When You Read ...

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cats, have you read Tailchasher's Song by Tad Williams? I can't remember the exact writing style as it's been too many years, but the characters are cats. Kind of neat. He also has several other series I need to get around to reading.

I read the Narnia books as a child, the writing style was ok then but it's would bother me now. ..Haven't touched the Harry Potter books, something bothers me about them.

Actually, I prefer not to reread.

I have a good memory for anything I've read and just glancing at the first page or even the book cover usually helps me remember the whole book. I do love to read, but it's expensive

buying used, if I can, helps.

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As for cat books, I didn't mean fiction, but rather non-fiction. For example, the chicken soup for cat lover's soul, angel cats, feline mystique, a cat named darwin, etc.
That Tad Williams book you mentioned, I think I remember seeing the characters. Is it any good?
My dad was going to throw out all his good condition hard back books because he just had too many. I told him to give them to me and I would try to find a used bookstore that would take them. Mind you, most were hard back and most stores won't take them because most people want paperback. I found a store closeby that would take them all. She couldn't give me full credit, but half and I ended up with almost $400 in credit! So if there is a book I am looking for, I always check there first. I don't buy too many at the bookstore. I go to amazon and buy used ones there. The prices aren't too bad and I often pay more for the shipping at $3.49 than the actual book itself.

Only certain books I will speed read through (Tolkien is a GREAT example).

One treat I do allow myself is to read the last 3 sentences of the book first. Then I get to see how things reach that point. I guess it just makes it more exciting for me.

I'm going to try and NOT do that when the new HP book comes out though. I want EVERYTHING to be a surprise

Originally Posted by Duchess15

That Tad Williams book you mentioned, I think I remember seeing the characters. Is it any good?

My dad was going to throw out all his good condition hard back books because he just had too many. I told him to give them to me and I would try to find a used bookstore that would take them. Mind you, most were hard back and most stores won't take them because most people want paperback. I found a store closeby that would take them all. She couldn't give me full credit, but half and I ended up with almost $400 in credit!

So if there is a book I am looking for, I always check there first. I don't buy too many at the bookstore. I go to amazon and buy used ones there. The prices aren't too bad and I often pay more for the shipping at $3.49 than the actual book itself.

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Wow, you got a good deal for those books. I couldn't have thrown them away, I'd rather donate them to a library before sticking them on the curb.
When you mentioned cat books that one just came to mind, it was an ok book, definitely different. I'm not sure if it's in press now, or amazon has it listed oddly.

Nope, I read the book front to back like a good girl...The problem is, if I am reading a crappy book, I MUST finish it...and I literally read one page a night until its finished because I can't bear to read more I simply can't leave a book half read, no matter how boring it is.

I sometimes skip ahead when reading but not too often.

Tolkien has been mentioned a few times in this thread so I'll add my two cents worth about someone that I consider to be the greatest author of the past 100 years. TLOTR and The Hobbit (especially so) are much easier reads than some of the other works published after death. While they are interesting reads when it comes to learning about how Middle-earth and TLOTR came about, the books that make up what is known as The History of Middle-earth series can be rather hard to read. When I started reading other Tolkien works I was told that The Silmarillion is a tough read but I found it to be less daunting than The Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2, which contain many revisions but they are the earliest manuscripts containing visions of "his world". No matter how many times I read one of his books or stories I always pick up on something that I missed before. I think this because of the great amount of detail he provides with his stories.

Originally Posted by Essayons89

I sometimes skip ahead when reading but not too often.

Tolkien has been mentioned a few times in this thread so I'll add my two cents worth about someone that I consider to be the greatest author of the past 100 years. TLOTR and The Hobbit (especially so) are much easier reads than some of the other works published after death. While they are interesting reads when it comes to learning about how Middle-earth and TLOTR came about, the books that make up what is known as The History of Middle-earth series can be rather hard to read. When I started reading other Tolkien works I was told that The Silmarillion is a tough read but I found it to be less daunting than The Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2, which contain many revisions but they are the earliest manuscripts containing visions of "his world". No matter how many times I read one of his books or stories I always pick up on something that I missed before. I think this because of the great amount of detail he provides with his stories.

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I love Tolkien. I rarely reread books, but I have lost count how many times over the past 3 years that I have read the 3 LoTR novels. I can read all 3 novels back to back and then go right back to the first one again.

Each time I read it seems different: almost like it has rewritten itself.

The only other of his books that I have read is "The Hobbit", which I enjoyed but not as much as the LoTR books, probably because "The Hobbit" is geared more towards children and I'm not that into reading kids books. The Silmarillion I read as well and I quite enjoyed that. It put so much more clarity on the rest of his books. I tried reading "The People of Middle Earth", but gave up on that. It was too technical for me.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cats, have you read Tailchasher's Song by Tad Williams? I can't remember the exact writing style as it's been too many years, but the characters are cats. Kind of neat. He also has several other series I need to get around to reading.

