Topic: What are you reading?

[Ceratonia]

First book I ever read - The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier.  Bought it and re-read it last year and still a great read.

Coincidence - I was thinking about that book last night - due to a Russian film I watched. Remember really loving it as a child, but thinking back, maybe didn't appreciate it fully - knowing more about the Nazi camps in Poland probably puts a different perspective on it. Reckon it's a bit too scary for my kids just yet.

No surprise that 'Driving over Lemons' is popular on this board, I suppose. Nearly half a million copies sold, too.

[Juliet]

Just met up with MIL & step-FIL for lunch/belated exchange of Christmas presents - they gave me Peter Beale's Classic Roses (as requested), so suspect I will be reading - or at least dipping into - that for a while now  ;D

Robert - I said the Bible was a defining book, not a read!  But being made up from so many different books in so many different styles (poetry, stories, ideas, prophecies, history - for those people who haven't read it) I'd say bits of it are a cracking good read, others distinctly more of a study (unless you happen to enjoy long lists of names & regulations!).

Merry Tiller - member of the Richard III society by any chance?!  IMHO you're right.  I'm a big fan of Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time (though that's a bit slanted the other way!).

Obelixx - just realised, reading your post, that I left Jane Austin out of my list - she should definitely be there.  Emma is my favourite but all her books are among those I re-read.  I didn't like Philip Pullman's books though - I don't think he writes character very well & found the books very dull in consequence, and also, I thought if he's going to write anti-Christian propaganda he might at least take the trouble find out a bit more about Christianity & get his facts right (it's the academic in me - I don't approve of sloppy research!).

[Merry Tiller]

No Juliet I'm not a member of the Richard III society though I've sometimes thought about it.
I've never had much time for old Shakey, always seemed like a bit of a snivelling crawler to me

[Juliet]

But if you think about it in terms of - he was almost certainly a Catholic, from a family of known dissidents, trying to make a living as a jobbing playwright under an aggressively Protestant monarchy - you can't exactly blame him for wanting to keep his head!  And the poetry is wonderful.

And I blame Thomas Moore for the Richard III thing - if he hadn't written all that Tudor propaganda Shakespeare wouldn't have been able to nick the idea.

[Merry Tiller]

True, and I'm sure Richard wasn't entirely blameless. On the whole they were men of their times I guess

[Dan 2]

What about the Gradeners World Mag?  ??? ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

Robert - I said the Bible was a defining book, not a read!  But being made up from so many different books in so many different styles (poetry, stories, ideas, prophecies, history - for those people who haven't read it) I'd say bits of it are a cracking good read, others distinctly more of a study (unless you happen to enjoy long lists of names & regulations!).

That's the big difficulty with the Bible; what one bit says, another bit unsays. If you're not very careful indeed, you end up reading what you put into it, not what the people who wrote it actually meant. I certainly wouldn't claim Deuteronomy 7 (where God supposedly commands genocide) as defining! There are lots of other dangerous passages as well. I detest Ezra/Nehemiah, which are so separatist that the authors insist that the Law copmmands that the Israelites ( who have never heard of any such commandment) get rid of foreign wives; in fact this never happened and marrying out became a major source of converts. On the other hand, I like Ruth, which is about a Midianite with a legal right under the Law to demand marriage to an Israelite, and Jonah, which is a comic story about a bunch of nasty foreigners who take God more seriously than Jonah does.

[Heldi]

Have not read the Bible. I don't know how to approach it to be honest.

I forgot to mention I'm reading alot of Thomas the Tank Engine books. My daughter has gone train bonkers. I'm so pleased as Barney is off the playlist now in favour of Thomas. Ringo Starr is much easier to listen to whilst ironing.

[amanda21]

What about the Gradeners World Mag?  ??? ;D

I prefer the Kitchen Garden or Grow Your Own.  GW mag is lovely to look at but it's a bit like the programme - a bit 'posh' I guess is how I would describe it!!   ::)  I don't think for veggie growers it is as good a value as the other two....although I am but a beginner!

Jane Austin should certainly be in there - Pride & Prejudice is my fav although Emma a very close second.

And Cider with Rosie for English class memories.

And Charlotte's Web...... :'(

[Hot_Potato]

I also loved Jane Austen's 'Emma' was given in after my niece Emma was born over 30 years ago now and treasure it.....

Having watched the video of Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' time & again with my grandson Thomas - I really enjoyed actually reading the book!

oh and to Flower Lady & Kentish Chloe - no, I didn't know there was a sequel to 'Driving Over Lemons' - which I'm 2/3rds of the way thru now...will keep my 'eyes open' for it - thanks  :)

[derbex]

Currently reading Peter Ackroyd's London -the Biography, ironically too big & heavy for the train if I start commuting again.

Patrick Leigh Fermor's -A Time of Gifts, read it before but saw it in the charity shop and couldn't resist.

