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Bee
Mediwizard
846 Posts |
 Posted - 06/23/2006 : 19:49:05
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quote:
Originally posted by Myf
I liked in one of Jasper Fforde's books where he makes all the characters in WH go to anger management therapy - the only reason why the book didn't end with Heathcliff being murdered by everyone else and buried quietly on the moors.
That was one of my favourite parts of the Thursday Next series. So funny. And actually made me warm to WH, just a teeny tiny bit.
I read The Virgin Suicides a few years ago. I remember finding it unputdownable, but then upon reflection feeling it had been a bit overrated.
I'm going on holidays in three weeks time. Hooray! So any suggestions on what books I should bring? Nothing too heavy (literally or figuratively), but something with a bit of substance, all the same. And if it has anything to do with Eastern Europe, then so much the better! (Though I realise that may be a tall order  .) |
Order of the Bookmark
Purveyor of Fine Peebles
Haggy is (probably not) Cactus!
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Myf
Confunded
571 Posts |
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Cour_Delafleur
Confunded
Canada
714 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2006 : 21:29:04
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| Ooh, my mom just bought Everything is Illuminated. My sister rented the movie the other night but didn't watch it. The book looks interesting. |
"I think she's magic," said Nor.
________"You, you think everything's magic," Manek said. "Stupid girl."
____"Well, everything is," said Nor. - Wicked
Order of the Bookmark |
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 00:30:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Bee
Public Service Announcement: If you plan to read the Chronicles of Narnia, DON'T READ THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW FIRST!
No offence to CS Lewis, but don't listen to him! Read them in their published order, or at the very least read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first.
Seconded, strongly. |
And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2006 : 00:47:15
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Bee, I don't know if you'd even be able to find them but there are some wonderful old children's books about Hungary around the first World War - Kate Seredy is the author's name. The two books I read were The Good Master and The Singing Tree. They are old-fashioned with all of the baggage that brings but beautiful and well written.
http://www.oklahoma.net/~silvrdal/seredy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Seredy |
And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Emmmma
Barmy
293 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2006 : 11:37:13
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I'll be deprived of my book of the moment for about a week and a half  so I want something to read that will make time fly...
Looking for a well-written thriller, adventure novel, mystery. I'd re-read Jonathan Strange but I hate re-reading.
Suggestions, please?
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Formerly Garside! ;-) |
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2006 : 21:00:43
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Hmmm - do you like P.D.James? I liked The Murder Room but her earlier books are better, especially An Unsuitable Job for a Woman.
I mostly like books published so long ago they're hard to find but if you like suspense / adventure - have you tried Ian Fleming? The books are nothing like the James Bond movies, they're great fun with little or no gadgetry and practically no "Bond babes".
I'm kind of a tea-and-crumpets detective reader, so I don't know if that's what you'd like - less action, more character. For that you can't get better than Dorothy Sayers. If you've never read her, try "Nine Tailors" - if you like it, you'll love the rest of her "Lord Peter" books.
Sunsethill is in love with Sherlock Holmes - Myf loves Jeeves. I, alas, lost my heart to Lord Peter Wimsey. |
And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Myf
Confunded
571 Posts |
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Siobhan
Chief Healer
USA
2157 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2006 : 21:44:42
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quote:
Originally posted by AMC
Sunsethill is in love with Sherlock Holmes - Myf loves Jeeves. I, alas, lost my heart to Lord Peter Wimsey.
You can't have him! He's mine!!!!  |
Deliberatley causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class.
Member of the HPEW & HPCS Appreciation Society
s.i.n.e. qua non |
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/26/2006 : 22:22:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Siobhan
quote:
Originally posted by AMC
Sunsethill is in love with Sherlock Holmes - Myf loves Jeeves. I, alas, lost my heart to Lord Peter Wimsey.
You can't have him! He's mine!!!!
Actually, he's Harriet Wimsey's (nee Vane) but we all can dream.. |
And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Siobhan
Chief Healer
USA
2157 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 10:53:41
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If we must get picky, fellow authors said it was "quite embarassing" when DS fell in love with her of own creation. It was implied that Harriet Vane was based on herself. So I suppose he's actually hers completely. |
Deliberatley causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class.
Member of the HPEW & HPCS Appreciation Society
s.i.n.e. qua non |
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Eeyore
Barmy
USA
311 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 15:40:51
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quote:
Originally posted by AMC
quote:
Originally posted by Bee
Public Service Announcement: If you plan to read the Chronicles of Narnia, DON'T READ THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW FIRST!
No offence to CS Lewis, but don't listen to him! Read them in their published order, or at the very least read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first.
Seconded, strongly.
