What are you reading?
Jasam--I tried to update the old, "What Are You Reading," thread, but for reasons unknown, I couldn't access it. So, in hopes that people will join me in discussing their favorite books and authors (or their current reads, whether they are enjoying the book or not), I decided to start a new thread. Aside from loving many of the classics that were forced on me when I was young (1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, etc.), I have new favorites. Some of the books I enjoyed in recent years are: The Shipping News & The Wyoming Tales, featuring Brokeback Mountain by Edith (Annie) Proulx, The Road, and No Country For Old Men, by Cormac Mcarthy, Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Woa, by Junot Diaz, Tinkers, by Paul Harding, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini, I know This Much Is True, by Wally Lamb (I really recommend this one!), and The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold. I also read and loved Water For Elephants, by Sara Gruen. Currently (as previously mentioned), I'm rereading Tuesday's With Morie, by Mitch Alblom. It's a quick, inspirational non-fiction read that recounts the time Albom, a sports writer spend with one orf his professors, Morrie Schwartz. Dying from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), Morrie discusses his views on life and death with humor, compassion, and dignity. Another book that I recently finished is The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which I loved (can't wait to see the movie). The Help is about a restless recent college graduate; a southern white woman, who takes an interest in the lives of, and decides to write a book about the lives of the black maids that work for southern, white society women. The novel takes place at the nacent of the Civil Rights Movement. Determined to tell their stories, she sacrifices her own social standing as she shares their stories of abuse and mistreatment. I found it heartbreaking, inspiring, and howlingly funny. For more information about this novel, visit http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Help. So. What are you reading?
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Jasam--Since I can't figure out how to delete the extra forum thread, use this one, please.
Oh gosh, what am I reading now? We'll I am in love with Amazon for all my reading needs. I keep buying new books although I have yet to read the previously ordered books. It is an endless cycle with me plus sometimes it is hard to find time.
@Tealita-You named some very good classics, although I don't think I have read some of the books on your list. I heard the "Help" was a good read.
I like Philipa Gregory, except for her new books that all have Queen in the name. I just read the Meridian series which is a bit shocking in it's content. I have read some of her earlier works as well.
I just finished Karen Marie Moning's "Shadowfever." I actually read it first, not realizing it was a series. I then went back and read the four other books in the series and then Shadowfever again. Shadowfever was the best. It was a nice mix of romance, evil vs good, with vampires and supernatural elements as well. I am now starting on her other Highland series, Beyond the Highland Mist.
I also just finished a book that was recommended on Amazon called "The Book of Night Women." It was a very good book that deals with slavery and the timeframe is in the early 1800's. It was a bit depressing as well though.
I have a teenage daughter so I try to read some of her books as well so we can have dialogue. I read "I Am Number Four," which was based on the movie of the same title by Pitticus Lore. "The Power of Six" was just released today, so I will probably pick that up sometime this afternoon.
We also have read the series by Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instrument Series, "The City of Bones," as well as the new series Infernal Devices. There is a movie in production for the first book "City of Bones." I enjoy her books as well. It does have the vampire, werewolf theme similar to "Twilight" but her books differ in many aspects.
I rarely have a look at the forum topics but I took a look at the GH Spoilers one and read about the book thread... And I love to read...
As some of you know I am half French and half Brit so I read both English and French books... In fact I try to always follow a pattern:
- a classical book
- a novel written in English
- a novel written in French...
I guess I will spare you the french ones except if they are translated in English or if some French/French canadian/French speaking posters are interested by them LOL
The latest classical novel I read was "the Karamazov Brothers". Thought I was going to fall into permanent sleep during the first 400 pages but as my best friend is half Russian and was pushing me to read it, I persevered and was rewarded as the last 600 pages are great. So overall I put a 14 (I rate all the books I have read since I was 20... from 0 to 20... I know I know I should probably see a shrink). But if you want to try Russian litterature, my recommandation would be Anna Karenina (the best demale painting I have ever read...) and War and Peace from Tolstoi. They are the definition of "epic writing" and are not boring at all...
