Books Of Your Life with Elizabeth discussion

Welcome to the Books of Your Life with Elizabeth book club! We’re thrilled that you discovered the podcast and have joined the group.

Let’s start by introducing ourselves!

I’m Montse, I work at Goodreads and am assisting Elizabeth with the Books of Your Life podcast! My few of my favorite books are Just Kids by Patti Smith, Minor Characters: A Beat Memoir by Joyce Johnson and Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte.

This week we’re talking about Episode 1 with Sarah Jessica Parker. I personally can’t wait to read all three books mentioned! As a memoir nut, I am especially eager to dive into “Famous Father Girl.”

Your turn!

Which book(s) from the first episode are you most excited to read? What are the books of your life? We want to know!

I really liked the first two books in the podcast and the way she described them. They sound interesting and like something I wouldn't have paid attention to in a bookstore. The books of my life are really a select few. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris and The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

Hi everyone! My name is Taya and I'm a photographer and writer from Cyprus. I'm so thrilled to be a part of this book group and look forward to discussing exciting stories with you. :)

I'm most excited to read Golden Child by Claire Adams. I've never read a story set in Trinidad, so I think it will be a very eye-opening experience for me.

The books of my life are The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith.

My name is Sarah; I am a medievalist with a particular interest in the role of women in Anglo-Saxon poetry. However, I am an avid reader of all genres, so I'm interested to see what books are featured on the podcast.

I'm Erin, and am excited about this new project. I got into podcasts just this year and starting thinking that was one thing missing from Goodreads. Hope it's the first of much to come.

I read a variety, mainly in genre fiction such as Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, and Thrillers. I like Paranormal blended into almost every genre, and am a big series reader and re-reader.

Hi everyone :) I'm Andi and I'm an elementary school teacher from Germany. I love books, audiobooks, and podcasts, so this is perfect. I most enjoy contemporary fiction as well as the occasional classic, with some fantasy, and mystery strewn in.

The books of my life... that's a tough one. Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures, anything by J.K. Rowling, and Jane Austen (and V.C. Andrews when I was a teenager).

Looking forward to this podcast.

Hi! I’m Aditi and I’m a digital marketing analyst from India. I’m a mood reader and I love exploring all genres—I read everything from non-fiction to high fantasy, based on my mood, and also based on whether the blurb catches my eye. :)

I’m really excited about the podcasts, and I’m so glad the first guest was SJP—she’s someone I admire a lot! :D I can’t wait to get to His Favorites, it just sounds so intriguing.

As for the books of my life, I’d like to leave that unanswered, because as Sarah Dessen explained beautifully in one of her books, the best is always yet to come. :)

Sarah wrote: "My name is Sarah; I am a medievalist with a particular interest in the role of women in Anglo-Saxon poetry. However, I am an avid reader of all genres, so I'm interested to see what books are featu..."

This is so interesting if you had to give 2 pieces or 3 ;) that stand out the most to you on the subject which would it be? I've never really thought about women in Anglo-Saxon poetry or honestly Anglo-Saxon poetry but this is so intriguing

Thanks for sharing!

My name is Brianna by the way, I haven't fully listened to ESP1 yet so I haven't shared yet but just peeking around

Greets! I'm an activist, author and actor in Central Ohio.

I've written Leaving Worship: From Worship Leader to Atheist Activist and Trump's Cabinet: The Rise of Each Appointed Deplorable; and I've edited Mangasarian - Volume 1: The Truth About Jesus, The Bible Unveiled, & Bonus Essays and The Frightful Fifty: 50 Dreadful Singles.

I read mostly nonfiction, but do enjoy a good suspenseful horror or vigilante comic book.

Hi everybody!

I'm a Biomedical Engineering student and an aspiring author!

I read lots of different genres including contemporary, thriller, mystery, suspense/horror, and folk tales. I also enjoy a good young adult every now and then but usually only if it has a mystery like We Were Liars by E Lockhart.

Some books of my life are Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, East by Edith Pattou, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.

I'm really excited to be a part of this group!

So nice to meet everyone!

hello everyone, I am Mohaned from Egypt, my favourite books are Memoirs, I just finished "Eat pray love", and so for this week I think "famous father girl" would be the most interesting for me to read

Hello everyone! I'm really excited to join this group. Books of your life.. sometimes a book can change the direction of your life as it happened to me reading How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual

I'm Anna, and I work at a small town library in NE Indiana. Looking forward to the podcast and book club!