I disagree. I read Narnia in the published order twice and Magician's Nephew never made sense to me--it didn't fit. Lewis wasn't the one who started putting it first--that is a recent publisher thing; the first time I saw it was when I bought a hardback copy of the whole series for Laura and noticed that the first one was not Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Mainly they've stated changing the order because the Magician's Nephew is the creation story that is the set-up to explain what Narnia is and how it came to be. If you read it first, the whole story of how beautiful and perfect Narnia was and then how it came to not be perfect makes a lot more sense. However, that being said, it is not my favorite of the books, so if you read it first you might not get to the others. |
Eeyore
Order of the Bookmark
Member of HPEW & HPCS appreciation Society
s.i.n.e. qua non |
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Bee
Mediwizard
846 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 15:57:48
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| I think the reason I'm so strongly against reading MN first is because it's my least favourite of the seven books. I do like it, but I see it more as a companion piece to fill in background information for fans rather than as a book in its own right. I'd worry that reading it first would put people off reading the others, which are imho better books. |
Order of the Bookmark
Purveyor of Fine Peebles
Haggy is (probably not) Cactus!
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 17:51:56
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Precisely! Illustrated clearly by the fact that poor Cour tried to read the series and gave up.. who ever heard of someone trying to read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and not finishing it? It's a fascinating, wonderful book! The Magician's Nephew is, IMO, completely boring.
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And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Cour_Delafleur
Confunded
Canada
714 Posts |
Posted - 06/27/2006 : 19:16:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Myf
This time I'm reading 'The Betrayal of Bindi Mackenzie' by Jaclyn Moriarity. She writes decent and very fun YA novels, her others being 'Feeling Sorry for Celia' and 'Finding Cassie Crazy'. Now and then I love a good YA book. This one sounds like the main character is a complete Hermione.
Ooh, I love Jaclyn Moriarity. I loved 'Feeling Sorry for Celia'. She had a sequel (sort of) called 'The Year of Secret Assignments'. I've only read one other of her books: 'I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes'. It was very odd and you have no clue what's going on until the very end, but it's good. Bee, if you're looking for something light, it's great. |
"I think she's magic," said Nor.
________"You, you think everything's magic," Manek said. "Stupid girl."
____"Well, everything is," said Nor. - Wicked
Order of the Bookmark |
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Jokelly
Barking
USA
1509 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 00:26:58
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I'm going to try to read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew wasn't the most exciting read, but I found it did explain thing while watching the Narnia movie. My niece on the other hand had no desire to read the The Magician's Nephew and skipped straight onto LW&W.
Does anyone remember back in the 80s the cartoon version of the Narnia books? I remember they played on the old Disney channel but I never watched them myself. Did anyone see them? Were they any good? |
Current location: Laying low at Lupin's |
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 01:24:27
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Jo, do you want to try a Narnia reading thread? I'm up for it, Siobhan has said she might be.
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And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Siobhan
Chief Healer
USA
2157 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 10:32:47
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Haven't seen an animated version, but have the BBC live action mini series on DVD.
I have to finish a book I'm reading now before moving on to Narnia again, but I wouldn't mind a topic about it. Shall I start one? |
Deliberatley causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class.
Member of the HPEW & HPCS Appreciation Society
s.i.n.e. qua non |
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Bee
Mediwizard
846 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 15:21:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Siobhan
Haven't seen an animated version, but have the BBC live action mini series on DVD.
Ohhhh, is that on DVD?! *is excited* I can't quite remember, but I think that's what got me reading the books in the first place. I was very young, but I can still remember the scene from Voyage of the Dawn Treader where they get sucked into the picture. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life. I thought it was magical. That memory has always stuck with me.  |
Order of the Bookmark
Purveyor of Fine Peebles
Haggy is (probably not) Cactus!
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Edited by - Bee on 06/28/2006 15:22:51 |
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n/a
deleted
1483 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2006 : 22:26:44
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| I'm currently reading The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes. Now I have a craving for Chocolate Frosted Cunchy Sugar Bombs. |
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diricawl
Looney
United Kingdom
1078 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2006 : 14:07:22
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| Right now I'm reading a 17th century manuscript copy of a 16th century tax census. In Latin. |
Order of the Bookmark
As to the avatar, well, if you girls can all have Alan Rickman...
"They don't want the Easter Bunny's power; The children in our generation want Harry's power, and they're getting it." - Laura Mallory |
Edited by - diricawl on 06/30/2006 14:07:58 |
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Cour_Delafleur
Confunded
Canada
714 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2006 : 14:20:50
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quote:
Originally posted by diricawl
Right now I'm reading a 17th century manuscript copy of a 16th century tax census. In Latin.
How fun!
