The Book Thread (tm)

[Walkinshaw]

It may be the engineer in me but i find fiction books a waste of time.

(just me)

[bindi]

I was reading all the posts and find it sad that there aren't that many book lovers around.

I am like Troy (Maddestman) as I am a book slut! I'll read nearly anything, and have done since I was a little kid - and yes, I read a few Mills and Boon as a teenager (went through a romance stage) but not since.

I love fantasy novels especially - David Eddings, JRR Tolkien, Sara Douglass (got one of my books signed by her), JK Rowling (loved Harry Potter!), the list goes on. As a teen I would start reading a Stephen King novel in the afternoon after school and couldn't put it down cos it freaked me out too much to sleep. As the sun came up I'd be there, tired but thankful I'd finished it!

I have also started getting into different books, trying not to focus on a genre as such. My fave books in the whole world are Conversations with God books 1, 2 & 3. Life-changing stuff there (and no, not Christian - if they were I wouldn't read them). Also like things that are anti George W Bush etc.

Other books I like are feminist literature. Fave book here would have to be Wifework by Susan Maushart, I would recommend every single woman buy a copy of it as it is essential reading... not so sure about men, they might find it threatening.

I read the DaVinci Code and although his writing style wasn't all the best, the actual premise behind it and the story of Jesus and Leonardo is absolutely fascinating

I could go on, but I think I'd better stop... I can already tell I am boring some people.

Oh and magazines, I like health and alternative ones and crossword puzzle books too.

[carratt]

Sara Douglass (got one of my books signed by her)

damn I'm jelous. I just finished reading the Wayfarer Redemption and Axis trilogy's for the third time and I can't get enough of it. She's without a doubt my favourite author and I can't wait till she brings out another book in the Tencendor series (yes, that's right).
I love anything fantasy and tend to enjoy the female authors like Trudi Canavan, Robin Hobb, Anne Bihop and the list goes on. I also enjoy the Robert Jordan series of the Wheel of Time (although it tends to carry on for a ridiculous amount of time).

[Twisted]

Sara Douglas is very good also, the Axis Trilogy and then The Wayfarer Redemption are both very good series'.

[LuvinmyEB]

I'm an absolute book worm!
No crappy Mills & Boon to be found in this house though. :

I think it would be easier for me to answer, "What book haven't you read?" :P

I love Stephen King, I think I have nearly everything he's ever written (if I haven't I will soon). Dean Koontz is also another favourite. Autobiographies I find hard to put down even when I'm falling asleep and all the words are blurring together. New Age stuff I love, medical text books, basically if it's a book I'll read it.

PC mags, Car mags, National Geographic, Scientific America, Scrapbooking and arts and crafts mags, crossword books & mags.

I've also been known to pinch Kyle's novels that he has to read for school.

If The Maddestman (another thing we have in common) and I find a book sale, Kyle will roll his eyes and find something else to do because he knows we're going to be a while.

My mother thought I was a weird child, while the others were out playing, I'd be sitting in a corner reading a novel. Dad would often find me asleep with book still in my hand or he'd have to physically remove the book and turn the light off.

Ok yes, I'm a book whore!

Did I mention cook books? :

[Discovery]

I am a book person and only wish I could find more time to read. I tend to get so absorbed reading that i'll stay put until I finish the entire book!

At the moment I am just beginning an Australian book "Earthly Delights" by Kerry Greenwood. It includes wannabe vampires and goth clubs.

My usual preferred style is horror/mystery etc. The series involving Kay Scarpetta (I can't remember the authors name right now!!) is great and I have read the lot. I have also read all the Stephen King novels.

I do read magazines, but not celebrity type ones. py:

[bindi]

Originally Posted by carratt

damn I'm jelous. I just finished reading the Wayfarer Redemption and Axis trilogy's for the third time and I can't get enough of it. She's without a doubt my favourite author and I can't wait till she brings out another book in the Tencendor series (yes, that's right).
I love anything fantasy and tend to enjoy the female authors like Trudi Canavan, Robin Hobb, Anne Bihop and the list goes on. I also enjoy the Robert Jordan series of the Wheel of Time (although it tends to carry on for a ridiculous amount of time).

