Books, etc.

[Treerose]

It's been a while since we had a general books thread, so I thought I'd trot out my old favorite.

Some ideas to make this more than a "I'm reading this now" discussion...

- Rare/unusual books that you've read

- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

That's all I can think of right now (and I must vacate the computer for the next person and go practice - no rest for the weary <g>)... hopefully you guys can add some more.

Tree (who, if she had to choose between saving all the books in the world or saving all the music in the world... )

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"All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was."

~Ernest Hemingway~

[Lord Servone]

- Rare/unusual books that you've read

None really...the one I mention below may be considered to be....

- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read

Right now, I'm reading the Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?

No.

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?

I like to think I am one right now...Fantasy. War. Crime.

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

I predict the next series will be the Chronicles of Narnia...actually, I already know it is going to be. The Ivan series will too....okay, I can dream...

[Darkhood_343]

- Rare/unusual books that you've read

His Dark Materials. don't know if that qualifies as rare, but it certainly is unusual.

- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read

Art books. No one reads those, right?

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them

BJ. And no.

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?

Fantasy. Have to have dragons.

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

Hopefully Eragon by Christopher Poalini. Good Stuff.

[VanessaNB]

Rare and unusual
*runs through her list* Welkin Weasels. No one's heard of it. I keep on mentioning it though.

Obscure
Wouldn't that be the same as unusual? Well, no one around here's ever heard of Watership Down, 'cept for my teacher. *gasps*

Met or recieved a letter
Nope.

What kind of books would you write?
Animal fantasy, like Redwall. I likes the fuzzy creatures

What's going to be super popular next?
Not sure. I'm terribly ignorant as to what's "in". Maybe Terry Pratchett books would hit big, even though I've never read any. *more gasps*

[Keyla]

Rare/unusual books read: Duncton Wood, though I'm not sure how unusual it is. A friend recommended it to me as "Redwall for adults", but actually it is nothing like Redwall, though it does have a few moments that wouldn't be in a kids book, which I think is a shame as they don't add anything to the book and just mean it isn't suitable for a younger audience. However, it is still a great book if a bit long, though I'm finding the sequel to be nowhere near as good, which is a shame. It's by William Horwood by the way and it's about moles, though they don't speak molespeech unfortunately.
I often wonder how rare Roald Dahl is in the USA. If he is obscure then he can go on my list of unusual reads.
I think Oscar Wilde is great, though I've read mostly his plays, my favorite being "A Woman of No Importance", though "The Importance of Being Earnest" has more fun lines, sadly I don't reckon I picked the best for my signature. I didn't find out until recently that it was he who wrote the little fairy tale "The Selfish Giant", which I remember being read in a school assembly when I was five and crying just because it was so moving, which was embarrasing afterwards, though I must admit that it still moves me now.
At the moment I have...*counts*... I think 10 books on the go. Some will probably have been read by loads here, such as "To Kill a Mockingbird", a fantastic book, and "The Long Patrol, well I would most have read this. However, others like "War and Peace" are slightly less read, if still well known. "W+P" is better than I thought. I started reading it because I wanted to have a "challenge", a fool hardy thought if ever there was one, but I've been surprised to find that I really enjoyed the 250 pages I read thus far. When I finish it, the operative word being "when", I will tell people it is worth reading.
By the way "Watership Down" isn't obscure in the UK, though maybe it is in America. I seem to remember a rather frightening, by kids standards, film of it.
Authors met: Let me see... *leans back in chair and counts under his breath* ... none.
The Book I'd write: I would write a fantasy, if you could call it that, without magic. Although it would be fictional I would be trying to show what it would be like to be involved in historical events. I have the entire story planned in my head and I have been nurturing it for years, but I have one key obstacle: I can't come up with names I believe in and can remember the next time I think about it.
It would be set in a Renaisance style period, but with unevenly spread development over the countries involved, so this would of course vary. Although I would be trying to show what it is like to be part of history it would be a story about love, disillusion, the limitations of society and position, the surprise at finding one isn't the figure whereupon everything hinges, povety, perception of others and reality and a bit of adventure thrown in for good measure. Okay so it's a bit ambitious and I may never write it, but I can dream.

