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Post by Cindy on Jan 12, 2009 22:43:36 GMT -5
The idea for this thread came to me thanks to neira's recent library trip. It seems this group enjoys reading so why not share a favorite book/author? Word of mouth is great for finding a new writer/book choice, so feel free to share.
My all-time fav book? To kill a Mockingbird
Currently reading: Jodi Picoult--Vanishing Acts. Very good but not as good as some of her previous stuff (Change of Heart and 19 minutes.) I like this author because she isn't afraid to tackle hard questions/morality issues in her writing.
Guilty Pleasure books: Author: Shannon McKenna --warning total smut but man, does she write it well..lol
Book I splurged on and purchased: The Reader (movie coming out but read the book first) and The Last Lecture (for inspiration and to remind us what's important in our lives.)
Books I want to read but haven't yet: Twilight (mixed reviews I hear) and The Book Thief (just recommended by a friend today.)
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nelra
Full Member
Posts: 123
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Post by nelra on Jan 12, 2009 23:46:37 GMT -5
Cindy-I read mostly biographies/autobiographies, travel books and stuff for school. I want to read more fiction. Since I was home-schooled for high school, I missed out on the required high school reading stuff, so I have gone back and tried to read the classics. You know, Jane Austen, Bronte, etc. To Kill a Mockingbird was a pretty good read.
One of my favorite books was "Circle of Friends" by Maeve Binchy, it was made into a movie, but the book ending was much better.
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Post by Cindy on Jan 13, 2009 2:32:25 GMT -5
LOL that's so funny. I tried to read a Maeve Binchy where two women switched houses and I couldn't get through it; but to be fair, I had trouble translating the British slang (I was much younger) I would probably get the words/phrases a lot easier now. I did see the circle of friends movie and liked it.
Man, I would have LOVED to be home-schooled if it was by anyone but Mom (she was a grade school teacher) I figured out young that HRS in a day were wasted on social crap. LOL
(I had a tutor at home here and there because of hospital stays and we would only go from 9-12--it was great!)
Jane Austen was a good read, and of course Wuthering Heights (though it was quite morose and depressing:-)) I think at one point I was all "Get over it people..") LOL I should go back and read it again. I think age influences how you read this stuff.
I've never read Hamlet. Can you believe that? Grade 9 was taming of the shrew, 10 was Romeo and Juliet (I found it utterly ridiculous) 11 was Julius Caesar and 12 was Macbeth. Loved taming and Macbeth.
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Post by jendill on Jan 13, 2009 15:10:48 GMT -5
All I've been reading lately is fanfic.. and What to Expect the First Year... nothing too exiting there.
I did like Nick Santora's book... Slip & Fall.
One of my favorite books from middle/high school is The Grounding of Group 6.. by Julian F. Thompson. It was something my sister in law told me she liked and sure enough I've read it a bunch of times.
I'm not a classics person.. I've never read most of them.. some how we didn't have to in school... lucked out I guess.
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Post by Cindy on Jan 13, 2009 15:24:57 GMT -5
What's the grounding of group six about?
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Post by jendill on Jan 13, 2009 17:50:43 GMT -5
It's all about this group of kids who are new at this school.. and the group of 5 kids and 1 counselor are sent camping. It's supposed to be an initiation thing.. well the counselor is supposed to kill the kids but he can't go thru w/ it. So they try to find the proof that their parents are behind the whole thing. It's all about how they get along w/ each other and learn to trust one another. It's pretty good... and I apparently suck at explaining it ha!
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Post by Cindy on Jan 13, 2009 21:27:50 GMT -5
Wow, that sounds interesting (you don't suck at explaining) I'll put it on my library list. Trouble is, I'm having a hard time getting there lately. Too much darn snow/ice/cold.
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Post by eagleoftruth on Jan 14, 2009 2:19:50 GMT -5
here goes . . . some of my faves
Stephen King's The Stand (unabridged, please!)- This book is awesome, but to get the full force of King's "vision" and understand all of the characters, you've got to read the unabridged. A lot of you might have read it already, but it's an apocolyptic story and not necessarily "horror", but about survivors left behind after a killer plague. Lots of white knuckle moments . . .
Island in the Sea of Time (R Stirling)- this is from my favorite genre, which tends to the "What if" or alternate history. In this trilogy, the island of Nantucket gets thrown back in time with all the ensuing problems and conflicts. There is a renegade navy officer who goes rogue and teaches the "bad guys" about futuristic weapons, and the erstwhile heroes have to respond and save the (past) world.
