Hi-- hope you don't mind the interruption. I'd like to invite fellow avid readers to come join bookaddiction , where bookworms draw on their copious reading experience to answer fun or thought-provoking questions about books and reading. Hope to see you there!!

The hardest part of traveling is figuring out which book to bring with you.

Do you choose something long that will keep you enticed for the entire trip?
Or do you choose something that is light weight and easy to pack?
Do you pick a book that reflects your destination?
Or do you pick something with memory attached to it, that will keep you from getting homesick?

I'll be studying abroad in Wroclaw, Poland for all of July, so right now I'm getting as much packing done as possible. The problem is that I have a whole stack of books calling my name. I'm already dead set on bringing This is Not a Book by Michael Picard for the plane ride, but I'd like to choose a novel as well.
I've narrowed it down to:

Poland by James Michener (my mother's suggestion)
King Jesus by Robert Graves
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe

Any advice?
What books would you travel with?

Blew through five books this week. I'm waiting for a call from the library letting me know that my ILLs have arrived.

In the meantime, I'm reading Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward.

Here's what I read and my thoughts on each.

Hollywood Kids by Jackie Collins -- I would say that Collins is one of my guilty pleasures, except there's nothing guilty about it. I've been reading her since high school. She's not a good writer by any stretch of the imagination. She writes with the subtlety of a 5 car pile-up. That being said, she's always reliable for quicky, trashy pulp. This one didn't disappoint.

Backlash by Susan Faludi -- This has been on my 'to-be-read' list for ages. When it turned out the library had a copy, I was pleasantly surprised. While this book is nearly 20 years old now (it's subject matter is an overview of anti-feminist backlash during the 80s), it still feels fresh and relevant. Some of the arguments used then have been recycled now. Very much recommended.

The Great Mortality by John Kelly -- A bit of popular history about the Black Death. Very well written; a real page turner. The book traces the black death from it's likely point of origin and it's path across Asia and Europe. Kelly examines the various and varied responses to the plague, both as it approached many towns (that's among the more suspenseful parts of the book), and how they reacted. He examines all of that as well as providing the context for how people lived at the time. Recommended as well.

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett -- Written with the verve, aplomb, insight, and humor that has characterized his work from the beginning. This book is about what we'd expect from him. Not his best, but that's not a point against it. My favorite is still "Small Gods" (which was also the first one of his books I read; I've been told by fans that the first one you almost always ends up as your favorite). A fun little book. If you've got the time and a copy is available, you won't regret it.

the Death Penalty by Stuart Banner -- An excellent (and as objective as possible) history of the use of capital punishment in America. I'm still not quite sure what to think of this. It was very well written. I want to call it, to borrow a phrase from Michael Mello that he used in his own anti-cp book "Dead Wrong," passionate scholarship, but that does this book a disservice. Anyone looking to learn about a controversial subject would do well to pick this up. I may write a longer review of this one later.

What have y'all been up to this month so far?

Hullo, fellow bibliovores! I come seeking strange trivia. I've recently begun writing a book blog, in which I hope to, as well as review books, talk about literature, theory, culture, and trivia. This is a rather tall order, of course, so I am looking for some help in digging up interesting facts and histories. I'd love suggestions on some books to read about the history of libraries, books in general; if you know of particular tales, apocryphal or not, about unusual books, strange happenings in the history of book-kind, strange libraries, and other such marvels, I'd love to hear about them! (Has anyone read Thomas Wharton's Salamander or The Logogryph? There are so many wonders described in these books, and I often wonder how much have some basis in fact -- the Library of Alexandria surviving by having the entire text of individual books tattooed onto volunteers is a story that's always haunted me, though I doubt it's at all true.)

It's hard to pick fifteen--there are always some I question leaving out. But anyway here's my list, in no particular order.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
Selected Writings of Carl Jung (Viking)
Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
Extravagaria by Pablo Neruda
Selected Poems of Federico Garcia Lorca
The Way of Zen by Alan Watts
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Dubliners by James Joyce
The Poetry and Designs of William Blake
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Place of Dead Roads by William Burroughs
Monolithos by Jack Gilbert
Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror by John Ashbery
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace


I definitely need to expand my horizons, especially as far as pre-20th century literature goes, so hopefully this community can help with that.

I need suggestions for books to read. I have a to-read list a mile long, but none of them are appealing to me at the moment. I just finished up exams (I'm in grad school) and my brain is fried, and I'm exhausted.

I want to read something that doesn't take too much effort - something that has a great, storytelling vibe to it. Something that's difficult to put down. I'd like it to have great writing, but straightforward at the same time. Nothing too intense. Something with a bit of humor. I prefer fiction. Escapist is fun, but realistic could fit the bill too.

I like YA/kids books too (but none of those Gossip Girl/Princess Diaries-type books).

Here's a list of books that I have enjoyed in the past:

Anything by Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Harry Potter books and the Artemis Fowl books
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Three Lives to Live by Anne Lindbergh
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Holes by Louis Sachar
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

Part of me cringes at summer reading lists because I often abandon books in order to read something else that caught my eye, but what is on your summer reading list?

