Reading and Things

In the l love column l put reading

In the have-to get fit

In the need-to .... work

Actually l also need to sleep at the moment my brain feels like it is swimming in mush have been awake since 2am, think l had a coffee to late but if l go now l will be awake early.

So on the book theme l wondered what books people like so l can have a scavenge, l am eclectic, used to have a huge collection sadly now diminished with lots of moving and loosing books

Supernatural
Fantasy
Spiritual
Angels
Clive Cussler
Gerald Durrell & several other animal authors
J. D. Robb and her alta ego who l have forgotten
Dean Kotz
Louis L'Amour all of his books esp the early 10 century onwards
Interesting war ones 1st and 2nd world war

Just love Durrell 'My Family and Other Animals'

......Oops time for dinner I'm off

All the best Jan

I love lucinda Riley

Linwood Barclay

And so many more I just love to read

Romance , history , war , modern thrillers

Just love a good story ...

What ever time I go to bed I try to read for an hour , not always so good in the mornings if I do not put a good book down ....  

I love reading but usually stick with biographies. Recently finish the biography on Joseph Kennedy ( what a corrupt, villain ! ) and Sammy Davis Jr, he had a hell of a life. I just find real life so much more interesting than fiction. The story of Marilyn Monroe is also very interesting, but sad :-(

Indy51, look away now! I don't want to offend you with the name of a book you hate.



I like science fiction and fantasy novels most, but I don't read a lot really, mostly because I find it difficult to get comfortable enough to read a book since I hurt my neck years ago.




The book I'm half way through at the moment is Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson. I'll finish it and the other 9 that follow some day! I also love Isaac Asimov and Ursula LeGuin

On fiction I tend to latch on to particular authors rather than just pick up a book from its blurb or review. At the moment it's Iain Banks and Jo Nesbo, in the past it's been Will Self, Julian Barnes, Ian McEwan, Chris Brookmyre. I also read histories and hobby-related stuff.

zand wrote:Indy51, look away now!  I don't want to offend you with the name of a book you hate.



I like science fiction and fantasy novels most, but I don't read a lot really, mostly because I find it difficult to get comfortable enough to read a book since I hurt my neck years ago.




The book I'm half way through at the moment is Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson.  I'll finish it and the other 9 that follow some day!  I also love Isaac Asimov and Ursula LeGuin

Glad you warned - but I read on anyway.

Stephen Donaldson - aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh   

Indy51 wrote:

Stephen Donaldson - aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh   

I agree!  His books are unbearable!

I read a lot.  Always have.
Can bury my nose in the page for hours a day.  Unfortunately, real life has been increasingly time consuming for the last few years.

Historical fiction and biography
SF and fantasy and urban fantasy, cyberpunk and steampunk
Humour, travel and humorous travel
Thrillers and contemporary fiction, not so much.

Short list of favourite authors includes
Dorothy Dunnet
Umberto Eco
Jim Butcher
Terry Pratchett
Lois McMaster Bujold
Mike Carey
Dave Duncan
Jonathan Gash
Kate Griffin
Georgette Heyer
Guy Gavriel Kay
Charles Stross
Bill Bryson
Iain Banks
Goodness, I could just keep going...

lol. I'll have to think of some more authors you two might not like!  

sanguine wrote:On fiction I tend to latch on to particular authors rather than just pick up a book from its blurb or review.  At the moment it's Iain Banks and Jo Nesbo, in the past it's been Will Self, Julian Barnes, Ian McEwan, Chris Brookmyre.  I also read histories and hobby-related stuff.

Try K. O. Dahl if you like Nesbø. I also like Anne Holt, another Norwegian, Arnaldur Indridason Operation Napoleon (his others are a bit grim for me), Liza Marklund, Karin alvtegen, sjöwall and Wahlöö, Helene Tursten, Camilla Lackberg and Henning Mankell. I also like Peter Hoeg but his aren't always crime.

Well I read '1222' by Anne Holt, thought it was too self-absorbed, and was recommended to read Peter Hoeg's 'Miss Smilla's feeling for snow' - gave me some insight into the relationship between Denmark and Greenland but it never really seemed to go anywhere. Disappointed.

Tried reading those Donaldson books many years ago and gave up- and that's from someone who read the Silmarillion and enjoyed it.
I read anything though must admit since getting ipad a lot of my reading time is spent on articles rather than books.
Enjoy classic crime fiction like Christie, Allingham, Marsh etc. My godmother buys vintage crime novels in Paris and passes them my way which is great.
I like classic literature like Wuthering Heights, bit of Dickens and Hardy when I have the patience.
Hate Jane Austen.
Modern classics like Umberto Eco, Donna Tartt etc. Anything that has an interesting cover and blurb in the bookshop. Used to love Waterstones' three for two offers as I'd invariably pick something to make up the three and love it.
Favourite books are A Woman's guide to Adultery( nothing like its title suggests) by Carol Clewlow who was in my department at uni a couple of years ahead of me. Brother of the more Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido; A month in the country by JL Carr and Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain Fournier. Also reread the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper most years.

