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It's the end-of-September reading thread!
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 2:49pm

Post #1 of 38 (1331 views)
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It's the end-of-September reading thread! Can't Post

Our renovation project is winding down, thank goodness. Smile Bag End Texas is looking mighty spiffy. The only thing that gives us pause is that the new carpet is a different color in the house than it was in the carpet showroom---and the difference is not for the better. Unsure Other than that, all is well.

I've finally had the time to sit down with an advance reading copy of Jane Eyre's Sisters, a non-fiction work by our own Annael. And a pleasure it is to read, too, based on the provocative theory that the hero's journey popular in books and films (Luke Skywalker, Frodo) is not the heroine's journey at all, that women's lives tell a different story (Eowyn, for example, or Lois McMaster Bujold's Ista.)

The book isn't written in academic-ese at all, but very clearly and skillfully, with lots of great examples supporting the central thesis of the woman as a wanderer in search of her true self. Even so, I keep stopping to ponder the profound ideas underpinning the straightforward prose.

I hope Annael will make an announcement here on TORn when the book is published (next March) so we can all buy copies.

What have you been reading?

Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....


DaughterofLaketown
Gondor


Sep 30 2014, 2:58pm

Post #2 of 38 (1191 views)
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I just recently finished Nicholas Nickleby [In reply to] Can't Post

By Charles Dickens. I am a big fan of his work and this was my fifth one I've read. I really enjoyed it but David Copperfield remains my favorite. I am currently reading The War of the Roses by Alison Weir, a nonfiction account of the English war of the Yorks and Lancastrians in the 14 and 15 hundreds. I have a fascination with the time period. Smile But for now that's all and I will have to start looking for something new in the near future.




"And so they stood on the walls of the city of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air."


Finding Frodo
Tol Eressea


Sep 30 2014, 3:55pm

Post #3 of 38 (1184 views)
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American Wife [In reply to] Can't Post

A totally fictional story, loosely based on Laura and George Bush, but close enough to the facts that you can recognize "Alice and Charlie Blackwell" for who they are supposed to be. It was interesting. Fun fact: author Curtis Sittenfield is a woman -- I didn't realize that until I got to the end and read the book jacket. Here I thought it was an extremely sympathetic man.
It's nice to be in the reading thread. Annael's book sounds great!

Where's Frodo?


CuriousG
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 4:01pm

Post #4 of 38 (1182 views)
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The Long War by Terry Pratchett/Stephen Baxter [In reply to] Can't Post

I suppose it was amusing here and there, but overall, it wasn't an interesting universe to me, and I thought it on the verbose side. I got so I didn't care too much what happened to the characters by the end. But I was on an airplane for 4 hours, so maybe that contributed to the sense of tedium.


Annael
Immortal


Sep 30 2014, 4:14pm

Post #5 of 38 (1188 views)
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thank you for those words! [In reply to] Can't Post

I'm sure you know very well how terrifying it is to put your baby out for review! And yes, I shall be announcing when it's ready for pre-order/purchase!

Meanwhile I am enjoying your "The Secret Portrait" very much. I'm getting more and more set on visiting the Road to the Isles area - it's calling to me! (Have you read Sally Watson's "Witch of the Glens"? I read it as a child and it instilled the longing in me to tramp around Scotland some day. She too was an American who felt the call of her roots, and it was to Fort William that she went first.)

To be sane we must recognize our beliefs as fictions.

- James Hillman, Healing Fiction

* * * * * * * * * *

NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967


NottaSackville
Valinor

Sep 30 2014, 4:29pm

Post #6 of 38 (1180 views)
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The Dresden Files - all of them [In reply to] Can't Post

With a new Dresden file book out recently and my own bad memory, I was faced with 3 choices:

1) Read the new book, having forgotten much of what has gone before, and hope it comes back when needed.

2) Read the last book or two to refresh my memory and then read the new book

3) Read them all again, starting with Book 1

(Note the absence of any option that looks like "Don't read the new book"!)

Well, when presented the option of reading lots of Butcher vs a little of Butcher, I chose wisely and picked "All of them!".

I'm thoroughly enjoying the books the second time around - I'm currently on #7 Proven Guilty, and it's fun to see much of the long term plot unfold knowing how the various threads will come together (or unravel). I'm definitely picking up more clues than I did on the first read.

