LOVE READING?

[nicolech00]

Hi! I took literature because I love to read and I am good at analyzing texts. I created this topic to open a space where we could share what we are reading (in class and outside of class/in our free time), what are our favorite books, favorite genres, favorite authors, book recommendation, and everything you would like to share.

I took English A Lit HL and we read:

1. Persepolis
2. Woman at Point Zero (loved it)
3. A Doll's House
4. The Great Gatsby
5. All my sons
6. Death of a Naturalist (poems)

That's it so far. In my free time (IF I CAN EVER FIND SOME FREE TIME, IB LIFE ) I am reading The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. He is one of my favorite authors. I also like Haruki Murakami. One of my favorite books are... Kite Runner (Fell in love with this one), 100 years of solitude (yes, I read a lot of books in Spanish too), Night Circus, After Dark, The Book Thief and more! What about you??

[IB`NOT`ez]

I like Ranger's Apprentice, The Brotherband Chronicles, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Song of Ice and Fire (did the book series for my EE), Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus series, and mostly other fantasy series. 

When I was still English Lang Lit HL, I red The Great Gatsby, Atonement, and Macbeth for my Part 3 works. As just an SL student now, I only read The Handmaid's Tale & The Metamorphosis for Paper 2.

Generally I really don't like the works I'm reading in the course (you can probably gauge my terrible reading ability based on my likes and dislikes) 

Edited April 13, 2017 by IB`ez

[SC2Player]

Been reading a fair bit of David Foster Wallace lately, and besides his magnum opus Infinite Jest, I've also read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.  Planning to finish Ulysses one day, if I can ever find the time to just sit down and read it through.  Will probably return to Dickens first though.  Been too long since I've read his novels.  

[nicolech00]

8 hours ago, IB`ez said:

I like Ranger's Apprentice, The Brotherband Chronicles, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Song of Ice and Fire (did the book series for my EE), Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus series, and mostly other fantasy series. 

When I was still English Lang Lit HL, I red The Great Gatsby, Atonement, and Macbeth for my Part 3 works. As just an SL student now, I only read The Handmaid's Tale & The Metamorphosis for Paper 2.

Generally I really don't like the works I'm reading in the course (you can probably gauge my terrible reading ability based on my likes and dislikes) 

Oh interesting books! I really liked The Metamorphosis, The Lord of the Rings and Percy Jackson, but they are not in my favorites. And The Great Gatsby is everywhere, everyone reads The Great Gatsby hahahaha, but nice choices of books. It is mostly fantasy series, I prefer historical fiction or fiction in general, not too much fantasy

[nicolech00]

5 hours ago, SC2Player said:

Been reading a fair bit of David Foster Wallace lately, and besides his magnum opus Infinite Jest, I've also read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.  Planning to finish Ulysses one day, if I can ever find the time to just sit down and read it through.  Will probably return to Dickens first though.  Been too long since I've read his novels.  

Oh! I don't know most of the books you mention here! Are they good? I was never a big fan of Ulysses, but good luck with that

 

[SC2Player]

IMO, Wallace is a very good writer, although opinions on him are quite varied.  He's great if you're interested in more unorthodox literature.  Infinite Jest is somewhat longer than most novels (about 1000 pages, with footnotes), but for me it was pretty readable.  To me, what makes Wallace such a good writer is his ability to convey truths without coming across as condescending (among other things).  

[nicolech00]

12 minutes ago, SC2Player said:

IMO, Wallace is a very good writer, although opinions on him are quite varied.  He's great if you're interested in more unorthodox literature.  Infinite Jest is somewhat longer than most novels (about 1000 pages, with footnotes), but for me it was pretty readable.  To me, what makes Wallace such a good writer is his ability to convey truths without coming across as condescending (among other things).  

I have never heard of this author but now I am interested... Is Infinite Jest one of his books? I'll find it and read it. Based on what you told me, it sounds really interesting. What types of books does he write? What's the genre?

