Absolute Chaos Discussion Boards
Miscellaneous => Chatterbox => The AC Book Club => Topic started by: Carter-Orange on February 16, 2013, 09:45:51 AM
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What are you currently reading (non-fanfic) and is it something you'd recommend, or are you struggling to just get through it?
I'm currently reading Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion. I'm only on page 53 but am enjoying it so far, but think any zombie lover would enjoy it :)
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Just like everything else in my life currently, I am in a reading funk as well. There are a few books I want to read but haven't yet, like the new Mitch Albom book and am looking forward to the new books by Jodi Picoult and Dan Brown. I think Stephen King has a new one coming out soon as wel.
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I wonder what Stephen King's new one will be like. I still think 11.22.63 is one of the best, if not the best book I've ever read!
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I agree! It's definitely my favorite book by him!
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I am currently reading Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison... it's the 5th in the series ..it's a YA series. I like the plots and they are exciting to read, at least for me :p
Also, I am reading Nowhere to Run which is alright so far but I'm only 1/4 of the way through.
I have started Guilty Wives as well, by Patterson, and I'm not too far into it because it's a different style I'm having a hard time getting into it so it might be on my "not finished" list.
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I've been reading The Walking Dead comics. Almost caught up with those. When I finish, I have a few children's books I bought for my classroom library and want to read before I take to school, and I also have a Mary Higgins Clark novel that I got for Christmas from my Secret Santa that I should check out. They're all just piled up waiting for me; I've been reading these comics for weeks!
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Way behind but i started to read The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings. I am enjoying it a lot.
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I have 3 Mary Higgins Clark books on my nightstand to red. I went overboard on my reservations at the library and the holds came in faster than I expected.
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Not read any of those books Lore, are they any good?
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I loved the FableHaven series, YA fantasy that takes place in the modern world. Loved it!
I am still reading Nowhere to Run, my kindle books tend to not get read unless I'm at work. I am 100 pages into Guilty Wives. It is alright but I am still not sure. The next section is about the trial and I don't want to read all of that I want to get to the part where the main woman gets redeemed and the bad guy gets the shit kicked out of him! LOL
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I'm now reading Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, I've read quite a few of his books and love them.
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I really need to read a book or write or both. All I've been doing in my spare time is watching things on Netflix and playing Angry Birds Star Wars edition. My brain is slowing down to drool stage! lol
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LOL I've also been watching far too much TV (Merlin). I'm crap at Angry Birds though, can only manage a few levels and then can't get any further.
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I tend to get easily bored with it but I love this new Star Wars one lol
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I've got the Star Wars one on my tablet, I'm just useless at games though, lol
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I am just starting I Walked Alone by Mary Higgins Clark... love her stuff. I need to finish the one on my kindle so I can start the next one Body Movers by Stephanie Bond.
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I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I've not got that far into it yet, but it reminds me a little of The Hunger Games (which I loved).
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I LOVED Divergent I bought Insurgent as soon as I was finished with it and am eagerly anticipating the third book coming out this October! :)
I am currently reading The Selection.
I need more ideas for books. I have some saved on goodreads as want to read but then I read reviews and get turned off. *sigh*
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I'm enjoying it, I'm about half way through now.
I've also just bought the first Games of Thrones book, so will read that once I'm done with Divergent.
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I just finished reading "Dad is Fat," which is a memoir by the comedian Jim Gaffigan (the Hot Pockets guy - "Deeeeeead pocket...") about being a parent of five kids. I am not a parent, but I do like kids and like Jim Gaffigan and like celebrity autographs, so when I saw via Twitter that he was offering autographed book plates to anyone who pre-ordered his book, I pre-ordered it! It was a good read! Funny stuff. Would definitely recommend to people who are parents or spend a lot of time around little kids - you'll definitely relate!
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And since I forgot this thread existed, I read another book earlier in the month called "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes. It's a story about a twenty-something girl who loses her job and goes to work as a companion for a thirty-something guy who became a quadriplegic in an accident. It's kind of a Debbie Downer book (which of course is my favorite kind), but has some humor to lighten it up, and the characters are great. It wasn't as good as The Fault in Our Stars, but along those lines. I plowed through it in just a few days, so I must have liked it!
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That sounds interesting. I saw Jim Gaffigan talking about his book on The Daily Show the other night. I had a feeling it would be a funny read.
I am currently reading Inferno by Dan Brown. I'm only on chapter 7 but the action starts right away!
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It's funny because there are whole passages from his book that are verbatim part of his stand-up routines. I had to re-watch his "Mr. Universe" stand-up special on Netflix halfway through reading this book because I was like, "These jokes sound really familiar..." And sure enough! Same exact jokes. But that makes it fun because you can just hear how he tells them as you're reading them in the book. And obviously there's more new material in the book. It was definitely funny.
I haven't read a Dan Brown book since The DaVinci Code, which I enjoyed - maybe I should check that out! What's it about?
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It's too soon for me to get a sense what it's really about yet but it is a Robert Langdon book.
All I know so far is he wakes up in a hospital with no memory of why at all he is there. He thinks he's in Boston but he's in Italy and was shot in the head and suddenly a women bursts into his room and tries to kill him so my guess the fun is going to come in flashback as he begins to regain his memory.
You should probably read The Lost Symbol before this one because it's the third one in the series after the Lost Symbol which was also very good and action packed.
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Yeah, I probably should. I haven't read Angels and Demons either, though I did see the movie. I should probably go back and read them all in order.
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Yes, Angels and Demons I kind of liked that one more than The DaVinci Code, it didn't feel as attached to these others though.
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I've got three Dan Brown books but haven't got around to reading them yet. I'm reading Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult and about halfway through it.
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I liked that book! Up next after Inferno is The Storyteller by Jodi P! I am saving what is probably the best, for last!
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I liked Angels & Demons more too. I want to read the new one. It is in my list to buy for my summer weekend trips coming up.
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I am actually having a heck of a time getting through Inferno. It's fast paced from the start but I am still not able to fully get into it. I started it well over a month ago and I have only now just reached the halfway mark. Normally it takes me less than a week to get through a book. I feel like he's cramming too much useless information in this one and it takes place in Italy so there's a lot of translation which kind of breaks up the flow. No idea but I am still waiting for it to suck me in! LOL
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I'm about halfway through The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult and wow it's a pretty intense book. Very different from anything I have ever read by her before.
It's about an old man who asks a baker to help him die. He confesses that he used to be a Nazi and just like all her books it's told through many points of view but when they do his it gets really intense and of course disturbing. I have had this book for a long time and never really had a chance to let myself get sucked in but now I'm officially sucked. lol
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Sounds like a good book, I've read a few of hers and really enjoyed them.
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I love her stuff. Usually they end up in a courtroom but so far this isn't the case.
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I'm not a fan of courtroom stuff, unless it's only a small part of the story. The last one of hers I read was Salem Falls (I think that was the name)
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This one is intense! I have been pretty much reading it all day. It might become my second favorite after Nineteen Minutes. It might even end up surpassing Nineteen Minutes! Which is like...woah! lol
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Definitely need to read that one too!
