NEW! "Owling" in English - let's find our first book!

    Which book would you like to read and discuss? 0

    1. Angie Sage: Magyk (0) 0%
    2. H.G. Wells: The island of Dr Moreau (0) 0%
    3. Jodi Picoult: Vanishing acts (0) 0%
    4. Barbara Pym: Excellent women (0) 0%
    5. Christopher Paolini: Eragon (0) 0%
    6. Azar Nafisi: Reading Lolita in Tehran (0) 0%
    7. Jay Leno: Leading with my chin (0) 0%
    8. Arthur Golden: Memoirs of a geisha (0) 0%
    9. Jasper Fforde: The Eyre Affair (0) 0%

    This is the first time I've set up a thread with a vote, and it's pretty scary.... let's see whether it works!


    Join us for our first book club discussion in English! Which of these books should we read? You've got up to three votes, and you're welcome to explain your choice(s) below.


    The idea is to read the book in English and to hold the discussion in English as well. Don't worry if your English is a little rusty - I'm sure you'll be able to make yourself understood, and there'll be some wise old owls around who'll help if you get stuck. ;-)

    Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles. (Ian Fleming, Casino Royale)

    I've voted for the 3 titles I suggested in the original thread.


    I've read Jasper Fforde already and found it intriguing. However, I don't think his books are suitable for a first-time discussion like this one. He plays with the English language a lot and uses metaphers and images that are not easy to understand for non-British readers. I'd recommend him for more advanced ESL readers.

    Gruss aus Calgary, Canada
    Beatrix


    "Well behaved women rarely make history" -- Laura Thatcher Ulrich

    Dieser Beitrag wurde bereits 1 Mal editiert, zuletzt von Beatrix ()

    I've voted for Barbara Pym, the Lolita book and Jodi Picoult. I've read Arthur Golden already.


    I'm not too keen on Jasper Fforde, I must admit - I think I might find it a little too weird. The rest are not really my genres, but I might think about them if they get chosen.


    (ESL = English as a second language ;-) )

    Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles. (Ian Fleming, Casino Royale)

    I´ve voted for Eragon and Magyk.I´ve already read Arthur Golden and Jasper Fforde,but I would read both of them again,especially The Eyre Affair, since I´ve read in German.
    Anyway, I think this is an interesting idea, for I read quite a lot of books in English,but I´ve never discussed them in this language.

    I`ve voted for "Eragon", "Magyk" and "The Eyre Affair" because the first and the second one belong to my favorite kind of books anyway and I`m always trying to be open-minded for other well recommended books from other reading-junkies :grin.


    Concerning the level of reading and/or understanding between us in a foreign language during the reading circle: as I found out during my own lessons here at home with a group of people all really willing to learn English, the fun of making progress itself erases the differences in grade of perfection very quick.


    :wave
    Ikarus

    Eine Frage: Darf man bei eurer engl. Leserunde auch auf deutsch mitdiskutieren?
    Mein Englisch ist nämlich grottenschlecht. Verstehen tue ich einiges, aber mich versteht keiner, wenn ich was auf Englisch sagen will.


    Ich habe für Magyk gestimmt, da mir das Cover so gut gefällt (was natürlich das einzig wahre Entscheidungskriterium ist :lache).

    Zitat

    Original von Sanne
    Eine Frage: Darf man bei eurer engl. Leserunde auch auf deutsch mitdiskutieren?
    Mein Englisch ist nämlich grottenschlecht. Verstehen tue ich einiges, aber mich versteht keiner, wenn ich was auf Englisch sagen will.


    No go idea imho. I fear the discussion will quickly turn back to german.

    Zitat

    Original von Batcat
    @ sanne


    Aber Du liest das Buch auf Englisch mit?


    Natürlich! Ich will ja auch meine Sprachkenntnisse verbessern. Aber ich trau' mich glaube ich nicht, hier was auf Englisch zu schreiben.
    Mit dem Verstehen habe ich weniger Probleme, und ich habe auch schon einige englische Bücher hinter mir (v.a. aber Kinderbücher wie z.B. HP)

    i think, i must agree with cmoi.
    one person, who discusses in german, isn't good, for the patience of the other readers, to write their posts in english.

    Zitat

    Original von cmoi
    No go idea imho. I fear the discussion will quickly turn back to german.


    OK, dann werde ich halt nur still mitlesen. Ist auch kein Problem für mich. Meistens schreibt ja eh einer vor mir genau das was ich sagen will, so daß meine Fragen auch beantwortet werden.

    I'd rather stick to English throughout. German is OK for the odd word that is just too hard to explain (see "stamina" last night :grin - I was thinking of "Durchhaltevermögen", which is just not the same as "patience" :lache) but it's so much easier to get used to the English-language environment if it is really English only.


    Sorry Sanne - but who knows, maybe as the discussion develops, you'll feel bold enough to chime in. ;-)



    (imho = in my humble opinion)

    Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles. (Ian Fleming, Casino Royale)

    why don't you even try to discuss in english?
    nobody will laugh, if you make a mistake. :-]


    @ piratin
    oh... then you mean endurance :lache

    Zitat

    Original von Batcat
    I want to read Barbara Pym! :cry


    :bruell Me too!


    Don't worry, we'll read Barbara Pym, even if it means that we'll have a nice snug discussion on our pirate vessel, just the two of us. :knuddel1

    Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles. (Ian Fleming, Casino Royale)