Books you love or hate

[Faye]

Who likes to read, and what?

I am a devoted bookworm from a long line of bookworms on both the maternal and paternal side. Which means I read everything in sight. My favorite books are fiction, and I like SF, Fantasy and Historic Fiction and Humour.

My favourite authors are :
James H Schmitz
Lois McMaster Bujold
Steve Miller & Sharon Lee
Patricia Briggs
Roald Dahl
Terry Pratchett

Authors whom I wouldn't read if I was stranded on a desert island for ever and ever with only one book and no chance of rescue.

Maxwell Grant

[crayon]

Paulo Coelho is the author of one of my favorite books ever, Veronika Decides to Die. I've read a few other books of his but this one was my undisputed favorite. Another fav is Lord of the Flies, as is We Need to Talk About Kevin. 1984, the Secret Life of Bees, the Face were all awesome.

I don't think I really have a specific genre I read, I like non fiction though, memoirs and the sort. Don't like sci-fi, fantasy is ok, coming of age books are always nice..

[truemuslim]

Oh oh oh i Hate reading! nice thread! lol
Seriously tho the most interesting book i ever read with the DEEPEST meaning...is...the QURAAn. :D

other than that.... *thinks very very very hard* i like....

emm.......

I like JR. Rowling, and Susan Flow, :p lol its ok i have no idea who those are. not sure if theyr real names but they at the top of my tongue

Emmm....*thinks harder*. ok well the last book i ever read was "where the red fern grows" psh. stuuupid book. sttuuupider movie.

oh wait no the last book i ever read is "Islamic tahdeeb and Adab" or something :D Much better than where the red bush growss :)

[ayan333]

Oh oh oh i Hate reading! nice thread! lol
Seriously tho the most interesting book i ever read with the DEEPEST meaning...is...the QURAAn. :D

other than that.... *thinks very very very hard* i like....

emm.......

I like JR. Rowling, and Susan Flow, :p lol its ok i have no idea who those are. not sure if theyr real names but they at the top of my tongue

Emmm....*thinks harder*. ok well the last book i ever read was "where the red fern grows" psh. stuuupid book. sttuuupider movie.

oh wait no the last book i ever read is "Islamic tahdeeb and Adab" or something :D Much better than where the red bush growss :)

:sl:
you sound like me..i was never much of a reader,sure i read skool stuff because i was forced..books are good to help with your overall english and vocab skills but im intrested in learning arabic (progressing) so i stick with reigious books...true Qur'an is the best book ever!!!!! lol

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[truemuslim]

aw lol you in the US right? And you agree that its a hell here right? And you hate school books right? Aww ur such a me :p
ya i wanna get my arabic skills better too. Inshallah i can become a hafith then quran would be my first (and ONLY) memorized book :)

Do you like islamic books?
Any favorites?

[Amat Allah]

Asalamo alikom

mashaa Allah Tabarka Ar Rahmaan ....beautifull thread my dear....

Quraa is the best ever....la ilaha ilaa Allah

now I am reading an Islamic book its name Bustaan Al waideen (The Preachers Garden) for Ibin Al Jawzi...it is a beautifull book and a great reminder....

may Allah reward us all with Jannat Al ferdous....

Ameeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen

[truemuslim]

aww sis amat allah we got that book somewhere here too, my mum keeps readin it. She likes it. it sounds so beautiful. :)

[Na7lah]

I recomend u guys to read Umm Zakkiyah's books she made three, A Voice, Footsteps, and the other one was uhh If i Should speak, i still havent read Footsteps and plan to do so inshallah.

to the people above me how could u say u don't like reading?! :eek: i'm a big bookworm :D i can read all day and all night if i tried lol

[truemuslim]

^ now now sis in MODERN U.S times its not called a book worm anymore...more like..ehh... Geek wit no life who sits inside 24/7 and is fat as hell and has glasses, HUGE glasses, and doesn't know whats goin on in life no more coz theyr stuck in fantasy world...

em...well not YOU sis coz ur so cooooool! You like so cool and ...cool :p

I actually CANOOOT read ANYTHING except islamic stuff. i dunno why. tis in my bludd homie!
No seriously i look at the cover of an unislamic book and im like "ew..whata waste of life" lol but if its for school i just google a summary of it and there ya go. And if its islamic im so into it. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[Na7lah]

^ now now sis in MODERN U.S times its not called a book worm anymore...more like..ehh... Geek wit no life who sits inside 24/7 and is fat as hell and has glasses, HUGE glasses, and doesn't know whats goin on in life no more coz theyr stuck in fantasy world...

i'll ignore that part :mmokay:

[Keltoi]

My favorites right now:

George R.R. Martin (gritty but entertaining fantasy)
Stephen Ambrose (best books on WW2)
Ray Bradbury (the best sci-fi/horror writer out there)

Least favorite:

Stephen King (the king of pointless detail)
Anne Rice (the love lives of homosexual vampires does not interest me)

[BlissfullyJaded]

:sl:

Oh...so that was what Anne Rice's book were about. I have friends who read those, and I never got past the first page to figure out what was going on.

I'll read anything 'cept for science fiction. Naturally I love Islamic books, so besides those, I really, really like mysteries and comedies. I also like history, if it's not written in a boring way. I haven't really read anything lately except for my textbooks and school related stuff though. But they're interesting anyway, so it doesn't matter. lol.

[Faye]

One of my favorites is possibly un-Islamic. Dune, by Frank Herbert. He uses arabic-sounding language and his whole story is based loosely on the beginning of Islam and the coming of the promised Prophet. I know I don't like those bits, but the story is fascinating ... mesmerizing ... fabulous. I especially like the whole concept of generations of people plotting away against each other, genaration after generation, to each achieve their own super-secret, universe shaking goals.

ﻭﻤﻜﺮﻮﺍﻭﻤﻜﺮﺍﻟﻟﻪ ﻭﺍﻟﻟﻪﺨﻳﺮﺍﻠﻤﺎﻜﺮﻴﻦ

[alcurad]

so true, anne rice's vampire the masquerade was THE worst book I ever read,on the other hand Dune proved to be interesting but kind of repetitive. lately I've only been reading on philosophy, hisyory maybe.I just finished Guns,Swords and Steel for some guy I don't remember what his name was,does a pretty good job of explaining history.btw in my opinion WOT or The Wheel Of Time by Robert Jordan-pen name- is the best historical fantasy series out there

[aamirsaab]

:sl:
(halaal) Love list:
Battle royale (the book was much better than the movie)
The Art of war (very interesting but quite short)

[alcurad]

sorry, spleeing mistake its called guns,germs and steel.

[Keltoi]

sorry, spleeing mistake its called guns,germs and steel.

The guy who wrote that book, whose name escapes me at the moment, gave a speech at my university based on that book. It was pretty interesting.

[Faye]

As far as Islamic books go, I usually find them boring. (exception: The Quran)

But I like books on Islamic History, and Fiqh, as many Fiqh books as I can get.
I began learning Arabic only so I could understand the Quran...and get my mitts on those yummy books of Fiqh sitting in my brother's library.

Now, I've made my way through Qudoori, its explanations the Lubaab and Jawharah, and have begun Hidaayah. I hope my speed increases.

And while we are on the subject of Arabic books, I like an author I recently found Ali atTantawi. He writes non-fiction articles on many Modren Islamic Issues. I like his writing because his thoughts are very clear and incisive, and his writing style is simply beautiful.

[wildkat]

My fave is Dan Brown (dont think anyone has mentioned him yet!!)
The "Davinci code" and "angels and demons" are so cool!

Authors whom I wouldn't read if I was stranded on a desert island for ever and ever with only one book and no chance of rescue.

Maxwell Grant

Stephen King. I got soooo bored after the first page of "silent lambs" or whatever it was.

[crayon]

I recomend u guys to read Umm Zakkiyah's books she made three, A Voice, Footsteps, and the other one was uhh If i Should speak, i still havent read Footsteps and plan to do so inshallah.

to the people above me how could u say u don't like reading?! :eek: i'm a big bookworm :D i can read all day and all night if i tried lol

Yeah, I've read all 3 of her books. The writing isn't too good, but I like the general plot and characters. My favorite is the second book, A voice, i think? The one when she gets married.

[mustafaisb]

The guy who wrote that book, whose name escapes me at the moment, gave a speech at my university based on that book. It was pretty interesting.

:sl:Jared Diamond is the name of the author. I also heard that book is very good and another book by him Collapse: How societies choose to fail or succeed is also a very good book. I definately have to read those books soon. :D

Hey I was just on a site that measures how many words you can read per minute. http://www.rocketreader.com/demo/flashDemo.html I recommend everyone check it out. Choose Step A I read 358 wpm. :w:

[crayon]

Oooh, very cool site! I got 466 words per minute.

[Fishman]

:sl:
What I'm reading at the moment:
Greg Bear's Eon, a sci-fi novel.

Bad book:
IAEA Bulletin, issue title 'Our Changing Earth'. Its a magazine which looks interesting but is actually full of weird newfangled phrases that don't mean anything, like 'Global Schoolhouse', or 'Generation: Next'. Even the title is awful! It just makes you think that the government is doing nothing about climate change and just wants to invent new words to make us feel happy...
:w:

[crayon]

Ahhh this thread reminds me of how much I love books. They really are one of life's joys.
I'm reading Cry, the Beloved Country now and it's beautiful, the writing is superb.

[Faye]

My fave is Dan Brown (dont think anyone has mentioned him yet!!)
The "Davinci code" and "angels and demons" are so cool!

Sorry, but the Da Vinci Code is on my list of books I wouldn't read if I was stranded on a desert island, with only one book, nothing to do and no hope of rescue.

It has bad writing style, bad language, bad plot and 2 dimentional characters. I only read it because everybody was telling me how good it was. It wasn't. I think the only reason the book/author got so famous is that he is so blasphemous and foul-mouthed, it shocks people. Sort of like that authour, Salman Rushdie.

Who likes Linda Sue Park? I read her book "A Single Shard" and loved it, though it has almost no plot at all. But, just the writing style is so fabulously poetic that you don't realize that until you begin thinking about what you just read.

Other books that I am not sure I love or hate:
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin. Whenever I read it, I think that its just the most wonderful book around, but as soon as I finish, I begin thinking about the fact that the whole story is just about a man chasing his shadow around...and how stupid is that!!!
But I like the two books after that, The Tombs of Atuan and The Fartherest Shore

Another author that I have very mixed feelings about is Zenna Henderson. Her books are just so soppy, gooey, love-will-solve-everything, that I can't even read one page in normal circumstances. But when I am feeling very low, down-in-the-glumps, as if the world is a nasty place and everybody out to get me, then I pull out these books and read them. They are a very good sedative, prevent me from taking my feelings out on everybody around me , and usually improve my mood. I call her books my 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' (It works much better than the magazine of that title which a friend of mine used for the same purpose.)

[BintAmjad]

:sl:

My favourites include Jane Austen (no ones mentioned her yet i'm into old english my fav's gotta be Pride and Prejudice), J.K Rowling, I wish i could say J.R.R Tolkien thing is i haven't got round to actually reading The Lord of the Rings but the films were fantastic! I like my fantasies, Roal Dahl books (those that i read) were hilarious and I enjoyed reading the da vinci code by Dan Brown.

