Search results

What I'm thinking when I look for a new book: Is this going to make me feel something - is it going to strike an emotional chord? I am a sucker for writing that makes me feel an emotion - happy, sad, it doesn't matter. I've got to feel it in my gut. Is it something that will make me...

Margaret Atwood Alice Munro Ursula K Le Guin Amy Tan Margaret Laurence Jane Austen Possibles: not favourites yet because I haven't read enough by them: - Anne-Marie MacDonald - Jane Urquhart - Arundhati Roy - Joanne Harris

I wouldn't consider Valley of the Dolls chick lit. I read this as a "sneak in the house, read under the covers" book when it first came out in the 60s. A little too raunchy and in your face, I would think. I'm not sure I've read anything recently that would qualify as chick lit. Would...

Ions, I hope you haven't made your mind up about Remains of the Day yet. I absolutely adored Remains of the Day and having recently read Never Let Me Go, there is no doubt in my mind that RotD is superior. I found Never Let Me Go quite disappointing. Unlike you, I kept reading, right to the...

After reading your review, and as someone else who enjoyed The Shipping News, I'm curious why you would have liked one so much better than the other. Both seem to deal with "lost souls" and contain Proulx's trademark lyricaly language. Could it have something to do with the short fiction style...

ds, I think Fforde reiterates the background of the main characters well enough that you'll catch on pretty easily. I've read the first three (didn't know another one was coming out) and they're a very entertaining read. It's fun just seeing how many of the literary allusions you can catch...

I'm not sure if you're still around, Terminator, but for the sake of discussion, I must say I completely disagree with this comment. Contact is a novel, a work of fiction; written in and of a certain time and place. It is not a non-fiction book or textbook that needs to be updated or...

lies, glad to see you reading this one. I look forward to reading what you think of it. :)

Happy, happy birthday, RK! Hope all is well.

I think the personalities, the books and reasons they choose them makes the event as interesting as the books themselves.

I'll be out of town, so have to miss this one. :( I'll be thinking of you guys talking to the Great Banana, though! And Gem, I guess we're going to miss each other again. One of these days we're going to talk. Really.

I've never been "blown away" by the Gaiman books I've read. But having said that, I thought they were more than moderately enjoyable and were a light, entertaining read. As such, I'm taking Anansi Boys with me on a trip to read at the airport, plane, etc. and will try to remember and come back...

Oh, SIL, I'm so sorry to have missed your direct query to me. :o I was only around sporadically at the time this discussion was going on and totally missed it. My bad. I've mentioned this before in other threads, but I didn't like Atwood when I was younger. I found her too dark, too...

It really depends on the series. If it's short series like Pullman's Amber Spyglass books, I might read them all in a row. Otherwise, it depends on my interest level. I usually read more than one book at a time anyways, so I can skip between a series book and whatever else I'm reading if...

I don't ever worry about him having no sense of humour. But it can be wickedly and mercilessly sharp for unsuspecting souls!

Just thought I'd pop back in here to let y'all know I did read Money. It was a tough slog for me to get into at first. I found John Self to be such an unlikeable character - though superbly depicted - that I put the book down a couple of times. I just wasn't in the mood to read about "his"...

StillIL, I just purchased Anansi Boys based on your glowing recommendations. Other Gaiman's I've read are American Gods, Good Omens and Neverwhere. I've enjoyed them all, so I'm looking forward to Anansi Boys.

Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman - because of the raves from Still and ds. (It better be good, you guys. I'm planning on taking it with me on vacation.) Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro Moral Disorder, Margaret Atwood - because at $18 + change, it was too good a deal to pass up for an Atwood fan...

A work of "contemporary literature" can become a bestseller. Does becoming a bestseller make it junk?

Ions, I'm like you. I seldom buy hardcovers at full price and look for remainders on discount (usually at Chapters). I haven't figured out a sure way to reliably predict when remainders will be released, either. Usually, if I've got my eye on a particular book, I keep a lookout for when the...