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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 3:25pm
Post #1 of 72
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It's the end-of-January reading thread
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End of January? Wasn't it New Year's Day, like, yesterday?
I've been reading the usual magazines, and I started a mystery novel that I didn't care for and put into the give-to-the-library box, so I won't mention it here. I tend to be very, very picky about fiction, I'm afraid, and am well aware that even though I don't care for a novel, someone else may like it a lot.
I read a delightful and informative non-fiction book titled Death by Petticoat, by Mary Miley Theobald. It's a series of very short essays exploding various historical myths, mostly from the 18th century. Theobald often writes for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and her book is illustrated by photos of interpreters and sites there.
The title comes from the myth that many colonial women died when their petticoats caught fire. Not so! These women grew up cooking over an open fire, and so forth, and knew how to avoid the danger. Not that it didn't occasionally happen---I'm trying to think of the wife of a prominent Victorian literary figure who died when her skirts caught fire---but disease was the number one cause of death.
What have you been reading?
PS to One Ringer: I haven't yet obtained a copy of Kidnapped, but it's on my list.
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Angharad73
Rohan
Jan 29 2013, 3:49pm
Post #2 of 72
(615 views)
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... as usual...
Actually, about the petticoats catching fire, I stumbled across an article in a Victorian magazine once, that warned of the dangers of getting too close to open fires when wearing crinolines etc., citing the deaths of a few women, whose voluminous skirts caught fire when they got too close to open fireplaces or similar. And I have also read somewhere that the half-sisters of Oscar Wilde died like that - the skirt of one caught fire, the other one wanted to help...
Anyway. I'm still reading some of the books I got for Christmas, most of all "Men of Steel" by Michael Crumplin. It's non-fiction about field surgery during the Napoleonic Wars. It details just about everything from the organisation of medical staff to the various treatments the wounded received. It's absolutely fascinating, even though I do sometimes wonder how anyone ever managed to survive the treatment of their wounds.
On the fiction side, I have started "The Sherlockian" by Graham Moore. I'm not quite sure yet what to make of it, though.
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NottaSackville
Valinor
Jan 29 2013, 4:52pm
Post #3 of 72
(607 views)
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Frankenstein (ugh) and Pearls Blows Up
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Finished Frankenstein. As mentioned last week, it was not an enjoyable read. The language was just too flowery and the main character just too emotionally overwrought for my tastes. Nevertheless, I'm glad I read it as there were aspects to the story that I didn't know. Sure, I was aware that the "monster" didn't start out that way, but once he turned bad, well, the rest of the story was news to me.
And then for something completely different (and some might say more my speed), I've dived into Pearls Blows Up by Stephan Pastis, a collection of Pearls Before Swine cartoons in which the cartoonist comments on many of the cartoons. I always love those kind of cartoon treasuries where we hear from the creator (Prehistory of the Far Side being the iconic and still the best of them, in my opinion). The book was a gift from the youngest Nottette, who definitely knows how to get on Dad's good side.
Notta
 Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 4:53pm
Post #4 of 72
(609 views)
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I imagine a death by petticoat...
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...would be much more spectacular than a death by, say, smallpox! Odd how the instances of this actually occurring seem to date to the 19th rather than the 18th century.
As for field surgery during the Napoleonic Wars (or during any war before World War One or so), you have a strong stomach! I imagine more soldiers died from the treatment (and the ensuing infections) than died on the actual field.
I've heard mixed reviews of The Sherlockian. Please report back in when you've finished and let us know your opinion 
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BoromirOfWinterfell
Rohan
Jan 29 2013, 5:05pm
Post #5 of 72
(622 views)
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Flies. For the second time. I'm enjoying more than the first. Golding's descriptions are beautiful.
Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg - that has passed, so may this.
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NottaSackville
Valinor
Jan 29 2013, 6:04pm
Post #6 of 72
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Like many, I'm sure, that book changed a lot between my youth and, uh, adulthood
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Actually, I'm not so sure the book changed as maybe I changed. 