Anybody read the books by Philip Pullman??? He wrote 'Northern lights' aka The Golden Compass ad His dark materials

:w:

[Faye]

I like Jane Austin (though my whole speaking style changes after I finish with one of her books). I have read Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling. In JK's books, my favoutite is the 3rd, then the 1st, then the 2nd, then the 4th. The quality decreases after that. As for Lord of the Rings + Hobbit, I love them. My cats are named Bombadil (Bombo) and Goldberry (Goldy) after two of the characters. But I must say that the Hobbit is my favourite.

Roald Dahl is the king of authors. He has been a favourite since I was 7. I still crack up when reading The Witches, or Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, and I have read them at least 1000 times since I first got them.

Dan Brown...I saw his books in the library and skimmed through them, but wasn't sufficiently intrested to borrow them. They seemed too sentimental/airy for my tastes.

Has anybody read Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series? Maybe Howl's Moving Castle? This author can beat JK hollow anytime.

[mediadave]

ah reading, I love reading.

At the moment I'm reading mainly history and historical fiction - loads of stuff on the Romans, the wars for Constantinople, the Second World War etc.

I've just finished a huge series of historical fiction on the Baroque period (by Neal Stephenson). It follows a load of real life and semi-fictional characters through the great moments of the age, the great fire, the black death, the founding of the royal society and the beginnings of real science, the search for the Solomonic Gold, and all round the world from Spanish America, to Moorish Africa, to Moghul India. If anything far too much is packed into them, but I really felt like I'd achived something when I finished reading them.

I also like Terry Prachett, Stephen King etc.

My favourite book is 1984 though , by George Orwell.

I also like graphic Novels/comic books. Unfiarly maligned by a lot of people, I feel.

[Faye]

SF Favourites

Who likes to read Isaac Asimov? His best book in my opinion is Foundation, though nothing he wrote is bad. You can get the most wondrous quotes out of it, ( Violence, is the last refuge of the incompetent... Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right!...and so on. These always help me feel superiour). and it always put a grin on my face, at the sheer sly cleverness and brashness of the heros.

Who reads Cordwainer Smith? I haven't quite figured out whether I like him or not, but it is a fact that you will never be the same person after reading one of his books. I recommend Golden the Ship was, Oh, Oh, Oh to somebody who wants to begin with him.

Who likes A E Van Vogt? He has some really weird, twisty and interesting ideas. My favorite is The Voyage of the Space Beagle.

And there are two SF books which are must reads for every fiction reader, whether they like SF or not. The first is The Witches of Karres by James H Schmitz. You won't stop laughing till the last page, and a week after that whenever you think of the book. And those who don't like SF can pretend it is fantasy. It reads like one.
The other is the omnibus named Cordelia's Honor, by Lois Mc Master Bujold, containg the books, Shards of Honor and Barrayar. It really changes your views on important matters like honour, duty, responsibility, morality.

[BintAmjad]

Glad you approve of my taste sis lol Harry potter 3 was definately my favourite but on the whole I really enjoyed every single one i've lost count of how many times i've read them lol.

One of my favourite stories as a kid was Mrs Armitage by Quentin Blake (he worked alongside with Roald Dahl) LOL man i sooo recommend this book to all those who haven't already read it! It's just brilliant!

[Faye]

Hey, isn't Neal Stephenson the guy who wrote Snow Crash. You get more adrenaline from reading one of his books than from being in a plane crash. (I think, though I haven't been in a plane crash for ages and can't be sure)

[crayon]

Anybody read the books by Philip Pullman??? He wrote 'Northern lights' aka The Golden Compass ad His dark materials

I bought the Ruby in the Smoke in the 6th grade I think, read a few pages, got bored, and stopped. Then I picked it up about 2 years ago and made myself get past the beginning.. I remember it being okay..

Faye- I read "A Tale of Time City" by Dianna Wynne Jones. SO GOOD, I loved it. There was this one description which i still remember, about this food they used to eat, that was hot and cold and perfect. It was such a great book.

As for kids books, ROBERT MUNSCH WINS HANDS DOWN. I read like every single book he ever wrote, I still love to read them. If my little brother checks them out at the library I read them before he does, lol.

Here's a list of a few books I'm going to buy next, if anyone's read them, i'd appreciate it if you would tell me your thoughts about them, but NO SPOILERS, please!

Brave New World
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
I Am the Cheese
A Clockwork Orange
As I Lay Dying
Me Talk Pretty One Day

edit- bought them all today except for "the perks of being a wallflower" and "i am the cheese".

[BlissfullyJaded]

:sl:

Pride and Prejudice was cool. That was the only of Jane Austin's books which I actually liked.

My all time favorite classic book is To Kill a Mockingbird. That was just too cool, funny, yet deep in it's message. Oliver Twist was also a great book.

I'm reading a book on Peter Jennings... A Reporter's Life: Peter Jennings. It has quotes about his life from his friends and family. It's such a awesome book..and makes me really miss his reporting so much more.

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

:sl:
I'm reading a book on Peter Jennings... A Reporter's Life: Peter Jennings. It has quotes about his life from his friends and family. It's such a awesome book..and makes me really miss his reporting so much more.

:sl:

I remember the days I used to watch him on the 'World News Tonight with Peter Jennings" (I still remember the way it used to be announced). He was really one of the best news anchors.

[Malaikah]

btw in my opinion WOT or The Wheel Of Time by Robert Jordan-pen name- is the best historical fantasy series out there

:sl:

My brothers are reading that. The series is soooooo long I'm not even going to bother!

I haven't have much exposure to historical fantasies, though recently I read the Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier, it is a romantic historical fantasy and I really liked it! I can't wait to get my hands on some fantasy books.

Glad you approve of my taste sis lol Harry potter 3 was definately my favourite but on the whole I really enjoyed every single one i've lost count of how many times i've read them lol.

Book three rocks! But it's my second favourite after Deathly Hallows.

[crayon]

Book three rocks! But it's my second favourite after Deathly Hallows.

Deathly Hallows wasn't one of my favs, surprisingly.. i'm not really sure why.
I loved 5 and 6
1, 2 and 4 were okay
3 was good.

in my humble opinion, of course, lol.

[Keltoi]

I started reading Wheel of Time long, long ago. Initially it was meant to be a six part series...but the publishers convinced him to keep going. Now that Robert Jordan has passed away, the final book will be written by someone else. Plus...it was so long between books that I felt the need to read the whole thing from the beginning again to keep up...and that gets tiring after awhile. :)

[Malaikah]

It's okay for my brothers, they only started reading it about half a year ago so there's no issue of re-reading the series for them by the time the 12th book comes out.

Oh, I forgot to mention... Jane Austen bores me so much!

[truemuslim]

prisoner of askaban was best...well actually i wouldnt kno i didnt read any book but the first page of the first one then fell half alseep (TINY LETTERSS!!) thats why they got movies now :D

Anyone read stephen king?

['Abd al-Baari]

:sl:

Deathly Hallows wasn't one of my favs, surprisingly.. i'm not really sure why.
I loved 5 and 6
1, 2 and 4 were okay
3 was good.

My ratings...:p

4 & 7 were awesome :thumbs_up
3, 5 & 6 were very good
1 & 2 were good.

My all time favorite classic book is To Kill a Mockingbird. That was just too cool, funny, yet deep in it's message.

As one of the books i had to read in School, i have to say it is an awesome read.

Anyone read stephen king?

I've read IT, Lisey's Story and Cell. Out of the three, Cell was the best.


I'm currently going through James Patterson's books, anyone else read any of his?


:w:

[wildkat]

Has anybody read Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series? Maybe Howl's Moving Castle? This author can beat JK hollow anytime.

Yeah I read those, they were really good!! I liked Power of Three the best tho

[Nájlá]

hmm the only book that i liked from all the books that i read in school was 'OF MICE AND MEN' i think.
lol i cant remeber any books that i read but i do read books. lol

[suffiyan007]

my favorite book....Quran..nothing is competent.

[mediadave]

Hey, isn't Neal Stephenson the guy who wrote Snow Crash. You get more adrenaline from reading one of his books than from being in a plane crash. (I think, though I haven't been in a plane crash for ages and can't be sure)

Same author. I haven't read any of his other books, but I certainly will have to.

If you're interested in history and have a spare six months, deffinetly read the baroque cycle. 3000 pages long, but well worth it.

[mediadave]

I'm reading a book on Peter Jennings... A Reporter's Life: Peter Jennings. It has quotes about his life from his friends and family. It's such a awesome book..and makes me really miss his reporting so much more.

That reminds me, the books (especially the first) by John Simpson, the premier BBC foreign correspondent, are excellent.

[BintAmjad]

:sl:

hmm the only book that i liked from all the books that i read in school was 'OF MICE AND MEN' i think.
lol i cant remeber any books that i read but i do read books. lol

Hey i was gona mention 'Of Mice and Men' lol we had to read that for our GCSEs back in school yeno that was a really cool book we also read 'An Inspector Calls' I actually really enjoyed them and would recommend them all thing is we covered them in soooo much detail so i dunno if it would be the same for others reading them, tho they're very well known throughout the world

Things i'd say don't waste your time on is shakespeare and Boewulf (mind you i think i was only put off coz of the way my english teacher read it to us in year 7... man he just had this really drony voice that was so without expression and went on in the same never ending tone and sounded like sum one was turning sum sort of invisible volume control up and down...bad experience lol)

:w:

[mediadave]

Things i'd say don't waste your time on is shakespeare and Boewulf

Don't waste your time at school, anyway. Shakespeare and Beowulf are both great, but compared to today's writing they're very hard work, even if you can understand them. To get anything out of them, you really have to want to read them.

But anyway, neither are meant to be read. They're meant to be performed. Go see a shakespeare play, or a reading of Beowulf (which is a warrior's epic, meant to be sung in a mead hall with plenty of interruption, freestyling and exaggeration) and you'll see them in a completely different way.

[ayan333]

aw lol you in the US right? And you agree that its a hell here right? And you hate school books right? Aww ur such a me :p
ya i wanna get my arabic skills better too. Inshallah i can become a hafith then quran would be my first (and ONLY) memorized book :)

Do you like islamic books?
Any favorites?

:sl: sorry im getting back to you so late....busy with memorizing the only book worth memorizing and tryin to learn the beautiful language it was brought down in....

yea i love Islamic books!!! sorry had a moment there lol...i havnt really bought any..yet that is nsh ALLAH i will..i usually surf the net,ive learned more the last couple of months about Islam then i have in my life..its sad but im glad ive tured my lif around,i was really never too bad but u no how america is,nothin is a big deal,big sins are treated as if they were nothing...but which books do u suggest i read


:w:

[BintAmjad]

you'll see them in a completely different way.

I highly doubt it lol... maybe Boewulf but I definately stand by what I said regarding Shakespeare

My fav Islamic book is 'Stories of the Prophets by Ibn kathir' their stories are truly amazing and generally stories of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) and great women of Islaam they're stories are really moving and have loads of lessons to be learnt. These are the tue role models of Islaam.

