a book you will always remember

wow
I have the same experience, I can't forget the book "miserable world" that I read during my college

The Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons
About a young Southern bride living in Maine.

I became so immersed in this story that I missed it when I was done.

hmmmm.... It's been awhile, I think I'll read it again. Thanks for reminding me! :wink:

"The Dinoaur Hunters" By Roy Chapman ANdrews. Read this as a kid in first grade, mostly because my cousin had taught me to read comic books before I got to kindergarten and reading wsnt a big accomplishment, whereas the subjects were.

I fell in love with the Gobi desert and the physical trials of expeditions. I also learned that youdont always find what youre lookin for (waaaay before U2 sang it)

a book you will always remember
Hi, I remember 1962 when I read "Hawaii" (James A. Michener's Masterpiece) 1961 paperback.

It was summer on Lake Erie, and I spent 10 straight days falling in love with the families who settled Hawaii.

We had a glassed in porch where I sat on a big, bouncy swing with cushions. For 20 years this remained my favorite book. I read it again in 1975, and it was just as good. Not all of Michener's books were this easy to read.

If you can't fly to Hawaii, go via this book! You won't want it to end.

Oleander
[email protected]

Welcome Oleander!

Michener's Chesapeake was great too.

My greatest read
My greatest read was the Clan of the Cave Bear series. My grandmother made me read it before she died. I remember reading it in my bedroom with the window open to get the cool fall breezes. I do know that the book before the last one was Way To Technical. If I wanted to know how to dry animal skin or make an arrow, that was the book to read. I think I learned something from all the books. It was, "How to survive". Even in the worst of circumstances. There are always "tools" at your disposal. I'm a "not-so-youngin'" that would love suggestions on what books to read.

I have to say, "1984" is one of the books I will alway remember also. I read it while I was in high school. I think that what Orwell says about power, and how absolute power corrupts absolutely is a basic truth. I will always remember it for its deft and utterly lucid writing style. The book is relatively small, but it speaks volumes about totalitarian depravity, and the weakness of the human spirit.

I used to hold a more cynical view of humanity because of that book, but have come to greatly temper that view by the example of actual human beings like Gandhi, for whom, ironically, Orwell held a deep contempt.

I will also always remember Tolstoy's "War and Peace" because through his engrossing lyrical writing style (another reason why I will always remember the book) he introduced me to a world I will never know, the Russian aristocracy of the nineteenth century; and a world view from a product of that country's social class of the time.

Another book I will always remember is "The Name of the Rose" and the way it made me work at understanding some of the ideas treated in that book concerning language, semiology and the communication of meaning. I have a ream of glossary that attests to the work I put into reading that book. What's more, at it's surface is a pretty good who done it mystery.

a book you will always remember
Hi Happycat! Thank you for the welcome!

Yes, you are too right about Chesapeake by Michener being a good read.

I'll always remember the romantic story about the boy and girl crab. What do you remember about Chesapeake? Did you read either a memoir or bio written recently about Michener? It was excellent.

a book you will always remember
Welcome Aimus! I remember Clan of the Cave Bear series fondly. I couldn't wait for the next book to be written, and then there was that terrible stumble!!!!

Tell what type of stories you like other than lengthy stories. I like the bio/memoir type. Here is one everyone should enjoy. From page one, it reads quickly and is an escape into another world.

"The Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela. There is a paperback version which is not so heavy. I had my inter library loan dept. get the paperback.

Oleander

a book you will always remember
Thanks for the welcome Oleander. I can pretty much read anything except technical books. I do love historical romance novels, but those are for light reading (when I want to finish a book in 6 hours). It's much better than watching TV. I just finished the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. These are hularious! I have a friend that got me started on the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton. Those can be a bit riske and violent. I guess I do love my series books. I will try your suggested reading.

Hi Christina,
Animus, Good choices you've been reading. I have heard of Stephanie Plum and of course J. E. the author; now I will get busy and try one of her books.

I hope you'll let me know if you like The Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela's life story. The book is 10 years old, so ebay will have some low prices! I believe this is one of those books a person could keep around the house to pick up and read a chapter when we finish our current book at 3 a.m. If you are like I was, you'll be amazed at how varied his time in prison was, but that is a small part of the book. The book is full of things beyond our imagination.

Oleander

a book you will always remember
A question for InfraB, wasn't 1984 banned from production? I know there is probably no way I could get my hands on that book. I'm sure there's a good reason that it's banned all over the world, but you did read it at one time. Other than what you spoke of, what was the start, middle and end of the book? (Just so I can get a visual). Also, I can't believe they're still banning it in this day and age. Everyone knows how to use power and beauty. Hope you have both.

Maybe the book was banned in the Communist countries back in the day, but it certainly wasn't, and isn't banned in the West (i.e. non-Communist European countries, and the US). You can get it from Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/1984-George-Orwell/dp/0452262933

and you can get it online:

http://www.george-orwell.org/1984/index.html

The book starts with the protagonist thinking anti-government ideas, the middle part deals with him meeting a woman with similar thoughts, and it ends with his arrest, and torture and brain-washing by the government.

About power and beauty, I have neither.

"The Cotillion" by John Oliver Killens. I was about seventeen, in my last year of high school when I read it. The book is set in Harlem NY, and about a beautiful 18 year old young black woman named Yoruba Lovejoy who's West Indian mother wants so badly for her to take part in a cotillion given by the upper class folk. The fun is the whole farce of it all, high class Blacks vs. middle and lower middle Blacks, and as a subplot Yoruba experiences her first adult love affair with a wonderful, rebellious and militant young man named Ben Ali Lumumba who loves her desperately and convinces her to, amongst other things, cut her hair and wear it natural (it was 1972!).
I will never forget that book. Yoruba was described as a Harlem Princess with long legs and hips just a trifle bit high from the ground, evoking one "big head boy" in grammer school to call her High Pockets. I related to that personally. A big head boy in my grammer school gave me the same tag.
It was a beautiful book but when I reread it several years later, it seemed pretty dated. I only have the paperback and the cover is taped to the body of the book. Maybe someday I'll find it in hardback but I kinda doubt it.

a book you will always remember
A reply for everyone with many thanks!
Oleander: I will read Nelson Mandela's, The Long Walk to Freedom. I'm always up to a good biography.
InfraB: Too bad they didn't make '1984' required reading for me in high school (I had, 'Of Mice and Men"), but my parents had to read it. I will also find it and read it. As for having no power or beauty, I think you have an abundance that's overlooked.
eoe: I just checked Amazon.com and found 2 books in good condition for less than $10. I know you won't buy one because the one you have holds a special place for you. I also keep things around that I love even though they're tattered.

Finally, it will take me a bit to find and read these books. Do any of you go through the phases? Read, read, read, and then stop? I'm just starting to come out of my stop reading spell. I think I just read too fast and then have to digest everything I read.

Re: a book you will always remember
There was one called "Speak" and one called "The Rules Of Survival"..

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was the first J. Austen book I read and my personal favorite. I've read all of her other stories, but return to P&P over and over.