What do you like to read?

justbelieve

New Member
I've always been one for true stories and I also like suspense. I have read many books on Indians and the old days too. What do you like to read and why? Do you read to learn something new or do you read to just get away?
 

Rhonda Tharp

Active Member
I'll read just about anything... From Ken Follett and Steig Larson to Marija Gimbutas, Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. I'll read for escape, but mostly to learn something new. Gotta stay ahead of my students and I love learning.
 

LegendofJoe

Active Member
In addition to mythology I like history. Especially the history of magic and the occult.
Right now I'm reading about witchcraft and magic in the Nordic middle ages. It ties nicely into mythology: Odin is not only
king of the gods, but a powerful necromancer. Cool stuff!
 

RLynn

Active Member
My reading habits lean toward the esoteric, which includes Jungian psychology as well as the occult. I enjoy novels which are either mythologically or psychologically oriented (such as Mann's The Magic Mountain or Hesse's Steppenwolf). A sucker for the Dan Brown type of fiction, I'm currently reading Raymond Khoury's The Last Templar.
 

justbelieve

New Member
I can honestly say that I have never read any of the authors that any of you have mentioned. I'm excited because I now have a new list of authors to look in to. Right now we are trying to learn more about our history so we are picking local history.
 

RLynn

Active Member
My gimmick is to find books which deal with topics in which I am interested. For example, I have no interest in stamp collecting but a great deal of interest in the Holy Grail, so my reading habits tend toward the latter. It's all very personal. Probably as many people are bored to death by The Magic Mountain as are fascinated by it. I just can't resist mountains, expecially 'magic' ones. :)

The thing about books is to have fun reading them. Otherwise it's like a school assignment: dull, dull, dull.
 

greekgoddess31

Active Member
I read a little bit of everything from true crime to science fiction. I like romance, historical non-fiction, and biographies. Pretty much anything I don't have to read for school or work I love, but once someone tells me it is an assignment forget it.
 

Ladyhawk

New Member
I have little phases when it comes to reading. For the longest time I enjoyed horror fiction, mostly the Dean Koontz books, and I still love them, just haven't had the chance to get any new books. I've grown more fond of Science Fiction though, and am always on the search for some good novels.
 

justbelieve

New Member
Ladyhawk ~ I am like you. I read in phases too, I find an author and I stick with them for a while. I also find a topic and stick with it for a while. Then when I get bored with either, I switch. It's good to know others are the same.
 

RLynn

Active Member
My goodness! I forgot to mention two of my most favorite novels. The Magus, by John Fowles, is about a strange adventure of an Englishman on a Greek island, which may or may not have involved supernatural elements. The author lets the readers draw their own conclusions.

Little, Big, by John Crowley, is a fantasy novel grounded in the real world (of a not too distant future), in which the characters seem to have interactions with fairies and such-like. Both of these novels have changed my view of life a bit. Little, Big would be more enjoyable than The Magus for readers who do not like cynical anti-heroes.
 

Libros

Member
I highly recommend Gary Jennings' Aztec. It's a monstrously thick novel, 1100 pages in the standard paperback, but worth every word. Besides being a fairly accurate depiction of life in the Aztec world, there is also active mythology mixed in. In most of Jennings' novels, there are characters who appear in and out of the story to influence the protagonist, and their ambiguity of whether they are people with their own interests, or the gods and spirits from legend come again, is left for the reader. To expose you to all the levels of society and jobs, the protagonist is a sort of Forrest Gump character who participates in all of the major events of recorded Aztec history, from a childhood scribe to the eventual emissary to the Spanish.

However it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Jennings' books frequently have very graphic descriptions of various sex acts as well as violence. The Aztec world, where human sacrifice was commonplace, is no exception. If you can stomach the sex and gore, it's a fantastic read. I've read it about twelve times cover to cover and it's an adventure every time, Dickensian in detail and richness.

His Germanic Gothic novel Raptor, and his Eastern novel The Journeyer about Marco Polo are equally great.
 

Quentin Woolery

New Member
I've read a little of everything in my lifetime. I am currently into Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Tomorrow I may be onto something else. I've read a lot of historical fiction which I love and autobiographies and biographies of many people. It really just depends upon what mood I'm in. And Libros-I've read Aztec. Very nice.
 

Liz

New Member
I know this is so cheesy, but I love Oprah books. I loved the Secret Life of Bees. Before my Oprah fix, I used to love John Grisham books. What complete opposites to choose! I guess I like to change things up a lot!
 

Nadai

Active Member
Paranormal Romances; I love Sherrilyn Kenyon and Jacquelyn Frank. I also read Brian Jacques Redwall Series to my kids ever night; they love him.
 

magickz

Active Member
I will read a book or anything online that suits my interest and I have many. I have read some stuff that just makes people wonder how I can have so many different interests to start with. Sometimes you just see cool stuff and want to learn more, right? :)
 

Willowtree

New Member
I have very eclectic taste and it depends upon what mood I'm in as to what I like to read. I even like to read how-to books sometimes. It really depends upon the time I'm reading and what my interest is at the time.
 

Myrddin

Well-Known Member
I read many diffrent types of fiction, though I can easily say my favourite author is Dean Koontz. Horror is my favourite genre, though I am currently reading a fantasy novel, Terra Incognita. Have also read Mystery -- Inspector Banks all the way! -- and dabble in Historical Fiction and Science Fiction. And of course mythology stories as well as Arthurian legend and fairy tales -- strictly for the purpose of study. Also, I love both The Black Cat and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.

I wonder if you other Dean Koontz fans have read his Frankenstein books? They are amazing.
 
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