While She Knits ~ In Which Gen and the Mede Ambassador Spar

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

Page-Turners.

They keep you reading (sometimes despite yourself).
Is it the action? The tension? The fascinating characters?

What Books Have Kept You Frantically Reading?

It's a good thing every While She Knits post marks off getting closer to the next part of our collective favorite page-turner...

~ Old Favorites
~ Recent All-Nighters
~ What keeps you reading?

Comments

[coyul.livejournal.com]

I've just read Graceling and I absolutely couldn't put it down. I plan on re-reading it soon.

My most read book, other than QT, is Howl's Moving Castle. I can read that one twice in a row and still notice things I hadn't before. A bit like QT, really.

There is also the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They're good, light, hilarious reads and I can never put one down once I've started.

Recent reads (within the past week):
Evermore by Alyson Noel
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz
I recommend all of the above. All of them had me up quite late to finish.

And of course, my usual list of favorites:
Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix
Waiting for the Galactic Bus and The Snake Oil Wars by Parke Godwin
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Mediator series by Megan Cabot
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

I'm sure there's more...

[mycenaeth.livejournal.com]

We are icon twins. XD

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

I've read all of your favourites apart from Parke Godwin. Should I hunt them out?

[readsintrees.livejournal.com]

Ahhh!! I'm reading Graceling RIGHT NOW!

[mycenaeth.livejournal.com]

Recent all-nighters: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Boy Toy by Barry Lyga.

Currently reading Murder on the Iditarod Trail by Sue Henry, and enjoying it. Some of her other stuff I found a bit dull, but this one is great.

[cleo]

A Game of Thrones, the first book in George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I absolutely could not put it down. Unfortunately, the same is not true, for me at least, of the second book.

The Golden Compass/Northern Lights was much the same as A Game of Thrones for me, and the same goes for how I felt about the second book.

For both of these, it was honestly more the characters than the plots. The plots of both are definitely captivating, but I found myself reading mainly for a certain set of characters. That's how it goes for me in most books, and unfortunately, most of the time the characters are minor or die.

The entire Narnia series. I read it all within three days. The prose is just so simple and beautiful while conveying such complex ideas.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. I cannot express how much I loved this book--the plot, the characters, the atmosphere, the writing... It's beautiful and breathtaking and heartbreaking, and those things make me turn pages.

Good writing keeps me reading--the sentences that stand out, the characters that come alive, the prose that engrosses the reader. Occasionally, I get wrapped up in the plot of things, wanting to know what happens. But it's usually more of how the characters react to everything that gets me.

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Haha. Yeah, I'm having a bit of trouble with Clash of Kings too. Went scuttling through the first one, and then up against this giant concrete wall of Book II.

I agree with you on reading for characters - and I think I need more Bran and much, much less Dany. And maybe a free week or two; I can't figure out if it's not grabbing me because I'm not giving it the time or because it's actually just not good.

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

Recently, I have read the first two Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare (you lucky Americans already have access to the third. :P). They were very unputdownable, if that were a word.

Also The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan and the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lunch.

That last one, if you love Gen (and why are you reading this if you don't?) you will love. The second one is sitting on my floor waiting for me to get this damn coursework in.

[pigrescuer.livejournal.com]

That's Lynch, not Lunch. XD

Also, of course, the Vorkosigan Saga, which I have been recetly hooked to. They are one reason why I am behind on coursework.

[inkasrain.livejournal.com]

I loved "Lies of Locke Lamora" (and it happens to have one of the coolest titles ever) although I did think the profanity was unnecessary-- I couldn't recommend the book to a lot of people I would have otherwise because of it. I was not as great a fan of the second book, but it had it's moments, certainly. The third in the series, "Republic of Thieves" was due out in February... unfortunately Lynch is not a deadline person, apparently. He does not seem to have even turned in the manuscript yet, so heaven knows when it will get into our hands.

[inkasrain.livejournal.com]

The second and third books of the Bartimaeus Trilogy were real page-turners for me. The first book dragged terribly, and I'm a little ambivalent about the series as a whole, but the last two books positively demanded to be finished.

[beatlelove927.livejournal.com]

My feelings to a T. Except the Kitty bits in Book 2 were a little dull sometimes.

[(Anonymous)]

Old Favorites: The King of Attolia. The first time I read it, I don't really remember stopping to breathe.

Keeping me up recently: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry; The Accidental Duchess by Jessica Benson. Also Elske by Cynthia Voigt.

And, plug of the week: JACKAROO, by Cynthia Voigt. If you have not read it, you should...if you like the Queen's Thief books I think you would enjoy it.

~Feir Dearig

[9mil.livejournal.com]

Snicket's entire Series of Unfortunate Events I could not put down ever and I would always be sad having to get out of bed to retrieve the next one.

And Susan Kay's Legacy which if you find you get a cookie cause the only time I've ever seen it was when I bought it at a garage sale. It's all about Queen Elizabeth I and how awesome she was and also how crazy she was.

