How much do you spend on books?

[[deleted user]]

Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that you are enjoying reading. See, book reading is totally a personal thing. I mean you are reading 3 books in a shot, its your choice, after all its your hobby. You should never give a thought about how it makes you look, a wannabe or an intellectual??? What you must see is whether you are happy and having fun. So, 3 or 30 books, it doesn't matter as long as you have fun.
See. I read only thrillers, and due to that, I face a lot of criticism from my peers, for not being literary-ly educated person, for not being well read, I dont give a damn. Its my hobby, and I will do whatever I like :)

[Shriya]

Anirban wrote: "Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that you are enjoying reading. See, book reading is to..."

Agree, I even have some what experience, non of my friends read but since I discovered a book last month, a jolt happened to discover more books. At starting its hard to discover which genre you are into as you need to experiment.

[[deleted user]]

Shriya wrote: "Anirban wrote: "Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that you are enjoying reading. See, bo..."

Yup, thats so true. If a reader doesnt experiment, he/she will never find out that "FAVORITE GENRE", or that "FAVORITE WRITER". The problem with many experienced readers is that they stereotype book reading. "You are new into reading so read these books...", "You are old enough for classics, stop reading thrillers......" such type of comments never help a reader. One should be given a free hand to chose what he wants to read.

[Srishti]

I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missing out on.Thanks to this site,I have been able to keep a track of what i like,what i wanna read etc.Yes,it takes a lot of reading to decide what ur favorite genre is or who your favorite author is.Probably the reason why i still don't have a favorite book :)

[[deleted user]]

Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missing out on.Thanks..."

"Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries."
Are you equating reading mysteries to not reading books?? :D In that case I don't read at all, coz I read only thrillers and mysteries, and I guess I will continue to do so till the day my eyes stops reading :)

[Umang]

Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

aha, Sristhi u need to practice more of it if you wanna make believe people.. especially here!!

[Umang]

Anirban wrote: "Shriya wrote: "Anirban wrote: "Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that you are enjoying r..."

Agree, I am starting of Agatha Christie at this age! Iam sure my peers would have finished off during their teens. But then better late than never, especially for a "Good Read!"

[Umang]

Anirban wrote: "Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that you are enjoying reading. See, book reading is to..."

@Anirban.. Na na u got it wrong!! Sristhi and few a us ain;t tht serious readers.. she was ryt when she said intellectual nd wannabe.. ;)

[Umang]

Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missing out on.Thanks..."

agree with Anirban. Exactly.. is reading Ayn Rand and Vikram Seth reading? Infact I am unable to understand how can people read Vikram Seth and such authors. He goes about describing a chandelier to two pages. So much extravaganza and detail. But then there is a cult following, especially the non Indians read him a lot. It's like Karan Johar making movie for NRIs. Point is reading is reading. It's a personal taste.

[[deleted user]]

Umang wrote: "Anirban wrote: "Shriya wrote: "Anirban wrote: "Srishti wrote: "naah it looks more like a wannabe :P pseudo intellectual posturing at play here too it seems,damn!"

No it does makes you look that yo..."

I envy you, there are few experiences in life which happens only once. One of them being, according to me, reading for the first time,the Queen's work. BTW, which of Dame Christie's book are you starting?
:)

If possible read PD James interview in the Guardian, where she speaks on her predecessors, including Christie. Its a treat to read, what one great mystery writer has to say about the others.

[[deleted user]]

Umang wrote: "Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missi..."

Tres bien!! Tres bein!!! :)

[Umang]

I don't know which I would start with, as I need to finish off some other books - Currently I have 5 of her books
The ABC Murders
The seven dials mystery
Lord Edgware Dies
A murder is announced
Dumb witness.

I am starting with a collection. I was looking for And there were none(the most famous one) and Mousetrap(was enacted into theatre which still runs in UK!!)

Why don't u suggest me with wht should i start. Plan on buying the entire collection from sm second hand stores.

yes would read the interview soon. thanks!

[[deleted user]]

Poirot - ABC murders.
Marple - A murder is announced.

Try getting Evil Under the Sun

[Umang]

yeah there were more out there.. but crappy condition for 100 bucks. these 5 are of damn good quality.

and was wondering if i should start as per the chronology of the release of books?wud make the read any interesting?

Will buy the others soon.. Have u even read her other works.. not the mystery books.. biographies, etc?

[Srishti]

Haha sorry,punctuation is important very important here!
Well my friends are in 2 categories:
a)they don't read at all
b)they read Nicholas Sparks and Erich Segal

Hence,all my book research like which book/genre to read next comes from the net.
My apologies for the confusion :D

[Umang]

same here.. i have seen my sis and mom reading sheldon, danielle steel, erich segal... and my sis is all over those anita desai, nich. sparks, cecilia ahern, etc. So obvsly if my sis reads those, it becomes mandatory for a brother to eliminate it (ritual)!!

