Reading

[Canuck]

To all of you who have read/tried to read Anna Karenina -- yay! Tolstoy is generally a challenging author, and I can definitely understand that some of you couldn't get through it. To be honest, I don't know if I'd have gotten through it the first time if it weren't for the fact that I was reading it for school.

Lucy, if you ever want to talk Russian authors, IM me (or start a thread here). I'm a Russian literature minor and it's probably the only time I'll ever put that knowledge to use! Definitely take the time to read Lolita. Nabokov is my favorite of the Russians, though he actually wrote Lolita in English.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to read anything that I want to read since the semester started. I have big plans, though, to read as much as I can off of the NYTimes bestseller list during the winter break. I'm especially looking forward to reading Mitch Albom's new book.

[scarreddaisy]

I just finished Mitch Albom's new book The Five People You Meet In Heaven... wow... an excellent book.. I mean, really really good. I read Lovely Bones as well by Alice Seabold.. its a good story.. I wouldnt rate it an excellent though like Mitch Albom's.. but its interesting because you expect a certain ending/ resolution and its just not what you expect at all. Both are about death and the process of being intiated into Heaven... lol dont ask why theres that theme.. totally by chance...
I am planning on getting my hands on the Divinci Code which is an exploration as to the role of Mary Magdalene in the life of Jesus... I'll let you know how it is once my local library gets it in!

[musician]

I'll have to read some of the books you all have mentioned; I don't think I've ever read any Russian authors, and I'll have to check that out. I have read some other eastern European authors that I really liked-- Karel Capek (Czech writer who coined the term "robot" in "Rossum's Universal Robots", though I more enjoyed his short stories in "Apocryphal Tales"); Kafka (read "The Castle" for a glimpse into what seems like paranoid schizophrenia); Istvan Orkeny, "One Minute Stories", which are as short as the title suggests, but surprisingly poignant; and Stanislaw Lem, a Polish science fiction writer who is as imaginative with language as with the topics of his tales ("The Cyberiad")

Right now I'm reading "Motherless Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem; it's a detective story, where the main character has Tourette's (another variant of OCD). I'm not very far into it yet (I'm a slow reader), but Lethem paints a great picture of compulsive behavior while still telling a compelling story.

And for those of you looking for used bookstores for selling or buying your books-- amazon and ebay are both options if you don't live close to a good bookstore.

[rockpants]

My favorite books (including from when I was a youngster):

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry

"Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

"Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

"Welcome to the Monkey House" by Kurt Vonnegut

"1984" by George Orwell

"The Newford Collection" - by Charles de Lint
(consists of 3, chronological, short story collections)

[scarreddaisy]

I just read two excellent books... one was called Atonement by Ian McEwan... The other was a memoir of a drug addict/ alcoholic... called A million pieces by James Frey... Oh my god... that one... I have never ever ever expierenced writing like that.. It was like watching a movie.. you saw everything.. I cried when I hit the last page... Definately two novels that I had to pass on and rave about..

[reformedpicker]

I just finished 'My Sister's Keeper' by Judy Picoult- AMAZING!!! I bawled- leaving and sobbing full on crying fit- it's great if you like to read.

Scareddaisy I'm going to order A Million Pieces- I love books like that- they are fascinating to me- thanks for the recommendation!

[msp8]

my all time favorite book is TEXTShe's come undoneTEXT by Wally Lamb. I read this book when i was about 13 and wrote a book report about it. Looking back my teacher must have thought i was odd seeing as how this book actually has a whole chapter about how this girl has a lesbian experience (it talks about all the details) this book is by no means vulgar..

it starts at the beginning of a girls life (Delores Price) and talks about her struggles with her weight and the such. it spans her whole life so you really get to know her. its probably around 800-1000 pages but i read it in about a week. its impossible to put it down and its something that will stick with you forever

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THIS BOOK!!!!!