Does anyone else love to read books better than watching TV ?

Happyflowerlady

Happyflowerlady

Vagabond Flowerchild
Location
Northern Alabama
I enjoy watching a good movie, but what I really like is reading a great book.
I like novels, time travel stories, and historical novels the best.
i grew up reading the old books that my mother had, like Trail of the Lonesome Pine, and The Harvester, and more like that. Then I found Edgar Allen Poe, and read most of his stories when I was a teenager.
After all these years of happy book reading , I got an iPad, and found that I really love reading on the iPad, and don't miss having an actual book at all.
I am not saying that we should give up books, but I sure enjoy ebooks also. There is just so much more to a good book, than a movie, most of the time, whether it is a regular book or an ebook.
 

I no longer have a TV since the UK went digital last year. i thought i might struggle, but suprisingly ive not really missed it. I read a lot of books, but did beforehand, usually with the radio on in the background.. I wont go down the e reader route, i find it hard on the eyes, mainly i read historical fiction, but i have a large library of natural history books.
 
Being a librarian you would think that I read constantly. I do but mostly for work and on the Internet so I don't read that much. I am though now reading some older Andre Norton Sci-Fi.

I could tell it was Sci-Fi because the cover had biped Cats holding spears.
 

I am a reading fool! Well, some would say I'm just a fool but we'll leave that for another discussion.

Now, the problem I find is having read so many of the classics and my favorite authors from times past, they no longer are putting pen to paper. Sometimes, in desperation, I'll re-read some of their work. Having consumed all I can of the modern authors I love, it's torture awaiting their next installment. Funny how a book has to reach out and grab me from the start. Often, someone will recommend something and I just can't get into it. Right now, I am sadly without reading material.

Thought about having fun writing some short stories for myself but haven't plugged in, yet. Let's see . . . "It was a dark and stormy night . . . " Yeah, that oughta get things cookin'...
 
It is true that most of the old, wonderful books were written by writers that are no longer writing, and all we can do is read our favorites over again. Even though some of these stories are worth the reading more than once, it is still nice to enjoy new books as well, but it seems like it is hard finding the really good ones nowadays .

One of the science fiction books that I truly enjoyed is called "Emergence", I think by David Palmer, but I will have to look that up to be sure. It is an easy read, but one that is hard to put down, about a 12-13 year old girl , and her Blue Macaw, who survive the nuclear apocalypse in a basement bomb shelter, and emerge to find their way in the new world outside. ( I am reading what I wrote, and it just can't even come close to describing what a pleasure this book is to read , sort of like trying to describe Cheesecake ice cream, words just don't do it justice.)

As a girl, I was horse-crazy, so I learned to read with Roy Rogers comic books, and graduated from there to the Black Stallion series, and after that Isaac Asimov, and Zane Grey. One awesome sci-fi book of the 50s was called Slan, and I loved that book, must have read it several times. I think it is now considered one of the sci-fi classics, but I have not seen a copy of it in years, and don't know if it is still findable.
 
The latest modern book I read was (actually two) by Daniel H. Wilson, a roboticist. The first one is "Robopocalypse" and the second is called "Amped."

I read that the day before Wilson signed the book deal he signed a movie deal for "Robopocalypse" with Steven Spielberg directing. It's due out early 2014 and it will be GOOD!

If you read "Robopocalypse" you will NEVER buy a self driving automobile!
 
Thanks for the suggestion, Zimm. Been needing a new read!

As for the classics . . . I've often reread (or actually READ) something we were assigned in high school truly enjoyed it as an adult. But, often that old style of writing can be so tedious. I love "Robinson Crusoe" but it is a very difficult read with sentences that go on forever...
 
I love to read, maybe more than even listening to tunes. I did not have a great childhood in my real, but boy did things get better when I learned to read and discovered the library, and all those free books with only a card needed to check them out, 5 at time. I actually remember being this tiny little girl and just shivering at the sight of the rows upon rows of books. I thought I was in heaven. I am all genres, historical fiction/nonfication, who dunnits, SciFi, bios (only if person is dead), etc. Have taken up living with Dean Koontz lately with the Odd Thomas saga. Recently finished Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen which as the saying goes "as much as things change, they stay the same." Tana French and her Faithful Place made me think she knew my family. Frank's words about his dad "he could have been a contender" many months later still jar and I think in regard to my own dad, yeah - "he could have been a contender." Yep love books way, way more than TV.
 
I, too, loved the library as a youngster and would spend hours just roaming the stacks. Ahhh, Dewey Decimal how I love you and your organized ways.
 
I was constantly at the library when I was a kid too. I'm an only child and always had to keep myself amused, it was either old black and white movies on TV or a book.

I still love to read, but don't read as much as I used to, when I start a book, I like to read it all at once if I have the time. Reading is something that is high on my list of retirement activities.

If I had to choose between TV or books, books would win hands down.
 
I'm like you Hipster, if it grabs me it gets read until it's finished.
I've found though that page 17 is significant. If it hasn't addicted me by then I usually don't get any further than page 25 and just toss it. Life's too short for boring stories.
Lord of the Rings was one of them. Tried to read that 3 times but never made it past page 25. Just didn't like it.

