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Reading

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by davo-man, Oct 26, 2007.

  1. davo-man

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    Hi everyone, I was just wondering how many of you read for leisure? As in, how many of you would read a book for enjoyment, not just cos you have to read it for English? Also, what books do you read, where/when do you read, how many books do you get through per year, who is your favouite author etc

    To answer my own question, I am quite the reader. Before I go to bed on the majority of nights I usually read about 2 or 3 chapters of a book (depending on the book), but cos its so near to exams, Ive kinda given that up, but hopefully get back into it soon. I love reading fantasy, sci-fi, that whole sort of fiction, although I'll give anything a go. I get through quite a lot of books a year, as in prob 20-30, and I have 5 shelves of my own books at home (which i really need to clean out). My fav authors are David and Leigh Eddings (but only when they work collaboratively), my fav series is the Discworld series, and my fav books are Thief of Time, The Redemption of Althalus and Galax-Arena (the one that caused my librarian to blatantly laugh at me when I said it was my favourite)

    Also, as a bonus question: Who has read The Lord of the Rings? Did you enojy it? What did you think of the movie adaptations (including the old cartoon version)

    I have read Lord of the Rings, and found it immensely boring. The descriptions are unneccesarily long and I thought the movies were much better. However there are some instances where the book is better than the movie, eg The original Neverending Story book is about 200 x better than any of the movies they've brought out...seriously read it

    Anyway, sorry about the long post, feel free to respond to any of the above questions, or even just general musings about books and reading
     
  2. sngl

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    Well I've read The Lord of the Rings two times and thought it was very very enjoyable. And I saw the movies more than 10 times (all three of them) and I think they are amazing and represent the books well. But I haven't seen the cartoon version yet, although I have it.

    But generally, I don't read too often. Usually just a few books per year. But I watch quite a lot of movies :icon_bigg
     
  3. Levi

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  4. davo-man

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    Now that is one coherent and legible answer :slight_smile:
     
  5. Levi

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    But seriously.. I love the discworld series as well. Another author I really like is Douglas Adams, love Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy.

    oh.. and Beyond Good and Evil by Freddy.
     
  6. Paul_UK

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    I read autobiographies when I have time. I normally get through about four per year. I don't tend to read much fiction - in fact I can't remember the last fiction book I read.

    I also read Linux Format magazine every month, and other odd magazines when they take my interest in the newsagents.
     
  7. Jonathan

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    I do like to read for enjoyment. The books I like to read are basically fantasy novels. Some of my favorite authors at the moment are Terry Brooks, James Clemens and George R. R. Martin.
     
  8. Latinokid

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    I love teen books fiction and mystery...and some romance stuff like a teen romance novel. I enjoy reading and i think i get about 50 books a year or so or mayb more. Just this week i got like about 6 books =D i enjoy buying them and reading them. Two books right now that are my favorite which were so fucking awsome and touched my heart are Feed and Sold =D
     
  9. EthanS

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    i read horoscopes :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:
     
  10. joeyconnick

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    From about Grade 3 to the end of high school, I read voraciously. Like we're talking a book a week, so I would probably read 40 to 50 a year. Since then, I read WAAAAAAY less but I still do read. During and before high school, it was mostly fantasy and sci-fi. Once I came out, I read a TON of gay-related stuff, fiction and autobiographies and plays and non-fiction... I HIGHLY recommend everyone do that because if you don't seek out that kind of material on your own, you're going to get very little of it by way of TV and movies. And there's such a rich, pretty much hidden history and collection of stories out there.

    In fact, I just finished the latest Deverry novel by Katharine Kerr. Davo-man, if you're still reading David Eddings... oi. I say that because I read the Belgariad and all his original series (which were just copies of the Belgariad) when I was in like Grade 9 and I did enjoy them but I would never go back to them because they're so ridiculously formulaic.

    I do TOTALLY agree with you that Tolkien is insanely overrated. I read the Hobbit when I was in like Grade 5 or 6 and it was SO boring. I have never bothered with the Lords of the Rings cycle because I've heard it's nothing but boring description in the vein of the Hobbit, only longer and more boring. The movies were decent but of course in movies they tend to focus on the action and cut out the slow-moving stuff and while I don't have an 8-second MTV attention span, I do need SOMETHING to actually happen.

