I have been just AWFUL about watching teevee lately. Short of stuffing the stupid set in the closet (or landfill), I'm trying to wean myself a bit. For the last several hundred years (it would seem), I have been reading nonfiction, mostly how-to's. I'm ready for some fiction! It can even be trashy! (Any thing has got to be at least as good as some of the bad teevee I've seen lately)...

Please help me! Is there an online 12-step program for teevee addicts? (I'm personally just kidding, but I'll bet there is!!!).

The weather is horrid, and that stupid nonsense box just fills up the room with noise.

Thanks! (And no books about fava beans and chilled chianti, or whatever! Eeewww...)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Answers

Obsessive that I am, I suggest a rereading of Lord of the Rings trilogy! :-D

Um, remind us of what kind of books you like? I often go to Amazon, put in info on favorite authors, look to see if they have an;ything new coming out. Then I look to see what books others have bought and see if those look any good. Then I check the local library to see if they have copies. I have discovered that the library gets copies of new releases prior to them hitting the bookstores. Of course, you end up getting in line for them, but its faster than waiting for the paperback to come out!

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

I'm reading a seris about a woman that goes through the rings of Scotland, like stonehedge, back in time. I'm on the fourth book. It keeps going up and down on being good. Like the ending in the first book stunk but then the other two got better.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Have you read Daniel Quinn's books? Ishmael, My Ishmael, The Story of B, etc?

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

I enjoyed Masters of Solitude, also Dunctenwood(sp?) Dunctonwood was to moles what Watership Down was to rabbits except more of an epic.

Masters of solitude was about after the apocalypse, two worlds, one behind the wall of solitude called the city and the other thwe country peopled by numerous covens and pagans. A good read.

Peter S Beagle---"A fine and private place" and "The last unicorn."

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

Oh goodie, Dee's a Diana Gabaldon fan too! So is Sandy. :)

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2002

All five books of the hitchhikers trilogy

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meany. I loved that book so much I read it twice. I laughed out loud, I cried...it was a winner in my opinion. Sheep, try some stuff on CD or Tape so you can "read" as you work or something. The Vinyl Cafe cd's by Stuart MacLean are HILARIOUS for the most part. There are books too but he has a way of delivering the stories that make it even better!!! My especially favorite stories are Oddjobs (about an electrical outlet intallation that goes awry) and Polly Anderson's Christmas Party. They focus on a family, Dave and Morley and their kids Sam and Stephanie. Dave owns the Vinyl Cafe, a used record store. You'll love their world I guarantee.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Thanks! Regarding what kind of books I like...I don't really know anymore. I used to read mysteries a lot (okay, guess some of them were gruesome). I think I would like to try some epic-type stuff (kind of contemporary Irving Stone or James Michener stuff; you know the story that goes on forever thing, or let's see, what was that book about the Australian sheep stations, with Colleen somebody or other that was such a hit (the 70s teevee show had Richard Chamberlain as a priest)? Do you know what I mean? Big novels (not necessarily "literature"). Or I'm willing to try a stab at romance novels (I don't think the ten-cent bodice rippers, but ?). In other words, reading for entertainment. I think the new Jean Auel book would fit what I'm looking for, but I'm not going to buy it yet.

Sci-fi and Fantasy are not my favorite genres, but I have enjoyed some excellent ones in the past. I think magazines write up the kind of books I'm looking for as "summer reading". I would probably especially enjoy anything country or homesteading related, too.

Alison (I think you posted it), I used to listen to books on tape during my commute. One day I nearly drove off the road listening to Gorky Park, though!!! We have bootlegged several; in fact I have the Nearing's "Living the Good Life" on tape. Usually, though, I end up falling asleep (which isn't that bad!).

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Sheepish...falling asleep while reading isn't bad as long as you're NOT commuting :-)!!

I'm reading Jean Auel's new book now and, boy, I can't put it down!!!

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Sheepish, I often re-read books. Including Michener's. Hawaii and Centennial are my favorites of his.

How about some of the books by Edward Rutherfurd? Sarum, London, and The Forest are the ones I've read. Haven't read RussKa: The Story of Russia, because that doesn't interest me so much. And after you read Sarum, then read Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth.

I think you're thinking about Colleen McCullough, who wrote The Thorn Birds. She has bunches of other books, though that is the only one that I've read (many years ago).

I also like to periodically re-read James Herriott's books. As for mysteries, have you read any of Elizabeth George's books? I am also inordinately fond of books by Dick Francis and Tony Hillerman. I also like (not quite as much) J. A. Jance's books. She has a whole series that are Seattle based (earlier books) and her current books are set in Arizona.

