I hate to say this but I do not recommend reading [Courageous]. It was terrible.

I had a similar reaction. It does not enhance the movie at all. A straight novelization of the script would have left the reader better served.

Recently, I read The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright, an utterly charming book about four siblings who pool their allowances to allow each of them a Saturday adventure. As a modern reader, I doubt the feasibility of their activities -- but they did things I've done or always wanted to do... and so it was a really nice read.

I also read The Blue Thread by Ruth Tenzer Feldman, which has the intriguing premise of a young Oregon woman in 1912, the women's suffrage movement, and Biblical time-travel. It's nicely written and plotted, as far as I can tell it's well-researched, but as a Christian I kind of think it lacking in that area. I don't expect it to be in-your-face, but I thought there was a general lack of... awe?

I'm currently working through The Company They Keep by Diana Pavlac Glyer, which is about the Inklings and their influence on each other. It's very good, full of quotes and interesting thoughts on writing. I would highly recommend it.

Yay, Mel, The Saturdays is a well-loved, delightful favourite of mine, both as a child and now. I had another re-read last summer, I think it was. Have you read the others in Enright's "Melendy Quartet"?

As for The Company They Keep, I've been quite itching to get my hands on this book, and have looked at a couple of bookstores in town here: one has no record of it; the other's cost would be $30! For a paperback! I checked on amazon.ca and the price was just below $20. Still hoping to find it less ... somewhere. Where did you find your copy, may I ask?

Since Christmas I have been wandering through The Chronicles of Narnia, and just finished The Silver Chair last night. *contented sigh* Why is it I appreciate and love those books in deeper way with every read, and certainly glean even more from them as an adult? ♥

I finished Eric Metaxas' Amazing Grace (a William Wilberforce bio) a little ways back, and can't recommend it enough—right there beside his Bonhoeffer biography. Excellent reads. Soon I will be starting a G.K. Chesterton bio that released in early 2011, Defiant Joy by Kevin Belmonte. Even though I've heard about Chesterton much of my adult life, and like many of his quotes, I don't know much about him, personally, so am looking forward to this book very much.

Also, I am beginning The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson, recommended to me by more than a few NarniaWebbers.

Nellie of Narnia and I are reading the first Hunger Games book aloud together in preparation for the film's release later this week. I have read it before; Nellie has not, and is understandably quite disturbed and moved by this very intense story, as I was/am. In other words, she is taken with it, for the most part.

Other books are close by, as well, that I pick up from time-to-time—non-fiction books that I can read one chapter, then take time away from it to ponder and consider for awhile.

7chronicles, the Temeraire books sound fascinating.

jo, I actually started with The Four Story Mistake, which reminded me a lot of Noel Streitfield's Ballet Shoes--I think. One of her books anyway. I'm going to have to look up the other two soon. I'm just a little surprised that it's taken me this long to find Enright...

Where did you find your copy, may I ask?

The library. But it's going on my Christmas list, so hearing that it's difficult to find/expensive is disappointing. There's a book mentioned on the endflap... Plants of Middle-Earth: Botany and Sub-Creation by Dinah Hazell -- do you know anything about that one?

Also, hurrah for The Wingfeather Saga. I need to find the third book myself...

I hate to say this but I do not recommend reading [Courageous]. It was terrible.

I had a similar reaction. It does not enhance the movie at all. A straight novelization of the script would have left the reader better served.

Exactly! Flywheel and Fireproof were excellent, just the right amount of add story to make an excellent read.

I just started reading The Great Escape. It's really interesting so far, that is the first two chapters are. I haven't had the time to read that I would like to and I'm going to have to change that.

SnowAngel

I'm going to have to look up the other two soon. I'm just a little surprised that it's taken me this long to find Enright...

Then There Were Five and A Spiderweb for Two are the two other Melendy books. Also, Enright's Gone-Away Lake is a classic.

Edit: Argh, I definitely wasn't paying attention when I typed that. Thanks for catching my mistake on which the last book was, johobbit.

Yes, that is correct, Rivulus. I think Spiderweb for Two is the fourth, but for some reason, I never read (or even heard of) that one until just awhile ago. Speaking of not reading something, I don't recall Gone-Away Lake. *makes a note*

SnowAngel, a few years ago I read The Great Escape. What a fascinating and intense read, particularly being a true story. 'Tis amazing what lengths people will go to to try and get their freedom back, understandably.

There's a book mentioned on the endflap... Plants of Middle-Earth: Botany and Sub-Creation by Dinah Hazell -- do you know anything about that one?

