Escape Artists

Escape Pod => Science Fiction Discussion => Topic started by: FNH on March 14, 2007, 08:56:08 PM

Title: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: FNH on March 14, 2007, 08:56:08 PM
I once read "The Goblin Tower" by L. Sprague De Camp in a single rainy day.

I spent the entire day draped over a chair in various poses, totally hooked on this book.  ( I just realised it must have been 20 years ago, man-- I'm gettin' old. )

What novels have you read in a day?
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: jrderego on March 14, 2007, 09:00:28 PM
Tunnel in the Sky - Robert Heinlein
Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton (twice in one day actually)
The Lost World - Michael Crichton
Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton
The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells
When Heaven Fell - William Barton
Glory Road - Robert Heinlein
Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
Children of Dune - Frank Herbert
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Paul Campbell on March 14, 2007, 09:42:43 PM
I remember spending four days reading the first four Harry Potter books.  This was just after seeing the first film.  I also had the soundtrack on loop for those four days.  Why, yes, I was a just a little bit loopy by the end.

Also:

These are close contenders at two days each:
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: FNH on March 14, 2007, 09:46:33 PM
Prey by Michael Crichton

That book was so Visual, felt like it was written with the screen in mind.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: FNH on March 14, 2007, 09:47:08 PM
Children of Dune - Frank Herbert

Now that's stamina!
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: SFEley on March 15, 2007, 01:32:59 AM
What novels have you read in a day?

When I was a kid I spent a summer going through the Hardy Boys series, at roughly a book a day.

I can't remember doing it since then, although I've gone through issues of magazines in one day.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Jim on March 15, 2007, 02:08:46 PM
I read War & Peace in one day, but I had to skip every other sentence.

Still don't know what it was about.  :-\
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: JaredAxelrod on March 15, 2007, 03:10:38 PM
I think the first book I read all in one sitting was Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth.  I couldn't put it down.

Most recently, I devoured Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs in matter of hours.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Simon Painter on March 15, 2007, 03:52:07 PM
Does Charlie and the Chocolate Factory count?

...

Guys?  Hello?  You still here?

...

I'll get my coat.

Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: FNH on March 15, 2007, 08:05:05 PM
I read War & Peace in one day, but I had to skip every other sentence.
Still don't know what it was about.  :-\

I read all the sentences.  Believe me, you missed nothing.  This is one of the overrated books, as far as I can tell its called "classic" for the same reason "Chariots of Fire" was called "Oscar Winner", it's old, long and boring.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Tango Alpha Delta on March 15, 2007, 11:16:54 PM
Cat in the Hat!

>:^P

Seriously, I was stuck at home one day, sick in bed, with NOTHING to read except Stephen King's Tommyknockers.  If I end up in Hell, I'm bringing a copy of that and threatening Satan with it....  "Think you're tough, flame-boy?  Read THIS!"
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: SFEley on March 16, 2007, 01:07:38 AM
Seriously, I was stuck at home one day, sick in bed, with NOTHING to read except Stephen King's Tommyknockers.  If I end up in Hell, I'm bringing a copy of that and threatening Satan with it....  "Think you're tough, flame-boy?  Read THIS!"

That was the one which, in the memoir half of On Writing, Stephen King admits to having been so drugged out that he doesn't remember writing it.

It shows, IMO.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Leon Kensington on March 16, 2007, 02:29:55 PM
Old Man's War
Stom Front (Dresden Book 1)
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Tango Alpha Delta on March 17, 2007, 05:18:55 PM
Seriously, I was stuck at home one day, sick in bed, with NOTHING to read except Stephen King's Tommyknockers.  If I end up in Hell, I'm bringing a copy of that and threatening Satan with it....  "Think you're tough, flame-boy?  Read THIS!"

That was the one which, in the memoir half of On Writing, Stephen King admits to having been so drugged out that he doesn't remember writing it.

It shows, IMO.


THAT would explain quite a lot!  I just remember spending the whole day saying "this has GOT to get better!" 
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: lowky on March 19, 2007, 05:25:32 PM
I read War & Peace in one day, but I had to skip every other sentence.
Still don't know what it was about.  :-\

I read all the sentences.  Believe me, you missed nothing.  This is one of the overrated books, as far as I can tell its called "classic" for the same reason "Chariots of Fire" was called "Oscar Winner", it's old, long and boring.

