Thanks everyone for some new suggestions here on this thread. I've printed out for use. Many here, I have read.

Susan Isaacs has a previous one that has the same characters as in Long Time No See (25 years earlier in time). I read them out of sequence but both were superlative.

Another one not mentioned yet and that was very enjoyable is Queen of the Big Time by Trigiani or Trigiano. It's centered on an Italian girl in N.Jersey and her town circa 1920-30's. Good vacation or anytime read.

I got hooked on Connelly after reading The Narrows and ended up reading a bunch of his old ones. They are good airplane/ travel reads.

Like to add "Ain't She Sweet" by Susan Phillips -- light southern fun novel...good beach read....

JJ5
Some of Michael Connelly's olders are great! I'm still waiting for "The Narrows".
You might like the outrageous stuff from
J.H. Cobb (his most recent - Cibola is sci/fi which I don't read) and
James H Huston.
A few threads from each remind me of my active duty USN "nuke" exploits.
M
M

On the lighter side: "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. He buys a new home in New Hampshire, notices a footpath adjacent to his property and discovers that it is the Appalachian Trail. Hilarious account of a semi-couch potato's decision to hike the entire 2000+ mile trail in one summer.

According to my friend at Barnes & Noble, these titles are hot local sellers, although I have not read them myself:

The Other Boleyn Girl
Peace Like a River
Lance Armstrong - It's Not About the Bike
Bourne Supremacy

Good catch motives!

I almost forgot about Bryson. I read "A Walk in the Woods" which then inspired me to read his "In a Sunburned Country" which is a fascinating look into the country, people and history of Australia.

Brysons books are classified as travel books but they have plenty of humor and lots of history to them as well.

Questionmotives mentioned Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger. I don't know what's sparked the interest in it right now (I noticed it's selling very well at Powell's, too), but Peace Like a River is a *wonderful* book, and I'd recommend it very highly.

Lee Ann

Me and my local book club are reading Anna Karinina along with Oprah's book club. It is HUGE book, but wonderful. Leo Tolstoy wrote this in 1877 and it is filled with events and attitudes of the day, which, are not that different from ours. Great read and will keep you "into it" for a very long time.

I love these threads, because I'm always running out of new things to read and usually get a few good suggestions here!

I'd just posted the following in response to the "Safe Areas in Key West" question, which caused the US forum to refresh and topped this thread for me:

"If you're looking for some good vacation reading, pick up one or two Lawrence Shames paperbacks before you go. He writes humorous detective fiction set in Key West. I was turned on to him after I tapped out Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiassen and Tom Corcoran, all of whom write in the same genre of Florida crime (usually with idiotic criminals providing the humor).

I've never been to Key West, but reading Shames both makes me want to go and makes me feel like I already know the place!"

Message:JJ5, Hi, yes I mentioned earlier that I have a copy of Adriana Trigiana's new book. Glad to hear from you that it is good. Have your read her other books. The Big Stone Gap series is great and I loved Lucia, Lucia.
Also love the books by Ruth Rendell.

Heather H

It's been a while (and alot of books) since I read Keeping Faith. I remember that I thought the actual outcome was left up to the reader to interpret. I'm going to have to go back and reread that last chapter.

Don't ask me why, but mention of Ruth Rendell made me think of Minetta Walters and her books. Good good mysteries, mostly chilling pyschological crimes..
The Sculptress
The Dark Room
I can't remember the rest, I have read them all and enjoyed every one of them:)

Lee Ann, my friend at B&N said that local book clubs have been reading "Peace Like a River" and that their store keeps selling out of copies because of it.

Yes, Bill Bryson is absolutely hilarious! Can't wait to read his other works.

Also forgot to mention "Under the Banner of Heaven" by John Krakauer ("Into Thin air author).

"under the banner of heaven"....was that the one about the crime in mormon/utah? that really was good! i like true crime stories...

topping

Glad you topped because Adriana Trigiani's got a new one out this month and the protagonist is a man this time. It has gotten good reviews. The print out I had with the title has been picked up by a patron and I can't remember it- but look for it.

She's isn't the most literary writer but her stories are great summer reads.

Also found another oldie that some of you may like, especially if you like European (I put it on the Europe board) period pieces. It concerns travel/tourists as well. Very, very good- about a small town in coastal Spain circa 1957, and includes much revealing of a certain type of Spanish/ English characterizations. It would remind you of Ian McEwan quite a bit. Lots of passion and some blood-
The Columbus Tree by Peter S. Feibleman.

It's very summer- you can feel the foreno bake you. It was published 1973 and you might have to find it in a library. Do.

Also read (actually heard on audio) Closer, and liked it. He continues to write well.