I read it multiple times growing up, always as a wild romp with some sickening aspects to it. More recently, I saw much more depth (and sickness) in it.
Notta
Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 6:07pm
Post #7 of 72
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It 's good to occasionally re-visit the classics
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Especially one like Frankenstein, which has been altered almost beyond recognition by all the different versions over---my goodness, I guess it's been 200 years!
The Prehistory of the Far Side is one of my favorites, too. It's enjoyable getting into the mind of the creator.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 6:09pm
Post #8 of 72
(596 views)
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I probably had to read that in school, way back when
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It's probably a good thing I've forgotten most of it, since some scenes will haunt me for years, especially when described by a great writer like Golding.
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One Ringer
Tol Eressea
Jan 29 2013, 6:17pm
Post #9 of 72
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Just finished Kidnapped yesterday...
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I still have yet to go back in search of specific passages that stuck out, but it didn't seem to appear as much in the last hundred pages or so. It did happen again once or twice, but I'm also starting to wonder whether or not I was reading it correctly. Stevenson makes use of certain words that can easily throw the tense off, but on second viewing it's not the case. It's purely uncommon usage (for me, that is), but he pulls it off well.
Just off the top of my head I'll give an example of the sort of shifts I'm talking about:
~We had different opinions of which route to take, but I decide to agree.~
Now, there's some phrases that were often more definitely present tense, unlike this which could easily be a spelling error (as I previously suggested), but many times this sort of writing would pop up here and there. On the other hand though, it might be what you were talking about (L. Fairbairn) in terms of Stevenson's perspe ctive as "editor" of the story. It might be meant to sound like (in terms of my example) talking to a friend casually, such as: "Y'know, we had different thoughts on where we should go, but then I decide to agree with him." Once again it might be possible that there's words missing, or poor spelling, but it also could be the dialect of the time as well (considering the writing in this book is much different from Stevenson's other works).
I'll try to remind myself to retrieve some direct quotes from the book to better dissect this. 
BUT, having said all that - the book was FANTASTIC. It really picked up towards the end as David and Alan made their trek across the Highlands (especially the "quarrel" chapter). I also enjoyed the full circle effect it had (as do most great adventure stories), but my only gripe was the abrupt ending, despite its slowing down. It definitely left me wanting more, and I only wish I could find a copy of the sequel, but it doesn't appear to be available anywhere (in my immediate searches). Regardless, a stellar story by Stevenson. If I was unsure before, I'm certain now that he's one of my favorite writers.
FOTR 10th Anniversary Music Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33xJU3AIwsg
"You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain."
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 29 2013, 6:33pm
Post #10 of 72
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Re-reading The Hunger Games trilogy.
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I'm nearing the end of book two and things are about to get truly horrible for Katniss and Peeta. 
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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Rostron2
Gondor
Jan 29 2013, 6:49pm
Post #11 of 72
(626 views)
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Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara...American Civil War/Western Theater focusing on Shiloh.
It was all right as these things go, telloing the story through the eyes of historical characters and a few cyphers. Sometimes I don't think he quite gets the 'voices' of the historical characters quite right, but they were interesting.
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Jan 29 2013, 7:38pm
Post #12 of 72
(615 views)
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The title comes from the myth that many colonial women died when their petticoats caught fire. Not so! These women grew up cooking over an open fire, and so forth, and knew how to avoid the danger.
I visit a place called Old Sturbridge Village (which recreates a "typical" New England village of 1830 or so, right on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution). On a hot July day I commented to one of the female staff there that on days like that I was grateful I could wear shorts. She shared that she actually prefers the long skirts because it protects her legs from the sparks the fire sometimes throws off. (She was demonstrating the cooking that a farmer's wife of the era might do over her fireplace). That was a different take on period costume for me!
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 8:49pm
Post #13 of 72
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As I said above, I have yet get a copy of this, but I'm looking forward to re-reading it---it's been a long time even though it's one of my favorite stories. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for these odd verb uses. Some of it could be, as you say, dialect.
