Holiday fever & books

[Remarkable]

Holiday fever for me comes in multiple ways,especially this year!But it is always a quest to find the right book(or books).I have been wandering in my favourite library for the past weeks purchasing nothing(and now I'm too ashamed to go again)simply because there is so much to chose from and so little to be chosen.Any tips would be really helpful!No,seriously,I have those money lying on my desk now instead of a nice,beautiful new book...I'd love to hear about every genre available-and not only novels!

Thanks again :-D !

[Zee.]

In Cold Blood - Capote. I advertise this book as though i'm getting paid to do so..

read it.

[Jeremiah Jazzz]

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Not only is the book extremely well written; chalk full of symbolize, allusions that could be twisted till face turns blue, it's also an epic story! Tons of books are well put together and written and that's all it takes to get absorbed, but not many have the strong story Moby-Dick has.

[Alexei]

Something by Paul Auster. His books are interesting and inspiring and surprisingly easy for reading on top of that. May be the only exception is "The New York Trilogy" which is rather confusing. If I have to choose a specific novel probably I'll choose "Oracle Night".

[LitNetIsGreat]

Don't choose the book let the book choose you.

[papayahed]

In Cold Blood - Capote. I advertise this book as though i'm getting paid to do so..

read it.


I agree.

and Blindness by Jose Saramago

[LitNetIsGreat]

No, you should definitely let the book choose you. :santasmil

Seriously though, I think that recommendations are all well and good but only you know what is 'hitting the mark' with regards to your interests at the moment. I remember the fun days of walking into a library or bookshop and simply browsing for 45 minutes or so until a book sort of 'jumped out at me'. I would then take it across the way and order a pint and read it there and then outside as people pass me by.

I think that sometimes the spontaneity and randomness of this approach was much better than the 'book list' approach. Of course these days what I read is mostly governed by a syllabus or 'what I ought to read' as opposed to what I fancy reading. This is fine, I enjoy reading, but then again I also really enjoyed total freedom. If I was you I would choose your own books, or really let your own books choose you, it is much more fun that way. :thumbs_up

Then again you could always read other peoples' favourite books.

[Remarkable]

I have read "Blindness" and "Moby Dick",I will search again for Capote and they didn't have any Paul Auster.You see,I don't live in the States so it's a bit difficult to find THE books.

As for letting the book chose...Well,the thing is,seemingly I am a highly favoured person among books,so I get picked a lot...That's why I need help...

Today,while in the library I was wondering again between philosophy like Plato's Dialogues,mathematics&history like"A Natural History of Zero",humour like something from Terry Pratchett(although I am very much afraid he might be too commercial),classics like Dostoyevski,moderns like Faulkner,poetry like Baudelaire and the eternal quest for a good history book.I must get a history book,but I don't know what...There were multiple choices over Islam,The Ottoman Empire,British History,French History,Ancient Greece,Ancient Rome,the weird book called "A Secret History of the World",rewievs for which weren't very encouraging...You see now why I am confused?These books,they are all intentionally seducing me :D !

[Remarkable]

No, you should definitely let the book choose you. :santasmil

Seriously though, I think that recommendations are all well and good but only you know what is 'hitting the mark' with regards to your interests at the moment. I remember the fun days of walking into a library or bookshop and simply browsing for 45 minutes or so until a book sort of 'jumped out at me'. I would then take it across the way and order a pint and read it there and then outside as people pass me by.

I think that sometimes the spontaneity and randomness of this approach was much better than the 'book list' approach. Of course these days what I read is mostly governed by a syllabus or 'what I ought to read' as opposed to what I fancy reading. This is fine, I enjoy reading, but then again I also really enjoyed total freedom. If I was you I would choose your own books, or really let your own books choose you, it is much more fun that way. :thumbs_up

Then again you could always read other peoples' favourite books.


I just saw your post...

Well,you see,as I said,the thing is I just can't seem to make up my mind.I DO have that sensation all the time,and I always read the books I want.I just need somebody to direct me,to open a channel or something like that,since I am planning to buy lots of books this time...a=And it's difficult...But thanks,anyhow:)!

[LitNetIsGreat]

But I and others could direct you to many channels, but are they any better than your own or the throws of randomness? Let the book choose you, really it works. Be around books for so long and they will speak to you, they will set off a spark. If they don't then read The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Ha. :D

[Remarkable]

I have read "The Picture of Dorian Gray".Yep,it "called" me long ago :D !