[Malaikah]

hmm the only book that i liked from all the books that i read in school was 'OF MICE AND MEN' i think.

I had to read that too. It was so boring.:uuh:

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I think books are among the most important things that humans have, and we should regard them with care and respect as a medium. Some of the most important things I've learned have been from books, and I couldn't imagine being cut off from everything they offer.

The two writers I most enjoy are W. Shakespeare and James Joyce. It would take me a long time to describe all the things that make them so special, but in a nutshell it's their total mastery of language that draws me in. The works of these two men contain probably the largest vocabularies of any writers in English, maybe in any language at all. They are capable of being profound, cathartic, deeply funny, and a lot more besides.

It's strange how your reactions to a book can change with time. I remember reading 'Of Mice And Men' at school and hating it for being the dullest thing in the world, but when I read it later on the writing just blazed off the page. It's a very good story about friendship, which is the main reason why it'll be on school English syllabuses for the foreseeable future.

Peace

[BlackMamba]

Harry Potter was tite dont even lie if u say its not cool ur jealous
And Kite Runner was a good book.
Those are the only 2 books Ive read in the past 2 years ( Besides Quran) but they were pretty sick.
I hate Shakespeare I just use sparknotes.com to get by in school

[snakelegs]

yes, kiterunner was very good. so was his 2nd one, a thousand splendid suns.
i just finished reading my first (adult) book written in comic book form. i bought it because i loved the movie (which is an animated film).
percepolis by marjane satrapi.
it's autiobiographical - the authour grew up in iran, first under the shah, then through the revolution then through the iran-iraq war. it is told from the view point of a child and young girl.
i can't praise this book enough. it's about an iranian and life in iran (and later in exile). but it is much more universal than that - it's about the human spirit under tyranny. it contains much sorrow and also great humour as you see the world through the eyes of this kid, who actually sees the world like many, many kids.
the movie is very close to the book, but the animations are sooo beautiful. (it's almost entirely black and white). oddly enough, animation and all - it was the most "real" movie i have ever seen.
these days i don't read nearly as much as i used to - probably because i read too much on the computer.

[north_malaysian]

I dont know why, but the book that I really love to read is "Road to Mecca" by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss).... just love it...

And the book that I hate the most is "Hikayat Hang Tuah" (Stories of Hang Tuah). Hang Tuah was a Malay legendary warrior.. Why I really hate the book:

1) It's written in Classical Malay, which I couldnt understand about half of it.

2) The stories are mostly too mythical...

3) I was forced by my Malay Language teacher to read it for exams..

4) It's too thick.

[suffiyan007]

I dont know why, but the book that I really love to read is "Road to Mecca" by Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss).... just love it...

And the book that I hate the most is "Hikayat Hang Tuah" (Stories of Hang Tuah). Hang Tuah was a Malay legendary warrior.. Why I really hate the book:

1) It's written in Classical Malay, which I couldnt understand about half of it.

2) The stories are mostly too mythical...

3) I was forced by my Malay Language teacher to read it for exams..

4) It's too thick.

betul ker...i think is hard in malay literature...i last time have a component literature from B.M...and lotsa novel to read for malay language exam...really making me crazy...! pening...

[Nájlá]

:sl:



Hey i was gona mention 'Of Mice and Men' lol we had to read that for our GCSEs back in school yeno that was a really cool book we also read 'An Inspector Calls' I actually really enjoyed them and would recommend them all thing is we covered them in soooo much detail so i dunno if it would be the same for others reading them, tho they're very well known throughout the world

Things i'd say don't waste your time on is shakespeare and Boewulf (mind you i think i was only put off coz of the way my english teacher read it to us in year 7... man he just had this really drony voice that was so without expression and went on in the same never ending tone and sounded like sum one was turning sum sort of invisible volume control up and down...bad experience lol)

:w:

yeh we had too read that for our GCSE
btw i dont even like shakespeare lol.
but we had to read romeo and juliet lol that was soooo boring. the teacher always shouted at me when we get to do shakepear's work.

[Nájlá]

I had to read that too. It was so boring.:uuh:

u find it boring aww it was sad. did u watch the film?

[Malaikah]

:sl:

^Yep, we watched it at school when we finished reading the book... and yeh it was pretty sad when that guy killed Lenny (that was his name, right?), but it really is not my type of genre...

Oh, how could I forget The Outsiders, that was the best book we ever read in school!

It's strange how your reactions to a book can change with time. I remember reading 'Of Mice And Men' at school and hating it for being the dullest thing in the world, but when I read it later on the writing just blazed off the page. It's a very good story about friendship, which is the main reason why it'll be on school English syllabuses for the foreseeable future.

Man, how long has this book been on the syllabus??

[jzcasejz]

and yeh it was pretty sad when that guy killed Lenny (that was his name, right?)

The people in our class laughed at that part for some reason! :hiding:

[ayan333]

The people in our class laughed at that part for some reason! :hiding:

:sl:
yea we also had to read it and it will be on the syllabus fpr as long as people read..its so fresh in my head cuz i jus got done readng it this past semester...everyone has to read it uring their 11 grade year...the only book we didnt read was "kiterunner"..i watched the movie,i know it was on the syllabus but idk y they took it off


by the way i hate harry potter with a passion,oi wouldnt sit that epic if i got paid...plus i heard due to the magic n stuff we"re not suppose to read it.ALLAH(SWA) Knows best
:w:

[truemuslim]

You know the outsiders has a movie :p just watch that , saves ya the time . hehe

ok seriously tho. since all u people like reading so much i decided to go to our big (torturous) bookshelf and pick out a kwl book to read.
Sooo...i chose a book called "rage" by stephan king or worreva. and the FIRST paragraph ONLY has like 20 cusses! How do yall deal wit this man?! lol
besides its supposed to be about a high school show and tell turning into a nightmare of evil (jee...high school show and tell...i wonder why it turned into a nightmare) . but the whole time some loser just sits there talking about a squirrel outside the class window! and how he eats ritz when his belly hurts! omgggg it wont get to the point! lol

seriously how do you guys read dis stuff???

[czgibson]

Greetings,

As someone who likes reading and who could be said to have a professional interest in people reading, I'll have a go at answering your question.

ok seriously tho. since all u people like reading so much i decided to go to our big (torturous) bookshelf and pick out a kwl book to read.
Sooo...i chose a book called "rage" by stephan king or worreva. and the FIRST paragraph ONLY has like 20 cusses! How do yall deal wit this man?! lol
besides its supposed to be about a high school show and tell turning into a nightmare of evil (jee...high school show and tell...i wonder why it turned into a nightmare) . but the whole time some loser just sits there talking about a squirrel outside the class window! and how he eats ritz when his belly hurts! omgggg it wont get to the point! lol

seriously how do you guys read dis stuff???

The short answer is: I don't. I haven't read any Stephen King, and while some people say he is a good writer, from the way you've described it, that particular book doesn't sound very good, so far.

However, it's a good idea to give books a chance - sometimes it takes a little while for a story to get going. What I usually say to people is: read the first thirty pages, and if you still feel the book is not for you, then put it down and choose another one. After all, reading is supposed to be enjoyable, and you shouldn't feel you have to give up your spare time reading a book you aren't enjoying in the hope that somehow it will do you good. At the same time, though, don't give up on page two.

Also, be aware that not all books are full of swearwords. I agree that being faced with language like that can be off-putting, but, believe it or not, it is possible for swearing to be used intelligently and effectively in the right situation. However, if you don't like reading that kind of language (and I can perfectly understand why), then pick something else to read.

I think that in your situation, you don't actually have any difficulty with reading - after all, you read lots on the forum here - it's more that you haven't found what types of book to read. In the realm of non-fiction you can find factual books on pretty much any subject you could name, but finding a good novel can be a little more tricky.

Here is a list of novels that many readers have enjoyed - perhaps you might find something to your taste there. It says 'Cool reads for cool teens', which is slightly patronising, but, really, these books could be enjoyed by people beyond teenagerdom as well.

Feel free to ask if you'd like any help choosing a book to have a go at. Also, well done if you've managed to read up to this point! :)

Peace

['Abd al-Baari]

:sl:

Stephen King books, in my opinion are the type that many people either love or hate to read. Personally, i found some of his books enjoyable and some utterly boring.

As you mentioned though, many books you have to read a few chapters, before the 'story' kicks in, which is you it's not good to put it down after reading the first page.

Here is a list of novels that many readers have enjoyed - perhaps you might find something to your taste there. It says 'Cool reads for cool teens', which is slightly patronising, but, really, these books could be enjoyed by people beyond teenagerdom as well.

Out of the list, i've read three and recommend them all.

A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time - Very complicated, and takes effort to read and understand, but a great story and a good read.

The Da Vinci Code - Great book, in fact i think all four Dan Brown books were great!

Northern Lights - Again a complex story, more in books 2 and three, but a fantastic set of books.

:w:

[Ali.]

A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time [/I]

That book is wicked! Very interesting and one of a kind! I highly recommend it to you, truemuslim :).

[Re.TiReD]

AssalamuAlaykum

To Kill a Mockingbird

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry

Ruby in The Smoke, Northern Lights (The demon thing got to me a bit) lol

WassalamuAkaykum

[Cabdullahi]

i have never opened a book and finished it.i dont read books that much

[Re.TiReD]

i have never opened a book and finished it.i dont read books that much

Try it someday, books are like pringles :D once you pop, you cant stop :embarrass

erm I made a typo before posting, added one extra o to pop by mistake :embarrass

[Fishman]

i have never opened a book and finished it.i dont read books that much

:sl:
I know one book you will finish.
:w:

[Cabdullahi]

:sl:
I know one book you will finish.
:w:

And what book is that

[Fishman]

And what book is that

:sl:
The book of deeds on Judgement Day...
:w:

[chacha_jalebi]

books had to study but kinda enjoyed :D

to kill mockingbird

lord of the flies - probly my favourtest literature book

does my head look big in this! began readin it n then i duno what happend:D

and i cant remem anymore, havent read a literature book for time

[Re.TiReD]

to kill mockingbird

Tops all other books!

does my head look big in this! began readin it n then i duno what happend:D

^ :muddlehea woah blud! So did you get your answer then? Does your head look big in a hijaab? :muddlehea

[Na7lah]

does my head look big in this!

i read it before
its ok but i didnt like the way the main character acted condidering that she was a muslim...

[Whatsthepoint]

:sl:
The book of deeds on Judgement Day...
:w:

Don't forget Plumbing for Dummies.

[Fishman]

:sl:

lord of the flies - probly my favourtest literature book

I had to read that as well, it is a brilliant book.

does my head look big in this! began readin it n then i duno what happend

One of my friends saw that on a bookshelf in school, and thought that it was some kind of anti-Islamic book making jokes about the headscarf... :heated:
:w:

[chacha_jalebi]

Tops all other books!



^ :muddlehea woah blud! So did you get your answer then? Does your head look big in a hijaab? :muddlehea

no it didnt, but it revealed my feminine side, is that what you wanted to hear is it? happy? satisfied psssssh:okay:

mockingbird was ok but it could have been better, like boo :muddlehea the author must have been drunk when writin characters

lord of the flies is a great book seriously i recommend it for all people who hav got a lot of spare time on their hands

other books ive read but i dont remem a clue about

glass menagerie - summin bout a girl and a glass figure thin and i remem she has to go up some stairs to go to her house, and yes i did pass the exam:shade: thanks to sharin notes :D

and does anyone remember a book about a commander and they trap women in a land or summin and it deals with the subject of utopia...