In any event, thank you for reminding me about Kidnapped. I'm not sure I've read the sequel myself, come to think of it. I gather it's a different book, less adventure.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 8:50pm
Post #15 of 72
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It's hard to get historical voices right
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For one thing, words change meanings and connotations over the years. Although I trust Shaara to have done his research properly
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 8:54pm
Post #16 of 72
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I imagine you could tell who had been doing the cooking by who had little burned holes in her skirts!
All this reminds me of a comment I made way back in the Two Towers/Return of the King days, pondering those long sleeves the costume designer put on Eowyn. Since those sleeves would surely be a danger around a fire, it showed Eowyn's rank that she could leave the fire-tending and cooking to someone else. (The point about someone else doing the cooking being hammered home much too forcefully in the "stew" scene in the EE, of course.)
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Rostron2
Gondor
Jan 29 2013, 9:19pm
Post #17 of 72
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He makes them quite readable. It's hard to know what these people wold say in a specific situation, but he does make them seem more human, and less portrait-like.
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 9:33pm
Post #18 of 72
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Always had troubling believing the burning-dress-death stats. Glad it's been refuted./
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 9:36pm
Post #19 of 72
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"about to get truly horrible"?
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when were they ever good? :)
Buy I've only read the 1st one; need to tackle the next two.
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kiwifan
Rohan
Jan 29 2013, 9:42pm
Post #20 of 72
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@ One Ringer and Lily Fairbairn
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The sequel to 'Kidnapped' is called 'Catriona' and should be obtainable via amazon.com --- can you order from amazon.com as a Canadian resident?
I haven't read either book yet but know that often they're published together, in one volume. Surely a library would have them?
Good luck finding it/them!
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kiwifan
Rohan
Jan 29 2013, 9:51pm
Post #21 of 72
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And I haven't even mustered the courage to read the first one yet...
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I picked it up at a secondhand-books shop but am so terrified of it causing me nightmares that I just eye it warily whenever I have to withdraw some other volume from that particular pile of 'to be read' books. Perhaps I'll end up selling it at a flea market in May because I'm really not sure I can deal with that subject.
As long as that trilogy is not making your holidays hideous... enjoy!
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 9:53pm
Post #22 of 72
(565 views)
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Fires of the Faithful by Naomi Kritzer. I read a sci-fi short story of hers, which was excellent in several ways, so bought this fantasy book of hers. It started off well, about girls living in music conservatory in a post-apocalyptic future in a world ruled by magic and quasi-Christians. The relationships between the teenage girls were authentic--friends are frenemies at that age, and the description of the subtleties of music in its technical, emotional, and interpersonal aspects were all good.
Then the writing felt pretty fake after she leaves the conservatory; I got to the point of skimming the rest of it.
Totally for history/poli sci geeks: Brotherhood of Kings, a history of international relations in the ancient Middle East. I'm enjoying it: well-written and a view of history that you don't normally see, including the personal things people said in letters 4000 years ago. But you have to like the subject to get into it.
Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher. Very amusing book, but it got a little too bogged down in the incessant discussion of words for colors in languages around the world. His sense of humor kept me reading, but I hoped he'd move on to other issues about language, culture, and perception than just whether people have a color for "blue" or not. But if you ever want to make small talk at a cocktail party full of linguists, bring up how "blue" came very late to every language, whereas red, white, and black were always the first words.
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Jan 29 2013, 9:57pm
Post #23 of 72
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I don't think it would cause nightmares.
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It's bleak, and there's violence and sadness, but not more violent than is common in TV and lit these days. It was never scary; maybe suspenseful at times. It's mostly about a struggle to survive in a harsh world. Crudely put (very), it might be similar to a Dickens novel where people struggle against a harsh society with the odds stacked against them. I say that about the theme and tone, not about any parallel plot items or other connections.
