You have to start somewhere - a list

Benny · December 21, 2012, 02:24:39 PM

I've parked Aldous Huxley and made a start on 'The Stand'. I've not really read much horror.....oooh spooky.

Benny · January 02, 2013, 07:19:46 PM

enjoying The Stand (on my new kindle). Still addicted to Flipboard and it throws up gems like this;

http://io9.com/5972411/

smilodon · January 02, 2013, 07:33:46 PM

Now that's spooky, I just logged in to post that very link.

Gortex · January 08, 2013, 04:58:04 PM

So 1984 done and dusted and really good read.

Am attempting for the second time Pride and Prejudice for the 2nd time as I gave up on it the first time cos I was not enjoying it. Will stick at it this time and see if it gets better. Need to tick it off my read list at some point I guess...

Benny · January 08, 2013, 05:25:48 PM

I'm still working through The Stand and am a third in. What's interesting is that because it's on the kindle you don't get a feel for how weighty a volume it is. 1344 pages which the kindle doesn't tell you, good book so far though!

I really enjoyed 1984, I can't recall it taking too long to get through, I remember it being one of those books that just melts away. The politics and newspeak/doublethink etc was really intriguing. You should read Hunger Games now to compare the worlds and see how much better Orwell was

Cheers for the review Gortex, we are making slow but steady progress!

smilodon · January 08, 2013, 06:16:18 PM

Almost finished Treasure Island. I've been mixing it in with Game of Thrones so it's slow going.

Benny · January 21, 2013, 10:04:04 AM

Still churning through The Stand, but as a side note picked up 'The 4 Hour Chef' which is a page turner. Anyone read any of the same series?

Penfold · January 21, 2013, 11:43:39 AM

I've been lazy.

I started with Patricia Cornwell's Series with the Forensic examiner Kay Scarpetta and have been stuck there ever since. There's 19 books in the series and I'm working my way through them.

Benny · January 21, 2013, 12:46:40 PM

I'm sure I've read one of hers. Is there one about a convent and a pregnant nun? I recall getting the hump because it got to be all about relationships with her ex husband or some other love tryst. Now whilst that may have been a completely different author, the Jack the Ripper piece she did annoyed me intensely and has made me not read any more of hers. I'm nothing if not broad brushed in my sweeping decisions.

Gortex · January 25, 2013, 10:42:34 AM

Another one off the list for me Pride and Prejudice, which I have to say I struggled through and very glad to have got to the end as it could not come fast enough. I tried to write something constructive rather than just say this is rubbish and don't read it.... but......

After having read this (in my opinion) hideous read I have just got hold of War and Peace but was not aware of the length of the book so am giving my self a slightly less heavy read before tackling it with the first of the Harry Potter books. I have watched all the movies like everyone else but never read the books and as on the great read give them a go. Started last night and already half way through chapter 5 and loving the read. This is going to be fun I can tell.

Benny · January 25, 2013, 12:38:15 PM

Cheers Gortex, I was hoping someone would save me a painful tome, now we need someone else to come and tell us why we should read it

The HP books are entertaining enough and I reckon you'll be done by tomorrow morning!

Penfold · January 25, 2013, 01:06:45 PM

If you think P+P was hard, wait until you start War + Peace

The HP's are good light reading and having a break is probably a good thing.

C'mon I want someone to start reading some classical classics - Ovid's Metamorphoses is a good place to start !

Gortex · January 25, 2013, 01:48:30 PM

Quote from: Penfold;365538If you think P+P was hard, wait until you start War + Peace

Yes this might well be true but it also helps if the subject your reading about is interesting to the reader. A book about marriage and what sort of dress to ware on the magic day does not really grip me as interesting. Where as something to do with the French and Russian wars during Napoleon's time ticks several boxes for me.

Gortex · January 28, 2013, 12:05:59 PM

Well that is the first of the Harry Potter books done and review to follow later and I really enjoyed it and just flew through it. I just hope the other books are as good as it often can be the case that the first book is best and the after that it gets a bit tired.

I have now started the War and Peace and so far it is not to bad but I can see this taking me until prob end of the month to get through. Did not realize it is the 7th longest novel ever written which makes me wonder what the longest is.

smilodon · January 28, 2013, 03:06:26 PM

To stop poor Gortex having to read another Jane Austin I thought I'd have a crack at

208. Northanger Abbey ---------- Jane Austen

I'll admit to having a secret soft spot for the period Austin wrote in and don't mind the film and TV adaptations of her work (Emma, Sense and Sensibility etc). I've never seen Northanger Abbey on the screen so have no idea what to expect from the book.