[Na7lah]

lord of the flies is a great book seriously i recommend it for all people who hav got a lot of spare time on their hands

watz it bout? short summary?

[Fishman]

watz it bout? short summary?

:sl:
There's a nuclear war and some British evacuee kids get plane-wrecked on a remote island where they build a society that eventually falls apart into barbarism, highlighting the absurdities of militarism and hatred.
:w:

[Ali.]

Ah, LOTF. Again, I highly recommend it for all.

[alcurad]

what, no one read WOT except keltoi? I'm feeling lonely...
anyway, you guys can find lots of good & famous books here scribd.com
or on 4shared.com
as for Islamic books, if you can read arabic well then I suggest Mohamed Al Ghazali-that's the Egyptian one who died a couple years ago not the one called abu Hamid Al Ghazli who wrote riyadul assaliheen- or jalal kushk, both have clear and powerful writing styles.

[chacha_jalebi]

:sl:
There's a nuclear war and some British evacuee kids get plane-wrecked on a remote island where they build a society that eventually falls apart into barbarism, highlighting the absurdities of militarism and hatred.
:w:

i love you for the sake of Allah (Swt)!!, you male mermaid:D

although i wouldnt call it barbarism, it was just a bit of fun :D espeically when they throw the boulder over piggy:D and he dies:(

[Fishman]

:sl:

i love you for the sake of Allah (Swt)!!

That's a very nice thing to say brother...

you male mermaid:D

That's not so nice... :playing:

although i wouldnt call it barbarism, it was just a bit of fun :D espeically when they throw the boulder over piggy:D and he dies:(

Yup, spearing people whilst chanting about violence and death sure is ace! I for one believe that what society needs is in fact a bit more of this virtuous and innocent behaviour if we wish to coexist with eachother peacefully! :D
:w:

[Ali.]

SPOILER REMOVED!

Who's gonna' read the book now you've spoiled it? Edit your post immediately!

[chacha_jalebi]

erm fishy fishy was that sarcasm i smelt, cough cough post edit couugh cough :D

ali ali ali my good man, we all watch cricket, when we know someone is goin to win or lose so isnt that kind of a spoiler :embarrass :p

lol and thats only one part of the book, its a kool book inshallah i wana read it again:D

[crayon]

Here is a list of novels that many readers have enjoyed - perhaps you might find something to your taste there. It says 'Cool reads for cool teens', which is slightly patronising, but, really, these books could be enjoyed by people beyond teenagerdom as well.

I've read the first 3, liked them all.

[highlander]

guys I feel old...:(

Only one of you enjoyed W. Shakespeare and James Joyce? And how about poetry? Noone reads/likes poetry anymore? How about Fleur du Mal i had to study it in French lit and i hated it at that time, just to find out few years later how great it was.
My all time favourite- Portrait by Joyce and Ulysses (only first vol),
Taming of the shrew- w. shakespeare
faulkner- the sound and the fury,
100 years of solitude- marquez

[Fishman]

guys I feel old...:(

Only one of you enjoyed W. Shakespeare and James Joyce? And how about poetry? Noone reads/likes poetry anymore? How about Fleur du Mal i had to study it in French lit and i hated it at that time, just to find out few years later how great it was.
My all time favourite- Portrait by Joyce and Ulysses (only first vol),
Taming of the shrew- w. shakespeare
faulkner- the sound and the fury,
100 years of solitude- marquez

:sl:
Poetry is cool, but not the weird gangsta rap stuff that people write round here...

As for Shakespeare, he's probably a good author, I'm just not mature enough yet to enjoy it. I find the language hard to understand as well, it makes reading quite difficult.
:w:

[highlander]

I heard few pretty good "gangsta' " poems, Im not alot interested rap and r&b so i just heard, appreciate and forgot them. But i remember they were qute vivid and real. Aaa, I liked few of Eminem's lyrics. Does it count?

As for W. S., I'm sure the beauty of his lyric is not going to fade, again, the topics he chose for his stories will always be "contemporan" regardelss how many centuries pass by.

[czgibson]

Greetings...

guys I feel old...:(

Only one of you enjoyed W. Shakespeare and James Joyce?

...and hello there. :)

And how about poetry? Noone reads/likes poetry anymore?

"Great thing of us forgot!" (See if you can spot that one :okay:)

There's no doubt about it, poetry, as traditionally understood, is not read as widely as it has been in the past. At one stage, it was the main form for serious writing in English, at the time when prose was for namby-pamby hack writers. Still, it depends on what you mean by poetry. Is it a linguistic form, intended to be heard more than read? Partly, yes, which is why I believe that today's poetry can be found, among other places, in the lyrics of popular songs. It's pretty much taken for granted that the verbal outpourings of rap music bear more than a passing resemblance to poetry. One of our greatest living poets agrees (see here). People are still getting their poetry fix, just in different ways than they have in the past.

My all time favourite- Portrait by Joyce and Ulysses (only first vol),

Very good choices. I would say that, since I can do nothing but shower with praise the entirety of Joyce's written work.

Why just the first volume of Ulysses, out of interest?

Taming of the shrew- w. shakespeare

:?

Peace

[mediadave]

As for W. S., I'm sure the beauty of his lyric is not going to fade

And then of course there are Shakespeare's wonderful Sonnets

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Good to see Sonnet 130 getting an airing. If you're reading it for the first time, make sure you read right through to the last two lines - they're important.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Here's what some of the unusual words mean:

dun (l. 3)- brown
damask'd (l. 5) - coloured
reeks (l. 8) - stinks
go (l. 11) - (in this case) walk
she (l. 14) - (in this case) woman
belied (l. 14) - lied about

Peace, and enjoy.

[highlander]

Happy you guys agree....

Great thing of us forgot!- You must be reffering to a great quote from...king lear when he forgets about Lear and Cordelia...I might be old but I only forget what i read an hour ago, not what I read in Youth days.

Ah and yes you are right Dave, let us not forget the sonnets.

[highlander]

Gibson, its a beautiful one. My fav is sonnet 75 though...though I cannot express exactly why, maybe for the simple reason that I got it right from the first time, and i didn't have to read it 10 other times to get glipses of the million senses.

Some people manage to memorise holy books, others poetry...strange world we live in... I wonder if there are some here who know by heart a poet's work as religiously as their faith scripture- whether islamic, christian, hindus etc.

I hope I am not offending anyone but sometimes poetry becomes so beautiful- also if it incoporates an epic segment- that it becomes religion- e.g. Ramayana &Mahabharata.

[truemuslim]

lol to kill a mockingbird. :raging: by the title. hell no. by the way my brothers described it , hell hell hell no. by the fact u read it at school...:X not gonna comment on that one (it would be safer for the forum :p)

Ima try that book yall talked bout...forget the title already, something bout a dog and night...

one question before i waste time... Issit anything like those loser doggy books where a kid saves up to buy a dog, the dog goes thru alot, the kid goes thru a lot, tear tear, doggy dies, kid grows up, the end?? coz if so, ew.

you kno, every single book i have ever read in my life, i had to skim thru it, all of it. so a total i read like 10/200 pages :p and if its for school, just google a summary * note: dont always rely on it, the teachers have eyes on ur computer!!

why do ppl read anyway? this is why people got movies now :p

[Ali.]

one question before i waste time... Issit anything like those loser doggy books where a kid saves up to buy a dog, the dog goes thru alot, the kid goes thru a lot, tear tear, doggy dies, kid grows up, the end?? coz if so, ew.

Nope.

I'll give you a quick summary:

It's basically a boy's investigation to find out who killed a dog near where he lived, but not just any boy, this boy has Aspergers Syndrome, and the way the book is written raises awareness of the syndrome and allows you to understand how people with Aspergers think, and how they'd act around strangers, etc. etc., it's really interesting once you get into it, and that doesn't mean skimming the whole book! :)

[Re.TiReD]

Greetings,

Good to see Sonnet 130 getting an airing. If you're reading it for the first time, make sure you read right through to the last two lines - they're important.



Here's what some of the unusual words mean:

dun (l. 3)- brown
damask'd (l. 5) - coloured
reeks (l. 8) - stinks
go (l. 11) - (in this case) walk
she (l. 14) - (in this case) woman
belied (l. 14) - lied about

Peace, and enjoy.

I sutdied that at school. Pfft I prefer Benjamin Zephaniah :p

Happy you guys agree....

Great thing of us forgot!- You must be reffering to a great quote from...king lear when he forgets about Lear and Cordelia...I might be old but I only forget what i read an hour ago, not what I read in Youth days.

Ah and yes you are right Dave, let us not forget the sonnets.

Ahh Good Ol' King Lear....studied him last year

lol to kill a mockingbird. :raging: by the title. hell no. by the way my brothers described it , hell hell hell no. by the fact u read it at school...:X not gonna comment on that one (it would be safer for the forum :p)

:p

Lol sis its a raddd book :D :shade:

Here is a list of novels that many readers have enjoyed - perhaps you might find something to your taste there. It says 'Cool reads for cool teens', which is slightly patronising, but, really, these books could be enjoyed by people beyond teenagerdom as well.

I only read 4 from that list :muddlehea :D

[truemuslim]

Nope.

I'll give you a quick summary:

It's basically a boy's investigation to find out who killed a dog near where he lived, but not just any boy, this boy has Aspergers Syndrome, and the way the book is written raises awareness of the syndrome and allows you to understand how people with Aspergers think, and how they'd act around strangers, etc. etc., it's really interesting once you get into it, and that doesn't mean skimming the whole book! :)

kwl. ok ima try nd read it. if the first 4 chapters are boring...:thumbs_do :p

sounds interesting tho

now what was it called?

[Ali.]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.

[truemuslim]

:eek: thats the title or the summary????? Ooh wow. umm....thank u :)

[Ali.]

^ It's the name of the book, yeah.

[Faye]

There is a really interesting Islamic book I am reading right now. Its name is Bukhari and it is by Ghassan Abdul-Jabbar. He talks about the life of Imam Bukhari as well as his methods of collection, aims and the political atmosphere of the time. He discusses the differences between Faqeehs and Muhadditheens, as well as the different methodologies of Imams Abu Hanifa and Malik. Everybody should read it.

[BlackMamba]

I have to read The Scarlet Letter and Of Mice and Men by Monday for school I haven't even started lol i'm gonna go straight for that sparknotes. I only read the Quran.

[Al-Hanbali]

:salamext:

I remember I really enjoyed reading The Foreshadowing by Marcus Sedgwick a few years back; had me hooked on it every night.

[H@fiz Aziz]

lemme see quran i like
jk rolling
dude who wrote lotr

yep then i hate every book out there

['Abd-al Latif]

This one book is mindly blowingly amazing, it stirs my emotions everytime I read it and there is no other book like this in the world, it's called Al-Qur'an.

Other then that, the books of Shaikhul Islam Ibn Qayyim are absolutely superb mash'Allah.

