentioned.

Train Dreams - Denis Johnson
I Hotel - Karen Te Yamashita
The Transit of Venus - Shirley Hazzard
All Aunt Hagar's Children and Lost in the City - Edward P. Jones (Jones won multiple awards for The Known World, but it seems to generate very little buzz, and his short story collections even less.)
At Weddings and Wakes - Alice McDermott
The True Deceiver - Tove Jansson
The Beautiful Things that Heaven Bears - Dinaw Mengestu



And I am going to go with The Beekeeper's Apprentice trend, which I was pleased to discover I downloaded as an audiobook in a sale-induced frenzy some months ago.

Ok, I'm gonna go try to start some trends out here as well... Main reason is that I just finished a great novel and think everybody should read it, so, here come my suggestions:

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti - Beautiful story about a young Palestinian growing up in the past decades, during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Just finished this novel last month, and loved it.
Dina's Book by Herbjorg Wassmo - Wassmo is a personal favourite of mine, but not very well-known. Time to get her some publicity ;)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Has been a group read and I think most people enjoyed it. Still, something more people should read; I think the Biafran war is relatively unknown in Western Europe and the USA, so it might be good to read a bit more about it for all of us. Also, for those joining in on the challenge to read something written by Chinua Achebe, this might be nice addition...

I think in general my books are rather emotionally moving types of stories, with two about wars. They might not be suitable for people who are very sensitive, but in general I think they are novels that speak to people, that draw people in. I have been recommending these to other people and many people liked them, so I expect they will also be liked by the 75-ers. And they do get pretty good ratings here on librarything and on amazon, so I guess that's also an indication that they're worth reading :)

Oh, I have to echo the recommendations for Graham Swift and Turtle Moon. Also, though, I don't know why I didn't think of her before---Amanda Eyre Ward is wonderful. I read her first two books, and just fell in love. I haven't managed to get to the last few because of this dissertation labyrinth I'm inside, but I shall, and recommend her first few whole-heartedly!

GennyT, I have some Graham Swift and Peter Dickinson on TBR so will dig them out. I would definitely recommend Dickinson's The Yellow Room Conspiracy - for this month, though, I'll read The Lizard In The Cup. Several of my other wishlisted books appear above so this might be an excuse for a purchase!

My recommendations:
Michela Wrong's non-fiction/reportage about Africa, especially I didn't do it for you
Vincent Lam's Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, linked short stories about a group of medical students/doctors
Andrea Barrett's The Voyage Of The Narwhal, historical fiction about a polar voyage
Jose Eduardo Agualusa's The Book Of Chameleons, a novel from Angola narrated by a gecko remembering his previous life as a human

Managed to pick up a copy of The Radleys today (recommended by Kerry - avatiakh) so I guess it is time to come up with some suggestions of my own:)

Blow on a Dead Man's Embers by Mari Strachan - Historical fiction about a woman dealing with the after effect of WW1 on her husband

The Fresco by Sheri S Tepper - SF about first contact and how that changes both humanity and the alien species.

and Shardik by Richard Adams - fantasy about religion, belief and society.

The Dickinson that I found in the library giveaway bin is Some Deaths Before Dying.

#68 The Lizard in the Cup is the one Dickinson mystery that I have read. It was years ago and I can't remember much about that one, so I shall look forward to hearing what you think.
#70 And Suz has found another one... Great! I have never seen any in used book sales here, as far as I can remember.

I only have one that I can think of right now. I've posted it already on the "What we are reading- HF" board, but think it could really apply here.
The Ruins of Lace - an HF novel about the lace trade in 17th-century Flanders and France.

Miela, that's fabulous! I got an ARC of that book at last year's BookExpo and I have kept meaning to read it, so you have given me a reason to add it to my TBR for April!! I have heard good word of mouth on that, for those of us who enjoy our HF...

So, my first two TIOLI books for April both were for this challenge:

The Cat Who Went to Paris is a delightful if predictable short book about how the author, Peter Gethers, was seduced into cat-owner-dom by an admittedly uniquely charming Scottish Fold kitten with an outsize personality. Love affair between man and cat -- why not? I only wish my menagerie were as well behaved and had as much charm, wit and personality... 4 stars.

The Beekeepers' Apprentice by Laurie King also was tremendously enjoyable -- in spite of my skepticism, I ended up really enjoying it. I'm not a big fan of fan fiction, but this is really more about Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes's teenage protegee, who comes of age over the course of the novel. The denouement comes too much out of the blue -- there aren't enough clues to the real identity of Holmes's nemesis -- but it's still a good yarn and despite the hints of a romance blooming between 20 year old Mary and and Sherlock Holmes, in his 50s (which kinda creeps me out...) I'll probably go on and read the next in the series.

Cindy (countrylife) suggested Mary Anna Evans' first Faye Longchamp mystery Artifacts - which I wholeheartedly seconded. It's an excellent book in a very good series. I just noticed that amazon U.S. has the kindle version of Artifacts on sale for $2.99 and the others in the series are $4.99. I just thought I'd mention it!

