If so, you might be interested in the BBC World Book Night
http://www.worldbooknight.org/ (http://www.worldbooknight.org/)
they've already extended the deadline for people to apply to be "givers" at least twice, I would think because the idea of giving away as many as 48 copies of a book seems a bit daunting! Otherwise it sounds like a good idea.
What's your favourite on the list? I enjoyed (if that's the right word) "Half the yellow sun" , "Stuart" and "One day".
Oh gosh Caroline, I didn't know about this! What a great idea! And which one to choose? There are many dear friends on the list and others that I shall now have to read!! I loved the Life of Pi and Love in the time of cholera but so many more too.
I don't know if I'll get round to applying to be a giver though. It sounds a bit of a responsibility.
This is also news to me.
I won't be volunteering either, but from that list my favourite book by far is A Fine Balance, with Fingersmith and The Blind Assassin in second and third place respectively.
I tried reading Half the Yellow Sun but I just couldn't get on with it. Not like me at all... ::)
G x
I also had a problem with Half a Yellow Sun and gave up halfway through.
I have to read every day, life wouldn't seem right without a book to enjoy. My daughter and two sons are exactly the same, so is my husband who has never read a book in his own language but much prefers English.
I've read eight of them of which the John le Carre is probably my favourite.
I'm a lifelong bookbuff and I'm always reading several books at any one time. :)
Not much of a reader of fiction. I've read a couple of Heaney's collections that contribute to his entry in the list, but that's it. My bedside table book at the moment is a textbook on calculus.
Quote from: Unwashed on January 07, 2011, 22:23:27
My bedside table book at the moment is a textbook on calculus.
Never heard of him. Was he the chap who invented the thermometer? ;) ;D
gx
I enjoy reading very much. I keep a book in my bag that I read on the bus on the way home from work and one by the bed for reading before sleep time (and when I wake up if I become too engrossed, heh) but in my mind I keep them very separate as I find being a 'multi' reader just does not work for me. I like to give a single book my full concentration rather than have two on the go. In which case I read two complete opposites. I'm not a reader of classics though, I must admit. At the moment, I have Spike Milligan in my bag (he's quite small you know) and just last night I finished reading 'The Damage Done: Twelve Years Of Hell In A Bangkok Prison' by Warren Fellows.
Anyway, I digress. This World Book Night sounds superb and I shall have a study and quite possibly put down my name as a giver. Thanks, Caroline :)
I've just come back to Augustine's "City of God" that I was reading at University in 1980. Finding it a bit easier going now... :-X
Yes, five library books at the moment, can't wait to go to bed and read. Also read sauce bottles etc. whilst eating, adverts and road signs, tube maps are good too. ;D ;D
My first grown up book I bought when I was 15.H.E.Bates A Moment In Time.
I lost that dog eared old book and was delighted to buy a hard back version on Ebay.
The seller included a book mark with my initial,a nice touch.
A story of young people in the second world war.
Anybody remember the first grown up book they bought for themselves ?
Our family doctor has a "lending library" in the waiting room. You can take a book or leave one for somebody else to read. Very handy and uncomplicated. Some chain restaurants do that along the main interstate highway also. No cost just ask that you drop it off at another stop when you've finished reading it.
I liked reading your list of recommended books :) always interesting to hear what others have enjoyed and will get some of those to take on vacation.
I have read a few on the list ,not many but I love Jean Brodie.
Have you got to hand out 48 books?
Too many me thinks ???
I did see a programme about it ages ago, but forgot all about it until you just reminded me Caroline. I've applied to be a 'giver' of Margaret Attwood's 'The Blind Assassin'.....will wait and see if I'm selected!
Has anyone else read Colin Cotterill's "Dr Siri" series, set in Laos? I'm a bit hooked on these at the moment, even though I'm not usually one for "whodunnits". My son is moving on from Thailand to Laos today on his travels so I'm really looking forward to seeing his photos! :D
Also just finished an Alexander McCall Smith-one of his Scotland Street series.
