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It's the thundersleet reading thread!

Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven


Feb 24 2015, 3:48pm

Post #1 of 16 (429 views)
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It's the thundersleet reading thread! Can't Post

Yep, here in North Texas I was awakened early yesterday morning by thunder, lightning, and the gravelly sound of sleet hitting the window. Never say Texas weather doesn't get your attention!

We still have freezing temperatures, icy roads, and a chilly, icy, snowy, rainy week predicted. But I daresay those of y'all in the frozen North are rolling your eyes at our even noticing white stuff that is "...no more than a white coverlet to cool a hobbit's toes." (Not that the Fellowship was driving south....)

Smile

I'm still listening to Ngaio Marsh's Tied Up in Tinsel. If I'd been reading it I'd have finished it ages ago, sigh. It's a good puzzling country-house mystery, and I enjoy Marsh's turn of phrase, but I'm still scratching my head at the story being set in the 70s and yet so clearly being an artifact of the 20s or 30s---except for one young character who says "groovy" and that sort of thing, language shoehorned into her mouth by the author.

I'm also listening to Peppercorn Street, a "women's fiction" tale written by English/Australian author Anna Jacobs. She's another friend who kindly sent me an audio book. It's the story of several women who live on the same street in a village in Wiltshire, each working out her own trials and tribulations, which have mostly been caused by an assortment of stunningly nasty males. (Not to say there aren't good guys in the book, too.)

Jacobs is a bestseller in the UK but relatively unknown in the US, which is a shame. Her story-telling skills have led me to enjoy this book immensely despite it having no locked-room murders, no evil magic rings, no space battles.

I'm now heading downhill toward the second eye's surgery (toward the end of March) and am feeling a bit less anxious about the first eye, since the doc keeps assuring me it's healing well. Again, thank you all for your good wishes and encouraging words.

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....


Tintallë
Gondor


Feb 24 2015, 5:00pm

Post #2 of 16 (325 views)
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The Sandcastle Girls, Descent, The Girl on the Train, and currently [In reply to] Can't Post

Orphan Train - so far so good. I've only read the first chapter, though, so I'll reserve comment for now.

The Sandcastle Girls, by Chris Bohjalian, is an account of the Armenian genocide by the ruling Turks in 1915-1916 (about which I knew absolutely nothing), described through the innermost thoughts of the various characters, who include American missionaries, Armenians, and a present-day descendant uncovering their long-hidden secrets. It's very well-written and I was loathe to put it down, but the heartbreaking subject precludes me from recommending it as a terrific book. I do recommend it, but with the caveat that historical fiction can be just as difficult to read as a factual account of atrocities.

Descent, by Tim Johnston, is absolutely wonderful - perfectly written, beautifully crafted, absorbing, terrifying, heartbreaking. . . seriously, it is a really, really good book. The only problem was that I could only read one or two chapters at a time because I found it so emotionally intense. The subject matter is horrific, but the artistry comes with the description of the family's descent, as a whole and on an individual basis, following a horrific event. Read this.

The Girl on the Train, by Paul Hawkins, has been compared to Gone Girl but I can't imagine why. I found it a bit tedious and very predictable. The comma splices nearly did me in halfway through the first chapter; however, I decided they were being used intentionally as a literary device so I chose to keep reading, even though the main character was completely pathetic and intensely unlikeable. (Did I mention the comma splices?) Meh. I rarely abandon a book, so I will just say that there are far better things to read than this.


Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea


Feb 24 2015, 6:00pm

Post #3 of 16 (322 views)
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Only reading a trashy novel right now [In reply to] Can't Post

Highland Brides or something or other. I've had some kind of virus that isn't the flu (gee, am I glad I know that small difference) that makes me feel like I have the flu. Brain cannot engage more than trashy novel level.

I did get a kick out of your description of the weather though. That's normal Maryland winter - mostly rainy sleety messy stuff. I'm really loving this winter since I'd rather have the pretty snow than the ugly rain and sleet. (Sorry folks north of me - I know that usually means you get *more* snow).