I'm Dan. I've been an avid reader since I was a kid reading Encyclopedia Brown books. I am partial to books with truth. I love On Wings of Eagles by Ken Follet - a novelized true story. I love "Unbuilding the World Trade Center" all about the task of cleaning up NY after that disaster by William Langweische and PyroMarketing by Greg Stielstra.

And then I like Willa Cather, too. :)

Hi, I am Divya from India working as an editor with a leading media house. I am very excited to be a part of this new venture and looking forward to some really interesting sessions. Though I read anything and everything, but most of the books of my life are middle east writings, books (fiction, non-fiction) based on mid-eastern life, history, culture etc etc.

Right now I am reading a book called A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi. The story is based on a family in Kabul.

Hello everybody!
My name is María and I am a Spanish English teacher in my country, Learning and reading are two of my passions and I still continue to study while working.
I love reading and I try to make the most of my reads by always having a book with me. I usually like to read on my Kinde due to its light weight and the little space it takes in my bag. However, I also enjoy reading paperbacks!

I hope to meet people here who also share my passion for reading.

María

Hi everyone
I'm Pia and work in marketing for a transportation/recycling company in Denmark.
I love reading and try to read as many genres as possible - I prefer a kind of escapism - not too realistic or depressing.
My favorite author is Jennifer Crusie and especially Fast Women. Another favorite of mine is modern Japanese literature - I like that the story arch is mostly completly different than in western literature.
I look forward to listening to these podcasts and the new books will be introduced to.

Hello everyone. My name's Supratim Dhar and I am from India. I am in the last year of my engineering course.
I love fantasy fiction, like The Lord of the Rings or A Song of Ice and Fire. I can read any book unless it's based on religion. Religious topics bore me as I am an atheist.
I would like to meet new people through the group.

Hi everyone. Just reading down thru this thread was really great. The various countries that are noted here says a lot about Goodreads. One wonderful place where we can all come together.

I am a retired social worker living in the Midwest - in the U.S.

I think presenting podcasts is a wonderful idea. Podcasts are something that is just coming into my world. Reading has been in my world since I was a very young child.

One of my all time favorite books is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Another is The Grapes of Wrath also by Steinbeck.

I love this idea and hope that it becomes very popular. Thank you for not only Goodreads, but your innovative ideas.

Hello, everyone! My name is Megan. I'm a public defender and head the juvenile division in my office. As part of my job, I've tried to make sure all kids in our county who want to read have access to good books, entertaining books, and books that reflect them. I read almost everything, so I cannot wait to get some new book ideas and perspectives from this group. My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre, and one of my favorite books from this year is Dear Martin by Nic Stone. Have a great day!

hello I am Georgia in AZ. I volunteer at a self funding library every saturday afternoon. I am an avid reader, usually 3 or 4 a week.
Also, I am looking forward to different books titles I would not normally pick as described by the pod cast.

Hii! My name is Maya and I'm from Poland. I'm currently a graduate student of English and my dream has always been to become a writer. In a few days I'll be studying in Portugal as an exchange student and I hope it will give me an opportunity to read and write more. I can't wait to see new book ideas since I was always searching for new book ideas on my own. My favorite book of all time is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and my favorite book of this year is Forrest Gump (I only loved the movie until I read the book this summer). I hope you all have a wonderful day.

Good Day Fellow Readers! My name is Carol, I am a retired Sewing and Jewelry Making Teacher. In this new phase of my life along with teaching and practicing Yoga, I am a fan of travelling, walking, journaling and writing, spending oodles of time enjoying my dear friends and family and of course enjoying the present book I am reading while looking forward to the next..... I belonged to a book club for 14 years and am very aware how such a group can expand ones reading selections...asking me to choose a favourite book is like asking one to choose a favourite child... impossible..
A few that standout are The Stone Carvers, Inside the O’Brians, The Invention of Wings, The Nightengale, The Book Thief.. and so many more....
I look forward to this experience, connecting and discovering your likes and dislikes and the Next that this group brings to me.
And so it is..

Hello! My name is Krizia and I live in Pittsburgh. I am a writing student and after graduation, I want to pursue a career in publishing and as a Graphic Novelist. I am the editor for Watermelanin Magazine, and a contributor for 3 online magazines: Vessel Press, Pussy Magic Press, and Nubian Impulse.
I'm really excited to be a part of this book club and discuss amazing books.