In my late teens and 20s I read a lot of SF but always preferred the 'inner space' stuff rather than the 'galaxy quest'. Favourites were John Brunner (you don't hear much of his books now) and Philip K Dick.

I don't reread much - life is too short - but I have read Philip Pullman's 'Dark Materials' trilogy about 3 times. The film of 'Northern Lights' aka 'The Golden Compass' was a reasonable stab, I hope one day they will attempt the others. Difficult (that's what they said for years about 'Gormenghast') and some anti-religion prejudices to get over no doubt. The concept of us all having a 'daemon' was brilliant.

sanguine wrote:In my late teens and 20s I read a lot of SF but always preferred the 'inner space' stuff rather than the 'galaxy quest'.  Favourites were John Brunner (you don't hear much of his books now) and Philip K Dick.

I don't reread much - life is too short - but I have read Philip Pullman's 'Dark Materials' trilogy about 3 times.  The film of 'Northern Lights' aka 'The Golden Compass' was a reasonable stab, I hope one day they will attempt the others.  Difficult (that's what they said for years about 'Gormenghast') and some anti-religion prejudices to get over no doubt.  The concept of us all having a 'daemon' was brilliant.

Having to Retyped this as hit wrong button! Doh! Loved the Pullman trilogy! 1222 was great but I read it in Swedish. Ditto all those other authors and sometimes things get lost in translation. I know Hoeg is Danish but couldn't be bothered to have to keep looking words up. Don't speak Icelandic so have to read Indridason in English or Swedish. Bought the Holt books in Sweden so they are in Swedish though not sure why they bother to translate them. Dahl is very similar to Nesbø so you could try him. What about Stig Larsson and the girl with the Dragon TAttoo? Not bad. Read better in Swedish though. We have lots of duplicates in our house as I refuse to read them in English and Hubbie can't read them in Swedish.

l also have a kindle...had as friends slob cat lay on it and broke it.
l now use the phone am dithering between kobo and paperwhite...new one not present one.
As l am undecided l am doing nought

Scandichic wrote:What about Stig Larsson and the girl with the Dragon TAttoo? Not bad. Read better in Swedish though.

I'm sure that's true in all languages. Yes I have read those, much better than the films, even though the film trilogy is very good.

I've done the audio books for that trilogy, great listening

cold ethyl wrote:Also reread the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper most years.

Yes, oh yes. That series is brilliant.
Alan Garner too.

Can't remember how many times that Dark is Rising has been 'borrowed' out of my possession. Must have replaced it 5 or 6 times.   

Andy12345 wrote:I've done the audio books for that trilogy, great listening

The films are awesome if you don't mind subtitles. mr Scandi is used to it as he is the only one who doesn't speak Swedish!

cold ethyl wrote:Tried reading those Donaldson books many years ago and gave up- and that's from someone who read the Silmarillion and enjoyed it.
I read anything though must admit since getting ipad a lot of my reading time is spent on articles rather than books.
Enjoy classic crime fiction like Christie, Allingham, Marsh etc. My godmother buys vintage crime novels in Paris and passes them my way which is great.
I like classic literature like Wuthering Heights, bit of Dickens and Hardy when I have the patience.
Hate Jane Austen.
Modern classics like Umberto Eco, Donna Tartt etc. Anything that has an interesting cover and blurb in the bookshop. Used to love Waterstones' three for two offers as I'd invariably pick something to make up the three and love it.
Favourite books are A Woman's guide to Adultery( nothing like its title suggests) by Carol Clewlow who was in my department at uni a couple of years ahead of me. Brother of the more Famous Jack by Barbara Trapido; A month in the country by JL Carr and Le Grand Meaulnes by Alain Fournier. Also reread the Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper most years.

Bought the dark is rising series for the kids! Loved them as a child! My daughter loves the dark is rising film with Ian mcshane and we have seen it a zillion times!

im ok with subtitles as they are short sentences but i find myself focusing on the text and missing the film lol

Andy12345 wrote:im ok with subtitles as they are short sentences but i find myself focusing on the text and missing the film lol

Mr Scandi says the only issue is that it affects the way he remembers them and can never remember whether he has seen it or read it!

i suppose its both lol

Scandichic wrote:

Andy12345 wrote:I've done the audio books for that trilogy, great listening

The films are awesome if you don't mind subtitles. mr Scandi is used to it as he is the only one who doesn't speak Swedish!

Scandi have you seen Bill Bailey's 'Qualmpeddler' DVD and his routine on understanding Danish from The Killing?

sanguine wrote:

Scandichic wrote:

Andy12345 wrote:I've done the audio books for that trilogy, great listening

The films are awesome if you don't mind subtitles. mr Scandi is used to it as he is the only one who doesn't speak Swedish!

Scandi have you seen Bill Bailey's 'Qualmpeddler' DVD and his routine on understanding Danish from The Killing?

No! Is it funny? Just tried to find it on you tube but no success! Saw my trip to South Africa about the shark which was hilarious!