Michelle Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I've just come on to mention Patrick Ness - A Monster Calls and More Than This are fabulous! It's hard to recommend YA, as different people like different types... so.. some of my favourites.. Anything by James Dawson - his books are all rather different, but tend to have a dark theme.. horror, murder etc Anything by Cat Clarke - she writes contemporary YA with some really good twists and ideas. A recent favourite was The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale. The Hunger Games and Divergent. We Were Liars by E Lockhart Terra by Mitch Benn (although this is a kinda kids/YA/adult crossover!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 *Deep breath* I'm going to say Hunger Games. Simply, I just loved it. It's good for both genders, is enjoyed by YA and adult and gets them all excited. Katniss is a great protagonist and all the characters are strong ones- even the characters that are not main characters, ie- some of the other District competitors. It's dark, but not too dark and although grim, not too depressing. As a stand alone or with the whole trilogy, they are all easy reads and good-IMO the sequels as good as the first. Plus, the movies and books complement each other very well. I did compare it with Divergent, but I think the story is better with Hunger Games. And then, the movie part too. Finally, anyone following this on Twitter will know that the author I've chosen is closely associated with the charity that is running the #bookadayuk hashtag this month, but I can't even think about YA without thinking about Patrick Ness. I've loved every single YA book of his I've read, and I definitely recommend reading his Chaos Walking trilogy and the incredible A Monster Calls. If someday, with one of these more popular topics, could you just list a few that are mentioned? I don't mean like a huge list, but maybe a few you think are interesting? Don't have to comment, I'm just curious and looking for diverse recommendations; I'll look em all up myself; but for personal reasons, I can't have a Twitter, Facebook, etc. Probably not a Goodreads either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 The Hunger Games and Divergent. I've been debating these two for a day or two, but in the end, I had to go against Divergent, just because I felt it fell apart so in Allegiant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ah, but I didn't mention the trilogy, just Divergent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I think I would also have to go with something like The Hunger Games or Divergent, or Gabrielle Zevin - Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac. Alternatively if a Dutch book is allowed I'd add Thea Beckman - Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (Crusade in Jeans). I haven't read this book as an adult, but when I was a teenager I read this book several times. I loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ah, but I didn't mention the trilogy, just Divergent. Gottcha! It was a tie for me then. I think Divergent did a better job of describing the society and Tris' role in it better than Hunger Games. Alternatively if a Dutch book is allowed I'd add Thea Beckman - Kruistocht in Spijkerbroek (Crusade in Jeans). I haven't read this book as an adult, but when I was a teenager I read this book several times. I loved it. I almost said Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself, by Judy Blume, as that was the first book I really remember being into. I must've read that book 5 times when I was 11-12! But I thought it was too out of date and too girly to be chosen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Today is The Sequel was even better than the first... I don't read many series, so I'm not sure? Anyone have ideas/ thoughts? Edited August 20, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) There were a few good suggestions on Twitter, particularly YA books, with The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness (sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go), Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver (sequel to Wolf Brother) and The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper (sequel to Over Sea, Under Stone) all of which are excellent and I actually agree that the sequel is better. Another interesting choice was Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys as a sequel (or prequel, really) to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and also one I'd agree with. My own choice is Something Borrowed by Paul Magrs (sequel to Never The Bride) in the Brenda and Effie series. I did enjoy the first one, but it felt a bit like a few short stories rather than a cohesive novel, but the follow up was brilliant. Not only did it not need to introduce the characters and the setting, but it was a cracking story. Edited August 20, 2014 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Claire- you read so much it makes me jealous! I will look into some of those, I've never been a big series reader. Thanks for posting some of the choices! I can already tell just from the synopsis that the Patrick Ness book sounds good to me. There's a lot of tough categories coming up...do they do this every month? It makes me want to get a twitter account. I mean, I don't have to post, right? I can just lurk about? Edited August 20, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 That's the lovely thing about twitter - you can follow who you want, and you don't have to post at all if you don't want to. JUst make sure you follow @bookclubforum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Oh wow- it's pretty fun over on Twitter! I feel safe too! Will check us out on Twitter too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Anna, I do love that I can find time to read, and that I'm quite a fast reader, plus if a story captivates me, I find it incredibly hard to put a book down! I have to say, that my reading rate has also increased dramatically since I joined the forum, as the recommendations just don't stop coming. I heartily recommend the Patrick Ness books - they are absolutely amazing. With the #bookadayuk on Twitter, it's been running for three months so far, but I haven't seen if anyone else is going to pick up the reigns next month, so this might be the last. There's still time, so I'm hoping another group will keep it going, although I can imagine it's difficult to come up with categories that haven't been used before! You can definitely lurk in Twitter and not post, and I know lots of people who do just that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 (edited) I have to say, that my reading rate has also increased dramatically since I joined the forum, as the recommendations just don't stop coming. I heartily recommend the Patrick Ness books - they are absolutely amazing. With the #bookadayuk on Twitter, it's been running for three months so far, but I haven't seen if anyone else is going to pick up the reigns next month, so this might be the last. There's still time, so I'm hoping another group will keep it going, although I can imagine it's difficult to come up with categories that haven't been used before! You can definitely lurk in Twitter and not post, and I know lots of people who do just that. I've been lurking and loving it! What did you say for today? (Tackles a tricky subject) I picked up two recommendations yesterday- the Patrick Ness books and the Once series (which I am reading right now). Its YA, only 160 pages, so I'll enjoy that after the longer ones I usually tackle. I looked up the Margaret Atwood books (Onyx and Crake/ Year of the Flood), but, ugh, I just can not get into her. And BFC + Twitter= trouble!! Edited August 21, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Tomorrow (the 24th) is Best biography/ autobiography. Ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Oops, I've missed a few days For Helps to tackle a tricky subject, I've picked A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard. Linda used to be a regular member here, and quite a few people will have read her books, but this one was quite a tough read dealing with a pretty much taboo subject, incest. I had a very in-depth discussion with Linda about the book at the time (which we ended up carrying out in messages as it was getting difficult to avoid giving away spoilers), and it was fascinating for both of us to see how completely differently we viewed on of the characters and their motives! A difficult subject to tackle, but a compelling book to read. Next up was C19th novel characters: let's play shag/marry/kill. My choices would be Captain Wentworth from Persuasion because I've always pictured him as an athletic, strong, handsome man, then Henry Tilney from Northanger Abbey who I just adore, he seemed to have it all, common sense, a moral backbone but a sense of humour and loves to read! I've chosen in the sense of killing off a literary character, I would go for Mr Woodhouse from Emma just because I found him so annoying, and could have done without him in the book. Just makes me realise I need to broaden my reading in 19th century literature! Best picture book for older readers - I'm taking this to mean older children, as we've already done Best Graphic Novel, so for this category, I would have to say A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and illustrated by Jim Kay. A brilliant marriage of words and pictures, and it tackles the difficult subject of the terminal illness of a parent. And then we're up to today for Whose Life? Best biography/autobiography. I struggle with biographies and autobiographies, and I haven't actually read that many, as I just find them rather boring. I did read one a couple of years ago that was very interesting, and that was Now All Roads Lead to France by Matthew Hollis, a biography of the First World War poet, Edward Thomas. It really only covered the last few years of his life in depth, and looked at the changing literary world, where he was working at the same time as W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound and Rupert Brooke, his friendship with Robert Frost, and his decision to serve in the war. Excellent book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 Just remembered, I saw on Twitter that @WeLoveThisBook (an online book magazine) will be taking the reigns for September, and @booksaremybag (online campaign to promote books and bookshops in the UK and Ireland) will step up in October. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 24, 2014 Share Posted August 24, 2014 (edited) Just remembered, I saw on Twitter that @WeLoveThisBook (an online book magazine) will be taking the reigns for September, and @booksaremybag (online campaign to promote books and bookshops in the UK and Ireland) will step up in October. Woohoo! Some light in my dark day! It's been fun seeing all the different books picked and I've really been enjoying Twitter. Some of my ideas were picked on the tricky subject day. But I don't read much (ok, next to nothing) c19th writing! For best biography/ autobiography, it has to be Unbroken: A Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Louis Zamperini is an American airman in WW2 and is shot down over Japanese waters. This is the story of his journey. Hillenbrand also wrote Sea Biscuit and the book is being made into a movie directed by Angelina Jolie. Zamperini just passed in July, at the age of 97. He lead an amazing life. Edited August 24, 2014 by Anna Begins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 26, 2014 Share Posted August 26, 2014 August 26th- A book worth persevering with. I'm going with my recent read of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. I wouldn't recommend this book for everyone, but those who do read it, I encourage to stick it out. At the end, you kind of feel like your mind has been expanded or challenged. It was a great book in that regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 28, 2014 Share Posted August 28, 2014 The topics for September are posted They are hard to read, being so small and some aren't very original, but I guess it must be hard to pick 30 topics no one else has picked! "Your literary crush" sounds fun...as does "a book to turn someone into a reader". I guess we won't be playing in September Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Where are they posted? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Where are they posted? Here is the one for August- today is it was totally worth the hype. https://twitter.com/sdowdtrust/status/495307673400016896 And here is the one for September, although the font is small, I think they will make it larger September 1st. I don't know why it is so ridiculously small! https://twitter.com/welovethisbook/status/505306762170601472/photo/1 Here is the link for what people are saying today- just search on Twitter for bookadayuk. https://twitter.com/hashtag/bookadayuk?src=hash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Thanks Anna ! That is a small font indeed. I can read it but I have to squint a bit. Some of those topics sound pretty interesting, though . (I do have a Twitter account but I haven't used it much the past two years). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Begins Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 Thanks Anna ! That is a small font indeed. I can read it but I have to squint a bit. Some of those topics sound pretty interesting, though . (I do have a Twitter account but I haven't used it much the past two years). I don't post, just lurk! I like seeing what everyone else picks- I even got some suggestions from it. And during the Earthquake, Twitter was a blaze with tweets on it, it was very informative. I haven't really looked around that much though, although I want to find more books sites. Tomorrow is Best Book of the Month... I think I know what you'd choose I wish more people would've done yesterday- Was totally worth the Hype. I think I might have picked Pillars of the Earth for that one, but some days, I just like to meditate on the topic. Today is best back to school book and I'm not sure what that means! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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