And who,might I ask, are you?

[Howard]

Thank you for the warm welcome. My first Dostoevsky was Crime and Punishment for World Lit. I was hooked from the get go. For me it's a toss up between him and Dickens, with Steinbeck a close second - East of Eden is phenomenal.

[[deleted user]]

Oooh - I love Dickens - some of us are attempting to read all his novels in the original monthly instalments they were issued in - we're about a third of the way through The Pickwick Papers at the moment.
I must give John Steinbeck another go - you're the second person in the last month who has raved about East of Eden to me - I read it years ago during my James Dean phase and I think I was probably too young for it.

[Jenny]

Antipodes, Crime and Punishment is still my favourite Dostoevsky, closely followed by 'The Idiot'. I do however have a big gap where Steinbeck should be, so I shall make it a mission to change that this year.

[Hilary]

Hi Antipodes, I also a fan of the Idiot which I'm enjoying very much. I read Crime and Punishment many, many years ago and after the Idiot I intend to re-read it. I'm not really a Dickens fan although I am trying to read along with Pickwick Papers. My favourite American authors are John Irving and Philip Roth. Do you read them?

[Howard]

Hey all. Indeed, East of Eden is not to be missed and highly recommended. I read it only about a year or so ago, perhaps it is more appealing to the mature. And I do enjoy Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany is great, also The Cider House Rules. As for Roth, I have only read Portnoy's Complaint, and that being required in a high school Lit class (somewhere in the neighborhood of three or four lifetimes ago). I don't remember it. Do you have a favorite Roth?

[Hilary]

My favourite Roth is The Plot Against America which I was really caught up in! My favourite Irving is Until I Find You. I was amazed to read an interview with him in which he explained that it was very autobiographical. It's such an amazing story and I just loved the format of it. It made me realise what a huge responsibility parents have to be honest with their children.

[Howard]

Thanks Hilary, they are both now on my TBR. Also to Lee, thanks for the notice on Pickwick, it is in the Dickens collection I found on amazon and I will be joining in, having never read it.

[[deleted user]]

Hello everyone, Franky here. I live just outside Bristol overlooking the channel. Recently retired from teaching and an avid reader. I have very eclectic taste and will read most things. Books that have left a lasting impression on me;
To kill a mocking bird , Harper Lee
A fine balance, Rohinton Mistry
Reading back through previous comments regarding Westerns, I have just read True Grit and I feel that this a book that will also be revisited.
Looking forward to reading and discussing many books with you all.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Franky, nice to have you with us - I finally got around to reading True Grit towards the end of last year and I really enjoyed it - a truly unique narrator.

[Hilary]

Hi Franky, hope you enjoy the group.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Daria - lovely to meet you - like you I was very anti kindle before I actually owned one! Please don't worry about keeping up - there's no obligation to read all - or even any of the group books - though we'd love to hear your comments on those you do.
My Grandparents were from Staffordshire - they lived in Trentham - which part do you live in?

[[deleted user]]

Trentham was lovely - we used to venture into Newcastle quite often too. I've never been to Cannock Chase though, I'm afraid.

[Tracey]

Hi Daria, welcome to the group and please don't worry about keeping up. You really can't be any slower than me and there no pressure to read everything. I just join in with those that interest me and its useful for introducing you to books you'd never have thought of buying or borrowing. The daily diaries and poetry reads have also been enlightening and something I would never have thought of doing on my own. Hope you enjoy it all.

[[deleted user]]

I remember I used to really like Trentham Gardens - I think they've changed a lot since I was last there though.
Re diaries - every day I post an entry from the diaries of Samuel Pepys , George Orwell and Captain Scott (the journal of his last polar voyage). Once a week we have an entry from Sir Walter Scott's journal.
I really enjoy reading them one entry at a time

[Laurel]

Hi and welcome to the group Franky and Daria! Looking forward to your comments on whatever you decide to join us in reading :)

[Wiki]

Hello. I'm Wiki. I'm in college in Manchester. Typical loner seen mostly on park benches with a pack of cigarettes, a thermos flask of white tea and book. No good with communication unless I'm high really.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Wiki - great to have you with us - which book (or books) would we be likely to spot you with at the moment?

[Laurel]

Hi Wiki, welcome to the group :)

[Cynthia]

Hello. I'm Cynthia. A long time avid reader with an extensive and eclectic reading history. Great to find a group of people who love reading.

[Laurel]

Hello Cynthia - welcome to the group, hope you like it here!

[[deleted user]]

Hello and welcome Cynthia- please feel free to comment on any or all of our threads.

