I'm curious as to what people here may be reading at the moment or if anyone cares to share what books have made an impact on them at any particular moment in their lives; or any quotes that have done the same.

Right now I am reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, translated by Lucia Graves.  It is full of quoteable passages but this one particular paragraph I find myself going back to again and again.

Just to set it up, the protagonist has gone to the cemetery of books to hide the last copy of a book by a particular author to prevent it from being destroyed.

"Without further ado, I left the place, finding my route by the marks I had made on the way in.  As I walked in the dark through the tunnels and tunnels of books, I could not help being overcome by a sense of sadness.  I couldn't help thinking that if I, by pure chance, had found a whole universe in a single unknown book, buried in that endless necropolis, tens of thousands more would remain unexplored, forgotten forever. I felt myself surrounded by millions of abandoned pages, by worlds and souls without an owner sinking in an ocean of darkness, while the world that throbbed outside the library seemed to be losing its memory, day after day, unknowingly, feeling all the wiser the more it forgot."

And on that cheery note...!

Ohhhh, I like this thread!! I am definitely going to have to check out the book you quoted! I mostly read for an escape from reality. It's the thing I do to unwind. I love to read but seldom read anything enormously heavy because I don't get to sit and read for long periods of time which makes it difficult to follow an in-depth or complicated story if I only get to read 5-10 pages per sitting. Now when I'm on vacation or sick...l'm game for anything! Lighthearted reading - For a combination of adventure, romance and historical fiction I love Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. She does not write so eloquently but is amazing all the same. There is another author, Jan Karon, that I really like. It is very lighthearted, easy reading that is a Christian based series but the writer paints such poetic pictures. Here is my favorite passage from "At Home In Mitford": “Spring is slowly climbing the mountain to Mitford, wearing a frock of morning mist and carrying an armful of forsythia. She is shod with ivy and dandelion, and her hair is entwined with sprigs of wolf bane. Unfortunately, she is easily distracted and often interrupts her journey to tarry upon a bed of moss, where she sleeps for days on end.” this is one of several but I will hold them until next time... I'm currently re-reading Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck, but some of my other favorite books include: Prince of the House of David by J.H. Ingraham True Grit by Charles Portis Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell The Tales of Olga da Polga by Michael Bond and Hans Helweg Hostile Waters by Peter Huchtausen, Igor Kurdin and R. Alan White and the list goes on...

There is a book thread already, although I don't think there have been any new posts recently. It's there if you want to take a look. Some good book suggestions to be found.

Thanks for the info, tripoli.  I'll take a look for it.

Coming, dharr?

Your welcome. Anything to get the book talk going again. Always appreciate suggestions on what to read.

Yep... On my way. :-D Oh Wait,,,,Does anyone know what the thread is called? I don't want to get lost.

 It's called Book Talk.

 A Beautiful Mind is my favorite Book. It inspires me that how a man is dedicated towards his work.

 Here's my favorite architecture quote - All architecture is great architecture after sunset; perhaps architecture is really a nocturnal art, like the art of fireworks.  by Gilbert K. Chesterton

________________________

The no-hassle NYC Contractor from concept to completion.

Well, I haven't heard from anyone here in the book club thread for a while.  Is anyone reading any good books?  I'm currently reading Still Alice.  It is an amazing insight to Alzheimer's seen through the eyes of the diagnosed.  It was recommended to me by one of our own forum gals.  If you get a chance, its a really good, easy read but if you have loved someone with Alzheimer's, read it with a box of tissue!  

 I'm currently reading the complete Sherlock Holmes collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's fun, light reading, although the book itself is huge in size and well over 1000 pages so it's taking a bit of time to get through. But I'm chipping away at it until my books come in at the library. Please tell me other people still go to the library. I've heard so much talk lately about kindles and reading "books" in some type of online format, I fear libraries are a dying breed.

tripoli:

 I'm currently reading the complete Sherlock Holmes collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It's fun, light reading, although the book itself is huge in size and well over 1000 pages so it's taking a bit of time to get through. But I'm chipping away at it until my books come in at the library. Please tell me other people still go to the library. I've heard so much talk lately about kindles and reading "books" in some type of online format, I fear libraries are a dying breed.

