The Reading Thread

[PeterPanfan]

I know we have a couple volume of the "What are you reading?" threads, but that doesn't really get much discussion.

Here, we can discuss books that we like, dislike, want to read, don't want to read, etc.

I have a "Books to Read" list, and was wondering how many of you like the ones on it, or don't like, so I can consider crossing them off.

Blood and Chocolate - Annette Curtis Klause
Tithe - Holly Black
Girl With a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
Marley and Me - Josh Grogan
The Host - Stephenie Meyer
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Son of a Witch - Gregory Maguire
The Halloween Tree - Ray Bradbury
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
Blue Bloods - Melissa de la Cruz
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

So, please tell me if you've read any of these, and post your own lists!

[DaveWadding]

Dont bother with Gatsby...unless you like your sleeping pills in paperback.

[Escapay]

Don't bother with DaveWadding. He does not understand the greatness that is The Great Gatsby

albert

[Dottie]

You should definitely read the classics such as Pride and Prejudice (one of my favorite books, funny, enjoyable, witty and a story that is one of the few models for Hollywood movies),
Jane Eyre (great romance and a very strong heroine that is still a rolemodel today),
Wuthering Heights (love as destructive passion) and
The Great Gatsby (it is a bit slow and I didn't really get it either, but it's never wrong to read a classic and it does show how characters interact and what relationships can do to somebody)
I've also read Mark Haddon's The curious incident of the dog in the nighttime and while it is weird and at times hilarious it gives a unique perspective on Autism and kids as well as a nice enjoyable story.

I haven't read any of the others, but I've always wanted to read "Son of a Witch" as it is the sequel to Wicked.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

On your list I've only heard of Da Vinci Code, Memoirs of a Geisha and Pride and Prejudice, but only because I've seen the movies for the first two and seen a trailer for the latter. I'd recommend trying Memoirs of a Geisha, then again I'm biased since I loved the movie and anything to do with Japan

For me my current want to read list is:

Wheel of Time books 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 (currently on 6 and finished 1-5)
Mists of Avalon and Lady of Avalon
The Sky Stone and the Singing Sword
Lord of the Rings 1-3 and the Hobbit
The Firebrand
Watership Down

Some of these I've read a long time ago, Watership Down, LotR and the Hobbit but my mind completely blanks on what happens for the most part So I'll be trying to reread them eventually.

[Mushu2083]

Da Vinci Code took me about two years to finish. I would read the book, do some studying (I was trying to finish school at the time), then read some more. There were long stretches of time where I couldn't read for fun at all. I liked the book though. PeterPanFan, I'm going to reccommend something that's not on your list. You should try "The Big Over Easy" by Jasper Fforde. VERY funny.

[PixarFan2006]

Marley and Me is a good book, but it can get sad. The rest I have never read.

The books I want to read/buy are:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
1984 by George Orwell
Animal Farm by George Orwell (though I already read it in 7th grade)
Watership Down by Richard Adams

[PeterPanfan]

A Christmas Carol is a must for a fan of Dickens, Christmas,..or just reading!

[DisneyFreak5282]

Don't bother with DaveWadding. He does not understand the greatness that is The Great Gatsby

Sorry Scaps, I have to agree with DaveWadding. I had to read it for English and for the past two weeks I've had to BS quizzes and writing assignments. Now this week I have to BS my way though a 2 to 3 page report. Yipee.

[blackcauldron85]

I haven't read it yet, but I got "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer at the library today.

[PeterPanfan]

I'm hoping to get into some book discusssions!!!!

I'm currentley reading :

"The Time-Traveler's Wife" By Audrey Niffenegger, and
"The Host" By Stephenie Meyer

Anyone read these? Care to offer their perspectives, as I'm only a few pages through in each.

[blackcauldron85]

I finished "Into the Wild" a few days ago, and I highly recommend it. I thought that it was extremely interesting. I don't know what else to say, really, other than it was very interesting.

I recently started "Joel" by Joel Sonnenberg, and I'm not too far into it, but parts of it defintely made me cry. I really like reading moving biographies or autobiographies, so I know that I will enjoy this book.