I suppose I could get back in the library tomorrow and try to make books choose me again.It's just that that bookshop is starting to feel like home now,I spend half my day there...Literally!

[Saladin]

You guys should call yourselves - The Book Whisperers. I can speak with books and they choose me.

:p

From joke to revolver. Its seriously "refreshing" to be at the library or the bookshop and be "called" by a book. Because that is one of the times when you get the best reading experiences.

[Tallon]

No, you should definitely let the book choose you. :santasmil

Seriously though, I think that recommendations are all well and good but only you know what is 'hitting the mark' with regards to your interests at the moment. I remember the fun days of walking into a library or bookshop and simply browsing for 45 minutes or so until a book sort of 'jumped out at me'. I would then take it across the way and order a pint and read it there and then outside as people pass me by.

I think that sometimes the spontaneity and randomness of this approach was much better than the 'book list' approach. Of course these days what I read is mostly governed by a syllabus or 'what I ought to read' as opposed to what I fancy reading. This is fine, I enjoy reading, but then again I also really enjoyed total freedom. If I was you I would choose your own books, or really let your own books choose you, it is much more fun that way. :thumbs_up

Then again you could always read other peoples' favourite books.

That is often the best way, i've found some of my favourite books on a hunch. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis stands out, i just bought that randomly in Oxfam, no blurb on it or anything and it had me laughing my head off for the next few days.

[Jesuismoi]

Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility ~ " "
Love Medicine ~ Louise Erdrich

[Jeremiah Jazzz]

I definitely hear you guys on books 'choosing' you. One night I picked up 'Steppenwolf' by Hermann Hesse. It was around midnight and I had some serious work to do, but I got caught up in the book. It's a better feeling knowing that you started a good book based on a hunch.
I read the book aforementioned in about two days because it drew me into it, without knowing what the book was about. If I may go on a tangent. I think sometimes it's best to not know what a book is about. Sure, you could miss out on some literary techniques, but that's what second reads are all about heh
I know I would have found 'The Brothers Karamazov' much more thrilling, I guess is the right word, if I had not known who killed Fyodor Karamazov. I know that sometimes I just get caught up in 'researching' a book I miss the point that it is also a story made for story telling, if you will. Blah, ah well.
Sorry about the Karamazov spoiler up there by the way.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I definitely hear you guys on books 'choosing' you. One night I picked up 'Steppenwolf' by Hermann Hesse. It was around midnight and I had some serious work to do, but I got caught up in the book. It's a better feeling knowing that you started a good book based on a hunch.
I read the book aforementioned in about two days because it drew me into it, without knowing what the book was about. If I may go on a tangent. I think sometimes it's best to not know what a book is about. Sure, you could miss out on some literary techniques, but that's what second reads are all about heh
I know I would have found 'The Brothers Karamazov' much more thrilling, I guess is the right word, if I had not known who killed Fyodor Karamazov. I know that sometimes I just get caught up in 'researching' a book I miss the point that it is also a story made for story telling, if you will. Blah, ah well.
Sorry about the Karamazov spoiler up there by the way.

Yes man I'm with you. I'm about to follow my own advice and escape to the library and hunt for something random (even though I have plenty of books on the run) maybe I'll have a beer into the bargain too.

[Remarkable]

Yes man I'm with you. I'm about to follow my own advice and escape to the library and hunt for something random (even though I have plenty of books on the run) maybe I'll have a beer into the bargain too.

I went for a hunt again today,but maybe...only maybe...I might be on the right track:D!

[LitNetIsGreat]

Hey great, but don't force it, maybe you was trying too hard? You just know when you hit the right book at the right moment, you just know.

[Remarkable]

You know Neely,after all you were right:D!
I found THE book just today...My perfect history book,what I was looking for all along...I just saw it lying there and I took it...And what's the best,I still have money left to go around and find another soul-book:p!

[LitNetIsGreat]

You know Neely,after all you were right:D!
I found THE book just today...My perfect history book,what I was looking for all along...I just saw it lying there and I took it...And what's the best,I still have money left to go around and find another soul-book:p!

Hey that's great, sometimes they find you in 5 minutes sometimes it can be 5 visits but they do find you eventually.