Kylie

I've been having a really good year so far; I've given 10/10 to three books: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Dracula by Bram Stoker A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Five others have just missed out on top marks

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee Catch-22, Joseph Heller A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess Dracula, Bram Stoker

Hi Lone Watie and welcome! I'm not that well-read either, but I've been making a big effort in the last couple of years and I feel as though I'm making (slow) progress. I checked out your profile. I read my first Steinbeck a few weeks ago; it was Of Mice and Men and I loved it (bawled my eyes out too!) I also have a few more of his books on my TBR pile: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath and the The Winter of Our Discontent. I look forward to discussing books with you!

I avoided them for a while because of the hype, then thought there must be something to it all so I got a box-set of the first four books for Christmas one year. I wasn't overly impressed with them after I'd read the first couple. I thought 'anyone could have written this', which is still my view of them to a certain degree. I think JK Rowling got a bit lucky and wrote the right book at the right time - a time when kids weren't reading much. It probably wasn't until the fourth book that I really started getting into them, and I've bought the last two books on the day they were released. If you're going to give them another go FishAndChips, I'd strongly recommend reading them from the beginning.

Hi Stephanie! Welcome to the group. I used to love reading Nancy Drew. I still have all of my books and would like to read them again one day. It's surprising how few of the books I have though considering how much I liked them. You'll find a fair few Harry Potter fans on here. I'm currently re-reading the series (hope to finish the 5th book tomorrow) and I'm counting down to the release of the final book! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here - there are plenty of nice people with great recommendations and interesting viewpoints I thought the same thing when I read Pride and Prejudice. Some books are just timeless, aren't they?

Me too. And that's what was disturbing about Apt Pupil - it was about a boy who became acquainted with an old man who was responsible for the deaths/atrocities perpetrated on many people in the concentration camps of WWII.

Wow, when I read your post angerball, I had a bizarre sort of flashback to a dream I had last night. I think I dreamt seeing this book on a shelf; is this a sign that I should go and buy it? (Any excuse to buy books!) 'The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter - or at least, most minds are'. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling

I also found A Clockwork Orange very disturbing, and yet it has become one of my favourite books. There's also a novella of Stephen King's: The Apt Pupil (not a horror story). I couldn't wait to get to the end of that story. It just got more and more disturbing the longer it went on. It's one I won't forget in a hurry. Speaking of King, from what I understand about the plot of Misery, which doesn't have any basis in the supernatural as some of his stories do, it sounds as though it's a story in which (to quote your good self, Oblomov) 'a measure of possibility exists', which I think is what would make it so disturbing. Personally I've never had a desire to read Misery. In fact, I just looked it up on wikipedia and the plot summary was more than disturbing enough for me - it sounds far worse than what I originally thought it would be!

I have to say, I wasn't overly impressed when I first heard the title 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'. I thought it sounded a bit like the author was trying too hard; a bit pretentious, I guess you could say. I haven't read the book yet but I intend to - only because of all the great reviews I've read about it, and the subject matter interests me too. The title is probably what has stopped me reading it up until now (that and an already huge TBR pile that cannot be ignored!) You wouldn't think that 'Pride and Prejudice' sounds like a particularly interesting name for a novel, but it manages to sum up the novel completely in three words. Wonderful.

I've been editing my first post to show all the new books I keep buying. I haven't been stopped yet but I think that time is drawing near so I've decided to stop. I really like the idea of leaving a few empty posts at the beginning of the blog. I'll have to remember that for when I start a new blog next year. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks Louise, I thought so too! Now the problem is to find room for them. I'm seriously short on space. I might have to pack away more of my CDs so I can gain an extra (small) bookshelf.