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kiwifan
Rohan
Jan 29 2013, 10:33pm
Post #24 of 72
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In a roundabout way, the 'Hobbit' film is responsible for my widening my horizons :
namely, in Brian Sibley's companion book 'TH: AUJ The Official Movie Guide' , in the chapter on Kili, he mentions that Aidan Turner had played Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelite painter and poet, in a BBC series called 'Desperate Romantics' --- which I duly borrowed from the library and watched (in wide-eyed amazement at times because one gets to see quite a lot more of A.T. than I had expected  --- not that I minded, really ) --- and that somewhat frivolous romp then caused me to return to the library for Tim Barringer's non-fiction book 'The Pre-Raphaelites', in the German translation, which I rather enjoyed. I had had a fairly hazy idea of that movement but now was motivated to acquire some proper knowledge, and indeed it is a good read, with plenty of pictures, and definitely a good introduction to the PRB, their ideals and works, and to a lesser degree, their lives. Fairly easy reading, even if you have a sinus headache like I did.
The second discovery I joyfully made thanks to the 'Hobbit' film is the fact that by reading up in wikipedia on one of its stars I found that the wonderful Richard Armitage has done audiobooks of three of my beloved Georgette Heyer novels, and our library (where would I be without that admirable institution) has one of them, 'Venetia', which of course, flu or no flu, I had to go and get as soon as I discovered its existence and the fact that it was actually available that very day (one copy only in the entire system, and available at the branch library nearest to me, just when I wanted it --- fate, wasn't it?). So I spent two afternoons, snug in bed with a hot-water bottle at my feet, hot herbal tea and a packet of cough drops, listening to R.A.'s lovely and expressive voice giving life to these familiar characters in flawless, crystal-clear English. An almost sensual delight for my fastidious ears . Certainly, the audiobook is much abridged which is a shame since very many of what I call the little 'Austenish' bits of gentle satire in the description of secondary characters are omitted. However, it's still very enjoyable. And now I'm reading the novel again, for the umpteenth time, to catch the bits that were left out in the audiobook. And I also submitted a so-called 'Leserwunsch' which means 'reader's wish' (literally) and is a polite request to the library to purchase something one wants, in this case the other two Heyer novel audiobooks recorded by Richard Armitage ('The Convenient Marriage' and 'Sylvester'). I hope the librarian will decide in favour of doing so ... And of course there are two more Heyer novels recorded as audiobooks in the same series, 'Cotillion' and 'The Grand Sophy', read by Clare Wille, whoever she is, but I didn't dare overwhelm the librarian!
I also want to compare the English originals of the two 'Hobbit AUJ' companion books (which I own), Brian Sibley's aforementioned Official Movie Guide, and Jude Fisher's Visual Companion, to their German translations which I got (guess where) temporarily. About those two works in general I just want to say briefly: the Visual Companion contains almost the same photographs as Official Movie Guide so one doesn't really need both of them.
So all of this is in some way due to TH AUJ!
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Laerasëa
Tol Eressea
Jan 29 2013, 10:51pm
Post #25 of 72
(553 views)
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functions pretty well as a book on it's own. It's not a light book, but it's certainly not as horrific as the second two. It's not that everything is resolved at the end, but I actually think, after finishing the first book, I could have seen that as a story on its own.
"When we can take green from grass, blue from heaven, and red from blood, we have already an enchanter's power—upon one plane; and the desire to wield that power in the world
external to our minds awakes."
--J. R. R. Tolkien
Mozart and Chocolate
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acheron
Gondor
Jan 29 2013, 11:42pm
Post #26 of 72
(325 views)
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Still on "A Memory of Light" (Wheel of Time)
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About halfway through now. If I were reading it myself I would probably have stayed up all night sometime last week and finished it, but my wife and I are reading it out loud, so it takes rather longer. I'm certainly excited to see how it ends.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man, for precisely the same reasons. -- Douglas Adams
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Patty
Immortal
Jan 30 2013, 12:55am
Post #27 of 72
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I'm trying to get through The House on the Strand...
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but I'm having a tough time getting into it.
