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1Rach974923
Of all the fiction books out there in the ether, which ones would you personally consider a treat to read, a challenge to read and which wouldn't you touch with a ten-foot pole, and why?
Mine are:
TREAT: The Child In Time by Ian McEwan as it's my favourite book and I can read it again and again.
CHALLENGE: On Beauty by Zadie Smith as I read White Teeth and found that a very challenging read.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Anything by Margaret Attwood as I had to read her as part of my English Literature classes in school and university and really didn't like her style of writing.
Mine are:
TREAT: The Child In Time by Ian McEwan as it's my favourite book and I can read it again and again.
CHALLENGE: On Beauty by Zadie Smith as I read White Teeth and found that a very challenging read.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Anything by Margaret Attwood as I had to read her as part of my English Literature classes in school and university and really didn't like her style of writing.
2scaifea
Oooh, cool idea, Rach! Here's mine:
TREAT: The Gap Cycle by Stephen R. Donaldson - loved loved *loved* these when I first read them and have ever since been itching to re-read them. I'm very close to saying that they're my favorite books ever.
CHALLENGE: Anything dealing with philosophy. Or hardcore math. It's not the fault of philosophy or math - the fault lies entirely with my lack of understanding and subsequent frustration at feeling dumb.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Well, nothing, really. And I'm not trying to say that I'm a wonderful person who is open to everything and never makes knee-jerk reactions/decisions about subjects or authors or genres. Instead, it's me being realistic about my neurotic nature - I love reading books from lists of books (award winners and such), and if a book comes up on one of my lists that I thought I'd never read or want to read, Too Bad: in my mind I must at least attempt to read it! lol!
TREAT: The Gap Cycle by Stephen R. Donaldson - loved loved *loved* these when I first read them and have ever since been itching to re-read them. I'm very close to saying that they're my favorite books ever.
CHALLENGE: Anything dealing with philosophy. Or hardcore math. It's not the fault of philosophy or math - the fault lies entirely with my lack of understanding and subsequent frustration at feeling dumb.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Well, nothing, really. And I'm not trying to say that I'm a wonderful person who is open to everything and never makes knee-jerk reactions/decisions about subjects or authors or genres. Instead, it's me being realistic about my neurotic nature - I love reading books from lists of books (award winners and such), and if a book comes up on one of my lists that I thought I'd never read or want to read, Too Bad: in my mind I must at least attempt to read it! lol!
3cmbohn
TREAT: Terry Pratchett - anything he's written, really. They just make me happy.
CHALLENGE: Most non-fiction. I like it, but it generally slows me down a little so I can think about it.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Politics or sports.
CHALLENGE: Most non-fiction. I like it, but it generally slows me down a little so I can think about it.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Politics or sports.
4Choreocrat
TREAT: Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy.
CHALLENGE: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I like it. I really do. I just can't finish it!
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Post-feminist prose. Poppy (Drusilla Modjeska, not Avi) was assigned reading in my one university level English course. Yick. I couldn't stand it!
CHALLENGE: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I like it. I really do. I just can't finish it!
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Post-feminist prose. Poppy (Drusilla Modjeska, not Avi) was assigned reading in my one university level English course. Yick. I couldn't stand it!
5DaynaRT
Treat: The A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin - if he never finishes another book in the series it won't matter because the four out now are fantabulous.
Challenge: most fiction, honestly - Not that any of it is hard to digest, but I need a bumper sticker that says, "I'd Rather Be Reading a Textbook".
Wouldn't Touch: "Classic" English literature - Dickens, Austen, Bronte, and those ilk. We don't get along.
Challenge: most fiction, honestly - Not that any of it is hard to digest, but I need a bumper sticker that says, "I'd Rather Be Reading a Textbook".
Wouldn't Touch: "Classic" English literature - Dickens, Austen, Bronte, and those ilk. We don't get along.
6reconditereader
TREAT: Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman. One of my favorite books ever, and lots of it is about books!
CHALLENGE: The Way We Live Now by Trollope. I'm like 40% of the way through this and it isn't bad, just sllllloooowwww and full of distasteful people.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Much of sports, all of politics; many though not all overtly Christian books; Westerns; books based on video games or any other type of novelizations. These, I think, would either bore me silly or irritate me a lot. Though it's worth noting I'd probably try any of these if I was stuck with nothing else!
ETA: oops, you said fiction; clearly my reading comprehension's down tonight. I'll leave my answer, though.
CHALLENGE: The Way We Live Now by Trollope. I'm like 40% of the way through this and it isn't bad, just sllllloooowwww and full of distasteful people.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Much of sports, all of politics; many though not all overtly Christian books; Westerns; books based on video games or any other type of novelizations. These, I think, would either bore me silly or irritate me a lot. Though it's worth noting I'd probably try any of these if I was stuck with nothing else!
ETA: oops, you said fiction; clearly my reading comprehension's down tonight. I'll leave my answer, though.
7tardis
TREAT: too many to list. Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, Diana Wynne Jones, Georgette Heyer's regencies, Dorothy Sayers, etc, etc.
