All About Books discussion

June 13th A book that makes me laugh

Anything by Terry Pratchett, my favourite probably being Wyrd Sisters

June 14th An Old Favourite
I'll go with Harry Potter for this, it's not old but I've been re-reading it for many years and always will, I imagine

June 15th Favourite Fictional Character

It can only be Atticus Finch, not imaginative but a wonderful book.

June 16th A book you can't believe more people haven't read

I'm always surprised that not everybody has read The Hobbit or Lord of The Rings, I just assume they will have as I love them so much!

June 17th A Future Classic

June 17th A Future Classic

For me this has got to be The Handmaid's Tale as I think it has everything to be a classic; great writing, good plot, controversial discussion points etc

The Goldfinch, I think will be a classic.

Angela wrote: "The Goldfinch"

I have this on my kindle but haven't got round to it yet. I've heard great things though

Heather , I keep finding that people love it or hate it . I haven't seen too much middle of the road points of view .
I have not been touched by a character in quite some time as I was Theo Decker and the detailed , descriptive writing takes you where he is ! Hope you love it !

A future classic

I'm not specifying particular books, but I think both Colum McCann and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will write future classic novels (and maybe already have done so).

June 16th A book you can't believe more people haven't read

The Sparrow



June 17th A Future Classic

I'd say Infinite Jest, except it's a book that somehow turns people away when they first attempt it. It did me, although I was interested in the characters and the oddness of the story. So, although I think it could be a classic, I don't think it ever will be.

@Gill. I totally agree with Adiche and haven't read your other choice (maybe I should!)

I'm so behind on this, need to catch up ASAP!

June 17th A Future Classic

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I think this one will test and enthrall readers for many years to come.

Heather wrote: "June 17th A Future Classic

For me this has got to be The Handmaid's Tale as I think it has everything to be a classic; great writing, good plot, controversial discussion points etc"

I too endorse the same.

Ooh, a second vote for The Goldfinch, I must read it!

June 18th

A book recommended to me by a friend

This should be an easy one!

18th A book recommended to me by a friend

Lately, if I have been getting book recommendations, they are from you guys. I would say my latest came from the recommendation swap which was How I Became Stupid by Martin Page. Something I know I would not have come across.

A book that reminds me of somebody I love
Paula by Isabel Allende – I read it just after my father died

A gem you found in a second-hand bookshop
I seldom look into them; nothing special

A book you pretend to have read
Never! Sometimes I say I’ve read a book of which I read only several passage – as La Divina Commedia: Purgatorio – but I generally say so

A book that makes me laugh
Many; One of which I remember laughing really while reading is an old Italian book Il destino si chiama Clotilde: Romanzo d'amore e di avventura, con una importante digressione by Giovannino Guareschi

An old favourite
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Favourite fictional father
Probably Atticus Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird

A book you can't believe more people haven't read
All classics generally; Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov is so rarely known that it’s a real pity

A Future Classic
Can’t say …

A book recommended to me by a friend
So many!!!

Heather wrote: "June 18th

A book recommended to me by a friend

This should be an easy one!"

Aside from my goodreads friends, a book recommended to me by a friend is Shantaram although I've not read it yet.

A friend also recommended I read Brave New World which I did and loved!

June 18th A book recommended to me by a friend

Recently: Still Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm now on #7 of the series.

Gilead has been recommended a few times; haven't gotten to it yet.

Laura, thanks for the reminder! I have Oblomov on my TBR list but had forgotten all about it.

June 18th: a book recommended to me by a friend

Gone by Michael Grant. She didn't recommend it so much as give me a copy because she wanted all of hers to match (some editions have coloured edging on the pages), so I read it, loved it and read the entire series.

Petra wrote: "Laura, thanks for the reminder! I have Oblomov on my TBR list but had forgotten all about it. "
Read it then Petra! And let me know what you think!

Petra wrote: "June 18th A book recommended to me by a friend

Recently: Still Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm now on #7 of the series.

Gilead has been recommended a few times;..."