Hello! I'm Jonele and I'm a little excited to see some international friends here! This will be my first podcast (my sister keeps trying to talk me into others) so I'll be interested to see how it goes.

My life changing books...oooh, that's hard. Little Women would be number one. Travels with Charley: In Search of America and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - all of these changed the way I regard literature.

I'm Zinnia and I am a high school librarian in San Antonio, Tx. I'm super excited to hear about some great books others have read!

My name is Christina and I am a family law clerk in Toronto.
My favourite genre is historical fiction but I also like biographies and memoirs.
My life-changing books would be: Lion (The Long Way Home) by Saroo Brierley, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson and Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.
I am always interested in hearing about what other people like to read. My to-read list is out of control but there are so many good books to be read!
I am still exploring podcasts in general so I am happy to try this one.

My name is Rumell and I am a A-level Student in Greater Manchester. My favourite genre is Science and Non-Fiction but I do like anything I read apart from Anime/Manga. But I still make effort in them. I am always interested in hearing about what other people like to read. I look for Book-Vlogs around internet but they aren't always the one I look for.

Hello there! My name is Valeria and I'm writing you from México.
I don't know what is the precise feeling I have about the books mentioned in the podcast but I guess Golden Child would be good, even though I don't usually enjoy family dramas I could try with this. By the way this is my first time following a podcast.

The books of my life... well I think Walden by Thoreau is my number one. Rayuela by Julio Cortázar is my second and Bukowski's Post Office is in the third place..

Hello! I'm Satrina and like Vale, I'm from México too.

I look forward to learn and read many good books.

Thanks for joining.

Hi Everyone! My name is Danielle and I am an American living in the Dominican Republic working as a volunteer tecacher for the deaf. I have always been an avid reader but I never really appreciated what a gift reading truly is until I got involved with the deaf and saw just how little was available to them. I never take for granted that I can pick up any book at any time and read it. I am studying for the LSAT so my reading time is cut short but I still read everyday, I make time for it because I truly enjoy escaping to another time and place or learning something new. :-)

I am so excited to see so many people in this group from all over the world! I love reading books from other cultures, Russian and Latin America being my two favorites, so I am hoping to get ideas on what to read from all over the world from other members of this group.

Hi! I'm a mom, wife, & neonatal intensive care RN from NJ, USA. I love interview style podcasts like Tim Ferriss, Joe Rogan, & Aubrey Marcus, & I'm always looking for another good book rec! Excited for the podcast to make it to Apple, that's how I listen primarily, but meanwhile Alexa can play this on TuneIn :)

Oh, and Books of My Life (in chronological order):
Goodnight Moon (Brown)
Tikki Tikki Tembo (?)
anything by children's author James Stevenson
My Side of the Mountain (George)
Island of the Blue Dolphins (O'Dell)
The Hobbit (Tolkien)
The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien)
Gabriel (Nix)
And Then There Were None (Christie)
The Historian (Kostova)
The Last of the Mohicans (Cooper)
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats (Sandkerr)
Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy

Kelsey wrote: "Hi everybody!

I'm a Biomedical Engineering student and an aspiring author!

I read lots of different genres including contemporary, thriller, mystery, suspense/horror, and folk tales. I also enj..."

That is my FAVORITE Agatha Christie too!

Hi I'm Sheryl and I work for an aircraft manufacturer in the US. Love to escape life and learn about other cultures and places through reading and audiobooks!
Some favorites are Cutting for Stone, Bel Canto, All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, Little Fires Everywhere and A Place for Us.
Great seeing people join this group from all over the world.

Hi, I'm Elaine from the New Forest in the UK. I love all books, in fact I'm just back from the library, where I went to pick up one book from the reserve shelf and came home with six books. That is fairly typical. I read about 50 books a year, mainly crime fiction, thrillers, memoirs, travel writing and books from the 1001 books to read before you die list. Not sure I can name favourite books - ones which spring to mind are Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck, The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini but there are many, many, many more!

It's nice to meet people from your own country because you get to understand what they are talking about.

Hello Everyone, I am Omkar Inamdar from India. I have done my Bachelors of technology in Electronics and telecommunication and currently working. My book interests are mostly in Non-fiction such as Science, history, business , autobiographies and research. I would love to connect with the people from other countries and get to know about their reading interests through this group. Thank you!

