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Discussion: Book discussion
Member Since: 8/1/2008
Posts: 52,761
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I'm looking for a special YA novel to gift to my best friend this summer but I just can't find the right one. Everytime I think I found one I read bad reviews about it and such.
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Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 3,847
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Hi guys, I'm going to buy a few books for this summer soon and I don't really know what to buy. My taste is very varied and the genre doesn't matter. I'd love to read some good classic works.
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Member Since: 6/23/2010
Posts: 3,429
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Quote:
Originally posted by dannyboy
Hi guys, I'm going to buy a few books for this summer soon and I don't really know what to buy. My taste is very varied and the genre doesn't matter. I'd love to read some good classic works.
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Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
This month I read Splintered, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Let the Great World Spin, 172 Hours on the Moon, The Keeper of the Isis Light, The Night Circus, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and half of The Song of Achilles.
Here's what I thought...
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: 4.5 star. Although incoherent and lacking a strong message, the sheer imagination of Carroll's world and characters make this classic deserving of its status.
Let the Great World Spin: 4.0 star. Although utterly devoid of humour and charm, the strong realism and insightful prose of this novel make it an interesting, compelling read.
The Keeper of the Isis Light: 4.0 star. With powerful themes of loneliness, isolation, body-image and disappointment, this obscure 1980 novel is a charming, agreeable - if slightly dated - sci-fi story.
The Night Circus: 5.0 star. One of the most imaginative novels out there, The Night Circus is an endless supply of charms wonders.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: 5.0 star. A touching, timeless and beautiful bildungsroman which transcends its LGBT genre.
I'm currently reading Dorothy Must Die, and my TBR for June includes Titus Groan, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and the rest of The Song of Achilles.
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Bonus :
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Member Since: 11/5/2007
Posts: 19,997
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I've missed a lot in here.
Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
I just finished reading Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe and OMG it was amazing... so touching... five stars.
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I've been wanting to read this one, and I'm gonna ask my local bookstore if they have a paperback copy of it.
Quote:
Originally posted by Callum
I'm currently reading Wonder by RJ Palacio and it's really touching. It's about a 10 year-old boy who's born with severe facial disfigurement and it's told from his perspective and from the perspectives of his family and other kids at his school and stuff and it's cute and sad at the same time.
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I looooooooove Wonder It's so cute and touching. The narration from different perspectives is a plus (especially his sister's boyfriend's, such punctuation). Love love the book to the bits.
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I finished this one yesterday, and it's amazing. So cute and it was well written (quite a long read tho, but def worth it).
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 59,596
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Atonement is one of the most beautiful books I've read. I need to try and branch out and read more of Ian McEwan. Still have so many books from last summer to catch up on still! Never Let Me Go is just waiting in the wings for me to finally start it.
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 7,399
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Quote:
Originally posted by HUYPHAN
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I've already got More Than This and I'm hoping to read it over the summer.
I really want to read Call Me By Your Name now, I'll probably download it soon.
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 7,399
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Quote:
Originally posted by dannyboy
Hi guys, I'm going to buy a few books for this summer soon and I don't really know what to buy. My taste is very varied and the genre doesn't matter. I'd love to read some good classic works.
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I'd love to recommend something to you!
What genres are you interested in?
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Member Since: 9/3/2011
Posts: 28,911
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Currently reading this!
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Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 3,847
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Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
I'd love to recommend something to you!
What genres are you interested in?
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I honestly love just about everything, I'm very open minded.
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Member Since: 3/8/2012
Posts: 39,015
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ares
His Zombie 'Rot and Ruin' saga is amazing. I've never read patient zero, so I can't comment.
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Wait what is that?
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 7,399
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Quote:
Originally posted by dannyboy
Hi guys, I'm going to buy a few books for this summer soon and I don't really know what to buy. My taste is very varied and the genre doesn't matter. I'd love to read some good classic works.
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Well I'd definitely recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I've just read it and it's great.
As you want to read classics, The Help is a really good summer read, as is To Kill a Mockingbird. Also it is good to read dystopian novels when the weather is better so you don't get totally depressed. I tried to read 1984 in January once, which was a very foolish thing to do.
So yeah stuff like that and Brave New World are really interesting - probably my favourite kind of classic. And Fahrenheit 451 and The Children of Men are great too, if you'd call them classics.