Unfortunately I like big stories so nothing gets done for a couple of days. It still doesn't really but I spend more time on the net than books now. The TV is background noise and decoration. I hear rather than watch most shows and just look up when the music indicates there's some action happening.

I lost 3 weeks getting through all the Game of Thrones series of books and that was the last 'book binge' I was on. There's still one to come in the series and I'll lose most of another week on that one I'd say.

I do have a lot of other books to get through 'when I get time.' I'll read about anything except Mills and Boone. Sci-fi and historical fiction mostly but thrillers too.
 
Thrillers, mysteries, Detective stories. Every 20 years I can read Agatha Christie again. I also like true crime and real life mysteries.

Kurt Vonnegut I can read over and over again. As someone mentioned, it is indeed the shits when your favorite author has died or was dead to begin with as far as when you discovered their body of work. It is just awful when you have read everything thing they ever wrote and you want more.
 
Unless it's something really special, I always prefer reading to watching TV. I read only non-fiction and just finished one of the last books written on Lady Di. Reading is the highest form of relaxation for me and something I always look forward to finding the time for.
 
I was a reading addict ever since I first met Dr. Seuss, and I use his storytelling techniques to this day. That day. Any day. What a way to spend your day!

The library was Mecca for me - we didn't have a limit on withdrawals, so especially in the summer I went to town and came home looking like Quasimodo, but it was more than worth it.

These days I don't have the time to sit down and read a book from cover to cover anymore. As most of my time is spent online I have to satisfy myself with a few random paragraphs every day - hardly a substitute, I know. But Tom Clancy just passed away, Dash Hammett and Ray Chandler are no more and even Mickey Spillane passed on 7 years ago.

I used to go through phases: one month it would be Shakespeare, the next Hunter S. Thompson. Eclectic tastes, I suppose, but that's me. Never really got into SF as so many here seem to have, though, with the exception of things like 2001: A Space Odyssey and such like.

Although I also grew up glued to the electronic tit I was pretty much weaned off of it by the time I was in my early 20's. Certainly there was no time during my 15 years of marriage to watch any but the most inane sit-coms and, if I was lucky, a few re-runs of Star Trek or The Honeymooners.

Once videotapes came out I went through another love affair, going all OCD on taping and collecting everything possible. Floor-to-ceiling shelves full of meticulously labeled VHS tapes. A duplicating VCR so I could make copies for my friends.

By the time DVDs and TiVO came out I had pretty much lost interest in whatever was on TV - certainly broadcast held no attraction for me, and even with over 200 channels of satellite the most I ever found worth watching was the occasional History Channel documentary or an A&E special.

Now, since my days and nights are spent chained to the keyboard, I use MeTV, my oldies channel, as background noise. Gilligan's Island is on right now, never much of a fave of mine but the laugh-track serves to keep me from slitting my wrists. :crushed:
 
I seem to go through fits and starts when it comes to reading. I'll read everything I can get my hands on for a two year stint, then I'll pick up a book that is terrible and don't read anything else for a year. However...., I have dozens of books on building things, things to make with cement, hobby farming, raising pigs etc etc, and I always have at least one of those open on the end table by my chair. I've got a huge list of things I want to do - now to get at it.
 
It seems like, when you are "a Reader", then you just pretty much inhale everything that catches your eye, and then your imagination, at least that is how it works for me, and seems to be pretty much what everyone else here is describing as well.
I read non-fiction when I want to learn more about something, and fiction just to be entertained.
Now that my eyes aren't so good, I mostly use the iPad, since it is not only lit up, but allows me to choose the font size I can best read.
I enjoy Steve Berry's books, they are a great blend of page-turning excitement, and intriguing historical novel. The last one I just finished reading is called The Columbus Affair , and it expands upon the theory that Columbus was secretly Jewish, and was looking for a safe place in India to live and hide religious treasures.
It is a great blend of historical fact, and believable fiction !

Since we we seem to have such a variety of readers in the forum, I have a request for help.

Several years ago, I read an unusual book which I absolutely loved, but then lost it in the moving process , and now, I don't remember the title, or even the name of the author, and can't find any information on google.
This book was a fantasy story of a lady, I am pretty sure her name was Kallie, and she discovered that plants and trees talked to her, and she was able to communicate with them.
At the same time, there is another group that is starting out from the kings palace in a different place (and time) , and going on a quest for the King. One of the travelers is a small, dark-skinned harem girl, along with her eunuch; there is a flighty white lady named Blanche, and several other interesting characters who are picked up along the way.
Of course, they all end up in Kallies back yard, the two stories become intertwined, and the plot then knocks you for an enormous loop.
Without totally ruining the book for someone, this is about all I can say, but if anyone has read this book, you will know just exactly what I am talking about here.
I would love to find this book again, if anyone else has read it; and can provide me with the title and authors name, so I can buy it again.
 
PHIL: As most of my time is spent online

I'm just being downright nosy here, Phil, but curious. Do you make $$$ online or is it strictly for entertainment? Either way, I don't know what any of us would do without 'em!
 
