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Post by Melissa Kane on Oct 21, 2006 10:43:31 GMT
Okay, this is a little curiosity on my part. What is your desert island book, what is it about and why do you like so much?
My Desert Island book has for the longest time (and hopefully forever) been Dean R Koontz's "Watcher".
The story plots the tale of a lonely widower, Travis, who, while hunting one day, is approached by a bedraggled, dirty and seemingly abandoned Golden Retriever. The dog is friendly enough until he tries to go down one of the paths in the forest - at this point the dog begins alternately baring its fangs and whining pitifully. He takes the hint, and the dog, and leaves the area, but only after being chased by something terrifying yet unseen. The dog, he discovers later, is extremely intelligent. Extremely. Elsewhere, a young woman, Nora, repressed by a life spent with her tyrannical and now recently deceased aunt, is trying to fend off the advances of a sexual predator who breaks into her home. Only Travis and the heroic dog save her from the deviants' clutches. In another place, a contract killer with delusions of grandeur is murdering scientists. With each new victim, the killer discovers more about the murky goings on at Banodyne Technologies. He learns of two escaped genetic experiments. The first is a super-intelligent yet normal looking dog which would be given as a gift in peacetime to other countries and would able to report back inside intelligence to those who created it if war should ever break out. Who would ever suspect a dog of being a spy? The second, not bound by the constraints of passing as a real animal, is a monster created from a mix of the most dangerous creatures in the world. It is hideous, it is lethal, it is The Outsider. As Travis is finding out how clever and adorable the dog is and finding love, Special Agent Lem Johnson is hunting the runaways and following the trail of mutilated corpses left in the wake of the Outsider. All the characters are eventually brought together in a climax which is both satisfying and heartbreaking.
The pacing of the novel is brilliant, the plot both terrifying and thought-provoking, the characters are believable, right down to the inhuman yet tortured soul of the Outsider. And who wouldn't want to share their lives with a dog as endearing and smart as Einstein (as Travis soon names him - fitting, no?).
No matter how many times I read this book, and its well over 20 times so far, I always laugh and cry at the same places. Stephen King may be the master of horror *bows to the master* but Dean Koontz is most definitely his equal!
Darn it! I'm going to have to make time to re-read it now! Okay....so, who's wants to be up next? *lol* 'Lissa.
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Post by MarieC on Oct 21, 2006 22:15:21 GMT
Wow that's a hard question lol. I couldn't decide on one book, ever... unless it's a book I made myself which has lots of different novels in it and is really huge lol. Then maybe yes but apart from that... I'm trying to make a choice right now but I couldn't take less than 11 lol (but 8 of them are part of a serie so it counts as one ) First I'd take the Anne of Green Gables serie ^^ Really really good books written by a Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgommery, and if you read that book you'll want to go to Prince Edward Island for sure (which you should do anyway as it's sure a beautiful place but oh well lol) This book is about a little orphan girl who has never been wanted anywhere. She is very plain of appearance, according to most people, but she has a vivid imagination and a loving heart. All through the serie she grows up until her children are old enough to take their own place in the world ^^ (in order, it's Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of the Windy Poplars, Anne's house of dream, Anne of Ingleside, The Rainbow Valley and Rilla of Ingleside). Then I'd probably take Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte with me, because it's just so good... once again, that one is about an orphan girl who lives with her mean aunt and cruel cousins. She is sent to a boarding school when still a child, which is diriged by a cold and mean religious man. When grown up, she decides to take the lead of her life and goes to a house named Thornfield where become the governess of a small french girl and meet a strange and lonely man who might show her that life is not always empty of love. Okay, third, I'd take Rebecca from Daphne du Maurier. I love the descriptions in the book and the depth of the characters, and the story is really interesting too ^^ it's about a poor girl (she doesn't have a name, she narrates the book and we are never told what her name is) who meets a rich man and falls in love with him. They get married and he brings her back to his house, which is famous in all the country, where she realizes that his first wife is still, in a way, present in every room and for everybody. And finally (yes, I'm done, sorry! lol) I'd bring Jeanne, fille du roy (means Jeanne, daughter of the king) which is a french book written by Suzanne Martel, around a bold, courageous and cheerful orphan girl (I seem to like orphans lol) who, after being raised by nuns all her childhood, have the chance of leaving her mother land for a new and exciting place named New France (which is now Canada ) to be married to a man living there. I love the way it describes Canada's colonisation and the way they talk about the country as well Okay I'm done now, promise lol. I'm bad at making summary too but oh well... yay for reading ^^
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Post by Scanjet on Oct 21, 2006 23:21:55 GMT
Hmmmmmm I am going to go with..... The Secret Island by Enid Blyton, its nice and simple but I get lost in the adventure they have living on the island, it would also help with ideas with me on that island. I must of read this book about 10 times but now this has got me in the mood again so I am gonna have a read of it now. I know it so well I can pick it up at my favourite parts so I dont get too bogged down in areas I know too well!