[SC2Player]

Quite difficult to classify the genre of Infinite Jest, as it's quite a complex work.  Best description I've come across is probably the encyclopedic novel, which is effectively a novel that attempts to encapsulate as much of a given culture as possible.  Generally his works don't really fall into any distinct category as far as I know.  He did write quite a few essays too.  What underscores pretty much all of Wallace's works, though, is the importance of sincerity and truth in a culture of irony.  I'd recommend taking a copy of the novel from your library first - if you don't really like Ulysses, then I'm not too sure how you'll find Wallace (he's more like Pynchon than Joyce though).  

Edited April 13, 2017 by SC2Player

[nicolech00]

33 minutes ago, SC2Player said:

Quite difficult to classify the genre of Infinite Jest, as it's quite a complex work.  Best description I've come across is probably the encyclopedic novel, which is effectively a novel that attempts to encapsulate as much of a given culture as possible.  Generally his works don't really fall into any distinct category as far as I know.  He did write quite a few essays too.  What underscores pretty much all of Wallace's works, though, is the importance of sincerity and truth in a culture of irony.  I'd recommend taking a copy of the novel from your library first - if you don't really like Ulysses, then I'm not too sure how you'll find Wallace (he's more like Pynchon than Joyce though).  

Oh I might read it to see how it is. I don't really like to generalize likes... So, for me, even though I didn't like one book, I don't think that should mean that I might not like another book, I actually have to read it first  I think I might try reading it and then I can have opinions about it  

[mac117]

I quite enjoyed Chronicle of a Death Foretold which we read in LangLit. Ironically I'm the only one who actually likes it from my grade! 

From other authors I'd say Atul Gawande is one of my favourites; his books The Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal, and Complications have inspired me greatly and gave me an insight on a different part of the medical profession that cannot really be read in an ordinary book. Whether you're interested in medicine or not, I highly highly highly suggest reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - it's an amazing book written from the point of view of someone who saved hundreds of lives and becomes then becomes deadly sick. Absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking (I've actually shed a tear at the end, which rarely ever happens).

Other than that I quite enjoyed George Orwell's 1984, though I have not read any other of his books. 

 

[SC2Player]

7 hours ago, mac117 said:

I quite enjoyed Chronicle of a Death Foretold which we read in LangLit. Ironically I'm the only one who actually likes it from my grade! 

From other authors I'd say Atul Gawande is one of my favourites; his books The Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal, and Complications have inspired me greatly and gave me an insight on a different part of the medical profession that cannot really be read in an ordinary book. Whether you're interested in medicine or not, I highly highly highly suggest reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - it's an amazing book written from the point of view of someone who saved hundreds of lives and becomes then becomes deadly sick. Absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking (I've actually shed a tear at the end, which rarely ever happens).

Other than that I quite enjoyed George Orwell's 1984, though I have not read any other of his books. 

 

Complications was a great read; quite poignant, with an emphasis on the truth behind surgery.  Will probably consider reading his other novels, as well as When Breath Becomes Air, seeing as I'm hoping to go into medicine myself.  

1984 is a novel that, in my opinion, has lost it's impact, although it's still a great read.  It's shifted from being a banned book to a sort of dusty classic.  

[nicolech00]

On ‎13‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 1:00 PM, mac117 said:

I quite enjoyed Chronicle of a Death Foretold which we read in LangLit. Ironically I'm the only one who actually likes it from my grade! 

From other authors I'd say Atul Gawande is one of my favourites; his books The Checklist Manifesto, Being Mortal, and Complications have inspired me greatly and gave me an insight on a different part of the medical profession that cannot really be read in an ordinary book. Whether you're interested in medicine or not, I highly highly highly suggest reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - it's an amazing book written from the point of view of someone who saved hundreds of lives and becomes then becomes deadly sick. Absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking (I've actually shed a tear at the end, which rarely ever happens).

Other than that I quite enjoyed George Orwell's 1984, though I have not read any other of his books. 

 

I am personally not really into the sciences and medicine, but i always like to read books from many different genres, specially these areas, because I always learn soemthing new. I might actually read the book you are recommending me here, When Breath Becomes Air. That is now in my To-Read list  After I read it I can write you some feedback on it! Thanks for the recommendation!