Reading projects

[Flowerdk4]

Hi,
I thought I would share my reading projects with you.

Whenever I come across an interesting writer, I tend to read almost everything written by the Author.

At the moment I am reading Dostojevsky. I have read "The double", am reading "The idiot" and have "Poor People" + "The possessed". I shall of course read his most famous books as well.

Many years ago I started to read Paul Auster. And it was the same thing. I have read almost very thing he has written and he has become one of my favorites.

Recently it has come to my attention that C.S. Lewis has written a lot of other books besides the famous children stories. I have checked out a site about him and its looks very interesting. I like to read philosophy every now and then as well and Lewis has written a coule of books about christianity etc. So I reckon he shall become my next reading project.

I do slip in another book while reading whatever project I have. I have just finished a book by Leif Davidsen and now I am back reading Dostojevsky.
Am I the only one reading like this, making kind of projects or should I say a study out of it? Please share!

Flower

 

[Kookamoor]

I don't like to read too many books by the same author in a row, especially if it's an author I really like. I'm worried that I would get weary of their style or subject matter. The one exception to this may be John Irving, who I first read years ago when I stumbled upon The Cider House Rules. Last year I had a John Irving resurgence, reading (all for the first time) The World According to Garp, The Hotel New Hampshire, The Fourth Hand, A Widow for One Year, A Prayer for Owen Meany and his collection of short works, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed.

This year I've become enarmoured of Guy Gavriel Kay, and read his Fionavar Tapestry series and Tigana back-to-back. While my library can provide many more of his books, I've taken a break because I want to savor it (that, and my TBR list is sooooo long that I have no shortage of other treasures to spend my very limited reading time on!).

 

[Robert]

I don't like to read too many books by the same author in a row, especially if it's an author I really like. I'm worried that I would get weary of their style or subject matter.

That's good advice, kookamoor. I just finished two book by James Rollins, and I wish I had waited a few books before I read the last one.

 

[ions]

Like Kookamoor I shuffle books up so I don't become tired of any style, content, length, author etc. For example these are the last few books I've read in order:

The Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King
Hawaii by James A. Michener
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Journey by James A. Michener
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by James A. Michener
Beast by Peter Benchley
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Currently reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Probably followed by The Great Gatsby and Pillars of the Earth.

That's from the summer so far. I've tried to mix things up yet continue along my reading projects. In this list are a few of my reading projects. One is to get through the majority of Kong's works, if not all of them. To read every book by Michener, every Hemingway and every Dickens. Like you Flowerdk4 I plan on reading every Dostoevsky. The Brothers Karamazov sits on my shelf and will be read this year. Maybe shortly after Pillars. I have so much I want to read that I have no reason not to include the spice of life.

 

[lies]

I don't like to read too many books by the same author in a row, especially if it's an author I really like.

Me too. The only exception to that rule is when it's a series I'm reading, cause I do tend to speed through those if it's possible.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by James A. Michener

Glad I'm not the only one that gets a bit confused at times.

 

[ions]

lol

So much for proof-reading!

 

[Flowerdk4]

I understand what you mean by not reading all books by an author at once. But I have never felt that I would become tired of their books. I am quite the oppisit. I dont seem to be able to get enought words from the authors hand. Its like entering their world and if I enjoy it and learn from it, then I am very excited to hear what they have to say in the next book.
When I do read a book in between, its more often to take a break and digest. So its usually not a "hard to read" kind of book I choose.

I dont know hardly any of the books that you have mentioned, except from the classics. Are they crime/mystery writeres? I am only guessing here, as I havent read much of this line of books.

Flower

 

[ions]

I dont know hardly any of the books that you have mentioned, except from the classics. Are they crime/mystery writeres? I am only guessing here, as I havent read much of this line of books.

Flower

The Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King Fantasy
Hawaii by James A. Michener Historical Fiction
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Science Fiction
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Fiction
Journey by James A. Michener Historical Fiction
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling Fantasy
Beast by Peter Benchley Suspense/Horror
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Fiction
Currently reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Science Fiction
Probably followed by The Great Gatsby Fiction and Pillars of the Earth. Historical Fiction

I try and go from genre to genre and choose books of varying lengths to keep everything fresh. Oh, and excuse me if somebody disagrees with my classifications. Close enough for this discussion.