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Finished The Storyteller and it's my new favorite Jodi Picoult book, just beating out Nineteen Minutes. It was an incredibly intense and disturbing read, especially the second part. (It's split into three parts)
The second part is a flashback to being sent to Auschwitz and it was so real, I felt like I was there. I had nightmares about it.
It's written from at least 4 points of view just like all Jodi's books. One being the Nazi and one being the survivor. Really incredible story.
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I just started reading The First Phone Call from Heaven and it's really interesting. I was kind of hesitant to read it because I didn't really want it to be a sequel to the Five People You Meet in Heaven but thankfully it's not. I loved that first book and when I saw he was writing another 'heaven' themed book I panicked lol
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I've been reading a lot lately, it's a good activity when I'm awake at 2, 4/5, 6/7, in the morning and easy to turn the pages with my kindle. heh. I just finished Queen of Babble, it was a nice quick "junk food" read. Which is good, can't read anything to 'demanding' when I'm reading so late/early and am tired. :)
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I've hardly read anything recently, but have just treated myself to Joyland by Stephen King, so will make a start on that.
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That was a pretty awesome book! Joyland.
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I'll try and start it if I ever get off the phone to my sister lol
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Three books to talk about. Two great and one horrid!
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins was a great read. Lots of suspense and I had fun trying to guess the murderer throughout. I'm usually good with figuring that out, but I didn't guess correctly until almost the point of reveal.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tart Good lord, avoid this book like the plague. It's completely pointless, way too needlessly wordy and just overall 700 plus pages of time I will never get back. Still not as horrid as Twilight. The writer is very good, but yeah...stay away lol
Finders Keepers by Stephen King is awesome. I'm almost done with it. It's kind of a sequel to Mr. Mercedes but you can easily read it without reading the first one because it's not so much a sequel but more just another circumstance with the same characters.
I need another book to read. Any suggestions? I'm in the mood to read a fast paced book. Suspense, action type thing.
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YA but have you read The Maze Runner yet? I couldn't put it down and the entire series was just as good I thought.
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No, I haven't read that one. I do have the movie in my Netflix queue. I didn't know it was a book series. I enjoy YA novels usually.
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Loved the Maze Runner books... you are wondering what is going on from the very beginning since the main character has no memory and you figure things out as he does. The author kept me wondering what he was going to do next the entire time... where the plot was going exactly.
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I'll have to check it out. I decided on another sci if book instead. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, have you read it? It seems like something you'd enjoy. I've never tried reading a straight out sci fi before.
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I have not read that book, not sure I'd even heard of it until now. I'll look it up.
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I haven't read anything for so long, but took an easy read book on honeymoon called The Cupid Effect by Dorothy Koomson, I enjoyed it.
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I'm starting to slow down on Seven Eves. Sometimes it gets a little too science-y for me. Overall it's still a good read though.
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I seriously haven't read a book for fun since I finished Gone Girl last year, but I just started "The Girl on the Train" the other day, and I'm already almost done with it! I don't want to give too much away, but it's a mystery, sort of in the same vein as Rear Window, and it's got some characters who will keep you guessing. I can't wait to find out how it all turns out.
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"The Girl on the Train" was an awesome book! I loved it! Not giving anything away but I figured out who it was about three quarters of the way which says a lot because usually I am pretty quick to figure this stuff out. I am Nancy Drew lol
"All the Light We Cannot See" was an incredible read as well.
I'm at the halfway point of Seven Eves finally lol
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I have some thoughts, but I also keep changing my mind as I find out more, so who knows! I am usually terrible at figuring out whodunit, though, so I will probably end up being surprised.
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Mare, I finished it yesterday and figured it out right before it was confirmed in the book. Good read! Now I'm reading Paper Towns in case I want to see the movie when it comes out. So far, so good. All The Light We Cannot See sounds good too.
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Paper Towns and Finding Alaska have both been on my reading list for awhile now.
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I'm enjoying it so far, but it's no Fault in Our Stars. At least not yet. I'm only about a third of the way through it, though, so I have a ways to go.
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I finally finished "Seven Eves" it had such a great premise and I really enjoyed the first half but then the story jumped 5,000 years into the future where apparently the author who wrote the first half was replaced by someone who just couldn't hold my interest. It was probably the dumbest ending of a book ever. So, I recommend the first half but not the second lol
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I'll give that a miss then lol
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Good call lol
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I never posted about finishing "Paper Towns" over the summer, but I did and... it was still just alright. Like I said before, it's no Fault in Our Stars. I don't even care about seeing the movie, which was the whole point of reading it. Oh well.
I just finished "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" the other day. According to the Amazon reviews, it was supposed to be better than The Fault in Our Stars. I liked it, thought it was funny, but it was definitely no Fault in Our Stars either. I'm all for cancer books being funny, but I just feel like, even if they try to defy all the cliches of the genre, they should still make you cry at least once by the end, and this one didn't.
Has anyone read any great YA novels or children's chapter books lately that would be good for me to read and recommend to my students? My fourth graders are blogging about books, and I like to blog along with them as an example, so I need to be reading something that's appropriate to share with ten-year-olds. I finished "Wonder" by R.J. Palaccio a few weeks ago, and that was wonderful, but I need to find something new that would be okay for them to read too. I tried Me and Earl and the Dying Girl because I knew it was a YA book, but it was waaaaaay too inappropriate for fourth graders. I don't think the Walking Dead comics are going to cut it either LOL.
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I'm not sure about fourth graders. I'll have to ask them what they're reading and get back to you. I am always asking the kids what they are reading. Most of the kids love the sci fi multi series books. My older kids are constantly giving me recommendation s and they all have told me I need to read The Fifth Wave, so I bought it today, along with the new Stephen King book. I almost picked up Paper Towns, but I really didn't think it sounded all that interesting. I wanted to see Me and Earl when it came out but I never did. I agree with you though. If someone is dying of cancer, there needs to be at least some tears lol
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A lot of my kids read the big fantasy series too. Other than Harry Potter, I'm not big on those. I usually end up reading the first book in the series and then not caring enough to continue LOL. Several of my girls have been obsessed with a book called Deep Blue, which is about mermaids. I haven't heard of The Fifth Wave - what's that one about?
I think that was my main problem with Me and Earl; it went so far out of its way to avoid being another "tragic teen cancer romance" that the main character didn't even seem to care that much about "The Dying Girl," which was disappointing to me. I think that was the point, but I prefer tragic romance.
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The Fifth Wave is about an alien invasion. It's really a very dark book so far lol really well written and very creative. I'm not that far in but I'll give a more detailed review when I'm done.
That deep blue book does sound familiar.
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Ohh, they're making a movie of that! I saw the preview before Star Wars; I just didn't remember the title. It looks good! Let me know how it is when you're far enough into it. It sounds like something I'd like.
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I just finished The Fifth Wave and it was excellent. I really think everyone who posts in here would enjoy it. There was so much action and the story itself is pretty original and intense while still maintaining the whole young adult thing. A girl obsessing over a boy who barely even noticed her existence in high school as the apocalypse is occurring lol not in a twilighty way but a well thought out plot driven way. Of course like all YA novels, this is a series so now I have to track down the next book!
I have Stephen Kings The Bizarre of Bad Dreams to tackle next.