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I LOVED Tailchaser's Song!!! I still have it somewhere around here. It's a really well written cat fantasy story. I'm going to have to dig it out and read it again!

I recently read a series of books (written for young teens maybe) about cats. I think there were about 6 books in each series. The first series: The Warriors. The second series: The Warriors: The New Prophecy, and now she's started a new series called Warriors: The Power of Three.....written by Erin Hunter. They were fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed them! She has the first one of the new series coming out on 4/24/07! I originally found them at Walmart, of all places!

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Sorry

I read that first chapter posted at that link and it didn't grab me. Actually, I didn't read the whole chapter, I found myself skimming through it.

I just don't care for his style of writing anymore for some reason.

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Augh! I am wounded!

Nah, that's okay. Funny, though -- it's his writing style I love most -- so direct and unselfconscious, not always trying too hard like some writers (Koontz leaps to mind).

Reading through the rest of these, I'm amazed how many Tolkien fans we have here! Am I the last person in the world who hasn't read him? I've just never been able to get interested in elves and trolls and such.

I forgot awhile ago -- whenever anyone brings up books, I always try to mention Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (no relation to Lee Child, except that they're both brilliant). Separately, these guys are great... together, they're phenomenal!

Guilty as charged! I guess I'm kind of a control freak in that way

Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

If you like really good, well written fiction.....I recommend reading Lee Childs. He uses the same character in his books, so I'd recommend reading his first book, The Killing Floor, first. His books are so good that I usually have to read them in one sitting...can't put them down! If the book is boring, I've skipped to the end to read it just to get it over (Danielle Steele, Patricia Cornwall, etc.) but if the book is well written and exciting...I just put my reading skills into overdrive and read like a woman possessed, straight through to the end! Most good novels take me about 6 hours to read. Lee Childs has a new book, Bad Luck And Trouble, due out May 15th....I can hardly wait!!!

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I'm heading to the library tomorrow (Wednesday), and plan on picking up a few of Lee Childs' books. I'm going to look for "The Enemy" which is the prequel to the whole series from what I saw on his site. Then I'll read "Te Killing Floor"

If anyone knows any other good authors that write the following themes, please post them:

Medical mysteries
- I've already read all of Kathey Reiches and Patrica Cornwell
- I have read a number of Robin Cook and have several on request at the library

Vampire novels
- I read all of Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicals" and really enjoyed them

Government espionage/spy
- I read all of Vince Flynn's novels. Those were great
- I've bread all of Dan Brown's novels too.

I've read a number of Stephen King novels, but haven't read anything of his since he started writing those dumb "Dark Tower" books. I've lost interest in his style ofwriting since.

I'm not interested in "Romance" type novels IE: Harlequin etc.

not really no,
unless the book is not very good book, then i may skip stuff.

Originally Posted by Duchess15

If a book is just too slowly developed, I will just stopped reading it all together. Such as Robert Jordan.
Right now I'm reading George R R Martin. He is very good.

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Jordan bothers me, I couldn't even read his last book. My friend loaned me the last two and I couldn't remember which one was supposed to be first. Ugg. I have a good memory, but not for that stuff.

I love Martin, but he makes me mad!! All his books are such cliffhangers, and then he's not very nice to some of my favorite people....

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Jordan is good, but his story crawls because he has too many characters. Eddings is funny. Weis and Hickman make a good writing pair.

Terry Goodkind is a good fantasy author.. with a very long series.
There's C. J. Cherryh, who has a ton of books. Some better than others and she also writes sci fi fantasy.

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If any one is intersted in meeding Cherryh in person she shows up at the Missoula Miscon over Memorial Day weekend every year.

Goodkind bothers me... by the time I got to his last few books I thought his writing style went completely downhill.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

But if you gave up on Stephen King before you read "Bag of Bones," you missed his all-time best, in my opinion! Just read the first paragraph here...

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Bag of Bones was Creepy!!!!!

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cats, have you read Tailchasher's Song by Tad Williams? I can't remember the exact writing style as it's been too many years, but the characters are cats. Kind of neat.

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I liked Tailchaser quite a bit.

For the fantasy folks, try Sara Douglass... she's got quite a bit now and a rather nice writing style. Her best series so far (that I've read) is the Troy Game, but she's got the Crucible series and the Wayfarer Redemption series out too, and a couple of single books. Kirsten Brown (Green Rider) is another fun new author.