( cut for images )

In no particular order:

-The Epic of Gilgamesh - Translator/commentator: Andrew George
-The Iliad – Homer. Translator: Robert Fagles
-Beowulf - Translator/commentator: Howell D. Chickering Jr.
-Egil's Saga - Translator: Bernard Scudder
-Paradise Lost - John Milton
-The Republic – Plato. Translator: G.M.A. Grube, C.D.C. Reeve
-Zhuangzi (Basic Writings) – Zhuangzi. Translator: Burton Watson
-An Inquiry on Human Understanding - David Hume
-The Essential Peirce Vol. 1 - Editors: Nathan Houser, Christian Kloesel
-The Mind's I - Editors: Douglas R. Hofstadter, Daniel C. Dennett
-Purity and Danger: An Analysis of the Concepts of Pollution and Taboo - Mary Douglas
-Isis in the Ancient World - R.E. Witt
-The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
-The Sirens of Titian - Kurt Vonnegut
-House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

You know the phrase "never judge a book by its cover"? It always seemed a bit odd to me - if you don't know anything else about a book, how else are you supposed to decide which book to pick up while browsing libraries and bookshops? And if that's not judging, I don't know what is...

On the other hand, I can be a bit aesthetically snobbish about book covers, which means I may have missed out on some excellent books just because I didn't like the picture on the front. (This often seems to be the case with fantasy novels, I have to say: I started the first A Song of Ice and Fire book because I'd read an article recommending it, but the library copy was fantastically - pardon the pun! - ugly. If I'd seen it before I'd read the article, I would never have picked it up.)

What does everybody here think? Do you pick up books based on their covers? Do you buy certain editions over others because they're prettier? Do you enjoy reading the same book better if it has a nicer cover? What do you like your books to look like? Do you judge other people's reading habits based on what the book they have in their hands looks like? Let's discuss!

(My answers to these questions, by the way are: yes; absolutely, especially if I'm buying them new; yes; as a rule: clean and simple, with classic fonts and good photography, though I'm also rather fond of wood-cut style illustrations; and - shamefully - yes.)

I'd like to withdraw my application... I have too much going on, and now is not the best time for me to be joining communities and the like. But this still looks like an interesting community that I'd like to be a part of, so I'll be back in six months to reapply!

I've been an excruciatingly lazy reader so far this year and I just don't seem to be able find things that interest me. What I have been doing is re-reading things I like, and there is nothing wrong with that but I need something new now. So can you recommend me good horror writers? I'm in that kind of a mood and I'm waiting for some Ligotti from the library but it might take a while. Any one have a horror writer up their sleeve I don't know about? :) 

In the meantime 5 Favorite books to re-read: 

The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker
Gauragangur by Ólafur Haukur Símonarsson (very funny book for young adults)
And I never get tired of re-reading the last chapter of Ulysses by James Joyce.

Does anyone else enjoy retold fairy tales? I love them but haven't read any in awhile and am seeking recommendations for more.

To get an idea of what I like, plus to give you all some recs, I've listed some of my favorites below:

Tam Lin by Pamela Dean
Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire
The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
Spinners by Donna Jo Napoli
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen


And for something semi-related, I thought I'd add this, just because I like it: DysEnchanted

Here are the books that I would recommend from my reading list of 2008. Many of these books are from the list of 1001 books to read before you die which I have found to be a invaluable resource.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry- This is an excellent, if heartbreaking novel about India after the British withdrawal. It is beautifully written and filled with interesting characters.
All is Vanity by Christina Shwararz (The author of "Drowning Ruth.") This is a dark comedy about a woman trying to write a novel and the results that befall her and her best friend as a result.
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson.- A family drama filled with interesting characters and situations. It is set in 20th century England.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides- The novel which inspired the movie. Beautifully written and heartbreaking.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.- A fun novel that pays tribute to Gothic literature.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro- A dystopian novel.
Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates.
Journey to the River Sea Eva Ibbotson- Children’s Novel
Pictures of Hollis Woods Patricia Reilly Giff -Children’s Novel
The King of Atolia Megan Whalen Turner- Children’s Novel
A Complicated Kindness Miriam Toews - This novel is hilarious, with a fantastic heroine.
Stones from the River Ursula Hegi - This novel, which follows the life a dwarf woman, is set in 20th century Germany.
The Mermaid Chair Sue Monk Kidd
On Beauty Zaddie Smith
Mistress of the Art of Death Ariana Franklin - A medieval thriller. This novel was well paced and interesting.

I really want to start a book club. I love discussing books with people and I think the club format would make me more disciplined about getting the books finished. I would really like it to be small and active with a fairly fast reading pace (2 or 3 books a month -- depending on the books of course). I made a community for it, readingparty,so if people were interested I'd love it if they came on over! Hopefully this will result in reading some good books and making some new friends!

Has anyone read Wally Lamb's new novel, "The hour I First Believed"? I really liked his other novels. Thanks.