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I finished the Kindle sample of The Fifth Wave the other day and loved it! I will definitely buy it and keep reading. I like how the first person narration kept it relatable even though the world she's living in is so different and intense.
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I love when books are written in first person. You know I love writing in it as well lol
Not to give anything away, but this story is told by 4 different people and all the voices are clear and fit with their characters perfectly!
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I'm currently reading The Girl on The Train and am hooked, not seen the film yet and won't until I've finished the book.
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That was a great book! I'm not sure if I'd like it in movie form. I've been trying to get through The Light Between Oceans. It's been slow going for me.
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I loved the book The Girl on the Train! I wanted to see the movie, but haven't yet... will probably wait for DVD at this point. It looked like a pretty good adaptation from the trailers I saw though.
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The movie is a let down compared to the book, I left the cinema wishing I'd seen the new Jack Reacher film instead!
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Aw, that's too bad. I still haven't seen it, not sure if it's out on DVD yet.
You know what movie adaptation of a book I really liked? Me Before You. I read that book a few years ago, I think maybe the same summer I read The Fault in Our Stars. I liked it, but haven't reread it, so I've probably forgotten a lot of the details, but the movie captured everything I remembered about it really well. Emilia Clarke was fantastic in it. It was more funny than sad, which it something I forgot about the book, but I really like that combination. That's what makes Fault in Our Stars so good too and sets it apart in its genre. Anyway, if you've read Me Before You but haven't seen the movie yet, you should watch it! And if you haven't read the book, it's worth a read too.
I'm not really reading anything right now, which is sad. I think the last book I started was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I'd heard great things about that book, but I only got about a third of the way into it, and it's been sitting on my nightstand for a few months. Has anyone else read it? Is it worth finishing? My plan was to read it before the movie came out, but I obviously failed at that LOL.
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I haven't read that one yet, but it's been on my list. My reading has been very slow lately. It took me forever to get through The Light Between Oceans. I wasn't a fan and probably won't be watching the movie any time soon. I'm currently reading I'll Take You There by Wally Lamb and I'm really loving it, but I adore Wally Lamb.
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I've seen Me Before You and really loved that one, but not read the book yet.
I've hardly read anything recently, must get back into a good book.
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I have read plenty of books this year but I truly think you’ll all love Falling by TJ Newman. It’s such a great suspense and I hate her for writing such a great debut book.
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It sounds really good! I'll have to check it out.
The last book I finished was "Where the Crawdads Sing," which was good, but not a page-turner. It got better as it went along, and I liked the ending, but I could definitely use a good thriller that moves faster. I'm reading a YA novel called "We Were Liars" right now that a teacher friend of mine recommended. It's okay so far; I'm not that far into it.
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Crawdad had a very slow start. It took me awhile to get through it. I was happy the way it ended.
To give you an idea of how fast paced this book is. This is the first line “The shoe dropped into her lap; the foot was still in it.” lol
I’ll have to check out “We were Liars” I have the YA novel “ They Both Die at the End” sitting on my bookshelf.
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OMG LOL. Sounds like my kind of book! I looked it up on Amazon after I saw you recommend it on social media and saw it described as "Speed on a plane." Sold! Speed is one of my favorite movies; I love stuff like that.
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It is very Speed on a plane. That’s a great description actually lol
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To give you an idea of how fast paced this book is. This is the first line “The shoe dropped into her lap; the foot was still in it.” lol
LMFAO!
I'm almost done with "Solutions and Other Problems." I started it in October when I bought it; I am a very slow reader, lol. Which is crazy, because it's like her blog, so it's pictures and words.
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I've read shockingly few books during the pandemic, but I blame most of that on Where the Crawdads sing LOL. I started it last summer, read it very sporadically, and only finished it this summer, but instead of making myself plow through it faster or putting it aside and reading something else, I just didn't read. I need a good page-turner to get me back in the habit. I guess I did read a few YA/middle-grade novels for school, and I also re-read all of Dan Bergstein's "Blogging Twilight" when it was released as an official e-book. That one was way longer than Crawdads, but so much more entertaining LOL.
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I've seen y'all talk about it and it sounds hilarious, but I did not know it existed when it was free. And I don't know that it would be hilarious enough to buy.
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It is, trust me! I actually had the whole thing saved off SparkNotes and made my own ebook version of it for myself years ago, and I still paid $9.99 or whatever it was to have the official version from Amazon. I've read it in its entirety at least three times, so it was worth every penny to me. It's way more entertaining than the actual Twilight saga LOL. Just as the Twilight books get crazier as they go on, Blogging Twilight only gets better and funnier as it goes. It's so great!
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Alright, I will consider it if you say so; I trust you. They do get crazier and crazier.
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For your consideration, here is an excerpt I tweeted last year when I was rereading it: https://twitter.com/RokofAges75/status/1298793461416632321
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I'm reading a YA novel called "We Were Liars" right now that a teacher friend of mine recommended. It's okay so far; I'm not that far into it.
I ended up really liking this book! I just finished it. It was kind of a slow burn at first, took me time to get into it and see where it was going, but once I got about to the halfway point, I couldn't put it down. It was a good mystery.
I think "Falling" is next on my reading list!
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I have read so many books like that. Slow start then halfway through a page turner. The Guest List and Turn of the Screw were both like that.
I’m currently reading the Million in one boy which is pretty good. I loved Eleanor Oliphant. That was a great one if you guys have never read it before.
Let me know what you think once you’ve read Falling.
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For your consideration, here is an excerpt I tweeted last year when I was rereading it: https://twitter.com/RokofAges75/status/1298793461416632321
Haha, oh Twilight...
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Let me know what you think once you’ve read Falling.
I just finished it! Wow, wow, wow! You were right; it was such a great page-turner and thriller!
"Speed" on a plane really is a perfect description of it. I loved it! It was intense and emotional, and I loved the characters. Highly recommend for anyone else who's looking for a quick, exciting read!
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It was a fast read, right? I’m so glad you liked it. When I talked about it on Twitter, she liked my tweet and thanked me so now I feel like we are BFFs well her and Devon Sawa lol
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Yeah, I was up all night last night reading it LOL. I will have to tweet about it and tag her. It was crazy how she said in her acknowledgment s she sent her book proposal to like 41 different agents before she found one who accepted it. I can't believe so many others passed on it! It's cool that she is/was a flight attendant, too - that explains why the plane stuff was so detailed and realistic. It would make a great movie!
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That will totally be turned into a movie!
It is crazy that was turned down 41 times. Good for her for not giving up. I bet those other 41 agents are kind of bummed out now.
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Speed on a plane! I love this. That's great that she found the right agent and then the right publisher even after so many tries!
I need to get back into reading books again, just in general, but also for research. Anyone have any good recent YA recommendation s by any chance?
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I haven’t read a YA since Turtles All the Way Down which was a long time ago. It was good, but anything John Green is pretty go to for young adult. I do have one sitting on my bookshelf called “They Both Die at the End” Hrmm.. wonder what happens?
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lmao I'm guessing there's actually a subversion in there and they do not die, lol. How do you determine your order for reading the books? Order purchased? Or something else?