'The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe' with my daughter.

I've also got DNA by Watson -haven't really started it yet -just 'bagged' it from the library.

......and Kitchen Garden.

Jeremy

[Yellow Petals]

I've had a big turn-a-round ... have decided after I finish Diaries of the Holocaust I shall read Jon Snow's biography instead.  I've had it about a year but it's been sitting on my bookshelf, don't really know why as I think it's going to be fascinating.

[Juliet]

Have not read the Bible. I don't know how to approach it to be honest.

Well, I certainly wouldn't suggest you begin at the beginning & go on until you get to the end! - that would mean that after a few good stories in Genesis (Adam & Eve, Noah's ark, Joseph & his brothers etc) you'd quickly get bogged down in all the history & law books which follow.

But if you do want to read some of the more fun bits the first thing is to get a decent translation - the older ones have nice language but are a bit incomprehensible in places, whereas some of the modern ones lose all the poetry.  The New International version is a reasonable compromise & fairly standard in a lot of churches now, but I like the Message version - it's a bit Americanised but I think it gets the balance of poetry & modern language better.

If you like poetry the collection called "the old testament wisdom books" in the Message version is a pretty good place to start.  As Robert says, the books of Ruth & Jonah are good stories, as is Esther.  As far as the new testament is concerned the gospels cover a lot of the same ground so reading all of them one after the other isn't advisable - I'd just go for Matthew or Luke and then the Acts of the Apostles (which is also written by Luke so there's some continuity).

And on another subject entirely, what's the Peter Ackroyd like, Derbex? - keep seeing it around & wondering whether my mum would like it.

[redimp]

I am currently reading Robert Goddard's 'Sight Unseen'.  I do think Goddard can be a bit hit and miss but judging by the time I am spending reading it, this one is hit so far.  Good, pacy, layered and believable - so far.  I thought his take on the Grail mystery in 'Days Without Number' was far superior to Dan Browns novel written with a movie deal in mind.  That is a problem that I am finding with a lot of current American authors - they all seem to have one eye on Hollywood and write accordingly.  Dan Browns Digital Fortress was just a joke of a book that tipifies this tendancy - although I do like the moral messages he includes in his books.

I am a big fan of modern fiction of all sorts - I have recently read an excelent crime novel by an author who sets his books in the Peak District (the author's name and book title escapes me at the moment).  Crime wise I also like Peter Robinson and Rankin.

Carl Hiasson is good for a good laugh - American but with a disdainful view of the 'American Dream' and all that entails, and not written with an eye on the movie deal.

[derbex]

Ummmm -good question, I can't quite make my mind up and I, about a quarter of the way in. The worst bit so far was the beginning which all gets a bit 'mystical', but after that it's pretty good. I think it's probably (like the bible) best read in bits -if it wasn't so big it would be a good commuting book as you could read a chapter, more or less on a topic, at a time and not worry if you didn't pick it up again for a week. In fact I think I might give it back to the library and buy a copy to dip into every now and again. If your mum is keen on history (or London) then it's probably a good buy -almost as a reference book that can be read.

As to the bible we've a children's one -probably 40 years old- that we read to my daughter when she's in the mood. Personally I prefer an older version -I like my thees & thous -though you can keep the begats.

Jeremy

[joji]

RHS plant finder 2005 - 2006 &  RHS encyclopedia of gardening. ( Bicentenary edition. )  ;D

[Juliet]

Thanks Jeremy.  Mum is keen on history - & London - &, indeed, history of London - but I don't think she'd like the mystical bit so it's probably not a good book to get for her as a surprise birthday present - wouldn't want the beginning to put her off.  I'll mention it to her though.

I like my thees & thous too, but I imagine they're also a bit off-putting if you're not used to them.  The begats are very dull!

[katynewbie]

::)

Forgot to mention Janine McMullen "My Small Country Living" and "Wind In The Ash Tree"...have loved these for years, probably out of print by now, but her tales of the foibles of the goats, whippets, horses etc speak to the smallholder in me!! That's the smallholder I am trying to ignore cos I dont have enough dosh!!

 ;D ;D

[Multiveg]

Several books on the go, though one not finished but returned to library after 6+ weeks, namely JG Ballard's short stories which are excellent. Bedtime reading is Grandchester Grind (the sequel to Porterhouse Blue) by Tom Sharpe. Also reading my OU course book.

[flowerlady]

My earliest recollection of reading was Beatrix Potter ...

Benjamin Bunny   ...   of course  ...    ;D

when I became "too old" for little books I got seriously into the Narnia Chronicles, and here they going into films !

But today I spoilt myself

I have bought "Gardening & Planting by the Moon" - Nick Kollerstrom.

somehow I don't think this is going to be bedtime reading  :D

P.S If anyone needs any data from it let me know!