Gilead is very good, but I found Home even better. I'm pretty certain I read them in back to front order, but I don't think that really matters.

June 17th A Future Classic
?? I don't read enough contemporary lit to know.

Petra wrote: "June 18th A book recommended to me by a friend

Recently: Still Life, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm now on #7 of the series..."

I will second this - I was recommended Still Life by both friends and family & am now working my way through the series - finished the first 5.

A book recommended to me by a friend

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman was recomended to me by my book-buddy Angela (here in AAB). She has superlative taste in literature and I was not disappointed.

I thought you recommended it to me - lol!

I'm making a big assumption that I'm the Angela but I may not be ! I read it in Mar 2014 and you read it in Dec 2013.

Angela wrote: "I'm making a big assumption that I'm the Angela but I may not be ! I read it in Mar 2014 and you read it in Dec 2013."

Angela, you are the one and only Angela and my book-buddy! whoops, yes I did recommend it to you.

Edited post: A book recommended to me by a friend

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman: recommended by Elaine in Aussie Readers group.

We recommend so many things to each other - easy to do . Thanks for the great recommendation because it was my favorite of this year so far !
And just so you know I think you have wonderful taste in books - my dear book buddy Bette! I read all of your reviews !

@Angela Hugs:)

June 19th A book you can't stop talking about

A book you can't stop talking about
mmm, I don't know...
Probably Middlemarch or The Warden, my victorian beloved!

A book I can't stop talking about is The Goldfinch.

June 19th A book you can't stop talking about

A tough one, I will say Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. This is the one I have been talking about lately.

A book I can't stop talking about

While I want to mention The Street Sweeper again, I will refrain.

My other choice would have to be The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Bette ,
My choices too ! People are getting tired of me taking about The Goldfinch but I just can't help myself :-)

@Angela lol!

Angela wrote: "Bette ,
My choices too ! People are getting tired of me taking about The Goldfinch but I just can't help myself :-)"

I'll need to start it soon then!

A book I can't stop talking about

Probably Half of a Yellow Sun as I want everybody to read it!

June 20th Your favourite book cover

Would be great to see some pics/cover pictures for this one! I will have to answer when I'm at home, got something in mind

Angela wrote: "Bette ,
My choices too ! People are getting tired of me taking about The Goldfinch but I just can't help myself :-)"

I have been on the list for an inter-library loan for The Goldfinch FOREVER!!! Hopefully someday soon it will arrive, I'm dying to see what all the hype is about!

June 19th A book you can't stop talking about

The Gate to Women's Country by Sheri S. Tepper -- thought-provoking yet still an exciting story on the surface.

June 20th Your favourite book cover

I am not big into book covers but I do love this:

Leslie, I love Sheri Tepper and have read many of her novels.

Ann wrote: "Leslie, I love Sheri Tepper and have read many of her novels."

You made my day! I love her books but so many people have never heard of her...

Leslie, you're one of the few who read Tepper that I have encountered. She's so good she should be better known. Nice to know you're a fellow Sheri Tepper fan.

A book I talk about lots is Child 44. If eve anyone asks me for a recommendation, then that's always high on the list.

June 21st Your summer reads

Heather wrote: "June 21st Your summer reads "

Yellows!
That for those who don't know me well, or don't know the italian language, meansa "mysteries" the first italian editions of books of this kind was with a yellow cover, and sice then the term "giallo" in Italian means not only the yellow colour, but olso this genre.
And I love them in summertime, even if they're scandinavian and set in winter

Your Summer Reads

I'll be reading non-fiction works about the British Monarchs from 1500s to 1700s.

It's winter here so I'll be snuggled up by the open fire.

Heather wrote: "June 21st Your summer reads "

I have missed a lot of questions! I will continue from the last one: I usually don't change my reading habits during the summer though last year I have seen that I prefer to read short stories collections on the beach. It's practical because while I stay on the beach I can read one or two stories without having to interrupt the storyline when I go away; also, I don't go every day on the beach so I can leave it there and pick it up also after a week without the fear to forget characters or the plot.