If you're interested in really old stuff, I've always had a lust for Victorian literature, but this isn't exactly easy-going if you're just starting out reading. Perhaps a Sherlock Holmes novel or Oliver Twist? Vanity Fair and North and South are cool (my personal faves), but most people might think they're boring.
I hope I helped.
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Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 3,847
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Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
Well I'd definitely recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I've just read it and it's great.
As you want to read classics, The Help is a really good summer read, as is To Kill a Mockingbird. Also it is good to read dystopian novels when the weather is better so you don't get totally depressed. I tried to read 1984 in January once, which was a very foolish thing to do.
So yeah stuff like that and Brave New World are really interesting - probably my favourite kind of classic. And Fahrenheit 451 and The Children of Men are great too, if you'd call them classics.
If you're interested in really old stuff, I've always had a lust for Victorian literature, but this isn't exactly easy-going if you're just starting out reading. Perhaps a Sherlock Holmes novel or Oliver Twist? Vanity Fair and North and South are cool (my personal faves), but most people might think they're boring.
I hope I helped.
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Thank you so much! As for the classic books, do you think I should read them in their original language, English (I'm from Sweden), or is it ok to read them in Swedish?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 2,855
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Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
Well I'd definitely recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I've just read it and it's great.
As you want to read classics, T he Help is a really good summer read, as is To Kill a Mockingbird. Also it is good to read dystopian novels when the weather is better so you don't get totally depressed. I tried to read 1984 in January once, which was a very foolish thing to do.
So yeah stuff like that and Brave New World are really interesting - probably my favourite kind of classic. And Fahrenheit 451 and The Children of Men are great too, if you'd call them classics.
If you're interested in really old stuff, I've always had a lust for Victorian literature, but this isn't exactly easy-going if you're just starting out reading. Perhaps a Sherlock Holmes novel or Oliver Twist? Vanity Fair and North and South are cool (my personal faves), but most people might think they're boring.
I hope I helped.
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Your flawless taste though
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Member Since: 1/2/2014
Posts: 18,038
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Quote:
Originally posted by brndksk
Well I'd definitely recommend Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I've just read it and it's great.
As you want to read classics, The Help is a really good summer read, as is To Kill a Mockingbird. Also it is good to read dystopian novels when the weather is better so you don't get totally depressed. I tried to read 1984 in January once, which was a very foolish thing to do.
So yeah stuff like that and Brave New World are really interesting - probably my favourite kind of classic. And Fahrenheit 451 and The Children of Men are great too, if you'd call them classics.
If you're interested in really old stuff, I've always had a lust for Victorian literature, but this isn't exactly easy-going if you're just starting out reading. Perhaps a Sherlock Holmes novel or Oliver Twist? Vanity Fair and North and South are cool (my personal faves), but most people might think they're boring.
I hope I helped.
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I know this wasn't intended for me but let me go read how to kill a mocking bird.
Thanks
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 7,399
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Quote:
Originally posted by dannyboy
Thank you so much! As for the classic books, do you think I should read them in their original language, English (I'm from Sweden), or is it ok to read them in Swedish?
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I think it depends on how confident you are with English. Personally, I think its always better to read them in their original language, as things do get lost in translation, although with classic books, extra care will have gone into translating them so you needn't worry too much.
Some of the classic books are quite wordy, and you don't want to be reading it with a dictionary in your hand, so if you are more comfortable with Swedish, then go for that.
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 11,808
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Currently reading the Lowlands. Enjoying it so far. I recommend Life after Life and The Goldfinch too!
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/2/2012
Posts: 7,414
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ichinaru19
Wait what is that?
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A four book series of an AMAZING zombie series. I definitely recommend it.
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
Posts: 50,981
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Literally heartbroken after reading Song of Achilles. I've always been into the idea of Achilles and Patroclus as lovers, but to actually read a novel about them is amazing.
And it's only $1.99 on iBooks, which is like the greatest bargain I've ever encountered in iTunes history.
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Member Since: 6/28/2010
Posts: 7,399
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Quote:
Originally posted by JakeKills
Literally heartbroken after reading Song of Achilles. I've always been into the idea of Achilles and Patroclus as lovers, but to actually read a novel about them is amazing.
And it's only $1.99 on iBooks, which is like the greatest bargain I've ever encountered in iTunes history.
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I'm half way through. It's so beautiful and lyrical.
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 3,519
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