Tell me about your favourite books
42The magic and wonder of reading
Reading is the most exciting and enriching hobby of all. A good book can go everywhere with you - and you can travel with it, too. It leads you into worlds you might never otherwise have known - worlds of magic, emotion, battles of life lost and won, struggles, redemption. They can take you through a whole spectrum of emotions that you might never (sometimes thankfully) have experienced. They transport and transform you, thrill and comfort you, shock and reassure you.
What have some of you been reading over the Christmas break? What are you planning to read next? Which authors do you like? What kind of books? Fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, fantasy, classics? It would be great to know.
Apart from an idiot's guide to Vista for Word, I'm reading James Buchan's High Latitudes and am about to start Kate Moss' new book, Sepulchre. The reviewers are saying her last one, Labyrinth will be a hard act to follow but since I haven't read it, I won't be comparing.
How about you?
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Hello Mark - great recipes on your hub. Will definitely be trying them. They've inspired me to put some of mine up, too.
I've had the pleasure of meeting Ian Banks - we were on a panel together once, judging short stories.
Lucky you. I have never met him, but I like his style.
I certainly love most of Isabel Allende's and Coelho's. They have both books that I have read again and again. Allende's "Afrodita" is always by my bedside a good light read with plenty of funny stories and aphrodisiac recipes!
Other than that, for taking on holidays I always like a saucy romance. I hate newspapers!
I love Allende's Aphrodite as well. I keep returning to it and will certainly be referring to it a lot for my next novel which is food-related. I also love House of the Spirits. Coleho's The Alchemist is one of my favourite books. Looks like we have something in common.
If you liked The Alchimist you will love "A orillas del Rio Piedra me sente y lloré" (sorry I do not know the titlle in English) It is a beautiful tale of love in a sense that it gives you strenght to love without fear. It is my favorite book by Coelho.
I'll definitely read it. Thanks for the tip, Princessa.
well, i'm more of a fictional reader, bendin towards romantic thrillers and suspense. some of my fav authors are linda howard, nora roberts and on goes the list.
I like fiction, too. Trouble is, when I'm writing fiction, I tend to avoid reading it. I'll look you those authors you mention, though.
I like Harold Klemp When do stories become fiction? I was wondering that? Based on a true story. I figure thats is fiction?? But then if you write about a dream you have, is the dream fiction. Well not to me but I mean to most people? I figured you would know ;-) Hey I see you are having fun!!!
Excellent question, Coolbreeze. There's 'faction' or 'docu-drama'. That's when you acknowledge it's based on a true story but parts of it are fictionalized for whatever reason. So something like Pursuit of Happiness starring Will Smith would be faction, I guess. I think fiction is when most of the material is imagined - but you know, you've really got me thinking. Maybe I'll write a hub on that topic. Is that okay with you?
I just read Maria's War by Amy Witting - first fiction Ive read for ages - the book was published when the author was 80! Fantastic book - reflecting the ageing process and issues of memory really well I think - not that I'm that old!
Thanks for the tip, Lissa. I shall look out for it.
I am a fan of the classics myself. My favorite book is Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens, oh wait, I guess I love everything by him. I also loved Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Austin is also one of my favorite writers. Of course, Victor Hugo... the list goes on and on.
Welcome - In the Doghouse - I re-read the classics when I was very young and then re-read them again in my 20s and 30s and 40s. You get something new from them everyime. And Dickens was a real Master, I agree.
Sometimes it doesn't matter what I read, as long as I have something new to read. My list of favorites runs the gamut, though. I enjoy Mark Twain, Dickens, Jules Verne, Stephen King and Tom Clancy. Stephen King has interesting stories, but it's his style that keeps me coming back.
I know what you mean about it not really mattering what you read as long as you're readin. Thanks for your comments.
I enjoy reading and am in a field where I have access to lots of books. I have several collections including one of books about the Lost Generation of writers. Favourite authors are Albert Camus, Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.
Check out my library on LibraryThing:
Hello ther, Uninvited Writer,
Glad to know someone else with a large collection (or collections) of books. My husband and I (he's a professor, I'a writer and psychoanalyst) had between us more than 10,000 books in our house. Subjects: psychology/analyis, oriental studies which in itself covers so many religions and literatures, folklore (my speciality) and goddess lore, ancient and in the New Age - and then the classics and novels galore. Also different oriental languages.
I will defiitely be checking out your librarrylink. Meanwhile, many thanks for dropping by.
Shah
Mark Knowles says:
2 years ago
Hello and welcome.
Me - I like to be entertained when I read. Nothing heavy, no strong emotional stuff, nothing serious - life provides enough of that. So my current favorites are Barry Eisler and Iain M Banks.