bookworm mommas! - Page 3

[LaLaLaLa]

So "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" wasn't exactly a rollicking good time, but I did really enjoy the style and the writing, and the story was much better than I'd expected. I thought I'd be slogging through it, but ended up really getting drawn in.

However, who was the executive at Disney who decided "hey, this novel would make a really great kids' movie! What with the deformity, public hangings, date-rape overtones, and widespread corruption, how could we go wrong?" Yeah, they changed the story a LOT for the movie. It was definitely worth reading, though!

A book I thought I was getting in paper form ended up coming in CD form, so I'm currently listening to "Zombies vs. Unicorns," which is a collection of stories written by writers of young-adult literature, each story choosing a side of the age-old debate: which is better, zombies or unicorns? I've listened to three of the stories so far, and they are very funny, as is the bantering back and forth between the two editors, one one the zombie side and one on the unicorn side. I'm not good at listening to others read, and it's especially challenging because the writing is often not kid-appropriate, which drastically reduces my listening opportunities, but this book is worth it. I might have to hunt it down in paper form at some point.

[Smokering]

However, who was the executive at Disney who decided "hey, this novel would make a really great kids' movie! What with the deformity, public hangings, date-rape overtones, and widespread corruption, how could we go wrong?"

I KNOW, RIGHT?! And they ended up with a movie that worked neither as a dark, disturbing story nor as a light piece of frothy fun. I wonder how long before they decide to do The Grapes of Wrath.... but, you know, make it so the baby lives, and Grandma and Grandpa, and Connie doesn't leave, and the preacher starts up a nice little chapel with the money the Joads make on their new farm, and at the end the baby gets christened in the chapel and the family dog comes in with a bunch of puppies and everybody laughs.

Bleh.

I've been too sick/busy to go to the library recently, so I'm reading comic books. Just finished Superman: Red Son, an alternate history in which he crash-landed in Soviet Russia as a baby. It was really good, actually.

[Lit Chick]

For comic books - The Sandman series. Amazing stuff.
Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. I can't really even describe this, but it is stunning.

Re: Disney making bad calls - I could not bring myself to watch Hunchback, but I did see Hercules. I am a mythology geek. The Disney monstrosity was so painful to watch that I am still upset about it. I could type such an epic rant about it. lol.

[MsBirdie]

Hey ladies!!! Can I join

I am obsessed with reading and actually have to give myself time off, or I woud neglect my family. When Harry Potter 7 came out, my children no longer had a mother. lol.

I have always been a huge reader, even in high school and always thought school interfered with my reading. My mom is a voracious reader as well, an Ipad addict. Me, on the other hand, frequents the library a mile down the road. It too has online hold and an extensive selection; so, I feel pretty satisfied. My DDs also love books. Little DD has her picture books she looks at before bed and big DD will read a short chapter book in one night. I think they are following in mom's footsteps.


My tastes change. I will get into a romance period, then a historical fiction. Right now, I am enjoying crime thrillers.

It is kind of funny. When I was younger, I told myself the man I married would be the first man to buy me a book becuase that would mean he really got me. Well, it rang true. My first Christmas with my husband, then boyfriend, he got me three books. A month later, we were engaged. For my birthday this year, he got me the Hunger Games series because he found out I was 187 on the holds list.

[LaLaLaLa]

Lit Chick--"Hunchback" was maybe not a great choice in movie form, but we do really enjoy the soundtrack from it. I sometimes like Disney's songwriters better than its movie writers.

MsBirdie--I really loved "The Hunger Games" series. I thought all three books were excellent. Another young-adult postapocalyptic series I've enjoyed is the "Uglies" books by Scott Westerfeld. Some people hated the fourth one, but I liked them all.