Goodreads is a good suggestion to look at for research. I realized after I asked that YA speculative fiction and/or YA romance is probably not what y'all are reading and that's where I would have wanted suggestions more than general YA.
I can't actually think of the last YA book I read. The last book I read was the last one in the Crazy Rich Asians series.
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I actually buy books in bulk. I just kind of wait and then buy them in one big order. Since I pretty much read everything, I tend to alternate by genre. Like if I read a suspense, then I jump to a comedy or drama. If I read a really long intense novel, then I might go for something short.
I depend on goodreads a lot. I’m doing their reading challenge which I recommend for anyone who wants to get themselves back into reading. You can set the amount. I went for 40 this year.
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I finished a YA book called "We Were Liars" last week. It's kind of hard to define the genre, but I guess I'd say it was mostly a mystery, but with a romantic subplot. It was pretty good.
I haven't read a ton of YA in recent years, but if you haven't already read them, I highly recommend "Fangirl" and "The Fault in Our Stars." The main character in Fangirl is a fanfic author who's heading off to college, so it's super relatable. It has a romantic subplot as well. And of course, Fault in Our Stars was right up my alley, but it really is a good romance and overall great novel.
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How many books go in a bulk order, Mare? Do you wait to buy them until you're reading the last book from the last bulk order or something different? I think it makes sense to switch things around, so you don't ever feel stuck in a rut.
I should set myself a reading challenge of some sort. I currently lack the motivation to start and I like a good challenge, lol.
I haven't read either of those! You should probably shame me for being the only person who hasn't read TFIOS, lol! I was really thinking about all of this after watching Ready Player One last weekend, then finding out it was a book, and wondering how different the book was from the movie. And you know, I keep saying that I'm not reading as much as I would like anymore. But the last time I thought "I'd like to read," I read about four books in a month. So, maybe I should get back into it. I think spending all of my time analyzing books in college burned me out.
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Oh, please read TFIOS!!! It's so good! It's not the typical sappy teen cancer romance, like all the Lurlene McDaniel books I devoured as a tween. It has some of the same tropes, sure, but it also pokes fun at some of those tropes. It's actually really funny in parts. I enjoyed the movie version of it, but of course the book was better.
I think you would really like Fangirl, too!
I need to get back into reading regularly, too. I finished two books last week, and it felt so good! I had gotten myself into a rut of reading these really long books that I didn't love, but made myself finish before starting something new. I probably should allow myself to abandon books more often instead of just not reading LOL.
What's the last book you all abandoned with no intention of finishing and why? Mine was a Dean Koontz novel called "Your Heart Belongs to Me." I downloaded it when I was writing A Heart That Isn't Mine and looking for inspiration, even though many of the reviews said it wasn't great. I thought the genre and subject matter would be enough to keep me reading, but no... it was terrible. Absolutely terrible. Cheesy writing... unlikable, unrelatable characters... ugh! I only read half of it and haven't thought about it since. It was not worth finishing.
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Hey, tropes are tools! I always love a good trope. Alright, I'll read things again, eventually. I'm slowly adding books to my list.
Uhhh... I think it was called "Girl, Wash Your Face" or "Girl, Please Wear Sunscreen" or something like that. I wouldn't call it a self-help book, but it was something like that by a comedian/entrepreneur person that looked interesting at Target, but then it wasn't.
How many "this isn't great" reviews does a book need for you to either not read it or consider that it may not be great?
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Oh yeah, I know what book you're talking about it. I haven't read it, and it didn't sound like the kind of book I would enjoy... mostly because the people I saw recommending it are not the kind of people I enjoy either LOL.
I typically don't spend money on anything with less than four stars on Amazon, unless it came highly recommended by people who typically have good taste in books or just sounded really interesting to me. Obviously, coming from a fanfic background, I can read less than superbly-crafted literature if it's entertaining enough, but I do have to care about or at least be able to connect with the characters somehow.
I went to Amazon to look up the title of that Koontz book, though, and it actually averaged 4.3 stars. Browsing the reviews, they aren't as bad as I remember. Some of them said the ending was good and that the main character became more likable as the story went on, so now I'm wondering if maybe I gave up on it too soon LOL. Would it be bad to read the Wikipedia synopsis to find out how it ended before I decide whether it's worth going back to?
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Anytime you guys want recs just ask away. I think I’m the one the actually recommended TFIOS to you, Julie. I remember when I read that forever ago, the entire time I was reading it I thought oh my God she’d freakin LOVE this book lol these are the conversations that excite me. I can talk about books for days.
To answer your question Dee, I usually buy books ten at a time. I don’t ever feel guilty about it because books are pretty much the only thing I ever really ‘splurge’ on. I tend to put in an order once I start my last book on my ‘to read’ shelf. I had been ordering from B&N because I had so many gift cards accumulated over 20 years of teaching. But I noticed most of the books are cheaper on Amazon for some reason, so I placed my last order with them.
I very rarely if ever totally give up on a book. Probably because I purchase them lol I even forced myself to finish Twilight! The most recent book I’ve read that I really hated was “Their Eyes Were Watching God” that was rough.
Dean Koontz is kind of an ‘eh’ writer. I call him Stephen King light. Although I loved his book “Intensity” and his “Odd Thomas” series is pretty funny. I tend to forget about him.
I looked up “We Were Liars” on goodreads once you mentioned it, Julie. It had mixed reviews but overall I think it got 3.82 out of 5 stars.
To find books to read, I generally go by my favorite authors. Once SK talks about something, I take note. I know I’ve joked about him before but Devan Sawa has also become my go to for book recs. He’s the reason I read Falling. I’ve asked him for recs and he’s actually replied back more than once and he’s asked me about SK’s true crime series lol
I have never read anything by Lurlene McDaniel. I might give her a go one day.
Is there anything that everyone seems to have loved but when you read it you hated it? For me besides Twilight, it would have to The Goldfinch. It usually takes me one to two weeks tops to get through a book but that one almost took me a year lol
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Anytime you guys want recs just ask away. I think I’m the one the actually recommended TFIOS to you, Julie. I remember when I read that forever ago, the entire time I was reading it I thought oh my God she’d freakin LOVE this book lol these are the conversations that excite me. I can talk about books for days.
Yes you did, and you were right!
Dean Koontz is kind of an ‘eh’ writer. I call him Stephen King light. Although I loved his book “Intensity” and his “Odd Thomas” series is pretty funny. I tend to forget about him.
I looked up “We Were Liars” on goodreads once you mentioned it, Julie. It had mixed reviews but overall I think it got 3.82 out of 5 stars.
The only other one I've read by him was called Hideaway. I liked it, but yeah, he's no Stephen King.
That sounds about right for We Were Liars. Like I said, it was kinda slow in the beginning, but it got better. Not the best book I've ever read, but I enjoyed it overall.
I have never read anything by Lurlene McDaniel. I might give her a go one day.
In all honestly, don't bother - you would probably hate her books LOL. They don't have the wit or humor of TFIOS; they're all very sentimental and sappy. They're like Hallmark original movies that are about medical stuff instead of Christmas LOL. I loved them back in the day, but they were definitely written for tween girls. I could reread them now for nostalgia's sake, but I think if I had picked up one for the first time as an adult, I would have found them incredibly cheesy.