.
Heed WBA when building blanket forts.
ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)

Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings






acheron
Gondor


Feb 24 2015, 6:53pm

Post #4 of 16 (316 views)
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Going through the Cadfael series [In reply to] Can't Post

Posted a few weeks ago that I had read the first Brother Cadfael mystery novel. Since then I've gone through.. 6 of them I think? If I remember right I am waiting on #7 at the library, though I've already checked out #8 too. For the most part the order doesn't seem to matter much, but I'm trying to stick to publication order anyway. Have a large library system here so it's pretty easy to locate them all -- usually my local library (the smallest branch in the system) hasn't had them, though they'll go pull them from another branch if I ask, and there are two other, larger, branches that are pretty easy to get to and often have the books if I don't want to wait. Smile

Anyway I'm really liking them. The one I just finished was The Virgin in the Ice.

Interspersed in there was another short historical mystery set in ancient Egypt, Murder in the Place of Anubis. By Lynda Robinson. It was an ok read too, though it didn't motivate me to seek out the next in that series. Set during the reign of Tutankhamen. It was an interesting look at Egyptian life, it just didn't grab me too much.

I found the choice of time (that is, specifically during Tutankhamen's reign) a little funny. My favorite comment about Tut is from a humorous history overview: "By far the most famous of all the pharaohs, however, was Tutankhamun, whose great accomplishment was dying at a young age, and thus remaining so obscure that tomb-robbers of later generations simply forgot to plunder him... When Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922, the treasures found there captured the imagination of the world; and since that time, "King Tut" has been the face of ancient Egypt as far as the average educated citizen is concerned. How the ancient Egyptians would have laughed if they could have known! It is as if Gerald Ford were the only figure from American history to have made any impression on the popular mind." (Dr. Boli's History of the World site -- link is to the most recent chapter but has links to all the others as well. I recommend reading all the chapters when you have a spare couple of hours.)

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


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Feb 24 2015, 7:06pm

Post #5 of 16 (319 views)
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"Jane Eyre's Sisters" by our own Annael! [In reply to] Can't Post

I'm about halfway through and enjoying it immensely, though I feel a little bit out of my depth. (Not because of the writing, which is clear and lucid, but because that kind of analysis is a bit foreign to my way of thinking.) She uses lots of wonderful examples from mythology, literature, movies and real life to illustrate the heroine's journey, which she says is different from the hero's journey. So far the only thing that pulled me up short is her discussion of yin and yang. She talks about what they mean in a man and in a woman, and it seemed like the way she said they manifested in men was more negative. I guess I'm what she calls a "father's daughter" or "Athena", so that felt odd to me.

I can't wait to share this book with my sister, who is a novelist, dreamworker, and whose blog is called "First Church of Metaphor". I think she'll love it.

Annael's references to so many books make me want to read some of the ones I haven't read yet. And she makes me see old favorites in a new light, which is always fun. Of course Eowyn makes an appearance. :-) And so do some of my other favorite characters, like Dorothy Gale and Jo March.

I really think most of the people on these boards would really enjoy this book.


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



Meneldor
Valinor


Feb 24 2015, 7:58pm

Post #6 of 16 (303 views)
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Just finished Post Captain. [In reply to] Can't Post

Ah, the so-often remembered explanation of the shortness of the dog-watches... Laugh


And I had forgotten this gem from Stephen: "Would that be quite regular? I have a horror of the least appearance of eccentricity."


They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107


Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven


Feb 24 2015, 8:41pm

Post #7 of 16 (301 views)
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I'll second that! [In reply to] Can't Post

Yes, Jane Eyre's Sisters is well worth reading. Clear and lucid writing, as you say, but with lots of thought-provoking passages. It's both entertaining and informative.

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....


Riven Delve
Tol Eressea


Feb 25 2015, 12:01am

Post #8 of 16 (283 views)
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Ah, yes [In reply to] Can't Post

Curr-tailed...a jest to gnaw on for the next fifteen years...


Right up there with the lesser of two weevils! Wink



In Reply To
Ah, the so-often remembered explanation of the shortness of the dog-watches... Laugh


And I had forgotten this gem from Stephen: "Would that be quite regular? I have a horror of the least appearance of eccentricity."