Nice selection you two but the only one I have heard from your list Marie is Jane Eyre, thats just been on TV over here as a series and received high viewers and high acclaim from the critics! One to watch out for in case it comes over to canada at some point!
Equally I have never heard of Watcher but I might give it a go considering the rave review you have you given it!
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Post by Melissa Kane on Oct 23, 2006 1:49:17 GMT
Wow, Marie you really go for the classics, dontcha?! I have to admit, I know of some of the books mentioned in your list, but I've never had the mind to pick 'em up and read 'em. *lol* I think it's cause many of them have been made into TV miniseries' and when there are a million screen versions of the same book made, the tale itself gets slightly tedous. I've heard of Anne Of Green Gables, but I didn't realise there were a series of books! Good lord, you'll need a hundred acre Desert island, hunny! *lmao* Perhaps I should give the books a chance, eh? Hehe! Speaking of classics, have you ever read any of thingyen's works? They're apparently pretty hard-reading (I struggle with Tokien and he's more recent than the Bronte's or thingyens so methinks I'll pass for now) but all roughly set in the same era. Aww, Scanjet, I loved Enid Blytons "The Magic Faraway Tree" when I was a kid, but I don't think I've ever read "Secret Island". Enid was a wonderful childrens author! Whats it about? A group of children, I'm guessing. And, a secret island? *lol* Hmm, I'll definitely have to look out for that one. Heh, yeah, you might have noticed I get a lil obsessive about things sometimes...and Dean Koontz books are one of the things on by ob-list. *lol* I'd recommend "Watchers" (I missed an "S" off the title in my review! Darn it! Sorry!) to anyone who likes horror/thriller books, or wants a peek at the possible future of genetic engineering. Scanjet, I'm sure you'd like it. *yawns* I need to sleep! Chat to ya later, guys! 'Lissa.
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Post by MarieC on Feb 1, 2007 0:13:44 GMT
Well I now definitely have to add Twilight to my list lol it really is an awesome book and if I have one advice its... BUY IT! ^^
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Post by madascheese on Mar 13, 2007 0:07:35 GMT
hmm...what an interesting thread! lol I have a few fav books for different reasons really... Firstly, I love 'A Room of One's Own' by Virginia Woolf. Every time I read this, it really inspires me to write, her theories and thought patterns are so amazingly unique and inspirational. This book is an essay-version (though not quite a transcript) of a talk that she gave at a womens university - though I can't remember which one - entitled 'Women and Fiction'. She explores loads of different perspectives and basically turns the question upside down, inside out and any other which way possible! It's just absolutely fascinating, I could be in raptures about this book all day, but I will spare you from boredom lol! Next, I would choose 'The House of the Spirits' by Isabel Allende, who is another truly amazing writer. The book tells the story of a few different families in a fictional region of South America and how they intertwine, whilst taking you on a journey through three generations without you even realising it. She is such a fluent storyteller - you don't even realise how far you have travelled with the characters until you look back at what you've read, it's completely un-putdownable. My final choice is 'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood. I love dystopian fiction, so this book is really easy for me to choose as a fav, lol! This is the story of a futuristic society in which procreation, due to nuclear war/radiation poisoning, is a national resource. Consequently, all fertile women become 'handmaids' and are forced to participate in a monthly *ritual* in order to conceive and bear children. Each handmaid is assigned to a 'commander', who they must have sex with during the ritual (there! I said it! teehee!) and a household, to which they are bound until they can no longer conceive. At this point I should note that each commander always has a wife, so you can imagine how much they like the situation lol. It's a brilliant, brilliant book...Margaret Atwood is another writer who I really look up to, her style heavily influences my own writing. So thar ye go, me hearties! Three good books to read when you sail the seven seas, yaaaarrr
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Post by MarieC on Mar 19, 2007 13:32:04 GMT
Ooh the Handmaid's Tale, I heard about that book in school last semester... it seemed quite interesting, I might have to read it once I have the time to read other stuff than school books XD
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Post by Melissa Kane on Mar 21, 2007 15:37:30 GMT
Ooh, unusual choices for books there. More that I've never read though, as Scanjet will likely be able to tell you , I love anything to do with "life after the apocalypse" so "The Handmaid's Tale" could be a perfect read! Thanks, Mad! Hiya, Marie!! Aww, I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to read it soon - hey, don't forget to let us know what you thought of it! Hehe! A proper little readers club here, aren't we? And this mythical desert island of ours would have to be a well stocked library, I reckon! In the best possible way, of course. Seriously, though, its amazing and, of course, interesting to see the wide variety of books we simply love to read. From Marie's classics via Mads semi-historical and futuristic novels and my love of modern horror stories, to the genteel children's stories recommended by Scanjet, its quite a journey, eh? To quote the McDonald's ads, "I'm lovin' it!" *lmao* Who's next?! 'Lissa.
