All About Books discussion

1. Have you always loved books?

I have loved to read ever since I can remember. I believe I was influenced mostly by the Librarians at my public library in the neighborhood where I grew up. I grew up in a time when children could walk the neighborhood and I remember spending many days after school meeting with friends and doing my homework at the library. I remember the summer afternoons that I spent there and carrying home an armload of books. To this day my 88 year old mother still mentions the summer I read 70 library books. One of those Librarians took my brother and me to the big central library and at that time, it was the adventure of my life.

I was such a fixture at my library, that as soon as I turned 16, I was hired for a part time job. I worked there during my last two years in high school and during my four years in college since I attended college locally. Sadly the building is no longer there .That library and the librarians not only inspired me to read but I eventually, even though it was several years after college , got my degree in Library and Information Science and had a 28 year career in a corporate library . I often think that I would have enjoyed the public library more, but I did enjoy the research aspects in my industry job. So in a sense, the library did turn out to be one of the adventures of my life.

Goodreads is playing a big part in my reading journey these days. Since I became an active participant last year, I have been introduced to books that I may have never found because of many of you. I love the interactions and discussions and I enjoy writing reviews. I have also met some wonderful people.

2. Favorite childhood books:

As a young girl, I loved Black Beauty, Heidi, and The Borrowers.

3. Books I studied in school:

There are many books I remember studying at school. In high school there was The Red Badge of Courage and My Antonia. As an English major in college, Shakespeare, Chaucer and Milton were required courses. I still have the texts I used for these courses, all highlighted with writing in the margins. King Lear and The Taming of the Shrew are my favorite Shakespearean plays. The courses I loved the most were seminars on F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and Henry James .It was then that The Great Gatsby became my favorite book. I remember how hard it was to read The Sound and the Fury but that I loved it. I remember that Lambert Strether from The Ambassadors is one of my earliest literary crushes. I must reread that one of these days. I also remember loving Eugene O'Neill's plays, especially,Long Day's Journey Into Night

4. Where do you most enjoy reading?

I usually read curled up on the sofa in the living room or in bed. I even bring my kindle to the gym to help me get through the treadmill and exercise bike. When we are on vacation, I love reading while sitting under the palm trees by the beach. This is probably my favorite place to read. I don't necessarily need total quiet. Most of the time I am able to just block out background noise. If I'm reading in the living room while my husband is watching TV, I do sometimes get distracted and that's when I read in bed. I can also read while riding in the car.

5. Five favorite books:

There are so many favorites that it it’s hard to choose.
The Great Gatsby will probably always be my favorite book. Critics have called it the perfect novel. I don’t remember what their criteria is, but it is perfect in my mind for the writing especially, but also for the characters, especially Gatsby and Nick. It’s a love story, even though it may be just the ideal of Daisy that Gatsby is in love with and oh so many other things – about the American dream and about a slice of history – the jazz age. The writing is really perfect. I’ve read it many times over and I can see the green light, the curtains swaying in the breeze and I can hear the “money” in Daisy’s voice every time.

Anna Karenina is the first big Russian novel I read and I was totally taken with Anna and swept up in the expanse of her story – the families (we all know the opening lines), the society, and the characters! It broke my heart.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, I read as a teenager and still remember how moved I was and still am at her story and can never forget her saying, “In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Wow!

The Bronze Horseman Trilogy - what can I say except that this trilogy is just one of the best, most passionate love stories that I have read.

The Goldfinch is the only Donna Tartt book I have read and I can’t remember being so moved by a character in such a very long time, as I am by Theo Decker. Tartt is an amazing writer and her detailed, descriptive writing places you right there where ever the characters are and right there in Theo’s head. I can’t say enough how much I loved this book!

I know the question asked for five, but I do want to mention two other books that really moved me and that I plan to read again one day – Bel Canto and Peace Like a River.

6. Fiction or nonfiction?
I prefer fiction but occasionally will read non-fiction.

7. Favorite author:

One of my favorite authors is Alice McDermott . She writes beautifully - stories about ordinary people, no major action but yet the result is extraordinary. Her latest book, Someone, is a good example. I also loved Child of My Heart . There are several of hers that I haven’t read yet.

8. An author I haven't read but would like to:

There are so many authors that I haven't read! In general, I haven't read as many classic novels as many of you. I'm such a pushover for new releases that I never get around to them.

9. How I track books:

While I joined Goodreads several years ago, I didn't become active until the beginning of 2013. At that time I started to use Goodreads to track the books that I had read. I had been using a kindle for a few years then so I could use that to enter books I had read in the recent past. I used listopia lists and memory to add books as well. I never really kept a log, but I wish I had. I used to keep a handwritten notebook of books to read, but now I do that on Goodreads. I'm sure there are so many more that I have read and are not listed. ( If only I had kept that summer list of 70 books!)

