 | Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel by Susanna Clarke
Buy used from: $3.05 The tale of two English magicians who once were friends, but became enemies. A long read but one of my all time favorites.
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 | The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $2.90 When missionary Nathan Price sets out to work in Africa he brings his wife and four daughters. A sad and beautiful story.
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 | The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
Buy new: $10.85 / Used from: $0.01 Set in the South, The Little Friend follows Harriet, a young girl whose family is shattered after the murder of her older brother when she was only a baby. Harriet embarks on a funny and dangerous quest to find her brother's killer.
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 | The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel by Margaret Atwood
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $1.97 Atwood's book imagines a future society that is very Big Brother-ish. Offred (of Fred) is a handmaid for a government official, which basically means that she has sex with him in hopes that she will become pregnant so that he and his wife can raise the child. Couldn't put this one down.
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 | Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $0.01 About a young boy named Pi who ends up trapped on a lifeboat with a zebra, orangutan, hyena, and tiger, after the boat his family is on sinks. Great plot twist at the end that completely changed the way I saw the story.
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 | Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
Buy new: $11.20 / Used from: $0.01 Imagines the story behind Vermeer's famous painting. The movie is also pretty good.
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 | The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Buy new: $8.97 / Used from: $0.81 Another book about dueling English magicians, although this time the two magicians are out to kill each other. The movie is good too, but the book is much better. Great plot twist.
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 | Marilyn Monroe: The Biography by Donald Spoto
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $8.00 Marilyn Monroe is, in my opinion, the greatest movie star of all time. This book attempts to explain Marilyn as a real woman, not just a sex symbol. Also offers an interesting theory concerning Marilyn's death.
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 | Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $5.72 I normally am not a fan of true crime books, but this one was really interesting. I was baffled at times by the mistakes made by police and other law officials. Can get a bit tedious, but overall a fascinating look at the horrific crimes of the Manson family.
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 | The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Buy new: $11.20 / Used from: $0.99 14 year-old Lily has been told all her life that when she was a very young child she accidentally shot and killed her mother. Lily runs away from her unloving father in an attempt to discover more about her mother.
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 | She's Come Undone (Oprah's Book Club) by Wally Lamb
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 This book tells the story of Dolores Price from age 4 to 40. Dolores' life has been shaped by a series of bad events that happened to her and she struggles to become "normal". Although there were times I wished I could smack Dolores because her character could be so frustrating, I still found myself rooting for her.
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 | Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
Buy new: $14.37 / Used from: $4.59 Set during the Depression, Gruen's novel follows Jacob, a young man who joins a circus because he doesn't know what else to do. Jacob falls in love with one of the show's performers and befriends Rosie, an elephant.
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 | Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 Love the book, Love the movie.
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 | Case Histories: A Novel by Kate Atkinson
Buy new: $10.19 / Used from: $0.01 Private investigator Jackson is hired to look in to 3 cold cases, all while attempting to figure out who is trying to murder him. An engrossing read that I couldn't put down.
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