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Reading List (1 Viewer)

timmii

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Stupid white men - pretty good, some interesting points made, but so many vitriolic, gross generalisations that it just got exhausting to read all the superlatives :rolleyes:

I reallllllly recommend "I claudius" by robert graves (its historical fiction, a well researched "autobiography" of the roman emperor claudius.)

James A michener is also pretty good if u like historical fiction, my fave is "the source", "hawaii" is also good, "south pacific" (the basis of the rodgers and hammerstein musical) was ok...haven't read the rest of his, like "alaska".

"guns germs and steel" by Jared Diamond was brilliant - a short history of the world ;)

Metamorphasis - franz kafka
"20 000 leagues under the sea" and "around the world in 80 days" - Jules verne
"the bone people" - keri hulme
"heart of darkness - joseph conrad

Auto/biographies wise, Malika Oufkir's "la prisionniere" was brilliant. "the story of mary bell" by i can't remember who, was also great - it was about a 11 year old murderess who killed two little boys, i read it at the time of the bulger killings, so it seemed pretty apt, but it would of course be really good now!

John Calapinto's "as nature made him" was also really interesting , albeit saddening. An identical twin boy was raised as a girl after a failed circumcision - really good for those intrigued by the nature vs nurture debate.

My current reading list (no joke, its a list next to my bed) is "wild swans" by jung chang, "the name of the rose" by Umberto eco, "the alchemist" by Paulo Coelho and "the life of pi" by Yann Martel.

Post-HSC i went through a "I want to read the classics" stage, and then, *blush* got a bit bored after "wuthering heights", "the mayor of casterbridge" and "therese raquin". I know they're good, but i have too short attention span! *sigh* how embarassing :shy:
 

hipsta_jess

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i feel really weird now the exams are over, i keep going to pick up my textbooks to read..
 

MiuMiu

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Hehe well all the more reason to get reading.
I still have extension history to go on Wednesday so I really should be immersed in post-modernism and Mr Windschuttle, but theres always tomorrow!
 

Loz#1

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Wow, i'm not going to be able to keep up with this forum, there's too many to read!
 

arls

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Originally posted by fringey
I really want to read mike moores book: "Stupid white men" i think!! That is supposed to be enlightening!
yeah i wanna read this one too.

Originally posted by Ms 12
Hehe well all the more reason to get reading.
I still have extension history to go on Wednesday so I really should be immersed in post-modernism and Mr Windschuttle, but theres always tomorrow!
iv gotta study for ext history too... havent started, tomorow seems more promising!

Desert Flower.... I think thats wat its called... bin wanting to read for ages! also that one called "Utopia" (looked at it briefly with In the Wild in english) by... ive forgotten who aswell!!! if any1 knows authors plse tell me....
 

Gregor Samsa

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'Utopia' is by Thomas More, published in 1516, the text which originated the term 'Utopia' (an amalgamation of eutopous and ouropos [sic], meaning 'good place' and 'no place' respectively..)
 

timmii

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I'm in the middle of utopia atm actually...its a tiny book, so "to be in the middle" of it, means i started reading it for procrastination for exams, and haven't gotten back to it yet :)
 

s2ophie

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Well i have read a total a nine already mentioned which i quite dissapointing. I plan on reading all of Austen these hols and I'm about to start Recollections of a bleeding heart and then i plan on reading Wild Swans. But i also plan on reading a few sagas. That is one of my few (perhaps many!) sad qualities. I love reading the likes of Barbara Taylor Bradford (!) and Maeve Binchy. In fact I read Maeve Binchy's Quentins yesterday. However i have to get my crappy reading out of the way before i can read the good stuff!
 