I then rushed to a small book in French whose writing is phenomenal. It is short (200 pages) and you go from paris to Tokyo and end on the Elba Island in Italy. The writing is so incredible you can feel the rain or smell the plants as if you were next to "Marie" the heroine. The scene on the Tokyo Airport (35 pages long) is one of the best piece of writing I have read in a long time (especially if you love horses). It has been translated in English and is called "THE TRUTH ABOUT MARIE" and I just so it in paperback version. The author is Jean-Philippe TOUSSAINT. Got a 18/20 from me
The last English one I read was a crime novel based in the "After Civil War Boston" called the DANTE CLUB. I don't remember the author but it is pretty good and is about how a serial killer is using the works of the Harvard scholars translating Dante's divine Comedy for the first time in American to kill people. Really interesting and a good painting of the 19th century Boston. Got a 14/20 from me.
I love to buy books. I must have more than a hundred books unread waiting for me. Borders is closing and I have bought like 15 more recently at 20% of their price (so mad to see Borders go!). For me I read a book on PAPER not on a kindle or my IPad. I throw it in my purse, I highlight some passages, I write non relevant personal stuff like phone numbers or addresses on them and use them as a block-note while I am reading them. I cannot do that on a Kindle. So as much as I love technology I will remain faithful to my paper version of books.
Thanks for the great new books ideas. Looking for new ideas about classical books I have still not read (my favorites classical? Anna Karenine, A tale of 2 cities of Dickens, Dracula of Bram Stocker, La peau de Chagrin - Skin of Sorrow? - of Balzac and the sequel of the Three Musqueteers called "20 Years Later" of Alexandre Dumas all rated 19/20).
Will update when I will have read my next three ones!
Enjoy your day!
Forgot to say that I have loved To Kill a Mockingbird and Lovely Bones Tealita!
And I have started a book called "If you lived here, I'd know your name" from a woman who is a journalist living in a small town called Haines in Alaska. So far it is sad but a great lesson of life in a tough environment...
I too am sorry to see Borders close. I love books. I also love my kindle. It makes it so much easier to carry my books with me. I still purchase the hard copy for books I intend to read again or are personally significant. I have a book addiction and Amazon is an enabler with it's free copies of classics and deep discounts. I spent an ungodly amount of money today in Borders between myself, my daughter and my niece. We got a little carried away and truly frightened Bubba when we got home. They are up to 60% off now. It was awesome.
I loved Lovely Bones. To Kill a Mockingbird is a personal favorite. My most recent read was passed to me by my daughter. It is Room: A novel. It is written from the perspective of a five year old boy who has been raised solely within the walls of a small room. His mother has been held against her will since before he was born. I had a hard time putting it down.
Today I purchased the latest Jan Burke Irene Kelly novel. I am going to start delving through my pile with it. I enjoy revisiting characters that I have enjoyed in the past.
Jasam-Aramis--I tried twice last night, but I couldn't get my comment through. Both The Book Of Night Women (Jasam) and If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name (Aramis) seem right up my alley, so I already reserved them from the library. Speaking of the library, I don't mind saying that I'm on a budget, so I either read books from there, or buy them USED on Amazon, which I've had great luck with. The condition of the books is always as described, and I've never had any trouble with the sellers. If you don't own a Kindle (which I don't) you can still read classic books for free at Project Gutenberg http;//gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page Due to copyrite laws here in the U.S., you'll mostly find books pre-circa 1930 or so, but there are fabulous titles by Caroll, Twain, Hugo, Poe, Wilde and so many more. Project Gutenberg Australia http://gutenberg.net.au/ has many titled that are still copyrited here, such as The Animal Farm, The Great Gatsby...and even Gone With The Wind (which I have grown to loathe). If the links break, you can easily Google the sites.~~Aramis, although I loved the first five pages of Anna Karenina, as it's spelled here, I couldn't go further. I loved the gossipy tone and effusive vivid language, but I just stopped. It may be because I had recently tried and failed to be able to read Joyce's Ulysses, the infamously intimidating door-stopper. Even Cliff's notes and other guides couldn't get me through it. Kudos to you for being multi-lingual, which must help. I did read Nabokov's Lolita, which I loved; Russian Writer-almost American sensibility.~~ Two books (found at Project Gutenberg) that I read just for sh*ts and giggles; just to say I did are Memoirs Of A Woman Of Pleasure by John Cleland and Lady Chatterly's Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Both were juvenile and penis-centric, with Lady Chatterly's Lover more darkly so. I read that Lawrence was a demented heel. Unless you want to boast that you've read the two most banned books in the world, I wouldn't recommend either. Vet--Room: A novel sounds like something I would also enjoy. In fact, I'll reserve it before I forget. Is it anything like Flowers In The Attic? I loved that as a kid.