I've stared reading The Radleys and I'm enjoying it so far. I also ran across a copy of Ash Wednesday (Jennifer's suggestion) today for $1! So I picked it up too. Not sure it will get read in April but I'm happy to have gotten the recommendation here, and that's the whole idea, right?. :)

>Suzanne
Glad you enjoyed The Cat Who Went to Paris!

And I'm glad she enjoyed The Beekeeper's Apprentice!

I'm catching up here. I love Gethers and his Scottish Fold cat. It is certainly a memorable book for any cat lover who travels with their cat (or wishes their cat traveled as well as the cat in the book).

I finished The Radleys, and I want to say Thank You to Kerry! I loved it, and wouldn't have ever known about it without this thread. So a thank you to Suzanne also!

So pleased you liked it. Here's the link to his latest book's promo, he got some of his fans to read their favourite line from a chapter of the book, The Humans and the result is quite fun.
I've got that and his first book, The possession of Mr Cave on my tbr list.

I still haven't started my trend book, having a slow reading month.

Thanks for that link, Kerry, it's great! I've put The Humans on preorder. It's not too often I want a book badly simply because of the author, but this is one of them. I also picked up a copy of The Possession of Mr Cave. Not sure when I'll be able to get to it, but I'm happy to have been introduced to Matt Haig. :)

I follow him on FB, he has quite interesting posts about the writing process.

Woot woot!! This is exactly the kind of "contagion effect" that I was hoping this challenge would produce...

Yes! What a great idea. I'm busy looking into the other suggestions again, as well. :)

I just started reading Capital Punishment by Robert Wilson and it's shaping up to be a very good, if rather dark, thriller.

I've just started reading Watermark as recommended by Chatterbox.

And I've added some to the wiki which I hope to read this month. . . although I am a bit over extended.
Illyrian Spring, recommended by inge87 which I got the Christmas before last
The Book of Chameleons recommended by wandering_star which I picked up earlier this year
Dina's Book, recommended by Britt84 which I think I've owned for at least five years
All of them look good--that's why I bought them!--but I've never got around to reading them yet. If not this month, you all have at least inspired me to read them soon.

Also, even though I won't have time to read them this month, I've decided to use up a couple of Amazon gift certificates and ordered, based on everyone's suggestions:
Doc by Mary Doria Russell (fuzzi)
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (inge87)
The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott (LizzieD)
From the Holy Mountain by William Dalrymple (Chatterbox)
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod (brenzi)
I Didn't Do It for You by Michela Wrong (wandering_star)
The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli (Crazymamie)
Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman (ccookie)
How to Live by Sarah Bakewell (swynn)
Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (katiekrug)
Now, I just hope you didn't lead me astray!! :)

Well, I finished The Running Foxes, as recommended by fuzzi, over the weekend, and it was, as promised, amazing. There are definitely some Herriot-esque moments, but it also reminded me a bit of J. L. Carr's A Month in the Country (another fantastic book). As I mention in my review, if you like "animal stories" or books about life in the English countryside, you'll definitely like this one. I'm very glad I picked it up.

Nuts. I'm not going to be able to finish all the wonderful books that I've gleaned from the mentions here.

I finished True Deceiver - Tove Jansson (AnneDC). Completely out of my norm, and enjoyed very much.
Midway through Cape Random by Bernice Morgan (katiekrug). Really liking it, and trying to finish by tonight.
Haven't even got to start Curse of the Narrows by Laura M. Mac Donald, which is waiting on my nightstand.
And half a dozen others are firmly fixed on my spreadsheet for soon-TBRs. Even though I couldn't read them for this challenge, I'm really looking forward to them.

This was a really good idea for a challenge, Chatterbox!

I never even managed to start Curse of the Narrows either, Cindy, but I will definitely read it.

I did read A Turn of the Light suggested by Jennifer and The Game of Kings suggested by LizzieD. I enjoyed them both (although as rather large books they were tough on the wrists). Thanks for the push to read these two!

I'm a bit late to the party, as I'm just trying to fit the books I've read into the April TIOLI challenges, but I'm joining in, anyway.

I tend to read Fantasy, which puts me in a niche market, and I seem to have developed a thing for end-20th century Fantasy (which makes it a bit obscure). So; off the top of my head :

Susan Dexter's books, which start with The Sword of Calandra;
Joanne Bertin's The Last Dragonlord;
Patricia Briggs's non-paranormal books, such as The Hob's Bargain and The Huorog duology;

The Riddle Master of Hed series and The Blue Sword duo logy are more well known.

This month, I read God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell, which is the first of her Kencyrath series, and people have expressed an interest, on various other threads.

ETA : having posted that, just realised I've already fitted God Stalk into a challenge. Don't mind me; carry on.

I did a shared read with Suzanne on one of the writers that I recommended but haven't got very far in her book recommendation though I've enjoyed what I've read so far. Hopefully I'll finish Fatal Majesty this month.
I'm going to bookmark this thread and return to it later in the year, so many excellent suggestions here.

Like Kerry, this is a thread I'll return to often. Many thanks Suzanne and participants!
Here at the 11th hour, I've finished one of Christina's recommendations, The Shutter of Snow. I've never read anything like it, and I am a great fan. Thank you, Christina. Great choice!