Suggest A Book To Read! (Part 1)

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person in white t shirt standing beside books inside a library

(Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com)

One of the parts of life that I miss intensely during the lockdowns due to the pandemic is the ability to browse in bookstores. Books are a main part of my life; I read constantly, teach English Literature courses at college, and I write novels. One of my great pleasures in life is spending times exploring books in a store. Where I live, the Lehigh Valley, PA, is blessed with having more bookstores than many other areas,  but like most businesses, they are not open for in-person browsing.

So, let us help the readers out there. Let us suggest one book for others to consider reading.

I will continue this book suggestion as a weekly series, and that is the reason for only one recommendation per post.

Here is my suggestion:

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin. I consider this book to be one of the very best novels ever written.  This magnificent novel requires a commitment of time and thinking as you read it.

“Exceptional . . . a mammoth, elegaic, moving exegesis on love, beauty,  the meaning of life, and the meaninglessness of war . . . a compelling vision of humanity . . . ” (From the inside cover quotation from the Washington Post Book World.)

I consider this novel to stand with Cervantes’ Don Quixote as one of the essential books to read in a person’s life.

A Soldier Of The Great War

53 thoughts on “Suggest A Book To Read! (Part 1)”

  2. Thanks for your suggestion. Hard to go wrong with Mark Helprin. I recommend The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson. It’s Southern Gothic, Southern noir, and a little bit of Russian folklore horror all woven together with Davidson’s poetic prose.

    Liked by 3 people

  5. As I was scrolling through my Kindle looking for a good suggestion, I noticed I had accidentally purchased two copies of Jane Eyre, so there’s that, lol, but I would like to suggest The Essay by Robin Yocum. Fell in love with it. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  10. This is a lovely idea, Charles – and if you are looking for a remarkable but very readable book that is completely escapist – there is Jo Walton’s Tooth and Claw, where dragons do Anthony Trollope…

    Liked by 3 people

  11. An incredible author that will thrill you with his literary mastery… Be ready for a long ‘sit’ under your reading lamp…if you like long, literary, descriptive masterpieces, come feast. No question, Mark Helprin is a most talented author…
    Thank you, Charles, great reading suggestion.

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Thank you for the recommendation! I hadn’t heard of this author. I just finished reading a new author’s book called False Assurances by Christopher Rosow. I barely put it down, and upon finishing it I quickly ordered book 2 and am enjoying it as well.

    Liked by 3 people

  17. The only store I miss is the bookstores. I wait for the books to signal I must read them and so rarely recommend a book. Most have their own idea of what a good book is so I leave it at that. Books often fall off shelves to me. I know it’s weird but it happens too often to ignore. I think they have a life of their own. 😉

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Audrey Driscoll’s The Friendship of Mortals — free on Smashwords.
    She’s a fellow blogger and her novel is reminiscent of Mary Shelly, though she models her characters after HPLovecraft’s stories. Excellent reading.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. Pingback: Suggest A Book To Read! (Part 1) – My story is yours

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