Topic: Ae you a passionate reader?

[goodlife]

Does any of you have books that your bought thinking it 'looks' good but never get around reading it..I bought "the pillars of the earth" when it first came...umm.about 10yrs ago ::)...and only last week got round to reading it. As soon as I put it down I dived into the sequel.."wold without end"..that will be finished tonight ;D
I've thoroughly enjoyed the 'ride'...but what do I do now? Those door stoppers kept me going and now I hate the idea going back to books that are done with as soon as you open the cover.
Anybody know any good 1000 page or more books? Recommendations please...

[saddad]

Is "War and Peace" long enough?  ;D

[goodlife]

Uhh...that might take forever ::)...something bit more entertaining comes to mind..
Generally anything goes in fiction wise..could not cope with Katie Price's 'life story so far' and such books.. ::)..don't mind bit of raunchy stuff though ;D

[mat]

I too like very long books, the longer the better.  War and Peace isn't that long where "long books go", in fact it is shorter than Pillars of the Earth, but is harder to read due to the Russian naming conventions...  I too enjoyed POTE, but I found World Without End had rather too much unnecessary violence (aka rape)...

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, Gone With the Wind, Shogun and Gai-Jin are all longer books and have very good reviews.  I have A Suitable Boy to read, but have not started it yet.

I have read some Diana Gabaldon books, which are very long.  Cross Stitch is the first in her Outlander series, and is 864 pages.  A bit of history and a romp all in one, so long as you can get your head around someone time travelling and ending up with two lives!...

[1066]

Oh yes I have plenty of those books on my shelves Goodlife  :)

And Mat got in there 1st with a Suitable Boy! other than that there is always William Thackery - Vanity Fair, or Rohinton Mistry - A Fine Balance, or Ahdaf Soueif - in the Eye of the Sun (yet to start that one  :) ), or potter over to the US for Steinbeck East of Eden, or back over to Russia and Anna Karenina. Or you could go for a serial type - like Paul Scott & the Raj Quintet. That's for starters  ;D

I'm in a book group but because most people still work (or are slow readers!!) we tend to only read small books, I'm so tempted to suggest something weightier (physically speaking!)

1066  :)

[goodlife]

Thanks Mat :)..I'll have a look those Diana Gabaldon books..couple of those other I do have on self already..some still not read ::)..maybe I should do thorough search trough the shelf ..I've already suprised myself once whats there ::);D
I like reading series too but only if I can get the whole lot in before I start..nothing more fustrating when you get into reading 'flow' and then having to wait the next part being bublished or getting hold of it if older.
Yes, I'm greedy...like with seeds..more the merrier ;D

[small]

Nothing, but nothing, could be more entertaining than War and Peace! Let's hear it for the classics, for a good read to get your teeth into, Middlemarch, anything by Trollope, Wilkie Collins will keep you reading, and once all those are read it's time for Dostoevsky....Anyone else here devoted to 19th century novels?

[mat]

Anna Karenin (note spelling, the Penguin book went into great detail over why it should be Karenin and not Karenina!!!) is a great book, and I read it in 3 evenings when working.  It's not hard work like War and Peace, as the names are "do-able".  I got to the end and was sad for it to end.

The Diana Gabaldon books can be read without reading further books.  I didn't get to the end of book 1 (Cross Stitch) and feel I had to immediately read book 2, and book 3 has been on my shelf for a year unread...  In fact I think she has only published book 7 last year.

[1066]

Anyone else here devoted to 19th century novels?

oooo yes.... bring 'em on  ;D

And while we are on the subject of door stoppers how about Isabel Allende The House of Spirits  :) a wonderful read, ended up cancelling/postponing some work I had on at the time to stay at home on the sofa to read that one  :-X  :)

[goodlife]

If work is called off and duvet day in then that book must be worh of reading ;D ;D
I've just been 'digging'  into my bookshelf..and came across "The First Man In Rome" by Coleen McCulloch..hmm..still not sure if it wets my appetite..it does have quite few follow up books after that..anybody tackled that? I must get the dust off and have a flick through :-\

[mat]

Umm... some good ideas there...  ;D I really have far too many books already to read already tho...  ::)

Is House of Spirits depressing? 
I may try First Man in Rome sometime...

[Borlotti]

Read Gone with the Wind at school, under the desk, probably why I failed some of my GCE's, but did get English language and English literature. Wanted to call my son Ashley, but he ended up as Martin, as thought he might be teased. Read Enid Blyton as a child, loved them.  Ballet shoes was a favourite as a child, but didn't like the TV version as much as the book.  Another good one is 'Sold for a farthing' story about a tame sparrow during the war.  Bought it off ebay as the one I had as a child seemed to have disappeared.  Heidi is good too, although when I bought it for grandchild, don't think she was too impressed. I also Orlando the Marmalade cat, I just loved that.

[Twoflower]

if you like the classics what about dracula, war of the world, or the woman in white. All good reads. Not a large book but have just finish reading the woman in black ghost story......really good book, had to stop reading last night as OH way....too scarey!
                   Twoflower

[1066]

Is House of Spirits depressing? 

No I don't think so, I don't really go for misery books / memoirs, and I wouldn't put House of Spirits in that category, it was engaging, written beautifuuly, and from the heart, and a good romping tale.

Happy reading all ...... also loved Ballet Shoes and Heidi  ;)

[asj]

Goodlife - have you tried the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel?  Not quite 1000 pages, but enough to get your teeth into!