# Books Recommended by our Members (August 2011)



## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

For the list of recommendations in July, look here:

July Recommendations

If you are an author or publisher, please do not 'recommend' your own books. Instead you may start a discussion/promotion thread in the Book Bazaar.

Generally, this thread is for quick recommendations. You know, you're sitting with a friend at dinner and you say, "Hey, I just finished this book and I think you would love it!" That kind of thing.

If you've got a book review or other site and would like to regularly share reviews with us, we invite you to start a thread in the Book Bazaar for your site and periodically post links to reviews, subject to our posting rules for authors and bloggers.

Also, please use generic links, or, even better, the Link-Maker to make KindleBoards affiliate links. But please do _not_ link through another site. 

Please see Forum Decorum for guidelines.


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## The Book Faery (Dec 10, 2010)

A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan comes out on August 9 and it's a bit pricey but well worth every penny especially for those willing to lend-I read it on a Blog Tour and it was fantastic: http://tinyurl.com/3g2zcwz

I've got some others but I won't post any until I learn the proper format.

Not quite sure how to use the Amazon Search and paste it to the post, sorry! I couldn't even get the cover to post! Looks like I've got some research to do!


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## RuthMadison (Jul 9, 2011)

Just read the short story Support Our Troops by Robyn Bradley. It was engaging and well written, only 99 cents. It's quite short and left me wanting more, but luckily I found out she's expanding it into a full novel to come out in October. Definitely worth checking out the story. It's about a housewife with an abusive husband who gets forced into "babysitting" a local war hero who has lost all his limbs in an explosion. It's explicit and has swear words in it as well, just to warn people.

http://www.amazon.com/Support-Our-Troops-Short-ebook/dp/B0043M4NYA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312312316&sr=8-1


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## Steve Weddle (Aug 3, 2011)

Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs is a novel about a private detective hired to traipse through rural Arkansas of the early 1950s searching for a mysterious blues musician.
The local touches and characters are great. It's a private eye story with some Stephen King/HP Lovecraft elements in there. Great stuff.


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## Joseph DiFrancesco (Aug 1, 2011)

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

Non-Fiction. Author - Nathaniel Philbrick

It's the true story that inspired Moby Dick.

Riveting.


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## Joseph DiFrancesco (Aug 1, 2011)

FATE IS THE HUNTER by Ernest K. Gann

Nonfiction on the trials and tribulations of early flight told by a pilot with one hell of a sense of humor, and great intellect.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

One of the best books I've read this summer. The ending had a twist I did not expect. 
deb


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Joseph DiFrancesco said:


> FATE IS THE HUNTER by Ernest K. Gann
> 
> Nonfiction on the trials and tribulations of early flight told by a pilot with one hell of a sense of humor, and great intellect.


Goodness ! There is an oldie buy a goody ! I read Fate is the Hunter when it was first released in the early '60's. Obviously it has stood the test of time well.


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## indiebookslist (Aug 5, 2011)

Ok, so I have a perennial favorite:

Matt Taibbi's "Griftopia". I read this book about once every two months. Yes, it is non-fiction, and the language is bit salty. I think more than one person has referred to it as Gonzo journalism. If you ever wanted to know what really caused the financial crisis in 2008, you should probably read it. You'll be equally entertained, and informed.


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

I just read Karin Slaughter's *Fallen* Good reading.

Meb


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## cc84 (Aug 6, 2010)

Into the Darkest Corner

I just finished this great book "Into the Darkest Corner" and i just had to recommend it. It's pretty cheap too and it's just a great book full of suspense, and it's quite scary at times too.


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## DarleneGardner (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm a fan of romantic suspense novels that don't contain serial killers. I stumbled across a book by Wendi Corsi Staub called Live to Tell that I really enjoyed. Better yet, it's only 99 cents.


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## Eileen (Sep 24, 2010)

I recommend The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan!

Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, and suffering her entire life with severe social anxiety disorder, the widow Mary McAllister spends almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, the media, an elderly priest with a guilty habit of pilfering spoons, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the marble house and its occupant peculiar, though insignificant, fixtures. An arsonist, a covetous nurse, and the endearing village idiot are among the few who have ever seen Mary. Newcomers to Mill River--a police officer and his daughter and a new fourth grade teacher--are also curious about the reclusive old woman. But only Father Michael O'Brien knows Mary and the secret she keeps--one that, once revealed, will change all of their lives forever.

The Mill River Recluse is a story of triumph over tragedy, one that reminds us of the value of friendship and the ability of love to come from the most unexpected of places.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mill-River-Recluse-ebook/dp/B0051PRFLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1312845274&sr=1-1


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## bertcarson (Jan 28, 2011)

I recommend Trustee from the Toolroom by Nevil Shute - I've probably read it a dozen time and never get tired of it.


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## CNDudley (May 14, 2010)

Joseph DiFrancesco said:


> In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
> 
> Non-Fiction. Author - Nathaniel Philbrick
> 
> ...


Absolutely second this, and also LOVED his _Sea of Glory_.

So far this month, this anecdotal history-of-science book on the Periodic Table was awesome. Had me laughing (!), marveling, and reading passages aloud to the extended family on vacation:








Pricy, at $11.99, but worth it.


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## Kristan Hoffman (Aug 6, 2009)

Just finished ROOM by Emma Donoghue and it's one of my top reads of the year! Mildly disturbing but wildly interesting, imaginative, and clever.


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## Ben Langhinrichs (Aug 10, 2011)

Joseph DiFrancesco said:


> In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
> 
> Non-Fiction. Author - Nathaniel Philbrick
> 
> ...


While I haven't read this, if the subject interests you, you should also take a look at The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex, which was written by Owen Chase (an ancestor of mine, as it happens) who was one of the few survivors and the one who told the story to Herman Melville. The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex was written in the 1820s, so it is bit archaic, but fascinating stuff. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available for Kindle.


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## Ben Langhinrichs (Aug 10, 2011)

My absolute favorite this year is Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick. It is technically YA, and expensive for a Kindle book, but an outstanding read. I cannot recommend it highly enough (and, no, I don't know the author).


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

Urban fantasy set in Pacific NW featuring PI able to move between living world and paranormal realm. 6th book in Harper Blaine series. Highly enjoyable read.


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## K. E. Hawkins (May 17, 2011)

I recommend two finance ebooks. If you want to learn about investing in the stock market on your own, then the William O'Neil book is great.



This second recommendation is part 2 of a 3 part series. It has recommendations for investing during high inflation and historical background of each investment. (You do have to read all three ebooks for the complete information).


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## davidhburton (Mar 11, 2010)

I've been reading Christopher Smith's Bullied series. It resonates a lot with me because I was bullied as a kid. And holy moly, is it good! They're each short books, but totally worth it.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

I just finished reading Amber Argyle's debut YA Fantasy _Witch Song_. Amber's a beautiful writer and I love the world she created. It doesn't officially debut until September 1st, but I think you can order it on Kindle and paperback already.

http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Song-Rhemalda-Publishing-ebook/dp/B005DXP93C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

(I would insert an image of the beautiful cover art of Witch Song, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.)


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## Karin Kaufman (Jan 9, 2011)

I'm reading _The Brutal Telling_, book 5 in Louise Penny's Armand Gamache series. I've been wanting to read a book in that series for quite a while, so when the publisher finally lowered the ebook price, I grabbed it.


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## authorandystraka (May 4, 2011)

THE FIFTH WITNESS by Michael Connelly. A great read. Don't know if there is a better mystery/thriller writer today.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Fifth-Witness-ebook/dp/B0047Y17P2/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/180-9444655-4363231?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

The third book in Castillo's Chief Kate Burkholder series. Complex characters and a gripping plot.


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## ErinW965 (Aug 15, 2011)

I'm a big sci-fi/fantasy fan so this has been a great book. Check it out!


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## vtnonna (Aug 16, 2011)

This is a very well-written book with characters that hold your interest and keep you reading right up to the end.


