Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Book recommendations: Appropriate adult fiction

My ds loves sci fi and read Dune when he was 11. I am *not* a sci fi fan so I've never read it, I just picked it up for him off of a big stack of books that included Jane Eyre etc on a B&N sale table thinking it looked like something he'd enjoy! (That's what happens with parental oversight when you've got 3 kids and two of them are 2e and all 3 of the kids plus their parents have crazy-busy lives lol!).

DS loved Dune and had a habit of reading it any chance he had, including while walking. One of the adults at his school who had read it in college and loved it saw ds reading it and was impressed... and... also asked me if I really thought he was ready to handle the maturity of the themes.... which of course I knew nothing about lol! By that time ds was already almost finished, and assured me he'd had no issues with it.

How's that for non-advice?

FWIW, my 13 year old is an avid reader and prefers popular fiction - not sure if your dd would be into anything she's into or not, but in an attempt to find her books that lasted a few hours longer than all the John Green books, I suggested a Jodi Picoult book and she loved it. You'd probably want to pick and choose those based on what level of mature themes you think your dd is ready for - but in general, another thing I've done with my dd is to think back through books I've read in my book club, or for both my dd and ds when they were around your dd's age I'd look through lists of recommended high school books or high school curriculum lists. I also found that it helped for me to occasionally throw a book at my kids (not literally lol!) that was in a genre outside their currently preferred narrow genres and tell them they had to read the first two chapters but could stop after that. They rarely stopped - it just took that small bit of nudging to get them to read something that they were thinking wouldn't be interesting to them.

Best wishes,

polarbear

I can totally relate- this was a tough reading period for my DD as well. All her friends seemed to love the YA stuff and she couldn't stand most of it. I also think we had some (subconscious) resistance to anything mom-reccomended...

I love polarbear's suggestions for sources; there are also good lists to be found on goodreads and other book sites, but you have to dig around to find what suits your needs. Also, you have probably tried this, but cultivating a relationship with a good librarian is priceless.

I know this is YA, but has she read The Book Thief? Another, that i believe is listed as "adult" fiction but is similar, is All the Light We Cannot See (Doerr). Both are Holocoaust/WW2 themed, but with great characters and beautiful writing.

What about Geraldine Brooks? I love her work; Year of Wonders is great, but she might enjoy People of the Book, Caleb's Crossing. I remeber enjoying March, but don't rmember it well enough to know if one has to have read Little Women first to really get it.

Definitely second Agatha Christie and PG Wodehouse, Amy Tan. DH recommended Michael Chrichton and Tom Clancy to our kids- i haven't read them so can't comment directly.

Peter Mayle has some lively, light travel stories, like a Year in Provence, which might be fun.

I have not yet gotten DD to read Barbara Kingsolver, but think she would love her work. I loved Poisonwood Bible, but would have to revisit it to make sure there is nothing objectionable- off the top of my head i think it would be fine.

Some random thoughts-
Abraham Vergese's My Own Country (about an Indian Infectious disease physician's alienation and assimilation into a Tenessee community, but also about the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic, so depends on your comfort with that).
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- not fiction, but a great story (but is centered around cervical cancer and racial issues).
Life of Pi- kind of dense, with a lot of religious ruminations in the first part, but my DS is enjoying the philosophical ideas.
The Selected Works of TS Spivet- about a 12yo cartographer, kind of convoluted, but uses imagry/illustration heavily, visually really neat.
Louise Erdrich, Margaret Drabble- it's been a while since i read their work, but i think it would be appropriate.
Three Bags Full (Swann)- a mystery told from the perspective of a flock of sheep; quirky, funny.
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society- a great British character story set during WW2
The Help- you might need to read to check, but i don't think there is anything objectionable in it (other than a lot of racism); my DD loved it, and must have been fairly young, because she had to ask what sh*t meant (and it's integral to the story...)
Ruth Reichl, Garlic and Sapphires (non-fiction, but a great read about her time as a NYT food critic) and Delicious, a novel
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle- beautiful writing, about a boy's deep comnection with his dog, but too slow for my DD at that age
Donna Leon mysteries- set in Venice, wonderful characters and descriptions, murders, but fairly gentle/benign violence-wise


I can check in DD's room for more favorites when she gets up, but that's all i've got for now. Good luck!

Thanks for additional suggestions! I thought about Life of Pi. She has a philosophical bent, though she's pretty ignorant about religion. She's also become interested in historical fiction. She has never liked mysteries (must be genetic--I don't care for them either), but I think she might like Wodehouse. She does not like war/military/violence themes, and I think is not too interested in full-on love themes (even if chaste), but light romance is probably okay. She is reading Little Women right now and enjoying it greatly.

Part of the reason for my question, btw, is that our choice of schools means that English/LA is not a strength. We knew this, but it's a shame, so I want to enrich outside of school. I'm willing to co-read and discuss, and she's into this idea. We did this a little this summer with Bradbury.

I would say she is obviously a strong reader, but not phenomenally strong. For some reason which I have never understood, her vocabulary lags behind what I would expect from her. (She has a Kindle now, which should help, except that I don't think she likes to use the dictionary feature.) However, I am always impressed with her thematic understanding. Vocab-wise, I wouldn't put her higher than 9th grade level. That puts plenty of adult books in reach, though.

Oh oh oh - I just thought of another one that I LOVED at that age - how about the James Herriot books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small. Lovely writing, some sad parts where animals die (he's a vet), but lots of funny and happy parts, too. And I'm pretty sure there's nothing even remotely racy or violent.

There are also lots of short story compilations, but I think the books themselves paint a fuller picture.

Yes! I loved those books as a child, too.

Joy Adamson's "Born Free," about Elsa the lioness.

Leonard Wibberley, The Mouse that Roared

All of P.G. Wodehouse

Anne of Green Gables series--especially the later volumes

Would she come to you if something disturbed her? Or just do what i did and skip bits? I think most of us miss stuff at that age because we haven't got the background knowledge. I actually really liked Shakespeare at that age but i know a lot went over my head.

Thinking of YA stuff there seems to be a trend to make it real and for it to challenge. When i read i would mostly prefer not to read about the miserable experiences my neighbours might be having. I don't think domestic abuse is a suitable topic for a 12 year old or incest etc. I am not sure that i would consider a lot of of YA stuff suitable for a YA audience.

A YA title, but good: Suzanne Goldsmith, Washashore.