Also most anything by Chuck Palahniuk.

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Gak. I actually own Legacy (library book sale - kind of like garage?), but it definitely goes in the dragging category for me. I think I skimmed it and felt sort of disappointed at the end.

Have you read Susan Kay's Phantom? I used to be crazy about that book.

[ladymoon-kora.livejournal.com]

Someone on this community recommended The Name of the Wind a while ago, and I finally read it recently. I could NOT put it down! I finished it like a week ago and I'm still hyped-up about it. Crown Duel-also recommended by someone here, I believe-is also very good. I agree with fayriedance about Graceling as well, it was a great read.

[charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

I'm currently half way through the Name of the Wind and it is GREAT!

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

Recent page-turners:

Echoes of War by Robert Westall. Absolutely anything by Robert Westall is a page-turner for me. The man was a genius.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. A creepy, dystopian coming-of-age story. I think this one kept me going because it is really well structured.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. I never doubted a happy ending, but I still kept turning pages to see how she would make it happen.

[ilysia-039.livejournal.com]

Yes! Unwind! I read that, oh, maybe a week ago, and I thought it was amazing and creepifying and unputdownable, to use the word of the day. I agree with the well-structured comment. Usually the switching of viewpoints, at least as often as Neal Shushterman used them, annoys me, but they were so well written that they were perfect.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Page turners I've read over the past year or so: The Hunger Games, Twilight and most recently The Truth Trap.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

I will agree that Twilight is a page turner.

man, I need to go back and remember the kinds of books I USED to read...I mean, David Copperfield and Vanity Fair are page-turners, except for some chunks in the middle...

[readsintrees.livejournal.com]

First, everyone here has me feverishly searching Amazon for all of the above mentioned titles to add to my "To Read" wishlist. That list is three pages long, and you guys are NOT helping!

As for the reasons why a certain book keeps me up...it varies. Sometimes it's an action packed plot that makes me feel that if I put the book down, I'll miss something. Sometimes it's a burning mystery that I keep hoping to be solved on the next page. Sometimes it's a new world or concept that is just to enveloping that you don't want to leave it even for a minute...Sometimes it's as shallow as a romantic connection between two characters that I can see developing but they don't seem to notice, and gods damn it why don't they just kiss already?!! Some books, like all of my retold fairy tales....I already know how they end (the slipper fits) but I'm just so intrigued by the way we get there that I have to keep reading.

The Queen's Thief aside, books that kept me up all night include:

-Harry Potter (those midnight releases combined with a feverish need to read led to some night completely devoid of sleep). Combination of plot, mystery, and silly teen romance.

-Sabriel (and sequels). Plot and the concept of a fantasy outside of the dragons-and-wizards world.

-The Golden Compass (and sequels). Plot, characters, new fantasy.

-The Goose Girl (by Shannon Hale). Plot, action, characters, romance...

-A Countess Below Stairs (by Eva Ibbotson). This was, plain and simple, about the delicate romance.

Mr. Was (by Paul Hautman). Twisty little mysteries.

The Constant Princess (by Phillipa Gregory). This book made me realize that tedious court manipulations are somehow engrossing, and that a low-action plot can still be very absorbing.

Ella Enchanted (by Gail Carson Levine). One of my favorite books ever! Prince Char was my first experience with an honest-to-gods crush on a fictional character.

Stardust (by Neil Gaiman) The combination of new story plus familiar fairy tale phrasing and devices was charming.

A Curse Dark as Gold (by Elizabeth C. Bunce) What made this one great was that I didn't realize it was a retelling until I was already into the story anyway, so I had one of those "Holy cow!" moments when I realized what I was reading...and then I had to devour it.

The Decoy Princess, and Princess at Sea (both by Dawn Cook). The only way to describe these books is to say that they are almost cheap in how easily they make you want to read them. Simple guilty pleasures.

Currently I am reading Graceling, and I'm not finding it easy to get to sleep on time. I think mostly it's that I've been so frustrated at the romantic side of things.


Now, for books that seemed to drag on and on? Sunshine, by Robin McKinley. I love the author, but for some reason it took me almost two weeks to finish this book. But I was bound and determined to finish it (it was my second try) before picking up a new book. I mean, it was alright, but I just couldn't keep interested.

[readsintrees.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot to add:

Winter of Fire (by Sherryl Jordan). Hard to find, but worth it.

The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was recommended by Harriet the Spy. I don't normally enjoy "classics" but this one had me reading non-stop once I got past the first few pages.

[thelasteddis.livejournal.com]

Fun fun! I'm loving the themed WSK, anacred. Page turners:
-QT. DUH.
-Wind on Fire, by William Nicolson
-Joust, by Mercedes Lackey (seriously angst-ridden, with the added attraction of DRAGONS)
-The Cry of the Icemark, by Stuart Hill (there's going to be a movie in a few years - I'm sending in a headshot, wish me luck!)
-Harry Potter, by NO REALLY JK Rowling
-Maximum Ride, by James Patterson (there's one character I always imagine looking like a modern Eugenides)
-The Tombs of Atuan (Can't remember the author)

And I'm reading Hamlet for English right now, and I can't put it down, either. I know the basic plot, but not the details, so it's more new to me than it is to other people - ironic since I'm a Shakespeare nut. It's the one play of his that is NEVER PERFORMED AT THE SSC (a local theater).

