Literature, stir the brain Options

[+Ed+]

Do any of us only waste time at work and online? Or is anyine still reading?

This is a thread to discuss your fave authors and perhaps the ways of reading. We are in the 21 century huh.

Lemme start and make it short, I will dwell later.

Only this year I discovered one man who easily became my fave author leaving zounds of writers behind.

Jonathan Tropper.

If you have not heard about him, you HAVE to read his works! I have 3 books translated and out in Russian and yesterday I received a pack of 5 of his works in English. Can not put a book down!


Fire away! Yer tastes, book vs ebook etc

[Pokey]

Just finished reading the 5th book in the Song of Ice and Fire series (the one that the TV show Game of Thrones is based on) and ffffffffffffffffffffffffuck, now I have to wait x number of years for book 6??

[+Ed+]

My wife tried reading it. She got lost in all the characters and gave up for some time.

I still hold the hope to try and read it. People say it's awesome

[Hoodstock]

Why read? If it's any good you can just watch the movie

[Live4Life]

Because reading is fundamental?
I love to read but i do not like this whole nook thing. People need to keep reading REAL books.
I saw this special the other night about how books are getting stored in those big containers now because book sales have gone down. There's nothing like snuggling up in bed with my kitties and reading a good book. A REAL book. I am reading the host right now. I like sci-fi, thrillers, horror. Some love stories but not many.

[Pokey]

Why read? If it's any good you can just watch the movie

And possibly have the movie ruin what was good about it

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who are always "The book is always better than the movie!!" because it's definitely not always the case. But it took me a long time to get into reading, and in the last 12 months I finally have, and am really enjoying it.

Dimi: The characters do take awhile to get your head around, it gets even more confusing in book 4 and 5 just when you think you've got a hold of everyone. But it's so worth it, really great story with so many great subplots and characters. One of my favorite single character story arcs comes from it .. a person you are initially lead to hate, then you slowly piece together all this information as to why he is the way he is, and then have him go through a really realistic redemtion process where you believe he has reformed and becomes a hero, superbly done!

The other things I've been reading too have been some Ben Elton books .. High Society is my favorite so far about legalising Class A drugs in England. Dead Famous is great also about a Big Brother type reality show where one of the contestants is murdered but it isn't captured on camera, so its a big "who did it?" mystery. And I'm about to read Chart Throb, which is a bit of a jab at the inner workings of shows like American Idol (something Nick should probably read).

[jayda]

Good bookshops are disappearing. Two main chain ones closed down in the shopping centre nearest me in the past two years. A cheapie budget bookstore opened a few months back. I realised how much I miss a real bookshop. We're all buying books online to get better deals. Just two weeks ago an independent bookstore opened. It felt so good to browse real books again. Books I'd never come across online and probably wouldn't give a second thought to without touching and seeing, and a beautiful children's section. Can't wait to get back in there with some spare $$$$!

Novels are the domain of my iPad now. Too easy to download from the library. Their collection growing all the time. And best of all I'm not up for fines for late returns as it just disappears on due back date!

[+Ed+]

Everyone SHALL read TRopper. Give it a go, guys!

[Wildman]

Last year I had read 12 books of the Terry Goodkind Saga 'The Sword of Truth' also known as 'The Wizard Rules' or 'Legend of the Seeker'. http://www.terrygoodkind.com/books.shtml

I loved these books and their characters...

Has anyone read these?

[+Ed+]

Fantasy is not much for me actually. When I was younger (much younger, I mean 12-15 years ago) I used to read loads of Terry Pratchett. His humour could not leave me satisfied as I always came back for more. But then again, I never read any Hobbits or Lords, so, no, not my cup of tea.

Loved Harry Potter though. While invigilating the Cambridge exams I read 2,5 books. Need to get back to them some day.

[Pokey]

Fantasy is not much for me actually. When I was younger (much younger, I mean 12-15 years ago) I used to read loads of Terry Pratchett. His humour could not leave me satisfied as I always came back for more. But then again, I never read any Hobbits or Lords, so, no, not my cup of tea.

Loved Harry Potter though. While invigilating the Cambridge exams I read 2,5 books. Need to get back to them some day.

I couldn't do Hobbit or LOTR either, too much time spent wafting on and on for pages about a dwarven song or what a statue looks like. I think that's why I really like Game of Thrones itself, it's fantasy, but it's gritty and reads in some ways like a political medieval Earth history. There are fantasy and magical things in it, but they're few and far between, even within the world that it is set in there are people who refuse to believe magic exists.

LOTR movies are an example where to me Movie > Books.

[+Ed+]

GoT is really more of a detective, or even an alternative history really. There are hardly any magic creatures, and I love the movie for its realism.
Should try the book definitely.

But I think I will first wait for the winter to come

[Pokey]

Well the further it goes a long (without spoilering it too much) there are more "magical" elements that come in to play, but they're still seen as rarities in the world. Wait for the winter to come? Winter is coming!

[Sonic Tonic]

I've started getting back to reading at the beginning of last year. I think I read 16 or so books since. That is a step up from maybe one book a year before. Mostly fantasy.
I recommend checking out the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson if you like this genre.

[+Ed+]

Books is where the wisdom of the humanity is kept. So it is up to you whether to read or not, fellas.