[LadyBeelze]

- Rare/unusual books that you've read

his dark materials?

- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read

fear street

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?

no but i want to meet a author someday

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?

Fantasy/Horror/Adventure! ....hey..that reminds me of the movie pagemaster..eh..nm

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

....my mind is blank...(always) ..eh ....maybe i'll think of something another time

[Pennybright]

I seem to read a lot of classics that nobody knows are classics, like The Scarlet Pimpernal. I also read stuff like The Great Gaspy, but I don't know if that's obscure. I aslo like Civil war books like The Killer Angels, by M.Shara, and pictures of histrory books like the one TIME makes.

As for the next big thing, I'm clueless.

If I wrote a book, it would probably be an adventure book, with some fantasy.

[Mackinsie]

Rare/unusual books that you've read

I tend to read a lot of books nobody's heard of. I have a lot of books that were my mom's and my grandma's when they were younger. I even have books that belonged to my great-grandmother (first edition, Gone With The Wind ).

Obscure books that nobody else seems to read

Probably a lot of the books that fit into the first question. I have read several little known titles by well-known authors. Nobody seems to have heard of Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery, or of any of Maud Hart Lovelace's books. Several other series fit into this category.

Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?

I've never written to an author. I met BJ several years ago.

If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?

I would probably write children's books.

What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

I don't know. Maybe one of the Harry Potter rip-offs will get their own movie.

I predict the next series will be the Chronicles of Narnia...actually, I already know it is going to be.

Some of the Narnia books were made into television specials by the BBC. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was made twice (cartoon and live-action). Live action versions of Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Silver Chair were also made. (My brother helped me with this info! He says they were pretty faithful to the books.)
Here's the info on the movies...
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - Cartoon
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - Live Action
Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair

I often wonder how rare Roald Dahl is in the USA. If he is obscure then he can go on my list of unusual reads.

Roald Dahl isn't really obscure in the US. I've read several of his books. Many years ago, the waiting list for Matilda at the library was six months long.

"W+P" is better than I thought. I started reading it because I wanted to have a "challenge"

One of these days, I'm going to have to "challenge" myself.

[PiarasJ]

- Rare/unusual books that you've read

Sylvie and Bruno and Sylvie and Bruno concluded by Lewis Carroll, it's one of my favorite books. I've read heaps of his stories and poems because we've got a really heavy book with most of his works and the illustrations. I usually spend most of the time staring at the pictures, they're so great!

- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read
I've read two of the Welkin weasels books, but I can't find the rest in the shops. I've read some obscure ones that Mum kept from years ago.

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?
Nope

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?
Historical fantasy (almost an oxymoron) about the Celts, or stories like the legends of Ireland

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?

It's a bit of a long shot, but Steven Lawheads books would make great movies, if a bit gory. Has anyone read The Paradise Wars, The Silver Hand and the third one that I cant remember the name of right now? I loved those books

[Treerose]

I saw the live action movies of The Chronicles of Narnia - they did stick close to the books, and I've always liked them. The music is lovely - the theme has this flute and horn duet (my old teacher always used to call that combination "florn") that really fits the books as well as the movies.

War and Peace... I read an abridged version once...oh, the shame. ::hangs head:: That's also on my list to really read...

I also like Civil war books like The Killer Angels, by M.Shara,

And yet another book I need to read. Everybody but me in my family has read it...

I tend to read a lot of books nobody's heard of. I have a lot of books that were my mom's and my grandma's when they were younger.

What are some of the books you've read, Mackinsie? I wonder if we have any of the same ones... I also have a few books that belonged to my great-grandmother: Beautiful Joe by Marshall Saunders and A Peep Behind the Scenes by Mrs O.F. Walton. Such sad books, though...

About books to be turned into movies...