If you are in the mood for an adventure, Jaqueline Carey's stuff is really good too.... although her heroine is... different, to say the least. Also, there's a bunch of new vampire stuff coming out, don't remember who the author is, but it's in the same section as Carey.

You know, there's one big name author that I'm really surprised hasn't been mentioned on here... Mercedes Lackey. Some of her stuff is really good too.

And Dennis McKiernan is worth giving a shot too.... he's got some fun stuff. Hmm, other authors, Sarah Zettel and Elizabeth Hayden.

Also for a non-fantasy book, Sushi for Beginners was absolutely hilarious.

Originally Posted by Essayons89

Tolkien has been mentioned a few times in this thread so I'll add my two cents worth about someone that I consider to be the greatest author of the past 100 years. TLOTR and The Hobbit (especially so) are much easier reads than some of the other works published after death. While they are interesting reads when it comes to learning about how Middle-earth and TLOTR came about, the books that make up what is known as The History of Middle-earth series can be rather hard to read. When I started reading other Tolkien works I was told that The Silmarillion is a tough read but I found it to be less daunting than The Book of Lost Tales 1 & 2, which contain many revisions but they are the earliest manuscripts containing visions of "his world". No matter how many times I read one of his books or stories I always pick up on something that I missed before. I think this because of the great amount of detail he provides with his stories.

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that cause tolkien never really ment for those books to be released to the public they where more for him. It was his son that released those.

Originally Posted by Kaleetha

Jordan bothers me, I couldn't even read his last book. My friend loaned me the last two and I couldn't remember which one was supposed to be first. Ugg. I have a good memory, but not for that stuff.

I love Martin, but he makes me mad!! All his books are such cliffhangers, and then he's not very nice to some of my favorite people....

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i stopped reading jordon wheel of time, after book 7 or 8, when it seemed that he no longer was the ones writting the books. They did not even sound like him anymore.

Martin books are good also, if you notice my id? theimp i started using after reading the first books

Originally Posted by theimp98

Martin books are good also, if you notice my id? theimp i started using after reading the first books

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*laugh* I didn't realize that. He's an awefully good story teller... it's just that I waited forEVER for Feast for Crows to come out. I'm sure I'll be in my 100s before the next book comes out... and then the question... will he finish in 5 books? Will he go on to become Jordan and Goodkind like?? I hope not, but on the other hand he's a good author! Maybe he can carry it off.....

It is funny how some of us tend to adopt fantasy names... I chose mine a long time ago because I identify with elves....

i am reading book 3, from david e cole i beleave the name is.
the books are not great, but they are not bad to read.

lol i kinda wish david eddings would try something again, his books made me laugh plus was a good story.

I really liked Belgarath the Sorcerer, but I didn't care much for the series connected to it. It seemed like the writing was really childish... then again, perhaps I should try again? I haven't seen anything of his other than that series.

One more author I thought of... R.A. Salvatore, sort of along the lines of the Dark Sun novels from Weis and Hickman, but the actual writing is I think much better.

oh the books where not great, but the people eddings created where funny.
i could really see a movie coming from those books some day. However i only really like the first books.

now see that funny, I have never really been able to get into Salvatore or Weis and Hickman(accept for the war of the twins i liked) i think mostly cause of the way they do the dwarf and hobbits or kenders? Its kinda like the way they did the dwaves in lotr movies they played them for jokes, and that is not the way i see them. if that makes sense.

Yes, I am guilty of doing that also.I get to a boring part.....or a very exciting part and have to read ahead and see if it is worth the wait.

I am a very quick reader. When I was younger, I tended to read then end then go back to the beginning. Now I tend to read from start to finish (occasionally skipping a few pages of boring description eg Plains of Passage by Jean Auel)

I don't usually read ahead, although with some scenes (like repetitive sex scenes, a la Laurell K. Hamilton, or endless battle scenes) I tend to sort of skim over the information. Like, does any character development happen here? No? Okay, I don't need to read it. (Don't get me wrong, I like sex scenes and battle scenes. But over and over again? With more or less the same stuff every single time? Yeah. Don't need to read it.) There are also some subjects that I just can't read about -- like child abuse -- and so I'll skim through those scenes (such as in John Irving's Until I Find You) because as good as the book is, as a whole, I can't handle some of the details.

With some authors, though, I flip to the last few pages of the book just to see if my favourite characters survive it or not. Take George R. R. Martin, for example: the man is absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting you to care about and invest in his characters, and then, just like that, he kills them off! So I'll skim ahead a bit to see if the people I love make it through the novel. (I read the book regardless -- I just like to brace myself for the painful inevitable.)

If the book is so boring that I feel like I have to skim through or speed-read the entire thing, it's not worth my time and I just don't bother reading it. It takes a lot to lose my interest, though.