Our Sponsor Sideshow Send us News
Lord of the Rings Tolkien
Search Tolkien
Lord of The RingsTheOneRing.net - Forged By And For Fans Of JRR Tolkien
Lord of The Rings Serving Middle-Earth Since The First Age

Lord of the Rings Movie News - J.R.R. Tolkien

  Main Index   Search Posts   Who's Online   Log in
The One Ring Forums: Off Topic: Off Topic:
Weekly Book Review Thread, Chapter 100-something, in which our heroine

a.s.
Valinor


Jan 22 2009, 12:20am

Post #1 of 18 (292 views)
Shortcut
Weekly Book Review Thread, Chapter 100-something, in which our heroine Can't Post

almost forgets that it's Wednesday!! Good heavens, they give me Monday off as a holiday and the rest of the week I'm forever running a day late.

Crazy

Anyway, another week when I unfortunately got little reading done because I'm once again trying to be a writer (taking yet another workshop) and something has to give. A girl must sleep occasionally more than four hours a night.

But I did finish one more Thrush Green book, the original "Thrush Green", which started it all in 1959 and is, in some ways, the best. I still really love this series.

I am almost done with Edwin Drood and will entertain spoilers in the next post, if anyone else has read it and has a conjecture. Talk about your whodunnits!

And I started another book by Kathleen Norris, the writer of Cloister Walk. Amazing Grace seems less experiential and more explanatory, so far, but I am not very far into reading it yet. I am still on a search for something that is eluding me--forever around the corner but out of sight. Not even sure what I'm searching for (a.s. pauses and briefly channels U2...). Wondering if the appeal of Thrush Green is related to a search for something that is also leading me to read up on Christian Mystic Saints.

Wondering if I got more sleep if I would wonder about things like that.

Cool

That's it for me. What about you all? What have you been reading this week?

a.s.

"an seileachan"

Some say once you're gone, you're gone forever, and some say you're gonna come back.
Some say you'll rest in the arms of the Savior, if sinful ways you lack.
Some say that they're coming back in a garden: bunch of carrots and little sweet peas.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Iris DeMent



Call Her Emily


morganlyfe
Rivendell


Jan 22 2009, 12:50am

Post #2 of 18 (197 views)
Shortcut
Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman [In reply to] Can't Post

It was the first in a series called "The Sally Lockhart Mysteries." It was a teen book, so an easy and quick read, but I did rather enjoy it.

I picked it up because I love mystery novels, especially ones set in Victorian times. As a mystery, I was a little disappointed, because there wasn't much to really figure out and piece together. I think it was more of an adventure story than anything else.

The characters were the best part, in my opinion. They kept me laughing at times and holding my breath at others. Philip Pullman really is a talented writer.

I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something fun and fast paced.

~I'm sorry, the table in my head just flipped over and spilt my thoughts everywhere.~


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Jan 22 2009, 12:52am

Post #3 of 18 (218 views)
Shortcut
From the sublime to the ridiculous: "Rose's Garden" and "Captive Dreams" [In reply to] Can't Post

"Rose's Garden" is a literary-type novel that I picked up at a thrift store. It was beautifully written but not very action-packed (well, there is a flood. But somehow even that seems pretty mellow). I mostly just read it like poetry, because the imagery was so wonderful. The basic idea is that a 75-year-old man is grieving his recently-deceased wife. One day he sees an angel in his garden, and as a result starts reaching out to other people in the little town, people his wife has already touched. There are lots of flashbacks and flash-forwards, so it's a little hard to keep track of if you're not reading carefully.

