|
|
Post by Angel on Jan 23, 2006 11:49:43 GMT -5
Now, I'm sure I'm not the only bookworm here  Just a thread to share which book you're currently reading and give a few comments. Maybe even some recommendations  As for me, I just finished re-reading my favourite book in the known universe, Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. I adore that book on an unhealthy level. It's one of those books where I just had to finish it, but never wanted it to end ... so I had about 1250 pages of happiness. I love Hugo's writing style and all those interrelating plotlines. The minor characters are also well-developed and likable, too. (Especially a certain Jean Prouvaire, but I think I should stop right now unless I want to drown in my own drool ) Anyway, now I'm reading The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I do admit that one of the main reasons I bought it was because I knew that Michael Crawford was in the OLC of the stage version. (The other reason was that it was dirt cheap because nobody wants to buy classics where I live. Oh yeah, and the blurb looked good.) I've only just started, but I am enjoying it muchly. So, what are you guys reading now? |
|
|
|
Post by LittleLotte394 on Jan 23, 2006 17:36:17 GMT -5
I'm currently reading Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. I find it very good- I'm at the part where Glinda and Elphaba go to see the Wizard.
Another book I'm reading is The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss ( I think- I'm too lazy to get my book and check). I'm reading it for school, and I've just started chapter 7. I'm enjoying it.
I just finished reading Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, by Roald Dahl. I love his writing style. I've read three other books by him as well, including the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Great Glass Elevator was very good, although I think it would've been cool if the other four golden ticket winners came back.
Also, I just finished a book called Olive's Ocean, by Kevin Heinkes. It's very hard to describe, but I highly reccomend it.
And, as always, I'm constantly re-reading my Series of Unfortunate Events books and Phantom.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on Jan 23, 2006 21:11:08 GMT -5
I love Roald Dahl -- I think I've read pretty much all of his children's books. I particularly liked Matilda and Danny, the Champion of the World, although I actually got really scared reading The Witches and The Twits. He's really an unusual author, I think, as even his children's stories seem to be actually quite morbid. I've got a huge, thick collection of his short stories for adults, of which I've read a few -- now they are just sick and twisted. But he's still great |
|
|
|
Post by Jaycee on Feb 6, 2006 18:15:32 GMT -5
Well, I just finished Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" and Now i'm reading (or in the case of certain books Re-reading) all of Tamora Pierce's books.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Black Domino on Feb 12, 2006 19:48:27 GMT -5
I'm currently reading Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, and a one of those How to learn French books. ...Though I have my eye on a few other books; I can never get enough of reading, strangely.
|
|
|
|
Post by Simple Rose on Feb 12, 2006 21:37:27 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers... and I'm hooked. It's so powerful and even though I'm not entirely like the lead character, I can relate so well...
Based on the biblical book of Hosea, it's about a girl of the 1830's who was sold into prostitution at eight, and known as a "mistake" since birth. She has never known love, and knows only that "all men want is to use you". Enter Michael Hosea, a young farmer from the valley near her californian brothel. He's been searching for a wife honestly for a while now, and suddenly God shows him that the girl (Angel... known by many other names throughout the book) is the one he is to marry. It's about his struggle to keep her his wife and to restore her heart to its warmer state.
Really... I can't stop reading it. It's so addictive and fluent and beautiful that I can go through an entire chapter without even realizing it. And these aren't short chapters! I love it so much and would recommend it to anyone who so desires...
|
|
|
|
Post by Jaycee on Feb 12, 2006 22:41:05 GMT -5
I was recently distractedfrom my other books by a novel called Uglies. It's sort of futuristic Science Fiction, and i know there are a lot of people who don't like that type of book, but this one is really cool. It's about this wierd city in the future that gives everyone an operation to make them stunningly beautiful. I won't give away any of the plot but it's a really good story. I just got it yesterday and I'm already 2 pages from the end!
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on May 3, 2006 5:58:59 GMT -5
I just finished reading Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood -- a novel I had to read for English Lit. I honestly have no idea what I think about it. It's very well written in a technical sense, and I adored the description of everything, but it just didn't 'grab' me as a great book. This is probably mostly to do with the plotline ... I understood the first half fine, the next quarter was a little hazy, but discernable, but the last quarter just went totally over my head. I finished the book and just thought 'And? So?' I know the ending is big and symbolic, but I just don't get the symbology yet. I'll probably have to re-read it. I think my problem with a lot of novels I read for school is due to the reasons I read. I read a book to enjoy a story, not to dissect the greater meaning behind a marble in a purse. I like stories with a clear plotline, good characters, and most importantly, a satisfactory ending. I don't mean that every single detail has to be finished, but I want a sense that the book is 'over'; the main conflict has been resolved (even if not in a happy way), and any further developments would constitute a sequel. Does that make sense? Well, at least now I can get back to The Woman in White, which I am enjoying muchly, although it's slow going given that I have very little spare time to read these days ::shakes fist:: UPDATE: I finished The Woman in White! I loved it -- it was so good! Although, I was really a bit taken aback by the ending ... it seemed like Wilkie just wanted to finish the book so his editor would get off his back like it didn't really seem to fit. Basically, The Woman in White is about two half-sisters, Laura and Marian, and their drawing-master, Walter Hartright. Walter and Laura are in love, but Laura is already engaged to another man. However, Walter has seen a strange woman dressed in white called Anne Catherick, and is surprised at her likeness to Laura and curious about a secret she speaks of that relates back to Laura's husband and her own dealings with him. I also bought the OLC cast recording, but all I could think of while I read the libretto was: 'Wow, when they say freely adapted, they mean freely adapted.' And I've started reading Oliver Twist, a story I've known pretty much all my life, but I've never read the full, unabridged version until now. I'm about halfway through. And I've also started reading Leroux in French ... very interesting, especially where there are passages that are definitely not in my English translation |
|
Hi-chan
Childhood Sweetheart
Raoul & Christine Forever ^_^
Posts: 47
|
Post by Hi-chan on May 4, 2006 1:00:50 GMT -5
For my English class, we just finished reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". I loved that book. ^_^ Actually...it was the first book I've read that I actually enjoyed since I read Leroux's PotO last summer! XD
|
|
|
|
Post by Simple Rose on May 4, 2006 21:48:37 GMT -5
Ehh, I found Gatsby to be one of the most boring books I've read! Well, at least the first two chapters. I actually caught myself falling asleep and waking up and being like "whoa, when did THAT happen?!" It was simply over-descriptive and too much was going on. And I just didn't like Myrtle lol It was an interesting study of relationships though, and I liked the party scenes in Gatsby's garden. And okay, okay, I'll admit it was a little romantic too... until Daisy friggin didn't go to a certain someone's funeral! I was soooooo peeved about that. The end was terrible.
