Sunday 26 July 2009

Sunday Salon - holidays are here!

Good morning Sunday Saloners.

I didn't participate last week, due to illness, but this week finds me a lot more relaxed. The girls broke up from school on Wednesday and will now be home for six weeks. So no getting up early and no rushing around like a loony. This is now chill out time. We are going away later in the holidays, so at some point my posts are going to be hit and miss. I also hope to take the girls up to visit my parents for a few days and they have yet to move into the 21st Century where computers are concerned, so no Internet for me. I love to go away, but I begin to dread the absence of the Internet!!!

I thought I would pose a question today for you all. Earlier this week, I mentioned how I had an aversion to certain writers which included Danielle Steel, Catherine Cookson and Maeve Binchy. I have nothing against them, I just felt that their books were not for me. Then a friend lent me a Maeve Binchy one and I absolutely loved it. So I began to wonder why I chose not to read this selection of writers when I had nothing to base my aversion to them on. So I would like to know which writers do you go out of your way to avoid? Which writers do you cringe at, just hearing their names, but have actually never read? A chance for amnesty, folks, let it all out and we won't hold it against you.

Back to my reading week, due to a restful weekend last week, I managed to finish two books last Sunday.

I finished and reviewed.


During the week, I finished the following two books which I hope to review this week.

1)Girls in Trucks by Kate Crouch - a Southern style book.
2)Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - a Sookie Stackhouse vampire mystery.

I have now started reading the following two books.

1) Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. A book from the Eighties, which was turned into a television series. It is on the list of 1001 books to read before you die, so it will help me reach the half way point in that challenge. I am over half way through this so hopefully it will be finished today.
2) The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry - one I have been desperate to read since it came out a couple of months ago. Set in Salem, which is a place I would definitely like to visit.

So there is my reading week for you. I hope you have had a good reading week too.

14 comments:

  1. I would join you with Steele, Cookson and Binchy, although I have occasionally thought I might try one of Binchy's books, but without doing anything about it. At the other end of the spectrum I avoid 'Wuthering Heights' like the plague. Far too over the top for me. 'The Lace Reader' is on my TBR pile as well, so I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

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  2. As you know I was with you on Catherine Cookson and Maeve Binchy. I think it was because they were 'Mums' books and although I thought my Mum was wicked in every way I somehow thought if she was reading those books they would be sentimental slush. She was just as guilty about the music I listen to until I tricked her by doing a compilation album of 'ballady' rock songs and she loved it and even commented on Alice's lovely voice - till I told her who it was so I suspect we are all guilty of pre-judging ;)

    I was exactly the same with Wilbur Smith - because my Dad reads them - they must be rubbish. My sister then raved about one of the books so I borrowed it off my Dad and went grovelling back to borrow the rest of the series. (Yes he did gloat. Loudly.)

    I also never read Pride & Prejudice but after watching Lost in Austen (which I loved) it is on my to read list now

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  3. Oops, that's me in the post above! Dd hadn't logged out of her account. Tsk!

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  4. I'm not a Steel, Cookson or Binchey fan either. I did not think I was a MaComber person either, but I did listen to an audio book of hers and enjoyed it.

    I was happy to see you got a chance to read Christian the Lion and Post Office Girl.

    Have a great week.

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  5. I am not a fan of those authors either but I must deal with them for the four month challenge. So not looking forward to them

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  6. I've tried to think of some authors, but I'm drawing a blank. I do avoid Danielle Steele, but I've read one of her books at a neighor's insistence. I do avoid Stephen King's work and I haven't read any of it, but that's because I don't enjoy horror.

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  7. I always think I'll miss the internet when I go on holidays, but you know, most of the time I end up enjoying the break!

    I think I told you before that Jodi Picoult is one of those authors for me. Not sure why, really.

    Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is on my list for the glbt challenge. I look forward to your review!

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  8. Today I am feverish. I slept half the day, yet I manged to read a book.

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  9. I read one Daniel Steele book in early college and decided to never touch her again. Same thing happened, at different parts of my life, with Dan Brown, Alice Hoffman, Annie Proulx, and others i can't recall right off. There are some that I avoid simply because they tend to write outside the type of books I read (for example, Clive Cussler) but I have nothing against them. They just haven't written a book yet that sounds interesting to me.

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  10. Hi - I followed you here from Literary Escapism, re: your Charles de Lint comment. I love de Lint and have been reading his stuff for about 15 years. I think that the best book to read first is Someplace To Be Flying - the link is to an excerpt from the beginning of the book. This is one of his Newford books - Newford's a mythical Canadian city, in which de Lint sets some of his best stories.

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  11. I avoid Danielle Steele, Clive Cussler, Sue Grafton, Jodi Picoult, and Stephen King. Some of the authors I avoid because I just don't like the genre (such as Sue Grafton's books or Stephen King's books). Others I avoid because I don't like their writing style (Clive Cussler - really macho man books - gag!). Then occasionally I will avoid an author if I hear bad things about their writing from trusted friends (Jodi Picoult).

    There are also a few people in real life (not mentioning any names) whose reading tastes are so opposite from mine that I can bet pretty safely that I won't like what they're reading (these would fall into the Danielle Steele variety).

    I hope you have a good vacation! My parents don't have internet either, but I'm not completely cut off from internet when I visit them since my in-laws are their next door neighbors, and they do have access to the internet. :)

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  12. I really enjoyed The Lace REader Viv. I hope you will too. You know I don't avoid authors although Danielle Steel-I won't read her books but I will listen to them. There's a lot of authors I hear are good but I still don't feel an overwhelming need to read them though. Anyhow, hope you have a good time now with the girls out of school and enjoy your vacation.

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  13. Now that you mention Danielle Steel! She's definitely on my list. I also avoid any type of thriller or suspense novel. Haven't read any Stephen King and although I used to read Grisham I stay away from him now. Chick-lit is another that I won't pick up unless someone puts the book in my hands. Such a great question!

    We're headed out in a week to the wilderness and I'll be completely unconnected (well, I could get on my phone Internet if there's reception, but I don't wanna!). It's always tough coming back, but sometimes that break is nice.

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  14. I'm not too keen on chick flicks and one author I avoid is Sophie Kinsella. But having said that I did enjoy her book The Domestic Goddess.

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Hiya, thanks for stopping by, it is always nice to hear what you have to say, so do leave a comment if you have time.