Do You Read Bestsellers

[terrygoldman123]

Cub scout mag is also good but the novel is superb. 1991 or thereabouts. Get a copy.

 

[mso489]

When I read best sellers, they are mostly best sellers from ten, twenty or fifty years ago. At one time,

I wanted to write a book review column reviewing books that are already considered classics, just to

prompt new readership of those. That was before most metropolitan newspapers terminated their

book columns. Nothing wrong with reading best sellers. It's just that there are so many good books,

it is comforting to have them pre-sorted and selected by the processes of time. Now and then I try

a best seller. Someone gave me one of the early Harry Potter books, and something about the writing

style made me rebel. I just couldn't proceed with it. After several attempts, and annoyance and

frustration, I gave up. It wasn't the subject; I'm down with well-written fantasy. It as something about

the syntax (sentence structure), rhythm and diction that cloyed and made me choke. I'm a little reluctant

on fiction writers who oppress with their brilliance and weighty volumes. If I'm drawn into awe of the

author rather than the content and story itself, I feel there's something wrong. Fifty pages of shear

genius is quite enough.

 

[vfefrenzy]

To pick back up a conversation from last week, I just finished The Name of the Wind. I loved it. It was easily one of the ten best books I read this year. For those of you who liked it, you should really check out my favorite book I read this year, The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's in a very similar vein, but with more of a caper feel.

 

[mrenglish]

I do not read much from best sellers list. I'm either reading WW II history books or for escapism sci-fi and zombie fiction. I spend all day at work reading cases and writing procedures so the sci-fi and zombie fiction lets me unwind.

 

[griffonwing]

Mr english. I would heartily recommend the name of the wind. It's fantasy escapism, and on a best seller for a reason... Not because of a popularity contest or Oprah fanatisism, but because it deserves it's place in the sun. It takes the fantasy trope and puts a wonderful unique spin. Masterful work.

 

[mrenglish]

Thanks griffonwing, I will check it out.

 

[pipebaum81]

@vfefrenzy, so glad you enjoyed. Truly a great read

 

[vfefrenzy]

Thanks, pipebaum81. The better news is that I had already picked up a copy of the sequel at my library's used book sale, so I get to continue the story right away.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I don't read a lot, but when I do it's usually the Holmes cannon or classics. I have gotten into the George RR Martin Song of Fire And Ice series and have been impatiently awaiting the newest book in the series for about two years now.
I never read the Harry Potter books, because when I took my little brother to see the first movie it seemed like a revival of The Worst Witch Ever.

 

[sablebrush52]

The Name Of The Wind is a terrific read, but I did get bogged down early with the sequel and have not picked it up.
When I was a kid I read a lot, I'd pretty much worked through Twain, Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Turgenyev, Wilkie Collins, Conan Doyle, as well as Heroditus, Sophocles, Plato, bits of Dickens, a touch of Henry James, and of course Walter Brooks' immortal Freddy The Detective series. Then I hit puberty and that was the end of that. I read mostly history, when I find time to read at all.
Along the way I've managed to enjoy a lot of SciFi: Azimov, Leiber, de Camp, Silverberg, RR Martin, Heinlein, Ellison, Zelazny, Le Guin, Niven, Brin, Pournelle, etc, etc.
And leave us not forget detective fiction: Chandler, Hammett, Stout, etc, etc. I highly recommend anything by Lawrence Block.