MiuMiu

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Originally posted by s2ophie
I love reading the likes of Barbara Taylor Bradford (!) and Maeve Binchy. In fact I read Maeve Binchy's Quentins yesterday.
Hehe I wouldn't be admitting this!
 

arls

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Originally posted by timmii
I'm in the middle of utopia atm actually...its a tiny book, so "to be in the middle" of it, means i started reading it for procrastination for exams, and haven't gotten back to it yet :)
Is Utopia good? wait, if its such a small book I may as well just read it! Shouldnt take long anyway...
 

eveajac

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Originally posted by s2ophie
Well i have read a total a nine already mentioned which i quite dissapointing. I plan on reading all of Austen these hols and I'm about to start Recollections of a bleeding heart and then i plan on reading Wild Swans. But i also plan on reading a few sagas. That is one of my few (perhaps many!) sad qualities. I love reading the likes of Barbara Taylor Bradford (!) and Maeve Binchy. In fact I read Maeve Binchy's Quentins yesterday. However i have to get my crappy reading out of the way before i can read the good stuff!
hey! i LOVE Maeve Binchy; sure they are not really intellectual but it's not like they are Mills and Boon in any respect!
They are well written and really enjoyable - you can get really 'lost' in a great Maeve Binchy.
PS: I loved Quentin's! But my favourites were Tara Road, Circle of Friends and Scarlet Feather
So my point...no more literary snobbery!
 

sugared plum

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I love Maeve Binchy too; I have some on audio tape, read by her cousin (?) Kate Binchy and she has the most beautiful accent. Listen to them at night when can't sleep, so relaxing.
 

spin spin sugar

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omg maeve binchy! you guys are such old ladies! when i used to work at a library she was sooo sought after for the oldies. but i'm not much of a fan.

anyway, the books i wouldn't mind reading from the list:
Originally posted by Ms 12
  • 1984
  • A tale of two cities
  • Crime and Punishment
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Notes from the Underground
  • Farenheit 451
  • Lolita
  • I am the Cheese
  • Persuasion
  • A Clockwork Orange
  • Out of Africa
  • The Bell Jar
  • A Street Car named desire
  • Catcher in the Rye
  • To Kill a Mocking Bird
  • Animal Farm
  • Ulysses
  • Les Miserables
  • Paris in the 20th Century (Jules Verne)
  • The House of Spirits
  • Children of the Dust
  • David Pelzer Series
  • Soul Mountain
  • Utopia
  • Stupid White Men (Mike Moore)

Historical Works
  • Mein Kampf
  • The Communist Manifesto
  • Das Kapital
  • A Modest Proposal
i have to put forward some of my absolute favourites, or ones i would be interested to see others' reactions to:

  • On The Road - Jack Kerouac
  • White Oleander - Janet Fitch
  • A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man - James Joyce
  • To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf
  • Henry and June - Anais Nin
  • Spy In The House Of Love - Anais Nin
  • The Picture Of Dorian Grey - Oscar Wilde
  • House Of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski (this book is amazing and i would recommend it to anyone)
  • American Gods - Neil Gaiman
  • Diary - Chuck Palahniuk
  • Sarah - JT Leroy
  • The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
  • Howl - Allen Ginsberg (poem)
  • Siddartha - Herman Hesse
  • Perfume - Patrick Suskind
  • He Died With A Falafel In His Hand - John Birmingham
  • The Unbearable Lightness Of Being - Milan Kundera
  • Crash - JG Ballard
  • The Godfather - Mario Puzo
  • A Confederacy Of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
  • Lord Of The Flies - William Golding

umm if i think of anything else i will post it
 

gloria*

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yeah-- i also am interested in others' views on White Oleander. after reading it a second time i wanted to smash it into a gazillion pieces. i have such disgust for that book now.
 

Toodulu

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oh i read that a while ago i think. hmm, only read it once though, i thought it was alright. maybe you can say what you don't like about it just to jog my memory.
i think it was turned into a movie :/
 

MiuMiu

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Yeah I always meant to go and see the movie, but never got around to it. Might rent it this week after exam actually....
 

sugared plum

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Exactly. I saw the movie of 'possession', and really regret it because now I can't read any AS Byatt without seeing that twittering actress touching her neck, pretending to be Maud.

Btw, spin spin sugar, I love your book choices. But as for 'house of leaves' I was too scared - will just stick dear Maeve: rather think about getting round my house with a walking frame than holding onto a line...
 

s2ophie

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haha! we have Maeve binchy fans! i loved Evening Class. That is the best and you HAVE to read that one! Also Firelfly summer awas alright. And Quentins was good because it bought them all together. If you like this type of book read the woman of substance series by Barabara Taylor bradford. Particularly the first one. i think i might read all them again! Oh and Cashelmara by Susan Howarch or something was good.
 

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