What are you reading right now?

[Bubbsophie]

Originally Posted by Kruemi

I just bought The Tea Rose

Have fun reading it, Kruemi! I finished The Winter Rose the other day and it was as good as The Tea Rose. Both are now 2 of my favorite books.

I bought Iny Lorentz "Die Wanderhure" a few days ago. As far as I could find out it hasn't been published in English (yet) so I neither have an English title nor can I recommend it to the English readers on this board. But I also can't recommend it to the German readers because I haven't started reading it yet. But I've heard and read good things about it so I am looking forward to reading it.

[Mervi]

I started reading Twilight too I'm not a fan of vampire stories and didn't intend to watch/read it but when I was renting DVD's I chose it for some reason. The movie was not my favourites but I liked it more than I thought. There were little things that I felt I didn't fully understand and I couldn't help thinking if the book would explain it more. At the same time I realized I would have more time for books when I start my summer job (I'll sit in buss/train for 1 hour and 10 minutes daily). So I started reading

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by Mervi

I'm not a fan of vampire stories

Oh, same here!!! But this series has something I can't even describe. It is not so that I would say these are the best books I've ever read, because there are quite a lot of things that bother me. But I love the story that is told, and am still quite addicted to it .

[cooperkids]

I'm one of those people who won't read Twlight books just because they're so popular. I still haven't read any of the Harry Potter ones.

Right now I am reading Axe of Iron: The Settlers by J.A. Hunsinger. It's about Norsemen.

[Mervi]

Originally Posted by cooperkids

I'm one of those people who won't read Twlight books just because they're so popular. I still haven't read any of the Harry Potter ones.

I haven't read HP either. But something being popular doesn't necessary mean that it would not be good. I don't mean to sound rude or offensive but I think not reading something only because it's popular is as bad as reading something only because it's popular. It's just my opinion.

As I said Twilight is not any of my favourites, but it's definitely better than average books in my reading history (which is quite short but still...). And maybe the popularity aspect fascinates me in a way, if I read a random book there is great possibility none of my friends have read it and I can't discuss it with anyone. When I read Twilight even people who haven't read it have opinion and we can start a discussion

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by cooperkids

I'm one of those people who won't read Twlight books just because they're so popular. I still haven't read any of the Harry Potter ones.

I understand what you are saying because I know that feeling. I think though that Mervi is right when she says:

Originally Posted by Mervi

I think not reading something only because it's popular is as bad as reading something only because it's popular.

However, I've been lucky in both cases: I read the books long before the hype started; and I'm happy that I did because I love both sagas .

[Mervi]

I wish there had been these "hypes" when I was young. I remember reading lot of books but none were particularly good. Eventually I gave up reading for years until I started it again. There were also those years when children's (and teenagers') books started to feel too childish but switching to adult's books somehow frightened because I had no idea where to start or what to read. I think HP, Twilight and Lord of the Rings are good "bridges" between different age groups and I find it fascinating that readers in different age can share the experience. I don't know if this happened before with other books but I myself was unaware of that.

[SadieCass]

Originally Posted by cooperkids

I'm one of those people who won't read Twlight books just because they're so popular. I still haven't read any of the Harry Potter ones.

This was why I didn't read the HP novels until the fifth one was released. I did end up enjoying them more than I expected.

I ALSO had this reason for not reading the Twilight novels. The ONLY reason I picked them up was because I was challenged by the same thing Mervi said...and because I couldn't argue effectually against them if I knew nothinga bout them but the hype. So I did read them...but like I said in the Twilight thread...I didn't like them. I could see why tween/teen girls would...but I didn' tlike them

I just finished reading Dead and Gone, the 9th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series...which are SO much better than Twilight (my friend calls them vamp porn for women...but I digress). Now I'm anxiously awaiting book 10 that's due out in November. (Another vamp series written for teens that's better than Twilight is the House of Night series. LOVE that one. Awaiting book 6 in that series now )

Until then I have a book or two heading my way for review...but not sure what to read in the meantime. Been busy working on my own and writing/editing always distracts me from reading

[Kruemi]

Originally Posted by Mervi

Eventually I gave up reading for years

Too bad we didn#t meet earlier, I could have given you a loooooooong list of books that are worth reading. Of course people are different and thus they like different kinds of books, but just like Harry Potter today, there had always been books that reached different generations - like The Little Prince (I don't know if that's the correct title) by Saint-Exupéry or The Three Musceteers by Dumas or his Count of Monte Christo...

