Hi USA, there are a few books when I’ve thought ‘what???’ One being, (and this could be unpopular), Moby Dick. Everyone said how brilliant it was and how it changed their lives. Ugh! Bored me witless.loved Gregory Peck in the film though! Couldn’t get to the end of Catch 22 either, but tried really hard. Another I loved was Never Let Me Go. Most depressing read since 1984. Over to others.

Oh, just a thought. What do you think about modern authors re-writing Jane Austen? Awful or good? First one is being published tomorrow, Pride and Prejudice.

USA part of me thinks it would be prostituting your art really, but hey, we all have to earn a living! I borrowed the video of P&P from our local library. Loving that version may have had more to do with Colin Firth than just the story I fear. Read the Stieg Larsson trilogy, very food, but not seen any film version of them yet.

Oooo – this is a fun thread. I loves a read I do!

toms – I hope you enjoy Life of Pi. I left it on a book shelf for about 5 years before I finally read it but couldn’t shut up about it for weeks after I’d read it. Can’t imagine how they’ve made a film of it? Weird! I’ve read Salmon Fishing too, it’s well written but for me it wasn’t the most compelling read (definitely not in the same league as Pi anyway).

I’m with you both on Moby Dick – I’m not even going to attempt it – I have this irritating thing where if I start a book I feel I have to finish it, so I’m pretty careful now to pick up only that which I am likely to get on with. No more Dickens for me after Old-Curiosity-Shop-gate – let’s just put it that way (that’s 6 weeks of my life I’ll never see again – avoid!!!).

I’m loving a bit of scandinavian literature recently too – Let the Right One In is a brilliant book and another of Lidqvist’s ‘Harbour’ is also one I’d recommend. I get what you mean about 1984 and totally agree but I don’t mind something a bit bleak as long as it’s genuinely good and has something interesting to say or is in some way compelling, so yeah, I guess I’d lump them and A Clockwork Orange/ Lord of the Flies etc. in together – Bleak but Brilliant 😉

USA – there have been a few ‘modern takes’ on Austen books over the years. They’ve been mostly done on film (10 Things I hate About You/ Clueless etc.) but Bridget Jones’ Diary is basically Pride & Prejudice if you actually break it down. Helen Fielding’s heroin is a bit less sophisticated than Lizzie Bennet but she’s just as clueless when it comes to spotting a good bloke.
I’m interested, are you mostly into the manners and convention aspect? Do you like the Bronte’s too? There’s also Elizabeth Gaskell if you have an interest in the changing cultural fallout of the industrial revolution. I love her book North & South and she was definitely a big Charlotte Bronte fan, as you can see aspects of Shirley bleeding through in her writing. I love to see how writers affect eachothers work.

TracyJ, I adore bleak but good books, that’s my downfall! Read North and South at college but didn’t like it much. As I remember, it was a bit too white hats and black hats. Will probably start Pi this week. Just Re-read Pride and Prejudice. Love it. I like the language used. Us readers must try to keep this thread going. Fast on.

@ toms mantis
“Nothing beats going and mooching around a book shop though.”

Actually there is, or at least close to that.

Through an app: Overdrive, anyone can access their libraries’ digital books and download for free.

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@wiltldnrusa

“overdrive is now it
our bookstores @ least around here no longer exist”

Same here or sporadically.

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Rockyromero, will definitely check out overdrive when I get the chance. Thanks, never heard of it before.

Hi All, Re: North & South, I think I was affected by the fact that I read it after I’d seen the 2004 BBC adaptation (which was AMAZINGLY GOOD), so I may have been slightly predisposed to love that book but I think it was genuinely good too and I like her other books too.

Harbour is a pretty creepy, kind of ghost/fantasy element story but set very much in the ‘warts & all’ real world. Very atmospheric.

I have a decent library in my local town and I’m sure the one in the nearest City is super dooper but I tend to buy my books in charity shops mostly. I like the well read feel & smell of a used book (and it’s nice to contribute to charity) but the local library tends not to have a huge amount of the stuff I’d want to read and I did all the ‘modern classics’ etc. at school or during college years/my 20s.

USA – yeah, I’m not much into vampire books either, never bothered with Twilight (had to sit through the film twice and that was bad enough). I’ve bought a bunch of the True Blood series, on a recommendation from a friend, but haven’t started them yet. If you want to try some genuinely good literature aimed at an adolescent audience have a go at the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pulman. The first 2 are the best but the 3rd is not quite up to their quality (IMO).
If you like a historical novel with a bit of romance thrown in, then Phillipa Gregory is a good port of call. Her Wars of the Roses series is not absolutely historically accurate but with that period any writer would have to come at it from an angle and she’s better than most. The books are definitely better than the slightly soapified BBC adaptation they just put out (The White Queen) anyway.

I absolutely second Curious Incident, what a fantastic book. It’s totally different subject matter but weirdly it reminded me of Iain Banks’ Wasp Factory – did anyone else feel that? May just be me. I’ve also read Mark Haddon’s A Spot of Bother and that’s a really good read too.

Can’t wait for you to get into Pi. It’s a bit difficult to get into from what I remember but it totally sweeps you away once you’re in its ‘pull’.

If anyone’s looking for a really good read other than the books already mentioned in the thread I’d like to put a shout out for some of my all time faves:

Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold – I’m told the author’s other work is pale in comparison but my friends & I went mental for CBTD a few years ago. It’s about a San Franciscan magician in the 30s.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. His other books are good too (esp the short stories) but I love TBOLT. I think it’s supposed to be for teenagers but it’s a very grown up fairy tale basically. The brothers Grimm would have papped themselves if they’d come across some of these characters. There’s a version of the book where all the fairy tales are compared to Grimm counterparts too – v. good.

Bone House by Betsy Tobin (The Bounce is also good). Set in some undisclosed place in an undisclosed period, around the 16th/17th century, in rural England. A young maid plays sleuth, trying to find out who killed an enegmatic friend and popular woman of the town (who also happened to be the ‘town bike’). There’s also a bit of a romance and her mum is a bit of a witch (not a pointy hat & wand one but the kind that actually existed at the time and might well have ended up on a bonfire if her neighbours took against her).

The Crimson Petal & the White by Michael Faber (also The Apple). Fantastic Dickens-esque (but actually readable) tale of prostitution, social climbing and the roles of women in Victorian society. Definitely dark but good.

The grapes of wrath. May try one of the above, don’t normally read horrors etc. recommend some please.

Don’t quit toms. It’s one thread. They can’t begrudge us one thread on here that will actually get used rather than just “question – answer – done”.

USA & TracyJ, both so kind. Was really cheesed off because of the killjoys on here. It’s not only us and this thread in the firing line, as you probably know. Thing is I enjoy the forum virtually meeting people like you two. Will give it a bit longer, see if we get thrown out!! Anyway, fasting today, not been hungry at all, but ate tonight as OH was home and was starving! Anyone else fasting today? Hope it goes well if you are.

USA, South, the story of Shackleton’s expedition to the Antarctic. Bit heavy going to start, but soon picks up speed. Brill. Fast well tomorrow.