And ones that drag... Um, I'm going to be honest. The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. I just couldn't bog my way through that book. Its one of those books that prove what was said earlier about the importance of plot, even with wonderful characters. I loved Chrestomanci himself, but even he couldn't get me interested in the plot.

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Tombs of Atuan is by Ursula K. LeGuin. ;)

Did you read the other Earthsea books? Not everyone likes all of them, but I think they're exquisite.

[mdbl.livejournal.com]

UnLunDun by China Mieville. I admit, it dragged for a bit at the beginning (I have trouble with female protags), but then it kicked off and was a complete inspiration (http://www.unowen.net/tegaki/sortbytag.php?t=9806). I love the twist on the concept of what is known to be prophesied in contrast to choices that are made. I also love the visual eye candy of a modern day Alice in Wonderland steam-punk fantasy.

Other's that have been mentioned:
-Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I can read this over and over and be excited about it every time. The way each facet of the plot comes together in the end makes it for me.
-Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It's his first book! The characters are so engaging but it's really the world and the rendition of supernatural power and alchemy through instruction and structure that was my favorite part.

And for those that like art, The Arrival by Shaun Tan. 128 pages of jaw-dropping artwork, telling a story of immigration to a strange new land without any text. The best thing about Shaun Tan--The Arrival is drawn in only one of his ever-increasing artistic styles. With every book he publishes, there's a new artistic discovery to be made.

[in-my-niteshirt.livejournal.com]

I recently re-discovered a book I read a couple years ago that I loved. It's called "Enthusiasm" and it's by Polly Shulman. I've never heard a lot of buzz about it from anyone, but I really liked it. It's clever, and you won't know how clever until the end. It's a YA book, (the characters are all in high school)and I guess it's a romance but it's more about friendships and relationships. Prepare to fall in love with Parr, he's dreamy.

[irenengen4ever.livejournal.com]

Okay, I am almost always kept up late reading. Recently it was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Other books (most are series so I'll put the biggest one in parenthesis) are:

-QT, obviously (hard to choose, but I think KoA wins because I couldn't stop)
-Percy Jackson & the Olympians (The Battle of the Labyrinth, Kronos was back) by Rick Riordan
-Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (So Long and Thanks for All the Fish-Arthur was falling in love and its on Earth, which was destroyed) by Douglas Adams
-Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
-Harry Potter (Deathly Hallows-last one, I had to know what happens) by J.K. Rowling
-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
-The 39 Clues(The Sword Thief, Amy & Ian!) by multiple authors, including Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, and Peter Leragis
-My Sister's Keeper by Judi Picoult

[irenengen4ever.livejournal.com]

Looking at my list, I realize that the other ones are nothing like QT, which is probably why I love QT so much more. Ender's Game, Percy Jackson, and Harry Potter are all about kids who are living up to a prophecy and have to pretty much save the world. Go Tell it on the Mountain I read for school, but it is on this list because I couldn't stop. It pretty much stops at the climax in the middle and goes into three chapters of backstory, and I had to find out what happened. My Sister's Keeper was like an episode of Strong Medicine, and I expected it to be the same,

****SPOILER ALERT*****

but the end was a huge twist, and it may have helped me think it was possible for JK Rowling to kill Harry.

******END OF SPOILERS*****
39 Clues are a treasure hunt, plus you are trying to figure out the clue that is in the book.

[reader-marie.livejournal.com]

Page turners...

Probably the best (aside from the obvious!) of these in my recent reading is I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. Part mystery, part coming-of-age story, part...really, really good book. (Zusak's The Book Thief is similarly amazing, but it's not as much of a driving force.)

I also don't really read Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books--I inhale them. Seriously, they're hard for me to put down (and then they have to go and be cliffhangers, mostly, which doesn't help). But it's a fun ride while it lasts!

[(Anonymous)]

Second the Riordan! And The Book Thief, which is awesome.

Graceling...didn't do it for me. I tried, but...*shrugs* Enough people have raved about it that perhaps I'll give it another go.

~Feir

[traboule.livejournal.com]

Am I the only one who finds Katherine Neville bad and yet compulsively readable?

The Eight was sort of glued to my hands the first time I picked it up (FYI, if you like The Da Vinci Code and haven't read this one, get on it NOW!) and even when I re-read it with a mix of "heheh, guilty pleasure in the unnecessarily attractive men" and "is she serious??" I have trouble putting it down again.

And now - lo and behold! - there is a sequel. It's sloppy in so many ways and silly in so many other ones, and has basically no redeeming features...except that I had to keep going.