I've read some other books in my absence from this thread, but we'll skip over those for now.

Glad the renovation is winding down, and you make Anneal's book sound very interesting!

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


Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 4:35pm

Post #7 of 38 (1179 views)
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And thank you in return [In reply to] Can't Post

No, I haven't read Witch of the Glens, although I've heard of it. Sounds as though I should add it to my list! I've been lucky enough to spend a fair amount of time in the Fort William area, and yes, it's well worth a visit.

Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....


morganlyfe
Rivendell


Sep 30 2014, 4:37pm

Post #8 of 38 (1191 views)
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That's an interesting difference between heroes and heroines [In reply to] Can't Post

I've noticed that it's rare to find a female "hero" in the classic sense. I guess it's true that women were excused from fighting and seen as weak by most ancient (and even some modern) societies, but even in fantasy novels and modern fiction, it's difficult to find female characters in the classic "hero" role. Katniss from the Hunger Games comes to mind as an exception, but for the most part, it's rare. It seems female characters are usually more concerned with searching for love, even outside of the romance genre. I'm still looking for the female Luke Skywalker's and Frodo Bagginses, who essentially sacrifice their own identity to become a part of something bigger. I'm sure they're out there, but I haven't found them yet.

I like the idea of a woman as a wanderer in search of her true self. But I feel like there should be both genders in both roles. Give us a female to save the world now and then and a male to discover his true self. Maybe I'm just of the mindset that men and women aren't innately all that different, but growing up I always found it easier to relate to male characters (despite being female). I've been wanting to see more female heroes for a while now. I even have a blog (which I just started a few days ago) to find books with strong heroines who accomplish something more than just finding love/happiness at the end (not that isn't a big feat in and of itself, I just get tired of reading it over and over again). Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://damselswithoutdistress.blogspot.com. Also, if you have any books to recommend that fit what I'm looking for (i.e. books which are plot driven by strong females), please do recommend them here or send me a PM :)

As for this week, I just finished reading a book called "Century" by Sarah Singleton (which I just reviewed on my blog ^_^). It was a good atmospheric ghost-like story (though without any actual ghosts). Great to read in preparation of October. Now I'm trying to finish the Silmarillion (which I keep reading in small doses). I really like the stories in it, but it is difficult to read all in one sitting. I still don't have all the names and places straightened out, but I'm getting there!


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 30 2014, 6:31pm

Post #9 of 38 (1167 views)
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I'm rereading Blood Rites [In reply to] Can't Post

as I wanted to delve back into the Dresden/Thomas dynamic and this book is primarily about them. I think the books are at their best when these two are playing off each other.

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


NottaSackville
Valinor

Sep 30 2014, 6:41pm

Post #10 of 38 (1168 views)
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I would agree [In reply to] Can't Post

The dynamic between those two is great. And it really has been fun to view the early Harry/Thomas interactions knowing their future.

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


Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 6:44pm

Post #11 of 38 (1165 views)
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Great blog! [In reply to] Can't Post

You might enjoy the work of Lois McMaster Bujold. Ista, the character I refer to above, is in Paladin of Souls, the second book in the Chalion fantasy series, but Bujold is known primarily for her science fiction work, the Vorkosigan series. All have strong females, although the main character of the Vorkosigan series is a young man who, well, wanders about searching for himself and saving a world or two in the process.

I agree, having both men and women in both roles would be a good thing, and a break with many of the patterns of the past.

Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow....


morganlyfe
Rivendell


Sep 30 2014, 6:51pm

Post #12 of 38 (1159 views)
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Thank you! [In reply to] Can't Post

I'm glad to hear you liked the blog :) I will check out Bujold. It sounds like it might be what I'm looking for (and if not, it sounds interesting to say the least).