Maybe Terry Pratchett books would hit big,

I've read one of Terry Pratchett's books, Vanessa - The Bromeliad - and it was good. Kind like the old Borrowers books by Mary Norton. That would make a fun movie.

It's a bit of a long shot, but Steven Lawheads books would make great movies, if a bit gory. Has anyone read The Paradise Wars, The Silver Hand and the third one that I cant remember the name of right now?

Yep, I've read the Lawhead books, too, Piaras (I can't remember the other title, either)- they were good, and would make some good movies, although I agree about the gory part. But it was an interesting take on the Arthurian legends, and I liked the Celtic aspect, too.

Tree

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"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested."

~Francis Bacon~

Interesting quote coming from a man with such a name... <g>

[Nora the Rover]

- Rare/unusual books that you've read:

I'd probably have to say some of the books written by Andre Norton, or Terry Brooks. 'The Sword of Shannara' is fairly good, although it's a little too obvious that Terry Brooks copied alot of Tolkien's works. 'The Shadow of Albion', by Andre Norton is quite excellent, a story that takes place right after the French Revolution, and the downfall of Napoleon. It had a few faults, but I enjoyed it.
There are also several unusual books that Tolkien wrote, 'Farmer Giles of Ham', 'Tree by Leaf', 'The Silmarillion', 'The Lays of Beleriand', 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', (Which he translated from Old English.), and a few others.


- Obscure books that nobody else seems to read:

There's a really great series that I just recently read, called 'Obernewtyn', by Isobelle Carmody, an Australian author. The books were written a few years ago, so they're somewhat new. It's sort of a post-holocaust, sci-fi, fantasy type of novel.

- Have you met any authors before, or received a letter back from them?:

I met Avi, in fifth grade; he signed my copy of 'Poppy'. I really haven't read many of his books, to tell the truth, but he's a fairly good children's author.

- If you were an author, what kind of books would you write?:

Most likely Fantasy, perhaps a little bit of Sci-Fi, or Action/Adventure.

- What book/book series do you think will be the next to become super-popular like the Harry Potter and LotR books (i.e. turned into movies)?:

I really don't know...

[Dannflower Reguba]

Eeeeee! *squeal of joy* People who've read Lawhead! Stephen R. Lawhead is, if everyone chose their own author, my author. I've read The Pendragon Cycle, The Paradise Wars, Empyrion (EXCELLENT science fiction), The Dream Thief, and The Dragon King Trilogy. If anyone knows of any other series written by him, I'd love to know.

Rare?

First Edition The Princess and the Goblin.

Obscure?

First Edition At the Back of the North Wind, also written by George MacDonald, but less well known.

Authors?

None and no.

If I was an author?

Christain Fantasy, as we just don't see enough of it nowadays.

Book Series to Movie?

I'd love to see the DragonLance series become movie-ized. It would be like a GOOD version of the DnD movie.

[Keyla]

Nora, I stopped reading "The Sword of Shannara" about half way through as every character, up to where I got, seemed like a paralel of one in "The Lord of the Rings", even many of the events were the same. Should I have kept on reading? Is the rest of the series better?

[Dannflower Reguba]

The Scions of Shannara is a very good series. I've not read The Sword of Shannara, but I heard it's good as well.

[Treerose]

There are also several unusual books that Tolkien wrote, 'Farmer Giles of Ham', 'Tree by Leaf', 'The Silmarillion', 'The Lays of Beleriand', 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', (Which he translated from Old English.), and a few others.

Hear, hear, Nora! I've always been a champion of those books - add Mr Bliss, Roverandom, the Father Christmas Letters, and his translation of Pearl to that list, too. All deserve to be read, especially by LotR fans.

Although, for accuracy's sake, I think you mean either Tree and Leaf or Leaf by Niggle... I don't know of any Tree by Leaf. But in any case, both are excellent books, as are any literary works by JRRT, of course.

Tree

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"When I speak of the gifted listener, I am thinking of the nonmusician primarily, of the listener who intends to retain his amateur status. It is the thought of just such a listener that excites the composer in me."

~Aaron Copland~