I didn't realise she was bringing out another of the series... I must admit that when the Wayfarer redemption came out, I wasn't as impressed with it as I was with the Axis Trilogy... I thought it went very sick and twisted and odd at the end. I really REALLY loved the Axis trilogy the most though, it was awesome!

Then I picked up the first one of her next series... wasn't as impressed. I have been looking at the Troy ones for a while but haven't been that daring. Ever since she left teaching Uni down southern NSW and went to writing full-time, her work hasn't been as good (just imho).

If the later ones are more like the Axis trilogy, please tell me!

[bindi]

Originally Posted by Discovery

At the moment I am just beginning an Australian book "Earthly Delights" by Kerry Greenwood. It includes wannabe vampires and goth clubs.

I am into vampire ones too... whoever before mentioned the Anne Rice books, they were brilliant!

So tell me what Earthly Delights is like please Discovery!

[Donut Queen]

Well I'm in the fortunate position of getting paid to read books. I'm a psychology student but I'm minoring in literature (and centrelink pays me to be a student hehe). I've really enjoyed some of the books I've had to read but I can't wait until I'm finished and I can read book of my own choice. The most recent book I've read was 'Beloved' by Toni Morrison. Its an american classic about how deeply slavery effects people and it was really weird but really interesting. At the moment I'm reading 'White Noise' by Don Delilio and really not enjoying it. If you hate modern society and culture then you might enjoy it but as a 22 year old I don't have a problem with our busy world and foudn it very cynical.

My all time favourite book is probably 'Ten Thousand Sorrows' by Elizabeth Kim. I'm so cranky that someone borrowed my copy and never returned it. I also loved the Tomorrow series. A fantastic non-fiction book is 'Being fat is not a sin' by Shelley Bovey. Its about society's vilification of obese people. How we discriminate against them and treat them as less than other people. Its very interesting to think about in such a shallow culture.

Nicky

[MITCHAY]

Mmm read books. I hate reading books. Rather watch the video. Its hard to get whats happening in the book. The only thing i read are Ralph, FHM and car magazines. And i dont know if thats reading as much as it is checking out the chicks. :

[Hawk]

I don't read a lot (although I should because it would increase my voca....voca....wordage. )

For anyone who wants fast-paced action...read anything by Matthew Reilly (Aussie author)

IMO his two best books are Temple and Ice Station

Temple is a dual story-line book set in the old Incan times (1400s from memory) as well as current day. Absolutely fantastic read...follows the trail of a mysterious Incan idol. Highly recommend this book...fast paced action, lots of twists, and is a brilliant way to write a book IMO - two storylines connected strongly to each other but set hundreds of years apart. My favourite book of the 6 he has released.

Ice Station follows Shane 'Scarecrow' Schofield, the leader of a recon unit headed down to Antarctica to investigate some weird occurrences and an interesting find beneath the ice. Again, lots of twists, explosions, dead bodies. Great action. First book in a trilogy revolving around Shane Schofield (Area 7 and Scarecrow are the other two)

Look for the books by Matthew, he can definately capture your attention and before you know it you have read well over 200 pages because of how engrossing the read is.

[bindi]

Originally Posted by Hawk

For anyone who wants fast-paced action...read anything by Matthew Reilly (Aussie author)

My son is 13 and a book worm... and he loves this author. Constant action!

[Discovery]

Ooh, hard to find books that capture teenage male attention. I'll have to look out for those.

[Discovery]

Originally Posted by bindi

So tell me what Earthly Delights is like please Discovery!

Sheesh... you know you've probably now convinced me to read it all in one session, don't you _

[bindi]

Originally Posted by Discovery

Ooh, hard to find books that capture teenage male attention. I'll have to look out for those.

Oh he'll probably love it... cos they SWEAR in it - and do psycho things like climb up snow-covered mountains and have near-death experiences in the ice etc. Very go-go-go.

Sorry to convince you to read the entire book in one sitting!

