Book Lovers: What Are You Reading Now?
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I find myself revisiting old books rather than new ones in recent years. Attention span is not as it used to be. But I have a soft spot for John Steinbeck (East of Eden especially). As usual, DH Lawrence and Thomas Hardy too. I don’t like, really reread them nowadays as I already am familiar with the plot, but it’s a delight to flip through them and pick out paragraphs that resonate with you even years later (and they constantly change in their relatable meaning, if you know what I mean).
Would prefer gravitating to short stories nowadays like Gaiman’s Fragile Things. I also Iike revisiting Tina Brown’s Vanity Fair Diaries (1982-1983) as I feel like I can read any entry and just root around from that point.
Classic ghost stories will always appeal to me especially those from MR James or EF Benson. Project Gutenberg has titles where the copyright has lapsed I think (not much schooled in IP there). I used to listen alot on Librivox, but these are from volunteer narrators so you have to find one whose accent and diction you can live with!
Recently I found Enid Blyton’s “Book of Brownies” on PDF and finished it in one sitting or less than an hour!
My kids’ Garfield compilations from over 20 years ago… Do they qualify as book reading?
Right now just slowly riffling through Bryony Gordon’s “No Such Thing As Normal”. Some mental wellbeing book where the author speaks to you like a comforting friend. Although I guess some parts I’ve zoned through as she’s in the UK and makes references to the NHS
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@rinsider said in Book Lovers: What Are You Reading Now?:
I find myself revisiting old books rather than new ones in recent years.
When I was young, I was criticised by a number of adults (aunts, teachers, parents) for rereading books - I really don’t understand why! I can’t see anything inherently bad about rereading books, especially if they aren’t 100% of the reading diet. I was such a voracious reader as a kid that I always ran out of books to read very quickly; if I wasn’t able to get to a physical library, I just reread what I had on hand (including the newspaper, any magazines I could lay my hands on, even labels on bottles…). I love to reread books just for their familiarity, or sometimes because I recall that something in a particular book resonates with something in my present. As a student, when my mind was exhausted from studying, I would revert to childhood favourites for ease of reading and familiarity - I reread the Narnia series countless times during my university years! I do make a point to read some new books as well, just for a good mix. Maybe I’m just odd…
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@sharonkhoo I have the lazy eye condition, so before audiobooks, I used to skim read a lot! This meant that I glossed over many details and I’m also prone to impatience to find out the ending haha.
So I actually love rereading, because I’ve missed so many things, and I’m often surprised by new information each time.
Btw to update: I just finished Ken Liu’s All that We See or Seem! I think his interpretation of how tech might evolve and impact humanity is very credible, given his education/professional experience. But I think I prefer writing that draws me in emotionally!
My next book: I’m going to finally try to finish Apeirogon, which is about the friendship between an Israeli and a Palestinian father. It’s actually really beautifully written and narrated (I have the audiobook), but somehow I never made time for it!
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@rinsider Byrony Gordon! I recognise that name… think she’s a journo who is sympathetic to Prince Harry/the Sussexes. Haha I do like to read about the royals (I’ve read Spare) but I personally think they’re not good for much else other than gossip value. Or worse, they could be Prince Andrew!
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@thebottomsupblog you mean Bryony favours Meghan? BAH!
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@rinsider hahaha are you annoyed by the Sussexes too? Or does this annoyance extend to all royals?
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For my kids, we’ve been reading the ‘Harry Potter’ series together at night — they’re 9 and 11 so the later books getting a bit heavy but the bonding time is really worth it. Also started them on Roald Dahl lor, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — the stories are so imaginative and the language not too difficult. Great for building reading habit mah.
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This might be more of an adult place, but I actually wish it had been around when my kids were younger:
Have been here several times, worth a visit!
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I decided to reread Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy yesterday, along with the audiobook (borrowed from Libby). The narration is superb! And it’s still very funny.
Has anyone read this? On Goodreads, reviews are mixed. It’s a “love it or hate it” book!
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