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Reading a Book

2

Comments

  • #32
    Seanmul89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 114 ✭✭Seanmul89


    Wow thanks for the reply guys :).. Some really good tips! I've a big interest in aviation I have some books on that, from the principles of flight to the Wright Brothers, I have the Art of War book that I'm going to start soon!
    The likes of GOT I think would be a little heavy to start with! Thank again really appreciate it, it just gives me an idea the best route to go to start reading more often, I'll have a good look round the library!


  • #33
    Zxclnic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 611 ✭✭✭Zxclnic


    Seàn,
    Since you've declared a keen interest in aviation perhaps you might
    try the 'Budgie the Little Helicopter' series of books.
    Based on characters devised by Sarah, Duchess of York, these spellbinding
    stories are guaranteed to delight and excite as we join the eponymous 'Budgie' in his wondrous feats of derring-do, read how he bravely swoops to dangerously low levels in order to rescue and assist ordinary members of the general public - that's me and you Seàn - from general bad stuff, not quite sure here Seàn but probably drug-pushers, terrorists and such like....anyway it's fierce good craic.
    Come back and tell us how you got on with 'Budgie'!
    I've plenty of other ideas if that doesn't work out for you.


  • #34
    Seanmul89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 114 ✭✭Seanmul89


    Lol thanks :) .. Seems like a sophisticated aviation book :D !


  • #35
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    JustShon wrote: »
    First thing is to figure out if you prefer fiction or non-fiction.

    If you watch TV at all, what do you watch?

    Also, good habit is to not bring the smartphone in when you go for a poo, bring whatever book you're reading instead.

    How long does it take people to poo? I've never understood this.


  • #36
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    any book by Bill Bryson OP

    You couldn't go wrong, intelligent, very witty, insightful, universal appeal.


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  • #37
    Collie D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,585 ✭✭✭✭Collie D


    donegaLroad wrote: »
    any book by Bill Bryson OP

    You couldn't go wrong, intelligent, very witty, insightful, universal appeal.

    Everytime somebody recommends Bryson I feel a little bit stupid. I genuinely struggled with A Short History of Everything. Some chapters I liked but most of it was either over my head or boring to me. I've very little interest in science to be fair but did enjoy the more geographical stuff like volcanos etc


  • #38
    donegaLroad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,379 ✭✭✭donegaLroad


    Collie D wrote: »
    Everytime somebody recommends Bryson I feel a little bit stupid. I genuinely struggled with A Short History of Everything. Some chapters I liked but most of it was either over my head or boring to me. I've very little interest in science to be fair but did enjoy the more geographical stuff like volcanos etc

    that book is the exception, it is very technical.. try some of his travel books.


  • #39
    FanadMan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,824 ✭✭✭FanadMan


    OP - as you have an interest in aviation, I'd suggest Down To A Sunless Sea by David Graham. It was written in 1979 but don't let that spoil it. It's a trashy type thriller but has quite a lot of detail on planes and their operation. Also has sex, fights and quite a strange ending. It's not particularly well written but is very easy to read and is well gripping.


  • #40
    Stinjy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 785 ✭✭✭Stinjy


    Anyone who knows me on here will know I'm a huge fan of Patricia Cornwell. Read her Kay Scarpetta series. There's 23 books and she's still writing it. I find the continuous story keeps me reading and wanting more..


  • #41
    Collie D
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,585 ✭✭✭✭Collie D


    OP, it's all personal taste so I won't recommend anything specific. But a good way of getting into reading is to think of a film you liked that was based on a book and read that book. In most cases it's better.


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  • #42
    Oranage2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,129 ✭✭✭✭Oranage2


    Seanmul89 wrote: »
    Hi,
    One thing i never really do is read books, main thing is I get sucked into the social media like Facebook etc, when really I could be reading a book. So I want to get out of this habit. Where do I start?
    For someone just starting to read books, novels and so on, what would be the best type of books to start with? Would I start with personal interests? Anybody that reads quite a fair amount of books might give a suggestion or a tip, not smart replies lol, thanks!

    I was in the same boat op not long ago, I started with something easy and a real page Turner. My first book was blew me away.

    - The cat was in the hat.
    I was like 'Wow amazing what could top that'
    Next was
    - The hat was on the cat
    'Surely this book can't get any better'


  • #43
    MRnotlob606
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭MRnotlob606


    Visit Independent book stores, some really interesting characters work in those places.


  • #44
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Dial Hard wrote: »
    Not sure about elsewhere in the country, but all the Dublin public libraries are free to join.

    Free here in Kerry too. I use our wonderful mobile; take as many books as you like, no fines. I catch up with it at various towns when I am shopping. The charity shops are grand too and the small amount goes to good works.


  • #45
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Collie D wrote: »
    OP, it's all personal taste so I won't recommend anything specific. But a good way of getting into reading is to think of a film you liked that was based on a book and read that book. In most cases it's better.

    Grand idea.. Always far better than the film...


  • #46
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Stinjy wrote: »
    Anyone who knows me on here will know I'm a huge fan of Patricia Cornwell. Read her Kay Scarpetta series. There's 23 books and she's still writing it. I find the continuous story keeps me reading and wanting more..

