All About Books discussion

1. Have you always loved books? Who, if anyone, in your life has most inspired you to read?
Yes I have always loved reading. The only time it's not enjoyable to me is when I'm instructed that I have to read "such & such" a book, which is why I do not participate in Buddy Reads and why I hated Hamlet in HS. It becomes a chore to me. My mother is an avid reader and I remember her being snuggled in bed between my sister and I and she would read Mother Goose, Aesop, Grimms Brothers, Robert Service and other poems.

2. What was your favourite childhood book?
I have several, Be Nice to Spiders, Little dog lost, Danny and the Dinosaur, A Harry The Dirty Dog Treasury: Three Stories, and any of the Madeline books

3. Which books do you remember studying at school? Did you enjoy them?
I did not enjoy reading in school, it seemed like a chore to me. I do not remember any of the books I had to read during my school years.

4. Where do you most enjoy reading? Do you need silence to read, or can you read almost anywhere?
Yes, as long as I have a book I can read. I don't need silence, but if it's TOO loud then I have a problem concentrating and comprehending what I'm reading.

5.Choose five of your favourite books and tell us why you loved them so much!
*Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes because I have great memories of being in bed w/ Mom as she read to my sister and I. We also learned how to read to this book.
*Mrs. Mike - I first read this book when I was about 12-13 yrs old. I think the reason why I like this book so much is 1) b/c I think it was the first book I read that transported me INTO the story and made me feel like the characters were REAL and 2)I had my first literary crush. I vividly remember telling my mother that I was going to live in Canada and marry a Mountie.
*Little Women - the first book that made me cry
*Winter Garden - a book about mother/daughter, sister/sister relationships; also dual story-line about the siege of Leningrad, I cry (sob) every-time I read this book.
*any Calvin and Hobbes, if I'm feeling down in the dumps, Calvin and his conscious Hobbes never fail to pick me up.

6. Do you prefer reading fiction or non fiction?
I prefer fiction, but I have read some non.

7. Are you fond of a particular author and what attracts you to their books? (You can pick a few if you can’t choose!)
On the one hand I like authors who write about real life, and how people in the stories would react to certain situations. I like the fact that some authors don't always have a HEA ending because hey, real life doesn't always have a HEA. But on the other hand, I like the HEA, but - there has to be a little meat to the story line.

8. Is there an author you haven't yet tried but you'd really like to?
Jim Butcher, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Philippa Gregory

9. Do you rely on goodreads to keep track of your reading or do you have your own method?
I try to use my shelved on GR, but I have pretty good memory of what I've read. If I don't remember the title, the I'll usually remember the storyline.

10. What's the best book you've read so far this year? What are you reading at the moment? What will you be reading next?
I've read a couple of good books this year The Diary of a Young Girl, The Storyteller, Sarah's Key, and The Book of Life. I just finished reading Secrets of the Wolves and am in the process of looking for a new read.

Julia, I haven't read many of the authors you mention, but I do enjoy Calvin & Hobbes :) It is a wonderful comic!

Also, I've read some by authors you mention wanting to read in future - one by Jim Butcher that was enjoyable and several by Marion Zimmer Bradley that I loved.

Some fun fantasy ones by Bradley: Hawkmistress! and Stormqueen!. In fact, I find many of the Darkover series highly readable. On the more serious side of her work, The Mists of Avalon is a really excellent re-telling of the King Arthur legend from the point of view of the women, though it has a bit of a pro-pagan tilt. I liked her re-telling of the Sack of Troy, The Firebrand, as well.

Thanks for the recommendations Greg! The Darkover series sounds great and I've added to my TR shelf. The Mists Of Avalon I already have on my list, but I've also added The Firebrand.

My pleasure Julia! :)

I just noticed that another AAB member Angela also rated Mrs. Mike and Winter Garden very highly (4 or 5 stars). I like several of the same books that she does; so between your recommendation and hers, I think I'll like those too. I added them to my TR.

Julia,
Thanks for sharing your reading journey with us . I loved Mrs . Mike when I read it many years ago .
I have read several other books you mentioned and all have touched me in some way . I did love The Winter Garden , Diary of a Young Girl , The Storyteller and Sarah's Key .

I have read a few of Gregory 'a books and enjoyed them , especially The Other Boleyn Girl .

Thanks again .

Thanks for sharing this with us Julia. It's so lovely to get to know through your reading journey.

Mrs. Mike is one of my favorite books EVER. I've had to replace it a couple of times I re-read so often.

I know I have The Other Boleyn Girl on my shelf, but have not got to it yet. If I remember correctly, that is part of a series, and I'm pretty anal about reading any series in order.

I have read a few Philipa Gregory. I recommend the Tudor Court series. I've read three of the 5, you don't really have to read them in order either which is good.