Non-Financial Book Club *UPDATE IN OP*

[Sum Dum Gai]

I thought maybe he explained how awesome it is.

Hells to the no! Artists (of all kinds) should be compensated for their work. So should programmers. The last thing our economy needs is some sweatshop in Bangladesh stealing all of our intellectual property and selling it for pennies, or throwing viruses in it and giving it away free.

[thyme4change]

I've read two on that list. The Help was great - much better than the movie, but I think it would be less fun to read if you've already seen the movie. I also read "We need to Talk about Kevin." It is dark, but I kinda liked it.

[Firebird]

I also read "We need to Talk about Kevin." It is dark, but I kinda liked it.

Started reading it after that conversation on here a few weeks back (I forget which thread).

[pinkbow832]

I think hunger games is lend-able on kindle, for those who haven't read it but don't necessarily want to buy it. I used up my 1-time lend on it already, but for future books it might be a way to "swap".

I blazed through the hg series in about 3 days, and then went through withdrawal for awhile before I found "unwind" by Neal shusterman, which sort of follows the same themes. I read it pretty quickly also, but can see how it would be an interesting discussion piece, especially for high schoolers.

[movingforward]

I read The Help and it was pretty good. I have heard Water for Elephants is good though it doesn't really seem like my kind of book. Did anyone read The Native Son back in high school? It has been about 20 yrs since I have read it and I wouldn't mind reading it again.

[Abby Normal]

I'm pretty much a book whore- I'll read just about anything. A friend keeps telling me I need to read the Hunger games. She just gave me Twilight- it's not bad. Just not my usual thing.

The Help was great. I finished a book called Sarah's key a few weeks ago. Talk about an awesome book. It's on the serious side- regarding the treatment of Jews in France during the war. But it was really good.

[Abby Normal]

I read Water for Elephants. I thought it was good, definately better than the movie.

[wvugurl26]

The Help has been on my list and I read Water for Elephants. Got it as a Kindle deal. I liked both the book and movie for Water for Elephants.

Angel since you have Prime check out the used ones. I bought a ton of used books when my one month trial I got with the Kindle was expiring. You can sort and get it to show you the Prime eligible ones.

[movingforward]

The 2nd book in the Twilight series was SO terrible to me. I couldn't take Bella in the 2nd book. She was such a whiny wimp.

This is for agilemom who is reading the Twilight series...

[Sum Dum Gai]

She's a whiny wimp in all of them. She's essentially a chronic damsel in distress who's only value is in her ability to find a dude. There's a reason we don't want our daughters reading that series.

Not to mention that the writer is weak anyway. If they were really well written with engaging characters that would be one thing. Instead you get mediocre writing, really flat characters, and the "heroine" is a whiny little girl waiting for her knight in shining armor to show up and make everything better. Freaking vomit.

[Happy prose]

I'm in for the book club. I've been meaning to read that too. For those that mentioned the help and water for elephants, you'd love the glass castle. So where's the club going to be posted?

[movingforward]

Mar 28, 2012 17:51:17 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

She's a whiny wimp in all of them. She's essentially a chronic damsel in distress who's only value is in her ability to find a dude. There's a reason we don't want our daughters reading that series.

Yes, she is a whiny wimp in them all but the 2nd book was THE WORST! For some reason I still read the 3rd and 4th books. I still don't know why. She is one of the worst characters ever written. Glad you are keeping your daughters away.

[Firebird]

The 2nd book in the Twilight series was SO terrible to me. I couldn't take Bella in the 2nd book. She was such a whiny wimp.

When is she NOT a whiny wimp?

I haven't read the books but I've seen the first and most recent movies and read enough about the series to know I don't need to see for myself.

[Firebird]

She's a whiny wimp in all of them. She's essentially a chronic damsel in distress who's only value is in her ability to find a dude. There's a reason we don't want our daughters reading that series.



I honestly can't understand why any parent would allow their young girl to read that series. I say that knowing full well that my 13 year old cousin reads them all the time.

[movingforward]

Mar 28, 2012 17:56:49 GMT -5 Firebird said:

The 2nd book in the Twilight series was SO terrible to me. I couldn't take Bella in the 2nd book. She was such a whiny wimp.

When is she NOT a whiny wimp?

I haven't read the books but I've seen the first and most recent movies and read enough about the series to know I don't need to see for myself.

Oh, believe me her character in the books was even 10X wimpier than the movie.

[Happy prose]

I liked the series of the girl with the dragon tattoo.

[Firebird]

m15m.livejournal.com/19551.html#cutid2

^ For anyone who had to suffer through the movie for any reason whatsoever, this should give you a chuckle.

[Deleted]

Mar 28, 2012 17:24:51 GMT -5 Firebird said:

I love to read but I don't wanna read Hunger Games. I saw the movie and it's not my cup of tea. Maybe I'll just lurk here.

What kind of books do you like? Never too early to nominate books for future rounds. Might as well talk about something while people are obtaining the book.

