Anonymous wrote:Mists of Avalon

I am really down on MZB since this recent revelation:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/27/sff-community-marion-zimmer-bradley-daughter-accuses-abuse

Anonymous wrote:If you like Outlander, you might also like the original books by D.K. Broster, especially Flight of the Heron. Gabaldon has said that Broster was an influence, and you can see it. Outlander definitely has a more modern sensibility, while Flight of the Heron has a more traditional feel and no time travel. But both are about brave, handsome Scottish rebels during the Uprisings, with large helpings of romance. My Scottish grandmother gave me Flight of the Heron when I was 14.

I agree with the recommendation for Flight of the Heron. It's quite a bit more literate and infinitely more historically accurate than Outlander while remaining a very good yarn indeed. There's no time travel, it's true, but there's a strong supernatural element: there's a prophecy, and the heron can be read as a messenger between the Celtic Otherworld and the historical world. There's an interesting review here: http://www.collectingbooksandmagazines.com/broster.html but note, there are huge spoilers.

Anonymous wrote:Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Yes!

Anonymous wrote:Roots
The Red Tent
The Clan of the Cave Bear series

Any suggestions on other books I may like? Gone with the Wind was good, but about as romantic as I want. I'm not into historical romance novels - I remember their Fabio covers, my mom sitting on her lounge chair devouring them - just not my cup of tea. Thank you so much for any suggestions!!

I loved The Clan of the Cave Bear books as a teen, but re-read the first one a few years ago. I was appalled at how soft-porn much of the story was! Maybe that's why I loved them as a teen. But seriously, I guess I had forgotten just how much sex is interspersed within the (otherwise very good) plot.

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Anything by David Liss

Anonymous wrote:Don't mean to highjack this thread, but are the Outlander books the ones about the Scottish guy and his wife who travel through time? I love the ones about the English Army guy, but don't enjoy the time travel ones as much. I did just read the new one, and feel like I must have missed one. Is there a book in the series that covers the English guy's time in Philadelphia?

Sorta. Wife's a time traveler, but he can't. I think you read the John Grey novellas as well. That's as spoilerish as I dare get.

Anonymous wrote:Any Clavell book - Tai-Pan, Shogun, Noble House, King Rat

Ugh no. I read those when I was 14 and studying Japanese, and liked them. Tried to read them again a few times as an adult, and I can't stand them! They are well-researched but he's not much of a story-teller and his viewpoint is hopelessly cliched -- by today's standards, even racist.

Also, in case you were wondering, Shogun is not an original story. He based it pretty closely on a true story, at least the first 2/3 of it. I came across the original account once when doing some research in my university's library. It was much more interesting.

Anonymous wrote:You need a GoodReads account.
If you liked Roots, read
Queen: The Story of an American Family by Alex Haley
Cane River by Lalita Tademy

If you liked The Red Tent, read
Zipporah, Wife of Moses
Sarah
Lilah
all by Marek Halter

NP. Also try Sarah by Orson Scott Card. I've not read anything else by Orson Scott Card (except maybe another one of the books in this Women of a Genesis series? Not sure.), but I liked Sarah better than The Red Tent.

Mists of Avalon

Don't mean to highjack this thread, but are the Outlander books the ones about the Scottish guy and his wife who travel through time? I love the ones about the English Army guy, but don't enjoy the time travel ones as much. I did just read the new one, and feel like I must have missed one. Is there a book in the series that covers the English guy's time in Philadelphia?

Dorothy dunnett, the Lymond Chronicles

If you like Outlander, you might also like the original books by D.K. Broster, especially Flight of the Heron. Gabaldon has said that Broster was an influence, and you can see it. Outlander definitely has a more modern sensibility, while Flight of the Heron has a more traditional feel and no time travel. But both are about brave, handsome Scottish rebels during the Uprisings, with large helpings of romance. My Scottish grandmother gave me Flight of the Heron when I was 14.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl with the Pearl Earring
Life After Life
Pillars of the Earth
Outlander
The Dress Lodger
The Mists of Avalon
A Winter's Tale
The Other Boleyn Girl
Water for Elephants

+1 million to Outlander. Just buy all 7 books now and preorder the 8th.

It's being made into a TV series. On FX, I think, which bodes well for the quality. I read the first one and am now frantically trying to read the rest of them before the show starts in August.

I think you will be fine if you only read the first 2 before the series.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl with the Pearl Earring
Life After Life
Pillars of the Earth
Outlander
The Dress Lodger
The Mists of Avalon
A Winter's Tale
The Other Boleyn Girl
Water for Elephants

+1 million to Outlander. Just buy all 7 books now and preorder the 8th.

It's being made into a TV series. On FX, I think, which bodes well for the quality. I read the first one and am now frantically trying to read the rest of them before the show starts in August.