 

I was there 2 days ago!  But,,,it was just to donate some books.    I LOVE being able to download books to my phone.  I also love the smell of libraries and book stores and can look through them for hours! But with my job, its difficult to carry a book with you to read on your breaks so having them on my phone is wonderful.  The Sherlock Holmes series sounds wonderful.  I may very well have to check them out!  

 

dharr0917:

I was there 2 days ago!  But,,,it was just to donate some books.    I LOVE being able to download books to my phone.  I also love the smell of libraries and book stores and can look through them for hours! But with my job, its difficult to carry a book with you to read on your breaks so having them on my phone is wonderful.  The Sherlock Holmes series sounds wonderful.  I may very well have to check them out!  

 

 Well it's nice to hear that you still visit the library even though you have a kindle. I can see how having one would be convenient, but I just can't get on board with it. Books should be books, not online, computerized versions of a book. I too love the smell and feel of books, new or old. I wouldn't want future generations to miss out on that, in our ever growing, digital world. Okay, sorry. Rant over.

 On a slightly unrelated note, if anyone is looking for a good educational/documentary type film, I just finished watching "Madagascar - The Land Where Evolution Ran Wild". It's absolutely amazing, and so beautiful to watch. I highly recommend it.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The greatest book ever written and had the most profound impact on my life. Three brothers struggling with their identity, faith, and view of the world as it relates to the untimely but coincidental murder of their father. This book was amazingly prophetic. 

 Quote no. 1

"Yes. I am afraid. I am afraid to die [said the woman]...Fear nothing and never be afraid; and don't fret. If only your penitence fail not, God will forgive all. There is no sin, and there can be no sin on all the earth, which the Lord will not forgive the truly repentant! Man cannot commit a sin so great as to exhaust the infinite love of God. Can there be a sin which could exceed the love of God? Think only of repentance, continual repentance, but dismiss fear altogether. Believe that God loves you as you cannot conceive; that He loves you with your sin, in your sin. It has been said of old that over one repentant sinner there is more joy in heaven than over ten righteous men. Go, and fear not. Be not bitter against men. Be not angry if you are wronged. Forgive the dead man in your heart what wrong he did you. Be reconciled with him in truth. If you are penitent, you love. And if you love you are of God. All things are atoned for, all things are saved by love. If I, a sinner, even as you are, am tender with you and have pity on you, how much more will God. Love is such a priceless treasure that you can redeem the whole world by it, and expiate not only your own sins, but the sins of others." [ Father Zosimma dealing with a widow who can't forgive her dead husband]

Quote 2.

 "I suffer...from lack of faith... I have come now to lay my soul before you and to ask you about it. If I let this chance slip, no one all my life will answer me. How can I prove it? How can I convince myself? Oh, how unhappy I am! I stand and look about me and see that scarcely any one else cares; no one troubles his head about it and I'm the only one who can't stand it. It's deadly- deadly!... [Zosimma replies]...No doubt. But there's no proving it, though you can be convinced of it...By the experience of active love. Strive to love your neighbor actively and indefatigably. In as far as you advance in love you will grow surer of the reality of God and of the immortality of your soul. If you attain to perfect self-forget-fulness in the love of your neighbor, then you will believe without doubt, and no doubt can possibly enter your soul. This has been tried. This is certain." [Father Zosimma dealing with a woman who has lost her faith]

Quote 3.

“Listen: if everyone must suffer, in order to buy eternal harmony with their suffering, pray tell me what have children got to do with it? It’s quite incomprehensible why they should have to suffer, and why they should buy harmony with their suffering.” [Ivan arguing with Aloysha about the suffering of children]

Quote 4.

“But hesitation, anxiety, the struggle between belief and disbelief—all that is sometimes such a torment for a conscientious man like yourself, that it’s better to hang oneself. . . . I’m leading you alternately between belief and disbelief, and I have my own purpose in doing so. A new method, sir: when you’ve completely lost faith in me, then you’ll immediately start convincing me to my face that I am not a dream but a reality—I know you know; and then my goal will be achieved. And it is a noble goal. I will sow a just a tiny seed of faith in you, and from it an oak will grow—and such an oak that you, sitting in that oak, will want to join ‘the desert fathers and the blameless women’; because secretly you want that ver-ry, ver-ry much. . . .” [The devil arguing with a delirious Ivan about his very existence]

 

The Brothers Karamazov sounds very interesting and the quotes have me intrigued.  It also sounds like it would be a very large book.  I may very well have to check it out.  thanks for sharing it.