Purple Poppy

Hi Sarah! Welcome to the forum. I'm sure you will love it here. Gosh...already written a review! It took me months before I had the confidence to do that! I think many of us, me included have expanded our reading habits and explored genre which we would otherwise have avoided. I would never have wanted to read about werewolves, but Kell made Kelley Armstrongs books sound so interesting, I had to try, and now I'm a fan. I am reading a book at present that I would not have entertained a year ago, The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, but now I have got pased the boxing bits at the beginning, I am really enjoying it. Gosh...I ramble! Hope you enjoy the forum. I look forward to reading your posts. Pp

Hi David! Welcome to the forum. It's very friendly and very active! There are quite a few writers and aspiring writers on here, so I am sure you will feel at home. I have just re-read The wind in the Willows. Always a joy to meet up with Mole and Ratty again! Anyway, hope you enjoy posting. See you around. Pp

PDR said... I think you have answered your own question. You have to be in the mood for a particular book, be it classic or otherwise. I have done the same, started a classic and then decided that I'd prefer something more contemporary, only to go back to the original book a week or two later. Just your mood PDR IMHO Pp

Lee said Aww! What a lovely story! I can just imagine him:) Of course you can use it. I'll send you the copyright version and then you can size it as required.I 'm just glad you liked it. I was just tickled pink by the name! Pp

Another belated welcome. Hiya Lee. Purple Poppy here, a bit late, sorry! I just love your ID. Couldn't resist this! Pp;)

Well done Maureen I guess it's about different personalities, likes and dislikes. Two of my four read, one does from time to time and the other, to my knowledge, hasn't picked up a book since school (he's almost 33). But it's about planting the seeds. If the seeds have been well planted they may lie dormant, but there is always a chance that they will sprout. Maybe in later life...there is always hope. Pp

Hi Kelley! Welcome to the forum and thank you for taking the time out to answer our questions. I have only read your first two books, Bitten and Stolen, but I loved them. Before joining the forum, I would never have considered reading books about werewolves, but was persuaded to by Kell. I think the reason I can read them and not be completely spooked is because Elena is so 'normal'. She's a really nice, down to earth girl who, when in human form acts and reacts just as I would. Did you make her like that consciously? In many books the heroin is someone superhuman, or widly out of touch with ordinary people, so it was really refreshing to be able to relate to Elena. I have Dime Store Magic ready to read and I bought No Humans Involved a couple of weeks ago, but won't read it until I've read all the others. My friend has offered to lend me all the ones I don't have so far.I am really looking forward to catching up with Elena and Paige again! Thanks again for being here. Pp

Hiya Mousecake. I have been given The Girls as a birthday pressie and I am looking forward to reading it. I think it has good reviews. I am sure it's been metioned a few times on the forum. Anyway, I will be interested to hear what you think of it when you have finished. Pp

Hiya Mousecake! Don't apologise for talking about books! That's what this forum is for. And boy....do we talk! I am trying to read The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy, but the first few chapters are all about boxing, which doesn't grab me, but it is supposed to be about a murder, so I'll persevere! I am about to start the Vampire's Seduction... and I have a pile of books, (audio as well) waiting here... Anyway, enjoy. It's a good place to be. Pp

I agree with Kylie and Etheline. I love classics...not all of them, but most of them. The language is fantatstic and they took time to describe things properly. Jane Austens character portrayal is second to none. She knows people inside out, but then you would expect her to... Kell said; . Last night I had just finished reading this post and logged off. I then snuggled down to read a library book and by coincidence found that the next chapter was about ... A Riot of Writers. A RompThrough English Literature. Terrance Dicks. Illustrated by Ray Jelliffe I had to smile. But seriously, this is an issue about time. Cultures change over time. The pace of life is very very fast these days. If you watch films from the sixties and seventies, or TV soap operas in the early days, the pace is very slow. The reason for that is because life was generally lived at a much slower pace. Everyone (including me) is in a hurry to jam as much into a day as possible, and from the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to bed you are under constant pressure, whether you know it or not. We expect stories to be action packed. We expect to be able to communicate immediately. We expect to be able to buy something yesterday. But 150 years ago, the world was very different. It is very sad, I feel that we cannot slow down enough to observe what Jane observes and what her characters feel and how they react. Yes, of course they scrutinise every detail of something that seems very trivial to us, but so would you if you had been around at that time. A GP once told me to go home and destress and said that the best way to do it, she found, was to curl up and immerse herself in Jane Austen. If you can get into Austen's and slow down, it is the best relaxation, and very rewarding.Quite apart from the social commentary. Slow down and smell the coffee....or whatever. Quantity is not quantity. Most classics would get published today; the only drawback is the language which could be rectified. Very few writers today write with the same level of ability, the same grasp of the English language as many of the classics writers. And many classic stories, like Jane Austens are just the first of a particular genre, in her case Romance, and have been repeated in varying ways ever since. Unfortunately, people do not change that much over time, so even if you cannot relate to the situations, you should be able to relate to the people. I wonder how many 20th century books will pass the test of time! Rant over Pp