Is there anything that everyone seems to have loved but when you read it you hated it? For me besides Twilight, it would have to The Goldfinch. It usually takes me one to two weeks tops to get through a book but that one almost took me a year lol
Hm... I can't think of anything I actually read and hated. I didn't even hate Twilight when I first read those books, although they don't hold up on rereads. There are books, like 50 Shades of Gray, that I just avoided because I knew I would probably hate them.
"Hate" is a strong word, but I struggled to get through Stephen King's "It." I started reading it before the first movie came out a few years ago, and it took me like a year to finish it - not because it's so long, but because I found it kinda boring. I usually enjoy his books and plowed through The Stand much quicker. I didn't hate It and am glad I finally finished it, but it's not one of my favorites from him.
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Thanks for the heads up. I’ll probably skip her then.
I wasn’t a huge fan of IT either. In general I tend to love his non horror stories over the flat out horror ones. 11/22/63 is my favorite one of his.
Maybe hate is too strong a word. Let’s go with un-enjoyable lol
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Would it be bad to read the Wikipedia synopsis to find out how it ended before I decide whether it's worth going back to?
Depends on how much you'd be sad if you were spoiled? lol
I did this recently with an Audio book that the teacher I was subbing for in our Summer Camp played while he was driving and only because it was a children's book with something like "The robot eyed the carnage... blah blah blah" as one of the lines, and obviously, if this audio book is missing the last disc of chapters, I needed to find out what happened to this robot (but not enough to buy it and read it, obviously, lol). I think there was a part later on that talked about what animals looked like frozen in snow and a predator describing eating prey... it was delightfully dark for a middle grade story, lol.
And wow, Mare, 10 books at a time and it usually only takes you a couple of weeks per book at most! You're a speed reader!
Do you buy all your books too, Julie? And how long does it typically take you to read?
Books I hated that other people love? The only one I can think of right now is Twilight. I think I've gone on my soap box about how Bella feels like a reader insert character, but I did read the entire series hoping it would get better. I think the issue was that it missed so many of the typical fantasy novel beats in its structure. And sure, it could be argued that it's not really fantasy, it's romance... but it missed most of those too! Like the first two books had the right arc if you read them together, but then why chop a story in half if it shouldn't be cut in half? I could go on for days...
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I wasn’t a huge fan of IT either. In general I tend to love his non horror stories over the flat out horror ones. 11/22/63 is my favorite one of his.
11/22/63 is probably my favorite too! It's hard to pick though. The Stand, Misery, and 'Salem's Lot are all up there as well.
Depends on how much you'd be sad if you were spoiled? lol
I did this recently with an Audio book that the teacher I was subbing for in our Summer Camp played while he was driving and only because it was a children's book with something like "The robot eyed the carnage... blah blah blah" as one of the lines, and obviously, if this audio book is missing the last disc of chapters, I needed to find out what happened to this robot (but not enough to buy it and read it, obviously, lol). I think there was a part later on that talked about what animals looked like frozen in snow and a predator describing eating prey... it was delightfully dark for a middle grade story, lol.
I decided I didn't care enough about it to care about being spoiled, so I did look it up on Wikipedia, but the plot summary was just the same synopsis as on Amazon, which doesn't give away the ending. So I guess I'll never know how it ends, unless I decide to finish reading it someday. We'll see.
Wow, robots and dead animals? That does sound dark for a children's book, but some of them are. I read a Louis Sachar book called "Fuzzy Mud" this past year that was pretty unsettling for a middle grade novel. It was about an outbreak of microorganisms that cause horrible side effects when they come into contact with humans. Great sci-fi thriller for middle grades.
Do you buy all your books too, Julie? And how long does it typically take you to read?
Yeah, for the most part. I should use the library more. I like to collect them, though, and reread the good ones. How long it takes me to read varies depending on the book and how much time I have. I can get through a page-turner in a few days; I read the entire last Harry Potter book the day it came out. But if it doesn't hold my attention, it can take me months to get through a book.
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I decided I didn't care enough about it to care about being spoiled, so I did look it up on Wikipedia, but the plot summary was just the same synopsis as on Amazon, which doesn't give away the ending. So I guess I'll never know how it ends, unless I decide to finish reading it someday. We'll see.
I bet if you googled the title and "chapter summary," you could get the rest. That's what I did for the robot book once I figured out its title, lol.
Wow, robots and dead animals? That does sound dark for a children's book, but some of them are. I read a Louis Sachar book called "Fuzzy Mud" this past year that was pretty unsettling for a middle grade novel. It was about an outbreak of microorganisms that cause horrible side effects when they come into contact with humans. Great sci-fi thriller for middle grades.
The robot accidentally caused a rock slide that killed a colony of geese by crushing them. (among other things) The carnage! So a sci-fi thriller zombie book for middle grades? Perfect. Probably not great to read during a pandemic though, lol.
Yeah, for the most part. I should use the library more. I like to collect them, though, and reread the good ones. How long it takes me to read varies depending on the book and how much time I have. I can get through a page-turner in a few days; I read the entire last Harry Potter book the day it came out. But if it doesn't hold my attention, it can take me months to get through a book.
I was trying to decide if it was worth it to just buy books or to try and wait for them at the library... I guess it depends on how new the books are, probably... If they're older, they're probably not too bad to get, but if they're newer, it would probably just be faster to buy them and see what happened. And hey, if I didn't like it, then I could donate it to the library for all those people waiting to read it.
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I bet if you googled the title and "chapter summary," you could get the rest. That's what I did for the robot book once I figured out its title, lol.
I tried this and still didn't find a spoiler for the ending, but the reviews on its GoodReads page are terrible, which reminds me why I quit reading it in the first place.
The robot accidentally caused a rock slide that killed a colony of geese by crushing them. (among other things) The carnage! So a sci-fi thriller zombie book for middle grades? Perfect. Probably not great to read during a pandemic though, lol.
OMG! Poor geese. :(
No zombies in Fuzzy Mud; it's much more realistic, which makes it scarier. A couple of the kids go blind! It has a happy ending, but the path to get there is pretty dark. Definitely not the kind of book to read during a pandemic, as the whole town gets quarantined during the end. I enjoyed reading it myself though!
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One of the very first things I did here was get a library card, although because of COVID, I have yet to physically go to one. I enjoy buying books and displaying them on my bookshelves and also being able to share them with people which is one of the reasons why I stopped using my Nook. I just enjoy the feel of a book in my hands and knowing I can pass it off to someone else to borrow after talking about it incessantly lol
I have always been a kind of fast reader but since I’ve been ‘retired’ I’ve gotten even faster.
Both of those books sound pretty dark but those tweens overall have gotten pretty dark themselves. I was kind of amazed at how many of my students from fourth grade up used to play that Freddy something or other video game. Do you guys know what I’m talking about?
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Oh yes... Five Nights at Freddy's! I haven't heard about that one in a few years, but my students used to be obsessed. I get it; I always liked the dark stuff, too. I grew up watching horror movies and reading R.L. Stine books. Goosebumps is pretty tame, but I had moved on to the Fear Street books by 5th grade, and those are full of blood, gore, violence, and murder. I found Lurlene McDaniel's books much scarier though LOL. I was the kid who lay awake worrying about cancer and diabetes, not ghost and monsters. Not every kid can handle the dark stuff, but I'm glad there is material out there for the ones who love it.