In addition to listening to more of "Zombies vs. Unicorns" today, I also started "River, Cross My Heart." It seems that at some point all of the Oprah books sneaked onto my extremely long to-read list. I think my dad made it his goal at one point to read them all, so I was going along with him on that one. Most of the time I regret it. This one starts with a six-year-old drowning. Ack. I believe I read one of Oprah's choices just a month or so ago that started with a two-year-old drowning. Seriously? I have a six-year-old. Reading shouldn't be this painful. If I were less stubborn, I would return the book to the library right now....

[Smokering]

Re: Disney making bad calls - I could not bring myself to watch Hunchback, but I did see Hercules. I am a mythology geek. The Disney monstrosity was so painful to watch that I am still upset about it. I could type such an epic rant about it. lol.

Heh. Yes, the mythology is truly butchered (and the animation is ghastly - Olympus was just ridiculous-looking!)... but I've gotta say, Megara was awesome. And Hades was pretty cool. And "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" is possibly my favourite Disney song ever.

Finally got to the library today and borrowed a bunch of random books. I'm currently two-thirds of the way through a book by Michael Crichton - I forget the title, but it's not his usual. It's a historical novel about piracy! It feels kind of weird to read that genre knowing it's Michael Crichton, and I think his usual scifi/medical thriller books serve him better, but it's still pretty compelling.

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by Smokering

I've been too sick/busy to go to the library recently, so I'm reading comic books. Just finished Superman: Red Son, an alternate history in which he crash-landed in Soviet Russia as a baby. It was really good, actually.

DS generally looks down his nose at DC comics (in favour of Marvel, most of which I don't like, lol), but he really liked that one.

He also recommends Sandman, and loved Watchmen.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

Lit Chick--"Hunchback" was maybe not a great choice in movie form, but we do really enjoy the soundtrack from it. I sometimes like Disney's songwriters better than its movie writers.

MsBirdie--I really loved "The Hunger Games" series. I thought all three books were excellent. Another young-adult postapocalyptic series I've enjoyed is the "Uglies" books by Scott Westerfeld. Some people hated the fourth one, but I liked them all.

In addition to listening to more of "Zombies vs. Unicorns" today, I also started "River, Cross My Heart." It seems that at some point all of the Oprah books sneaked onto my extremely long to-read list. I think my dad made it his goal at one point to read them all, so I was going along with him on that one. Most of the time I regret it. This one starts with a six-year-old drowning. Ack. I believe I read one of Oprah's choices just a month or so ago that started with a two-year-old drowning. Seriously? I have a six-year-old. Reading shouldn't be this painful. If I were less stubborn, I would return the book to the library right now....

I agree with your feelings on the Oprah choices. I have read some that were just so depressing. (I may have ranted about We Were the Mulvaneys on this thread) I just don't have room in my life for that sort of reading, I have a five year old and reading a book about what you described would not be pleasurable.

I am looking for some good, stimulating or funny fiction books to read.

[MsBirdie]

Originally Posted by Caneel

I agree with your feelings on the Oprah choices. I have read some that were just so depressing. (I may have ranted about We Were the Mulvaneys on this thread) I just don't have room in my life for that sort of reading, I have a five year old and reading a book about what you described would not be pleasurable.

I am looking for some good, stimulating or funny fiction books to read.

I totally agree, you can only read so many Kite Runners. That is why sometimes I do not understand the book choices they make for 7-12th graders. They need some variety. One year I had to read The Heart of Darkness, The Plague, Metamorphosis, The Brothers Karamazov, and Grapes of Wrath. All great books, but no wonder I was a surly teen by the end.


LaLa - Thanks for the Recc.

Anyone read Francine Rivers? She is a Christian novelist, but is truly a great author. Christianity definately is a pivitol role in her books, but The Mark of the Lion series is one of my absolute faves.


I need to read the Girl with the Dragn Tattoo. Just have not gotten around to it yet.

[Lit Chick]

nak - The Girl w/Dragon is overrated imho. if you skip the bazillion passages about ikea (seriously) and swedish politics, it goes pretty fast though. the movie was better, since it did not make the violence as graphic and sensational as the book, and they skipped those boring parts.

