Reading Frenzy

[raffaellabella]

I've been in a reading frenzy for the past week and have finished three books which is not like me. Usually I'm reading 5 books at once and it takes a month to finish them.

I just finished Ahab's Wife by Sena J. Naslund and loved it except I thought it was a bit long. Towards the end I was skimming the paragraphs

Also read Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. It was a very, very sad book and I couldn't seem to find any warmth in it at all. I also didn't care for his writing.

After McCourt I read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. I thought it was a great little ghost story.

 

[SFG75]

I'm going on a similiar tear myself. I've also just completed my fifth book this month and I believe that I'll get one or two more done before it's all over with. I'm not certain if it's that my social calendar has cleared up a bit or what, but it's been fun.

The Great Gatsby; F. Scott Fitzgerald -Still painfully dull completed as when I thought it was dull uncompleted.

Fathers and Sons; Ivan Turgenev-Absolutely loved this one, a good deal of history and psychology woven into a tale of generational differences. Reconfirms my belief that Russian/Eastern European writers are untouchable in regards to writing.

The Kite Runner; Khaled Hosseini-I loved how this one didn't just rush through the boy's wounds, but rather, pointed out the behavior that he exhibited(and others exhibit) before accepting others again. Fifty times better than The Bookseller of Kabul.

Of Mice and Men; John Steinbeck-One of Steinbeck's best in terms of character development. That in and of itself is impressive as I don't find the same depth in that regard in his other works.

The Professor's House; Willa Cather-One of her lesser known works. The story is told in part by two of the main characters. Nothing to write home about, but I've read worse.

 

[dizzyshelly]

I'm on my fifth this month, but its quite long so it will take me a while to finish the one im on!

I have read Angela's Ashes because everyone seems to rave about that book and the film. I couldn't see the fascination of the book, and when I watched the film they did quite get that feeling of desparation thats in the book! I have got the second one he did, can't remember what it is called but I don't think I will bother with it to be honest!

 

[Fantasy Moon]

I've been on a reading frenzy with manga this month, but now that it is over...

I'm on my second novel this week. I hope I can get back in the groove for reading. I'll be starting my new job in a few weeks, so I doubt there will be much time for it.

 

[Stewart]

The Kite Runner;... Fifty times better than The Bookseller of Kabul.

They are hardly comparable, are they? What with one being non-fiction about real people, and the other being fiction about unreal people.

 

[tundra]

I've been reading quite a lot recently as well. Normally I only read one book at a time but I am currently reading four. The oddest thing has happened..one of the books I'm reading sites the other one. Two of the books I'm reading are The Code Book, and A Void, the one without an "e." Anyway, Code Book had a whole discussion of how A Void (were it encoded) would throw off any cryptologist using frequency analysis as deciphering tool. It even included excerpts and had more in the appendix about it. I've never had this sort of thing happen before, and am amused.

 

[Charity]

Book Fests


Hey Guys, where do you all get the time to read so much?
And four/five books at once?
I read one book a month in depth for my reading group (and even that I have trouble with sometimes...tired, not too gripped, fall asleep over the chapter) and I dip in and out of others I have on the go for various reasons. But five in full....I take my hat off to you all.

 

[Stewart]

Not exactly had much of a frenzy at the moment and have only read the following this month:

In The Country Of Men, Hisham Matar
fullalove, Gordon Burn
The Bridge Of San Luis Rey, Thornton Wilder
The Fascination Of Evil, Florian Zeller
Time's Arrow, Martin Amis
On Writing, Stephen King

I do intend on getting through as many of the nineteen in the Booker longlist as possible between now and the 14th of September, with perhaps a couple of novellas slipped in there to spice it up.

It's a far cry from back in March when I had my real reading frenzy.

 

[tundra]

Hey Guys, where do you all get the time to read so much?
And four/five books at once?
I read one book a month in depth for my reading group (and even that I have trouble with sometimes...tired, not too gripped, fall asleep over the chapter) and I dip in and out of others I have on the go for various reasons. But five in full....I take my hat off to you all.

Lots of people read during their commute. Or instead of watching television, or sleeping. It's not difficult to make time to read when you're a book fanatic...as most of us are (on this forum, I should think..why else would you join a book forum?)

I read several books at once when I get too excited about a new book to wait until I'm finished with other books. I invariably end up focusing on one of them eventually, and the others wait until I in turn focus on them.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I can't wait for my exams to be over so that I will have a decent amount of time to read. So far I have read only 1 1/2 books this month - roll on December!

 

[raffaellabella]

I have read Angela's Ashes because everyone seems to rave about that book and the film. I couldn't see the fascination of the book, and when I watched the film they did quite get that feeling of desparation thats in the book! I have got the second one he did, can't remember what it is called but I don't think I will bother with it to be honest!

I haven't seen the film but I did have a strong feeling that the makers wouldn't make it as dreary as the book (heaven forbid it should be true to the book).

McCourt second book is 'Tis and I started reading it this afternoon. I figure I'll give it a go since I read his first book and I also found out that he taught at one of my local high schools so I'm interested in what he had to say about it.

 

[Prairie_Girl]

The Kite Runner; Khaled Hosseini-I loved how this one didn't just rush through the boy's wounds, but rather, pointed out the behavior that he exhibited(and others exhibit) before accepting others again. Fifty times better than The Bookseller of Kabul.

Thanks for posting this, I got fed up with Bookseller about half way through and have been avoiding The Kite Runner because of that. It's sitting on my bookshelf right now though.

 

[Peronel]

You have all inspired me! I've been in a bit of a reading funk for a while (you now the drill, only reading before bed, even then it's something I've read a million times).

Maybe I'll lock away all my Stephen King books and try to make a dent in my TBR pile.

 

[SFG75]

You have all inspired me! I've been in a bit of a reading funk for a while (you now the drill, only reading before bed, even then it's something I've read a million times).

Maybe I'll lock away all my Stephen King books and try to make a dent in my TBR pile.

Don't do that-grab Lisey's Story and make it on over to the horror section and join the discussion.

 

[dizzyshelly]

McCourt second book is 'Tis and I started reading it this afternoon. I figure I'll give it a go since I read his first book and I also found out that he taught at one of my local high schools so I'm interested in what he had to say about it.

Have you finished this book now? I just wondered what you thought of it and whether it was worth reading it?

 

[Tamsine]

Have you finished this book now? I just wondered what you thought of it and whether it was worth reading it?

I enjoyed "Angela's ashes" but didn't like "T'is" at all. "Angela's ashes" was worth reading, because besides being a family story, it also is a testimony of Ireland's social history. His time at the army and first years as a teacher were much less interesting and the writing was very dull.