Hello from Constance963

Constance963 · Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject: Hello from Constance963

Hi everyone,

Newbie here! I was looking for a book discussion forum and this one looked interesting to me. I am 30 and have been an avid reader pretty much since before I can even remember.

Some of my favorite books are Dark Angel by Sally Beauman (hence my username Very Happy

), Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, It and The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King, Wicked by Gregory Maguire, the Harry Potter series, and Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I also enjoy John Grisham, Dan Brown and James Rollins.

I am currently reading Gone with the Wind and Atlas Shrugged.

Glad to be here!

jales4 · Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:58 pm Post subject:

Hi Constance,

I read Water For Elephants.... and decided I NEVER want to get old. I don't think I've ever read a more depressing account of what old age is like for some people. The sad part was how realistic it was.

What a great book though! Have you read any of Gruen's other books?

Welcome!

Constance963 · Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2007 11:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I agree, it did show a depressing side of old age - for me mostly the fact that you can potentially outlive your entire family. I have not read any of Gruen's other books but this one appealed to me because of the time period and the circus. I loved reading about the inner workings of the 1920's circus scene which I was interested in since seeing a couple episodes of HBO's Carnivale. I also loved how Gruen pointed out that there is no way to know what is in someone's past just by looking at them, but there can be so much history there waiting to be discovered.

Chris OConnor · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:15 pm Post subject:

Welcome to BookTalk! Mad

I'm not sure why I just used that twisted weird smilie. LOL Here..this is better. Smile

You've read some awesome books. I'm wondering what you thought of Wicked and whether or not you think if will make for good discussion material for us here on BookTalk. I haven't read it yet, but the concept sounds intriguing.

And I loved Carnivale!

Constance963 · Posted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Chris, thanks for the warm welcome!

I loved Wicked and I think some of the central topics could make for good discussion. The book focuses on what constitutes good and evil and the question of whether we are born one or the other or if we are a clean slate and have wickedness "thrust upon us". It also has some good satire with regards to society, oppression of certain groups and how the "government" tries to control its people. There's a lot there.

Chris OConnor · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:14 am Post subject:

I happen to own a copy of Wicked and am looking forward to reading and discussing it with other members. Are you planning to join us in that forum once it is created?

Constance963 · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:44 am Post subject:

Yes, I would love to join in the discussion. I finished the book a couple months ago so I may have to skim and refresh my memory but one of the reasons I joined was that I saw that Wicked and Atlas Shrugged are your upcoming discussions and I thought it was ironic that they were the book I had just finished and the book I recently started. Clap 2

I also saw Wicked on broadway and I don't know if anyone else has or would be interested in discussing it in relation to the book. I think it would also appeal to anyone interested in the discussion of religion as well because there are four religions in the book that are contrasted against one another.