CHALLENGE:hmmm... mainstream fiction.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Almost anything that won a major "literary" award, was selected for Canada Reads or by Oprah for her book club. Why? Mostly depressing, ugly books.
CHALLENGE:hmmm... mainstream fiction.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Almost anything that won a major "literary" award, was selected for Canada Reads or by Oprah for her book club. Why? Mostly depressing, ugly books.
9Busifer
TREAT: Probably something by C.J. Cherryh or G.G. Kay.
CHALLENGE: Challenges in fiction? I love a challenge, anything that makes me think. But I don't enjoy mainstream lit much, often it's formulaic, to fit in with a projected readership of women in the 30-50 yo span hungering for self-affirmation. Could be written by a marketing department...
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Generational mother-daughter dramas. Yuk. Swedish lit abound with them. "I got myself up by the bootstraps"-books. There are two variants - I was incredibly rich but unhappy and found the meaning of life while living with the poor in India, and I was destined for a life in the gutters but fought on and now look at me.
*Reflection - that last one is akin to the common swineherd theme in fantasy but somehow is more becoming when it isn't a real person staring you in your eyes saying "YOU could do it, it's your own fault you're not swimming in money"*
Edited to add - I suddenly realised that the "treat" often consists of rereading what was initially "challenge", if it was a good one.
CHALLENGE: Challenges in fiction? I love a challenge, anything that makes me think. But I don't enjoy mainstream lit much, often it's formulaic, to fit in with a projected readership of women in the 30-50 yo span hungering for self-affirmation. Could be written by a marketing department...
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Generational mother-daughter dramas. Yuk. Swedish lit abound with them. "I got myself up by the bootstraps"-books. There are two variants - I was incredibly rich but unhappy and found the meaning of life while living with the poor in India, and I was destined for a life in the gutters but fought on and now look at me.
*Reflection - that last one is akin to the common swineherd theme in fantasy but somehow is more becoming when it isn't a real person staring you in your eyes saying "YOU could do it, it's your own fault you're not swimming in money"*
Edited to add - I suddenly realised that the "treat" often consists of rereading what was initially "challenge", if it was a good one.
10reading_fox
Treat: Way too numerous to list, anything rich deep and world embracing, often fantasy like lord of the rings or curse of the mistwraith but can be many others, Terry Pratchett or comfy reads like jack reacher
CHallenge - can be the same as above depending on mood! Gritty, dark character scifi like cyteen which is a treat when you get there, lots of non-fiction
Barge-pole: celebritiy autobiographies. historical fiction, romance,
CHallenge - can be the same as above depending on mood! Gritty, dark character scifi like cyteen which is a treat when you get there, lots of non-fiction
Barge-pole: celebritiy autobiographies. historical fiction, romance,
11Severn
Treat: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/Severn&tag=Top%2B40
Anything on that ever-expanding list! If I was choosing 'treat' in the sense of comfort, familiarity and warm-fuzzies it would be the Daughter of The Empire series; Robin Hobb's Farseer series; and the Kushiel series.
Challenge - a challenge for me right now is Collapse as I don't seem to have the attention span it deserves.
Burn on pyre - Tess of the D'urbevilles, The Scarlet Letter and others of their ilk.
ETA: order word
Anything on that ever-expanding list! If I was choosing 'treat' in the sense of comfort, familiarity and warm-fuzzies it would be the Daughter of The Empire series; Robin Hobb's Farseer series; and the Kushiel series.
Challenge - a challenge for me right now is Collapse as I don't seem to have the attention span it deserves.
Burn on pyre - Tess of the D'urbevilles, The Scarlet Letter and others of their ilk.
ETA: order word
12clamairy
TREAT: Just about everything on everyone else's Treat & Wouldn't Touch lists! I love literary fiction AND the classics. I love love LOVE books like Guns, Germs and Steel and Your Inner Fish.
CHALLENGE: Anything smarmy, ultra dry or repetitive. I start skimming. Ex: Loved the first half of The World is Flat but the second half was like the first repeated all over again.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Anything by Danielle Steele or any of her ilk. Should all be recycled. Anything by Ann Coulter and her hate-filled nutjob ilk. They make me want to vomit and scream at the same time. Should be used as kindling.
CHALLENGE: Anything smarmy, ultra dry or repetitive. I start skimming. Ex: Loved the first half of The World is Flat but the second half was like the first repeated all over again.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Anything by Danielle Steele or any of her ilk. Should all be recycled. Anything by Ann Coulter and her hate-filled nutjob ilk. They make me want to vomit and scream at the same time. Should be used as kindling.
13RLMCartwright
Treat: Any Tamora Pierce book, I've 26 to choose from and no matter which I pick I'm guaranteed to enjoy every second reading it.
Challenge: I can't think of any particular books which have been a challenge for me but if it's so dry I'm having to force myself to actually read it then it's a challenge.
Bargepole: Like Clam I will never pick up any of the squillions of books like Danielle Steel's which seem to infest my public library back home. I think if they got rid of all those bloody romance saga books the library would have half as many books and then there'd be space to get more decent stuff in.