Here's the link to Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
Currently reading Mitch Albom's(of "Tuesdays with Morie" fame)"have a little faith". It jumps back and forth between the "stories" of a Rabbi and a Minister, both of whom Albom is connected to through his ties to his hometown in NJ and his present "base of operation", Detroit, Michigan. He wrote the book aver a span of 8 years. It's pretty much faith based, and brings together similarities shared by two different belief systems. It's published by Hyperion but I'm pretty sure Amazon would have it.
Enjoy your day all...
@Aramis270- Je parle francais un peu. J'etude le francais a l'universite.
GHvetfan- You should never have informed me Borders was going out of business. I went there today and spent a reasonable amount. 7 books for $18.87. You can't beat that. I will have to go back again as the discount increases.
@Tealita- Nabakov's Lolita is one book that I have been wanting to read. I saw the movie with Dominique Swain years ago and did not know if it was similar to the book. I am a person that also goes to the library. My daughter has a Nook/Color but I actually prefer the physical books. I will have to check that website. I have heard of a website as well called 4 shared. It allows you to download books to your pc or digital device at no charge. You are just sharing files with others.
Jasamforever - I think you did pretty well. I hate to see the stores go but I sure do love a sale.
Jasam--I didn't see the film version of Lolita that you saw, so I don't know if it's a faithful adaption of the book. I did see, and floved the James Mason/Shelly Winters version that came out in the early 60s. That was a great film that really captured Nabokov's sardonic commentary on the vulgarity and hypocrisy of American culture. It was both funny and tragic. I'm glad they filmed it in b&w, because it really added to the seedy quality of the subject matter. If you want to read Lolita for free, it's found at this file sharing site: http://www.epubbud.com/readers.phb
Vet-Me too.
@Tealita- Thanks. I will go to the site and download. I did not know there was another movie version of Lolita. I wonder if they have it on Netflix. I will have to check. It something they would probably show on TCM as well since the movie is in black and white.
Jasam, I have seen both versions of the Lolita movie (as I love Jeremy Irons I made the huge mistake to watch the second movie
) and the first one is just phenomenal and really faithful to the book. James Mason is outstanding (not as sexy as in Pandora with Ava Gardner which is my favorite movie of him but you feel his attraction to Lolita in such a strong way), Sue Lyon was brilliant and after her, if I remember well, this is still a Stanley Kubrick movie so a "must see" movie to me (that is on Netflix).
Taelita, we really seem to have the same taste LOL!
Jasam, tu sembles bien parler français et si tu veux parler avec moi, je suis à ta disposition
About Borders, I have scheduled a second raid after the one of 2 weeks ago tonight as they are now really close to closing their doors for good on Colombus Circle
I have read Wally Lambs books. He is truly twisted (a complement). I don't read alot of long hair books anymore. I mostly read people like Anne Rice, Stephen King, Jeffery Deaver, Jonathan Kellerman, James Patterson, and many others. Right now I am reading James Patterson "Cross". I am a little behind on the Cross series. I also recently read the Gnostic Gospels of Jesus, and several books from the Lost Books of Eden. I read on line an Oz book by Ruth Plumly Thompson who replaced L Frank Baum as the official biographer of Oz. It was the first book of hers that I have found to read. She kept very faithful to Baum's country mouse humor wink and nod. I also just finished reading Stephen Kings "Full Dark No Stars" four novellas in one book. The stories were very dark indeed. Some of his most chilling work todate in the aspect of subject matter (murder).Although they are not for the light of heart, I do recommend the book. Before that I read Jeffery Deaver's "Edge". He is into police procedural stuff. Good book.
Other writers I have read much of Issaac Beshavis Singer, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Morris West, Lawrence Sanders, Sidney Sheldon, VC Andrews, Robert Louis Stevenson, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pat Conroy, Larry McMurtry, Robert R Maccamman, Michael McDowell, Poppy Z Brite, Caleb Carr, Clive Barker, Thomas Harris, Dean Koontz, and probably a few others I forgot.
@Aramis270- D'accord. Comment vas-tu? J'ai une longue week-end alors, je voudrais rester a chez moi et se detendre.