[just_lily]

I just picked up my held copy of Dragon Tattoo earlier this week. Haven't got to it yet though. I feel like I only want to read it in order to be up to speed with what everyone else is talking about, not because I actually want to read the book. I will probably give it a try next week and if it doesn't hook me quickly I will likely just return it.

This afternoon I finished the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It is recommeded on MDC a lot so I decided to check it out. I usually like a lot of paranormal / urban fantasy novels... and this was... ok. I didn't think a lot happened, and there wasn't a lot of explanation as to why the love interests were so into each other except that they just were. I am hoping that it is just a build up to a richer series. I have the next book on order so we will see.

Before I get to Dragon Tattoo I am going to start into The Lonely Polygamist - has anyone read this?

Or has anyone read Room? I am like 167 on the hold list currently, but it is getting fantastic reviews online.

[MsBirdie]

just lily - I agree with the black dagger brotherhood. It just was not THAT fabulous


Speaking of vampire series - Has anyone read Nora Robert's vampire books The Circle Trilogy? I liked them a lot. They got me over the Twilight letdown.

I like some of her trilogies. The Sisters trilogy, the Gallagher trilogy, Born In series.


And, I need to vent. . . . When is Christopher Paolini gonna give us his final installment of the Inheritance cycle? I am forgetting what the first three were about. I guess I will have to reread them once the release date comes out.

Right now I am hooked on the Eve Duncan novels by Iris Johansen.

[LaLaLaLa]

I'm finding that "River, Cross My Heart" actually isn't all that bad. It's more about being black and living in DC in the 1920s, than about the drowning. I like interesting snippets of everyday lives of people living throughout history.

Caneel--I recently read a book called "Beat the Reaper" that was absolutely hysterical. And disturbing, in a really funny way. It's about a guy who is a medical intern at an underfunded hospital. He's also a former hitman for the mob, with an interesting backstory about how he got into the business. The medical stuff made me laugh and cringe at the same time, and the language is not for the easily shocked. It's one of the funniest books I've read in awhile.

MsBirdie--I didn't realize that Nora Roberts had written a vampire trilogy. I don't generally like much romance, but hers are the best I've read. Actually, I'm addicted to her JD Robb books, but don't find her romance novels as compelling. My college roommate did have a trilogy of hers that I liked, though, about brothers who were all adopted and owned a boat-building business together.

just_lily--I'll be interested to hear about "Room" when you get your hands on a copy. I've seen good reviews of it and it seems like an interesting idea for a story.... but I just find the subject matter so distressing, I'm not sure if I could read the book without being really affected by it. I'd love to hear from someone who has read it and can give me an honest opinion about how it is.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by Caneel

I agree with your feelings on the Oprah choices. I have read some that were just so depressing. (I may have ranted about We Were the Mulvaneys on this thread) I just don't have room in my life for that sort of reading.

Whew. I so agree on the Oprah books. My ladies book club makes me read one of her picks from time to time and they are always so depressing and dark..... "daddy beats/rapes the little girl" stuff. I know stuff like that can happen in real life but I don't have to give headspace to it in mine.

I alternate good fiction with good non fiction. I especially have liked Salt, The Big Oyster and Cod.

http://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-His.../dp/0142001619

My science fiction book group alternates between classic sci-fi and fantasy. I like the sci-fi a tad better. Fantasy is very dark urban fantasy of late or those zombie/vampire books. I'm not into that.

[just_lily]

I enjoy non-fiction as well, but I usually am disappointed. I think my problem is that if a book is 300 pages long I expect to read 300 pages of information.

But it never seems to work like that.

Often it is about 15 pages of actual info.... and then each point is elaborated on as much as possible.... the author talks about his own life.... throw in some real life stories..... give some examples.... maybe a question and answer section... some charts for good measure.... summarize the initial information again.... and ta da! A book.