Going back to the BBC list, I love Kate Atkinson's earlier writing but have found her detective stories a bit too gory!
I also am a big fan of Alexander Mccall Smith. :)
Quote from: betula on January 08, 2011, 10:58:11
I also am a big fan of Alexander Mccall Smith. :)
Me too. Finished 44 Scotland Street and from the public library, the Ladies Detection series on CD on a long car ride. However, did not like the movie on the book- thought the acting was quite stilted and slow.
Must admit I liked the film,although she was younger than in my minds eye.
I love Isabelle Delhousy ???I know I have not spelt that right LOL
I read between 3 or 4 books a week, any old rubbish that is going cheap in the charity shops and now with my Kindle as well. I found that I can get into amazon by the back door and get the american amazon site. The books they offer for a pound here are a dollar there so I only pay 77p. I expect the loophole will be closed soon but I have at least £20 worth to get through plus all the free classics.
Ace I am thinking of buying a Kindle. How do you buy books so cheaply?
I have a notebook that uses a canadian server on a 3g connection it connects to amazon usa when I connect to amazon. But they have books on offer for a pound on the english site most of the time plus loads of free ones, mostly classics.
Thanks ACE.
I applied to be a giver for northern lights - philip pullman, which is a wonderful childrens book.
I am an avid reader and go to bed early to write my garden diary and then have a n hours read before bed. Just finished day and night - virgina wolf, which was really thought provoking.
48 is a lot of books but i feel that there are all sorts of waiting rooms bus station train station and my local sewing group that i can leave the copies.
we will see what happens let us know if anyone is sucessful
x sunloving
For those interested, the new series of The TV Book Club starts this Sunday on More4 @ 7.50pm. The first book reviewed will be Emma Donoghue's 'Room' a novel about a five year old boy and his mother who spend all of their time in a locked room.
Has anybody read it?
Edit: A link about the book (and also the others due to be reviewed) on the TV Book Club website:
http://www.tvbookclub.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=351&catalogId=353&langId=100&productId=210687
2/3 of the way through The Black Swan by Taleb. Very deep but am enjoying his sprightly, humorous writing style.
just bought myself a late Christmas present, a kindle so will have to investigate the cheap downloads, still. loads to choose from, I'm in the middle of an Elizabeth Peters egyptian mystery at the moment :)
Regarding the Kindle. Not that I'm thinking of buying one but ... how is it that some of the books don't cost anything at all? I was just on Amazon looking at something unrelated and it had a list of books for the Kindle all for £0.00 saving £10.29 on the printed versions??!
Some Like most of the classics are out of copyright, others are promotional to help a new author get a name and a lot are educational.
There are moves afoot to have ebook lending/swap amongst 'friends' but I think this means reconfiguring the kindle device somehow, which I won't do, I expect it will be made illegal like the music pirates sites.
just bought a kindle, 2 gardening books, cost 72p each..downnloaded a couple of my favvie authors and a few new, free ones to try :)
When I do have time to read a book from cover to cover it is boys own stuff for me, Chris Ryan or Andy Mc Nab(very sad), although I have my nose in books all the time seeking truth and justice, :)
I know it's not everybody's cup a tea but I'm a sci fi lover,and the book I'm reading at the moment is book 3 of the Liveship traders trilogy by Robin Hobb.
Quote from: Froglegs on January 15, 2011, 23:08:42
I know it's not everybody's cup a tea but I'm a sci fi lover,and the book I'm reading at the moment is book 3 of the Liveship traders trilogy by Robin Hobb.
I love a bit of Sci Fi myself - currently reading the XeeLee series by Stephen Baxter but Iain Banks, Neal Asher, Peter Hamilton, Richard Morgan and Alistair Reynolds (all good British authors!) have been across my bedside table recently.
However now I need reading glasses and I have difficultly keep glasses and books together so it seems to take an age to read anything...
Oh no they have pick me and i haven't tolled my OH..................................Oh it's only 48 books to give away it can't be the difficult :o
Twoflower
How long have you got to get rid of them?