I found a couple of excellent second-hand bookshops today and couldn't resist (I've been good for a week and a half!). I've been after several of these (Asimov, du Maurier, Williams, Wylie) for ages. Isaac Asimov: I, Robot Wilkie Collins: The Moonstone Wilkie Collins: The Woman In White Daphne du Maurier: The Birds And Other Stories Daphne du Maurier: My Cousin Rachel Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca F Scott Fitzgerald: The Beautiful And Damned Aldous Huxley: Crome Yellow Hunter S Thompson: The Rum Diary Kurt Vonnegut: Timequake Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire And Other Plays Jonathan Wylie: Across The Flame

That sounds exactly like me Sam! I get slightly annoyed when I realise I've brought in lunch that will require two hands! I occasionally use a tape dispenser or a stapler/scissors combo to keep my book open, although it takes longer to read this way because I have to keep stopping and cleaning my hands before I can turn the page. Sometimes I can't be bothered and just close my book until I've eaten.

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire JK Rowling Rating: 9/10 Published: 2000 Number of pages: 636 ISBN: 0747550999 Summary (taken from blurb): It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful - there are unexpected dangers lurking... Comments: This is probably my favourite Harry Potter book. It's a fair bit longer than the first three, but not too long. Harry also hasn't gotten too irritating yet. I wish there wasn't so much about house-elves though; Dobby, Winky and Kreacher (in the next book) are all really annoying characters. The Triwizard Tournament, and everything that comes about as a result of it, is entertaining reading. The novel is much darker and more scary than the previous books and there's never a dull moment. Started: 2 July 2007 Finished: 6 July 2007 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (at librarything.com)

For some reason I always picture the Great Hall on their left as they walk into the castle, even though the description says they go to the right! I just can't change it in my mind once it's done. It just seems back-to-front if I picture them going right My Harry, Ron and Hermione always looked identical to the film, probably because they had already started making the first film by the time I got around to reading the books for the first time. My Snape used to look a bit different though - maybe a bit younger and thinner in the face. However, the more I re-read them, the more he seems to have evolved into the 'movie' Snape. On the subject of Harry Potter again, I've always been a bit disappointed in the 'movie' Dumbledore. I always hear his voice much stronger and more commanding in my head. I think he sounds too weak in the movies. And even though I keep reading Voldemort's voice described as 'high', I keep hearing it as being very deep. More on the subject of picturing characters and places - this causes me quite a few problems when I'm reading. If I'm not 100% focused on the words I'm reading, I have to go back to the start of the sentence/paragraph and re-read. It's really frustrating, and most of the time, it's pointless because when I re-read the text, I realise that I probably did take it in first time round. Does that make any sense? I want to train myself to just keep reading but I'm worried I'll miss something; it's very frustrating and time-consuming

Ditto re Far From The Madding Crowd! I guess I don't consciously think 'what am I in the mood for next?' but that's probably how I always choose my next book. I'm another one that sits and stares at books until I narrow it down to one. Sometimes I might be in the mood for something light (especially after reading a 'heavy' classic). I have so many books TBR, and so many that I just know are going to be fantastic, that I don't have to put much effort into it lately. I pretty much know anything I pick up will be a winner!

And is that when Hermione was disappointed because she'd already done it? I've almost finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, possibly my favourite HP book. I'm up to the slightly scary graveyard scene.

It took me such a long time to read Sophie's World! I think it put it down and went back to it about a year later. I persevered but it was hard work. I found the history of philosophy interesting, but I don't think I will read it again. And my copy has the ugliest cover you've ever seen on a book

We have a book club show on TV once a month and they review two books (a recent release and a classic). Last night they did Post Birthday World and it got hammered by all the guests. It's completely turned me off reading anything by Shriver. Probably just as well - I have quite enough to be going on with without adding more books to the list!

