EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion

Discussion for our Aug '16 BOTM Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This thread is **SPOILER FREE**. For the spoiler-filled conversation, please head over to this thread .

Happy reading!

Loved this book!! Everytime I see a copy at the used book store I buy it and send it out in my book swapping club. I'm going to have to start monitoring that though because apparently some editions are censored...

Luella wrote: "Loved this book!! Everytime I see a copy at the used book store I buy it and send it out in my book swapping club. I'm going to have to start monitoring that though because apparently some editions..."

I sure hope the copy I checked out from the library isn't one of the censored ones. Fahrenheit 451

Lena wrote: "Luella wrote: "Loved this book!! Everytime I see a copy at the used book store I buy it and send it out in my book swapping club. I'm going to have to start monitoring that though because apparentl..."

That's the edition I read! You should be all set. :)

I know nothing about this book, but got a copy ready to read this month - aim to start reading it in the next few days.

I absolutely adore this book. I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks of it!

I love this book but won't be reading it with everyone because I just read it recently (last October) and I need to stop slacking on my TBR list :) I do look forward to the discussion though.

I absolutely despised this book so I'm really looking forward to the discussion to see why it is that people seem to love it

I am going to have to reread this book. I hated it my first time. Bradbury is a favorite author. Many people love this book. I wonder if it was where I was in my life that caused my dislike of the book

I’ve picked up and put this one down a few times, so I’m hoping I can actually get through it this month with y’all!

I read this book in 2016 so most probably I won't be re-reading it any time soon. Also it is nit one of my favorites. I still remember how I could not concentrate on this story as my mind was constsntly drifting away. I am really curious to read the spoilers and ideas from others about this book.

The audio is definitely worth a try. Even though I usually prefer paper books, I did try the audio of this awhile back, and the dramatic voice made everything more immediate, more direct... and I didn't 'drift away.' (But Martina, I agree, it's easy to do that with the paper book.)

I loved it! I'm not going to join because I have other books to read right now. It's going to be one of my husband's future read though. I'm curious to see what you think...

Does anyone know where I can get a free copy from? My library doesn’t offer it unfortunately. Audiobook is preferred because I like to listen while doing chores but other versions are good too. Even if I can find it for cheap somewhere would be nice.

Jessi wrote: "Does anyone know where I can get a free copy from? My library doesn’t offer it unfortunately. Audiobook is preferred because I like to listen while doing chores but other versions are good too. Eve..."
Unfortunately, it's not in the public domain, so you're unlikely to find it for free, but the website bookfinder.com is great for finding cheap books. I just checked actually and the cheapest new one is 5.99 and the cheapest used one is 3.89 (and it always includes shipping in the price). There's also paperbackswap.com if you have a book you're looking to get rid of in exchange for Fahrenheit 451

I LOVE this book! I have read it twice so far. I think it was incredibly prescient.

I agree April!

Jessi - Other libraries are sure to have it. Ask a librarian for help. They know all the tricks. There might be other libraries in your system that can transfer it over (you can usually do it online). If not, ask the librarian to help you set up an interlibrary loan with another library system. Most libraries participate. So even if the 30+ libraries in my county don't have a book, they'll look in other regions or systems. If you have a friend who is in high school or college, or works at a school, they might be able to get it for you. Some colleges give alumni borrowing privileges.

Jessi - also ask the library about the audio version.

If you're not already a member of Audible.com, you can get your first audio book for free. I haven't checked, but there might be competing audio book services that do the same thing.

I do a lot of Audio books. I have Lupus which causes me many problems. One of the is rheumatoid arthritis. When it is bad books are painful to hold. I use my kindle or listen to an audio book at that time

I have found some books are enhanced by listening to an audio book,

It also reminds me of the days my mother read to me. It brings me comforting childhood memories.



Preeti wrote: "I remember reading this book in high school for english class and finding it to be such a weird book. This time around I am "reading" the audiobook version. It's my first time listening to an audio..."

We were discussing audio vs print books in my book club last night. Some people mentioned that they absorb different types of information aurally versus visually. I found that when I read a section of a book that I already listened to (or vice versa), I might pick up something that I missed before. On the topic of "is it cheating to listen rather than read" only one person said that she still feels like it's cheating to listen (unless she's in the car, which is of course safer).

We do think that it's really important to (visually) read a lot when you're younger, because it really helps you to learn how to write and spell. That's easy for us to say because we're all over, um 30 or so.

We all agreed that books contribute so much to the quality of your life, it doesn't matter if you read or listen - fit them in however you can.

Someone mentioned that a survey found that the average college graduate reads only one book per year. (Or maybe just one book for pleasure?) That seems so sad, doesn't it? I probably had a few one book years myself in my 30's, though it's hard to imagine that now.

Renee, I really feel for you. It's wonderful that there are so many choices now. My mom has severe arthritis and she can no longer play cards or hold a book. But she can hold a tablet on her lap. After I was in an accident, the migraines created blank spots (sometimes auras) in my vision. It hurt my eyes to read, but I could listen in the dark, and listening to a good book really helped reduce my stress when I was in pain.

I was recommended this book by my teacher last year. It was a fantastic lesson about Science Fiction. He told us this temperature is exactly the fire point of paper, which reminded me about the "Fen Shu Keng Ru" in Qin Dynasty.

Finally, I am going to read it, can't wait!!

Mengying wrote: "He told us this temperature is exactly the fire point of paper, which reminded me about the "Fe..."

That’s not quite right (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_...), but it certainly makes a good sound bite.

Two great bits of information!

I didn't know "Fen Shu Keng Ru", great story. Thanks, Mengying!

