Do You Read Books?

[bazza40]

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.

You may like Roland Perry's " Monash- the outsider who won the war". And Ken Follett's " The Pillars of the Earth" is a great piece of historical fiction. How can anyone resist a book that starts out with the sentence " The small boys came early to the hanging"?

[bazza40]

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.

It's a characteristic of formulaic writers that it's extremely difficult to keep the ideas fresh.Probably the best example of that is Alistair McLean, who started out with "HMS Ulysses" and "The Guns of Navarone" and slowly degenerated into wretched potboilers.

John D MacDonald's Travis McGee series was formulaic, but somehow managed to stay fresh.

[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.

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

If i see a road accident, i look, doesnt mean i want to be in one. What a close friend or rellie read, i can understand an interest in that, but a complete stranger, Not in the least.

[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.

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

Heard of Google?

[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

If i see a road accident, i look, doesnt mean i want to be in one. What a close friend or rellie read, i can understand an interest in that, but a complete stranger, Not in the least.

Am I to understand then, being a member in a forum of strangers that unless you know them, you are not interested? Nearly 600 posts you have made suggests you are interested. Which brand of logic do you follow?

[stoneyboy]

No.

Thank God ,at least you know Bob Dylan.

Yes I prefer words to be used through music,a clear example is my love of the music of Bob Dylan who is a literary genius quite frankly.

[giddyup]

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.

Heard of Google?

How do you Google a name you don't know?

[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.

Heard of Google?

Yes. How will Google assist me in finding a good author? One does have to enter something into the search field.

[ChrisKC]

I don't normally recommend particular books for people to read as I am aware that my tastes and theirs could be different. Once in a while though, a book comes up apropos of nothing special; I read it and be so glad I did.

Please look at these two titles (links below to reviews)

"The Skallagrig" by William Horwood

https://www.google.co.th/?gws_rd=cr&ei=s6YtV86vFMypuwTfwYKABw#q=reviews+The+Skallagrig

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

https://www.google.co.th/?gws_rd=cr&ei=s6YtV86vFMypuwTfwYKABw#q=reviews+the+lovely+bones+book

[pgrahmm]

I read the bible from cover to cover once.

How did it end?

[sipi]

I read the bible from cover to cover once.

How did it end?

That was 40 years ago P.

With a fullstop I presume..

[giddyup]

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.

I don't think logic is your strong point.

[pgrahmm]

I read the bible from cover to cover once.

How did it end?

That was 40 years ago P.

With a fullstop I presume..

Pretty much ended with today's headlines.....

[Mansell]

I don't want to spoil the ending of the Bible for you....but sadly they all died.

[sipi]

I read the bible from cover to cover once.

How did it end?

That was 40 years ago P.

With a fullstop I presume..

Or possibly a question mark...

[Aussie69]

I read ThaiVisa. It's a fictional non-fiction story in the drama/comedy/horror genre. It has many characters and plot twists. It's a large volume, consisting well over hundred thousand pages. I highly recommend it. [emoji2]

[SpokaneAl]

No.

Thank God ,at least you know Bob Dylan.

Yes I prefer words to be used through music,a clear example is my love of the music of Bob Dylan who is a literary genius quite frankly.

While I a saddened that you would discount the value of reading, I certainly can't argue about the genius of Bob Dylan.

[SpokaneAl]

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.

Heard of Google?

Yes. How will Google assist me in finding a good author? One does have to enter something into the search field.

Try best books of the year, Pulitzer Prize winners, one hundred best books of all times list, noteworthy fiction, non fiction, biographies etc - if you use your imagination there are plenty of ways to get started in finding books that could be appealing.

[giddyup]

Try best books of the year, Pulitzer Prize winners, one hundred best books of all times list, noteworthy fiction, non fiction, biographies etc - if you use your imagination there are plenty of ways to get started in finding books that could be appealing.

Is there actually anything wrong with someone recommending a certain author or book? I suggest books and movies to friends all the time and vice versa. They have book clubs that do exactly that, it's called sharing information.

[bazza40]

Yes. How will Google assist me in finding a good author? One does have to enter something into the search field.

Try best books of the year, Pulitzer Prize winners, one hundred best books of all times list, noteworthy fiction, non fiction, biographies etc - if you use your imagination there are plenty of ways to get started in finding books that could be appealing.

You have a point. However, these lists are mostly determined by literary critics. I've read books praised by critics that were turgid crap from beginning to end. Entertaining authors such as Arthur Upfield were savaged by critics all their lives.

[Chimp]

I just finished The Source by James Mitchner, a book I read once before, many years ago. My taste in authors is varied.

[Chimp]

I purchase my first Kindle Paper White last year. I really like it so far.

[BookMan]

Yes. How will Google assist me in finding a good author? One does have to enter something into the search field.

Try best books of the year, Pulitzer Prize winners, one hundred best books of all times list, noteworthy fiction, non fiction, biographies etc - if you use your imagination there are plenty of ways to get started in finding books that could be appealing.

You have a point. However, these lists are mostly determined by literary critics. I've read books praised by critics that were turgid crap from beginning to end. Entertaining authors such as Arthur Upfield were savaged by critics all their lives.

It i hard to put down an Upfield once u have started reading. They are best read in order of publication if possible

Edited May 7, 2016 by BookMan

[riceyummm]

I just finished "All The Great Prizes", a biography of John Hay who was Lincoln's assistant secretary while in his 20s and T Roosevelt's secretary of state when he died. Fascinating man in a fascinating period of world history.

Edited May 7, 2016 by riceyummm

[SpokaneAl]

I just finished "All The Great Prizes", a biography of John Hay who was Lincoln's assistant secretary while in his 20s and T Roosevelt's secretary of state when he died. Fascinating man in a fascinating period of world history.

Thanks. I have added the book to my list.

[stoneyboy]

No.

Thank God ,at least you know Bob Dylan.

Yes I prefer words to be used through music,a clear example is my love of the music of Bob Dylan who is a literary genius quite frankly.

While I a saddened that you would discount the value of reading, I certainly can't argue about the genius of Bob Dylan.

Al of course I am akin to the odd book,poem or prose,I just don't feel Thai visa is the place to to discuss it for me personally.

[bazza40]

I just finished The Source by James Mitchner, a book I read once before, many years ago. My taste in authors is varied.

You might like "The Fires of Spring" by the same author. Set in the Great Depression, I feel it's different to his usual genre.

[Chimp]

Thanks, I'll check that out. I recently bought his book Iberia, it is a bit slow. I enjoyed The Covenant and although not by Mitchner I'm considering re-reading Shogun. I love books that take me away to another time and place.

[pgrahmm]

Thanks, I'll check that out. I recently bought his book Iberia, it is a bit slow. I enjoyed The Covenant and although not by Mitchner I'm considering re-reading Shogun. I love books that take me away to another time and place.

All the Clavell books are great as well....

Edited May 8, 2016 by pgrahmm

[SpokaneAl]

Thanks, I'll check that out. I recently bought his book Iberia, it is a bit slow. I enjoyed The Covenant and although not by Mitchner I'm considering re-reading Shogun. I love books that take me away to another time and place.

All the Clavell books are great as well....

Shogun - after all these years I am still stunned and hurt that the lady died.

My first experience with Mitchener, many decades ago, was Hawaii. That book remains my favorite.

Edited May 8, 2016 by SpokaneAl