Posted on 02/26/2005 5:14:03 PM PST by Tanniker Smith
The few that I saw discussions about up until now were fantasies (particularly "quest" novels), biographies and books by Freepers. With all due respect to my fellow Freepers, while I'd love to discuss your books, at the moment, there's probably a limited audience. I'd suggest at this point that the rest of us track down copies so we can talk about them at a later date.
That would leave us with biographies and fantasies. Which should we start off with. (Since we can't get a show of hands, I'll let the first of you that answer the ping or stumble upon the thread make the decision. See what a great leader I am! I delegate!)
TS
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My vote goes to biographies, since I am looking for a good one to read. :)
Ironically, in the time it took me to type up and post the above message, someone posted a message to the oldest thread. Gotta love it.
TS
How about Lord of the Rings?
I just picked up a copy of Hershey's 'A Bell for Adano' today. His forward discusses the difficulties of administration by American forces of a conquered land and I thought the book might have some insights for our foreign policy today.
There is a widely posted scan, here on FR, of the pinko John Dos Passo's article in a 1945 or '46 issue of LIFE magazine that has proven to be the exact replay of naysayer sentiment today on the same topic.
That's what first came to my mind too! Or another Tolkien book The Silmarillion. Both great reads and would make great discussion. We should probably clear it with the Hobbit Hole first - lol!
Please add me to the book club ping list. Thanks very much.
I have to catch an early flight to Ohio in the am, and was just heading to B&N to see if I could find someting to kill a few hours.;=]
Well today I bought "The Journal of Eleanor Ruse" b/c it only cost $4.98 and I'm into the paranormal, and Dan Brown's "Digital Fortress" b/c I'm also into reading junk fiction. If anybody feels I shouldn't waste the time, I'm all ears.
I finally read "The Lord of the Rings", pretty much reading each book around the time of the corresponding film. I don't own a copy; I borrowed them. That's probably what held me back from ordering a copy of "The Silmarillion" when I saw it for sale -- in of all places -- my son's Scholastic magazine. He's in the third grade for heaven's sake!
Actually, I do have some Tolkien collection that I got from a library sale. Don't recall which stories they are, and I'm not going to get to read it any time soon.
I'm in a bit of a bind here. I buy way more books than I'll ever read, usually telling myself, "The library needs the money" or somesuch. My wife has been trying to get me to get rid of many of these tomes. (We've moved with them twice!) I told her, "Okay, but let me read some of them first.")
Well, that was about ten years ago -- or about three weeks before I got transferred to an office in New Jersey which required driving to work. No more transit reading time. (sigh)
Anyway, excuse the digression, I pretty much have to read things that I own and can divest myself of (although I still make occasional trips to the library to borrow newer stuff.)
TS
Good idea! I suggest we make next week's topic: "Quest" tomes, but this week, discuss biographies (since it is already Saturday).
Then, next Saturday, we can come up with a new theme for the following week.
I'd love to get there. We just started this two days ago. And, as you can see, I couldn't even decide on a topic for today, although I've been asking for two days.
The way I'm figuring this (and I could be totally wrong) is first we should see who pops in and wants to take part and see what they want to talk about. Example, I originally wanted to talk about the large number of conservative books out there, if only to find the good ones. This would also be on topic for FR. HOWEVER, I was quickly informed that this was a little too narrow a focus.
Give it a few weeks, and we could even start talking about specific books, but let's get our legs first. People will need time to find specific books and read them.
Actually, once again I'll put it to a vote:
I'll post the results sometime mid-week. (It's back to school Monday, so I can't guarantee which day.) We can make that the next three, four or even five weeks topics if we get enough people participating.
Thank you, in advance, to everyone.
TS
You and I sound like two peas in a pod! I am always going to the library's used book store and stocking up on books. I have a whole section in my book shelf devoted to books that I've bought but haven't read yet. Some have been there for a few years. I don't know what it is about old used books but I like them better than new ones.
I used to have a bunch in the bookcase. Now there all in Rubbermaid bins, in a closet under the steps, in the basement. My wife really doesn't wish to see them. Of course, this actually makes it easier to sneak more *in*.
2. Historical narrative - fiction or non-fiction
3. Travel writing
"My vote goes to biographies, since I am looking for a good one to read."
Try "In My Hands" by Irene Gut Opdyke. She was 17 during WWII and hid and saved many Polish Jews at great risk to herself. She's one of my Heroes, without a doubt. :)
"Unfortunately, the last thing I have read was by Lemony Snickett!"
LOL! I remember those days. For about a year, the only books I read were about a monkey and a guy in a yellow hat.
Never did figure out what they really meant.
Please add me to your ping list. I'm mostly into historical novels. I also have a pretty good collection of Native American reference, including tribal designs.
The last book I read was Patricia Cornwell's research on Jack the Ripper (Case Closed). It was gory, but gave an insight into the pits of hell the human mind can travel. Ripper was not a nice guy.
Here's my vote:
1. Humor (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
2. Religious Fiction
3. Political and Current Affairs
My 8 year olds have found Snicket's books not an easy read, but enjoy hearing me read it to them.