And, I haven't read those books, Dan, but I would be open to reading them!

[PeterPanfan]

Cool! I'm definitly starting "Into the Wild" soon!

The Time-Traveler's Wife is about a relationship between a man and his wife, but there is a twist. The man, at random times of the day, time-travels, ending up naked in various different places and time-periods.

The Host is about a love triangle...in only two bodies. Wanderer, or Wanda, is invading a woman's body. But the woman's soul refuses to leave, causing them to share one body.

I'm really bad at explaining, but they definitly are better than I make them sound!

[Just Myself]

Count me in the group that says don't read The Great Gatsby. It's as dull as dirt and all the characters are absolutely hateable in the worst way. The only book I hated reading in high school more that Gastsby was The Stranger. If you want a true American classic, I'd suggest Of Mice and Men, Death of a Salesman and The Glass Menagerie.

Cheers,
JM

[Escapay]

"The Time-Traveler's Wife" By Audrey Niffenegger, and
"The Host" By Stephenie Meyer

Anyone read these? Care to offer their perspectives, as I'm only a few pages through in each.

I've read The Time Traveler's Wife, and I'm in love with it from both the narrative point of view and the writer's point of view. It's very tasking for a writer to master the art of first-person narratives, and when it constantly switches between two people's point of views...oy, I can only wonder how many hairs Ms. Niffenegger pulled out in frustration. And the story is timeless and unique. It's worth sitting through some of the frustrating sections, because the last couple chapters are some of the most heartbreaking...and yet most satisfying. But it's a great read, as you watch this friendship develop into love while also watching that same love sow the seeds for the friendship (yeah, it's complicated like that).

Haven't yet read The Host, though Jane says it's pretty good.

albert

[Escapay]

DisneyFreak5282
Sorry Scaps, I have to agree with DaveWadding. I had to read it for English and for the past two weeks I've had to BS quizzes and writing assignments. Now this week I have to BS my way though a 2 to 3 page report. Yipee.

Just Myself
Count me in the group that says don't read The Great Gatsby. It's as dull as dirt and all the characters are absolutely hateable in the worst way.

You guys make me sad.

The Great Gatsby is a fascinating piece of literature, and it may seem like a stock answer, but it is one of the best novels of the 20th Century. It's all about the unfulfilled dream, and the futile lengths we go to attain it.

You've got Nick Carraway, who acts not only as the only real "straight man" among the characters, but also as the readers' eyes and ears into the world of Gatsby. Much of Nick's narration is focused on Gatsby, you learn about Gatsby through Nick, which is odd since you really don't learn as much about Nick himself. He acts as both a narrator and an observer to a lifestyle that most people can only imagine. And because of his "purpose" in the novel as just a narrator and observer, he is never given *his* chance to grow, and thus, makes him perhaps the most interesting and enigmatic character in the entire novel.

Then there's Jay Gatsby, one of the most tortured figures in literature (IMO). A man who loves a woman so much, that the lengths he goes to is damn near heartbreaking, and it costs him his life. He is the embodiment of excess, a businessman who'll never be rich enough because he doesn't have that special person to share it with. It's heartbreaking to learn about him, because the social attitudes of the time would likely have always prevented him from ever being with Daisy. And yet, through it all, he wants nothing more than the time he had with Daisy to be recaptured again.

Of course, with Daisy and Tom, you can't help but hate them. Daisy is "the one that got away", but there's such an endearing quality about her and her predicament that you can't help but feel sorry for her for ending up where she is. Even if she has herself to blame, you root for her and Gatsby, you want both of them to experience some semblance of true happiness, no matter how brief or fleeting it is. Tom is just a jackass, it's okay to hate him. He's everything that was wrong with "rich people".

The whole story moves easily from seemingly-random event to seemingly-random event, yet is a finely-tuned narrative that exposes the inadequacies of a man and his ultimately futile lifestyle, all done not only for the success he desires, but also for the love of a woman. It's a commentary towards the idea of "dreams come true". It's the anti-happy ending.