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I finished “They Both Die at the End” and big surprise… they both die at the end lol
That being said, I highly recommend this one. It’s a very fast YA read and has a great and very original plot that I’m kind of jealous I didn’t think up first! It’s about a new mandatory app everyone has to have called Death Cast which will call you on the day you are going die. This way you can live your last day however you want.
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I need to read that Falling book, sounds like I'd like it.
I'm currently reading one called The Other Bennet Sister which is a different version of Pride and Prejudice and told from Mary's point of view. It's alright but isn't a really gripping story and I've noticed a few grammatical errors in it too lol. But if you love Pride and Prejudice you'd probably like it and it only cost 99p on Kindle
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Falling was awesome!
I couldn't get through Pride and Prejudice even with zombies in it LOL, so I think I'll skip The Other Bennet Sister.
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I actually like the Pride & Prejudice with Zombies movie :D it was better than I expected lol
I downloaded a sample of Falling and read the first few pages and liking it so far, so will buy it
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I never ended up seeing that movie. I did buy the book, and I didn't get very far into it. I love the concept, but not even the zombies could keep me from getting bored LOL.
I finally went back to the Walking Dead comics and am trying to finish those before the show ends.
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I’ve never been a pride and prejudice girl. I can’t see myself getting into it. Just finished and really enjoyed Chasing the Boogeyman and have just started The Book of Lost Things. Still haven’t read the new Stephen King. I’m saving that for last of the books I have.
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I need to go get some books. Usually I order them from thriftbooks.co m cause if you spend 10$ it's free shipping and then I'll order like 5 lol.
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I always loved Pride and Prejudice. They're both flawed with varying degrees of pride and prejudice, you say? Count me in.
I finally finished Solutions and Other Problems almost a year later, so my plan to read is not going well, lol. I'm sad to hear that they both died in the end, Mare. Who would have seen that coming?
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We got the choice to read either Pride and Prejudice or Frankenstein for my Brit Lit class in high school, and of course I chose Frankenstein. I didn't love that book either, but after reading part of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I felt I made the right choice. I also read Wuthering Heights for that class, and I did like that one.
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I haven't read P&P&Z, but I've read all the others you mentioned. I do enjoy a good classic Brit Lit.
Have you seen the Drunk History episode about Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein? It's hilarious!
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I don't think so. I'll have to look that one up! I love the story of Frankenstein and the fact that it was written by a woman in that time period, even if I didn't love the actual book as much as I wanted to.
I'm probably biased by the fact that Boris Karloff's Creature is my favorite of the Universal monsters, and I wanted the book to be more like the movie I had grown up watching... which I know is backwards because the book has more depth, but I just like Karloff's Creature better. Maybe if I'd read the book without seeing that movie as a kid, I would have liked it more. I've seen other movie versions of Frankenstein that follow the book and enjoyed those, but the classic 1931 one is still my favorite.
I've found that with a lot of movie adaptations of books. If I see the movie before reading the book, I often end up like the movie version better. But if I read the book first and then see the movie, I usually prefer the book. I guess once I've experienced the story and characters one way, it's hard to adjust to a different interpretation . Is anyone else like that?
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For whatever reason, when I see the movie first, I generally never get around to reading the book. When I read a book that turns into a movie though, I usually am really excited about seeing it. That being said, I’m almost always disappointed in the movie. There are some they come very close. The Book Thief comes to mind. Bothers are just awful! *cough*My Sisters’s Keeper*cough*
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I'm like Mare. If I saw the movie before reading the book, it's near impossible for me to read the book. Like I was so stoked when they made American Gods into a tv show because I kept meaning to read the book. I watched the first season and loved it, finally bought the book, didn't read the book, made it halfway through the second season, still haven't read the book, and for some reason we don't get Starz anymore so I can't catch up then watch the third season, lol.
I think it depends on the book on whether the movie is more or less disappointing? There's a lot of novels that I don't think translate to screen adaptations very well. But the worse ones aren't as easy to adapt probably.
But I do love how so many of the "monster" tropes come from the classic portrayals in film, rather than any source material. Like how a lot of things in the Phantom musical comes from Lon Chaney's film and not the actual book. I think a lot of the Dracula stuff is like that too.
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That is interesting that you both don't usually read the book if you watched the movie first. For me, it depends. If I like the movie, I'm more likely to want to read the book. If I don't like the movie, I probably won't read it unless people recommend it and say it's a lot better.
Movie adaptations that I think are at least as good, if not better than the book: Jurassic Park, The Shining, Misery, The Ruins, Me Before You, Holes
The only movie I can think of offhand that I consider to be significantly better than the book is The Notebook.
Bothers are just awful! *cough*My Sisters’s Keeper*cough*
I agree about My Sister's Keeper. The movie was okay until it changed the whole ending.
But I do love how so many of the "monster" tropes come from the classic portrayals in film, rather than any source material. Like how a lot of things in the Phantom musical comes from Lon Chaney's film and not the actual book. I think a lot of the Dracula stuff is like that too.
Very true! I haven't read Dracula, but yeah, the whole Dracula look and accent comes from Bela Lugosi's portrayal of him in the movie. I guess images just last longer and become more iconic than written descriptions in a book.
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That's why I try not to watch adaptations of books before I read them. I think it's knowing that the book would take me days or weeks, but I can watch a movie in a couple of hours. I did see the film for Crazy Rich Asians before reading the book, then read the whole series, so maybe there's hope for me yet, lol.
My greatest disappointment was when my Little said "The books are way better than the movie" after I roasted Twilight. I believed her. She was wrong. Maybe this is why I don't read books after watching movies anymore, lol.
I agree with your "as good or better than the book" list. Though I haven't seen The Ruins or Me Before You. Holes is a masterpiece. Remember that performance art piece Shia Lebouf did where he watched all his movies? I think that was one of the only ones he reacted favorably to.
Bela Lugosi, thank you. I couldn't think of the actor's name and didn't want to go through the effort of googling several things about Dracula, lol.
Maybe it depends on how fine-tuned your "picturing things that are written" is (another thing I can't remember the word for). If you have a strong enough image from the book, it will probably stick with you more than a movie. If you don't, a movie probably sticks with you more.
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I agree about Jurassic Park. I loved The Ruins but I only read the book, never saw the movie and Misery I saw the movie but never read the book. Holes I haven’t read or watched. I’ll just take your word for it on The Notebook lol I tried to get through the movie.
American Gods was such a bizarre book. I love Neil Gaiman. I was curious about the show but I don’t have Starz either. I loved Good Omens, but haven’t watched the series yet. I plan on it though.
I’ve never read any of the classic horror stories.
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I'm not sure which is better or worse for Twilight LOL. I will say I have watched the movies more than I've read the books (only once), except I never made it through the Breaking Dawn Part 2 movie. Blogging Twilight is better than both LOL.
Me Before You was a decent book and a surprisingly great movie adaptation! I've only read the book once, but I've watched the movie several times. The female lead is the best part of both; I liked her character in the book, and Emilia Clarke plays her perfectly in the movie.