Just catching up on my email.....and I've been picked too! I'll be picking up 48 copies of Margaret Attwood's 'The Blind Assassin' on March 5th.......brilliant! Good job there are a lot of avid readers at the hospital, hopefully it will not be too difficult to distribute them all! ;D ;D ;D
Oooh, books. My real luxury is uninterrupted time to read.
Just finished Darkmans by Nicola Barker - odd book, very odd book. Frogslegs & BarriedaleNick , I've been on a sci fi kick for the last year or so & agree Ian M Banks, Alistair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton's earlier works, not so keen on his Void trilogy tho. also Ian McDonald, William Gibson and Dan Simmonds are big ticks on my list.
Re the world book night. I've read 10 and without knowing the connection, picked up two more in my local charity shop at the weekend. An interesting concept, but as I'm a member of book crossing, I do it all the time. Anything to get more titles into people's awareness rather than what the supermarkets offer is a good idea by me.
I look forward to hearing how it goes. :D
Quote from: froglets on February 03, 2011, 11:02:48
Oooh, books. My real luxury is uninterrupted time to read.
Just finished Darkmans by Nicola Barker - odd book, very odd book. Frogslegs & BarriedaleNick , I've been on a sci fi kick for the last year or so & agree Ian M Banks, Alistair Reynolds, Peter Hamilton's earlier works, not so keen on his Void trilogy tho. also Ian McDonald, William Gibson and Dan Simmonds are big ticks on my list.
Re the world book night. I've read 10 and without knowing the connection, picked up two more in my local charity shop at the weekend. An interesting concept, but as I'm a member of book crossing, I do it all the time. Anything to get more titles into people's awareness rather than what the supermarkets offer is a good idea by me.
Talk about odd books, I'm reading
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, very strange book and difficult to see how things will ever we've together across the eras he writes about.
Cloud Atlas is a top book - odd but great. Once you get half way through I seem to rememberit making a little more sense..not much though!
Deb and Twoflower - Im sure you'll have no issues with giving them away!
Cloud Atlas was one of the books I picked up randomly at the weekend and have just started. So far, so good!
I wasnt chosen for the northern lights, oh well .
I am hoping to come across someone local who is giving away books on the day that would be lovely.
x sunloving
I have had my Kindle for almost a year. I bought it because I live in France and wanted to choose what books I read rather than hand-downs. I was so happy when I got it but now keep sneaking back to the random books that get passed on to me. Several of those are on this list and I would not have chosen on my Kindle. For me still not decided about e-readers.
Quote from: BarriedaleNick on February 03, 2011, 19:24:14
Cloud Atlas is a top book - odd but great. Once you get half way through I seem to rememberit making a little more sense..not much though!
The chapter on Sci-fi Korea lost me completely and I ended up skipping it both times it reared its ugly head in the book. Now I'm coming down to the last chapter and seeing some sense, but I wouldn't say it is an easy read!
Quote from: tomatoada on January 08, 2011, 18:49:51
Ace I am thinking of buying a Kindle. How do you buy books so cheaply?
if reading literature on a screen is what you like to do (not for me at all) there isn't any real need to buy a kindle cos pooters (macs do and I assume PC's as well) have a free kindle app and if the screen has to be mobile then if you have a laptop, ipad or airbook for example there is even less need to buy a kindle - you get all the books online or through itunes etc - many hundreds for free and many others are just very cheap
read most of the books on that list and it is quite an interesting list - see Life of Pi is there - didn't that author get criticised for plagiarism?
The kindle is book size, so easier to read in bed, I could see trouble brewing if I took my laptop to bed.It is a lot kinder to your eyes than a pc screen. It will read to me in the car. No you don't really need a kindle, but why make life hard for yourself.
