Do You Read Books?

[White Christmas13]

No I don't read books I eat them

[SoiBiker]

Yep. Proper old-fashioned ones, usually second-hand and a little battered. I find them a nice change from all the technology.

You obviously don't mind all the bacteria and fungi transferred to them by multiple readers.

No. I'm not a hygiene queen.

[bazza40]

My Kindle is my constant companion. Although a previous model didn't respond too well to getting wet.

Given my reading rate is 800 wpm, natural and not trained, I tend to get through quite a few when I'm in the mood.

Many favourite authors - Lee Child, John D MacDonald, Ed McBain, Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Tom Clancy, Ken Follett, Dick Francis, Frederick Forsyth, James Lee Burke,John Grisham, C.J. Box, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Eric Flint, Wilbur Smith, Adam Hall, Maurice Druon, Arthur Upfield, Laurens van der Post, Charles Dickens - the list goes on and on.

Best book I've ever read? Steinbeck's East of Eden.

[bazza40]

Yep. Proper old-fashioned ones, usually second-hand and a little battered. I find them a nice change from all the technology.

You obviously don't mind all the bacteria and fungi transferred to them by multiple readers.

No. I'm not a hygiene queen.

You've just reminded me of the Aussie joke about how to get a Brit out of the shower. Throw a bar of soap in. Yes,yes, off-topic.

[houlicha]

Currently reading Skytrain to Murder (finally). Bazza40, I like your list. You might consider adding Robert B. Parker's Spenser series.

[bazza40]

Currently reading Skytrain to Murder (finally). Bazza40, I like your list. You might consider adding Robert B. Parker's Spenser series.

Thanks-I'll give him a try.

[Nasrullah]

Yep. Proper old-fashioned ones, usually second-hand and a little battered. I find them a nice change from all the technology.

You obviously don't mind all the bacteria and fungi transferred to them by multiple readers. users....

When in a girly bar anywhere in thailand,make sure you don't sit too close to ANY foreigner....

[SoiBiker]

Yep. Proper old-fashioned ones, usually second-hand and a little battered. I find them a nice change from all the technology.

You obviously don't mind all the bacteria and fungi transferred to them by multiple readers. users....

When in a girly bar anywhere in thailand,make sure you don't sit too close to ANY foreigner....

Dude. It's a thread about books. Must you lower the tone?

[Nasrullah]

Yep. Proper old-fashioned ones, usually second-hand and a little battered. I find them a nice change from all the technology.

You obviously don't mind all the bacteria and fungi transferred to them by multiple readers. users....

When in a girly bar anywhere in thailand,make sure you don't sit too close to ANY foreigner....

Dude. It's a thread about books. Must you lower the tone?

Ok... .........

[robertthebruce]

Never been a reader ... Can't be bothered, would rather see the film, if possible....

[puukao]

movies are maybe 2 hours. might take 15 hours to read a book. think about a documentary. 2 hour documentary might give you a few ideas and it still might be propaganda. but a 15 book on a certain event will be 100x better.

[SpokaneAl]

I always have a book I am reading and usually a couple more lined up behind that one - fiction, non fiction, biographies, auto biographies - I am all over the board.

I read everything on my Kindle.

[ChristianBlessing]

Washington - A Life, by Ron Chernow

[landslide]

I read books on a B&N Nook and on my Samsung tablet, which supports both Nook and Kindle books. I also maintain a current library card in the States, and can borrow books over the internet. Mostly mystery and history books. I'm a big fan of Lee Child and John Sandford, but supplement with other authors.

[Moo du]

Love books, and reading since 8-9 yo.You can read for entertainment or education.You can combine both in one book.

The whole essence and uniquenees of humans is captured in books.(as well as other arts and sciences).

[Moo du]

No.

Thank God ,at least you know Bob Dylan.

[sipi]

I read the bible from cover to cover once.

[giddyup]

Never been a reader ... Can't be bothered, would rather see the film, if possible....

In other words have somebody think for you.

[bazza40]

Never been a reader ... Can't be bothered, would rather see the film, if possible....

In other words have somebody think for you.

Films may or may not be a faithful representation of the underlying book. Possibly the best example is Frank Herbert's "Dune". Several producers have tried and failed dismally on that science fiction masterpiece.

Or how about the casting of Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher?

[laolover88]

Am reading Soseki Natsume's I am a Cat. Lovely book. Do you know it?

[SpokaneAl]

Never been a reader ... Can't be bothered, would rather see the film, if possible....