You would probably like Holes, Mare, both the book and the movie. I've only read the book once (after seeing the movie many times), and I enjoyed it too, but the movie adaptation is fantastic. It's a great, quirky story. Shia Lebeouf has some issues, but he has always been an amazing actor.
Mare, the author of The Ruins also wrote the screenplay for the movie. It's interesting because the basic plot and characters stayed the same for the most part (although the ending is different, and the Greek guy has a different name in the movie), but the characters' fates are all mixed up, so what happened to one character in the book happens to a different character in the movie. That threw me off when I read the book after seeing the movie, but I think he did it that way to keep you guessing. I really like both the book and the movie.
Misery is a great book too. I found it a little slow and hard to get into the first time I read it because it has a lot of excerpts from the Misery novels the main characters writes, which the movie doesn't delve into as much. The movie is more concise, and Kathy Bates plays an awesome Annie Wilkes. That said, the book is worth the read. It's one of the better King books I've read.
If you couldn't make it through the movie version of The Notebook, don't bother with the book. I thought it was boring.
I haven't read or seen American Gods or Crazy Rich Asians, so I can't comment on those.
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The first season was really good. I think I'll still eventually read the book, I just have to find the motivation to start it.
I was really excited for when Leo was going to be in Devil in the White City, but I don't think that ever ended up getting made. Unless I just really haven't been paying attention.
I can't think of any other book to movie adaptations right now. What was wild in the 80s was film to book adaptations. I was reading an article comparing The Labyrinth film to the novelization yesterday and just found the whole thing bizarre.
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I was really excited for when Leo was going to be in Devil in the White City, but I don't think that ever ended up getting made. Unless I just really haven't been paying attention.
Ugh, same!! I still check the IMDB page for that from time to time. I actually just checked it, and it still doesn't have a release date or anything, but now it says it will be a TV mini series, and there are a couple of articles linked that mention it's being developed for Hulu. So maybe there's still hope for it! Leo is still listed as playing H.H. Holmes, too. Fingers crossed!
I did see they finally announced a release date for the Netflix movie with him and Jennifer Lawrence. It comes out on Netflix Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas to me!
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In some ways, I enjoy a tv miniseries more than a movie, so I'll look forward to it!
I know! You can watch it during your 7am flight!
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Totally agree! If they really do make it as a TV miniseries, that's just more Leo and more murder! Win win! LOL
I had that thought too, but in reality I'll probably wait to watch it when I get home so I can enjoy the experience more by watching it on a big screen in comfort.
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Speaking of miniseries. Colton Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad on Amazon Prime is almost identical to the book. Very well done.
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I just saw a preview for that; it looks really good!
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It really is great. Definitely intense, but worth a watch.
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Don't bother with American Gods, the first season is solid but then they change producers and some of the actors quit or got fired and it's not the same after. It sadly goes downhill fast. I need to go read the book so I can see what could've been LOL.
A Walk To Remember the movie is better than the book too. Maybe it's a Nicholas Sparks thing?
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Aw, that's probably why I got bored halfway through the second season; the first one was awesome. We should start a book club, Rose.
I think it was because of Mandy Moore.
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The book was good. Weird, but good. I enjoyed some of his other ones more.
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I just finished Anxious People and it was fantastic. A really feel good book. I recommend it if you feel like you live in a pit of despair. Or even if you live by a lake somewhere near a pit of despair. Perhaps overlooking a bridge of missed opportunities.
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What's real estate like for lake houses by pits of despair? Can you dock boats there?
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Of course the cost of living is too high.
I’m reading Billy Summers now. It’s got a lot of 11/22/63 vibes. I’m enjoying it so far.
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Yes, high real estate prices are torture, lol.
I watched him do press for it on Colbert. Glad you're enjoying it so far.
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Aw, that's probably why I got bored halfway through the second season; the first one was awesome. We should start a book club, Rose.
I think it was because of Mandy Moore.
And Shane West, I still have a crush on him LOL.
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Little column A, little column B. :shrug:
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I'm currently reading Billy Summers and enjoying so far, although I'm not that far into it yet. But Mare, I agree, it's a little bit 11/22/63 which I absolutely loved :)
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Excellent!!
I just finished reading a great suspense called “The Book of Accidents”
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I'm still not reading anything. I suck!
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Ah well. When you get to it, you get to it. I mostly read between 1 and 5am lol
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Oh see, that's when I sleep. How the tables have turned, Mare, lol!
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Actually, as long as I’ve known you I have done that. I never sleep. I literally sleep like a baby. In 2 hour increments lol
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I’m back with another rec. The Last House on Needless Street! This book was bonkers!! One of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. Totally worth the read! The lead in this one makes my Tim seem sane. 🙀
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Oh my! That sounds right up my alley LOL. I'll have to check that one out!
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I started reading "The Last House on Needless Street" at your recommendation, Mare, and it's really good so far! I'm just over halfway through it. It is definitely giving me Tim vibes! Between that and the fact that part of it is told from the cat's POV, I can see why you liked it so much!
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Keep reading. It gets crazier lol
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I forgot to share that I finally finished The Walking Dead comics a couple weeks ago! I've been reading them off and on since about 2012. 193 issues! Impressive, considering I had never read a comic book before. I definitely prefer traditional novels, and I love the TV show more, but I really did enjoy the comics, too. I even shed a few tears at the end. With the show ending this year, it feels like the end of an era.
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Keep reading. It gets crazier lol
You were right! Wow! LOL I finished it last night. Not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it!
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Yay! Glad you liked it. When I come across another great read I think you guys might enjoy, I’ll let you know!
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I should have posted this sooner but I think you guys would like The Final Girls Support Group.
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I remembered it last night when I was watching Scream on TV and downloaded a sample! Sounds like my kind of book.
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It was really enjoyable and one of the girls was the scream girl lol
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I finished the sample last night and enjoyed it so far. I love that the girls are named after the actresses who played final girls. Such a clever idea for a novel! It would make a good TV show too.
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I didn’t even realize that lol cool! Ironically, I’ve never watched any of those movies because of all the gore. I just recognized the plot lines. It would make a great series.
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Yeah! I noticed it right away when it introduced Adrienne and mentioned the camp because I remembered the final girl in Friday the 13th was played by Adrienne King. So then I started trying to connect the other names. Heather is for Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street). Marilyn is for Marilyn Burns (Texas Chainsaw Massacre). I couldn't figure out Julia until it said her last name is Campbell, like Neve Campbell (Scream). Dani seems to be based on Jamie Lee Curtis (Laurie in Halloween) based on the clues I've read so far (a reference to Halloween and her having a gray buzz cut), but I'm not sure where her name comes from. I'm not sure about Lynette yet.
Fun fact I learned last fall: The original "Halloween" has no blood. I never realized that until I watched the Halloween episode of "The Movies That Made Us" on Netflix. You see the knife, but never any actual blood or gore. It's kind of like Jaws in that way; it leaves a lot to your imagination, which may make it even scarier in some ways. So if you want to watch a slasher movie without the gore, that would be the one to watch. The others are all very bloody LOL.
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Interesting! I wonder if those people know they have characters named after them lol
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Apparently the audiobook is read by Adrienne King! So at least she knows LOL. I bet they would think it was cool.