Starling
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 7:00pm

Post #13 of 38 (1170 views)
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Morganlyfe, [In reply to] Can't Post

have you read John Marsden's 'Tomorrow, when the war began' young adult series?
The central character in these is a teenage girl.


morganlyfe
Rivendell


Sep 30 2014, 7:01pm

Post #14 of 38 (1156 views)
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Can't say that I have. [In reply to] Can't Post

I will check them out. Thanks! :)


Starling
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 7:08pm

Post #15 of 38 (1157 views)
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My copies are very battered [In reply to] Can't Post

They have done the rounds at work, with people begging for the next one! They are an easy read and quite exciting. Ellie, the main character is such an interesting person and really rings true for me. She is a lot like girls I knew growing up.


morganlyfe
Rivendell


Sep 30 2014, 7:22pm

Post #16 of 38 (1149 views)
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That's always good to hear about a book [In reply to] Can't Post

I just looked up the summary online and it looks like something I'd like. I'm really excited to read them! I just ordered the first one online. I'll let you know what I think of it :)


Starling
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 7:34pm

Post #17 of 38 (1147 views)
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I will be interested to hear what you think // [In reply to] Can't Post

 


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Sep 30 2014, 7:48pm

Post #18 of 38 (1160 views)
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Finished "Packing for Mars", started "The Silmarillion" [In reply to] Can't Post

"Packing for Mars" by Mary Roach sure gives a person an appreciation for the intestinal fortitude of those early astronauts. One of them said it was like "spending two weeks inside a latrine". I learned more about poop in zero gravity than I ever wanted to know. Her writing is very entertaining, but she sure doesn't shy away from subjects that most of us don't bring up in polite society.

And I started listing to the Sil on my Kindle. Several years ago somebody in the RR suggested listening to the audiobook. Since my Kindle will read books out loud, I decided to give it a try. I'm finding that by being forced to go slow, I'm visualizing more. This is only my third time through, in as many decades. Why do so many names have to start with not just the same letter but the same syllable?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Arwen's daughter
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 8:01pm

Post #19 of 38 (1145 views)
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I need to do this [In reply to] Can't Post

I had some gaps in my memory with the last book and opted to read it anyway and refresh my memory through Wikipedia summaries. I think that I've made the decision to hold the big reread until we get closer to the final books.


My Costuming Site
TORn's Costume Discussions Archive


CuriousG
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 9:00pm

Post #20 of 38 (1147 views)
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How does the Kindle sound? [In reply to] Can't Post

About 10 years ago, Adobe Acrobat Reader would read PDFs out loud, but the voice sounded mechanical and creepy. I was trying it out at work, and the woman in the cube next to me got seriously rattled by the choppy, robotic voice and asked me to turn it off, she was that bothered.

I'm sure things have come a long way since then, so I wonder how natural the Kindle sounds?


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


Sep 30 2014, 9:04pm

Post #21 of 38 (1159 views)
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This reminds me of a discussion [In reply to] Can't Post

a few years back about war in Middle-earth, and one person said you'd do alright in a battle if you were on the side of someone who's name started with 'Fin'. Cool


In Reply To
Why do so many names have to start with not just the same letter but the same syllable?


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


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Sep 30 2014, 9:14pm

Post #22 of 38 (1157 views)
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I'm hard pressed to answer that. [In reply to] Can't Post

I've listened to thousands of pages, and become rather fond of the voice (I use the woman's voice; there's also a man's voice.) But it's definitely a robot, and it has a few odd quirks. Like it pronounces the word "tired" as "tire-ered." If you try out this website, it sounds a bit like that. link


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



CuriousG
Half-elven


Sep 30 2014, 10:28pm

Post #23 of 38 (1142 views)
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Thanks for the link [In reply to] Can't Post

That's a reasonably normal-sounding voice.


a.s.
Valinor


Sep 30 2014, 10:56pm

Post #24 of 38 (1142 views)
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Reading Ian McEwan's latest: The Children Act [In reply to] Can't Post

Very good so far. One of my favorite authors.

Annael's book sounds very intriguing. I hope she'll announce when it's available!

a.s.

"an seileachan"



Annael
Immortal


Oct 1 2014, 12:14am

Post #25 of 38 (1137 views)
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yes [In reply to] Can't Post


Quote
I like the idea of a woman as a wanderer in search of her true self. But I feel like there should be both genders in both roles.


I address this. The wanderer is the person who is not allowed to be themselves in the society they're born into, and goes in search of that freedom (really, the inner strength to be themselves no matter what others demand of them). The traditional hero basically just does what others expect of him, lives up to the prophecy, makes everything okay for other people . . . but there's plenty of men who don't want that role. And women who are heroic in a very different way from kicking butts & taking names.

To be sane we must recognize our beliefs as fictions.

- James Hillman, Healing Fiction

* * * * * * * * * *

NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967

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