10.Current reads and favorite this year:

I have two favorites of the year so far - The Street Sweeper -thanks to Bette's recommendation and Neverhome: A Novel, an ARC that I recently read and reviewed.
I am reading The House on the Lagoon. I have recently joined NetGalley and have been reading and reviewing ARCs. I am thoroughly enjoy doing this and so far have been lucky in my choices . I plan to get to some of the books I have on my kindle. I’m thinking about Hana's Suitcase: A True Story and Code Name Verity . I have a good number of books that I bought with birthday gift cards so I’m hoping to work my way down that list before I buy anything else, but we’ll see, I am easily distracted by new releases ! I also have a few more ARCs to get to.

Interesting reading journey Angela, was lovely to get to know you more through this.

Thanks , Allanah . I enjoy this thread for the same reason .

I love McDermott as well, her writing is so real, understand and lovely. Still need to get to the Street Sweeper. Wonderful reading journey Angela. I too loved the public libraries. Did you have a bookmobile come to your area?

Great journey Angela! As a kid I lived outside town with no busses around. So I deeply felt not being able to go around on my own.
I remember when 14 I was left by my parents in the centre of the town and the very first place I went to was the library!!!!

Lovely reading journey, Angela :) really interesting to read, especially about your time at your local library.

Diane , Laura and Sigourney, thanks for your kind words . I suspect that libraries played a big role in the lives of most avid readers .

Diane , I don't remember a bookmobile in my neighborhood . Could be because we had a branch library for the area .

Angela wrote: "Diane , I don't remember a bookmobile in my neighborhood . Could be because we had a branch library for the area . "

We didn't have when I was a kid; we have a bibliobus now in Perugia, going into far away places of our town!

Great journey Angela.Black Beauty and Heidi were two of my childhood books - still favourites.

I also loved Black Beauty, Heidi and The Borrowers as a child. I also enjoyed Anna Karenina, the Great Gatsby and Anne Frank so I will add your other 2 top 5 to my TBR

Great reading journey

Thank you Maggie and Heather.

Heather, I hope you enjoy the books you added. :-)

Great journey, Angela. It's interesting to note how libraries and librarians influenced your life. I've never read the books you read in your school days although I did watch movie adaptations of "The Taming of the Shrew" and "The Great Gatsby" . One thing precious about Goodreads is that members come from such diverse cultures, backgrounds and education systems that we can all learn something from each other. Like you, I love Anna Karenina, which is also the first Russian novel I've read.

Enjoyed your reading journey Angela. I love my job but if I`d never got into working in health care then I would`ve loved to have been a librarian :-)

@Alice , thanks very much . I couldn't agree with you more . Goodreads is not just about books but about the people who read them .

@Natalie , thank you . While I wasn't in health care per se , my job was in a pharmaceutical company research library . I'm sure I would have enjoyed working in a public library a lot, though .

Thanks for sharing pieces of your life, it was interesting to read your journey. It is really a lovely way to know better the other members of the group.

Angela, where would we have been without libraries? So many wonderful memories for you which I'm sure you wouldn't swap for anything in the world. While I realize a research library differs from a reading library, it must have seemed like 'coming home' in a sense when you started work.

Probably 97% of the books you have mentioned here, also feature in my reading history. It's good to see we have been 'book twins' even from our younger days. I had a similar library experience when young and still feel that familiar 'comfort' when I go to the library even today. (Although now I am not nicking outside for a smoke as I did in my teens.)

I love that you still feel passionately about The Great Gatsby, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, The Ambassadors and Anna Karenina; all of them are 'book bliss'.

What a great thread you've written for us. Thank you:)

Bette, my book buddy ,
Thanks so much for your lovely comments ! Yes , it is so nice to know that we were book twins even before we became GR friends and not a surprise .

I'm also not surprised that libraries were a big part of your life growing up as well.

I have to admit that i don't visit the library much at all these days . Now that I read almost exclusively on my kindle , I do borrow an ebook occasionally . But I don't know where I would be without that neighborhood library .

dely- thanks . I agree it's so nice to learn more about the people that we chat with here .

Thanks for sharing your journey Angela! I had a very similar beginning to yours, including your favorite childhood books and walking to the library. In my hometown, the town pool was right next door to the library, so summer days were filled with trips to the pool where I would just "pop in" to the library and get a book (or 2 or 5!) to read.

I have just in the past few years started using my local library again. Luckily, just as in my childhood, it is in easy walking distance, although now my walking is for the exercise! If only they had a pool next door...

Leslie, reading by the pool - who could ask for more ?

Also, Leslie , I love that several of us share favorite childhood books . It's a nice connection .

Loved to read this Angela! I'll be getting to The Goldfinch one of these days!

