The Book List: 3 Books I Thought I Would Hate But Ended Up Loving

The Book List is a fun, short meme hosted by Rebecca over at Lost in Books. This time we are asked to name three books we thought we would hate but ended up loving.

I must say it was surprisingly hard to think of three books I thought I would hate or even dislike before starting to read them, as I hardly ever start a book I do not want to read! My philosophy is to read books I like. Books are for pleasure, they are someone new I want to befriend with or old friends I want to revisit. There is hardly ever a feeling of having to included in my reading. I read because I want to, what I want to and mostly when I want to. Still, sometimes especially the timing might go wrong. 

1. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

I bought this junkster, because the idea of an early 19th century Britain where magic is real appealed to me. I also liked the fact that the book uses footnotes. (Yes, I'm strange that way! :)) However, after buying the book I lost all interest in it and it sat on my bookself unread for a number of years. I even thought that I might never read it, before I finally tried it last year for the 9 for 2009 challenge and ended up liking it quite a bit! :)

2. Art Objects by Jeanette Winterson

Jeanette Winterson is one of my favorite writers. I bought this book, subtitled Essays on Ecstasy and Effrontery, because it was written by her and in some of the essays she writes aboutthe work of another of my favorite writers Virginia Woolf. But it was more because I felt I should own the book than for any storng desire to actually read it, as at the time I was quite allergic to literary critisim or really any nonfiction about books and writers. I did not want to read someone explaining fiction, I just wanted to read the books myself and make up my mind about them on my own. Don't worry, I have since improved on that aspect, largely thanks to Winterson and Art Objects. After my initial hesitance I ended up loving every page of the book.

3. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

This is a perfect example of wrong timing. The first time I read this novel set in revolutionary France I was simply too young to really appreciate it. I reread it two years ago and loved the story.

What are the 3 books you thought you would not like but ended up loving instead? To participate in this meme visit Rebecca's blog and use the Mr. Linky function over there.

The Book List: 3 Favorite Eras to Read About

 

This week the Book List- meme asks us to name our three favorite eras to read about. My three favorite eras to read fiction about are:

1. Late 19th -early 20th century ca. 1860/1880-to WWI. This is simply my favorite historical period. I love the history, the fashions, the architecture, the optimism of the era -and I love to read novels, especially mysteries, set in this time period.
Some of my favorites mysteries set in this era include the Amelia Peabody -series by Elizabeth Peters and the Dr. Max Liebermann -series by Frank Tallis, but there are many others, too.

Sarah Waters books set in Victorian England are great, though my least favorite of them is the favorite of many, namely Fingersmith. Tipping the Velvet is my favorite.

2. Late 18th- early 19th century ca. 1790-1830. The French Revolution, the revolutionary wars, the rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Russian conquest of Finland and the birth of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland all make for interesting topics for novels. And then of course this was the time when Jane Austen wrote her books.
My favorites include anything by Austen, Désiréé by Annemarie Selinko, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and a novel by Mika Waltari that is not available in English.

3. This was a tough one! I could have chosen for example Ancient Egypt, but when it comes to Egypt I really enjoy reading non-fiction more than fiction. I was spoilt with The Egyptian by Mika Waltari when still quite young and no other novel about Ancient Egypt compares to The Egyptian! I could have chosen the Middle Ages or Ancient Rome or the 16th century with the Reformation, WWII and after, or, or... But after pondering this for a while my choice for my third favorite era to read about is...the future.
I love space opera! :) Elizabeth Moon is one of my favorite science fiction writers. I also love alternative history set in the future. My favorite alternative history novels are Sophie McDougall's Romanitas-trilogy (the third part is not yet published) where Rome never fell and Jon Courtenay Grimwood's books, especially the Pashazade-trilogy.

Visit Lost in Books for Rebecca's post on this subject and to add your own post to Linky Tools.

The past few days I have been reading my first ever Persephone book Little Boy Lost by Marghanita Laski and tonight I finished it. It is simply my favorite of all the books I have read this year this far! What a brilliant novel!:)

The Book List: 3 Books I Should Love, But Actually Hate

I just recently found Rebecca's blog Lost in Books. She hosts a short and fun weekly meme The Book List. This is the first time I'm participating. This week's topic is: 3 books I should love, but actually hate. Well, hate is a bit strong word here, but these three I do not especially like:

1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
This I really feel I should love, but just don't. I love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, but Emily's masterpiece really leaves me cold, leaves me shivering with disgust really! I find the story rather sick. I have tried to read the novel a number of times, but have always had to put it aside as I simply could not continue. I did watch a movie version once, but that just confirmed my view that this simply is not a book for me. Still, I have every intention of reading Wuthering Heights one day. I kind of feel that it is a book I should read.

2. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Another novel loved by many, another one I thought I would love, but didn't. I found this Dracula story really boring.

3. What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt

Did not love this one. Maybe I expected too much or something different or it was just not the right time to read this book.  Before reading the book I thought I would love the fact that there were so much about art in the story, but no, this, too, was a boring read.

Visit Lost in Books for Rebecca's post on this subject or this Linky Tools page for others participating in this meme.