    You might enjoy Katharine Kerr--her first book is Daggerspell. You'll want to look for the "author's definitive edition" from like 1993 or 1994, though... when it was originally published her editor forced changes on her.

    I would also highly recommend Mercedes Lackey's early stuff, particularly Magic's Pawn.

    But other than Katharine Kerr, if you are looking for insanely good fantasy, I would go with Melanie Rawn's The Dragon Prince and Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana. Actually, all Kay's books are amazing but his first trilogy is very LoTR-esque, whereas Tigana is his first standalone novel and it just blew me away.

    Sci-fi wise, Joan D. Vinge's Snow Queen and Summer Queen are epic. Also Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy (starting with Red Mars)--those books have the most fascinating near-future ideas I think I've ever encountered. Likewise Nancy Kress' Beggars In Spain.

    Gay-wise, I can never recommend "The World Of Normal Boys" by K.M. Soehnlein enough. Never. *grin*
     
  11. tinkerbell

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    I read for pleasure, yes, and I have dozens of books to prove it. I read LOTR since it was required in high school and hated it! I'm not into fantasy books and I have never liked a book I had to read in school.

    Ever since I got my first library card at what, eleven? I have read nonstop, often checking out as many as forty books (usually ten) at a time and going back to check out more in two weeks. I love to read, and sometimes I can finish one or two books a night. The Bible, though, has taken me a week so far and I am only in Judges (early in the Bible).

    I like obsessive-love novels, and my favorite authors are Elliot Perlman, R.A. Nelson and Davida Wills Hurwin (she doesn't write obsessive love novels; she writes amazing books about dancers). Currently I am reading the Bible since it's a long book and I figure that I should be able to recognize some verses should I ever feel like quoting one.
     
    #11 tinkerbell, Oct 26, 2007
    Last edited: Oct 26, 2007
  12. Nerdtendo

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    I read a lot of books when I have any free time I dont wanna just sleep in. Mostly comedies. However, as an RPer, I prefer to write then read.
     
  13. Jim1454

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    I read for pleasure as well but not as much as I would like. I enjoy John Grisham - the legal theme is interesting, at least to me. Once I start reading one of his books, I have trouble putting it down. I'll read a novel in a weekend.
     
  14. Ilayis

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    I enjoy reading,can't remember the author i liked the most,i think it was Koontz,idk.Favorite book is The Giver
     
  15. Leon481

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    I usually do a lot of reading, but for the last couple of months I just haven't had the time to get over to the library. I think the last book I read was Dune and that was about 3 months ago. Lately, when I have time, I've taken to reading short stories online. Most of them are horrible, but every once in a while I'll find something truly excellent.

    I don't have a favorite author. I usually just read what looks good at the time. My favorite stuff is sci-fi and fantasy, but I'll read anything as long as it can get my imagination going and I can learn something from it.
     
  16. neverover

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    i only read school book, and few novels... and magazines. but i read fast. i can read the whole hp a day, IF my cousins dont show up and screwed my rooms. i wish i could have more free time tho, thats why i only read in holiday
     
  17. SpikySpice

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    I love reading, but I used to reda more than now, back in muddle school, my teacher forced me to read at least 2 thick books a week so i had to stay up late to reda them every night. But yeah, the last book I just read is The Dark Of The Night, i like to read horror books based on true stories, i like to read laughable books for pleasure and joyments. If a book is too interesting, I can npot stop reading and forget bout eating and sleeping
     
  18. jroakwood

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    i dont do alot of reading.
    harry potter. but thats over with now.
    so yeah...
     
  19. biisme

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    i love reading for leisure. i mostly read fiction, focusing on fantasy but i like som ehistorical fiction as well. i also love mysteries and i sometimes read romance novels. overall i just love to read. back when i had time to i used to take out 13 books from the library a wekk. i still take out some, but more like six or seven a week instead.

    i have read lord of the rings and while a few of the descriptions are annoying, and i hated that whole part with tom bombadil, i really loved the books. i have read them at least like seven times. i really like the movies but i don't like how the ending of the third book is mostly cut out. the shole taking back the shire bit. that was one of my favorite parts.
     
  20. xequar

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    I used to read fantasy novels like crazy...

    As an adult, now I find I have trouble making it all the way through an article in National Geographic. I still enjoy reading, but I just don't have the time or focus like I did in high school (and NG's articles are freakin' long!). I still enjoy reading, though, but it's mostly magazines that are of interest to me these days instead of novels.