Tolkein- Need I say more? If you haven't read the Lord of the Rings trilogy yet (and "The Hobbit"), get thee to a bookstore! It's the granddaddy of all fantasy and MUCH better than the movies (but then, all books are in my opinion)
And, Cindy, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice by Austen. *sigh* Perhaps I'll meet my Darcy some day. I'm firmly in the "old maid" category as of present;)
I'll get back with more . . .
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Post by Cindy on Jan 14, 2009 11:37:55 GMT -5
Oh I can't read "The Stand" I'll have to "stick the scary book in the freezer" like Joey did on friends..lol
I've read the hobbit, but lord of the rings is sitting here, it actually seems really daunting, not sure why, I don't mind large books, but at least I haven't cheated yet and just watched the movies
Island in the Sea of Time--That rings a bell but I don't think I've read it.
Another fav author of mine is Jude Deveaux. I'm a sucker for historical romance even if people do travel back and forth in time to find their soulmates. (Eagle and I are going to do that "old maid" trip together:-) After we make niera drive us to a presidential library.
Jen: Misa fic? I'm up for another good one..lol Izzy's Dad was awesome. Talk about talent, some of these kids should be writing for Fox..lol
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Post by sabina82 on Jan 18, 2009 21:35:19 GMT -5
Hey - oooh I love books.
Okay...recent books I've read/favourites:
- "The Historian" (Elizabeth Kostova) - really great read. Lots of history mixed with vampire lore.
- "The Sex Lives of Cannibals" and the sequel: "Getting Stoned with Savages" by J. Maarten Troost - autobiographical (and hilarious) accounts of one man's move to Kiribati and Fiji
- "The Pursuit of Love" and "Love in a Cold Climate" by Nancy Mitford - cute, satirical and witty fictional accounts of the lives of an aristocratic English family between WWI and WWII
- The Shopaholic Series - LOVE LOVE LOVE - such easy, funny, fun, quick reads. I'm excited for the movie but a little miffed that the character has been made American in the movie
- "Marley and Me" -doesn't need explanation
- Harry Potter - OF COURSE. Currently re-reading the series for the fourth time and on book 5 (my favourite)
- "Davinci Code" - I read it in the summer of 2004 before it had really blown up. And I quite liked it - mostly b/c it was a fast read, a mystery and had some semi-historical elements.
I got about 3/4 of the way through "Wuthering Heights" recently - I liked it, but it lost me somewhere. I have all the Jane Austen books, but haven't ever read them! I will someday!!
Speaking of Austen - have any of you seen the mini-series called "Lost in Austen"? If you're an Austen fan, I think you'll like it. It is about a girl who LOVES Pride and Prejudice and who accidentally ends up in the world of the book. It's a British mini-series and I can't seem to buy it on Amazon Canada...but I saw it on Viva (channel 72) - they've been replaying it for the last month or so.
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Post by jendill on Jan 19, 2009 16:21:35 GMT -5
- The Shopaholic Series - LOVE LOVE LOVE - such easy, funny, fun, quick reads. I'm excited for the movie but a little miffed that the character has been made American in the movie
I lov the shopaholic series and can't wait for the movie... but she's American now? I don't see how that could work if they wanted to do all the books ya know?
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Post by Cindy on Jan 19, 2009 23:44:16 GMT -5
Sabina: If you like Davinci Code, read the book that actually comes before it (Angels and Demons) by the same author. It's not quite as good, but it's up there.
Book 5 in Harry P is my fav too.
Shopaholic--think I only skimmed. Will put it down as a quick summer read (good for outside on a swing) :-)
I read the Historian but didn't care for the ending.
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Post by sabina82 on Jan 20, 2009 15:14:13 GMT -5
Hey Cindy, I have read Angels and Demons - yeah, not quite as good, but still good. The movie should be good.
*Trying to remember the ending to the Historian*
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Post by Cindy on Jan 26, 2009 22:07:26 GMT -5
Just started "Book Thief" Interesting book so far. Interesting points of view.
I'm a big Nora Roberts fan too (she seems to just get better with age) and I finished the third book in her most recent trilogy. The money she must have...on average I think it's two new books a year...
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Post by jendill on Jan 26, 2009 22:35:25 GMT -5
I got "Remember Me" by Sophie Kinsella this weekend... something to keep me entertained this week at work.
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