[Mujahidah4Allah]

:sl:

yes i think everyones number one is Quran, Hadith etc i like kiddy islamic books like at the moment i'm reading stories of the sahaba for children :D

i've read english books mostly murder ones e.g. Harlan Coben, Karen Rose kiddy Harry Potter books, others by Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot

i hated reading but the book worm environment got to me...

wa/salam

[Re.TiReD]

Other then that, the books of Shaikhul Islam Ibn Qayyim are absolutely superb mash'Allah.

Agreed ^^

:salamext:

[Lina]

:sl:

yes i think everyones number one is Quran, Hadith etc i like kiddy islamic books like at the moment i'm reading stories of the sahaba for children :D

i've read english books mostly murder ones e.g. Harlan Coben, Karen Rose kiddy Harry Potter books, others by Sophie Kinsella and Meg Cabot

i hated reading but the book worm environment got to me...

wa/salam

:sl:

Sophie Kinsella haha ..those are nice when u have absolutely nothing to do.

Don't know Meg Cabot though?

[جوري]

:sl:

Oh...so that was what Anne Rice's book were about. I have friends who read those, and I never got past the first page to figure out what was going on.

I'll read anything 'cept for science fiction. Naturally I love Islamic books, so besides those, I really, really like mysteries and comedies. I also like history, if it's not written in a boring way. I haven't really read anything lately except for my textbooks and school related stuff though. But they're interesting anyway, so it doesn't matter. lol.

well in truth, her books on vampires were interesting except for 'tale of the body thief' it was a poor spin on one of the x men comic, also, what she build her characters up to be in the first three books would never succumb to such a stupid proposition.. her other branching into lecherous spin on beloved fairy tales like sleeping beauty.. the woman is a grade A perv.

When I was in my teens, I used to eat books, I could finish a 600 page in one day -- Now I can't believe I wasted all that time reading that crap, my taste in books has evolved since.. but if purely for entertainment purposes, I still enjoy Sherlock Holmes short stories as well Victorian horrors -- one of the few pleasures I have left in life.. once you enter grad school, you might as well be married to your course work because it will over take you and you won't have time for hygiene even..

:w:

[bewildred]

My all time fave author will remain Carson McCullers. Her "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" urged me to study american literature and I loved it.

The two best books I read here of late are Lee Martin's "The Bright Forever" and Mitch Albom's "The Five People you Meet in Heaven".

In arabic literature, my preference goes to Tewfiq El Hakim. I love all his works. The one I really abhor is Naguib Mahfudh.

[crayon]

I've read "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom and was really disappointed.. There was so much hype about it I expected it to be brilliant, but I found it quite mediocre..

[Mujahidah4Allah]

:sl:

Sophie Kinsella haha ..those are nice when u have absolutely nothing to do.

Don't know Meg Cabot though?

:w:

she's written stuff like well i really liked her Mediator series... ahe's written other kiddo/teen books google her...

wa/salam

[suffiyan007]

i like islamic books...and magazines...
i hate xxx!secrets!:blind:

[Fishman]

:sl:
I just got a new book which I really love, Shaykh Nazim's Liberating the Soul. It's probably not everybody here's cup of tea, but I am really happy that I got it. :)
:w:

[Muezzin]

And how about poetry? Noone reads/likes poetry anymore?

I like Bukowski...

You know the outsiders has a movie :p just watch that , saves ya the time . hehe

ok seriously tho. since all u people like reading so much i decided to go to our big (torturous) bookshelf and pick out a kwl book to read.
Sooo...i chose a book called "rage" by stephan king or worreva. and the FIRST paragraph ONLY has like 20 cusses! How do yall deal wit this man?! lol
besides its supposed to be about a high school show and tell turning into a nightmare of evil (jee...high school show and tell...i wonder why it turned into a nightmare) . but the whole time some loser just sits there talking about a squirrel outside the class window! and how he eats ritz when his belly hurts! omgggg it wont get to the point! lol

seriously how do you guys read dis stuff???

'Rage' is generally considered one of Stephen King's best novels. I can understand how you might not like the swearing, and of course it's your choice whether to read on. I'd argue the bad language in this case is essential to characterise the main character, through whose eyes the reader witnesses the story.

I agree with CZGibson, give it a chance. The high school show and tell turns into a nightmare pretty soon.

As for a few recommendations, in no particular order:

Classical Novels and Works

'The Jungle Book' by Rudyard Kipling

'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

'Macbeth' by William Shakespeare

Anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu (attention, bigots, Muslims reading this are not terrorists)

Modern(ish) Novels and Works

'A Kestrel for a Knave' by Barry Hines

'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee

'Regeneration' by Pat Barker

'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' by Joseph Campbell

'The Twits' by Roald Dahl

'Battle Royale' by Koushun Takami

Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Novels

'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R. Tolkien

Anything by Matthew Woodring Stover

Anything by China Mieville

'The Shining' by Stephen King

Graphic Novels/Comic Books

'V for Vendetta' by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

'Watchmen' by Alan Moore and David Gibson

'The Dark Knight Returns' by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley

'The Long Halloween' by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

Short Stories

Here, I'll provide some links to stories you can read online. However, be warned, they contain violence, or other disturbing content, or both.

Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan (PDF version) - HTML version

Br'er Robert by Matthew Woodring Stover

Zanshin by Bob Urell

Maybe I'll post my own short story I've been writing for the last bazillion months when it's finally finished.

[Re.TiReD]

Z for Zachariah....cant remem the author.

^^ yeah we wanna read urs Akhee

[Lamees]

I'd like to tell u my favourite authors:
Ibnu Al-Qayyem
Mohammad Qotob
Sayyed Qotob
Najeeb Kelani
Al-3aqqad

:)

[Musaafirah]

Books I can read over and over..
Roll of thunder hear my cry- Mildred Taylor
Any Roald Dahl book..I've loved his books since childhood and still continue to do so... believe it or not they all have really good morals that we can learn from :D
Other books I've liked reading and would definitely recommend

The curious incident of the dog in the night - Mark Haddon
Life of Pi - Yan Martel (not sure if I've spelt that right)
The catcher in the Rye - J.D.Salinger
and a whole load more..I used to be such a bookworm..but now I seem to be drowning in textbooks :(
A book I've absolutely hated was Tommy knockers by Stephen King. I had read Carrie which was by him and thought it was alright, so decided to read Tommy knocker but I couldn't seem to get past a quarter of the book without having to go back to the beginning somewhere to find out where something fit in..it all got a bit confusing..I have no idea if it has anything to do with me being 13 at the time of reading it and whether or not it would make any difference if I tried to read the book now. But it left me not wanting to read any more of his books :muddlehea
I eagerly await your story Muezzin..your style of writing in Skye's thread was real good!

[Na7lah]

anyone read Twilight? is it good? a couple of my friends are reading it, i noticed its bout vampires and backed off, any comments on it?

[czgibson]

Greetings,

After several recommendations in this thread (and one from, of all people, my mother), I read Khaled Hossaini's The Kite Runner, and wholly concur that it is a fantastic book. Really well structured and very moving.

Muezzin,

I think you should publish your story. If it's anything like the one you PMd me, it's bound to be a belter!

Peace

[Musaafirah]

^ Totally agree..have you read the sequel to the book? I need to stop being lazy and go out and get the book I guess.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

^ Totally agree..have you read the sequel to the book? I need to stop being lazy and go out and get the book I guess.

Not yet. Is it a sequel in the sense of having the same characters? My mother read it and said it was nowhere near as good.

[It's funny how with this particular author my mother is my chief arbiter of taste!]

Peace

[Re.TiReD]

Has anybody read Love's Executioner?

[Musaafirah]

I don't know, my friend had bought it when it first came out.
I haven't asked her since, I'll have to find out and hopefully let you know. But I do often find that I can never limit myself to one particular author as I find that they disappoint..(obviously they probably don't mean to but I start reading the book with high expectations and finish having not enjoyed it at all!)
I have no idea how his book will be though..
(Edit..I was replying to czibon's post!)

[Re.TiReD]

edit *bangs head against wall*

[Na7lah]

edit *bangs head against wall*

lol what happened?

i read "The Outsiders" last night, I actually liked it despite all the gang stuff

[Re.TiReD]

lol what happened?

i read "The Outsiders" last night, I actually liked it despite all the gang stuff

I asked about Love's Executioner without realising that I'd asked about it b4...Ana Majnoonah :-[

I think that Flowers in the Attack woman, Virginia Andrews or summin, is disturbed- slightly :-\

[Na7lah]

currently reading, "The Book Theif" its boring me but its kinda intresting so i think i'll just finish reading it

[Musaafirah]

Boring yet interesting? Hmmm...

[Na7lah]

the narrator of the story is "Death" :X ^ lol

[Muezzin]

the narrator of the story is "Death" :X ^ lol

You're bored by a book narrated by the Grim Reaper?

Well, there's no accounting for taste...

[Re.TiReD]

I need to get into a good book.

A slightly disturbing one and one that makes me think...Any suggestions?

[truemuslim]

I need to get into a good book.

A slightly disturbing one and one that makes me think...Any suggestions?

the outsiders


defidently a good book. best one i've read......................k well actuallly i read two pages then watched the movie, still counts!:D

[Re.TiReD]

the outsiders


defidently a good book. best one i've read......................k well actuallly i read two pages then watched the movie, still counts!:D

Who by? :p

[Muezzin]

I need to get into a good book.

A slightly disturbing one and one that makes me think...Any suggestions?

Mine.

After I write it.

But first I have to start it.

Until then... hmm... 'slightly disturbing' yet thought-provoking...

'1984' by George Orwell

'Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley

'The Shining' by Stephen King (actually, that's very disturbing)

'Survivor' by Chuck Palahniuk (that's disturbing yet weirdly funny, yet unsuitable for kiddies in every possible way, just so you know)

[ayan333]

:sl:

im kind of late but the kite runner was really good...although i dit read it..i watched the movie

:w:

[truemuslim]

Who by? :p

u mean the author? lol silly nobody cares who the hell the author is, ppl care how the book is.
author is a person who sits at home nd write stuff for fun, or for life. i dunno or care..

point is, its an amazing book! :statisfie coughmoviecough

[truemuslim]

:sl:

im kind of late but the kite runner was really good...although i dit read it..i watched the movie

:w:

aww ur so me! :p

[Re.TiReD]

JazakAllah khayran

Is Orwell the one who wrote Animal Farm and Z for Zachariah?

[ayan333]

I need to get into a good book.

A slightly disturbing one and one that makes me think...Any suggestions?

:sl:

me too...although im not much of a reader...i want to read soemthing very intresting..soemthing that'll have me wanted to read more

any suggestions..Muslimah421...i no u no

:w:

[Muezzin]

^Battle Royale by Koushun Takami is great fun. Very violent, though, if you object to such content.

JazakAllah khayran

Is Orwell the one who wrote Animal Farm and Z for Zachariah?

Orwell wrote Animal Farm.

Robert O'Brien wrote Z for Zachariah.

p.s. I haven't actually written a book. It's just, if I ever did write this one I'm planning, everyone would be stumbling over themselves to pay me money to read it, obviously :p

[Re.TiReD]

Orwell wrote Animal Farm.

