The Good Books Thread/ATARnotes Book Club!

[Ashjames]

I would like to read, but I don't know what I should be reading..Its very hard for me to pick out a novel..I'm sorta afraid it'd turn out boring and I just wasted my time reading it

Reading is never a waste of time!!!!! I'm pretty sure you'll come across a book that you'll enjoy, it's very rare that you come across a book that is boring!
Books are suppose to be entertaining- you can literally travel to world and go on adventures while sitting in the comfort of your own home. If you're stuck on book choice, have you ever read The book thief?? One of my personal favs.

[Phoenix11]

Reading is never a waste of time!!!!! I'm pretty sure you'll come across a book that you'll enjoy, it's very rare that you come across a book that is boring!
Books are suppose to be entertaining- you can literally travel to world and go on adventures while sitting in the comfort of your own home. If you're stuck on book choice, have you ever read The book thief?? One of my personal favs.

Oh yes!
The Book Thief is an amazing book.  It's from the perspective of d—.
Yeah I won't spoil it but it's a great book.
I watched the book and movie both and it's a unique story.

[Coffee]

I’m reading The Wonder by Emma Donoghue at the moment and I’m absolutely flying through it. I was a bit hesitant to buy it because I wasn’t sure whether I’d like it or not, but I took the plunge and its really so good I can hardly put it down!

Put simply, it’s about an English nurse who goes to a small Irish village to observe a young girl who has been said to survive without food for months. She insists she doesn’t need, nor want food, and survives on manna from heaven. Her family is convinced she’s a miracle, but Lib, who has been hired to watch over is, isn’t convinced, and suspects the child is being fed in secret.

I haven’t finished it so I obviously can’t comment on the ending, but from what I’ve read so far, I’d recommend it!

[elysepopplewell]

Is anyone signed up to a book newsletter, or a part of a book group online, or something? Where do you all hear about the books you read?

I tend to spot them on Instagram when I see other people have read them, or I find out about them on AN!

[Coffee]

Is anyone signed up to a book newsletter, or a part of a book group online, or something? Where do you all hear about the books you read?

I tend to spot them on Instagram when I see other people have read them, or I find out about them on AN!

Goodreads tends to be the main one. I use it for logging books, as well as searching for new ones.

Like you, I tend to spot quite a few of them on Instagram ('#Bookstagram'), as well as Tumblr ('Booklr'), and Youtube ('BookTube').

If all else fails, spending an hour or so in a bookshop is never a waste of time.

[vox nihili]

Is anyone signed up to a book newsletter, or a part of a book group online, or something? Where do you all hear about the books you read?

I tend to spot them on Instagram when I see other people have read them, or I find out about them on AN!

Usually I just walk into a bookshop and look to see what's good on the shelf, or even in the suggested books on book depository, or rarely because a friend has recommended it (reading A Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat on a recommendation).





As an aside, I was really excited to read Kevin Rudd's upcoming autobiogaphy until I learned today that he's writing it in two parts and the first doesn't even deal with his PM'ship. All I want is the juicy bantz so wish he'd hurry up

[heids]

Apart from the thousands of books in my house lol, the library is my jam - I spend a lot of time there, going through the non-fiction sections relevant to my interests and sometimes looking out for any interesting-looking fiction and skimming it (but this is much more hit and miss - instead mostly I read stuff from project gutenberg, which is necessarily old fiction).

[Calebark]

Usually I just walk into a bookshop and look to see what's good on the shelf, or even in the suggested books on book depository, or rarely because a friend has recommended it (reading A Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat on a recommendation).

Your friend has a good taste in books. I recommend this too

On a phone right now, so can't write too much haha, but I highly recommend 'Flowers for Algernon'. It's essentially a series of reports written by a mentally handicapped man as he progressively finds learning easier due to a treatment designed to make people smarter. Highly recommend.

[vox nihili]

Your friend has a good taste in books. I recommend this too

On a phone right now, so can't write too much haha, but I highly recommend 'Flowers for Algernon'. It's essentially a series of reports written by a mentally handicapped man as he progressively finds learning easier due to a treatment designed to make people smarter. Highly recommend.

Not sure I can really get around A Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat. I just can't handle the pomposity with which he writes and that all of his patients seem to be abnormally intelligent. Feels a bit unreal at times.

[Calebark]

Not sure I can really get around A Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat. I just can't handle the pomposity with which he writes and that all of his patients seem to be abnormally intelligent. Feels a bit unreal at times.

I felt that with the pomposity too -- was an issue. I didn't really mind the intelligence though. The cases are pretty cherry-picked, so it didn't seem unreasonable to me that he'd pick such people.

altho hyperbole is always a possibility too

[appleandbee]

Usually random recommendations and reviews I see on the internet (I read Essays of Love because of Elyse). I also sometimes search up topics and genres I'm interested in (looking for high quality speculative fiction).

Not sure I can really get around A Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat. I just can't handle the pomposity with which he writes and that all of his patients seem to be abnormally intelligent. Feels a bit unreal at times.

Haven't got around it yet, but I would recommend The Brain's Way of Healing and The Brain That Changes Itself both by Norman Doidge, I enjoyed the genuine tone, depth and interesting stories (there are about 6-8 cases in each book).

EDIT: Just wondering, to what extent do people take ratings and reviews into account when considering whether to read a book?

[zofromuxo]

I currently take my book recommendations from specific forums dedicated on a subject and reading off their book list or doing the same thing but for people I look up to.

I'm currently going through Jordan Peterson's list for influential books people should read.

[S200]

I currently take my book recommendations from specific forums dedicated on a subject and reading off their book list or doing the same thing but for people I look up to.

I'm currently going through Jordan Peterson's list for influential books people should read.

I am currently taking my book recommendations from this forum!!
Already got several John Green books, and some P.G.Wodehouse (Yippee for public domain!!)...

[heids]

I am currently taking my book recommendations from this forum!!
Already got several John Green books, and some P.G.Wodehouse (Yippee for public domain!!)...

Omigosh what PG Wodehouse?!  While I dislike most of his plots and many of his characters (ewww bertie wooster you yucky person), his turn of phrase is hilariously beautiful. I should select a few quotes sometime to give people an idea

I love his Psmith series (highly recommend, excellent plots - lots of shoes and flowerpots! - great characters and much hilarity) and his school stories (head of kay's, a prefect's uncle, the white feather, etc).  Much more genius than Jeeves and his stupid romances imo. lol.

[EEEEEEP]

Stephen king =). I love love love his books
YOu may know some of these books, from the TV series and movies that have used his work for material.