DFW Rabid Readers: reading and discussion group

Sea78

Double_Trouble wrote: »

I've never read To Kill a Mockingbird either

Love so many books hard to choose

Austen- Northanger Abbey
Lovely Bones
The Chalet Series - I wanted to go to boarding school too but I read everything as a child mystery series, secret seven, secret island series, famous five, the bobbsey twins
Les Miserables
Birdsong

and so many others please let us decide soon I want to start

one book I could never get on with despite trying several times was The Water Babies

DTxx

oooh- Malory Towers - LOVED them!!

Sessie

Oh this thread is going to take up so much of my time.... * shakes fist *

Cheri, I totally agree about Michael J Fox's autobiography. I thought it was one of the best-written own stories I've read... probably EVER! Wasn't expecting it to be so good and found it really hard to put it down and go to sleep on a night! I am just waiting for my sister to give me the second one so I can get on with that one.

I wonder whether this thread will always be for me or whether I will dip in and out. The reason I say this (and this is NOT meant against anyone else, or their choice of reading, I am just being honest about MY tastes)... I really can't get into what I suppose is called "classics"... Austen, Marquez, Heller.. it's just not happening for me. When I read I want to escape, I don't mind being made to think or guess or tap into myself to find a different way of looking at things but these authors just don't seem to gel in my head ... I tried One Hundred Years of Solitude over and over again and I just wasn't getting into it at all, I didn't feel the characters, the situation... same with Catch 22, I just... didn't go with it and as soon as I put it down I had forgotten what I'd read.

That said, I've read 1984 over and over and love it, really want to read Animal Farm so will probably join you on that one.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is, is it OK for people to opt out when it's a book or author they don't get on with and come back when it's something more to their liking?

My faves (at the mo, it changes a lot) are Ben Elton (wonderful way of writing about the most current real-life topics and pulling no punches), Dean Koontz ( wonderfully lucid descriptions), Jodi Picoult (really makes you consider all points of view to a situation as each chapter is from a different character's perspective but on the same issue, My Sister's Keeper and Handle With Care are particular favourites, oh and Nineteen Minutes is pure class), Stephen King (The Green Mile, Hearts in Atlantis .. oh and The Dark Half is in my top five EVER ... chilled me to the bone, despite the fact I was reading it in bright summertime. Actually went out to lunch and didn't go back to work that afternoon as I didn't want to stop reading it. Told work I had a really bad headache and had to go home!). Oh I could go on... but ... I won't.

So I'll be in and out of here, I'll try to bring chocolate when I come and hope to find some new books and authors recommended by some of you to broaden my horizons!

x

Double_Trouble

Sea78 wrote: »

oooh- Malory Towers - LOVED them!!

Oh yes I read them too I was always reading as a child and used to totally cut off from the world for hours

People dipping in and out seems fine to me we are never going to have a book that appeals to all tastes but I for one am willing to give most things a try but I reserve the right not to finish it if its not my thing

DTxx

Sea78

erm...when I go back to my mum's I can still escape into them for a while!!!

gilligansyle

Sessie - I drift between 'proper' books and total trash depending on my mood. Have a fair amount of 'chick lit' on my shelves, as well as comedy and short stories.

Currently reading Hitchhikers, well actually its 'So long and thanks for all the fish' - when talking about HHGTTG, I think of all the books, not just the first one. Love Douglas Adams lesser known stuff too.

I like Ben Elton as a writer better than he was as a comedian. I love his style.

Favourite Jane Austen - Emma
Favourite Agatha Christie - Pale Horse - book better than film
Favourite thriller - not sure, but the scariest book I ever read was called Harvest Home, not sure who it was by.
Childhood book - any Enid Blyton - they never really wrote books for teenagers as far as I remember.

Went through a phase of reading Satre, but that soon passed :rotfl:

tellmeitsfriday

Sessie: My Sister's Keeper made me cry... a lot. And I am not a soppy person generally!

savingwannabe

I read Sartre when i was 22.

I loved mallory towers, blyton etc when i was a kid.

I read Judy Blume - does nyone remember Are You There God It's Me Margaret? as a teenager. Does anyone remember Bob Geldof's bibliography? 'Is that it?'

Oh i will shut up now. Thanks everyone for making my weekend. Dean Koontz, Ben Elton, and even the Water Babies, oh my gosh does anyone remember the Winslow Boy by Terence Rattigan?

I will try to borrow To Kill A Mockingbird this weekend but think it is going to snow knowing my luck we shall have no public transport with one inch of snow in Hampshire.

MicheH

gilligansyle wrote: »

Went through a phase of reading Satre, but that soon passed :rotfl:

savingwannabe wrote: »

i read sartre in when i was 22.

Ok, now I'm worried. I thought you meant 'satire' but typed an error until savingwannabe typed the same thing.

Off to google search

savingwannabe

With regard to Sartre, I remember reading several books that did move me deeply and one even about people having to eat rat's in a famine. We had deep debates about existentionalism as students. Luckily i am having a bad hypo (am a diabetic with brittle diabetes) so i shan't even claim to be able to explain it with a good excuse. i took it all so seriously in my twenties. I am glad to be 40.

MrsMoo2U

Sessie wrote: »

Oh this thread is going to take up so much of my time.... * shakes fist *

Cheri, I totally agree about Michael J Fox's autobiography. I thought it was one of the best-written own stories I've read... probably EVER! Wasn't expecting it to be so good and found it really hard to put it down and go to sleep on a night! I am just waiting for my sister to give me the second one so I can get on with that one.


x

I have read his second. I wasn't disappointed by it but it is totally different from the first. He is in a very different place. It is quite political in parts but that suited me as I am in a very different place too. Perhaps it is age? If you don't get it from your sister PM me and I can lend you mine. I say lend because this is one I am sure that I will come back to. His first was just so inspirational for me. What a man. Witty, Intelligent, Kind, Generous and down to earth.

I too think that there will be some books that I will pass on. Like DT though I am willing to give anything a go but I usually know within the first paragraph if I can keep going.
I have never liked Stephen King but I too read Green Mile and Hearts in Atlantis and enjoyed them both quite surprised myself. Again I read them because they were given to me and I always feel obliged to at least try if somebody has given me a book.
Snow falling on Cedars was one that I have tried and tried and just dont get it at all.