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## Libby13 (Jul 31, 2011)

My picks this month would be The Driver's Seat by Muriel Spark - fast paced, well written and utterly shocking - as well as Galore by Michael Crummey.  Galore is vast, rich, luminous, and one of the few pieces of magical realism I found easy to follow.


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## SoCal (Feb 7, 2011)

I don't think it is available on Kindle.


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## Simon Haynes (Mar 14, 2011)

I met up with fellow Western Australian author Michael Foster at Supanova in Perth a month or so back, and he was signing copies of his book hand over fist. (ie. lots of them.) We did a fun interview together and he's a top bloke. At the VIP cocktail party he managed to ... and then ... but no, I'd best leave those parts out. Needless to say I kept the pics.

Michael only had print editions at the time, and I talked him into releasing Kindle editions.

There are three in the trilogy. Here's the link to his first: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EWTNWU (good reviews too)

I don't have any financial interest, he doesn't publish me or vice versa, and we haven't arranged a cunning double-team to spam the forums (in fact, he doesn't know I'm giving him a mention. I don't think he's on kindleboards either.)

Fantasy is not my genre, but I did overhear all the enthustiastic people (mostly female, all ages) talking about his work.


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## valleycat1 (Mar 15, 2011)

The Way, by Kristen Wolf:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-ebook/dp/B004J4WLQO/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1313780178&sr=1-2

A compelling first novel, retelling the life of Jesus from an exceptionally creative perspective.


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## Julie Morrigan (Jun 29, 2011)

One of the best books I've read this year is Out There Bad, by Josh Stallings.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Out-There-Moses-McGuire-ebook/dp/B0056C0C00/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314004760&sr=1-1

This is the second in the Moses McGuire series, and the first, Beautiful, Naked and Dead, is also excellent.


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## djgross (May 24, 2011)

This book proves dystopian fiction can be packed with action and also funny. Added bonus: the book is chock full of 80's nostalgia.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Thank you for this thread. I just downloaded a sample or two. My recommendations for great reads are: Hamelin's Child By DJ Bennett:http://www.amazon.com/Hamelins-Child-ebook/dp/B004PLNLWY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314068573&sr=1-1 and Hit or Missus by Gayle Carline:http://amzn.to/iR7l1S


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## Evelyn Collier (Jul 7, 2011)

Abbie Taylor is published by Transworld. Her crime novel Emma's Baby is excellent. I don't know how to do links here. Sorry.


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## jvimawriter (Jan 19, 2011)

I loved "Take the Monkeys and Run" by Karen Cantwell. Very funny book. The protagonist's voice reflects the frustrations of every woman with a real body and real problems. I liked the relationship between the husband and wife--she didn't dump him just because they were having problems. I've got the next book in the series, "Citizen Insane", and look forward to reading that next.


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)




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## braziluk2 (Aug 25, 2011)

If you have read Note on a Scandal by Zoe Heller you may know this is a great book. I have read the book and watched the film starring Judi Denchi and i couldn't recommend it more. 
I can not find the version for kindle on amazon. Does anyone know if there is a version for kindle?
Regards

Edinaldo Santo


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## RosalieLario (Jun 21, 2011)

I'm reading Luck of the Devil by Patricia Eimer and it's a super fun read: http://www.amazon.com/Luck-Devil-Speak-ebook/dp/B005F5C6CU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314285564&sr=8-2

Also, Jeaniene Frost's short, Devil to Pay, just released. Love her! http://www.amazon.com/Devil-to-Pay-ebook/dp/B00570MHZ4/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1314285592&sr=1-6


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## Arclight (Jan 6, 2011)

A continuing story about a Texas family that owns a huge modern Texas ranch. Think "Dallas" without the oil business. The author has written two books so far.


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## PatriciaEimer (Aug 29, 2011)

I just finished The What If Guy by Brooke Moss and Gone with a Handsomer Man by Micheal Lee West this weekend and both had me laughing so hard I cried at points.


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## deannatroupe (Apr 8, 2011)

I just go the chance to read Accomplished in Murder by Dara England. This was a great murder mystery. I can't wait to read more from her!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Hi, for the September 2011 recommended books, go here:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,82299.0.html

Betsy
KB Moderator


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