"Captive Dreams" is one I picked up on the sale shelf of Barnes and Noble. It's pretty much pure pornography, (which gives me pause; why can women's porn be sold at B&N and the grocery store, where any child could buy it, but men's porn is sequestered? Just wondering.) The reason I bought it was that the premise intrigued me: two sisters are sci-fi/fantasy romance writers. One writes about a high-tech future, the other about a magic past. Both have big strapping heroes who undergo all kinds of torments. The heroes decide to get revenge by kidnapping the sisters and bringing them into their respective worlds and do all kinds of nasty (but delicious) things to them. The idea of an author interacting with a character was what intrigued me. But I'm having trouble getting past the fact that this is pretty much pure porn, with throbbing body parts on almost every page, and I find that gets pretty boring after a while. I'm going to try to finish it, but it is making me yawn. I'm hoping we eventually get a little plot and/or emotion in there to keep my interest.

I've also started "Pyramids", another Pratchett book. I finished "The Light Fantastic" and enjoyed it a lot. In "Pyramids" a young prince goes to the assassins' academy, but has to give up his promising career as an assassin when his father dies and he has to return to take over the throne.

BTW, a.s., I understand completely about having Monday off and how that can throw off the rest of the week. I had to concentrate extra hard to keep to my class schedule this week, since it's different every day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Jan 22 2009, 12:54am)


RosieLass
Valinor


Jan 22 2009, 12:56am

Post #4 of 18 (217 views)
Shortcut
I found a new series. [In reply to] Can't Post

The author is Christopher Fowler, and it's about two geriatric police detectives in London, Arthur Bryant and John May, who head the Peculiar Crimes Unit.

I haven't read far enough yet to figure out whether "peculiar" means simply "odd" or if there is a paranormal element. (If there is, I probably won't finish the story. I'm not really interested in that.)

The first book is Full Dark House, in which a bomb destroys the offices of the unit, and the investigation harks back to Bryant and May's first case together in 1940 during the Blitz.

I confess that I peeked at the ending of the book, because I wasn't sure how the author was going to continue a series where he kills off one of the protagonists in the first chapter of the first book.

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brains."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brains."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."


- A. A. Milne


RosieLass
Valinor


Jan 22 2009, 1:41am

Post #5 of 18 (188 views)
Shortcut
I looked at "Captive Dreams" on the shelf at the store one day. [In reply to] Can't Post

And I put it back down, for that very reason. These so-called "romance" novels are nothing but poorly written excuses to throw a bunch of characters in bed with each other all the time.

I've read maybe a half a dozen all the way through, but occasionally I'll pick one up and flip through it, out of morbid fascination. They'd be laughable if they weren't so pitiful. You find yourself checking the cover again, to make sure you didn't accidentally pickup a veterinarian's handbook on animal husbandry or something.

The only good thing that has happened to the romance genre is that it seems at last to have progressed beyond the "Boy Meets Girl, Boy Rapes Girl, Girl Thinks 'Hey, I'm Kinda Enjoying This!', Boy and Girl Fall in Love and Live Happily Ever After" nonsense. (At least, I hope it has. As I say, I don't follow the genre closely.)

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brains."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brains."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."


- A. A. Milne


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Jan 22 2009, 2:07am

Post #6 of 18 (178 views)
Shortcut
Yeah. [In reply to] Can't Post

I actually put it down the first time and left it there, but when I told Uncle Baggins about it he wanted me to get it, in hopes that he'd be the beneficiary. But I get a lot more aroused by a *real* romance. I'm trying to think of a good example, and all that comes to mind is some of Louisa May Alcott's stuff, especially her heroes and their unrequited love, like Laurie, and Dan. *sniff* I always loved John Brooke too. He's what my daughter would call "adorkable".

Or there's the chorus from this old ballad:

What's that to any man, whether or no
Whether I'm easy, or whether I'm true
As I lifted her petticoat, easy and slow
And I tied up my sleeve for to buckle her shoe.

Now *that's* yummy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories

leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Revie
Rivendell


Jan 22 2009, 2:50am

Post #7 of 18 (185 views)
Shortcut
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - all 944 pages of it [In reply to] Can't Post

A patron at my library forced me to read this, declaring this to be the best book she had ever read in her whole life. (Okay, not forced to read it but when someone says a book has changed their life I feel it is my duty to see if it changes mine. Hmmm...not so much in my opinion.)