[[deleted user]]

Umang wrote: "yeah there were more out there.. but crappy condition for 100 bucks. these 5 are of damn good quality.

and was wondering if i should start as per the chronology of the release of books?wud make th..."

Yup read both her autobiographies, the work on Poirot and Marple by Anne Hart.

[[deleted user]]

Srishti wrote: "Haha sorry,punctuation is important very important here!
Well my friends are in 2 categories:
a)they don't read at all
b)they read Nicholas Sparks and Erich Segal

Hence,all my book research like w..."

Apologies accepted :D
If possible read a novella called Whispering Wind by Frederick Forsyth. The master of thriller writes a heart wrenching love story.

[Shriya]

Umang wrote: "Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missi..."

LOL at the Vikran Seth one, the first Indian author book in which I ever read was A Suitable Boy, suggested by a male, assumed that because he has read more books then me lets for it. I bought it in 2011, Jan, got up to 400 pages, great so far but still have not returned to it!

[Shriya]

Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a lot i was missing out on.Thanks..."

Me too :)

[Neena]

Shriya wrote: "Umang wrote: "Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysteries.There was a l..."

same with me....I could not finish Vickram Seth's A Suitable Boy....some books are simply over rated in my opinion....I might be prejudiced as I'm kind of allergic to award winner books most of the time...

[Ahtims]

Umang wrote: "I don't know which I would start with, as I need to finish off some other books - Currently I have 5 of her books
The ABC Murders
The seven dials mystery
Lord Edgware Dies
A murder is announced
Du..."
am a great CHristie fan, if you are planning to buy the entire set, then read the books in order. You will get the order of her publication in Agatha christie website . I have read all her books a couple of decade ago, and am in a half a mind to start once again, this time in order.
But the book I liked most by her were her Autobiography and another autobiographical book "Come tell how you live" - which I've read atleast half a dozen times.

[Srishti]

@anirban:whispering winds?hmm kk i'll put it on my to-read...i read Day of the Jackal few years back,twas good..lets see how this Forsyth novel turns out :)

@shriya:hi five :D

@neena:agree,award winning books,can be a little disappointing.However,a major reason for that is that the hype creates unusual expectations.

[Shriya]

Neena, not at all everyone has their opinions :)

[Shriya]

@Everyone:

Thanks, I am addicted to Goodreads, and this group. Its too much..

[Shriya]

Srishti, ek ladkhi ka matishk gulab hai, book ke saath (OMG LOL, My Hindi is soo weird, I am laughing lots) I watch soo many movies and type away anything and everything, even verbal bad. Gujarati is my mother tongue soo :P

[Srishti]

LOL that was epic!!hahahhaa where did u learn that from?hahhhahaaa i think i'll fall off my bed :D

[Shriya]

I am very good with creative flowery words in English just comes naturally to me, though I had to find correct word for brain in google, rest words I knew :)

[Neena]

Srishti wrote:
@neena:agree,award ..."
You are right Srishti.....when a book is much talked about it naturally raises your expetations....

[Neena]

Shriya wrote: "Neena, not at all everyone has their opinions :)"

Shriya that why I said 'I might be prejudiced.......' :)

[Neena]

Smitha wrote: "Umang wrote: "I don't know which I would start with, as I need to finish off some other books - Currently I have 5 of her books
The ABC Murders
The seven dials mystery
Lord Edgware Dies
A murder i..."

@Umang, Samitha is 100% right....I was also completely hooked with Agatha Christie....she's the best.....I liked Miss Marple series little more because of that phsychological element added in the books by her studying and analysing people's nature...

And if you really like mystery, try Mary Higgins Clark too...her older books are better than recent ones...

[[deleted user]]

Neena wrote: "Smitha wrote: "Umang wrote: "I don't know which I would start with, as I need to finish off some other books - Currently I have 5 of her books
The ABC Murders
The seven dials mystery
Lord Edgware ..."
'Ms. James states, Christie “is a literary conjuror who places her pasteboard characters face downwards and shuffles them with practiced cunning.” '
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/boo...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/...

For the Agatha Christie lovers, PD James talking about Agatha Christie.
@Umang, specially for you.

"...P.D. James is not a substitute for Agatha Christie. In the latter's novels, there was a seductive evil that leaped off the page and made each and every novel memorable. James, on the other hand, is more in the market for immediate gratification--she delivers, but there's no lasting impact."

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/199...

[Umang]

@ Neena, Smitha thanks.. I just can't wait to start Agatha. Thou I have ample of books to finish off at hand. Would also give me time to collect all her books.

@Anirban.. yes would give PD James a try. Ne specific novel of PD i should look out for?