Permanent address: Into the West
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Jan 30 2013, 2:44am
Post #28 of 72
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The next two books are worth reading.
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What I particularly appreciate is the consistency of Katniss's character: She was shaped by the death of her father when she was so young and the necessity of keeping her family alive when her mother was incapable of doing so, and that echoes in all of her decisions and reactions throughout the series.
Katniss, given her background, makes sense to me - and I'm often unable to say that about main characters in books who instead react in ways that are suitable for the plot.
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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Magpie
Immortal
Jan 30 2013, 4:34am
Post #29 of 72
(318 views)
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Finally finished Game of Thrones
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I really enjoyed it a lot. I like that the writing is pretty straight forward, not all arty and pretentious. But there are passages that were so well written I had to read them outloud to my husband (who cares not a whit about it).
I had seen the first season of the show on DVD which follows the first book so I knew what was going to happen. I enjoyed putting a face to many characters. My favorites are Jon Snow, Tyrion, and Arya.
And the book made connections for me that I had missed from the show (or maybe they never attempted to make those connections).
A very satisfying read.
Now, I have to choose from a pile of books I've gotten as gifts in the last few months. I think I have about a dozen. I got a pile of Dresden Files books, a book on plants in Middle-earth (which I started at breakfast this morning and found pretty interesting), a book on the origin of the Hobbit (There and Back Again) and two mysteries by Lillian Stewart Carl. :-)
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 8:16am
Post #30 of 72
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Every time that book is mentioned a little voice in my head says, "Sharpen a stick at both ends". 
Wow, I love that book so much. It's one of the top three books that had the biggest impact on me in my formative years.
Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye, and Animal Farm. I must have read each of them 10 times.
We had Lord of the Flies as a compulsory book in the 4th form. I was the teacher's dream, because I was the only person who had any interest in it. I got 97% in the test. It was my sole achievement at school that year. 
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BoromirOfWinterfell
Rohan
Jan 30 2013, 12:14pm
Post #31 of 72
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I love the book - Along with LotR it got me into reading. Also, English is about the only subject in school that I care for.
Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg - that has passed, so may this.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 2:48pm
Post #32 of 72
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I think the movie version of Kidnapped from some years ago (I looked it up---1971!?!), with Michael Caine as Alan, incorporated a lot of the material from Catriona, such as, well, the character of Catriona.
I thought I had a paper copy of Kidnapped here, but I don't. I do have a couple of books dealing with the real-life murder that inspired the story.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 2:51pm
Post #33 of 72
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...fall apart after a promising beginning. I suspect the author spends a lot of time refining the early chapters, then faces a deadline for the rest.
I saw that same factoid about the color blue in a book I read several weeks ago, The Anthropology of Turquoise. I wonder why "blue" came so late, when everyone had the blue sky overhead even if everyone did not have a blue sea?
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 2:56pm
Post #34 of 72
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The Hobbit---the gift that keeps on giving!
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You've had a very nice convergence of the stars, haven't you? I'll have to look for the Heyer books read by RA---although I get impatient with audio books because I can read so much faster for myself.
As for the Pre-Raphaelites, I really like their work, hokey as some of it is, and their personal stories are the stuff of soap opera. AT as Rosetti? I can see that. Not that I really need to see him
Your library sounds like a real treasure trove! Here, funding for libraries is being cut and cut and cut again, sigh.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 2:58pm
Post #35 of 72
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...of spouses reading aloud to each other. One couple I knew did all of LotR. Sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 2:59pm
Post #36 of 72
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I remember being enthralled by it, so much so I read it at one sitting, but this was many, many years ago. I saw my old copy just yesterday, while I was searching for Kidnapped, and thought I might pick it up again and see if my opinion remains the same.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 30 2013, 3:01pm
Post #37 of 72
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"A satisfying read" is a good recommendation
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Although there are other aspects of the Martin books that have convinced me they're not for me.
Isn't it nice to have a pile of books waiting for you? Although I'm not so sure about those mysteries... 
