I saw "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" in an op shop a couple of months ago and brought it thinking 'I read somewhere that someone really enjoyed this book'.
Thank you Gatsby for your recommendation, I would have bypassed it otherwise (even at 10 cents). It was wonderful. The blurb on the back doesn't do justice.

That's terrific, ainenei ! It is one of those books that most (or many?) adults would not likely pick up and read these days, and it is truly worth the time. Glad you liked it!

And you got me curious about that blurb so I grabbed my beat-up copy and had to read what it said . Yay! [Eyesight permitting], I believe I'll head back to Brooklyn, yet again, today (now that I have the book in my hands and all)...

That was one of my mother's favorite books.

I must say, I haven't read it and keep forgetting that I want to. I like the movie...

My parents' officemate lent me "The Higher Space" by Jamil Nasir. I never really thought I'd like it because the first few chapters were really quite boring. I ended up liking it. Because of this, I also ended up liking science fiction.

Harry Potter, I laughed at people until after the 5th one came out and I decided to get the first one at the library to see what it was all about. I couldn't read them fast enough after that. The Southern Vampire series. My mom brought home the first one from a co-worker, a recommended read. Also, couldn't read them fast enough. The "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. Couldn't get into the first one until I had nothing else to read. Really like them after that.

'Picture of Dorian Gray' was one of our set texts for Literature last year. I'd heard of Oscar Wilde for a long time, but knew nothing of his writings. So I wasn't sure what to expect, but to my surprise, I became hooked quite quickly. The writing style struck me and I came across many "quotable quotes". It really made me think for a while after.

'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck, as part of a bookclub at school. I balked at the thickness of it, but I ended up loving it.

My best friend's father gave me a book "The Misenchanted Sword" by Lawrence Watt- Evans, and told me I would love it. Well I let it sit on a shelf or in a box for years. I just didn't think it would be my type of book. I love fantasy books but this book looked like it was going to be all war and violence. Well anyway one day there wasn't anything on T.V. and I didn't have a single book in the house I hadn't read except that one. I finally after about 5 years started to read it and couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful book with a very comic ending. It covers friendship, loyalty, love and honer. I would suggest it to anyone!

I'm glad this thread was reincarnated! I had completely forgotten "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". I'll have to see if I can find my ancient copy here at home, but it might be easier to just add it to my 'library list'. I'm not sure I feel like going through hundreds in boxes - another downfall of moving too many times and losing what little organization I had.

I received as a birthday gift a few years back, a musty old book that didn't seem in the least appealing. The title was "Van Loon's Lives. I thought at first it would just be a tedious read, but was surprised to find a wonderful and quirky collection of biographies. The premise of having historical figures to dinner was familiar to me from the PBS series "Meeting of the Minds." By the time I finished, it had become one of my favorites. Since then, I've added several of Hendrik Van Loon's books to my collection. Some of them date badly, but his gentle sense of humor compensates.

A teammate on FT recommended a book I had never heard of but thought I'd give it a try. The title is the Queen and I by Sue Townsend. The premise is Queen Elizabeth is no longer the monarch. So she and her entire family are relegated to live in poverty on a council estate. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard reading a book in my entire life. I hated it when the story ended.

I read "The Queen and I" on a train while traveling to a relative's wedding. Some fellow passengers asked me what the book was, because I couldn't stop giggling.

I loved Princess Anne's pragmatic arrangement of transport for the Queen Mother's funeral, and the Queen's grocery-shopping experience, after which she straightforwardly chops up vegetables and sets them to simmer for a stew.

Then there was Diana's search for designer clothes at Oxfam (sorry, I was never a Diana fan), and Charles on the run as a sort of ecoterrorist.

Too funny.

I think it would have to be "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" for me. I found the Potterverse late in life, in 2000, just before the first film was due to be released. There was only four books then. I had heard all about the series, but I was frightened that it would be too much like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which I had read but did not throughly enjoy. I decided to listen to Stephen Fry, on radio 4, on Boxing Day 2000, reading "Philosopher's Stone", just to see what all the fuss was about. I am pretty sure I was hooked on the series by about the second paragraph This series really has changed my reading habits.

A friend of mine was so insistent I read "Pillars of the Earth" that he sent me a copy. I too, would probably never have chosen the book but what a read! Highly recommended for all.

Another genre I had little interest in was American Westerns. Imagine the surprise when I now place Larry McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove" solidly in my top ten. The plot can be summed up in one sentence - Cattle drive from Texas to Montana and doesn't sound very thrilling. But this is one of the most character driven novels I've ever read, you won't forget them and will dread seeing the book end.

I hope someone who wouldn't have considered this book will pick it up and give us their opinion.

Well, "Lonesome Dove" is something a little special in the world of westerns - most of them aren't that good. It really is quite something though, you're right.

Maynooth bought me a book called "Death's Acre" which he bought because he misread the cover and thought it was by Patricia Cornwell. What it actually said was "foreword by Patricia Cornwell".

At first I wasn't overly interested as it was a biography and I am not a big fan of biographies as they are usually either biased or sensationalised. However, once I started reading it, I could hardly put it down. While it is the biography of Dr William (Bill) Bass, the founder of the legendary "body farm" in Tennessee, it is also a fascinating account of the history of modern forensic science and the scientific discoveries that have shaped it.

I've read it a few times now and I am sure I will read it again.

"The Travels of a Fat Bulldog" by George Courtauld.
It was on my shelf , borrowed from a friend who said it was funny. The cover didnt shout 'read me' so I didnt until this week. I have been literally roaring out loud, rare for me, it is an absolute hoot.

MotherGoose,
That sounds fascinating to me and I have just added it to my list. I've always been interested in forensic science.
Sara,
Being as odd as I am , that title/cover would have screamed 'read me' if I had seen it. I'll have to see if it's available here.

Years ago, I remembered reading a series of books by a Canadian author, Mazo De La Roche - "Jalna". A few years back, I was at a garage sale of a friend of mine and she was selling about 8 of the books. When I told her I knew the series, she gave me the books at no cost. I have since tracked down the remainder of the series and am once again connecting with this family and their home.
Anyone else familiar with this series?

My mom used to read them, and I read a couple. At the time they were written, there was not much around in the way of Canadian fiction. That's changed now, but the Jalna books still stand all right, as 'family' novels.

I liked them too, and read them all through at about 15. I recently got the first one again from the library, and it brought back memories. Nice series.

Quote:

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Canadian author, Mazo De La Roche - "Jalna".

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My mother-in-law has collected all the Jalna books over the years. I've never read any of them but I am sure I will one day as I will inherit all her books. I've always meant to read them but have never managed to get around to it.

I have a pile of books to read on my bedside table and for every book I read, another two take its place, so the pile is always growing!

Joining a book club has broadened my reading horizons. Many of the books on the list were books I would never have considered reading. The book I'm currently reading, "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen, falls in this category. I would never have picked up this book on my own, but I'm glad I did.