I don't really consider Lord of the Rings to be fantasy. More like mythology.

Diana Gabaldon's books, starting with A Dragonfly in Amber, are fairly good. I don't give them my highest rating because I find a lot of it to be highly improbable. And I don't mean the magical aspects, I mean the way the people behave. Still, they are mostly enjoyable.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

That reminds me, I picked up a VERY lightweight romance novel a few years back, mainly because the setting was in the Northwoods, land of my childhood, and the people had a resort (as did we). Well, the main character was getting a divorce from her husband so went to this place for the summer (she used to waitress there when she was in college). She meets the SON of her former boyfriend (who has died) and ends up falling in love with HIM. That had me shaking my head, but I really lost it when they fixed up the old inn. And it really needed fixing, replacing floorboard, stripping and refinishing, all kinds of carpentry, etc., not just a good and thorough cleaning. They did it in THREE WEEKS TIME!!! There is NO way! LOL!

I even told my mother about the book. She was snorting and shaking her head over the improbable romance too, but she LOST IT too when I told her about the three week fix up! Okay, well, I thought that was funny -- maybe not to everyone . . . But I bet some of you can relate! :-D

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Oh, oh, I reread the Dragonriders of Pern every summer. There are about twelve books in the seris and they cross over each other so sometimes I've got five books going at once.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Sheepish,

Two books that would fall into light reading and countryish would be The Forgotten Arts and Crafts and Forgotten Household Crafts. Have you seen them? They are both loaded with fascinating pictures too. They are pretty hefty in size but the nice thing is that you don't have to read them from beginning to end to enjoy them.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Forgot to mention that the above books were written by John Seymour, the author of The Self-Sufficient Gardener.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Try the Susan Wittig Albert herbal mystery series. Or the Diana Mott Davidson catering mysteries. Light and non-consequential. I find Daniel Quinn's books a good introduction to critical thinking and philosophy.

I know you don't want non-fiction, BUT... I love reading M.F.K. Fisher's food books. Her "How to Cook A wolf" (as in, when it is at the door) is a classic. Try "With Bold Knife and Fork".

For a laugh try Carl Hiassen's novels. Very lighthearted like T. Robbins' "Still Life With Woodpecker" etc.

And count me in for the early Diana Gabaldon stuff. She has a great fan site on-line including the address you can send for signed bookplates.

Don't forget Jonathon Kellerman's mystery series.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2002

Great ideas, folks! Thanks! I did invite Tom Robbins to one of my parties once (about 20 years ago)...he didn't show up (for some odd reason!!!)...

If you think of more books, please keep 'em coming. I'm going to print the list and post it above my peecee. Hey, it could be a long time before I read them all!

Thanks again!

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2002

Actually, Joy, Diana Gabaldon's series begins with Outlander. How about Mary Stewart's Arthurian series (Crystal Cave etc)?

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2002

Mark Helprin's "Soldier of the Great War" and "Winter's Tale". That book someone here recommended ages ago and I loved..."Earth Abides" by George Stewart I believe.

"Sophie's World" by Josteen Garder. About a 15 year old and philosophy lessons. A bit of a mystery thrown in. You review a lot about philosophy without actually realizing it.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2002

How about anything from Adrian Plass. Middle age Christian man who gets life confused sometimes. Absolutely hilarious. What about Jane Austin? Any of her 6 novels are a riverting read, totally escapism, and English history as well. Jilly Cooper for a whole series of trash novels, where you can't put them down. Usually all these get read most years, along with all the non fiction.

Happy reading

Alison

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2002

Any of you read books aloud? (to kids, spouse, book club, or? yikes....yourself?). I am reading Agatha Christie's "ABC Murders" and it's a cool one for sharing aloud.

I haven't moved forward on the previous suggestions yet, but I'm motivatin'...

-- Anonymous, June 05, 2002

Since my husband has been layed up with his knee he has actually gotten sick of watching tv all the time, now that's a first. so he has started reading. We have been married almost 24 years and I have never seen him read a book except technical stuff. He's a smart guy and when he reads something he really remembers it. He started with "Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole, it's set in New Orleans and is hilarious. I read it years ago, so we had great fun discussing it. He read parts of it aloud to me, which made me realize that being read aloud to is very entertaining. Now he is reading "The Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant. And we are really enjoying disucssing the different philosophers. Next on his list is "Moby Dick". I have been making my way through Clive Cussler's Dirk Pit novels, entertaining for light reading.

Frankly I watch too much tv and I would like to join that 12 step program for tv addicts.

Namaste, Judy

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002

Judy, Cool!!! And good to hear from you!

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2002