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One Ringer
Tol Eressea
Jan 30 2013, 4:36pm
Post #38 of 72
(280 views)
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the sequel sounds like a much more grounded read, but still plenty eventful (a good portion of romance this time around).
FOTR 10th Anniversary Music Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33xJU3AIwsg
"You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain."
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One Ringer
Tol Eressea
Jan 30 2013, 4:38pm
Post #39 of 72
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I would definitely order from amazon.com, but the shipping prices on that are enormous (which is a pain considering how cheap a lot of their BBC DVDs are). It also grinds my gears on account of the fact that I live right across the border, too. Meanwhile at .ca there's none in stock. I'll have to do some major snooping around at bookstores big and small.
FOTR 10th Anniversary Music Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33xJU3AIwsg
"You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain."
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Kassandros
Rohan
Jan 30 2013, 4:55pm
Post #40 of 72
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Wow, I didn't know anyone else did this.
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My ex and I used to do this a lot.
LotR, The Hobbit, Silmarillion, Children of Hurin, over the years, as well as non-Tolkien stuff.
all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us...
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Patty
Immortal
Jan 30 2013, 5:15pm
Post #41 of 72
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The beginning reminds me an awful lot of Rebecca...
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So much time is spent on descriptions that I can't get into the story. And this is unabridged copy of an audiobook.
Permanent address: Into the West
(This post was edited by Patty on Jan 30 2013, 5:16pm)
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acheron
Gondor
Jan 30 2013, 5:24pm
Post #42 of 72
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Gave me a chance to work on my Sindarin pronunciations.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much -- the wheel, New York, wars, and so on -- while all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man, for precisely the same reasons. -- Douglas Adams
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guitarzankansasfan
Lorien
Jan 31 2013, 2:35am
Post #43 of 72
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I read that one a long time ago
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I think I read that when I was around 12 or 13 years old, after seeing the trailer for the movie on TV, I became interested in the story and checked out the book. It was very thought-provoking.
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guitarzankansasfan
Lorien
Jan 31 2013, 2:38am
Post #44 of 72
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The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
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Tonight I just started reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my 5-year old son, Peter. He seemed somewhat interested, through chapter one, we'll see how it goes.
...a far green country under a swift sunrise. As the ship approached the edge of the world and the undying lands came into view, Frodo could not help but wonder: "How long? How long? How long to the Point of Know Return?
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Starling
Half-elven
Jan 31 2013, 6:59am
Post #45 of 72
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Oh wow, you are still at school
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I love the interesting mix of people here.
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sherlock
Gondor
Jan 31 2013, 11:18am
Post #46 of 72
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I started to read it shortly after
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I watched the first season of Game of Thrones but couldn't really get into it. Maybe I'll try again.
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BoromirOfWinterfell
Rohan
Jan 31 2013, 12:14pm
Post #47 of 72
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Have brought together so many different people.
Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg - that has passed, so may this.
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Annael
Immortal
Jan 31 2013, 3:47pm
Post #48 of 72
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almost done with The Last Chronicle of Barset
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Have been thoroughly enjoying this. Who knows, I may even attempt the Palliser novels.
But next up is Addicted to Danger by Jim Wickwire. I know a lot of mountain climbers, including some very famous ones, and I've thought for years that they suffer from a kind of addiction. Many of them promise loved ones repeatedly that "this mountain is the last one" . . . but it never is. So I'm interested in what Wickwire, himself a noted mountaineer, has to say about that.
The way we imagine our lives is the way we are going to go on living our lives.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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macfalk
Valinor
Jan 31 2013, 10:23pm
Post #49 of 72
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The third book in George Martins's epic series. My aim is to finish the book before the end of March when season 3 of Game of Thrones premiers.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
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macfalk
Valinor
Jan 31 2013, 10:26pm
Post #50 of 72
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The first time I saw the picture on your profile, it reminded me of Arya
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
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Kimtc
Rohan
Feb 1 2013, 3:39am
Post #51 of 72
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Getting outside my comfort zone with science fiction
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So I am reading the first book in Asimov's "Foundations" trilogy. I've never read his work, and have read precious few sci-fi books (Neuromancer, The Sparrow), so I figured it was time. I work in a library, and I try to get people to read new genres, and need to practice what I preach. So far I'm enjoying it, but I've been told the next two are rough going.
