USMB Book Club

[Modbert]

I enjoy Lovecraft and Poe, however in my life, I always find myself going back to King's earliest work. What does it for me is King creates his "monsters" out of everyday things or even people. The biggest fan in Misery for example. Though I always have a different perspective of The Shining now, after reading On Writing. Considering his problem with alcohol and drugs, even he himself realized (but only until after he was finished writing it) that Jack Torrence was him.

Powerful stuff to say the least.

 

[Madeline]

I adore King. I could be content the rest of my life with nothing but his books. Even his crappy stuff is wonderful, and for me, it's always for the same reason -- he draws such real characters and gives them all humanity.

One of my fav King books is a novelette he wrote recently called "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". It isn't particularly scarey, but the characters in it are impossible not to care about, and deeply.

 

[Modbert]

I didn't find Lovecraft to be flowery at all. Esoteric at times but not flowery. And to be honest I'm not a big Shakespeare fan either. He was extremely adept at taking old stories and giving them new life by setting them in a different locality, nationality and with character changes. Take Tristan and Isolde for example, essentially Romeo and Juliet is the same story only modernized and set in Italy instead of ancient England. Thats not to deride Shakespeare's genius, hell we do the same today generally not as well, look at the movie industry. Old films are constantly rewritten, sometimes radically, to fit a modern audience.
Steven King derived much of his"inspiration" from H.P. Lovecraft though Lovecraft is still much more talented and creative then King could ever hope be.

Oh Shakespeare.

His stories range for me. I didn't care for Romeo & Juliet or Macbeth all too much. I enjoyed The Tempest. I loved Julius Caesar and The Merchant of Venice though.

 

[Madeline]

The weird thing about Shakespeare is I can enjoy a play (but not a movie) based on his works, but I just cannot bear to read them. Truly CAN NOT. As in, not if my life depended on it. I think it's a genetic defect but the really odd thing is, my kidlet adores his stuff and has read all of it.

Maybe you need a particular sort of "ear" to read it?

 

[Foxfyre]

You should have had my senior English teacher. Mrs. Hoorsey. She was a little bitty thing and looked like a female version of Dr. Zorba with white hair that stuck out making a kind of halo around her head. But she loved and taught Shakespeare in a way that caused most of her students to love it too. She had a way of creating the imagery intended.....when she read MacBeth you saw the faces and heard the voices of the witches around the cauldron: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

 

[Modbert]

Hey all! Due to the reasons I listed in this thread here:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/gener...onth-to-kill-a-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html

To Kill A Mockingbird has been chosen as the USMB first Book of the Month for the month of June.

However, if response is positive enough, I figure choosing another book at least for the month of June will be suitable. I'll look back at the recommendations and if you have any at all, feel free to offer them up in this thread or always welcome to PM me.

Discussion on To Kill A Mockingbird is now welcome in that thread.

 

[Modbert]

they say not to discuss politics or religion. one book i'm reading is political. the other is about religion.

oops.

Well, I would like to generally avoid political and religious books least for now. After all, wouldn't want the thread to turn into a flame zone material thread.

 

[random3434]

Mini Echo read, "To Kill a Mockingbird" this year in 9th Grade. She wanted me to ask you all if she could join the book club too!

Of course.

I will only let her see/comment on the book thread. She keeps wanting to join, I tell her
"No way Jose, too many crazy freakazoids on here!"

,
I'll let her comment on that thread only, while standing right behind her lol.

 

[Madeline]

I don't own a copy of "Mockingbird", Modbert. I'll have to make a library run and fetch a copy, but I'll join and out of respect for mini EZ, I promise to clean up my language, too.

Suggested second June book: "The Gift of Fear", Gavin De Becker.

 

[Foxfyre]

I like the book choice.

Given the subject matter and the themes that elevated it to greatness, it's gonna be darn hard to keep religion and politics out of any discussion on it, but I think that's do-able.

 

[Ringel05]

Mini Echo read, "To Kill a Mockingbird" this year in 9th Grade. She wanted me to ask you all if she could join the book club too!

Of course.