So I find myself just skimming a lot of the non-fiction I pick up. Read the actual info and skip through all of the other stuff... and am usually done in an hour or two.

[Lit Chick]

My issue with non-fic is that I expect it to be factual. Not speculative. I cannot tell you how much it bugs me that The Devil in the White City is shelved in the non-fic section. (Rant, rant) It seems like too much of the non-fic that was rec'd to me was "based on a true story" rather than being details of the true story.
I did like The Emperor of Scent though.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by LaLaLaLa

Caneel--I recently read a book called "Beat the Reaper" that was absolutely hysterical. And disturbing, in a really funny way. It's about a guy who is a medical intern at an underfunded hospital. He's also a former hitman for the mob, with an interesting backstory about how he got into the business. The medical stuff made me laugh and cringe at the same time, and the language is not for the easily shocked. It's one of the funniest books I've read in awhile.

Off to Amazon to investigate this one.

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by philomom

I alternate good fiction with good non fiction. I especially have liked Salt, The Big Oyster and Cod.

http://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-His.../dp/0142001619

I am about halfway through Salt at the moment.

I get into specific-subject nonfiction books. I really like Bottlemania, which is about the bottled water industry.

[elanorh]

Hi!

Also joining late -- I read cereal boxes, too!

I've been on a nonfic kick for quite awhile - mostly books about child development, history, sustainability, or gardening. Otherwise, in fiction, I prefer historical, the classics, some fantasy (very particular about this - I prefer Tolkien, McCaffrey, Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series); juvenile lit is also fun (loved Harry Potter and the Bartimaeous trilogy, also Inkheart). I don't like horror novels, graphic novels, or mystery - my imagination is too good, they give me nightmares.

I just finished the most recent Wheel of Time book (#13, Towers of Midnight) I'm also working on Food Politics by Nestle (nonfic). Up next are:
Counselor (Ted Sorenson)
Sarah's Key (lent by a friend)
Blue Like Jazz (lent by a friend)
...I've got about 40 books on my to-read list on WeRead (Facebook App). Anytime someone recommends a book that looks interesting, I add it to my list.

I have an unfortunate tendency to buy the books; our library doesn't have a broad selection, and if they can get it in on interlibrary loan, there's still a fee. So I tend to buy if the library doesn't have it right there. I probably should donate some of the books I've read so that other people could check them out, eh?

We go to the library weekly and get books for the girls to read, but they have plenty of their own anyway. Their cousin asked me why they have a library in their room. My eldest (7) just asked me the other day why her aunts and I always talk about books when we're together. I told her, she'll do the same with her sister when they're adults.

My mom is a bookworm, as was her mother and as are her siblings. Growing up, I read 1-2 books/night all the way through high school. One of the things I resented most about grad school was that I only had time to read within my field and for my research. I got burned out enough from grad school that it did take me about 1 1/2 years before I was able to really dig into a good book again - 'til then I read quite a few very simple easy romance novels.

[Smokering]

I love nonfic. Just read "Farewell to the East End", by and about a midwife in the fifties who worked from a convent. Fascinating read. Recently I've read books about adoption, mental illness (Oliver Sacks' "The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" is awesome), pregnancy and birth, ecology, fashion, the history of London... I think our library has a better non-fiction than non-fiction section, actually. Much higher "hit ratio" for decent books!

I'm currently skimming "50 Facts That Should Change the World" - short chapters on how many people are living in poverty, how much the US owes the UN, the apparently sinister information-collecting practices of loyalty card programs, and so on. I'll probably just flip through the rest, though: some of the author's views annoy me, and his info on life expectancy in past centuries was misleading/inaccurate.

He also recommends Sandman, and loved Watchmen.

Have read Watchmen! I think our flatmate has the Sandman comics... they're Neil Gaiman, right? I'll get around to them eventually. Need to read some Green Lantern before the movie comes out, too - and I've heard some good things about the rebooted Wonder Woman. She wears actual pants.