[Ellie]

Welcome, Cynthia :-) This is, I think, a lovely group full of people who all absolutely love reading - I hope you'll feel right at home here :)

[Wiki]

hey lee thank you for the warm welcome. at the moment I'm going through some classics that I've missed out on. just finished one flew over the cuckoos nest (it seemed never ending) and now I'm starting catcher in the rye. I don't know what to expect from that book. at first glance it just seems like a guy moaning.

[[deleted user]]

I know what you mean about Catcher in the Rye - I loved it once I'd got into it though.
Have you seen the film of One Flew Over the Cuckoos nest -with Jack Nicholson? I preferred it to the book.

[Cynthia]

Laurel wrote: "Hello Cynthia - welcome to the group, hope you like it here!"
thank you...

[Cynthia]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome. Glad to find a group of "readers".

[Xan]

Hi. Can I please ask you guys what kind of book would be good to read during summer? Thanks a lot ^_^

[[deleted user]]

That's a tricky one Xanleah (welcome to the group, by the way) could you gives us a clue - favourite authors, genres, three books you really like etc?

[Jena]

Hi there, I'm Jen. I've only just discovered GoodReads, and I'm already addicted. I'm much more of a "real book" person, but I understand the benefit of a kindle.

I'm trying, very slowly, to increase my repertoire when it comes to book, and want to increase my knowledge of "the classics" (which is why I joined this group).

I'm an environmentalist (in practice and at heart), but I love contemporary and crime novels as much as I love reading about true-life exploits to save the world.

I look forward to reading the books with the group, and getting to know you all a bit better. :)

[[deleted user]]

Hi Jen - so glad that you've found us - I too have been forced to recognise the benefits of the kindle - having a smallish house and a husband with an aversion to piles of books :0)
Please join in with any of our threads that take your fancy -for instance tell us what you're reading on "What are you reading at the moment?" And let us know what you thought of it in "Critics Corner" (both to be found in Books and Reading).
Looking forward to chatting to you.

[Laurel]

Hi Jen, welcome to the group! Hope you enjoy it here and looking forward to chatting with you :)

[Cleo]

I'm Cleo and I'm so glad to have found your group as you seem to be reading many of the books that I'm interested in. I've just finished The Idiot so I will try to add something to the discussion thread. Looking forward to getting to know all of you better! :-)

[Mike]

Hello all. My name is Mike and I'm an avid reader. I look forward to reading along with you and hopefully adding to the discussion. Thanks to the moderators who oversee the threads!

[[deleted user]]

Hi Cleo and Mike - very glad to have you with us - I look forward chatting to you on matters literary and otherwise. We have two polls running at the moment for future monthly and quarterly reads if you'd like to cast your votes.

[Laurel]

Hi and welcome Cleo and Mike! Hope you guys like it here ;)

[Selina]

Hi, I'm Selina, I live in SE England. I love reading all sorts of fictional books & I never go out without a book.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Selena - lovely to have you with us, looking forward to chatting with you about all manner of books :0)

[Laurel]

Hi Selina, welcome to the group! I never go anywhere without a book or my kindle either (just in case), hope you enjoy being here :)

[Selina]

That you for the warm welcome. This group sounds really interesting. Can't wait to get more involved :)

[LaLaLa Laura]

My name is Laura. I love to read classics and like to keep track of how many of the 1001 books I have read. I look forwarding to chatting with all of you.

[[deleted user]]

Hi Laura - Lovely to have you with us :0)

[Laurel]

Hi Laura, welcome to the group, hope you like it here.

[Angela]

Hi Laura - I hope you like it here :-)

[LaLaLa Laura]

thank you all for the warm welcome! :)

[Ellie]

Hi Laura, welcome to the group, look forward to chatting with you :-)

[LaLaLa Laura]

thank you Ellie!

[Laurel]

Hi Michael! ;)

[Dianne]

Hi, I am Dianne, I live on the Norfolk Suffolk border. I have 5 adult children, who I homeschooled but have all left home now; and have been engaged to my soulmate for 11 years. I am disabled with ME/cfs and read constantly. I designed my own 'book'et list I am working slowly through it, but it seems to grow as fast as I read! I managed 360 books last year, but this year I'm going at a much slower rate.

[Ellie]

Hi Dianne, nice to meet you :-) I'm sure we can add to your reading list!! Look forward to chatting with you

[Dianne]

yep, have downloaded the 1001 books app and was horrified to learned i'd only read 157. found buddenbrooks,the wizard of earthsea and the maltese falcon as free pdfs,bought the big sleep and have hallucinating foucault ready to go.i was halfway through grapes of wrath already. i think that is me all set up!