All About Books discussion

I am another one who could read before they started school. I actually went to a two room, little red schoolhouse and I remember the teacher passing out those handouts where the student had to circle the pictures that began with a certain letter. I was finished so quickly and some students seemed to have such a hard time, so I would leave my seat and would walk around helping those who needed it. Needless to say this did not go over big with the teacher and she would make me sit behind this upright piano, which is probably why I can remember this so vividly. I did not have formal reading class after the third grade, I was turned loose in the school library with another student and told to write a book report a week.

My mother read to my sister and I every night, and I always received books for holidays and birthdays from my parents and grandparents. My grandfather liked to bet on the horses and would have me read the scratch sheet to him.
My favorite childhood books were Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew , Judy Bolton and Cherry Ames. Back then I wanted to be a detective or a nurse.

I was very fortunate to have great History and English teachers and professors. Read so many in school: Great Expectations, Soul on Ice, So Big, My Antonia, Scarlet Letter, The Jungle, Johnny got his gun, Catch-22, Brave New World, 1984 and so many others. I remember disliking So Big by Edna Ferber. Wonder how I would feel about it now. The Jungle by Sinclair, I loved but I became Vegetarian for many years and Johnny got his gun, haunts me to this day.

I read almost everywhere and anywhere, I always have a book with me. I do not need quiet to read but I cannot read if music is on, just cannot concentrate. My favorite place to read is sitting on my front porch.

My 5 favorite books are:
Rebecca, just love the atmosphere and that wonderful opening line which sets the tone for what is to follow.
The Woman in White: I love Wilkie and this is one of the best ghost stories ever.
Gone with the Wind, love the characters, the history and the whole package.
Little Women: one of the only books I have read multiple times. I have a wonderful edition with beautiful colored plates. My mother read this to my sister and I, and I have read it to my daughters and now my grand-daughters.
The Book Thief: one of the only audio books I have listened to and I loved it.

One of my favorite books from this year is Long Man, she was a new author for me. This is only her second book and I now have her first on audio.

I prefer fiction though I read quite a bit of both. I just love words, the way they are used to make sentences that allows the reader to see exactly what the author wants us to see.
My go to authors are: Colum McCann and Sarah Waters. They could not be more different but I love how they write, regardless of subject. I have not read all of McCann's though, saving a few in case of a reading drought.


Two authors I want to read are Monica Ali and Sigrid Undset.

I keep track of my books on a few different sites and also on a word document.

I tend to read multiple books at the same time. Am now reading an ARC of How to Tell Toledo from the Night Sky and Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curieamong others. My next books are one from the recommendation swap A Thousand Splendid Suns and The God of Small Things.

Very interesting to read Diane. Happy to see The Book Thief made it to your top five. Loved it.

Thanks for sharing that with us . I love Colum McCann too . So glad we became Goodreads friends.

Thanks for sharing your journey, Diane! I loved Little Women and Gone with the Wind too!

I enjoyed reading your journey, Diane, thank you :) I don't know any of your childhood books! But I do like the English classics you have chosen.

Loved all your favourite 5 - and at least two of them are in my favourite 10, if not 5! I LOVE Wilkie Collins, almost as much as Trollope, and at the moment I'm reading his The Evil Genius!!!

I share a love for 3 of your top 5 so I will have to try Gone With the Wind. I wasn't a big fan of The Book Thief but I love the other 3.

Great journey, thanks for sharing

Thanks for your reading journey, Diane! "God of Small Things" is excellent. A bit slow in places, but a gem in my view. One of the best books on India in my view. I am very interested in Colum McCann. What would you suggest? I have "Transatlantic" on my to-read list.

Thanks for sharing Diane! I notice a lot of similar books to mine, so I will be watching to see how you like Monica Ali!

Diane S: You will surely love Sigrid Undset.

Diane, thanks for your entry. As you know we both adore Colum McCann.

Roderick, Songdogs is my favorite, but each one is different so you can choose which one draws. Just don't pick Fishing the Sloe-Black River, unless you absolutely love short stories. I only gave this two stars.

Thanks for sharing your journey Diane! Lover of McCann number 3 or 4 here, so I should probably take a closer look at Sarah Waters (despite her being very different as you say. Any recommendations there?

@Chrissie, thank for the Songdogs recommendation. Have added it to my list.

Diane, I really liked your reading journey, thanks for sharing. I also loved The Book Thief. My favorite McCann book is Let the Great World Spin.

Roderick, glad I could help.

Yeah, the Book Thief WAS good. I read in a magazine review, "There must be something wrong with you if you don't like this book!", and I laughed. Good stuff.

Diane, so many love The Woman in White, but what do you think of that for ME? My guess is no. I would like your advice please.

Thanks for this, Diane, I enjoyed reading it. I love all your favourite books, except I haven't yet read The Woman in White - soon to be rectified, I hope!

Monica Ali's Brick Lane is a good read - I think you would enjoy that one.

You have a couple of great books to read next - I really enjoyed both A Thousand Splendid Suns and The God of Small Things.

Happy reading!

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. Roderick Transatlantic is also very good.

Chrissie. Woman in White is a very atmospheric ghost novel. Can't see this being your kind of book.

Diane S. wrote: "Chrissie. Woman in White is a very atmospheric ghost novel. Can't see this being your kind of book."

I just always think I too will love what everyone else does, and then I get disappointed! Thanks. That is what I thought. Amazingly enough I have read some ghost stories I loved. There is an exception to every rule. For that reason I keep trying books that I probably will not like........

I don't think you will not like it because it is a ghost story but because it is considered Victorian literature, which is not one of your favorites.

Thank you for explaining, Diane.