I have enjoyed reading books since I was at primary school, it was nothing for me to bike into town, a few miles away, to get a library book. I loved Enid Blyton and it is great to see her books are still being read . These days I enjoy non fiction, particularly history.
 
Katybug said:
PHIL: As most of my time is spent online

I'm just being downright nosy here, Phil, but curious. Do you make $$$ online or is it strictly for entertainment? Either way, I don't know what any of us would do without 'em!
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Actually I have a very kinky room-mate that tied me into the chair here in front of the computer, and threatens me that if I don't at least look like I'm doing something productive then she'll put Tigger on top of my head.

Tigg 005.JPG


I actually DO make money, although not enough to afford both the Ferrari and Sophia Vergara - one of them simply has to go, and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out which.

I freelance for several sources - online magazines, websites, anyone that wants or needs content and are willing to pay what I ask. I also have 31 websites / blogs that are in various stages of development - some I want to keep for myself and others I'm building up to sell. Most of those are "monetized" so that I may make anywhere from a few dollars to $100 or so a month on each one. I also have several books for sale through Amazon and other online booksellers, as well as being an Amazon Associate (I get commissions for stuff people buy when they click my ads). I also have commission arrangements with several other sources.

I also have a few ongoing consulting jobs with martial arts schools for their business troubles, most of which are handled online. On the "back-burner" I'm developing a noir-type of hard-boiled detective character with hopes of turning him into a book or series of books, I'm constantly searching out online business opportunities such as buying and selling domain names (of which I own 50 or so) and just new ideas in general.

In the real world I now have two private students after having only one for many years - the new student's teacher passed away - so that takes up 12-15 hours of the week. I get a request or two a week to teach somewhere - a hospital, gym, health club, etc. - but so far nothing worth my time.



Whatever time remains I use to cruise porn sites. :devilish:
 
Can't help you with that one HFL, but strange how a book can stay with you even though it may not have been a best seller or particularly well written. Something about the plot just grabs us.

There was one I read called "The Far Arena" many years ago. It was about scientists reviving a frozen corpse found in a glacier. The story went that he was an exiled Roman Gladiator.

The story wove his past into his problems adapting to living 2000 years into his future, due to the insurmountable differences in cultural attitudes, and how his life story had gotten him so far North of home.
I guess it was the novel plot idea, the 'time travel' genre was usually set from the viewpoint of present into future rather than past into the present back then.

I found it in the tray of tatty old books the library was throwing out years later, bought it for 50c and read it again just as enjoyably. Probably still have it in a box somewhere. If I ever find it I'll probably read it again.

Just Googled it out of curiosity and find I'm not it's only fan.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/142024.The_Far_Arena#other_reviews
 
SifuPhil said:
Actually I have a very kinky room-mate that tied me into the chair here in front of the computer, and threatens me that if I don't at least look like I'm doing something productive then she'll put Tigger on top of my head.

View attachment 2868


I actually DO make money, although not enough to afford both the Ferrari and Sophia Vergara - one of them simply has to go, and I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out which.

I freelance for several sources - online magazines, websites, anyone that wants or needs content and are willing to pay what I ask. I also have 31 websites / blogs that are in various stages of development - some I want to keep for myself and others I'm building up to sell. Most of those are "monetized" so that I may make anywhere from a few dollars to $100 or so a month on each one. I also have several books for sale through Amazon and other online booksellers, as well as being an Amazon Associate (I get commissions for stuff people buy when they click my ads). I also have commission arrangements with several other sources.

I also have a few ongoing consulting jobs with martial arts schools for their business troubles, most of which are handled online. On the "back-burner" I'm developing a noir-type of hard-boiled detective character with hopes of turning him into a book or series of books, I'm constantly searching out online business opportunities such as buying and selling domain names (of which I own 50 or so) and just new ideas in general.

In the real world I now have two private students after having only one for many years - the new student's teacher passed away - so that takes up 12-15 hours of the week. I get a request or two a week to teach somewhere - a hospital, gym, health club, etc. - but so far nothing worth my time.



Whatever time remains I use to cruise porn sites. :devilish:
Click to expand...

LOL Oh, man, it was going so well 'til the last sentence, but it wouldn't be you without the humor. Very impressive online resume ya got going for yourself.
 
Not the "intellectual" types. A lot of serious book readers are like that and they love libraries. Only book my wife reads is parts of the Bible. I read daily "Devotional" readings in a Men's Bible I have. Other than that, neither of us read books or magazines. Wife LOVES tv.......favorite channel is the HG Channel. We both watch PGA, NFL and Poker on tv. Watch movie awards ceremonies. Love watching DVD concerts and Blu-Ray movies. Other than the tv, it's iPhone games or our Wii Game.

A neighbor who use to live across the drive from us had two PHd's and was the Dean at a local University. Every time we'd ask her if she watched this or that, she would say "heck no, I don't watch that junk". Well, to us American Idol, DWTS, America's Got Talent, Cake Boss are not "junk". Heck, we were on a Bahamas cruise one time, got bored and went to our cabin and watched America's Got Talent.
 
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