And of course, we have the timeless last line. It's a double-edged sword that allows one to wax poetic about the good ole days, while also providing a somewhat ambiguous look towards the future. It's that final reminder to readers that - to borrow and modify from Thomas Wolfe - you can't go home again...

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past...

First-time readers come away from it feeling either confused but satisfied, or just annoyed that they wasted the time. If you guys are willing to, reread it. It grows on you with subsequent readings, as you can pick up different little hints about the characters and their personalities. The familiarity allows you to look closer at their motivations, their drives and desires.

albert

[BrandonH]

I respect your opinion, Escapay, but I do not share it. In my view, every book should give something to the reader the first time through. Subsequent readings should not be required for enjoyment or comprehension, although they will enhance appreciation of the better works.

In my senior English class, we analyzed and discussed most or all of the points you made in your post. However, knowledge of the character motivations and subtleties of the narrative will not make the characters more appealing or the book more enjoyable to read. Generally, if a book fails to engage me as entertainment or an emotional experience, then I'm not going to be motivated to search for all the underlying messages and themes it contains.

I'm an optimistic person by nature, so I do prefer happy stories. That said, there are pieces of literature that are cautionary tales that I enjoy, such as We, 1984, and Farenheit 451. Those stories have a strong lead character, setting, and/or plot that the reader can get behind, and The Great Gatsby lacks all three.

All of this is my humble opinion, of course.

[Escapay]

I respect your opinion, Escapay, but I do not share it. In my view, every book should give something to the reader the first time through. Subsequent readings should not be required for enjoyment or comprehension, although they will enhance appreciation of the better works.

In my senior English class, we analyzed and discussed most or all of the points you made in your post. However, knowledge of the character motivations and subtleties of the narrative will not make the characters more appealing or the book more enjoyable to read. Generally, if a book fails to engage me as entertainment or an emotional experience, then I'm not going to be motivated to search for all the underlying messages and themes it contains.

I'm an optimistic person by nature, so I do prefer happy stories. That said, there are pieces of literature that are cautionary tales that I enjoy, such as We, 1984, and Farenheit 451. Those stories have a strong lead character, setting, and/or plot that the reader can get behind, and The Great Gatsby lacks all three.

All of this is my humble opinion, of course.

Different strokes for different strokes, that's cool.

I can understand your point of view as well, but I've always been of the mindset that when it comes to entertainment (be it books, tv, music, film, etc.) you have to experience it a few times to better understand it all. Books especially. Some people come away from classics hating them because they were forced to read them in school, but when they (for god knows why) revisit it later on their own time/pace, find that they love it. Of course, I can only speak from my own experience (and my best friend Jax, who used to hate The Jungle but eventually grew to appreciate it). For example, I hated A Farewell To Arms the first time I read it, mainly because I crammed the entire book into two sittings three days before school started (required summer reading = the bane/pleasure of my existence depending on the book). But when I decided to read it on my own at my own pace a couple years later, I grew to like it.

With The Great Gatsby, I loved it the first time I read it in 11th grade, reread it again soon after (without worrying about what to remember for tests/quizzes/essays) and loved it even more, and every several months, I'll pick it up as my silent reading book. There's not many books that are on that kind of rotation for me, I often try to find new books. But Gatsby is just so engaging for me, that I can't help but defend it whenever someone says it sucks/is dull/is sleep-inducing.

Anyway, to make a long post short, we'll have to agree to disagree.

albert

[PeterPanfan]

Albert, I think the saying is: "Different stokes for different folks."

The Great Gatsby is actually my mom's favorite book!

I'm going to check out "A Walk to Remember", and "The Notebook" tomorrow from the library. Could anyone post their thoughts on them? Even the films, since I assume they're alike.

[blackcauldron85]

I'm going to check out "A Walk to Remember", and "The Notebook" tomorrow from the library. Could anyone post their thoughts on them? Even the films, since I assume they're alike.

"A Walk to Remember" is my favorite novel ever!!! And "The Notebook" is very excellent, as well. Nicholas Sparks is my favorite fiction author, so I have nothing but praise for his work. I love me a good sappy story, and his books make me laugh and cry. I highly recommend them! They are sweet love stories with some memorable characters!