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Feb 1 2013, 5:40am
Post #52 of 72
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I consider that trilogy to be one long work. It felt consistent in plot, style, character development.
What I didn't savor were the books to follow: Foundation's Edge and I forget (happily) the next. They were written quite a bit after the trilogy and didn't have the same flavor. To me they weren't as good.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 1 2013, 3:08pm
Post #53 of 72
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Well, I can certainly understand the lure of mountain-climbing before I can understand the lure of cave-exploring, but then, I'm fairly claustrophobic but love high, windy places. Although I've never climbed a mountain, just enjoyed strolls on nature trails in mountainous areas. So it would be interesting to get the opinion of a pro who's actually been in danger, yes.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 1 2013, 3:09pm
Post #54 of 72
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There are a lot of Martin fans here. I suppose there's a natural Tolkien/Martin crossover, especially since Martin himself is an avid Tolkien fan.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 1 2013, 3:12pm
Post #55 of 72
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You're starting with the classics, I see. If you'd like to try some sf that's not so intimidating, read Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, starting with either Shards of Honor or The Warrior's Apprentice. Great stories, great characters, no heavy going at all.
Good for you, practicing what you preach!
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Kimtc
Rohan
Feb 1 2013, 3:43pm
Post #56 of 72
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We have it at my library, so I'll pick it up today. I'll let you know how it goes.
You're starting with the classics, I see. If you'd like to try some sf that's not so intimidating, read Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series, starting with either Shards of Honor or The Warrior's Apprentice. Great stories, great characters, no heavy going at all.
Good for you, practicing what you preach!
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 1 2013, 4:43pm
Post #57 of 72
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Lois happens to be a good friend of mine. However, she's very popular and has won piles of awards, so you don't have to take my word for the quality of her books
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Feb 1 2013, 7:07pm
Post #58 of 72
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I've never met Ms. Bujold, but she is hands-down my favorite author of SF. So much fun, such interesting characters, and yet some good ideas there too about science and society. So I would heartily second that recommendation.
Not that "Foundation" is bad, I read it as a teen and liked it.
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Alassea Elensar
Rivendell
Feb 2 2013, 12:07am
Post #60 of 72
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I'm not sure if this will help you. I, too, looked at amazon.ca for this book, and while the actual title is out of stock, I saw this listed in the one of the descriptions: "Catriona (also known as David Balfour), a novel written in 1893 by Robert Louis Stevenson as a sequel to his earlier novel Kidnapped. It tells the further story of the central character David Balfour."
I don't know if that's what you're looking for, but if it is there's a book that is a compilation of several of R. L. Stevenson's novels, including 'David Balfour'. You can find it here. Other (full text) titles included in the book are Treasure Island, Prince Otto, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped, The Black Arrow and The Master of Ballantrae.
The book's price isn't quite enough to qualify for free shipping, but maybe there's another novel you could add to the order, to bring it up to the qualifying price. Hope it's the book you were looking for. Btw, there are only 3 left in stock.
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Feb 2 2013, 2:49am
Post #61 of 72
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I'm always trying to get people to try Bujold!//
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Feb 2 2013, 8:01pm
Post #62 of 72
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Another recommendation: Ender's Game
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by Orson Scott Card. There's a film coming out later this year but given the age of Ender has been changed (which is a key part of the book), I don't have high hopes for it.
Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."
"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.
Ataahua's stories
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Kimtc
Rohan
Feb 2 2013, 8:24pm
Post #63 of 72
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I actually tried to get that first before Foundation
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But all our copies were out and there was a request list. I suspect for the reason that there is a movie coming, but also because we don't have a lot of copies (this happened when True Grit came out--our system had one copy of the book, and it had a list of several hundred people waiting for it). I do want to read it before the movie is released, though.