No, I don't. Sounds interesting! *looks it up*

One book I neglected to mention that I have also recently read is To Kill a Mockingbird ... my first time too. Or, if I read it decades ago, I don't recall. Lee writes such endearing characters into this powerful and memorable story.

SnowAngel, I'm going to have to look up Flywheel, then, because I really enjoyed that movie.

Riv, you are a treasure trove of information on these types of books. Have you read the Camerons series by Jane Duncan? I can't quite decide what I think about The Camerons at the Castle. There's something about it that reminds me of Kipling's Rewards and Fairies, and then there's something else that I can't quite put my finger on.

I'm reasonably sure I read Gone Away Lake, Return to Gone Away Lake, and Thimble Summer as part of my on-going quest to read all the Newbery Award and Honor books. But I don't remember very much about them, actually.

Hi everybody, I just wanted to pop in a second and see if anyone's ever read Dorian Gray. Based on the trailer - the film's bad - but I thought maybe the book was okay, I don't know. Is it bad, or dark?

SnowAngel, I'm going to have to look up Flywheel, then, because I really enjoyed that movie.

If you can find it, it definitely worth reading. I have been looking to buy it, but I haven't seen it for less than $10.

Eric Wilson is writing the novelization for October Baby, it's not going to be released until September though. From the trailer, it looks like a really good movie. I hope our library gets the book when it's released. I'm sure it will be excellent.

SnowAngel

Have you read the Camerons series by Jane Duncan?

No, I've never heard of them before. They don't appear to be anywhere in the library system either, unfortunately.

Hi everybody, I just wanted to pop in a second and see if anyone's ever read Dorian Gray. Based on the trailer - the film's bad - but I thought maybe the book was okay, I don't know. Is it bad, or dark?

AslansChild, I read The Picture of Dorian Gray a year or two ago. As far as "bad" and "dark" go, that's a bit subjective. The story is about a young man's journey into corruption, so it is dark and many of his choice are neither good nor wholesome. That said, much of what happens is glossed over or mentioned in vague terms. Oscar Wilde seems to have been more interested in the philosophical aspects of his story than the physical ones. The book is one I recommend to people, but you will have to determine yourself whether you are ready to read it or not. I hope that helps. If you have more questions, let me know.

Hmm...okay. Thanks alot for getting back to me. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. I think if I saw a copy dirt cheap somewhere, I'd buy it. But I'm not going out hunting for it, if that makes any sense. I was mostly just interested in it because I wanted to see what type of a character Ben Barnes had played. I tried to read Birdsong for the same reason. (I do not recommend it...)

I was talking with a cousin a couple of weeks ago and he asked a question that I found interesting and didn't know the answer to. Why are the Hunger Games books so popular? They aren't fantastically well-written books, but among the teenage and college population almost everyone seems to like them. Or at least not to detest them the same as some series like Twilight.

Or, a broader question: why does dystopian literature seem to be popular right now?

What do you all think?

I was talking with a cousin a couple of weeks ago and he asked a question that I found interesting and didn't know the answer to. Why are the Hunger Games books so popular? They aren't fantastically well-written books, but among the teenage and college population almost everyone seems to like them. Or at least not to detest them the same as some series like Twilight.
Or, a broader question: why does dystopian literature seem to be popular right now?

Mostly because that's where most people think we're headed. What with the increase of sin, current events in the world (Which I will not mention. We don't want to find ourselves inadvertently drifting into politics. ), a lot of people are worried that we'll soon be living in the sort of places described in Dystopian novels. It's on our minds right now, and so it's the sort of story we gravitate toward. A lot of people also see such books as "preventative measures" of sorts, hoping people will read them and avoid the behavior described by them.

And I would disagree that they aren't fantastically well-written books. I think the author has great talent, and they are better written than even some classic books I've seen.

~Riella

I suppose it depends on your definition of "fantastically well-written".

There have been books i've read that i disliked, due to poor characterization, overly romanticized plots, cliche-storms and other basic writing problems; but i still had difficulty putting them down. Similarly, while anything by Rick Riordan or Suzanne Collins might not have technically perfect prose, or be a bit too "modern" in its writing style to be considered 'classic', i've found both writers to be compelling, good story-tellers and their books difficult to put down.

On the other hand, you have books whose writing is generally praised for a number of reasons and who are considered classic authors. While i've read some of these books and enjoyed them, others i've found hard to read, uninteresting, and forgettable. What's the better approach?

While i wouldn't compare Collins to, say, G.K. Chesterton on a technical level, i can say without hesitation i've enjoyed her books a lot more than i've enjoyed anything Chesterton wrote. So, i wouldn't say technical perfection is the only standard for defining a "well-written" book.

As far as dystopian literature being popular right now, i think Riella covered it.