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban JK Rowling Rating: 8/10 Published: 1999 Number of pages: 317 ISBN: 0747546290 Summary (taken from blurb): Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school... Comments: I like this book slightly more than the first two, particularly the whole time-turning part at the end (which I thought was done really well in the movie too). This book introduces Professor Lupin, a very likeable character, and also the hippogriffs, which will play an important role in an upcoming book. A jolly good read. Started: 29 June 2007 Finished: 2 July 2007 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (at librarything.com)

The Time Machine HG Wells (ebook on iPod) Rating: 8/10 Published: 1895 Number of pages: 128 ISBN: 0141439971 Summary (taken from amazon.com): When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year a.d. 802,701, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment, and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realizes that these beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture - now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. They have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity - the sinister Morlocks. And when the scientist’s time machine vanishes, it becomes clear he must search these tunnels if he is ever to return to his own era. Comments: An enjoyable story about a nameless time-traveller's journey into the future and his search for the truth about humanity's fate. I liked Wells' interpretation of mankind's future rise and fall and I particularly liked the description of the earth as it appeared millions of years into the future. The Time Machine is also one of my favourite sci-fi movies (the 1960 version); very nicely done. I'm glad to have finally read this (short) book and would definitely recommend it to others. Started: 26 June 2007 Finished: 30 June 2007 The Time Machine (at amazon.com)

I never turn down pages on a book. If it's a second-hand book I might leave it face down for a short while (but I don't flatten it down). Otherwise I treat my books very carefully, especially if they're new. I'd like them to last me a long time. On the subject of bookmarks, I bought a couple of nice ones last year. One is purple and kind of curvy. It has a string of beads attached to the top and has the word 'Faith' on it. It's hard to keep it still in the book though and I've come close to losing it a few times. In fact, I once spent about 5min on the train after everyone else had gotten off flipping seats over and shoving my hand down the side of the seat (eww!) trying to fish it back out from where I dropped it. I also have another one that is a hooked metal bookmark with a Celtic cross and a bead or two hanging from it. A few days after I got it the cross fell off and I haven't reattached it yet so it's just a metal hook. At the moment though, I'm using a couple of bookmarks that someone gave me which have photos of different Sydney landmarks on them. Currently, it's a photo of the first cars to cross the Harbour Bridge in 1932 - hardly any traffic!

Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets JK Rowling Rating: 8/10 Published: 1998 Number of pages: 251 ISBN: 0747538484 Summary (taken from blurb): Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his second year at Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little does he know that this year will be just as eventful as the last... Comments: Another thoroughly enjoyable Harry Potter book. Slightly longer and slightly dark than the first, this book sees Harry trying to find out who is behind the attacks on mudbloods, while most people suspect him. I always enjoy Harry's chats with Professor Dumbledore at the end of the books - there's a pretty special relationship there. Incidentally, my favourite character is Professor Snape; I always enjoy his scenes with Harry too, especially in the later books (book 5, where Harry is studying Occlumency, and book 6 as well). I think he's going to figure prominently in the last book (hooray!). I want to re-watch the movies before the next one comes out as well. As I recall, the kids seem to grow up a lot before the first and second movies, and their acting improved too Started: 26 June 2007 Finished: 29 June 2007 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (at librarything.com)

Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone JK Rowling Rating: 8/10 Published: 1997 Number of pages: 223 ISBN: 0747532745 Summary (taken from blurb): Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by a beetle-eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD! Comments: There's probably not much left to say about the Harry Potter books, so I'll keep it short and sweet. This is the first novel in the series and it's much shorter than the following novels, which is a bit strange considering this is our introduction to the world of Harry and his friends. These books are great light reads and I think it's a shame that some people avoid them simply because they're so popular. The fourth book had been out for a couple of years before I finally read them and I'm so glad I did. It's not often you can get excited about the release of a book, and I love to see footage of kids and adults on TV all dressed up and waiting in line to get the next book. I don't think that's something we'll see again for a long time, if ever. If you've been even mildly interested in reading these books but have refused to because you don't want to be like everyone else, well, it's your loss! Highly recommended! Started: 22 June 2007 Finished: 26 June 2007 Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone (at librarything.com)

I have a huge collection of books on the supernatural/occult. Mostly UFOs/aliens, but also ghosts, wicca, new age etc. I've never gotten around to reading a lot of them Maybe one day...