I will only let her see/comment on the book thread. She keeps wanting to join, I tell her
"No way Jose, too many crazy freakazoids on here!"

,
I'll let her comment on that thread only, while standing right behind her lol.

Let me know when. I'll have my version of "Moon Over Miami" ready and waiting.

 

[Modbert]

I like the book choice.

Given the subject matter and the themes that elevated it to greatness, it's gonna be darn hard to keep religion and politics out of any discussion on it, but I think that's do-able.

Well they will be allowed for that topic. All I really want is for it to not turn into a flame war.

 

[jillian]

Great idea, except that the book I'm reading is political.

they say not to discuss politics or religion. one book i'm reading is political. the other is about religion.

oops.

We're hopeless.

*sigh* I know lol. but they're good books. Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin and G-d Wears Lipstick by Karen Berg.

 

[jillian]

Hey all! Due to the reasons I listed in this thread here:

http://www.usmessageboard.com/gener...onth-to-kill-a-mockingbird-by-harper-lee.html

To Kill A Mockingbird has been chosen as the USMB first Book of the Month for the month of June.

However, if response is positive enough, I figure choosing another book at least for the month of June will be suitable. I'll look back at the recommendations and if you have any at all, feel free to offer them up in this thread or always welcome to PM me.

Discussion on To Kill A Mockingbird is now welcome in that thread.

one of my favorite books ever.

 

[jillian]

Great idea, except that the book I'm reading is political.

they say not to discuss politics or religion. one book i'm reading is political. the other is about religion.

oops.

Is there a way around that these days?

not for some of us, apparently.

 

[Samson]

I just finished Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed not too long ago by Jared M. Diamond. Excellent book. Made me put Guns on my list of books to want to read as well.

Good Choice, and a fantastic idea Modbert

I usually read a book every week, and sometimes have posted a "Review" in the "REVIEWS FORUM" but the threads receive so little attention that I've given up believing anyone would be interested in tearing themselves away from FNC and MSNBC long enough to read anything.

As a result I only post reviews of books that REALLY knock my socks off.

The last such was The Art of Racing in the Rain

I had maybe three replies.

 

[Modbert]

Good Choice

I usually read a book every week, and sometimes have posted a "Review" in the "REVIEW FORUM" but the threads receive so little attention that I've given up believing anyone would be interested in tearing themselves away from FNC and MSNBC long enough to read anything.

Well, always feel free to put them here.

Always looking for books to put on my want to read list.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Allow me to recommend "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin.


It is part one of what I believe will be a Seven book series. I have so far read the first 4 volumes and cannot wait for book 5.

It is Fiction, set in fantasy, not on this Earth, yet seems like it could almost be in Medieval Times. Add a little magic, a lot of back stabbing politics at the Royal courts, Some sex,Much clashing swords, and don't chose a favorite character, You will be surprised.

I would call it dark Scifi fantasy. I understand that HBO is doing a mini-series.

 

[Modbert]

Allow me to recommend "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin.


It is part one of what I believe will be a Seven book series. I have so far read the first 4 volumes and cannot wait for book 5.

It is Fiction, set in fantasy, not on this Earth, yet seems like it could almost be in Medieval Times. Add a little magic, a lot of back stabbing politics at the Royal courts, Some sex,Much clashing swords, and don't chose a favorite character, You will be surprised.

I would call it dark Scifi fantasy. I understand that HBO is doing a mini-series.

Will have to look into it Ollie.

Going to need a new series after I finish up the Ian Fleming Bond novels and The Dresden Files. Both of them combined will not last me much longer.

 

[Samson]

Good Choice

I usually read a book every week, and sometimes have posted a "Review" in the "REVIEW FORUM" but the threads receive so little attention that I've given up believing anyone would be interested in tearing themselves away from FNC and MSNBC long enough to read anything.

Well, always feel free to put them here.

Always looking for books to put on my want to read list.

In that case, read anything by [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Robbins/e/B000APVAHM/ref=sr_tc_tag_2?qid=1275525776&sr=1-2-ent"]Tom Robbins[/ame]

My favorite is Jitterbug Perfume