Robert O'Brien wrote Z for Zachariah.

p.s. I haven't actually written a book. It's just, if I ever did, everyone would be stumbling over themselves to pay me money to read it, obviously :p

Aha!

I'd have paid you to tell me the name Robert O'Brien thats for sure! I've been wondering for ages who the author was. I read it when I was 12 and its still stuck in my mind, I wanna get hold of it again insha'Allah (Yeah I read unusual books when I was younger) :-[

I read a book ages ago, I was young. It had words like Sou'wester in it and was set somewhere else. I remem some lines off by heart, it went like this 'Whittle a stick Jo, do what you must, but dont fall asleep' ... I read it in year 6 and it was really good...I cant for the life of me remem the name of the book though...arghh

I wanna read ur book bro, can I be the 1st one? ;p

[Güven]

^Battle Royale by Koushun Takami is great fun. Very violent, though, if you object to such content.

Battle Royale ?!! you mean the one who has that movie :eek:



lol great movie tho

[Musaafirah]

Life of Pi by Yan Martel (Though I sense I'm kinda late in replying)...I thought the book was disturbing enough.
The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night is definitely thought provoking, not sure about disturbing though.
And when will you be releasing your book Muezzin? Are you gonna put up some more stories to go with Skye's pics?

[Muezzin]

Battle Royale ?!! you mean the one who has that movie

The very same.

Life of Pi by Yan Martel (Though I sense I'm kinda late in replying)...I thought the book was disturbing enough.

I should really probably read that. Or something by Pynchon.

Currently reading Moby D ick by Herman Melville (I had to put a space there to dodge the board censor software, amusingly), and am enjoying it a great deal.

And when will you be releasing your book Muezzin?

I haven't written one. Just 'planning stages'. Still working on that short story though. Final scene!

Are you gonna put up some more stories to go with Skye's pics?

Inshallah. A little busy in real life.

u mean the author? lol silly nobody cares who the hell the author is, ppl care how the book is.
author is a person who sits at home nd write stuff for fun, or for life. i dunno or care..

Well, book shops and libraries sort their books by authors' names, not by titles, so it's kind of important to name the writer if you're recommending a book.

On the other hand, you actually make a very good point - too many authors these days want to constantly remind the reader of their presence (in the worst ways possible) rather than let the reader get involved in the story.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I should really probably read that. Or something by Pynchon.

Life of Pi is an amazing book that I would recommend to everybody. The author creates incredibly dramatic situations with very minimal ingredients, and as an example of just what is possible with story-telling, it's first rate.

As for Thomas Pynchon, I'd recommend starting with The Crying of Lot 49. It's his shortest book and gives you a good idea of his general approach in writing fiction. "Conspiracy-thriller" is how a marketing person might characterise it, but it's a book that works on many levels. At once his writing is hilarious, dark, paranoid and though-provoking, and he is certainly one of the greatest writers of late 20th century fiction. Post-Joycean linguistic exuberance of the highest order.

I haven't written one. Just 'planning stages'. Still working on that short story though. Final scene!

Don't tinker over your story forever in the hope of reaching perfection. Wrap it up and move on to the next one!

Peace

[Periwinkle18]

I love reading. i luv reading islamic books

[Re.TiReD]

Don't tinker over your story forever in the hope of reaching perfection. Wrap it up and move on to the next one!

Peace

I did that once, even though the book wasnt a book as such, just a long story, but if you 'tinker' over it, I think you tend to lose a little of the juice you started out with.

[Musaafirah]

I used to love writing stories in my secondary school years. But they were normally mystery type ones and looking back, I feel they weren't fit to read.
Now however, have too many things to do that don't involve creative writing. Still love reading books though.
Intrigued by the sound of Pynchon now.

[Sahabiyaat]

has anybody read 'Granny, by anthony horowitz

i remember reading it as a lil 9 yr old lol and it was my fav book. It was advanced for my age but i loved reading.

right now im re-reading Sands of time and Windmill of the Gods, excellent books.

[Musaafirah]

No, but have you read the Alex Rider series by the same author? As well as the Diamond brothers stories. They're aimed at lil kids but they make me laugh. I don't think the Alex Rider series is supposed to be humorous though. It makes me laugh all the same..in a light hearted way of course.

[Na7lah]

The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night is a great book, read it two days ago lol

the outsiders is nice, was written by a 15/16 year old i think, and "The Foreshadowing" is excellent, although i haven't finished it yet, but so far its really good

i'm planning on reading A Road to Mecca i checked it out, but i still haven't started

[truemuslim]

have any of u read "a boy from mekka" ? i think thats the title :?

[Muezzin]

Greetings,


Life of Pi is an amazing book that I would recommend to everybody. The author creates incredibly dramatic situations with very minimal ingredients, and as an example of just what is possible with story-telling, it's first rate.

As for Thomas Pynchon, I'd recommend starting with The Crying of Lot 49. It's his shortest book and gives you a good idea of his general approach in writing fiction. "Conspiracy-thriller" is how a marketing person might characterise it, but it's a book that works on many levels. At once his writing is hilarious, dark, paranoid and though-provoking, and he is certainly one of the greatest writers of late 20th century fiction. Post-Joycean linguistic exuberance of the highest order.

That reminds me, Ulysses is on my reading list.

As is anything by Virginia Woolf (gasp, I still haven't read that literary great).

Don't tinker over your story forever in the hope of reaching perfection. Wrap it up and move on to the next one!

Trust me, it's not tinkering. Tinkering is what I do for fun. But thanks for the support. :)

[barney]

Trevor Dupey: Attrition
Early Tom Clancy's
Dawkins, Hitchens and Harris
Stephen King

[Faseeha]

My favorite books are:
The entire harry potter series and my sister's keep by jodi picoult.

Other than those, i enjoy James Patterson's books, (although i find some of his writing a bit mushy) jeffrey deaver, dean koontz and sydney sheldon.

The only non-fiction that i read are my prescribed textbooks (boring) and islamic books.

[barney]

My favorite books are:
The entire harry potter series and my sister's keep by jodi picoult.

Other than those, i enjoy James Patterson's books, (although i find some of his writing a bit mushy) jeffrey deaver, dean koontz and sydney sheldon.

The only non-fiction that i read are my prescribed textbooks (boring) and islamic books.

Harry Potter's Occult. (thats a joke, please no really thats a joke....no more potter threads..they melt the brain!!!!)

[alcurad]

anyone read Faust?

oh and here's a good fantasy series : Dune
could be considered a level up from potter.

[BlackMamba]

Harry potter was tite don't hate.

[alcurad]

harry is tite, I wrote that while I was half sleep:)

[Re.TiReD]

Harry Potter's Occult. (thats a joke, please no really thats a joke....no more potter threads..they melt the brain!!!!)

Agreed ;D

[Sahabiyaat]

i'm planning on reading A Road to Mecca i checked it out, but i still haven't started

me too, my lecturer recommended it, its sounds really interesting.

[alcurad]

^I started on that a while back, but got bored and stopped...
don't let this discourage you though:)

[Na7lah]

The Curious incident of the Dog in the Night is a great book, read it two days ago lol

the outsiders is nice, was written by a 15/16 year old i think, and "The Foreshadowing" is excellent, although i haven't finished it yet, but so far its really good

i'm planning on reading A Road to Mecca i checked it out, but i still haven't started

nvm the foreshadowing had a horrible ending :-\

[Sahabiyaat]

(@ alcurad) r u not into reading books akhee?, i am, so i dont think it will bore me....unless it really is boring :-\ lol

[truemuslim]

^I started on that a while back, but got bored and stopped...
don't let this discourage you though:)

yes of course not :rollseyes

[Faseeha]

I have also read the kite runner as well as a thousand splendid suns, both books were intense in their own way, although i enjoyed the second one better

[Muezzin]

Moving to Creative Writing and Art. :D

[Güven]

:salamext:

Someone bought me a book today and its by Stephen king , a classic, Needful things :D

did someone read it ?

[Ashjan95]

MY favorite thing iz reading books oh u dnt know how much books i get from our skool libary and my fave aurthor it jaculine wilson she has very good books that i love but since i gt to year nine i hardly read books but i want to but da problem is i neva have tym but i will soon start reading again inshallah....

[AhlaamBella]

:salamext:

Someone bought me a book today and its from Stephen king , a classic, Needful things :D

did someone read it ?

I've been meaning to read stephen king ever since someone read my writing and said I have his imagination lol What are his books like? How gruesome is the horror? lol

[alcurad]

stephen king you say, well some call him king, others-me included- find him a bore. different tastes, wonderful life.
now I'm reading something called "The art of Memetics", fascinating read.

[Umm Hurairah]

Asalaamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu,

I feel so disappointed after reading the first 3 books of the Twilight Saga. I thought it would get better after the first book but it only got steadily worse. :skeleton:

Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr were awesome. Inkheart is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I really loved the way the plot and characters were presented in all 4 books.

[Banu_Hashim]

One's that I've read and liked:

- The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
-The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
- The Belgariad Series (David Eddings)
- Harry Potter (who doesn't) :p, although book 5 was a let down... (JK Rowling)

... probably more... although havn't read a book in a while

[mustafaisb]

:sl: Has anyone ever read Watership Down by Richard Adams I remember when I was 15-16 I picked it up promptly put it back down, due to the suject content (it was about rabbits and their journey to a more safer place). Now 6 years later I started reading it and am throughly enjoying it. It is a children's book, but many adults have enjoyed it as well. :w:

[Yanal]

:sl:
I hate Harry Potter(wonder who doesn't:D) but love Erin hunter books about fighting cats.

[Banu_Hashim]

:sl:
I hate Harry Potter(wonder who doesn't:D)

:offended:Bro...... im shocked.

:p

[AhlaamBella]

I feel so disappointed after reading the first 3 books of the Twilight Saga. I thought it would get better after the first book but it only got steadily worse. :skeleton:

I love the twilight saga. . . :hiding:

[mustafaisb]

:sl: I hate the Harry Potter series too, but it's only because of the fact that it's a fantasy book. I can read sci-fi books, but will steer clear of fantasy books. :w:

[Fishman]

:sl: I hate the Harry Potter series too, but it's only because of the fact that it's a fantasy book. I can read sci-fi books, but will steer clear of fantasy books. :w:

:sl:
Same here.
:w:

[Banu_Hashim]

eh???

What's wrong with a fanatsy book...

Lord of the Rings..? No?

[Ali.]

Twilight

Yeah, is it good? Not the whole series which you've described as steadily getting worse, but overall is it a good read? I might read the first book due to adverts all over the place.

[Muezzin]

eh???

What's wrong with a fanatsy book...

Isn't fiction fantasy by default?

I love the twilight saga. . . :hiding:

Isn't that a vampire love story?

Isn't it funny that if you say 'isn't' enough, you sound like you deserve a smack in the face?

[Umm Hurairah]

Asalaamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu,

Yeah, is it good? Not the whole series which you've described as steadily getting worse, but overall is it a good read? I might read the first book.