[Twisted]

Originally Posted by Discovery

Ooh, hard to find books that capture teenage male attention. I'll have to look out for those.

Ill back Bindi up on the Matthew Reilly thing, his books are simply awesome! Non stop action and very detailed information. Definately a good author to get young guys into reading!

I'll read anything by Tom Wolfe, Norman Mailer and Hunter S. Thompson .
Tend to go for non-fiction nowdays, biographies and historical type stuff.

As for fiction, well you can't go past Herge's Tintin books or Superman, Spiderman and Daredevil comics.

[Hawk]

Matthew Reilly's books are:

Contest
Ice Station*
Temple
Area 7*
Scarecrow*
Hover Car Racer

I have all of these books and will get his seventh book which will be coming out later this year.

* = all feature the same hero.

[DRU842]

Must admit be being something of a book worm; I always have a novel or magazine going somewhere! Motor, National geographic, Australia Geographic are regulars.
I am a big Tom Clancy fan & love the way the various books intertwine. Have also enjoyed the Matthew Reilly book's I've read. Always happy to go the Sci-Fi classics, Asimov, Clarke, Herbert & I must say I've enjoyed the Dan Brown books, if for nothing else than the controversy & discussion they've kicked up. I always thought the Knights Templar got a bum deal!

[Casper]

I've actually read Ice station and Area 7 by Matthew Reilly...impossible to put them down.

Actually, I read Ice Station cover to coer flying from Detroit to Melbourne a few years back. Great way to pass 26 hours :P

[Discovery]

The Matthew Riley ones sound great. I think i'll get them for myself! ha ha

[chelvdog]

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins.

A truely good read.

[Twisted]

Originally Posted by Hawk

I have all of these books and will get his seventh book which will be coming out later this year.

Ok Shawn gimme details. Is it another one with Schofield??? Damn I hope so! I thought Hover Car Racer was good but i think it was aimed at a younger audience.

[Angry Beaver]

The only books i see these days are kids books, not enough time to read which i love to do. but unfortunatley just not enough hours in the day. my grandmother was the same she would read and read, my mother is the same to. i am more the medical side like patrica cornwell, robin cook. Dean koontz was one of my favourites as well as stephen king. i also like the fantasy ones these days as well.

[Discovery]

Ah. Patricia Cornwell. that was the name that escaped me. Read all of those, they are very good (though the last couple I didn't find quite as good as the others)

[ferris01]

The first one I read of Matthew Reilly was Area 7 could not put the thing down. So of course I had to go back to the begining and read the others. Absolutely brilliant. My favourite would have to be Contest. But then again I loved them all. The only one that I have not read is Hover Car Racer. Would love to know what people think of that one...

Discovery would have to agree with you about the last few novels that Patricia Cornwell has written.

[Angry Beaver]

yes i think she lost the touch in the last few everyone i know said the same thing. i think she lost it after the body farm.

[LuvinmyEB]

Originally Posted by Discovery

Ah. Patricia Cornwell. that was the name that escaped me. Read all of those, they are very good (though the last couple I didn't find quite as good as the others)

I have quite a few of her books including the Omnibus that is on my stack of books to read, yes I have a huge pile of books that I've bought and have in a pile ready to read as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading. :P

[Discovery]

Originally Posted by bindi

I am into vampire ones too... whoever before mentioned the Anne Rice books, they were brilliant!

So tell me what Earthly Delights is like please Discovery!

bindi, my mission is accomplished. Finished Earthly Delights and really liked it. Its actually based around a bakery but has a bit of everything.. vampires, wiccans, lost children, heroin addicts, goth clubs, sub culture rituals, crime, mystery, the works!

If you want a good, easy read i'd definately look for this one. I've seen it on eBay in the past, you'll probably be able to pick it up for a good price there.

I think i'll look at others this author has written now...

On to my next one in the pile.. Bare Bones by Kathy Reich.

[JG3282]

Sven Hassel, Leo Kessler, K.N Kostov, Guy Sajer

Check 'em out if you are into the true face of war. All ar set on the Eastern Front in WW2.