UK Book Club discussion
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All Time Favourite Reads
my two favourites would be 
strangely though, I have read them both once and am reluctant to read them again,incase I dont love them quite so much!!!
Conrad wrote: "Some of my favouritesFlashman, any book in this series, all are excellent
The Lord of the Rings, Similar to others I enjoyed this more when I read it at 13, than when olde..."
Flowers for Algernon is a fantastic book. I'd forgotten about that.
Flowers for Algernon is brilliant,it must be twenty years ago when I read it. I am surprised nobody has made a film of it yet.
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A film was made of it in 1968 called Charly.....Cliff Robertson won the Oscar for Best Actor. He had bought the film rights, so this may be why it's not been re-made. The film itself is available on DVD, but you may find it a bit dated. The director used lots of 60's stuff like split screens and slow motion sequences at every opportunity.
I have added Charly to my to see list.
Dave wrote: "I have to admit to really disliking LoTR as novels. Theirs a brilliant story in there somewhere - as evidenced by the brilliant films, and the even better stage play (don't get be started on that I..."Dave, just read this post... you are one of the few people I have ever "met" thats seen it, and doesnt think I made it up!!!!
wasnt it amazing.... it went on tour and I've heard nothing since
Conrad wrote: "I have added Charly to my to see list."It's definitely worth seeing.
Not sure if any of them are in print now, but a late author called Peter Tinniswood wrote a series of droll, Lancashire-based comedies featuring the Brandon family back in the 1960s and 70s. The books were not only extremely funny but also very dark and surreal. For awhile they became the basis of a popular BBC TV series back in the 70s. I remember the first two series were very close to the spirit and humour of the books but later series adopted a more traditional sitcom approach and are best forgotten. I still have some of my dogged-eared original copies and the books remain as original and hilarious as ever. Well worth a reprint.
Dave/Louise, how did they do the battle scenes on a stage?
lots of very good choreography!!!try this and see if it helps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ngg7w...
Thanks, it does look worth a watch. I would never have imagined them making it into a play.
It was actually a musical, I also saw it, went to the premier, it was very good.
Andy wrote: "It was actually a musical, I also saw it, went to the premier, it was very good."@Andy I was the last night. Very moving as the actors came back on stage for half an hour or so to 'celebrate' the end. Nothing wrong with their ticket sales they lost the theater they were in to a revival of Oliver :(
This remains the best thing I've ever seen on stage. Starts of with the Hobbits wandering around the auditorium trying to catch fireflies. Frodo put his ring on in the middle of a song and dance routine and I still haven't worked out how they managed to make him vanish.
Oh and at one point the Orcs come into the audience. One of them decide to sniff my girlfriend at the time which did not go down well!!
Basically everytime you thought oh they can't pull off xx on stage they did it. Including a very scary giant spider and dancing Ents :)
Told you not to get me started :)
This will give you a good idea of the musical element of it. But it was really more of a stage play with songs than a full musical
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSH8b3...
I had both Hobbits and Orcs playing with my hair for several minutes... I lost some sleep over those orcs.....A few weeks later I went to see the much raved about Cirque de soleil, and sat there fairly unimpressed, thinking that LOTR had done it better!!!
My favouite series is Gallagher Girls series and it'smy all time favourites too!=D
Me Before YouThere’s something to be said for an author that tackles a subject that could be potentially damaging to he/she’s creation. A subject that, in some respects is often what we fear worse than death it’s self. I only knew that at some point within the book that I would probably discover the emotional journey that the characters would undertake the sadness that they would endure. I did not however expect a thought provoking humorous realistic account of how it would be.
A British writer that oozes that wonderful Britishness throughout the book, that dry sense of satire and mockery that can only be achieved from that small island not far from the French!
Jojo Moyes is a rare writer that not only consumed my thoughts whilst reading this book but she also invaded the moments when I wasn't. I had no doubt that this book will get ugly. I had no doubt that at times I would have to compose myself before reading the next line but I also had no doubt that I will never read a book like this again!
Lord of the Rings is such a magnificent piece of work. I read it in my teens as many here, but when I came to reread it in my early 20s I was actually more impressed. The standout moment for me was towards the end of The Two Towers where Frodo sees a ruined statue from a long-past Age and realises that in the scheme of things, even if Sauron does prevail, this too will pass.I realise now it's over 10 years since I last read the books, so perhaps I'd better check I still feel the same, but I think there's something majestic about the scale of Tolkien's achievement. All the pale imitators that came afterwards thought they could get away with putting apostrophes in people's names and making up a slightly different kind of orc, without ever considering locking themselves in a study for 20 years and inventing a new language.
As for adaptations, the BBC Radio dramatisation starring Ian Holm as Bilbo and Bill Nighy as Sam is simply wonderful.
As a child I loved My side of the Mountain by Jean George and the Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur.As a teenager I read a lot of Sci Fi/Fantasy and particularly liked anything by David Eddings, Raymond E Feist and Terry Broooks.
Lord of the Rings is the book that I can go back to over and over again. I also really love Donna Tartts The Secret History and John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The Non Fiction book that I would pick would probably be either Into that Darkness by Gitta Sereny or Claire Toamlin's biography of Samuel Pepys.
I enjoyed the BBC radio version of LoTR too, some of the music is lovely.
I hadn't even heard of that, Helen....I wonder if they will repeat it.
Susan wrote: "I hadn't even heard of that, Helen....I wonder if they will repeat it."I think you can get the Cd of it Susan.
Thank you Lynne....I'll be looking for that next time I'm in town.
My favourite books are East of Eden, Gone With the Wind, My Sister's Keeper and The Secret Life of Bees.