In other words have somebody think for you.

Films may or may not be a faithful representation of the underlying book. Possibly the best example is Frank Herbert's "Dune". Several producers have tried and failed dismally on that science fiction masterpiece.

Or how about the casting of Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher?

I agree on both counts. After reading a couple of Reacher books I still baffled at Cruise playing the lead.

[sawadee1947]

no, I write my own books

[Eneukman]

I have a kindle, which is ideal as I do not have the space for a large number of books.

Just now, I am fighting my way though "War and Peace" - now around 71% complete. I'm doing 2 chapters of that at a time or I would simply give up as it's so long. In between the chapters, I'm currently reading "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" a chapter at a time and a chapter at a time of "The Three Musketeers"

Alan

[sandgroper2]

Personally, i have absolutely no interest in what people read or in telling them what i read. Cannot for the life of me understand the logic behind it.

[ChrisKC]

Personally, i have absolutely no interest in what people read or in telling them what i read. Cannot for the life of me understand the logic behind it.

The title of the thread is clear enough. Your kind of logic suggests strongly that you wouldn't open it. Then you tell us you don't understand why anyone else should be interested.

Curious contradictions of logic I think

[geronimo]

Interesting topic, as a writer I read only when I'm not working on a project. I understand how us oldies feel about paper books but I am sorry to say, they will become a thing of the past. While never disappearing, they will become collector's items, I predict in 20 years, you will have to visit a museum to see a real book.

[bazza40]

Personally, i have absolutely no interest in what people read or in telling them what i read. Cannot for the life of me understand the logic behind it.

Let me try and explain it to you. Other readers may recommend an author I've never heard of, and expand my reading horizon.

[Mansell]

Of course we are all different, but the person who never reads reminded me of an aspiring actress I was in an acting class studying with...went it was pointed out to her that her cold reading skills left something to be desired, she responded, "I have never read a book in my life." I wonder where her career went...oops!

As for books, for me they allow my mind to flourish as I create the pictures....films it is all done for you.

The best book I have read in the last couple of years was, "The Knife Man" by Wendy Moore. The story of the father of modern surgery. The Scottish doctor who developed many of the techniques used today in many fields besides surgery, including amazing research on many assorted life forms. One of the most complex persons I have ever read about...very enjoyable read. Reading now "A History of Warfare" by John Keegan. A pretty scholarly in depth look at warfare and its roots. I don't care much for fiction unless it is Dickens. Most authors today like the Reacher writer are using a formula to make money....I read one of his books and found it pretty shallow. And Cruise did a good job in the role. If they had cast a 6 foot plus guy three minutes walk across the shoulders, it would have been pretty much one dimensional as he could have beaten the crap out of everybody...my opinion. I would like to create a book club here, but non-fiction.....that might be fun.

[Mansell]

One fiction writer who's early books where excellent was the author of Red Storm Rising and The Hunt For Red October. Tom Clancy......one of the few writers who could end a chapter on a cliff hanger note, and make the next chapter just as gripping. As he got extremely successful and wealthy he slipped into having ghost writers doing his stuff and slipped into mediocrity.....a shame. Initially probably the best contemporary fiction writer of his generation.

A good writer from the fifties was the On The Beach writer, and the Day of the Triffids writer. Nobody around like that anymore.

[pgrahmm]

Of course we are all different, but the person who never reads reminded me of an aspiring actress I was in an acting class studying with...went it was pointed out to her that her cold reading skills left something to be desired, she responded, "I have never read a book in my life." I wonder where her career went...oops!

As for books, for me they allow my mind to flourish as I create the pictures....films it is all done for you.

The best book I have read in the last couple of years was, "The Knife Man" by Wendy Moore. The story of the father of modern surgery. The Scottish doctor who developed many of the techniques used today in many fields besides surgery, including amazing research on many assorted life forms. One of the most complex persons I have ever read about...very enjoyable read. Reading now "A History of Warfare" by John Keegan. A pretty scholarly in depth look at warfare and its roots. I don't care much for fiction unless it is Dickens. Most authors today like the Reacher writer are using a formula to make money....I read one of his books and found it pretty shallow. And Cruise did a good job in the role. If they had cast a 6 foot plus guy three minutes walk across the shoulders, it would have been pretty much one dimensional as he could have beaten the crap out of everybody...my opinion. I would like to create a book club here, but non-fiction.....that might be fun.

Cruise bought up the rights.....