I think that about half way through the author lost my sympathy. The book is written as autobiographical, with the author escaping from a maximum security prison in Australia and fleeing to the slums of India to disappear from law enforcement. He becomes a sort of medic in the slum, using black market medicines and his first aid kit to heal the poorest of the poor in Bombay. His love for the people of India, and the colorful, tumultuous streets of Bombay really shine through. However, when he got involved with the Indian Mafia I started to think, hey, this guy is nothing but a criminal at heart. And the parts in Afghanistan fighting the Russians were interminable and altogether too bloody for me. I started out feeling sorry for the guy and thinking he took a wrong turn but was going to make his life mean something, then realizing he was just going to keep on making wrong turns and pontificating about his feelings whilst making them .

Not only that, this book goes on and on and on. There's enough material in here for three books. Oh editor, where art thou?

I think my friendly patron felt that there was a lot of deep, meaning-of-life stuff in the book that was worth taking away and I can relate to that--there is. But his writing was too turgid for me to enjoy the deep philosophical truths he put in there.

Dymer's Dream: A Graphics Journal


RosieLass
Valinor


Jan 22 2009, 4:09am

Post #8 of 18 (180 views)
Shortcut
Ah yes. [In reply to] Can't Post

John Brooke is one of my many literary crushes.

Along with Faramir and Lord Peter Wimsey and Guido Brunetti and Radcliff Emerson and Roderick Alleyn and Mr. Arabin and Mr. Darcy and Colonel Brandon and Mr. Knightley and Lord Percy Blakeney and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and...

And Jeeves. And Sherlock Holmes. Crazy

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."
"And he has Brains."
"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brains."
There was a long silence.
"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything."


- A. A. Milne


Compa_Mighty
Tol Eressea


Jan 22 2009, 2:12pm

Post #9 of 18 (192 views)
Shortcut
Jurassic Park [In reply to] Can't Post

I finally got round to start Jurassic Park, albeit at a relatively slow pace. I'm finding it fascinating. Crichton was so knowledgeable in so many things... and he just pours it into the book in a way that interests you, rather than bore you.

On to Iteration 2...

On the waiting list I have Crichton's Next and I just bought Kipling's Jungle Books and Stevenson's Treasure Island. Have I ever told you my middle and high school was named Rudyard Kipling? It's about time I seriously read something of his.

Here's to Del Toro becoming the Irvin Kershner of Middle Earth!

Essay winner of the Show us your Hobbit Pride Giveway!


Finding Frodo
Tol Eressea


Jan 23 2009, 4:20am

Post #10 of 18 (170 views)
Shortcut
Three Cups of Tea [In reply to] Can't Post

I didn't know what I was in for when I started this book. It's the story of Greg Mortenson, an American mountain climber in Pakistan, the son of missionaries who grew up in Africa and Minnesota. He failed on his attempt to climb K2, became separated from his guide, stumbled into a tiny isolated village, and when the people there helped him to recover, he vowed to build a school for that village. It was very difficult to accomplish, but Mortenson built the school (and a bridge to it), and started a foundation with the help of a sponsor, continuing to build more schools (and metaphorical bridges) in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan through the late 1990's. When the timeline reached September 11, 2001, I could barely make myself keep reading. There were plenty of dicey moments even before that. Mortenson is incredibly selfless and very human too. It's one of those books that makes me want to do something.

Where's Frodo?


Radhruin
Rohan


Jan 23 2009, 6:33am

Post #11 of 18 (180 views)
Shortcut
Death Comes for the Archbishop [In reply to] Can't Post

I know that I am pretty sporadic with my postings in the weekly book thread, but I try. ;)

Death Comes for the Archbishop
by Willa Cather. Here is a (weak) review I posted on Goodreads: "My first taste of Willa Cather's work was My Antonia which I really enjoyed. I had looked forward to Death Comes for the Archbishop and was not disappointed. The story itself is captivating, but the descriptions of peoples and landscapes keeps you on the edge of your seat. Having visited the areas of the Southwest, including Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado made the words like paint brush strokes in my memory. It was as though I had stepped into a live action painting. Very beautiful."