Terrible in my opinion. It's a waste of time. I don't even know why I bother anymore. It's all about love between the perfect vampire and a very weak (both physically and emotionally) human girl. He's the perfect self-sacrificing, handsome, caring, loving gentleman while she is the clumsiest, densest, most stubborn human girl. There is no suspense at all and I can predict what the characters will say before they say it. I suppose the only good thing about the series is Alice.

For a guy, it might be worse.

I love the twilight saga. . . :hiding:

Sorry then if any of my comments offend you. :X Could you please give me your review on the series? I don't mind spoilers since I already know the outline for the last book.

[Ali.]

Asalaamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu,

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmat Allahi wa barakatu,

Terrible in my opinion. It's a waste of time. I don't even know why I bother anymore. It's all about love between the perfect vampire and a very weak (both physically and emotionally) human girl. He's the perfect self-sacrificing, handsome, caring, loving gentleman while she is the clumsiest, densest, most stubborn human girl. There is no suspense at all and I can predict what the characters will say before they say it. I suppose the only good thing about the series is Alice.

For a guy, it might be worse.

Hmm, right, OK - thanks for replying!

[AhlaamBella]

Sorry then if any of my comments offend you. :X Could you please give me your review on the series? I don't mind spoilers since I already know the outline for the last book.

Oh no no offence :) I found the series gripping and it has a happy ending with them married with a child. I like Edwards traditional views on relationships. It isn't your usual teen romance with high school cheerleaders going loopy lol :)

[Umm Hurairah]

Oh no no offence :) I found the series gripping and it has a happy ending with them married with a child. I like Edwards traditional views on relationships. It isn't your usual teen romance with high school cheerleaders going loopy lol :)

Let me elaborate when I say there was no suspense: the whole story was centered around Bella and Edward's relationship and it was obvious from book #1 that they would end up together. In other words, no matter who their enemies were, both of them would survive. So, no suspense at all.

The series was filled with filler pages where all we read is Edward and Bella having lovey-dovey talk with no purpose than Edward repeating over and over how he won't let anyone hurt Bella and Bella trying to concentrate on something beside his perfect face.

Edward says he will leave; he comes back in the same book. He says he won't do it; he wants do it by the end of the book. She says she won't get married; she wants to get married before the end of the book. He says he won't turn her into a vampire; he agrees to turn her into a vampire. Edward is too perfect. The way they love each other is presented as way superficial and over done.

And the situation with Jacob was so idiotic (to say the least). She says he "needs" her. No he doesn't! She "needs" to get away from him so that he can move on with life. She herself admits that she loves him. She says his name while sleeping. She says Edward's name in the same sleep. Edward forgives Jacob for lying next to his future bride. And Bella's parting words to Jacob: "Love you." Right. She uses Jacob however she sees fit and than throws him away. As if that weren't enough, they send him a wedding invitation. Really. I don't support JacobxBella; I think he deserves a lot better. And I really can't be bothered with Edward and Bella anymore.

The same basic plot line with someone like Alice or Rosalie as the heroine would have been more to my liking. But, each to their own and again, I apologize if I sound offensive or anything along those lines.

There are so many books out there about teen romance that are way better than this. If you want a story about vampire romance, you really should give "Vampire Academy" a chance. Now that book has suspense and a conclusion hardly anyone sees coming. There are many other book about romance with comedy/fantasy/action (or any other genre you prefer) that are really amazing.

I'm reading The Host and I really like it so far (6th chapter). This heroine (or heroines :X) makes a more enjoyable read for moi. :statisfie

[alcurad]

منزلة الكلي في الفلسفة العربية

[AhlaamBella]

Let me elaborate when I say there was no suspense: the whole story was centered around Bella and Edward's relationship and it was obvious from book #1 that they would end up together. In other words, no matter who their enemies were, both of them would survive. So, no suspense at all.

The series was filled with filler pages where all we read is Edward and Bella having lovey-dovey talk with no purpose than Edward repeating over and over how he won't let anyone hurt Bella and Bella trying to concentrate on something beside his perfect face.

Edward says he will leave; he comes back in the same book. He says he won't do it; he wants do it by the end of the book. She says she won't get married; she wants to get married before the end of the book. He says he won't turn her into a vampire; he agrees to turn her into a vampire. Edward is too perfect. The way they love each other is presented as way superficial and over done.

And the situation with Jacob was so idiotic (to say the least). She says he "needs" her. No he doesn't! She "needs" to get away from him so that he can move on with life. She herself admits that she loves him. She says his name while sleeping. She says Edward's name in the same sleep. Edward forgives Jacob for lying next to his future bride. And Bella's parting words to Jacob: "Love you." Right. She uses Jacob however she sees fit and than throws him away. As if that weren't enough, they send him a wedding invitation. Really. I don't support JacobxBella; I think he deserves a lot better. And I really can't be bothered with Edward and Bella anymore.

The same basic plot line with someone like Alice or Rosalie as the heroine would have been more to my liking. But, each to their own and again, I apologize if I sound offensive or anything along those lines.

There are so many books out there about teen romance that are way better than this. If you want a story about vampire romance, you really should give "Vampire Academy" a chance. Now that book has suspense and a conclusion hardly anyone sees coming. There are many other book about romance with comedy/fantasy/action (or any other genre you prefer) that are really amazing.



I'm reading The Host and I really like it so far (6th chapter). This heroine (or heroines :X) makes a more enjoyable read for moi. :statisfie

Wow. lol. I work at waterstones and we have a team jacob and a team edward thing going on, I can see where you fit lol :D

Jacob has Reneesme (Bella's child) who he imprints on and that helps the happy ending along lol.

I'm glad Edward came back in New Moon because I probably would have burned the book lol

I thpught the suspense was great because of the complicated relationship between them. Then Jacob's interference was just annoying, I found lol.

I don't like the Host as much. . . I find it really slow paced so I've stopped reading and will hopefully pick it upwhen I've got through my reading list lol.

[mustafaisb]

eh???

What's wrong with a fanatsy book...

Lord of the Rings..? No?

:sl: Most Sci-fi books are based on some scientific principles, and it also speculates on where humanity will be going as newer and more sophisticated technology is introdoced to the public. There is no redeeming quality in Fantasy. Nothing can be applied to the real world from a fantasy novel. I guess other people like it because its good escapist fun. :w:

[Muezzin]

:sl: Most Sci-fi books are based on some scientific principles, and it also speculates on where humanity will be going as newer and more sophisticated technology is introdoced to the public. There is no redeeming quality in Fantasy. Nothing can be applied to the real world from a fantasy novel. I guess other people like it because its good escapist fun. :w:

Read anything by China Mieville and tell me it's good escapist fun.

Also, finished reading Moby Dick on Friday. Brilliance. It's so huge, vast and yet exquisitely detailed and vivid. It's like the whale itself. And Ahab is a fantastic character. I could write a whole essay on it, but I'll just say it's excellent, and well worth a read, particularly if you enjoy writing. It might teach you a thing or two. Some of Melville's extended metaphors are nothing short of genius.

And I finished reading The Picture of Dorian Gray about an hour ago. I enjoyed that a lot, too, but I'll need a bit of time to reflect on it. I did love the play of metaphor, paradox and irony.

Come to think of it, that work is a Fantasy.

[Güven]

:salamext:

How long does it take to finish a book with 600 pages ?

[Nájlá]

:salamext:

How long does it take to finish a book with 600 pages ?

depends lol.

for me if am into the story it takes me a week. i cant let go of the book.

[mustafaisb]

:salamext:

How long does it take to finish a book with 600 pages ?

:sl: For me if I have free time and am deeply interested in the subject matter, it would take me 3-4 days. If I had more patience I could probably read it in 2 days. I'm off from school and that's what I'm doing now. Trying to read as many books as possible before I have to go back to reading only the school books. What about everyone else how long would it take you to finish a 600 page book. :w:

[Woodrow]

:salamext:

How long does it take to finish a book with 600 pages ?

Depends. I am a page reader and I usually read about 10 pages a minute so a 600 page book takes me about an hour. That is if the book is in English.

With Spanish or Arabic books I am a word reader and it takes me about 3 to 5 minutes to read a page so in that case the book would take me about 3,000 minutes (50 Hours)

[Woodrow]

Now to return to the topic.

The answer would depend on the genre and my pupose for reading at that moment. A book is a tool and/or a means of entertainment.

For entertainment anything by Ray Bradbury or Theodore Sturgeon.

For General knowledge, spiritual growth and Peace of mind, The Qur'an

Books I hate: Books with any unnecessary vulgarity or obscenities.

[mustafaisb]

Depends. I am a page reader and I usually read about 10 pages a minute so a 600 page book takes me about an hour. That is if the book is in English.

With Spanish or Arabic books I am a word reader and it takes me about 3 to 5 minutes to read a page so in that case the book would take me about 3,000 minutes (50 Hours)

:sl: Mashallah! your a very fast reader! I was wondering did you get this fast by reading or using software on how to speed read? I myself wanted to try a book on speed reading, but it takes a lot of time and effort to become a speed reader, and at the moment I'm a fast enough reader so my reading speed doesn't bother me to much. I loved Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451. I really should read it again. Hey check out this report on the state of reading in America. http://arts.endow.gov/research/ToRead_ExecSum.pdf If you want the full report just ask me and I'll post up the link. :w:

[Yanal]

I am reading the Da Vinci code, it is an excellent book. Güven don't presssure your brain as I know you will finish before school ends for summer. Joking. No it would take me 6 hours.

[The Ruler]

The first two books in the trillogy by Jennifer Donnelly is rather good. The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose. I'm waiting for the third to come out... The Wild Rose.

At the moment I'm more than half way through To Kill A Mockingbird. It makes me feel like a kid again. Sigh.

Book I absolutely despised: Londonistan.

[Far7an]

Is this thread just for fictional books?

[Al-Zaara]

No, why should it? The title does state books, without adding anything else, like fictional.

[Far7an]

I recommend this book to all parents, teachers and anyone else who works with or comes into contact with children.

Toxic Childhood.

[AhlaamBella]

The first two books in the trillogy by Jennifer Donnelly is rather good. The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose. I'm waiting for the third to come out... The Wild Rose.

Which is the first one? I just bought the winter rose, I didn't know it was part of a series.

[alcurad]

the tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell, I highly recommend it, he makes very deep insights.

[Woodrow]

:sl: Mashallah! your a very fast reader! I was wondering did you get this fast by reading or using software on how to speed read? I myself wanted to try a book on speed reading, but it takes a lot of time and effort to become a speed reader, and at the moment I'm a fast enough reader so my reading speed doesn't bother me to much. I loved Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451. I really should read it again. Hey check out this report on the state of reading in America. http://arts.endow.gov/research/ToRead_ExecSum.pdf If you want the full report just ask me and I'll post up the link. :w:

I did take several speed reading courses, but all were in pre computer days. There are now several software courses that seem to be very good. The key is in learning to read a sentence as if it were a single word. Not as hard as it sounds. Remember as you now read you read words and not individual letters, the same can be applied to entire sentences and eventually to entire pages. Not anything magic or extraordinary, just takes a good teacher or good software.

[Periwinkle18]

:salamext:

How long does it take to finish a book with 600 pages ?