Has anyone read The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay? My mom's trying to get me to read it. I've read The Power of One by Courtenay and loved it, but I've also heard that it was his best book. |
"I think she's magic," said Nor.
________"You, you think everything's magic," Manek said. "Stupid girl."
____"Well, everything is," said Nor. - Wicked
Order of the Bookmark |
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n/a
deleted
1483 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2006 : 21:14:51
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quote:
Originally posted by diricawl
Right now I'm reading a 17th century manuscript copy of a 16th century tax census. In Latin.
That makes me feel insignificant. But is it interesting? (I'd imagine some of it is.) |
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Myf
Confunded
571 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2006 : 03:27:21
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I might have read that one, Cour. All of his books blur into one, eventually. If you're going to read anything else by Courtenay, I'd read 'April Fool's Day', which is a non-fiction book about his son, who had haemophilia and contracted HIV from infected blood transfusions, way back before they started screening for it. It's very sad, but a good read.
I read 'The Devil Wears Prada' yesterday. It was pretty damn trashy, but an easy read. God, I hate fashion. I would have lasted that job about 10 minutes.
Next, I'm going to continue on with 'The Virgin Suicides', which fell by the wayside.
And after that - any suggestions? |
If you're looking for trouble you found it.Professor Stephen Hawking |
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U-No-Poo
Addled
133 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2006 : 18:46:08
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Have you read "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón? It's a Spanish book that has become a international bestseller. It is absolutely beautiful. Everybdy who reads it loves it. Highly recommended.
I really enjoyed the last book I've read: "El Asesinato de Shakespeare", which means "The Murder of Shakespeare" by Anthony Horowitz. I'm googling it but for some reason I can't find the English title, and that's its original language. It is about what Shakespeare's life and work would have been like if he lived in our time, as a movie scriptwriter eg. he won an oscar for Hamlet, played by Mel Gibson. It is very interesting reading about the turns his famous tales took as they became Hollywoodized (and rather sad as well) and is also an action and mystery-filled story as his long-lost best friend attempts to solve the mystery surrounding his death and discover the sad truth of what Will's life had turned into in his latter years.
Finally, has everybody read "The Never-Ending Story" by Michael Ende? The movie enchanted me as a child, but the book really surprised me: it's extraordinary. It's especially fun to read if it's one of those editions in which the text is printed in green and red. |
Order of the Bookmark
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MrBen
Barmy
Australia
284 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2006 : 20:01:42
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| I have read The Shadow of the Wind and in doing so broke one of my own unwritten rules; never read a book about a book, because it's only going to harp on about how well-written that book is. It's just self-congratulatory guff. However, Shadow of the Wind didn't really fall into that trap, so kudos. On the flip side I don't think it made that much of an impression on me that I'd say I loved it. Details of events are somewhat fuzzy... |
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AMC
Mediwizard
1710 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2006 : 01:47:49
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Well, I just finished Golfing with God by Roland Merullo - found it uninspired and that's just about all I can say about it. Read The Little Lady Agency before that - it was amusing in parts but fell into disarray at the end. Between the two, I much preferred Little Lady - I'll take plain frivolity over pseudo-depth any day.
I picked up a book of essays by Margaret Atwood, expecting great things, only to throw it aside in disgust. I think she's one of those authors who only speaks to people who already think she's just too marvelous before they even read anything. Her voice does not speak to me.
So... next up I have a book the L.A. Times liked a lot - Gonzales and Daughter Trucking company about a tale invented in a women's prison to pass the time - the Arabian Nights in a Mexicali jail. Wish me luck! I find most modern fiction perplexing and it usually leaves me feeling like I wasted my time with it. I try for a while, then sneak back to my Austen, my Wodehouse and my mysteries. But I'm trying!
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And I love you, I love you, I love you.
Like never before, like never before.
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Siobhan
Chief Healer
USA
2157 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 21:34:08
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| I would like to go back and re-read the Wizard of Earthsea books. It's been a long time since I read them. Right now I'm working my way through Narnia with DaVinci up next. |
Deliberatley causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class.
Member of the HPEW & HPCS Appreciation Society
s.i.n.e. qua non |
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U-No-Poo
Addled
133 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2006 : 13:10:30
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What do you think of e-books ? I've discovered this website (Why have I never heard of it before?)
http://www.gutenberg.org/
A collection of free e-books, classics that are public domain and available for download. For years I've been hoping read Three Men in a Boat and here it is, simple as that! (along with another gazillion titles I've just downloaded 10% of) |
Order of the Bookmark
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Edited by - U-No-Poo on 07/17/2006 14:11:14 |
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Myf
Confunded
571 Posts |
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Myf's Book Club