Hiya! Welcome to the forum. Quite a few of us on here are aspiring writers. Look forward to reading some of your work. Enjoy! Pp

Hello and welcome Karen. The Scottish contingent seem to be taking over...rubs hands in glee (but I am actually English!!) I am sure you will enjoy it here, amongst others who also have difficulty leaving bookshops empty-handed. There are quite a few posts about the three for two offers...and how few of us can resist! Anyway, enjoy! Pp

Ah Ha...the 'culprit'? Give the girl a star!! Hi Supergran. I'm sure you will love it here. I wonder if you read as quickly as Kell, our resident 'champion', renowned for her speed at finishing books. Most of us manage a more stately pace. I look forward to reading your posts. Enjoy. Pp

Hi Sedge. Sorry I'm a little late with welcoming you...but a warm welcome all the same. I'm sure you'll love it here. Pp

Hello and a big welcome. You are going to fit in very well! Oh, and not only will your TBR pile become Mount Everest ll...you'll discover little things like this (if you haven't already!) Hey, life on this board is very exciting! Great to have you around. Look forward to chatting. Pp:)

Andy said Me too! Thats the thing about teens in the sixties! Unfortunately i then had an almost bookfree next twenty years! Pp

I have just used the spreadsheet (fantastic...thank you Arukiyoma). I have read 124, definitly, albeit quite a while back, and ppossibly another ten or fifteen. There are a few on my bookshelves waiting ti be read, and quite a few I have on wish list. I am ashamed though at the number of books and authors I had never heard of. Apparently I have to read 32 books a year (for how many years??) Thanks Kylie and Arukiyoma:friends0: Oh...huge omissions, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, all the poets. It does say books, not fiction! Pp

Hi Chris! Welcome to the Forum. I have not read any Stephen King, but I suspect that is my loss. I will get there eventually. Get ready for your TBR (to be read) pile to grow massively now you are on here! Looking forward to reading your posts. Pp

Welcome to the Forum Etheline. It's great to have someone from Sweden! Yes, get ready to multiply that TBR pile by two or three, at the very least! I love Shakespeare, though I haven't read any recently. I did Othello for A level. It's a very good play and some fabulous characters. I'm not into horror either (Mmm Nici...might explain our very few duplicates on LT too;)) Hope you enjoy it here. Looking forward to reading your posts! Iago! Don't know who the actor is, but he's just my perfect idea of Iago. PpB)

I recently found a moomintroll book when I was listing books for librarything. It had belonged to one of my children and I must admit, was not in very good shape, but it bought back lots of memories!B) Pp

Glad you liked Karma. Strange how different styles appeal to different people. I have nearly finished the Bell Jar...should finish it tonight. I am really enjoying it. It reminds me of Prozac World a little, but having thought about it, the content is the same and based in America, so maybe thats why. It's our book of the month at our local group. I will be interested to see what other group members make of it at the next meeting on Tuesday. Pp

Hi Fiona and a big welcome to the forum. It's a very friendly place, so just pop in and out when you feel able. I see you are reading Hemmingway...one of those books I keep promising myself I will read. Are you enjoying it? Anyway, I look forward to reading your posts. Take care, Pp

Moonchild said... I agree. It's the same when reading Shakespeare or Chaucer. Once you get into it, there isn't a problem, but learning how to 'think' the language can be a bit of a problem for people who have not read any before. Well worth persevering though. Pp

Judy sad... Strangely, I had the same experience. Now that I am back in the town, the garden is much more lively. I came to the same conclusion, that they don't need to risk going into gardens. Pp

I haven't read Villette, although I have read many of her sisters' works. The prose is so long winded sometimes, that if you are not careful you get lost in the sentence LOL. I usually have soft classical music in the background for difficult reads. Pp