Books, books, books, books, books - I love books

[The_Traveler]

There is nothing I like more than returning from the library with a load of books and having it start to rain so I can sit in our sun-room (lots of windows) and read all the afternoon, with hot chocolate or tea aplenty.
(and don't care for the Kindle one tenth as much. I like to accumulate books.)

For me, it is the early John LeCarre as an author and the book is by the same author, 'Smiley's People.' This novel is the culmination of a long and wonderful series starting with 'The Spy Who Came In From the Cold' - excellent book, decent movie - with Richard Burton acting all over the place and Claire Bloom with her huge forehead..
'Smiley's People' was a wonderful book that summed up all the Cold War spy issues and cleaned up all the loose ends in Smiley's life and career. There is a absolutely terrific mini-series. "Smiley's People" (1982). If you can't read all the George Smiley books, for a great experience read at least 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy' and 'Smiley's People'

Just found that Smiley's People is available as an Area 2 DVD set so if you can rip it to play on your Area 1 player, you are set.
Got great reviews at Amazon.




Don't see the recent 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'. It is like expecting sex and getting a sour kiss.

Do you have a favorite author and a favorite book - one that you read over and over?

 

[squirrels]

I was reminded today of Lonesome Dove. I could read that book again and again!

Tinker Tailor was a great read!

Lately most of my reading is what Mr Squirrels lumps under the "Elves and fairies" :roll: category (with the eyeroll included).

 

[Benco]

I like the Kindle a lot for travelling (until I broke mine anyway), at home though...definately it's real books that have the edge. My favourite travelling books for the last ten years or so are Eon and it's sequal Eternity by Greg Bear, I've read them dozens of times and still love them. A former favourite (which I still have but it would probably fall to pieces if handled roughly) was Wilbur Smith's River God. Up and coming re-reading favourites are two I picked up second hand a year or so ago; Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (really must get some more of his books).

 

[squirrels]

I like the Kindle a lot for travelling (until I broke mine anyway), at home though...definately it's real books that have the edge. My favourite travelling books for the last ten years or so are Eon and it's sequal Eternity by Greg Bear, I've read them dozens of times and still love them. A former favourite (which I still have but it would probably fall to pieces if handled roughly) was Wilbur Smith's River God. Up and coming re-reading favourites are two I picked up second hand a year or so ago; Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (really must get some of his books).

Snow crash and Diamond age! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Anathem is mind blowing Stephenson.

 

[Benco]

I like the Kindle a lot for travelling (until I broke mine anyway), at home though...definately it's real books that have the edge. My favourite travelling books for the last ten years or so are Eon and it's sequal Eternity by Greg Bear, I've read them dozens of times and still love them. A former favourite (which I still have but it would probably fall to pieces if handled roughly) was Wilbur Smith's River God. Up and coming re-reading favourites are two I picked up second hand a year or so ago; Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (really must get some of his books).

Snow crash and Diamond age! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Anathem is mind blowing Stephenson.

Thanks, I'll keep and eye out for it.

 

[squirrels]

I like the Kindle a lot for travelling (until I broke mine anyway), at home though...definately it's real books that have the edge. My favourite travelling books for the last ten years or so are Eon and it's sequal Eternity by Greg Bear, I've read them dozens of times and still love them. A former favourite (which I still have but it would probably fall to pieces if handled roughly) was Wilbur Smith's River God. Up and coming re-reading favourites are two I picked up second hand a year or so ago; Snow Crash and The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson (really must get some of his books).

Snow crash and Diamond age! :thumbup: :thumbup:
Anathem is mind blowing Stephenson.

Thanks, I'll keep and eye out for it.

Oh, and seeing my three year old with children's books on the kindle fire reminds me of Diamond Age almost every time. Eek!

 

[Benco]

Aye, the young ladies illustrated primer...quite scary how close we are to having that technology.

 

[sm4him]

I haven't read any LeCarre in a VERY long time, so long I no longer remember what I even read. I think I did read Tinker, Tailor but just don't recall. Might have to give them another go.

I have so many "favorites" it would be hard to pin down, but in terms of books I have read and re-read and re-read again through the years:

Anything by Mark Twain.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (particularly the first of the four-part trilogy. ) by Douglas Adams

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (yes, it IS a children's book. But it is also just chock full of Awesome)

The Nine Lives of Opalina The Cat by Peggy Bacon--this was my second favorite book as an elementary-school kid (right behind Chronicles of Narnia). It is no longer in print, and for many, many years, I wondered if the book was as good as my memories of it were. Sometimes, I'd consider buying it, but then I'd look and find that it was selling for $300 and up. A few years ago, I finally lucked into a copy of it for less than $100 and I jumped on it, figuring I could then resell it for a profit. And I could--it is now selling for nearly 7 times what I paid for it. But it is very nearly as wonderful as I remember and so now, I can't decide whether to sell it for a profit or keep it around for the theoretical grandchildren I could have someday (and of course, I'd HAVE to read it once in a while as I wait...)

 

[Benco]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (particularly the first of the four-part trilogy. ) by Douglas Adams

There's 5 parts to that trilogy, don't forget about Mostly Harmless.

 

[sm4him]

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (particularly the first of the four-part trilogy. ) by Douglas Adams

There's 5 parts to that trilogy, don't forget about Mostly Harmless.

Oh, yeah. Thing is, the joke about the four-part trilogy started with the fourth book, and so I always kinda forget that there are five, and rarely bother to count that high.
And Mostly Harmless is one of my favorites, after the original two. The third and fourth are good, but I prefer the first two and the last one.

 

[oldhippy]

Anything by Mark Twain.

The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket By Poe
then Jules Verne picks up the story line and does his rendition.
And the third in this trilogy. Pym is the third novel by American author Mat Johnson, published on March 1, 2011. A satirical fantasy inspired by The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
Snow Leopard by Mathisson

 

[KmH]

Jules Verne wrote classic, forward thinking sci-fi back in his day. Is that the same as Jewels Vern?

I read for at least an hour every day.

I'm well known at my local library for the broad range of books I check out. I often initiate inter-library loans because our library is short on books in several areas I am interested in.

 

[IByte]

Bram stoker, Joseph Conrad, World s at War(and narrated by Lawrence Oliver), Homer and his poerty, Joseph Campbell, Dan Brown, Ann Rice, William Blake, and im done for now

 

[oldhippy]

Jules Verne wrote classic, forward thinking sci-fi back in his day. Is that the same as Jewels Vern?

I read for at least an hour every day.

I'm well known at my local library for the broad range of books I check out. I often initiate inter-library loans because our library is short on books in several areas I am interested in.

Blame the darn little nuns with their phonetic spelling. Was Verne

 

[Rick Waldroup]

Paul Auster- I have read most of his books at least twice. I am also a huge fan of Anne Tyler.