Thanks , Colleen . Hope you enjoy it when you get to it .

Loved reading about your childhood at the library.
I also loved Bel Canto, such a captivating read.

Seems like a similar introduction to the wonder of libraries as I had growing up. We lived on a farm so every time Dad took us to town to run errands he'd plop us down at the library and I got to know all the librarians. My biggest fear as a child was that one day I'd read all the books and there would be no new ones to discover. Now I know that's never going to happen! haha

Angela wrote: "Leslie, reading by the pool - who could ask for more ?"

I do agree! Planing to do it this afternoon!

Loved reading your Reading Journey. Some of the books are my favourites too (HEIDI and KING LEAR). I am yet to read F. Scott Fitzgerald. Will have to try him.
I had also recently considered reading Ann Patchett and Leif Enger. And you have mentioned them in the list of Favourite Books. Looks great.

@Gemma, thanks . I'm glad to hear that you loved Bel Canto too . I read it a while ago but I still have that image of the young boy with the beautiful voice .

@Dhanaraj , thanks . I don't think you will be disappointed with Bel Canto or Peace Like a River . I'd love to hear what you think if you read them.

@Laura - enjoy your afternoon!

@Erica , so many of us grew up and fell in love with books through our libraries .

Lol about your childhood fear . I just cut down my to read list because I'm afraid I'll never get to everything in my life time .

Angela, I'm just catching up on here and it has been lovely to read your reading journey. I can really identify with your library visits as a child - I was lucky that both my brothers were big readers too, so I didn't go alone. To actually work in a library was something I dreamed of as a child, although in reality I think I would have been rather too noisy a librarian!

I'd forgotten about The Borrowers - loved those books! I also share your love for The Great Gatsby - I recently bought a copy for my mother in law after the recent film came out (which she really liked) but I don't know if she has picked it up to read yet! I haven't yet read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt but I did read The Secret History - you should read that one, Angela, it's very good.

I shall go back over your reading journey again and have a look at the other books and authors you mention. I am intrigued by Bel Canto - I saw it recently in a charity shop and nearly bought it, but didn't in the end as I wasn't too sure (and I have so many books anyway!!)

Thanks for sharing Angela, it's been good to read!

Shirley ,
Thanks so much for your kind words . It's just so nice to hear how libraries have influenced so many of us .
It's great to hear that you share a love of The Great Gatsby too !
I will read the other Tarrt books at some point and I can't help but think that if enjoy her writing , you will enjoy The Goldfinch .

It was fun writing this because in a lot of ways a trip down memory lane .
Thanks .

Angela wrote: "@Laura - enjoy your afternoon! "

I did it!
Yesterday was almost a perfect day: work at the Foundation Perugiassisi - that I love
Afternoon at the swimming pool with my husband; little going around with my daughter, and piece and calm while the whooe of Italy was looking the football match. I'm sorry that they're out only because this paradise will be over!!!

Sounds like a wonderful day , Laura , except for the soccer - sorry !

Angela wrote: "Sounds like a wonderful day , Laura , except for the soccer - sorry !"

I'm not particularly sorry! When the match was ending I was on my balcony watering my plants!!!
Both husband and kids are really sorry though

I definitely have to get to The Great Gatsby soon!

Evelyn , I hope you do and that you love it as much as I do .

I saw the most recent movie and really enjoyed it. Of course I have been told the book is WAY better : )

It is better !

It is my humble opinion that the original version of the film is much better. Can you pass up Robert Redford as the enigmatic Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy.

Of course it doesn't have all the glitz of the Luhrmann one, but because of that, I think you get the gist of the novel better.

I liked the Redford/Farrow movie better than the newer one with DiCaprio as well, Bette,
But I did think that Leonardo showed a vulnerability in Gatsby that was so touching .

I was ticked off about two things in the newer movie . They left out the scene with Gatsby's father and Nick Carroway is writing the story from a home of some sort where he is a recovering alcoholic . What ?? I probably would have been driven to drink by those selfish, miserable people too but that just wasn't in book !
So few movies can do justice to the book .

Thanks Angela for sharing. As you recall, we had quite the discussions on "The Great Gatsby" before (when I first joined GR)...I had fun re-reading it and discussing! "Anna Karenina" is one of my all time favorites as well. I agree, "The Sound and the Fury" was difficult, but well worth the effort exerted!

Tnx again!

Rod ,
Yes , I do remember our discussion of The a Great Gatsby and also that it was then that we became GR friends . If I recall Bette and Kayla became my friends then as well .
So that book just keeps on giving !
I'm looking forward to your journey .
Thanks

Thanks Angela! I found it a pleasure to talk about that book and am glad we met there. I love following your reviews :-)

Thanks so much , Rod . I've just read your journey and am looking forward to your book .