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Good Books
I thought it might be interesting to use the forum to share the titles of the books we read and enoy. I am an avid reader and likewise, I have discovered many on this site also love to read. For those of you that like off the wall humour, I find Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Tom Sharpe, fit the bill. All three are witty, interesting and show life from unusual viewpoints that we ordinary mortals might never consider. For those who like a little fantasy – of the sorcery type – I think Robin Hobbs Farseer Trilogy and Trudi Canavan’s Black Magician Trilogy are exceptionally good reading, easy on the mind with stories, characters and plots that are self involving and brilliantly conceived. For those who enjoy historic tales of adventure the Bernard Cornwell books about English history are gripping and exciting if a little, slightly contrived. While there is one Wilbur Smith book ‘River God’ that deals with ancient Egypt in such a way that you feel you are actually there. However, don’t bother with the sequels, they are, in my opinion, way over the top. The good thing about all these books is that they are available in a lot of charity shops and second hand book stalls for 50p or a couple of pound. As they provide hours and hours of engrossing entertainment, real VFM. What I wish to know is, what do you read?
I thought it might be interesting to use the forum to share the titles of the books we read and enoy. I am an avid reader and likewise, I have discovered many on this site also love to read. For those of you that like off the wall humour, I find Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Tom Sharpe, fit the bill. All three are witty, interesting and show life from unusual viewpoints that we ordinary mortals might never consider. For those who like a little fantasy – of the sorcery type – I think Robin Hobbs Farseer Trilogy and Trudi Canavan’s Black Magician Trilogy are exceptionally good reading, easy on the mind with stories, characters and plots that are self involving and brilliantly conceived. For those who enjoy historic tales of adventure the Bernard Cornwell books about English history are gripping and exciting if a little, slightly contrived. While there is one Wilbur Smith book ‘River God’ that deals with ancient Egypt in such a way that you feel you are actually there. However, don’t bother with the sequels, they are, in my opinion, way over the top. The good thing about all these books is that they are available in a lot of charity shops and second hand book stalls for 50p or a couple of pound. As they provide hours and hours of engrossing entertainment, real VFM. What I wish to know is, what do you read?
Posted by: Dr. Todd harris
22 June 11:23 am
Did you know that there are many Oz Books by L. Frank Baum besides the one in the movie, "the Wizard of Oz" ? Here is a partial list along with the years in which they were published. Taken together, these books are a wonderful set of stories for all children which are often overlooked today. My great grandmother, grandmother, and
mother passed down these books to me as a child and I think they are wonderful.
1904 The Marvelous Land of Oz
1907 Ozma of Oz
1908 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
1909 The Road to Oz
1910 The Emerald City of Oz
1913 The Patchwork Girl of Oz
1914 Little Wizard Stories of Oz
1914 Tik-Tok of Oz
1915 The Scarecrow of Oz
1916 Rinkitink in Oz
1917 The Lost Princess of Oz
1918 The Tin Woodman of Oz
1919 The Magic of Oz
1920 Glinda of Oz
These books are available on-line to read for free in text-only form at "http://www.ozclub.org/resources/ebooks.asp".
If you want to see what the original vintage cover graphics look like, go to "http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/books1.htm".
These are great fun to read to children, and they are all available for purchase (so you can share the fanciful character and scenic drawings) from Amazon.com as sets or individually.
The thing that I find most gratifying about these is their UNIVERSAL appeal, which can be summed up by L. Frank Baum, the author, himself, in his comments about his own work:
"..the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale...."
Certainly ahead of his time, is he not?
If you like them, I hope you get a chance to try these out on children you might know who are looking for a fanciful and harmless bit of fun wrapped up in a good story.
Dr. Todd
Did you know that there are many Oz Books by L. Frank Baum besides the one in the movie, "the Wizard of Oz" ? Here is a partial list along with the years in which they were published. Taken together, these books are a wonderful set of stories for all children which are often overlooked today. My great grandmother, grandmother, and
mother passed down these books to me as a child and I think they are wonderful.
1904 The Marvelous Land of Oz
1907 Ozma of Oz
1908 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz
1909 The Road to Oz
1910 The Emerald City of Oz
1913 The Patchwork Girl of Oz
1914 Little Wizard Stories of Oz
1914 Tik-Tok of Oz
1915 The Scarecrow of Oz
1916 Rinkitink in Oz
1917 The Lost Princess of Oz
1918 The Tin Woodman of Oz
1919 The Magic of Oz
1920 Glinda of Oz
These books are available on-line to read for free in text-only form at "http://www.ozclub.org/resources/ebooks.asp".
If you want to see what the original vintage cover graphics look like, go to "http://www.halcyon.com/piglet/books1.htm".
These are great fun to read to children, and they are all available for purchase (so you can share the fanciful character and scenic drawings) from Amazon.com as sets or individually.
The thing that I find most gratifying about these is their UNIVERSAL appeal, which can be summed up by L. Frank Baum, the author, himself, in his comments about his own work:
"..the time has come for a series of newer "wonder tales" in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible and blood-curdling incidents devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale...."
Certainly ahead of his time, is he not?
If you like them, I hope you get a chance to try these out on children you might know who are looking for a fanciful and harmless bit of fun wrapped up in a good story.
Dr. Todd
Posted by: Paul Martin Chafer
20 June 13:12 pm
Alison and Jon, thanks for replying to my forum question. I am not familiar with Julian Barnes, though the book sounds interesting, and Jon, we all lose the inspiration to write at sometime or another, some more frequently than others, it is unavoidable. I fully agree with you about reading, it does give one's creative juices a chance to flow again.
Paul.
Alison and Jon, thanks for replying to my forum question. I am not familiar with Julian Barnes, though the book sounds interesting, and Jon, we all lose the inspiration to write at sometime or another, some more frequently than others, it is unavoidable. I fully agree with you about reading, it does give one's creative juices a chance to flow again.
Paul.
Posted by: Jon Fletcher
15 June 15:02 pm
I find reading a great solace and also inspiration. there are times when I just seem unable to write, as if I lose heart and soul and mind all at once and then to read is fantastic. It lifts me and motivates me.
I find reading a great solace and also inspiration. there are times when I just seem unable to write, as if I lose heart and soul and mind all at once and then to read is fantastic. It lifts me and motivates me.
Posted by: Alison Prior
17 May 21:43 pm
I am currently reading 'Arthur & George' by Julian Barnes although I tend to only read in bed being out and about a lot. I am finding it intriguing because the Arthur mentioned is Arthur Conan Doyle who created Sherlock Holmes and in this novel he is trying to solve why George was imprisoned for a crime which Arthur believes is so outragious he will do his best to have the sentence quoshed.
In the writing of this novel Julian Barnes has been quite meticulous in his approach, almost working like a detective himself setting the plot.
I would recommend it to anyone.
I am currently reading 'Arthur & George' by Julian Barnes although I tend to only read in bed being out and about a lot. I am finding it intriguing because the Arthur mentioned is Arthur Conan Doyle who created Sherlock Holmes and in this novel he is trying to solve why George was imprisoned for a crime which Arthur believes is so outragious he will do his best to have the sentence quoshed.
In the writing of this novel Julian Barnes has been quite meticulous in his approach, almost working like a detective himself setting the plot.
I would recommend it to anyone.
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