 

[Mari]

I binge on one author's work at a time. I gather most of his or her writings, a biograhy or two, letters and diaries if they've been published, then I read it all straight through. I fall back exhausted, then move on to the next author. In fact, I won't start on an author until I've collected everthing I plan to read by and about that person, so I'll be able to rush through it all without delays.

 

[MonkeyCatcher]

I'm also like Kook - I try and mix my reading up so that I don't get too bored with the same author.

The only exception to that rule is when it's a series I'm reading, cause I do tend to speed through those if it's possible.

I actually do the opposite - I tend to read a couple of books inbetween each book in the series.
I think I do this because otherwise I get bored the the setting/characters etc and tend to just skim over most pages (this happened when I read the Earth's Children series in a row - in the last few books I just didn't read anything unless people were talking because I just got so bored with the same characters )

 

[G4G]

I binge on one author's work at a time. I gather most of his or her writings, a biograhy or two, letters and diaries if they've been published, then I read it all straight through. I fall back exhausted, then move on to the next author. In fact, I won't start on an author until I've collected everthing I plan to read by and about that person, so I'll be able to rush through it all without delays.

I used to do this kind of thing. I'd get all obsessional about a writer and have to get everything and read it all as soon as possible. Now though I think, I like to pace myself, to make things last. Also, it's harder to keep going the older you get, and you need gaps inbetween. Er, books, that is, I mean.

 

[Wolhay]

I also makes plans of reading everything by my favourite authors. Though I usually make sure too vary the reading order with different authors so as not to get tired of them that way.

At the moment I've read all the fictionous books by Auster except for 'The Music of Chance'.

When I come across authors that seems interesting then I try to make an effort of going through a lot of what they've written but after having come across books that disapoint the interest can fade.

Another reading project that I have is to have read all the books that movies I own are based on. Most have been read now and on the list to be read are 'Dune' and 'The 120 Days of Sodom'. If I'm going to count manga then there'll be a few more.

 

[Flowerdk4]

Mari and CDA, which authors have you read many books of ?

Wolhay, maybe you would like to join us at the Paul Auster dicussion in the author forum?

Flower

 

[Mari]

It works best for me when the author's life was compelling in itself, when the biography or autobiography will in itself be part of the reading experience. Some authors this has worked particularly well for are:

Woolf, Nin, Twain, Melville, Millay, Plath, Tolkien, Asimov, Piercy, and Douglas Adams.


Oh, and Vonnegut.

 

[G4G]

Mari and CDA, which authors have you read many books of ?

Wolhay, maybe you would like to join us at the Paul Auster dicussion in the author forum?

Flower

Martin Amis, Douglas Coupland, Will Self, Paul Auster, Bret Easton Ellis and Raymond Carver are particular favourites of mine. A recent discovery would be Chuck Palahniuk. Oh, and Clive Barker. And JT Leroy. And Larry Brown.

When I take my brain out so it can have a rest, I give the likes of Stephen King and James Herbert a go. I really enjoy them.

 

[G4G]

It works best for me when the author's life was compelling in itself, when the biography or autobiography will in itself be part of the reading experience. Some authors this has worked particularly well for are:

Woolf, Nin, Twain, Melville, Millay, Plath, Tolkien, Asimov, Piercy, and Douglas Adams.


Oh, and Vonnegut.

I read a biog of Plath (can't recall who wrote it) and The Bell Jar back to back. Now that was interesting.

I also read Hermione Lee's Bio of Woolf and then read The Years.

 

[WoundedThorns]

there are some authors that i try to read all of their books. i did it with sarah dessen a few years back. i suppose its the same with listening to all the CDs from a certain band/singer. its just the assumption that all of their writing will be equally great. the author of speak didn't completely impress me with fever 1743 (different year maybe) though

i wish sylvia plath written more novels. i loved the writing style of the Bell Jar