And the Slate article is a very clear explanation on the matter while making no harm to the "auto-ignition point of paper" idea or the book. Thanks, Summer!

I started this to fall asleep last night, and at 3:45 AM, I was still wide awake reading feverishly. It's good! I actually tried to borrow the audio from my library, but apparently everyone in the world is reading it. They have 25 audio copies, and the waiting list is still well over 30 weeks!

I requested this audiobook from the OverDrive app over a week ago and it’s still not available so I’m going to do this the old fashion way: crack open an actual copy that I own. Starting now.... 📖

I read this awhile ago.
I have to admit, I just don't get the hype about it.
I didn't think it was that well written and the story itself didn't strike me as all that great.
Maybe it needs to go on the list of "books to try again in a few years" for me.

Sarah I felt the same my first time reading the book. I did not appreciate it until I discussed it with my book group. It still is not one of my favorites but I it did make me think about things.




Sarah wrote: "I read this awhile ago.
I have to admit, I just don't get the hype about it.
I didn't think it was that well written and the story itself didn't strike me as all that great.
Maybe it needs to go on..."

I started this book three times, but it just didn't click for me, and it was easy to get lured by other book or figure skating on TV. Finally today I downloaded the audio to see if that helped. It did! The high energy voice makes the main character seem less wooden, and I heard some phrases I really liked that I didn't see when I read that section of the book. I'm listening at 1.25 times the regular speed and it sounds good.

NancyJ wrote: "I started this book three times, but it just didn't click for me, and it was easy to get lured by other book or figure skating on TV. Finally today I downloaded the audio to see if that helped. It ..."

Hi Nancy,
I am listening to it as well (in the car) but also reading it when at home. There is a difference. I also like the reading style of the voice actor.
I'm nearly finished but I don't know if I love this yet either. Although I Love Bradbury! It's a curious tale and I think VERY relevant today nearly 70 years after it was written. Beatty was a frightening and yet interesting character. I'm wondering how he was so well read but clearly rejected everything he learned. I guess the point is that he had to know literature in order to be able to prove (in his view) it was all nonsense. Very chilling and I can see so many parallels to modern society. How much television and of course social media we consume. Although, we have NOT stopped reading books as GoodReads and other book club sites have proven. And whether they're in audio form, e-reader form or actual paper books I don't see a near future where we will stop reading.

I liked this author a lot when I was young, but mainly short stories I suspect. The most annoying aspect of the writing in this book is his frequent repetition of phrases, lists, names. It seems nonsensical, and is worse when listening because he sometimes gets louder and more crazy sounding. When reading, it's easier to skip over it.

I agree with Kim. It is more relevant today then when I first read it,

We are slowly moving everything to digital storage, Some one is picking what stays and what goes, Many of the lesser books (for lack of a better term) will not be saved. I feel this parallels Bradburys story..

I know this is not a new thing for literature. Over time the books that have remained tended to be the ones that those in power felt had social significance.

Thus we have many tales of the Aristroacy. The things that were saved also project the feelings and prejudices of those saving them.

Iam not good with words. But i think you can see what i am trying to say

Interesting reading the different views on this. I’m going to give this a go...

I'm really glad I read this book. It made me think about a lot of different issues, some that were quite unexpected. It's a short book, but I felt that I needed to stop and think about it for awhile.

Early in the book Captain Beatty said it was better to keep people busy or moving fast to prevent them from thinking about things that might make them sad. Keep filling their heads with information so they feel smart, but don't give them a reason to THINK about the information.

That hit a nerve for me. So I stopped to think. I feel the need to be more mindful, rather than to always be busy and distracted.

BTW, I don't think this is a spoiler, but in the book, that strategy wasn't working. People WERE sad. They were sad and empty and dying from reckless driving and suicides.

Kim wrote: Beatty was a frightening and yet interesting character. I'm wondering how he was so well read but clearly rejected everything he learned. I guess the point is that he had to know literature in order to be able to prove (in his view) it was all nonsense

t..."

Yes, I'm surprised no one called him on it. He had a lot of literature memorized (if not perfectly) for someone who claims not to like it, and he seems to be doing a lot of thinking for someone who thinks it's dangerous.

Going to finish my book then get started :)

I look forward to the group discussion.

I missed the book discussion for A Thousand Splendid Suns but loved the book. Will try to keep up with Fahrenheit 451 this month.

Been meaning to read this for a long time! Looking forward to finally sitting down with it.

I've read this several times, and get more out of it with each read. I should be able to keep up with discussion.

I read this a while ago after someone recommended it to me. My first book by this author & a genre that I rarely choose - but I loved it!

This is an all-time favorite of mine and the inspiration for the best GR review I've ever seen: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Phil wrote: "This is an all-time favorite of mine and the inspiration for the best GR review I've ever seen: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

It really is a great review👍

I got this on Audiobook today and started it but got super distracted. I have the gist though and am looking forward to seeing where this goes!

People always talk about this book, so I'm excited to finally have a push to read it.

Also, thanks for those websites for cheap books! I love to write notes and underline as I read but recently I've been just doing library/libby which makes that not possible.

Welcome participants! This is February 2019 bookshelf catch-up selection. It is the third time it has been featured as a BOTM. Enjoy! And please remember to leave the spoilers for the other thread.

I'm so excited to have just started this one! It's been on my to-read list--what better time to read it than now.

I read this last year, or possibly the year before. So, I won't be rereading it. For me it was interesting, but I didn't love it.

Hope you all enjoy it, or at least get something out of reading it.

Looking forward to re-reading this, it’s been a long time since I first read it in school.