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I wonder if he decided to not use Jamie because of how super famous she is? Or maybe he asked them all for permission and she said no? it’s sad how much I’ve been thinking about that since you told me that. Lol
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That was my thought, too, that she would be the most obvious one because she's the most famous by far. As I've read further, it's definitely her character that Dani is based on, so that must be the reason.
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I'm currently reading The Stand by Stephen King. It took me a while to get into it as I only tend to read a few pages a night, and it's a massive book, but I'm enjoying it now. It will probably take me ages to finish though lol
I've got a sample of The Final Girl, so will read that one once I'm done as it sounds like I'd like it.
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I loved The Stand! I've only read it once because it's so long, but it was one of my favorites by King. It did take me some time to get into it, but once I did, it was absolutely worth the read. It's epic!
I'm still slowly working my way through Final Girl. I'm like you, Steph, where lately I've only been reading a few pages a night (and not every night), so it's taking me way longer to read than it should. It's not the best book I've ever read, but I'm enjoying it.
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The Stand was one of my favorite of his books but I remember it was really intimidating to see how many pages it was. A lot of his books are like that. I remember feeling the same way about The Tommyknockers although that wasn’t nearly as good.
I remember going through phases where it would take me forever to get through a book but now it seems that’s all I’m able to do is read lol I hope you both enjoy Final Girl. Like Julie said, it’s not the best thing ever but I found it enjoyable and kind of funny.
I think you’d both enjoy Good Neighbors as well.
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I'm currently reading Daisy Jones & The Six as I absolutely loved the TV series. I'm enjoying it, but I think if I hadn't seen the TV show I would've found it a bit strange with the way it's written.
It's still taking me forever to read a book as I only read a couple of pages a night when I go to bed.
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It's still taking me forever to read a book as I only read a couple of pages a night when I go to bed.
This is me! I read in bed, and it makes me so sleepy, I usually only get through a few pages at a time. I'm currently in the middle of Stephen King's "Fairy Tale." I really liked the first part of it, but I'm struggling to stay interested through the middle, so it's taking me forever to finish it.
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This is me! I read in bed, and it makes me so sleepy, I usually only get through a few pages at a time. I'm currently in the middle of Stephen King's "Fairy Tale." I really liked the first part of it, but I'm struggling to stay interested through the middle, so it's taking me forever to finish it.
I was exactly the same with Fairy Tale, loved it until about halfway through and then really struggled to keep going. I did stick with it and it got better towards the end. Took me months to read it though!
I still only read a few pages when I go to bed and I'm tired.
I'm now reading The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom as I think I saw that Mare had enjoyed it, and it came up on Kindle for 99p so not much to lose if I don't like it. I'm about 30% into it and enjoying it so far.
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Ugh, I still haven't finished Fairy Tale! Stephen King just released a new novel, and I want to read it, but I won't let myself until I finish Fairy Tale... and then I'm afraid to because some of his books take me so long to finish. I took forever to finish "It" a few years back, too. I feel like I may need to switch gears and read something faster-paced for my next book.
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Some of his books I've got through quicker than others. I've seen that he has a new book, I may get the sample on Kindle to see what it's like.
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I’m so glad you’re reading the Five People You Meet in Heaven, Steph! It’s one of the few books I’ve read many many times. It lifts me up when I’m feeling down.
I enjoyed FairyTale but I know what you’re both talking about.
Julie, you probably shouldn’t read Holly, unless you’ve read the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. I haven’t read Holly yet but I’m looking forward to it, although I heard that’s it’s a bit on the gory side.
I haven’t been here in a while. It was nice seeing some semi recent postings. I think I might start writing again. I don’t sleep at all at night so I might as well try my hand at writing again. I don’t remember the name of that site we all moved over too lol I’m so rusty. I’m not even sure if my computer has Word. 🤷♀️
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I have not read Mr. Mercedes, so I will hold off on Holly. I didn't realize it was related, so thanks!
I was happy to see your tweet the other day about writing again! I hope you give it a shot! Archive of Our Own is the site we all moved over to. https://archiveofourown.org/ If your computer doesn't have Word, use Google Docs! It's very similar to Word and saves automatically, which is nice - no more risk of losing stuff if the computer randomly shuts down. It will open Word docs, so you can upload your old documents to Google Drive if you want to look at anything you had in progress. It's a bit of an adjustment at first, but once you get used to it, you won't even want to go back to Word. My computer doesn't have Word either, and I don't miss it. OpenOffice is another word processor you can download for free if you don't like Google Docs.
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I’m using Word but I might try google docs. It’s all such an adjustment. It’s been such a long time that I forgot what the short cuts were to copy and paste lol
I’m really rusty writing wise but I got my first chapter up and am almost done with the second. I haven’t gotten a writing groove but maybe it’ll happen again eventually.
It’s hard to say if anyone is reading but I’m going to go by hits I guess? Im still trying to figure out AO3. It’s a big site. Never realized it had so many fandoms.
As far as Stephen King. Mr. Mercedes is a trilogy actually.
It’s Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch. Technically it’s called the Bill Hodges trilogy. They’re fantastic.
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LOL That is exactly how I felt when I started playing The Sims again for the first time in decades. Not the same thing, obviously, but I had to look up all the cheat codes I used to know by heart and how to enter them. It does come back to you, though. It takes a while for something to become a habit, so stick with it! It'll get easier in time!
I'm glad you were able to get two chapters done so quickly, and I saw that you already have comments and kudos, so you're off to a great start! AO3 is a HUGE site. I'm sure it varies from fandom to fandom, but they seem to place more emphasis on kudos than comments. I get far fewer comments there than I used to here, and many of the people who have commented on my stuff are friends who followed me there from here. (Thanks, Steph! LOL) Yet, if you sort by comments, the stories I've written since I started posting on AO3 are among the most commented BSB fics, so I can't complain. It just seems like there are a lot more silent readers there than there were here because we always made such a big deal out of leaving reviews. I still miss it here!
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Yeah, I kind of figured that comments were going to be a rarity. I’ve only gotten one. The other was my reply to the first one lol I hit reply but it came up as it’s own comment. I’m kind of going by kudos and hits. I already surpassed Why I’d do it all again in both those things and I’m only two chapters in so I’m taking that as a sign. Hopefully I’ll develop a following and some interaction hopefully.
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Nice to see you're writing again Mare, I'll have to have a look :)
I'm still catching up on Julie's, I read a chapter last night now that I've finished the other book I was reading (one by Cecelia Ahern called The Year I Met You, which I quite enjoyed)
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Thanks! I still haven't finished Fairy Tale, nor have I read any of it since the last time I posted. 🤦🏻♀️ I've been reading children's books for school and writing instead.
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Sounds like a fun time. Do you still read Harry Potter to your class or did you move to another book?
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Yes, I do! I always read the first Harry Potter book to them and usually the second; I let them vote on if they want to read the second one or something different, but they always vote to read Chamber of Secrets. We haven't even started Harry Potter yet this year, but a lot of them are already into it. I think we've come to the point where their parents are the generation that grew up with Harry Potter and are passing the love for it onto their kids, which is cool to see.
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That's awesome!