Meanwhile, I've begun reading Wicked the book, and it's so imaginative, I love it!
|
|
Hi-chan
Childhood Sweetheart
Raoul & Christine Forever ^_^
Posts: 47
|
Post by Hi-chan on May 4, 2006 22:50:38 GMT -5
Ehh, I found Gatsby to be one of the most boring books I've read! Well, at least the first two chapters. I actually caught myself falling asleep and waking up and being like "whoa, when did THAT happen?!" It was simply over-descriptive and too much was going on. And I just didn't like Myrtle lol It was an interesting study of relationships though, and I liked the party scenes in Gatsby's garden. And okay, okay, I'll admit it was a little romantic too... until Daisy friggin didn't go to a certain someone's funeral! I was soooooo peeved about that. The end was terrible. Meanwhile, I've begun reading Wicked the book, and it's so imaginative, I love it! I may have to read that someday... You know, I didn't like Myrtle either. XP And Daisy was an annoying prick, especially at the end. The end was so sad.  (I didn't cry, tho', cause I don't cry on books, but it was still sad.) I liked the descriptions. I found them entertaining and fun to read! Over-descriptive? Have you read Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities"? Argh. Now THAT'S over-descriptive. -_-;; We've started reading John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath". I've only read, like the first two chapters, so I don't really have an opinion yet... |
|
|
|
Post by Jaycee on May 5, 2006 19:29:37 GMT -5
I forget the title of the book I'm reading right now, but next on my list is the DaVince Code, and then after that I'm going to read leroux's PotO. Kay's book is on my list somehwere too, but, I'm already pretty much convinced that I'm going to hate it. I've heard it's very E/C, and based on some comments that you made on Poto.com, Hi-Chan, everyone is very OOC.
|
|
Hi-chan
Childhood Sweetheart
Raoul & Christine Forever ^_^
Posts: 47
|
Post by Hi-chan on May 5, 2006 19:36:08 GMT -5
I forget the title of the book I'm reading right now, but next on my list is the DaVince Code, and then after that I'm going to read leroux's PotO. Kay's book is on my list somehwere too, but, I'm already pretty much convinced that I'm going to hate it. I've heard it's very E/C, and based on some comments that you made on Poto.com, Hi-Chan, everyone is very OOC. Yay...everyone is pretty OOC. I don't understand how people can write like that... -_-;; Anyway, I advise you not to go by my opinion, 'cause I usually have some pretty awkward yet unique opinions, as you've found out... ;D My opinion is that I just didn't like it, but who knows...? |
|
|
|
Post by Jaycee on May 6, 2006 14:42:24 GMT -5
well, I don't know...as far as I've seen, you and I have pretty similar opinions. And mine sems to get me in a lot of trouble, but that's beside the point. Anyway, I'm going to read it anyway, just so I can say that I've read it, and so that I can tell everyone how terrible it is.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angel on May 19, 2006 9:05:43 GMT -5
Aie. I've had to put my personal reading on hold so I could read a book of e. e. cummings poetry for English Lit. The simple fact that the guy had issues with capitalising his name should have set the alarm bells ringing that my grammar-perfectionist self was not going to like this much. All I can say is that it didn't really do anything for me. Call me old-fashioned and boring, but I enjoy poems more when commas go at the ends of words and not at the start of lines. And I could do without the (rather explicit) sex.
I did really like 'anyone lived in a pretty how town' and 'may my heart always be open to little', though.
Anyway, now I'm re-reading my other Lit texts and going Lit-note-crazy in preparation for my exam on Thursday (meep). To cheer myself up, I bought a new book to stick at the end of my 'to-read' list called The Alchemist's Daughter. It looks fairly interesting, but, judging from the blurb, I'm a bit concerned that the main character will turn out to be rather Mary-Sue-ish.
|
|
Just a thread to share which book you're currently reading and give a few comments. Maybe even some recommendations 
(I didn't cry, tho', cause I don't cry on books, but it was still sad.) I liked the descriptions. I found them entertaining and fun to read! Over-descriptive? Have you read Dickens' "Tale of Two Cities"? Argh. Now THAT'S over-descriptive. -_-;;