    Oh yes; they are grand! Although I never get them in the right order! Same with Harry Hole..


  • #47
    Graces7
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    This thread reminded me of a conversation I had with our fresh fishman at our local market. He saw the great bag of books I had ready for when the Mobile Library arrived and was in awe.. Said he had never read a book in his life; yet every week he sits in his van devouring the newspaper page by page....All Dickens novels came out in periodicals, chapter by weekly chapter..picaresque...Reading is reading be it papers or books.


  • #48
    MRnotlob606
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,642 ✭✭✭MRnotlob606


    Jon Ronson's books are very entertaining.


  • #49
    drake70
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    Seanmul89 wrote: »
    Hi,
    One thing i never really do is read books, main thing is I get sucked into the social media like Facebook etc, when really I could be reading a book. So I want to get out of this habit. Where do I start?
    For someone just starting to read books, novels and so on, what would be the best type of books to start with? Would I start with personal interests? Anybody that reads quite a fair amount of books might give a suggestion or a tip, not smart replies lol, thanks!

    Hi OP, this is where I started:

    http://thedabbler.co.uk/2015/02/the-ladybird-peter-and-jane-a-social-history/


  • #50
    Boom_Bap
    Moderators, Music Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,740 Mod ✭✭✭✭Boom_Bap


    Je suis Mario wrote: »
    How long does it take people to poo? I've never understood this.

    You don't have to read the whole book in one 'shitting'


  • #51
    biko
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 81,060 ✭✭✭✭biko


    When you get serious about your reading, check out Literature forum for a lot of great recommendations.


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  • #52
    irish bloke
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,057 ✭✭✭irish bloke


    Do people read books much anymore? - I know I dont.

    Not because I don't like reading, but everything I need to read is a click of a button away from me on a PC.

    There is a Library where I live and on the days it is open, it's like a ghost town!!!


  • #53
    LionelNashe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,958 ✭✭✭LionelNashe


    www.audible.com

    You can listen to a book when you're sitting on a bus, walking to the shops, going for a run etc. i.e. times when you mostly can't be distracted by Youtube or Facebook or whatever. It takes no willpower at all to get through books this way because it's just being pumped into your ears.

    My favourite book ever is 1984 by George Orwell. Robert Galbraith's books are quite good - detective stories. Robin Hobb's trilogies are good fantasy novels.


  • #54
    Parchment
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,203 ✭✭✭Parchment


    irish bloke wrote: »
    Do people read books much anymore? - I know I dont.

    Not because I don't like reading, but everything I need to read is a click of a button away from me on a PC.

    There is a Library where I live and on the days it is open, it's like a ghost town!!!

    I always have a book (an actual book!) on the go. I couldn't imagine not having one to read.

    I read before I go to sleep generally - it could be 10 minutes or 50 minutes of reading and it brings a great calmness to my mind before bed.


  • #55
    3qsmavrod5twfe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 440 ✭✭3qsmavrod5twfe


    If you like a bit of aviation and a bit of military at the same time, I'd recommend you try either of Ed Macy's book Apache. He was a British Army Air Corps pilot but goes into a lot of the aspects of flight theory with the Apache helicopter. It reads kind of like a biography, but it is interspersed with details of the Apache attack helicopter and also sorties in Afghanistan in 2007-ish as well so makes for interesting reading.


  • #56
    wonski
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,679 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    While I normally wouldn't recommend anything to anyone without knowing them, there is one that has turned non readers into readers in no time.

    Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, smart, hilarious and if you like a bit of After Hours like absurd it really is a pick number 1.

    One of my favourites, and the only one I read in both my native and English.


  • #57
    nelly17
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭nelly17


    I don't read much at all maby 2 books a year primarily because I don't like Fiction and tend to stick to Biographies. But I must agree with a lot of people here when I do read a book I get pretty engrossed in it and its great for switching off its way more relaxing than watching TV or gaming for example.


  • #58
    failinis
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,691 ✭✭✭failinis


    El Nick wrote: »
    I come from the "Kindle Is Good" school of thought (please - I'm not trying to start a format war) and read everything I read on the Kindle app on my smartphone. My phone is always with me, so I've always got a book handy, open at the page I left it last.

    Do you travel for work on trains or be waiting in the car picking the kids up somewhere?
    I prefer reading physical books, but I always have 1 or 2 on my kindle app on the phone so I can read when I have some down time or travelling.
    Might be a good way to start off as well, just gradually.


  • #59
    Permabear
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38,989 ✭✭✭✭Permabear


    This post has been deleted.


  • #60
    Dirty Dingus McGee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,631 ✭✭✭Dirty Dingus McGee


    I didn't read a book (outside of school) from about age 12 to until I was 20.

    The first book I read when I started back reading was The Da Vinci Code and it's a perfect book to start with.

    Easy to read,short chapters with a a cliffhanger at the end of each and it rattles along at a good pace and you can read it quickly.

    Although it may not be great literature but I thouoghly enjoyed it and it renewed my love of reading and I've always been reading a book since then.


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  • #61
    Your Face
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,275 ✭✭✭Your Face


    Start with War and Peace.
    Then you can tell everyone you read War and Peace, which I read years ago by the way.


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