a bit more interesting than the run of the mill, you might try Last and First Men/Last Men in

London (usually published together) by Olaf Stapledon (a professor at Liverpool University) –

very philosophical and the best book I’ve ever read.

at the end of last year and I could not put them down. I completed books 1-6 in a few weeks.

I’m impatiently awaiting the final installment.

I finished reading the Harry

Potter series in French last summer and enjoyed each one immensely. I even got the audio

series in French for the first three to listen to while on my way to work! I also agree that

it’s okay to read “light” and “fluffy” stuff once in a while, especially children’s

literature. I’ve reread some books that I had read when I was growing up and it’s amazing

how one can have a completely different perspective on the same book as an adult. I always to

try to balance my reading by rotating the types of books I read, for example, I just read Le

Fleau by Stephen King (fluffy & French) and now I’m reading Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared

Diamond (historical/factual). So, for me, balance works.

You may also want to check out

this link if you enjoy listening to book debates in French and

English:

http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/indicatifpresent/combat2005/

http://www

.cbc.ca/canadareads/cr_2005/

Both debates are over for the year, but you can still

listen to them and even download them to your MP3 player.

Also, I wanted to say thanks

for responding to my post in the French forum. I had asked how you went about going to France

for three months because it was something I was interested in doing. I’m glad you wrote the

steps for the long term visa stay-I think that’s what I actually wanted! Merci mille fois!!

-Alana (DeuxFoisBravo)

Harry Potter in French at the moment; (Harry Potter et la coupe de feu.)
It’s interesting

seeing how the translator deals with idioms and the like (la famille Jedusor for the Riddle

family – for example).
Happy reading!
Best wishes
Mike

you for recommending the Fforde books last summer. I love them!!!!! You are absolutely

correct: a little light reading is not a bad thing and in fact, I think, works just like a

rest time or light exercise does for our bodies.