If any body wants a quick book to read, Try 'Great French Military Victory's' It is very short ;)
I go to the library, or if very rich, buy books from charity shops, I can get big print, whatever, so do I need to spend over £100 on a kindle. (Think they could have come up with a better name, a kindle (sounds like a cooking pot), or maybe a swindle.
it's all about reading from a screen to me - you either like turning pages or not ;D (me definitely not) you can dim or brighten pooter screens and make print smaller or bigger and all sorts to make it more comfortable but it's all about the thing in your hand ;D and whether you want to spend money on a kindle, personally I'd put the money towards an ipad :P so yeah swindle kindle and let's use the libraries before the 'con doms' close them all
Cloud Atlas left me cold to be honest, wasn't a satisfying read to me at all. Maybe I'm getting old and grouchy, but I want a GOOD science fiction read. Didn't reckon much on Jean M Auel either, awkward and no real science in the stories.
I've got a lot of the classic old style authors and a grand collection of Analog, New Writings in SF etc, but I'm not looking for the very ancient stuff. I don't know who I'm looking for really, but to give a flavour of the books I've really enjoyed and read time and again, they would be the likes of:
Timescape - Gregory Benford
The Child Garden - Geoff Ryman
Motherlines and Walk to the End of the World - Suzy McKee Charnas
Earth Abides - George R Stewart
The Illustrated Man & other stories - Ray Bradbury
So, if anyone knows these and can suggest similar types of science fiction, possibly amongst the newer authors, I'd be really, really grateful. Getting desperate for a decent read!
hi jennym
I feel the same
love a meaty thought provoking sci fi but feeling dissapointed by whats out there.
I have two great anthologies though called the best of the best 20 years of the best sci edited by gardner dozois
isbn 031233656x
Worth a read if you havent already
x sunloving
Thanks sunloving, will lookout for those, funny enough I picked up 2 anthologies edited by Gardner Dozois at a chartity chop recently, they are The Mammoth book of Best New SF, 21 and 16. They've got some decent tales too.
I got "Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch off Amazon ... it arrived yesterday and I've read half of it.. quite good.
reading this thread and loving everyone's comments! It's one of the reasons I finally got round to sorting out a book group with some friends of mine - you can read the same book but have completely different views! Which reminds me of Cloud Atlas .... I loved it, but it did take a while for me to finally get into the book!
Anyway back to the original post, how did everyone do with distribiuting their books, and what was the feedback?
1066 :)
Just finished 'The Importance of Being Seven' by Alexander McCall Smith - sheer pleasure.
1066 the book giveaway is taking place on 5th March! :)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/dec/02/world-book-night-1m-free-books
Quote from: jennym on February 05, 2011, 16:33:28
So, if anyone knows these and can suggest similar types of science fiction, possibly amongst the newer authors, I'd be really, really grateful. Getting desperate for a decent read!
Hhmmm
I would be happy to recommend:
The Culture novels by Iain Banks (best read in order but you dont need to)
Nights Dawn Trilogy by Peter Hamilton (read in order!)
Revelation Space series by Alistair Reynolds
Agent Cormac series by Neal Asher
Altered Carbon and others by Richard Morgan
Stealing Light by Gary Gibson
Singularity Sky by Charles Stross
You might also enjoy Greg Bear (Eon is good) or David Brin (Uplift series)...
Tonight's the night! BBC2 all night. Look forward to hearing how the book giveaways go. I've just seen an ad on York freecycle offering copies of "One Day" at the local library on Monday- unfortunately I've already got and read that one.
Well, I was at work last night and gave out 40 of my 48 books, all with the tracker numbers in so people can see where they end up. I was suprised to find most people had heard about the event or seen it on the news, I even had people emailing me to reserve a copy! So it went well in Derby! ;D
nice to hear it went so well Debs, remind me again what was your book?
'The Blind Assassin' by Margaret Atwood. ;D
I must get round to reading it, I have a copy, started it, but didn't get very far, so must try harder :)
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...
Is "War and Peace" long enough? ;D
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
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!...
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 :)
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
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?
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.
Quote from: small on March 09, 2011, 09:54:29
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 :)
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 :-\
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...
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.
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
Quote from: mat on March 09, 2011, 11:07:40
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 ;)
Goodlife - have you tried the Earth's Children series by Jean M. Auel? Not quite 1000 pages, but enough to get your teeth into!