They do change character ages a lot--they did that with Percy Jackson, and it changed the whole point of his character.
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Aragalen the Green
Gondor
Feb 3 2013, 1:26am
Post #66 of 72
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The Original Illustrated Sherlock Holmes
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I just finished reading this collection (Adventures; Memoirs; Return; Hound of the Baskervilles) after about 10 years of letting it sit on the shelf. Some of the stories are so familiar, but I still enjoy how Holmes solved cases without all the high-tech we have now.
I'm also getting ready to re-read Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. I love this series, very "dense" and wonderfully well written. I assume I'll cry at the end (again)
There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don't expect too much.
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One Ringer
Tol Eressea
Feb 3 2013, 4:21am
Post #67 of 72
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I found this very "Seven Novel" compilation at my local chapters a couple days ago. I'd buy it, but I'm not a huge fan of its binding and paper, and I've also already got four of the seven books on my shelf. It's just not a worthy investment for me at the moment, but it's nice to know that there is a copy of it nearby. On the other hand, though, I'm pretty positive that one of my local libraries has it (from some quick online searches), so if I should ever have a craving, I know where to snoop.
Thanks for the heads up though!
FOTR 10th Anniversary Music Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33xJU3AIwsg
"You do not let your eyes see nor your ears hear, and that which is outside your daily life is not of account to you. Ah, it is the fault of our science that it wants to explain all; and if it explain not, then it says there is nothing to explain."
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Feb 3 2013, 8:44pm
Post #68 of 72
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Finished 'The Annotated Hobbit' the other day...
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New insights into Tolkien's creation process. Appendix A is comprised of the most complete version of "The Quest of Erebor" that I have seen.
I've begun Chicago Lightning by Max Allen Collins, a short-story collection of Nate Heller detective mysteries. The new Heller novel, Target Lancer (the middle book in the Kennedy Trilogy) is waiting in the wings.
'There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world.' - Gandalf the Grey, The Fellowship of the Ring
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batik
Tol Eressea
Feb 3 2013, 10:25pm
Post #69 of 72
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Glad you liked the GoT book :)
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...on to Book 2?
I got thru Books 1-5 between May and September (I think!) and what a ride that was!
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Magpie
Immortal
Feb 3 2013, 10:36pm
Post #70 of 72
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I feel some 'obligation' to read one of the dozen books I've received as gifts in the last few months
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My menfolk are so predictable. We talked idly of what we might want for Christmas. I said there wasn't much I wanted except maybe the next couple of books in the Dresden Files series (I've read the first two).
None of them asked me again about what I wanted. I just knew what would happen and it did. They all got me Dresden Files books. Some of them the same books. My husband had purchased in town, though, so he took his books back and exchanged them for different Dresden Files books. I think I got 7 in all.
I also received four other books from different people!
But I don't mind putting GoT on hold. I liked watching the shows first and it will be awhile before I can see season 2 (Netflix is getting it this week but I think it took me almost 6-8 months for the discs to make their way to my house. They get put on Very Long Wait almost immediately)
LOTR soundtrack website ~ magpie avatar gallery
TORn History Mathom-house ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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NottaSackville
Valinor
Feb 4 2013, 3:50pm
Post #71 of 72
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I like Ender's Game much better than Foundation. //
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Happiness: money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important and so are friends, while envy is toxic -- and so is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude. - The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner as summarized by Lily Fairbairn. And a bit of the Hobbit reading thrown in never hurts. - NottaSackville
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Annael
Immortal
Feb 4 2013, 7:10pm
Post #72 of 72
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Dune by Frank Herbert
Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin
any of the "Hainish" novels by Le Guin (Left Hand of Darkness, the Dispossessed, City of Illusions)
the Uplift War series by David Brin
City of Angels by Greg Bear
The way we imagine our lives is the way we are going to go on living our lives.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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