I was just over at amazon.com looking up funny/disgusting/interesting books for a pair of 7-10 year old boys I know. I've narrowed my choice down to Oh, Yuck, Exploding Ants, and Math Curse. The first two seem guaranteed hits, the last one may be viewed as too "scholarly" to be enjoyed, even though all the reviews are great. But then, they're all by adults, not kids. Anybody have any other suggestions or advice?
While I was surfing around, I came upon a new kind of book. Well, new to me. Books about reading lists. Book Lust looks interesting, but the others didn't seem to interesting. Or at least, not worth the effort. Anybody have experience with this kind of book?
Oh, did I tell you I finished Oracle Night? Hmm...nope, don't find an entry about it. It's an interesting book. The pace & the premise was great for the first 2/3'rds of the book, but the end felt like a rushed job. Like he wasn't sure how to finish it. And some elements just made no sense. For example, what purpose does the Asian store owner have? And the book he starts writing within the book starts off promising, but he never finishes it. Oh, and the footnotes. Half the book takes place in the foot notes. Weird. I'm glad I read it, but I can't say I enjoyed it. It definitely made me keep thinking about it.
I also finished The Five People You Meet in Heaven. That was exactly what I expected - a light hearted, feel good book. A bit like a Christmas Carol. A good entertaining weekend read.
Oh, in between I read Life of Pi. This book definitely re-inforced the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover" for me. I kept seeing it in the store & reading good things about it, but the back cover blurb & cover art just didn't scream "read me". However, Stefan's friend had it & loaned it to me. It was really quite good. A philosophical adventure that leaves you guessing a little at the end. And marveling at human nature too.
On my pile to read right now are: Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär (on loan from Stefan), Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, Enduring Love by Ian McEwan (also on loan from Stefan), and Taltos by Anne Rice.
Anybody have any good recommendations for original auf Deutsch German books?
Okay, I'm feeling very behind in my reading now. Good night. :)
Posted by Jinglelady at November 30, 2004 12:46 AM | Reading | TrackBackMy partner read "Fungus the Bogeyman" as a child, which is apparently disgusting and may be of interest to the boys.
(Surfed in via BE.)
Posted by: Jem at November 30, 2004 03:51 PMI remember "Fungus the Bogeyman" fondly as well.
As far as "good" German books go - it's a tricky one. I refuse to read books which have been translated into German from English, but I'd like to read wome "original" German books. Problem is that all the German classics seem to be written in the most inpenetrable way, and they're all so, so, earnest. I'm sad to say that I've given up for the moment and the financial director of amazon.co.uk has set up a little altar to me, in front of which he lights a candle daily.
maybe you'd like to try the "Classics" (everyone in germany has to read them in highschool)
Leben des Gallilei (Bertolt Brecht)
Ansichten der Natur (Alexander v. Humboldt)
Über die Freiheit des Menschen (Alexander v. Humboldt)
Homo Faber (Max Frisch)
Die Leiden des jungen Werthers (Johann Wolfgang v. Goethe)
Maria Stuart (Friedrich Schiller)
most of them are available as "Reclam Hefte" (cost only ~ 3€). They might be not as easy to read as the local newspaper but are by far easier than Goethe's Faust for example.
Posted by: peter at November 30, 2004 06:06 PMAnything scary seems to go over well too and a lot of boys seem to like the Magic School Bus Adventures. Wm was really digging the Adventures of Whit's End too, http://www.whitsend.org/ which were a Focus on the Family radio story hour show, but these are audio volumes & expensive. Someone let me borrow them once and I had to battle with kiddo to give them back. However, anything Aunt Anna gives him will I'm sure be special. :)
Posted by: Brat at November 30, 2004 06:06 PMJem & Neil - Thanks for the Fungus the Bogeyman suggestion. I'll keep a look out for it, but it seems to be out of print. Have to look in used bookstores or ebay for it.
Peter - thanks for the suggestions! I read a play by Brecht in High School, I suppose I should try reading it auf Deutsch now. I'll keep these in mind next time I go looking for German reads. :)
Posted by: Anna at December 1, 2004 05:46 PM