Hi all, I am Diana. I'm a Venezuelan living in Chile. I have a blog on positive psychology in Medium, called The Collector. The Spanish version is being on for three years now, La coleccionista de puertas. I started calling myself a writer since last year and I'm learning everything I can from this craft as I'm starting to work on my first memoir. I've always liked to read, but I finally managed to make it a habit and now my favorite hobby and part of my writing life since last year, too. Let's get this reading party started!

Greetings. My name is Diana and I am from Venezuela, still residing in the country. I love the idea of this podcast, and how they include all possible readers and listeners.
I am a self-published journalist, blogger and writer, so all that includes my passion for reading.
My favorite books are too many, but I can say that all the writings of Sylvain Reynard are books that are in all my electronic libraries, as well as in my physical library. His books are fantastic.
Currently, I am the Community Manager of the official fan account of the Canadian author, in Venezuela, for both Twitter and Facebook. You can follow them on both networks like @SRfansVenezuela
Also, I love whole books by Raine Miller. She is is fantastic. I'm so fanatic of the books by Harlequín Editorial, too. So much so, that I have a space on my blog for they.
I read everything, I have no distinctions. But I love reading fiction.
Thank you for this, and I whish you taht have all the success of the world with this brand new podcast, Elizabeth.
I'll see all of you there.

Hello everyone from Hungary!
I'm Özge, a Turkish International Relations specialist who lives in Budapest. I'm happy to be in this group as a passionate reader. I also write short pieces and some of them were published last year in a student-led journal at the university where I obtained my MA degree, but I think it is still too soon to call myself even an amateur writer. I might be 'a candidate' though. :)
Budapest is an amazing city but can get really cold in winter and books are my best friends during the cold evenings. My studies and work require focusing on academic writings most of the time and I love reading scientific articles too, but sometimes I feel like getting lost in a fiction, in someone's emotions, in someone's world indeed.
Long story short, I'm thrilled to be here, listening to the podcasts with great interest and looking forward to future discussions, suggestions! Thanks for this wonderful platform Elizabeth!
Best

Hello, all,
My name is Hari, I live in the Boston area in the US and I spend a lot of time reading: I have as long as I can remember. I am currently not working and therefore have lots of time for books. I have eclectic taste in the books I read.
I don't like to interact a lot on social media. I am more of an observer of other people's interactions, though not even that to a great extent.
Two books that come close to having changed my life are "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck, and "In cold Blood" by Truman Capote.
I am considered white, but I am not male.

I'm Bonnie and I'm so excited for this podcast! Was recently telling my husband I'm in need of a good book podcast. I read daily and I try to read a little of everything. A few of my favorites are:
A Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
A Room on Rue Amelie bye Kristin Harmel
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Eight by Katherine Neville
and Anything thus far by Lisa Genova

Hi Everyone,
I'm Kathryn-a retired teacher and author. I currently reside in Charleston, SC and I am so glad I stumbled upon this group. What a wonderful way to discover books via podcasts!

Hello, everyone! I'm Tucker! I am currently in high school and spend most of my time reading! I'm really looking forward to this podcast!

Kathryn wrote: "Hi Everyone,
I'm Kathryn-a retired teacher and author. I currently reside in Charleston, SC and I am so glad I stumbled upon this group. What a wonderful way to discover books via podcasts!"

Are you planning on attending yallfest?

Hello! My name is Daniel, I'm doing my masters in physics in Argentina and I absolutely love the Goodreads site and I am so glad this podcast has launched. I have just listened to episode 1 and Golden Child seems really interesting.

As for the books of my life I have to start with 1984. I read it as a teenager and its exploration of the effect of language on the limits of ideas we can come up with made me question how many ideas I haven't had because I don't have the language tools to come up with them and so it led me to reading more. Other favorite books of mine are El Sexto by José María Arguedas and Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Hello Fellow readers, i am nidhi kumari from India, i work as an HR manager in a software company. Reading is my first love but i am very selective about it. I like classics, Dickens and Scott are my all time favs, then Woolf , Joyce and Forster, then Graham Swift, Anita Brookner and John Benville in modern times.
Like favorite authors i have a long list of favourite books but A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens is my all time favourite.
I follow awarded books closely. And recommendations also.