It has been fun, but I look forward to reading for myself again.
I loved that little George! Always had himself in a mess!!
I have not read any of the Quest Books. Which, in particular, is your favorite or do you recommend the entire series?
You can ask the Admin Moderator to lock those old threads so that they won't receive new replies.
You might want to post the link to this thread before locking the old threads.
Please add me to your list. Thanks!
I am very interested in hearing more about them, though, so anyone out there know about these "Quest" novels?
2. Science Fiction/Paranormal.
3. political - fiction and non-fiction.
I detest bios. Enjoy fiction with a mystery. Just today finished up a Cait London paperback entitled "Hidden Secrets". Will be starting "French Quarter" by Stella Cameron. Have also Lisa Jackson's "The Night Before".
Some good biographies I have on the shelf:
Patton: A Genius for War, by Carlo D'Este
Captain Sir Richard Francis Burton, by Edward Rice
A Battle from the Start (Gen. Bedford Forrest), by Brian Steel Wills
Alexander of Macedon, by Peter Green
Wisdom and Innocence (G.K. Chesterton), by Joseph Pierce
The Reckoning (Christopher Marlowe), by Charles Nicholl
Life of Patrick Henry, by William Wirt
We were discussing these on the other thread, and someone called Cormac McCarthy's "Border Trilogy" a quest novel, but it's really not. It's Literature, big L. Try it, you'll never be the same.
All the Pretty Horses
The Crossing
City of the Plain = trilogy.
"Quest" here is a category, not a series. Any fiction or nonfiction with a hero(es) on a journey of discovery. "Huckleberry Finn" is an example; Jim is in search of freedom, and Huck is in search of adulthood (in effect.)
I have also been reading The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History by Thomas E. Woods, Jr., PhD.
My apologies.
I thought sandalwood was referring to the series authored by Barbara Hambly.
No problem. Barbara Hambly is writing one of my favorite historical mystery series, about a free black doctor in 1830's New Orleans.
The last two bios I read were last spring and summer, and both were on Reagan. One was "When Character Was King", I think, by Peggy Newnan. The other was by Mike Deavers..? Both were good.
I like John Grisham -- but I read his all in one sitting, so it gets expensive to buy them.
The most recent book I've read was by Cassandra King (Pat Conroy's wife) -- "The Same Sweet Girls." It was just okay.
Tanniker, thank you so much for taking this on. Looks like there is a very enthusiastic response, kudos to you!
I am okay with biographies on this thread --- which is this week's thread.
Next week, I would like the "Quest" genre. That means people could discuss LOR, and any other quest boos.
My third choice of genre is 'relationship'novels; that would include anything from Jane Austin to White Oleander.
Each time my wife and I go to Australia, we bring back Aussie historical novels; two of the best I have read are by Evan Green, Kalinda and Adam's Empire, a two book series.
I had to buy Kalinda from used book section on Amazon, prices all the way up to $107US per copy.
No, 'quest books' as in a genre, which would include everything from the Odessy to Lord of the Rings. --- heroes on a quest. Or anti-heroes or heroines on a quest.
Ditto!
But it is still a 'quest' type novel. Young hero on a search for something, self or treasure or whatever, strikes out into unknown lands,etc.
Pretty Horses is a masterpiece.
Tanniker, as I write this, my wife and I are sitting in my library office listening to the last two CDs of the "Digital Fortress."
You should like it, pretty good yarn.
Will check in tomorrow, bedtime (curling up with a good book --- history --- 'King Arthur's Britain').
Good heavens! Were they out of print?
Big Jane Austen fan here.
We're not possessive. We're happy when anyone talks about Tolkien. We'd probably just join right in.
We've had some book threads and have talked about doing them again. But we certainly have no intention (or any right) to get snippy if anyone else starts a discussion thread.
Green's dead, book is out of print, hard to get. I searched for it for months to find a cheaper copy. Finally found one at Powell's for 7.95 plus 3 shipping.
My vote goes to biographies"
I respect that you like bio's.
When I want to know about someone, I usually read the condensed version. I want to know where they stand as a person.
I don't really care to know every detail of their life.
I'm old and my brain is starting to get full.
Mostly I read for enjoyment .
In recent years,the two books I've enjoyed the most we're Swan Song and Unintended Consequences.
Absolutely.... never snippy! :~D
This thread is a great idea. If you have a ping list, please ad me.
Now in direct contravention to your above comment, I invite freepers to read my book, absolutely free. You may access it online via my Profile here on FR. Just click my name at the bottom of this post.
I'd love feedback, and it is really a pretty good story. It is science fiction, but takes place during the present day and has no aliens or other weird stuff in it.
For you statistic hounds: The book has been edited, re-edited, and gone over by independent third parties, so it's fairly polished (there are some computer generated typos I discovered, an artifact of converting it to html). It is 117,000 words long.
Now, back to my regularly scheduled posting...
That is my all time favorite, long before it was made into a movie. The first time I read it I was 15 and listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon again and again as I read it. Even today, that music sends me back to Middle Earth. I never did get the hang of Elvish though.
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