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Post by madascheese on Apr 8, 2007 7:36:12 GMT
ooooh and I also forgot to put 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' by Lynne Truss which is a book all about...punctuation!! lolz! it's absolutely brilliant, bloody hilarious and very, very interesting, Lynne Truss is a really engaging writer! Speaking of funny books actually, I must give an honourable mention to the wonderful Guy Browning. His book, 'Never Push When It Says Pull', is a collection of his side-splittingly funny columns from The Guardian, where he contemplates how to solve complex social issues such as 'How to use a lift' and 'How to argue, persuasively, that George Eliot is in fact a man'! Here is an extract (yaaay!) from 'How to use a lift: Calling a lift is easy. Simply press the button and wait. And then press the button again. Many lifts work on the pressure you exert on the call button, so hitting it a hundred times will make it arrive a lot faster. Before you get into the lift, it’s as well to check whether it’s going up or down. There’s nothing more embarrassing than saying confidently to a packed lift ‘Ground floor please’ and then feeling the lift rocketing upwards. Getting into a crowded lift is like entering a mini party. Everyone’s already settled in there and when the doors open they all look at you as if to say, ‘You’re not coming in here.’ Just take a big breath, step in and then say something to break the ice such as, ‘You’re probably wondering why I called you all here.’ This difficult entry moment explains why even when the lift is the size of your living room and there’s only one small lady in it, the tendency is to wait for the next one. If the same lady is in the next one, it could be her job to operate the lift, so just get in and stop being so silly. In a crowded lift it’s very bad manners ever to face anybody head on. You should always try and be at least 90 degrees to your neighbours so that an aerial view would look as if you were all finding your way around a particularly tight maze. Never talk to someone in a lift unless you know which button they’ve pressed and you can tailor your conversation to the exact second. Restrict yourself to saying ‘Morning’. In a lift it’s acceptable to say this at any time of night or day, because you’re in your own little world without daylight. The other word everyone wants to say in a lift, especially when the little bell pings, is ‘lingerie’. Don’t say this unless you’re with people you know and love or you’re absolutely positive the other person is getting out. You’re allowed to look at a stranger in a lift a maximum of once, then you must look elsewhere for the duration of your trip. That’s why it’s a relief when everyone gets out and leaves you alone in the lift. You’re then free to pull faces in the mirror, say ‘lingerie’ loudly and pass wind extravagantly. Often at this moment you’ll discover that the little lady is still in the lift with you. Being in a lift means invading someone else’s body space. This can be quite exciting when two people are attracted to each other. Passions often ignite in lifts and are sometimes even consummated. This can be awkward for the other passengers, even at 90 degrees.
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Post by Melissa Kane on Apr 8, 2007 15:31:53 GMT
*LMAO* Totally random and brilliantly put...dammit, I'll have to use the stairs now in case I get a fit of the giggles at a 90 degree angle to the other occupants in the lift... ;D 'Lissa.
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Post by harahel on Feb 2, 2008 1:01:48 GMT
I would have to say that if I were in the sticks, I would never be caught dead ( ;D no pun intended) with out three of my favorite authors, one would have to be Washington Irving good early American author famous for his work sleepy hollow the perfect balance of colonial power for our history lesson and suspense as well as horror. My next would have to be ( all me old fashioned) but sit me down with Charles thingyens and I’m good for a 16 hour flight any day (got to love a tale of two cities). And for our little dose of culture Alexander Dumas, famous French author who wrote such classics as the three musketeers and the count of Monty Crisco. And that would be my little survival kit.
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Post by Scanjet on Feb 3, 2008 17:49:53 GMT
Crikey that is very well rounded! LOL makes my taste in books seem kinda feeble! But like MarieC I am also going to put the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer in my list!!!
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Post by sophfee on Mar 11, 2008 18:41:41 GMT
Mine would absolutley have to be The Twilight Series. I adore those books and I can read them over and over. xD.
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Post by Scanjet on Mar 12, 2008 12:46:26 GMT
I have just finished RE-reading Eclipse again in preparation for the new book coming out this year!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2008 8:14:52 GMT
Hm... If I had to choose one, probably an H. P. Lovecraft anthology. Especially if it had all the stories.
If I smuggled more there, I would take Tanith Lee's The Secret Books of Paradys omnibus, a serious of four books set in an alternate Paris with all kinds of weird stories. I'd also take some books by Richard Matheson (the guy who did Hell House and I Am Legend). I'd try and take my entire library, but those would be the must-haves.
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