[cooperkids]

Originally Posted by Mervi

I haven't read HP either. But something being popular doesn't necessary mean that it would not be good. I don't mean to sound rude or offensive but I think not reading something only because it's popular is as bad as reading something only because it's popular. It's just my opinion.

This is very true. It's not the only reason I don't read them, but it is a main one. Maybe I just don't want to seem like one of the crowd.

Since I review books, I also don't want to be reading the same book as everyone else. There is a limit on what different reviewers can say about a book that is being read by so many people. I would rather draw attention to good books by less known authors than read a book or a series that so many people have enjoyed that they made movies out of them.

[Mervi]

Originally Posted by SadieCass

I could see why tween/teen girls would...but I didn' tlike them

My sister's opinion on Twilight was "I would have loved it ten years ago", now she didn't like it. She read it in Finnish and I chose English because for some reason reading in foreign language makes text sound more "mature"...it's difficult to explain but I have experienced it with many books

Originally Posted by Kruemi

Too bad we didn#t meet earlier, I could have given you a loooooooong list of books that are worth reading.

It really is a shame. I blame my Finnish teachers, they did nothing to encourage us to read more or tell us about different types of literature. I didn't even know what fantasy books were, my best friend's brother was reading them and I thought what a heck could they tell about Later I have made friends outside my hometown and they all told me they had to read pile of books in high school. I remember reading only one during those three years! (of course I read some more on my free time...) I even managed to get through the school without reading one single word of "Kalevala", the national epic of Finland which usually is read in every school.

Originally Posted by cooperkids

Since I review books, I also don't want to be reading the same book as everyone else.

That's very understandable

[Jen]

Seems like everyone is reading Twilight these days. Interesting. A bit like what happened with Harry Potter, I agree. I actually saw the film (Twilight) a while ago and I kept thinking that maybe I should have read the book instead of going to see it. A friend of mine who came to see the film with me decided to read the book afterwards but for some reason she thought it wasn't that well written. So now I'm a bit curious as I've been hearing opposite opinions on it.

Meanwhile I've been slowly getting towards the end of Wuthering Heights. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge for me to try to guess what Joseph is saying with that thick Yorkshire accent of his, but if I read his lines aloud in my head, I can often pretty much make it out. Anyway, I really love the story! It's so gothic and dramatic and dark and romantic and fascinating aaand... Great read once I got past the slow beginning. Those Brontë sisters really knew how to write perfect stories.

[Lizzie]

Originally Posted by Jen

A friend of mine who came to see the film with me decided to read the book afterwards but for some reason she thought it wasn't that well written. So now I'm a bit curious as I've been hearing opposite opinions on it.

I don't think it's terribly well written either actually, but even so there's something about it that's gripping, exciting, makes it hard to put down.

I'm currently reading Call The Midwife by Jennifer Worth. It's a memoir or sorts, recalling real events. She was a midwife in the Docklands of London in the 1950s, where there was some of the worst poverty in the country (people working 60 hour weeks at the docks, living in 2-room condemned tenements). But there was also a unique and resilient culture and community in an environment that has now disappeared (a lot of the area is now the business and financial centre of London, e.g. Canary Wharf).

It's a fascinating insight, sometimes quite disturbing too, but the stories of people and human spirit are amazing. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Bubbsophie]

Originally Posted by Lizzie

I don't think it's terribly well written either actually, but even so there's something about it that's gripping, exciting, makes it hard to put down.

100% agreement. Maybe it's this very unique story?! At least for me it was unique because I hadn't read any vampire stories before Twilight.

[Jen]

I'm sure I'll end up reading them one of these days too. Sounds very interesting what you're reading right now, Lizzie!

I finished Wuthering Heights. Perfect story, perfect ending. Now I'm studying for a book exam, but lucky me, I get to read Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own and Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex for it. So I'm taking it more from the point of view of pleasure reading as I meant to read those at some point anyway. I also started To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf but I think it will take me a while to finish that with all these other things I should read first.