[Ahtims]

PD James is quite, quite interesting with psychological depths to most of her characters. I started haphazardly, but then once again its preferable to go orderwise as her detective team's personal issues also are explored at depth and there is a sort of a continuity

[Shriya]

Neena wrote: "Shriya wrote: "Neena, not at all everyone has their opinions :)"

Shriya that why I said 'I might be prejudiced.......' :)"

Ooo I did not that part! Hope you have recovered from all the bruises :P

[[deleted user]]

Smitha wrote: "PD James is quite, quite interesting with psychological depths to most of her characters. I started haphazardly, but then once again its preferable to go orderwise as her detective team's personal ..."

True, its better to start in the order of the book's release date. There are some issues with Dalgleish's team, which would be hard to catch if not read in order.
But, frankly speaking, for me PD James is a bit hyped as a mystery writer. I mean if the reader has to wait 100 odd pages for the murder to happen, I dont know for others, but for me it gets kind of boring. For me, the people who exploits the British mystery whodunnits the best, currently, are
Martha Grimesand my all time favorite, Colin Dexter.

[Suchitra]

Anirban wrote: "Smitha wrote: "PD James is quite, quite interesting with psychological depths to most of her characters. I started haphazardly, but then once again its preferable to go orderwise as her detective t..."

have u seen ....the midsomer murders?
i enjoyed seeing the episodes....they were well taken and interesting.....
they are supposed to be based on books although i have never read them.

i like pd james ......but yes, do not love pd james....
as i love agatha christie....
i know! i sometimes wish i had not read them all again and again so many times that i have none of her books left to read anymore....
i even ended up reading her romance books.......to satisfy my addiction!

[Suchitra]

Shriya wrote: "Srishti, ek ladkhi ka matishk gulab hai, book ke saath (OMG LOL, My Hindi is soo weird, I am laughing lots) I watch soo many movies and type away anything and everything, even verbal bad. Gujarati ..."

er! what does that mean?
for a girl, with a book.......
this is why i cannot follow hindi...... i do not understand some words and so cannot make sense of the sentence!

[Suchitra]

Neena wrote: "Shriya wrote: "Umang wrote: "Srishti wrote: "I think my reading habits and taste has improved a lot over the last few months.Most of my friends either don't read or are into romance/murder mysterie..."

one award winner that did not disappoint me.....
the amazing adventures of kavalier and clay....by michael chabon....

[[deleted user]]

Suchitra wrote: "Anirban wrote: "Smitha wrote: "PD James is quite, quite interesting with psychological depths to most of her characters. I started haphazardly, but then once again its preferable to go orderwise as..."

I saw Death of an Expert Witness. But, frankly i didn't like it that much. I much more of a fan, of Inspector Morse. If possible watch them, specially John Thaw, in the role of Morse. They are a treat to watch. They are on youtube.

[Shriya]

@ Surchitra

I am not good at Hindi either, I knew in English what I wanted to type but had help from Google to translate word for brain. It says; one girls brain is like a flower with a book. Brain = matishk

[Neena]

Shriya wrote: "Neena wrote: "Shriya wrote: "Neena, not at all everyone has their opinions :)"

Shriya that why I said 'I might be prejudiced.......' :)"

Ooo I did not that part! Hope you have recovered from all..."

Don't worry shriya, only very few people 've that power over me :)

[Neena]

@Shriya finally I got your meaning hahahahahaha.......even I was very confused about 'gulab' thing....use 'phool' for flower instead of 'gulab':)))))....it ll make little easy for us to understand your meaning:D

[Shriya]

Yeah thats the word I was trying to choose, see mere Hindi achi nai hai :( :P

[Neena]

@ Suchitra I ll give this a try sometimes....

[Neena]

@Anirban I've read death of an expert witness....liked it...I don't remember much about it though....I know I kind of liked her books but they did not leave much lasting expression on me...

[[deleted user]]

Neena wrote: "@Anirban I've read death of an expert witness....liked it...I don't remember much about it though....I know I kind of liked her books but they did not leave much lasting expression on me..."

This is the case with me too, while reading them I get hooked to the books, but once I am finished, it doesnt leaves an impression on my mind.
I would re-read a Christie or a Dexter, but I wouldnt re-read a PD James. For me the books are okay, for reading once, but never to be re-read.

[Book'd]

Shriya wrote: "@ Surchitra

I am not good at Hindi either, I knew in English what I wanted to type but had help from Google to translate word for brain. It says; one girls brain is like a flower with a book. Brai..."

It should be "Mastishk".
Oop, I just saw this thread and jumped in, I hope you won't mind.. :)

[Shriya]

Its ok Hitesh

[Shubhra]

Though I try to look out for sales and discounts as much as possible, I do end up yielding to temptation on seeing an attractive book. The limit I have set for myself is about Rs. 700 for a book.
This is inspired from an advertisement I used to see in a Hindi magazine "Sarita". It said something to the effect:
"Kya aap maang ke kapde pehente hain? Kya aap khaana doosro se maangte hain? Toh kitaabein khud kyun nahi kharidte?"
which means: Do you borrow clothes from others? Do you ask other people for food? Then why do you not buy your own books?