Challenge: I can't think of any particular books which have been a challenge for me but if it's so dry I'm having to force myself to actually read it then it's a challenge.
Bargepole: Like Clam I will never pick up any of the squillions of books like Danielle Steel's which seem to infest my public library back home. I think if they got rid of all those bloody romance saga books the library would have half as many books and then there'd be space to get more decent stuff in.
14maggie1944
Thanks for a good giggle this morning: the thread is about fiction and Clam will not touch Ann Coulter. I guess I agree with Clam that Ms Coulter's stuff does qualify as fiction, and untouchable, too.
15Jasper
Treat: Heinlein's '50s space operas.
Challenge: Neal Stephenson
Wouldn't touch: The Gormenghast trilogy (or anything by RW nutjobs, or Left Behind nonsense)
Challenge: Neal Stephenson
Wouldn't touch: The Gormenghast trilogy (or anything by RW nutjobs, or Left Behind nonsense)
16BethyB
Treat: Anything by Jim Butcher - love that man. Harry Dresden is my hero (and I have the button to prove it!)
Challenge: Jane Austen - I really enjoy her works, but the punctuation is just off of modern usage enough to make it a bit of a slow read. (And her touchstone won't work, either. Apparently LT thinks she's a challenge, too!)
Wouldn't touch: Horror - Stephen King, anything creepy, especially involving spiders. Yuck. No additional stress in my life, thank you. I read Fire Starter, and I'm still creeped out by garbage disposals 25 years later.
Challenge: Jane Austen - I really enjoy her works, but the punctuation is just off of modern usage enough to make it a bit of a slow read. (And her touchstone won't work, either. Apparently LT thinks she's a challenge, too!)
Wouldn't touch: Horror - Stephen King, anything creepy, especially involving spiders. Yuck. No additional stress in my life, thank you. I read Fire Starter, and I'm still creeped out by garbage disposals 25 years later.
17clamairy
Oooops. So sorry. LOL I saw other people talking about books like Collapse and text books, so I thought it was all inclusive. Agree about Coulter's stuff, though. :oD
18CarolO
Treat: anything with a good sense of humor, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams are right up at the top of my list.
Challenge: most of the classics - Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights...just can't get into the language I think.
Wouldn't Touch: anything wtih graphic violence or a storyline that I could see on the news - psychopath murderers, rapes. that sort of stuff. I'm a wimp.
Challenge: most of the classics - Jane Austen, Wuthering Heights...just can't get into the language I think.
Wouldn't Touch: anything wtih graphic violence or a storyline that I could see on the news - psychopath murderers, rapes. that sort of stuff. I'm a wimp.
19Severn
OOh I thought it was all inclusive too.
Hm..
My revised Challenge books would be: sci fi reads. I'm just not a big sci fi fan, but occasionally enjoy one if I make the effort to read them.
Hm..
My revised Challenge books would be: sci fi reads. I'm just not a big sci fi fan, but occasionally enjoy one if I make the effort to read them.
20klarusu
TREAT: Oooo, so many ... The Master and Margarita, any A Song of Ice and Fire (which I only got round to reading recently and am steadily apportioning out because I'll never get to read them again for the first time), anything that's new in my library that I haven't got around to yet because it's a virgin book.
CHALLENGE: Richard Dawkins - half the time he talks sense, the other half he's as annoying an evangelical atheist as the evangelical Christian side of things he criticises. The man's an ass and I don't always agree with his science but I feel obliged to read what he writes because he makes me think.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Zadie Smith (*spits*), romantic fiction (*chokes*), Dan Brown (*finally expires*)
CHALLENGE: Richard Dawkins - half the time he talks sense, the other half he's as annoying an evangelical atheist as the evangelical Christian side of things he criticises. The man's an ass and I don't always agree with his science but I feel obliged to read what he writes because he makes me think.
WOULDN'T TOUCH: Zadie Smith (*spits*), romantic fiction (*chokes*), Dan Brown (*finally expires*)
21jillmwo
Treat: Any Victorian sensation novel. I do get a kick out of those. As an example, I think Lady Audley's Secret is brilliant. I also love that Wilkie Collins was so prolific. I'll never run out of his stuff.
Challenge: Anything by Tolstoy. I've been trying to read his stuff since high school and I cannot get past the naming conventions of the Russians.
Wouldn't Touch: As a general rule, I wouldn't touch a Harlequin romance. My own little eccentricity. There may be the occasional worthy exception, some literary genius whom I've not yet encountered who deserves kudos and all, but the brand name is a stumbling block for me.
Challenge: Anything by Tolstoy. I've been trying to read his stuff since high school and I cannot get past the naming conventions of the Russians.
Wouldn't Touch: As a general rule, I wouldn't touch a Harlequin romance. My own little eccentricity. There may be the occasional worthy exception, some literary genius whom I've not yet encountered who deserves kudos and all, but the brand name is a stumbling block for me.
