[Keyoke]

We're always talking about what books we've recently read, or bought.. BUT, what about those books that you gave to your favorite used book store? Or simply discarded them to a friend?

Myself, I brought a few (13 or so) books to my book store, and few of em were..

Curse of the Mistwraith (Book 1-3) by Janny Wurts - Just could never get into it.. I wanted to, but, it never grabbed me..

Battle-Axe by Sara Douglass - Susprisingly, already had a copy of it.. Didnt need two.

Book II of Elizabeth Haydon series Rhapsody. Hate this series, every man stumbling over this chic was just to much.. I couldnt get pass it.. I know I know.. But, soemtimes, ya just get hanged up on a thing..

A few Scifi novels that I was never going read .. Cant remember em..

What bout you?!? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

Keyoke

[Elessar]

Have you ever read Marion Zimmer Bradley?
I read a few. I started with "The mists of Avalon".
It's got to be one of the worst books I ever read. It bored the crap out of me. I felt the plot was all made up, the style was VERY bad AND poor, and it wasn't convincing at all.
I hate giving up reading a book, and I didn't. I crawled through it. I think *someone* owes me for it, I should win a prize.
Just to be sure, I read another (yes, that was stupid): "The fall of Atlantis", just to find out that it was just like the other one, if not worse.


From Stephen Kings "Hearts in Atlantis":

"A book is like a pump. It gives nothing unless first you give a bit. You prime a pump with your own strength. You do this because you expect to get back more than you give... Eventually."


and later on (about William Golding's "Lord of the Flies") (I try to translate this from german):


This book is about twohundred pages thick. Read the first ten percent- that means, twenty pages, I know you're not as good with math than reading- and if you still don't like it by then, if it doesn't give you more than it takes, put it away.



Well, I gave "mists" a lot more than it gave to me http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif


-- Elessar

[Penumbra]

Dear Elessar,
(You must be a Tolkien enthusiast) I've never thrown away a book, but if I had purchased them, rather than borrowed, it would have been MZB, not only for the reasons you mentioned but for those you delicately sidestepped. Too bad they didn't bury her work with her when they put her body to rest.

[Elessar]

Penumbra.. LOL ;-)
Come to think of it.. Did any of you ever read anything William Shatner wrote? Well, maybe that's more on the SF part but.. What do you think about it? That TEK and Star Trek stuff..


Well, not an extreme enthusiast (some of my friends wouldn't second that, but ... ;-)

I think it's really a great book.. and I thought Elessar made up for a good nick :-)
I've been using it for over a year now *G


-- Elessar

[Vroomfondel]

Well if it weren't for the fact that throwing away books is anthema (however you spell it) to me, I'd have tossed The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordon long ago.....

[JohnH]

*Books that went to the local library and never returned*
(actually I told all the other books that these went to live on a farm in the country and ....)

Goodkind -- all that I ashamedly owned
Weis and Hickman -- though I believe one now levels off a work table in my garage (j/k)
Angus Wells -- worst writer on the face of the earth
Sharon Green - deja bleah!

It is very hard for me to give up a book. But these did not deserve shelf space and it was very cathartic to give them away. Pretty much step three in recovery from Completionistic Syndrome.

[Caliban]

Any takers for The Redemption of Althalus?

I'll give you a quarter if you take it off my hands.

[Cadfael]

... and I will give you $10 if you promise to keep it, and take my copy off my hands as well http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

I tend to hoard books, even the ones I did not enjoy. The ironic thing is I have passed on books that I do enjoy to other people... b/c they are so dog-eared I have had to replace them.

[jbcohen]

Never done this with any fantasy novels, but I have done this to a few Mystery novels. Most noteably the Jake Grafton novels. The characters appear to sit around doing nothing for 98 % of the novel and have a burst of activity towards the end. I am going through A Game of Thorns at the monent. I have thought about getting rid of it, but will most likely finnish it in due time.

[Hobbit]

Get...rid...of...books?

Noooooooooooo......

Put 'em in the loft, yes, but throw away... never.

Keyoke: 'Book II of Elizabeth Haydon series Rhapsody. Hate this series, every man stumbling over this chick was just too much..'

Hmm. Read the first, thought that it was OK but a little overrated - your comment did seem to strike a chord. Perhaps it's a bloke thing. the second I have here to read .... sometime.

To be honest I've a few franchise novels that I'm probably never going to read.

And I really didn't like the Sten novels, though I think I know someone who does...

The one I nearly nearly threw away most recently was The Light of Other Days by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Two fantastic SF authors (IMHO) but dreadful, dreadful novel. I really struggled to finish it, but It's still there (admittedly at the back) of the shelves (lurking...'try me again, try me again...' )


I even have my copy of Redemption of Althalus, but somehow it never quite gets read.... http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Hobbit