chesilbeach

I've seen the film, but never read the book. I prefer to read the book before I see the film, which is probably why I've never read it, but my friend has a copy and has always said I should read it, so maybe I'll add it to my TBR shelf.

Orion Books in the UK are running a competition to win a signed set of the True Blood novels (as they're now being marketed in line with the television series). The competition runs until 05/08/09 - details/entry http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/competitions.aspx

I do occasionally give up on a book. This year, I've given up on two books. I usually try to read at least a third of the book, but I know the only reason I stop reading is if the book is boring me. When that happens, I put off reading it and when I do pick it up, I can only face a few pages before my mind is wandering and I start having to re-read pages or end up putting the book down. I used to kid myself that I could put the book down, try reading something else, then pick it up again at a later stage to finish it off, but this has never happened. If I was really keen to read the book in the first place, I might try skim reading a bit, or skipping forward a few chapters to see if I think the story is going to pick up, but generally, if I've got to that stage, the book is a lost cause. I have too many other books waiting to be read to spend too long dwelling on a book I'm not enjoying, and free time is too precious to waste on reading something I don't like.

At home, I read in my armchair. I have to have good light, so I have an angle-poise lamp on a table next to me so that I can direct the light onto the book where I want it. I do now read in bed before I go to sleep (had stopped doing it for years), but only books I've read before many, many times as I don't really remember what I've read and it just makes me fall asleep, so if it's a book that's new to me, I end up having to re-read all the pages and chapters again the next day anyway. One of my bookshelves upstairs has most of my favourite re-reads on it - authors like Jane Austen, Stephenie Meyer, Jasper Fforde, J. K. Rowling, E. F. Benson. At work, I read at my desk during my lunchbreak, and although there are only a few other people in my office, I always put some music on my iPod on to drown out the background noise and let me concentrate on the book. I always carry a book with me when I go out, so I also read in coffee shops, on park benches, on the beach, and even just in the car if I'm waiting to pick someone up.

I can't wait to read Dead and Gone, so I'm glad you enjoyed it Charm - it makes me look forward to it even more! Unfortunately my library doesn't have it listed yet, as they are waiting for the paperback version to come out, but that isn't due until April next year according to Amazon, so I'll probably have to splurge on the hardback version! I'll treat myself before my holiday, so I've got something good to take with me The authors website has the following comment: "The next original Sookie Stackhouse novel will be on sale in May 2010". I guess that's probably USA release date, so we may have a little longer to wait, but at least we know there is more to come.

I'm thinking Roxi had the right idea with the "Other" vote. Perhaps there should have been an option for "Yes I've read it, and I love it, but now I hate myself for loving it too much".

Hello Catwoman

Thanks, Charm, and as I mention over in the book activity thread, I ended up buying Stolen today I have promised myself (although I don't know why I bother, as I don't seem to be able to keep these lately), that I'm going to resist starting it until I've finished the two books I've already started. So, this afternoon, I've finished yet another re-read of Breaking Dawn. The Twilight series are now being put out of sight, until November, when I'm going to allow myself to read them before seeing New Moon at the cinema. That now leaves me with just Consequences by E. M. Delafield to finish. I'm about three quarters of the way through, but it's quite a challenging read, and not at all what I was expecting.

Read it, re-read it, re-read it again, loved it! I'm just wondering whether the title of the thread will put off people who don't like the series from even opening the thread, let alone casting their vote, which would be the results might be a bit skewed in favour of the series!

I'm an optimist and I'd like to believe that everyone here makes honest, genuine comments about books, whether they like them or not (that certainly seems to be the impression I get from everyone on this forum anyway). Besides, you don't even have to tell us if you read them, I was just curious to know whether you thought you might? I just wondered if, especially once all the fuss has died down, and the books aren't on anyone's radar anymore, you might just try at least the first one?

Do you think you'll ever read them, Michelle? I remember there was a reaction to the Harry Potter books around book three, and there were lots of people out there who thought that only children should read them and adults should stick to "serious" books, and couldn't understand all the adults who became huge fans of the series. I can understand why you want to avoid the Twilight books at the moment, but maybe in a few years when the fuss has died down, the films have all finished, the books have stopped being displayed everywhere, and the threads on here have slipped out of popularity, do you think you might have a look then? Would you ever tell us if you did?

I've only read the LotR trilogy by Tolkein, and that was only because the films were being made, and I prefer to read the books before watching the adaptation on screen. I'm not really much of a fantasy genre reader, especially when the fantasy is so far out of the realms of reality, and although I'm glad I read LotR, I won't be reading any more Tolkein. I struggled with the made up languages, and kept getting Sauron and Saruman (are those the right names?) mixed up in my head and struggled to follow some of the characters stories because there were too many similar names.

Hey Jennyflower

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Hello Patricia

Hello BooksForLunch Great name - I'm also known at work for always having my nose stuck in a book, I never miss a lunch break reading session!

Hello Maru-chan

It looks like I'm being sucked into another series of supernatural books, after Gyre and Charm recommended the Women of the Underworld series by Kelley Armstrong. I've just read the first book in the series, Bitten, and a much more serious, adult book than the Sookie Stackhouse series, but I liked it a lot, and will definitely be looking out for the rest of these books. However, I really can't afford to keep buying the books at the moment, so I'm definitely going to restrict myself by just reserving them at the library. This will also give me the opportunity to read some books on my TBR shelf instead. I'm going to pick up Consequences by E. M. Delafield again now, and try to resume normal service!

Although it's not in the film, in the book I'm guessing that's what the film was hinting at, without explaining it to the viewers!

I have way too many to organise them in a particular way, but we do have the majority of the travel books on a couple of shelves, and I try and keep series of books together where possible. I did recently manage to get all my TBR books onto a couple of shelves, so I don't have to go hunting for my next book, but that's really it. Too many books and not enough shelf space basically means that it's just a case of putting the books where there are gaps (of which there are currently none), with no organisation at all. However, because they rarely get moved, I do know where most books are, so if I want to re-read or refer to a particular book, I can usually put my hands on it straight away.