And why, if you don't mind.

John Hersey.

He's known primarily for his book length article, Hiroshima (some of you may have read this in school), but not many people are familiar with his fiction. It covered a broad range of topics, and despite some aging, remains no less powerful today.

Alan Moore.

Wait, what? I know everyone has heard of him. He's a legend. Watchmen was on Time's 100 best novels list. Still, I don't think many people really grasp what he was doing. I know that sounds pretentious as hell, but his earlier work is quite hard to find (and ridiculously expensive). Despite his most famous works, I think it's his lesser known stuff, "Supreme," "Top 10," but most especially "Miracleman," that really shines. The effects of his work is still being felt and understood.

Marta Randall.

Despite not having written a book in nearly 25 years, and an output of short fiction best described as "sporadic," She's been a mover and shaker in the SF community for decades, serving as a teacher at both Clarion East and West, serving as both vice and president of the SFWA, and as an editor at times. Her work has been neglected for far too long.

Joe R. Lansdale.

How the hell is this man not more popular? Seriously. When it comes to horror, no one can touch him. He's written so much and so many awards it's shocking. You want mysteries? He's got that. Western more your thing? He's got you covered. Horror buff? You betcha. SF? Yessir. Even his lesser stuff is still ridiculously fun.

His good works are classics of the genre.

Mary Gentle.

A British fantasy writer. Her early work isn't much to write home about (her first 3 books aren't essential), but she's come into her own in the last 15 years or so with a string of groundbreaking novels that never seem to do well. Last I checked there were only 3 in print in the US one of which is over a decade old. Her work isn't always the easiest to understand, but there's nothing else out there like it.

Now it's your turn ladies and germs. What do you have for me?

Recommend me some.

To give you an idea of what I like, here's a short list.

I apologize for how broad this is.

Kelley Link - Magic For Beginners
Robert Holdstock - Mythago Wood
John Crowley - Little, Big
Mary Gentle - Grunts
Molly Gloss - Wild Life
Alan Garner - Strandloper

The more children's or YA stuff the better, but I'm looking for all kinds.

Thanks, y'all.

It's that time again. Time to point out what you read last month.

For me, it was a slow month. I started strong and then got hooked back into video games thanks to Digimon World Dawn and Animal Crossing City Folk.

The October Country Ray Bradbury (Yea, I know, a month late, but I spent October with Poe's works.)
Eulalia! Brian Jacques
Geronimo Stilton, Secret Agent (Don't judge me. Being a furry makes you do weird stuff.)

In an attempt to widen my reading horizons, I thought I'd ask you all for your five favourite poems. I don't read much poetry, and when I do, I do so in (very very) short bursts: I can't seem to get to grips with more than one or two poems at a time. Hence asking about favourite poems rather than favourite poets, though you're more than welcome to list those, too!

Off the top of my head, and then arranged alphabetically by poet's surname, here are mine:

Musée des Beaux Arts, W.H. Auden
A Subaltern's Love Song, John Betjeman
Autobiography, Louis MacNeice
Recuerdo, Edna St Vincent Millay
And Death Shall Have No Dominion, Dylan Thomas

Go comments!

Alright, I am going to read that Twilight book. I already have my reservations about it, given that the excerpts that I've read seem to be using adjectives to prop up limping dialogue, and that the vampires evidently sparkle.

At best, I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised. At a different best, I hope that any rage will be tempered with gales of laughter.

Weigh in on Twilight in the comments.

So, in efforts to prod this community into activity, whatever did you lot read in October?

I didn't read all that much (damned college getting in the way of my reading), but here's my list:

The Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard

The Unlimited Dream Company by J.G. Ballard

A Universal History of Iniquity by Jorge Luis Borges

The Story of A Nobody by Anton Chekhov

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (re-read)

The City of the Soul by Lord Alfred Douglas

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

A Season in Hell by Arthur Rimbaud

Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud

I've been thinking about this for quite a while. More or less since my application to Booklisters because on my top 15 I had very few "classics". So I've been thinking, trying to decide. First what is a classic? And then trying to find my favorite classics.
It wasn't easy. That's for sure.

I won't get into any talk about what a classic is or isn't. I'll just tell you that I left out a few books (Like The Stranger by Camus, Independent People by Laxness (which was on my 15 best list) and The Trial by Kafka) because I didn't think they quite fitted in the term "classic". You might think differently, though.

So here is my list of 5 favorite classics:

1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
2. Inferno (first part of The Divine Comedy) by Dante Alighieri
3. Ulysses by James Joyce
4. Egils Saga Skalla-Grímssonar by Unknown
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

What are your favorite classics? 

(Ulysses is on this list because I quite enjoy picking it up and reading it at random. The text in it is astounding so it's there even if I find the story a little 'thin' :))

Hello again, y'all.

I have a task for anyone interested.

If anyone wouldn't mind, we could do with a bit of promotion. I still want to see this community grow.

I know there are lurkers here, so in a bit of meta, this counts as me promotingg.