DFW Rabid Readers: reading and discussion group

savingwannabe

Sounds like the Michael J Fox autobiography will be on our reading lists then.

Sea78

Excited to start now!

Loads of books mentioned I haven't read (and a lot I have but don't remember - due to various factors, it seems I've lost memory of a LOT of stuff )

xx

savingwannabe

It's ok it will be an emotional journey for us books are like music each one will have a meaning for us before we even read it. We will remember what we were doing when we were reading it, should have been reading it. It's good Sea we will go through it together and learn and grow. I love books and it has been such a loooong time. I am so happy about this thread.

Aesop

MicheH wrote: »

I have not looked at this since school savingwannabe but the message about how groups interact in a way that makes it possible for one of them to control the rest with unquestioning authoirity can be applied throughout life, specially how the animals seem to depict different classes. A very clever novel with many hidden messages. A great way to get an insight into dictatorship and blind following of that dictatorship because of propaganda or 'cult of personality'

Again, I would like to look at this again. Intriquing.

Did anyone ever watch "The Tribe" - a children's program on channel 5? I used to watch it and it reminded me of Animal Farm.

Aesop

savingwannabe wrote: »

Brave New World is the most frightening book i have ever read. Couldn't finish it I found it too distressing.

Also Wild Swans by Jung Chang. i couldn't stop crying by chapter 3 and gave up i have tried reading it at 5 times in my life. Would love to know what people think of these too.

Miche I use Animal Farm in my lessons when introducing Economics to students. Quite simply one of the most amazing books i have ever read.

never heard or read Brave New World, just googled it.

I read Wild Swans, but it was a long time ago and can't remember what I thought of it. I think I felt sorry for the girls and their oppression.

EssexHebridean

kdenty wrote: »

OO I like this. I got a Kindle bought for me a few months back. I am a total book addict.

My favourites include:
Manda Scott
Diana Gabaldon
Micheal Marshall Smith
Clive Barker
Jean M Auel
Ken follett
Phillip Pullman


I love thrillers, horror and epic novels mostly. The Boudica series by Manda Scott has to be my favourite of all time.

I'm really an avid reader and it just feels wrong not to have a book on the go.

I got all excited when I read this as she is one of my favourite authors - and the "Trilogy in X parts" as the Outlander Series has been called is lined up on my bookshelf just waiting to be taken down and read again! SO nice to find someone else who likes the books!

As a child I would pretty much read anything I could get my hands on - including the backs of cereal packets etc at breakfast time as I wasn't allowed a book at the table. Some of the favourites from then that I still have are the A A Milne ones, Alice In Wonderland (Myself and a friend have always maintained that you should never entirely trust someone who doesn't "know their Alice" ), Peter Pan, White Boots by Noel Streatfield (I also adored Ballet Shoes but my original copy of that went walkabout and I've not yet succeeded in tracking down a replacement in the charity shops - it will come to me eventually though) Heidi and the Secret Garden. Also loved Enid Blyton - particularly the Famous Five - I always wanted to be George as Anne seemed a bit wet and uninspiring! Anything relating to horses and ponies as well - I still have some of those books kicking about for sentimental reasons!
As a teenager - read my way through the entire "Sweet Valley High" series, and of course the Judy Blume books, particularly the one mentioned earlier which I seem to remember had a couple of specific pages which used to get read more avidly than some of the others!
On a more serious note Robert Swindells "My brother in the land" was a fabulous, terrifying and thought provoking read, and I enjoyed Robert Westall's "The Machine Gunners" too. Later on I moved on to the Sue Barton Series, and loved Lynne Reid Banks "The L Shaped Room" series too. School "Have to reads" which I enjoyed, much as I would not have admitted it at the time were Animal Farm, The Colour Purple and Of Mice & Men.

Now as an adult I still love reading, and have finally got over my hang-ups about whether I "Should have" read certain things or not - life is too short to be beating yourself up because you haven't read all of Austen, Bronte or the complete works of Shakespeare. Favourite Shakespeare comedy would be Twelth Night which I also first read at school. Now my bookshelves (and we have many - OH is also a voracious reader) contain anything from James Herbert and Stephen King, to Tom Clancy, Diana Gabaldon, Jane Green and Zoe Barnes. Too many others to name - Maeve Binchy would be in there, and I have enjoyed a lot of Paul Theroux (His The Kingdon by the Sea is a fantastic look at the UK, as is Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island. Also a book called "Sam7" by a relatively little known author called Richard Cox - don't bother asking for this one in the library unless you know your librarian VERY well - it's about terrorism - specifically a plane being shot down onto Victoria Station in the rush hour and as a result has been taken out of print and is no longer available on the shelves of the majority of libraries! It is possibly one of the best books I have ever read though, and is truly and chillingly memorable.

Thanks for this thread - many happy memories of books read and possibly a few more to add to my wish-list!

savingwannabe

oh my gosh i am getting terribly excited. More books I shall enjoy this very much.

Aureol i did hear of the tribe. EH what a post fantastic. Am very happy.

kdenty

What a lovely post EH. It reads like a beautiful history of a book reader.

I bought Cross Stich some years ago when I was at Uni. My Mum is also an avid reader and we swap books. I left Cross Stick on her huge bookshelf. About 2 years later she was telling me about this amazing book she was reading involving Scots and Stone Circles etc. She had just bought it. I laughed and went to find it on her bookshelf - SNAP!!

We both love this series and would have arguments on who gets to buy and read the next book 1st.


The first books I read were Red Pirate, Green Pirate. As a child I loved Dr Seuss from the local library and collecting library badges with slogans like "Read a Good Book". We had one bookshop in our little town and it was a huge treat to go and pick a book with my Mum. I loved The Faraway Tree and Usborne books (did anyone else have an Usborn Lady - a bit like a book related Avon Lady).

As a teenager I loved 1984. I once read a very sad book in English class (we were allowed to take our own books in to read) but I can't remember the name. It was 3 different stories of children surviving after a nuclear war. The teacher wanted to know why I was crying! I found an author called Nicholas Luard and loved his stories which I spent years hunting for more until I found out that he had died

At Uni in Birmingham I had the pleasure of the hugest bookshop I had ever seen (Waterstones by New Street Station) which I spent many cold days warming up in.
I loved horror. I get frustrated that it's really hard to find a good unique horror nowadays. It's all sexy vamprires now. I like Ann Rice but prefer her witching series. Also love Douglas Adams.

I will read most things but not to sure about old world language classics (can't stand Dicken's after been forced to read Great Expectations at school). I wonder if a lot of people were put off the old classics by bad English teachers.

savingwannabe

Hey i loved that bookshop too! And the university library was amazing! Narniaesque with so many rooms and areas for all sorts to happen.

tellmeitsfriday

I know I shouldn't be encouraging you to buy things... but...

Essex, if you want Sam7, you can get it here: http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/5877193/used/Sam%207

Sorry if i cost you money x