Amongst My favorites are : the story of Edgar sawtelle, Jane eyre, swallows & amazons, people of the book, Rebecca, the famished road and midnights children.
My top 10 books areThe First Bourne Trilogy Robert Ludlum
Sharpe's Prey. Bernard Cornwell
Sharpe's Havoc. Bernard Cornwell
Bond On Bond. Roger Moore
Silver fin: Young Bond. Charlie Higson
Star Wars: Original Trilogy
Sands Of Time. Sidney Sheldon
Killer Takes All. Erica Spindler
Memories Of Midnight. Sidney Sheldon
Prey. Michael Critchon
I read Gone with the Wind earlier this year and before I'd even got halfway through, it had shot to the top of my favourites list. I loved everything about it, especially Scarlett O'Hara herself. The descriptions and narrative are so fluent I felt like I was right there with her sometimes.
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I'd seen the film a few times over the years but the book completely fleshes out the story. I think it makes Scarlett a lot more sympathetic as a character because you get to hear her thought processes the entire way through. It's obvious that her motivations are not purely selfish, and you get more of a reminder that the poor girl's life got turned upside-down before she even saw out her teens!There were certain scenes of the film which were so true to the book, they were word for word. The description of Rhett Butler describes Clark Gable to perfection, and for the most part, the viewer should understand why aspects of the plot weren't included or were changed. There were (I think) two small scenes added but they don't detract too much.
**SPOILER**
The most obvious omission from the film is the involvement of the men with the Ku Klux Klan. This was a politically motivated decision by Selznick because he didn't want to be responsible for another 'Birth of a Nation'; given the civil rights situation (or lack thereof) in the late thirties, I think he was very sensible!
P.S. I watched the film again three days after finishing the book because I was still trying to alleviate my Book Grief! So it was all very fresh in my mind :)
Some of my all time favourite reads are:The Harry Potter Series - They'll always be an all time favourite for me, I read the first few while I was in Primary School and I've re read them a good few times now.
The Lord of The Rings Trilogy - I couldn't get into these when I was younger, but I decided to try again last year and I'm so glad I did, I'm looking forward to re reading them :)
The His Dark Materials Trilogy - I'm only 39 pages into the last book, but I already feel like I'm going to love this one as much as the first two :)
Life of Pi - I couldn't put this one down for days, and I feel like I was attached to Pi by the end of the book
I think the books that first get you into reading, like in your case the Harry Potter series always remain special.I think I was 25 when I first read Harry Potter so much as I thought they were enjoyable I may have been (a little) older than the intended demographic! For me, the all time favourite from childhood is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
I love Charlie and chocolate factory because it was first 'big book' I read to my 3 girls as they moved on from picture books. Similarly the Harry potter books and I was lucky that the films all came out when my now 18 year old was of an age that we went together to see them. My own books that got me reading pre age 11 were just William, Jennings, and even earlier Bobby Brewster which I've never seen reprinted and sometimes wonder if ever existed!!
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I've just been reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with my son. I loved it as a child and it was wonderful seeing how much Max is loving it too. He tested me on it and I was amazed that after 20 years I remembered so much (even that Mr Bucket worked at the toothpaste factory screwing the lids on the toothpaste tubes!) It just show's how those early favourites stay with you, although I wish I could remember something important ;)
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Happy Birthday Ian (because I will have forgotten by saturday :) )
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Tony wrote: "Not sure if any of them are in print now, but a late author called Peter Tinniswood wrote a series of droll, Lancashire-based comedies featuring the Brandon family back in the 1960s and 70s. The bo..."I remember this series Tony as being a little known classic , Just wiki'd it I think it was I didn't know you cared, but seem to remember as teenage boy having a crush on the lead actress who I think I saw in my box set of Whatever happened to the likely lads at some point but can't remember her name! She's prob in her 70's now!! Great series though wonder why never repeated!
Liz wrote: "Andrew wrote: "I love Charlie and chocolate factory because it was first 'big book' I read to my 3 girls as they moved on from picture books. Similarly the Harry potter books and I was lucky that t..."To follow the amnesiac thread and before I forget Have a great day Ian, love the new portrait!
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Anita Carey - went on to be in Corrie and Doctors.
http://www.secondsightfilms.co.uk/upl...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/content/im...
Thanks Ian , someone once told me I had a dustbin brain in terms of amount of trivia and general stuff and nonsense contained therein, think you probably qualify for skip title lol, great cover picture!
Saddened to hear that Iain Banks, the author of The Crow Road, The Wasp Factory and the Culture series has announced that he has gall bladder cancer.
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Not really....I knew who you meant but always got time on my hands and uncle wiki to help mate.
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Happy Birthday Ian. I hope you're having a great day :)
Needed a reminder but best wishes for the day Ian.
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UK Book Club
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Flashman, any book in this series, all are excellent
The Lord of the Rings, Similar to others I enjoyed this more when I read it at 13, than when older. But the experience of reading it the first time definitely puts it in my all time favourites.
Lieutenant Hornblower, The whole series is brilliant.
Sacred Games, phenomenal
To Kill a Mockingbird, first read this at school, have also seen the film and play both of which are excellent. If only all lawyers were like Atticus.
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and anything by Douglas Adams
Stark, far better than any others he has written.
Flowers for Algernon
The Dancers at the End of Time, most things by Michael MoorcockThe Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, favourite fantasy after LOTR.
Interview with the Vampire, Just this one the follow ups were surprisingly dire.
The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur, superb.Mr. Nice, film was very dissapointing.For Whom the Bell Tolls
Sundiver
Ringworld