These are some of the books in my Kindle that I've either read recently or are on deck:

-The Help
-Daughter's Keeper
-Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
-Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie
-We Need to Talk About Kevin
-Ethical Slut

Some of those would make good conversations. I'll keep thinking though.

I'm trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to books. I've read several books that were mentioned on the book threads before, books I wouldn't have chosen on my own.

I'll read serious books, but I don't like dark books. I'm not sure if "dark" is the right word.

Anyway, I've read The Help, but not the others on your list. When you all talked about "We Need To Talk About Kevin" before, it sounded kind of depressing IIRC, I don't want to read anything depressing either. LOL

I don't want to hold you all up though just because I don't want to read certain books.

[movingforward]

Mar 28, 2012 18:01:06 GMT -5 Happy prose said:

I liked the series of the girl with the dragon tattoo.

I read those. I was a little disappointed just because all the hype about them had me thinking they were going to be "over the top" good. I thought they were okay...

[Firebird]

I liked the series of the girl with the dragon tattoo.

I WANTED to like that series because the message was great but the story just didn't do it for me more often than not. It dragged in weird places, the characters were unrealistic.... bleh. The second book was really good. That one had me hanging onto every word in certain spots. But the first and third*, mostly.

*Except the trial, I liked that part. Of course by then, the end was in sight...

[movingforward]

"Anyway, I've read The Help, but not the others on your list. When you all talked about "We Need To Talk About Kevin" before, it sounded kind of depressing IIRC, I don't want to read anything depressing either. LOL

I don't want to hold you all up though just because I don't want to read certain books"

This is kind of how I am as well. I don't like to read things that are really depressing but I think we all have the opportunity to opt out of any of the books and can also join back in when it is something we are interested in.

[wvugurl26]

The ending of the second girl with dragon tattoo had me practically screaming no it can't end like that.

[Firebird]

This is kind of how I am as well. I don't like to read things that are really depressing but I think we all have the opportunity to opt out of any of the books and can also join back in when it is something we are interested in.



And I'm sure we can find uplifting books. Heck, I personally favor a redemption theme more than any other. Daughter's Keeper is good for that, plus both books by Khaled Hosseini (Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns) even though they're all somewhat dark also.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I honestly can't understand why any parent would allow their young girl to read that series. I say that knowing full well that my 13 year old cousin reads them all the time.

I don't get it either. Maybe thirty years ago, when you didn't have much fantasy or sci/fi with female main characters, but today there's tons. Pick something with a kick ass female lead.

I just finished the third book in the Sarah Beauhall series. Now granted there's some stuff in that series that a lot of parents probably won't want their tween reading. Mainly, that the lead character is a lesbian with identity issues, and there's a small amount of sex in the books. However, she fights an honest to god fire breathing 80' dragon with a freaking sword. She's her own literal knight in shining armor. Even with the sexual identity stuff, and her personal hang ups, I think she's a much better female role model than Bella will ever be.

[Firebird]

The ending of the second girl with dragon tattoo had me practically screaming no it can't end like that.

(Nonspecific spoiler warning for Girl Who Played With Fire)

That's where I started losing interest despite being pretty hooked by the story at that point. Sorry, I know that character is a SUPER SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE but you do not get shot twice and buried alive only to pretty much walk away an hour later.

Also, that scene is the only one that made me question whether I can watch the movie. Nightmare fuel right there (not that the rest of the series is puppies and rainbows by any means).

[Happy prose]

Yes, the second was the best by far. I'm reading heaven is for real. I saw the family on a show so decided to read it. The glass castle would be a great discussion book. Sarah's key was good too. I loved house rules by Jodi picoult too.

[Firebird]

I don't get it either. Maybe thirty years ago, when you didn't have much fantasy or sci/fi with female main characters, but today there's tons. Pick something with a kick ass female lead.

HUNGER GAMES YAY! Katniss Everdeen is a more than adequate teenage role model, especially compared to the goofball Bella.

[wvugurl26]

I watched the Swedish version of book one. Haven't seen the American version yet.

[Deleted]

Mar 28, 2012 18:15:07 GMT -5 Firebird said:

I don't get it either. Maybe thirty years ago, when you didn't have much fantasy or sci/fi with female main characters, but today there's tons. Pick something with a kick ass female lead.

HUNGER GAMES YAY! Katniss Everdeen is a more than adequate teenage role model, especially compared to the goofball Bella.

I agree wholeheartedly! Even though I just saw the Hunger Games movie and didn't read the book. I read the first 2 or 3 of the Twilight books, because a friend was really into them and kept giving them to me to read. I finally said "ENOUGH!" because they got on my nerves.

[Firebird]

you all realize its a trilogy? I can't stop after just one.....

You won't want to, I swear. I'm becoming a full-blown disciple here.

TEN MORE MINUTES UNTIL UNINTERRUPTED READING FOREVER!!! (At least the rest of the night.)