I am in the midst of Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. I had no intention of reading another "classic" set in the same general geographic area, but I'm glad I picked up McCarthy's book after finishing Cather's novel. The transition worked really well for me. Both authors have a way with detail descriptions to beat no other.

"Too many times we've been postally pipped
We've loaded the saddles, the mickeys are slipped
We're swapping the turf for the sand and the surf and the sin
'Cause the fix, the fix is in..."

~Elbow


ElanorTX
Tol Eressea


Jan 23 2009, 7:45am

Post #12 of 18 (166 views)
Shortcut
we were just discussing this book today at Bible study // [In reply to] Can't Post

 

"I shall not wholly fail if anything can still grow fair in days to come."


a.s.
Valinor


Jan 23 2009, 12:25pm

Post #13 of 18 (162 views)
Shortcut
"words like paint brush strokes in my memory" [In reply to] Can't Post

What a lovely description.

I love Cather, she's one of the few writers (besides Tolkien) that I consistently re-read, and Archbishop has become my favorite of her books. It's like falling into a warm and lovely dream, when you become enmeshed in this story.

a.s.

"an seileachan"

Some say once you're gone, you're gone forever, and some say you're gonna come back.
Some say you'll rest in the arms of the Savior, if sinful ways you lack.
Some say that they're coming back in a garden: bunch of carrots and little sweet peas.
I think I'll just let the mystery be.

Iris DeMent



Call Her Emily


SirDennisC
Half-elven


Jan 23 2009, 12:51pm

Post #14 of 18 (164 views)
Shortcut
Still [In reply to] Can't Post

reading Mallory but also picked up a copy of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in the original language at one of the many fine bookstores around Kingston Ontario.


somuchmore
Rivendell

Jan 23 2009, 1:32pm

Post #15 of 18 (158 views)
Shortcut
'picked up' as in [In reply to] Can't Post

'I bought it, and can't wait, language no problem' or as in 'hm, yeah, hm, nah, some other time, maybe..'?
Actually in my list of 'never got round to, but really must read', and it could be quite a challenge, especially in the Middle English dialect.


SirDennisC
Half-elven


Jan 24 2009, 2:09pm

Post #16 of 18 (217 views)
Shortcut
somewhere between [In reply to] Can't Post

It sounds beautiful read aloud but understanding everything tis tnoter matter entirely lol.

I'm glad I read Tolkien's translation (borrowed from the local university) first. Helps a great deal.


almas_sparks
Rohan

Jan 24 2009, 11:38pm

Post #17 of 18 (145 views)
Shortcut
Don`t forget the Smeajaheddin [In reply to] Can't Post

I read the book too and although it has its moments, some characters and plots are beyond ridiculous. Like when they go to Afganistan to fight and they drag with them this guy who I call Smeajaheddin (Smeagol Mujaheddin) because he`s such a Gollum knock-off it isn`t even funny. talking to himself, killing friends and foes and eating them, crazy bug eyes, LMAO! Like, so obvious!


Revie
Rivendell


Jan 28 2009, 2:20am

Post #18 of 18 (163 views)
Shortcut
Ugh, don't remind me! [In reply to] Can't Post

I know! The whole Afghanistan trip (remember his falling off the cliff in pitch darkness and only hanging on by the horse's bridle part?) seemed a real stretch. It just got gross and ugly and it was all I could do to keep reading hoping he'd get back to India or the village at least.

Dymer's Dream: A Graphics Journal

 
 

Search for (options) Powered by Gossamer Forum v.1.2.3

home | advertising | contact us | back to top | search news | join list | Content Rating

This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2012 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net

Do not follow this link, or your host will be blocked from this site. This is a spider trap.