Top 5 (or 10) Wednesday

[muggle not]

1Q84 – Haruki Murakami

Alone in Berlin - Hans Fallada

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

Watership Down - Richard Adams

The Surgeon of Crowthorne - Simon Winchester

We were discussing books at the dinner table tonight and my wife raved about the book which she is now reading, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I looked it up on Amazon and I think I will also read it. From Amazon..................

 

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.

Edited November 27, 2016 by muggle not

[chaliepud]

We were discussing books at the dinner table tonight and my wife raved about the book which she is now reading, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I looked it up on Amazon and I think I will also read it. From Amazon..................

 

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.

I read this, I did enjoy it but found it very slow.

[Athena]

Looks like we got quite a few responses on the 're-reads' topic . That's so nice .

 

This week's topic is: Favorite Villains

 

Personally I don't really like villains most of the time. They're either quite evil bad guys (murderers and such, or 'wanting to end the world' characters in fantasy books), or in a few cases they are funny in some children's books. I guess I'd pick some of the funny ones, but in general I don't really like villains. I know there are people who really like villains though. I just am 'goody two-shoes' and prefer the (lawful) good side.

[Anna Begins]

Usually, mine are the government

 

Edit: I should say not y favorite villains, but the best ones

Edited November 29, 2016 by Anna Begins

[Athena]

Ah well if the topic would be 'best villains', I would have an answer for that I think. I would just pick very scary ones, like 'The Dark One' from The Wheel of Time books. But you're right, the government is a scary one.

[Onion Budgie]

Dracula.  

 

Also:  Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, from Perfume.

[More reading time required]

 Any ill effects ? 

 

I see the book series is still going on !

 

I miss Richard and Kahlan ! 

 

I did break my promise of ignoring the new books that came out "after the series was finished", because I saw The Omen Machine in the library a few years ago. It wasn't bad actually - strangely comforting. I haven't got round to picking any of the others up since though.

[Little Pixie]

I did break my promise of ignoring the new books that came out "after the series was finished", because I saw The Omen Machine in the library a few years ago. It wasn't bad actually - strangely comforting. I haven't got round to picking any of the others up since though.

 

 

That`s good to know - I saw the reviews at the time and thought I wouldn`t try it. 

 

I might`ve just gone on Amazon to look at it...   

[Talisman]

The only villain I can think of is Lisbeth Salander from the Dragon Tattoo books, but I am not sure if this really counts. I suppose that depends on your point of view.

[More reading time required]

 

That`s good to know - I saw the reviews at the time and thought I wouldn`t try it. 

 

I might`ve just gone on Amazon to look at it...   

 

 

It was 2 years ago that I read it so my memory might be impaired. Although it did only take me 10 days to read (which is not nearly as bad as my reading speed now), so it can't have been all that bad, I hope

 

I think it might have ended on a cliffhanger....  Or at least a "to be continued" type ending....

Edited December 1, 2016 by More reading time required

[Little Pixie]

 

It was 2 years ago that I read it so my memory might be impaired. Although it did only take me 10 days to read (which is not nearly as bad as my reading speed now), so it can't have been all that bad, I hope

 

I think it might have ended on a cliffhanger....  Or at least a "to be continued" type ending....

 

I`ve managed to hold off on buying it, just in case I get sucked in again. 

 

I did read the first few lines though. 

[bobblybear]

The only villain I can think of is Lisbeth Salander from the Dragon Tattoo books, but I am not sure if this really counts. I suppose that depends on your point of view.

 

Is she a villain? I thought she was an unconventional goodie, but it has been a long time since I read the books (and I did skim the last two as I didn't like them!).

[More reading time required]

I`ve managed to hold off on buying it, just in case I get sucked in again. 

 

 

Probably a wise decision!

[frankie]

Dracula.  

 

Also:  Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, from Perfume.

 

Jean-Baptiste is a good answer! Not one I would choose myself, but I like your answer.  

 

This weeks' question is a very difficult one for me. I don't much like villains... My favorite villains are the ones that can be perceived as villains at one point, but are then revealed to be unassuming, suffering-in-silence heroes. 

[Athena]

This week's topic is: Books You Want to Finally Read in 2017.

 

Author's Note:

These are those books you meant to read in 2016 or 2015 or 2014 and never got around to. Those books that have been sitting on your TBR for a while, and you really want to get to. These aren't upcoming 2017 releases; these are older books that need your love too!

 

I would have to think about it, as I haven't really felt in the reading mood much lately and have mainly been reading library loans I had to hand back in.

[frankie]

For me, Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake. I truly intended to read it this year, but what with a new job and other stuff, I've not been able to tackle it. I can only read lighter stuff these days. I'm hoping next year things will get better  

[Onion Budgie]

Orlando by Virginia Woolf.  It's another one of those books that's been sat on my shelf for yonks.  I'm happy that I'm slowly starting to get through them all, though, and I'm definitely keen on giving Orlando a try next year.

[Anna Begins]

I have to give this one to Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and Michael Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. I've been wanting to read these two books forever!

[Madeleine]

Wolf Hall for me too, although I said the same thing this year!  Also Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

[Ben]

2017 IS the year I read War and Peace.

 

DEFINITELY.

[Anna Begins]

Wolf Hall for me too, although I said the same thing this year!  Also Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.

Pillars is so good, it doesn't even seem that long!

[willoyd]

Having read War and Peace, Wolf Hall, Orlando and the Crimson Petal and White, I can thoroughly recommend them all - they are all outstanding reads (the first two are in my top 20 all-time list, whilst the latter two were both 5 out of 6 stars).  Hope you all manage to get down to these.
 
As this is the top 5 (or 10) thread, I'll nominate 5 books/sets, but if I manage two (one!) I'll be delighted.
 
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Landscape and Memory - Simon Schama
Pax Britannica trilogy - Jan Morris
Don Quixote - Cervantes
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
 
I''ve also got Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire on my shelves yet to be read, but that might be taking wishful thinking a bit too far!

 

Later nominations to make up the 10!:

A Place of Greater Safety - Hilary Mantel (the Wolf Hall entries reminded me!)

The Old Curiosity Shop - Charles Dickens

English Music - Peter Ackroyd

The Invisible Woman - Claire Tomalin

Paradise Lost - John Milton

Edited December 6, 2016 by willoyd

[Anna Begins]

Since this is a Top 5 or 10 list:

 

1) Wolf Hall

 

2) The Crimson Petal and the White

 

3) Abolutions by Patrick deWitt

 

4) Paper Towns by John Green

 

5) The Godfather by Mario Puzo

 

6) Malcolm X by Alex Haley

 

7) The Bees by Liline Paulo

 

8) Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep? by Phillip K Dick

 

9) World Without End by Men Follett

 

10) Prodigal Summer by Barbra Kingsolver

[Lau_Lou]

I want to read more classics

 

Dickens, Shakespeare, Bronte, Hardy, Du Maurier

 

I also want to read more historical fiction

Gregory, plaidy, Weir, Mantel

[Anna Begins]

I want to read more classics

Dickens, Shakespeare, Bronte, Hardy, Du Maurier

I also want to read more historical fiction

Gregory, plaidy, Weir, Mantel

Imo, Alison Weir writes horrible historical fiction, but her historical novels (Elizabeth I and Eleanor of Aquitaine are awesome) are just great. Elizabeth I is what started my interest in English history as a whole.

 

I also have to mention Queen Isabella.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Anna Begins