It was probably a good story, but do we really need to know the life history of the cab driver as an type of example of going way into depth of character that Tolstoy was so guilty of.  That man needed an editor in a really bad way.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Bdoomed on March 20, 2007, 02:48:41 AM
umm i dont remember exactly which one... but i believe that it was the 11th book in a series called Animorphs by K.A. Applegate (still love those books, have the whole collection! except for the first one that my idiot brother destroyed!  >:()
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: torchape on March 22, 2007, 08:52:58 PM


When I was a kid I spent a summer going through the Hardy Boys series, at roughly a book a day.

[/quote]

I also spent a time in 1970 Japan, maybe it was summer, reading Hardy Boys and 38 Nancy Drew books (my sisters had those). Recently, I read Connie Willis's "Inside Job" in one night. Most of the books I read are audio books so it is difficult to hear one in a single day with the interruptions of work. I hate it when work gets in the way of things!
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Talia on March 23, 2007, 12:26:04 PM
I think the first book I read all in one sitting was Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth.  I couldn't put it down.

Most recently, I devoured Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs in matter of hours.


Augusten Burroughs is a heck of a writer. I pretty much demolished all of his books (though I havent gotten around to Sellevision yet).

Lets see. I stayed up all night to finish James Frey's semi-fictional (apparently) memoir (and its a fantastic book. I dont care if he made stuff up).  I'll usually go though the latest Sue Grafton or Robert B. Parker book extremely quickly as well.  Its been a while since I've done that, though; I dont seem to have much time to read recently :/
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: wherethewild on March 25, 2007, 03:23:56 PM
I read most books under 500 pages in one day because I have a hard time doing anthing else when I get my nose in a book. Most memorable was probably Neverness by David Zindell which I read when I was about 16 and spent the next 3 days in a bit of a sci-fi overload haze while my brain processed it all.

Last summer I read the last 2 of Phillip Pullman´s His Dark Materials books in about 16 hours, which I probably shouldn´t have because I ended up really detesting it. I´ve discovered that doing a whole series in one go is the best way to ruin the experience for myself. I need to intersperse authors.

I only just got around to The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde, and that I started in bed this morning and finished about 40 minutes ago.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: JaredAxelrod on May 02, 2007, 06:16:32 PM
Augusten Burroughs is a heck of a writer. I pretty much demolished all of his books (though I havent gotten around to Sellevision yet).

SELLEVISION isn't near as addictive as his memiors.  The snarky tone is still there, but this may be the first time I've read a book and thought "You know what would be better?  More of the author in here.  He should make himself a character."
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: scottjanssens on May 02, 2007, 10:06:37 PM
Seriously, I was stuck at home one day, sick in bed, with NOTHING to read except Stephen King's Tommyknockers.  If I end up in Hell, I'm bringing a copy of that and threatening Satan with it....  "Think you're tough, flame-boy?  Read THIS!"

That was the one which, in the memoir half of On Writing, Stephen King admits to having been so drugged out that he doesn't remember writing it.

It shows, IMO.


I'm pretty sure it was Cujo that King doesn't remember writing.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Kaa on May 16, 2007, 06:56:40 PM
The last one I remember reading in one day that wasn't a Xanth novel or a Harry Potter novel was Stephen King's It.  Took me 18 hours, and I had to skip several classes to do it, but it was SO worth it. :)
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Listener on May 16, 2007, 08:31:13 PM
My list:

Harry Potter 5
Harry Potter 6
Voidfarer (Sean McMullen, possibly one of my favorite writers)
The Killing Dance (Laurell K. Hamilton)
Sphere (Michael Crichton)

There are others, but those are the best of the ones I can remember.
Title: Re: Books you've read in one day.
Post by: Listener on May 16, 2007, 08:34:20 PM
I read War & Peace in one day, but I had to skip every other sentence.

Still don't know what it was about.  :-\

I did the same with The Scarlet Letter.  Had to read it for school, so I zipped through it.

I also read a self-help book, "When I Say No I Feel Guilty" in three hours.  I didn't really want to read it but I promised a friend.