2 days maybe 3

[Periwinkle18]

I love the twilight saga. . . :hiding:

same ere

My fav book is the sealed nectar.

[Far7an]

For all those in UK, there is a sale on in at www.thebookpeople.co.uk

I ordered a few books already!

[Re.TiReD]

same ere

My fav book is the sealed nectar.

I'm going through this again atm :thumbs_up

[Periwinkle18]

Cool.

[Wyatt]

I really like the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and I also really like the book Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, of whom I'm reading a book called Crime and Punishment as well. :coolious:

[Cabdullahi]

sayyid abdul al'a mawdudi

'let us be muslims'

[AhlaamBella]

[QUOTE=Podarok;1075180]I really like the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I really liked that too. But I wish it had been made clear what was Islam, what was culture, and what was patriarchal interpretation

[Zahida]

:sl: I read that book too sis. You have to read it between the lines to really grasp what was cultural, etc, etc

Have you also read KITERUNNER[ by Khaled Hosseini. If not i recommend it if you liked A Thousand Splendid Suns.................:w::smile:QUOTE=RoseGold;1075 839]

I really like the book A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I really liked that too. But I wish it had been made clear what was Islam, what was culture, and what was patriarchal interpretation

[Wyatt]

:sl: I read that book too sis. You have to read it between the lines to really grasp what was cultural, etc, etc

Have you also read KITERUNNER[ by Khaled Hosseini. If not i recommend it if you liked A Thousand Splendid Suns.................:w::smile:QUOTE=RoseGold;1075 839]

I haven't read it, but I should. I've seen the movie of it, which I really really liked! :D I can't wait until Khaled's next book comes out.

[AhlaamBella]

I started reading Kite Runner but it was very. . . crude, at the beginning. It really put me off to be honest

[Whatsthepoint]

Currently I'm hating Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

[AhlaamBella]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????

You HATE it?!?!?!?!?!

Excuse my freak out but that's a classic in every sense of the word! I've read and watched it more times than I can count!

What's there to hate?

[The Ruler]

Which is the first one? I just bought the winter rose, I didn't know it was part of a series.

The Tea Rose is the first one.

[Whatsthepoint]

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????

You HATE it?!?!?!?!?!

Excuse my freak out but that's a classic in every sense of the word! I've read and watched it more times than I can count!

What's there to hate?

It's dull.
Perhaps I hate it because I have to read it.

[AhlaamBella]

It's dull.
Perhaps I hate it because I have to read it.

That's probably why then lol.

But I found it full of life. Like Jane Austen is almost mocking her own characters lol

[Zahida]

Me too............:peace:

I haven't read it, but I should. I've seen the movie of it, which I really really liked! :D I can't wait until Khaled's next book comes out.

[Zahida]

:D:sl: True but you really needed to read all of it to understand it. It was a good book. To be honest when i watched the film it was harder to watch, than i thought it would be.............:w:

I started reading Kite Runner but it was very. . . crude, at the beginning. It really put me off to be honest

[Zahida]

:sl: Anyone ever read or heard of Farrukh Dhondi............. I remember reading some books by him when i was younger................:w::D

[crayon]

Currently I'm hating Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I've never read the book, but the movie version (the version with keira knightley) was great..
Just skip the reading and see the film!:shade:
(note: i usually never advise this, it's just that classics are usually the dullest most horrible books ever written, and when there are good movies based on them, the movie is my choice :P)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I've never read the book, but the movie version (the version with keira knightley) was great..
Just skip the reading and see the film!:shade:
(note: i usually never advise this, it's just that classics are usually the dullest most horrible books ever written, and when there are good movies based on them, the movie is my choice :P)

The Classics section is always the one I check out first in any book shop. If you want to find something good to read, trying something that has stood the test of time is a pretty safe bet.

Peace

[glo]

Greetings,


The Classics section is always the one I check out first in any book shop. If you want to find something good to read, trying something that has stood the test of time is a pretty safe bet.

Peace

What great classics do you recommend, CZ?

With English being my second language, I get easily put off by what I would describe as 'wordy' or 'old-fashioned' English.
CS Lewis' writing style, for example, fairly tests my patience.
Charles Dickens with his 'lasting-whole-pages' type sentences has lost me as a potential reader ... :uuh:

[AhlaamBella]

Wow. Seeing all these different views on Classics are astounding lol. I love the classics! Pride and Prejudice being my faveourite. Although the movie adaptation was absoluely pathetic. Joe Wright lost all favour in my eyes after that. However, the BBC TV drama adaptaion was perfect!

[misstique009]

to the people above me how could u say u don't like reading?! :eek: i'm a big bookworm :D i can read all day and all night if i tried lol

hey sis i totally agree:smile: I swear i get withrawal symptoms if I dont read for a 3 days max...:cry:now isnt that the pits?

Maybe we should share our fave authors/books, what u think? Have u ever read an e-book? Or do u think nothing beats holding the book in your hand?And if there are other addicts out there...let's share!

[Re.TiReD]

Love's executioner was quite interesting. And thats all I've read recently. Other than that it's Islamic works.

[czgibson]

Greetings glo,

I don't have a lot of time right now, so I'll have to be brief. That might be a good thing, because I could easily ramble on for hours on this subject!

What great classics do you recommend, CZ?

With English being my second language, I get easily put off by what I would describe as 'wordy' or 'old-fashioned' English.
CS Lewis' writing style, for example, fairly tests my patience.
Charles Dickens with his 'lasting-whole-pages' type sentences has lost me as a potential reader ... :uuh:

If you find older styles of written English difficult or not enjoyable, you could try a more modern writer like George Orwell. Many of his works are considered classics, and he is famous for having a very clear prose style. Animal Farm is a good one to start with.

If you want to find a way into some of the older texts that are out there in English Literature, you could try Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (which is much more than a children's book) or Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (which also might not be quite what you expect). Those are both books that are easier to understand than much of the other writing available when they were written.

Am I right in thinking that your first language is German? If so, then you'll probably already know about Friedrich Nietzsche - now there's a guy who knew how to write good prose.

Lastly, if long sentences annoy you, avoid Marcel Proust at all costs!

Peace

[Zahida]

:sl: Lol!!! Mary Shellys Frankenstein is a book that my year 10s do coursework on!!!!! Its good .........................

Animal farm sigh oh those days!!!!!:w::smile:

[crayon]

Greetings,


The Classics section is always the one I check out first in any book shop. If you want to find something good to read, trying something that has stood the test of time is a pretty safe bet.

Peace

I'm not too sure what constitutes a classic, but I'm a big fan of Orwell's 1984, and other dystopian novels, like a clockwork orange, brave new world, etc.
I also loved 'cry the beloved country', 'lord of the flies'.. So I'm a fan of "modern classics" i guess, but not older ones.

I tried to read "a tale of two cities" by dickens. UGH. I managed to get through the first chapter, but then stopped, knowing that continuing to read it may very well lead me to my death.

[glo]

Googling some classics I came across the Gutenberg Project, which contains over 27,000 free online classics.

Just as an example, here is the first page of Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift:
http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/wor...37239&pageno=3

[Muezzin]

I love public domain laws.

[سلثتحعرين!]

JK ROWLING and the harry potter books. I love to read fantasy, esp with myth animals in them.

But i am also a fan of fanfiction. I love to read peoples talents.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I'm not too sure what constitutes a classic, but I'm a big fan of Orwell's 1984, and other dystopian novels, like a clockwork orange, brave new world, etc.
I also loved 'cry the beloved country', 'lord of the flies'.. So I'm a fan of "modern classics" i guess, but not older ones.

Good stuff!

A classic is simply a book that continues to be widely read long after its publication date. I could be wrong, but I think every one of the books you've mentioned is at least fifty years old, so I would definitely call them modern classics.

I tried to read "a tale of two cities" by dickens. UGH. I managed to get through the first chapter, but then stopped, knowing that continuing to read it may very well lead me to my death.

This may come as a surprise to some, but I can't really get on with Dickens either. Most of his books are far too long, and could really do with a good editor and a pair of scissors. Dickens mostly wrote his novels in serial form (weekly or monthly episodes), and that is probably the best way to read them. Sometimes you really get the sense that he's just filling up his word count.

He does have great strengths as well, of course, not least his very English sense of humour, but overall, he's not a personal favourite.

Peace

[glo]

This may come as a surprise to some, but I can't really get on with Dickens either. Most of his books are far too long, and could really do with a good editor and a pair of scissors. Dickens mostly wrote his novels in serial form (weekly or monthly episodes), and that is probably the best way to read them. Sometimes you really get the sense that he's just filling up his word count.

I could do that job!! :D

[misstique009]

I'm not too sure what constitutes a classic, but I'm a big fan of Orwell's 1984, and other dystopian novels, like a clockwork orange, brave new world, etc.
I also loved 'cry the beloved country', 'lord of the flies'.. So I'm a fan of "modern classics" i guess, but not older ones.

I tried to read "a tale of two cities" by dickens. UGH. I managed to get through the first chapter, but then stopped, knowing that continuing to read it may very well lead me to my death.

u people...? classics..?:rolleyes: I thought subscribin to this thread would be interesting...I'm beginning to think I was wrong...imsad

[*ice_queen*]

ok well, first of all, i'm not really a bookworm but i still really like reading:)
My absolutely fave books are by these authors - JK Rowling, Anthony Horowitz & Meg Cabot ;-)
And of course, Islamic books:D

[~Taalibah~]

:sl:
Islamic-
I'm reading 'Hayaatul Muslimeen' at the mo, and i find it very interesting.
Another kitaab i really liked was 'Furu-ul-Imaan' by Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Rahmatullah Alayh

Novels-
The Agatha Rasin series by MC Beaton. I'm just hooked to those.:-/
I like classics, and am an 'old' book lover. Dont really like the modern ones, or maybe havnt found the right ones yet.
And of course i biggles series:p

[Yanal]

I am reading these series called " The last Apprentice" Meant to be scary but excellent by Joseph Delaney, there in series.

[بنــuaeــت]

hat do you mean I did not understand

Is it one can Arab translation:):):-[

[*Yasmin*]

what didn't you understand sis بنتuae ?

[بنــuaeــت]

Everything
If this does not cause the question of whether you can translate for me ^^

[*Yasmin*]

عنوان الموضوع : الكتب التي تحبها او تكرهها
كاتب الموضوع يسأل ما هي اسم الكتب التي تحبينها واذا كانت هنالك كتب تكرهينها بامكانك ذكرها

[بنــuaeــت]

الكتاب الذي احب: استمتع بحياتك
للكاتب: الشيخ محمد العريفي

و الكتاب الذي لا احبه كتاب المدرسي للغه الانجليزيه لووول



Book, which I love: Enjoy your life
Writer: Sheikh Mohammad Arifi

The book I do not like the book for an English language school for Owol

[Musaafirah]

Some more to add.
Hold on and Caught in the crossfire by Alan Gibbons. I'm not one to feel soppy over stories or anything, but the latter made me cry.
The london eye mystery by Siobhan Dawd (I'm not sure if that's how it's spelt)
Stone Cold by Robert Swindells.

[alcurad]

WOT and nothing but WOT..

hmm, did I say this before, next:)

[alcurad]

double posts are bad, eely bad..