# Book Recommendations Please

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 30, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035 "2008-11-30T07:58:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Moglet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Moglet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moglet)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/1 "2008-11-30T07:58:32Z")

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I don’t read as much as I would like, but most recently I loved reading Memoirs of a Geisha, Shantaram and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Can someone recommend a book that will captivate me like those did?

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**Author:** ![Much\_poison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Much\_poison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Much_poison)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/2 "2008-11-30T08:09:42Z")

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> [@Moglet](#):
>
> I don’t read as much as I would like, but most recently I loved reading Memoirs of a Geisha, Shantaram and A Thousand Splendid Suns.
> 
> Can someone recommend a book that will captivate me like those did?

I quite enjoyed Life of Pi. Ishmael is worth a look as well, imho.

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**Author:** ![Much\_poison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Much\_poison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Much_poison)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/3 "2008-11-30T08:12:08Z")

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Oh, and I’ve heard good things about Wild Swans, but it’s not really my cup of tea.

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**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/4 "2008-11-30T08:31:01Z")

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I strongly recommend [The Quincunx](http://www.amazon.com/Quincunx-Charles-Palliser/dp/0345371135/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228033812&sr=1-2) by Charles Palliser. Helluva book.

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**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/5 "2008-11-30T14:10:12Z")

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Pillars of the Earth?

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**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/6 "2008-11-30T16:16:52Z")

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Second Pillars of the Earth.

If you don’t mind your plot rambling and occasionally seeming to be non-existent then I heavily recommend Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson, one of my all time fave books.

I you like asian style setting you might want to try Shogun (bit long though) or Across the Nightingale floor by Lian Hearn.

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**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/7 "2008-11-30T16:40:43Z")

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I just finished [Three Cups of Tea](http://www.amazon.com/Three-Cups-Tea-Mission-Promote/dp/0143038257/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228063099&sr=8-1) and it was excellent. It adds a great perspective to the war on terror, IMO. Although it really is not overtly political. And I mention is because I just finished it and because the author of “Splendid Suns” is from the Middle East.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/8 "2008-11-30T19:04:49Z")

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The English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale.

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**Author:** ![Moglet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Moglet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moglet)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-recommendations-please/475035/9 "2008-12-01T07:35:30Z")

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Thanks for your suggestions - they look good.

I’d already read Life of Pi, and really enjoyed it, but will be trying the others.