Oh, Stephen, the irony...Sly


“Tollers,” Lewis said to Tolkien, “there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.”



RosieLass
Valinor


Feb 25 2015, 1:10am

Post #9 of 16 (287 views)
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My intent was to read more books this year. [In reply to] Can't Post

I'm not sure that "The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night" (translated by Richard Francis Burton) was the best choice. Crazy

I did get quite a bit of the way through "The Journeying Boy" (Michael Innes) on the plane to and from California last weekend. Even though I did snooze through some of it...

"BOTH [political] extremes are dangerous. But more dangerous are team fanboys who think all the extremists are on the OTHER side." (CNN reader comment)

It is always those with the fewest sensible things to say who make the loudest noise in saying them. --Precious Ramotswe (Alexander McCall Smith)


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Feb 25 2015, 5:35am

Post #10 of 16 (283 views)
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I also read "The Fault in Our Stars" [In reply to] Can't Post

It was kind of funny how I chanced on it. I somehow ran across these "Crash Course" videos on youtube, quick courses on literature, history and science, by Hank and John Green. I recognized Hank Green as the producer of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, but I hadn't heard of John Green. His lectures are really entertaining. And in the comments people kept mentioning this book, so I read it. Now I want to see the movie.

It's the story of two kids who meet at a cancer support group and fall in love. Very bittersweet. I loved the heroine's snarky voice.


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



Annael
Immortal


Feb 25 2015, 4:36pm

Post #11 of 16 (272 views)
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Have you read "Death and the Dancing Footman"? [In reply to] Can't Post

Another Christmas-at-a-country-home murder. I love them. This one's set in the 40s and doesn't have the jarring anachronisms.

Mary Stewart struggled a bit with writing books set in the 60s, as well. I think that's why she decided to set Thornyhold and Rose Cottage in the late 40s instead; she just wasn't comfortable writing for the modern world. (And perhaps why she went back to Arthurian times for a while?)

Since evidence can be adduced and interpreted to corroborate a virtually limitless array of world views, the human challenge is to engage that world view or set of perspectives which brings forth the most valuable, life-enhancing consequences.

- Richard Tarnas, The Passion of the Western Mind

* * * * * * * * * *

NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967


cats16
Half-elven


Feb 25 2015, 11:57pm

Post #12 of 16 (257 views)
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Finally, the 'Nostos' of Ulysses... [In reply to] Can't Post

Down the home stretch, if you will.

Roughly 100 pages until I'm finished. The 180 page chapter in play-script form, full of hallucinations, is quite the trip. I know that there will be a big sense of accomplishment after I'm done with this one.

This also means that I'm almost done with The Odyssey, as well. Boy, that Athena sure likes to help out Odysseus. I wish I had a fairy godmother. Angelic



Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!




Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea


Feb 26 2015, 1:48am

Post #13 of 16 (261 views)
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You must not cross paths with tweens much [In reply to] Can't Post

That book was O.M.G. like the biggest thing! *Squee!* WinkLaugh He and his brother are known as the Vlog Brothers and they've been a staple for tweens and teens for years.

I really enjoyed the book. My daughter gave it to me to read and told me about John Green (who is an established writer) participated in NaNoWriMo one year and the result was the draft for A Fault in Our Stars. He said in interviews that he chopped 75% of the book in revisions, but in that first draft was the seed to a good story. NaNo to NYT bestseller. Pretty cool. His advice to young writers - "Give yourself permission to suck."

.
Heed WBA when building blanket forts.
ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)

Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings






Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Feb 26 2015, 4:44am

Post #14 of 16 (259 views)
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No, not much. [In reply to] Can't Post

I think my teen nieces are fans of the Vlog Brothers. It was one of those nieces who got me into the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.


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



swordwhale
Tol Eressea


Feb 27 2015, 4:15am

Post #15 of 16 (228 views)
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waaaaaaaaaaaaaalp [In reply to] Can't Post

no thundersleet here, only snow that turns to ice that gets mushy... all lousy for actual mushing...

Latest copy of Audobon Magazine, in which we learn why it's idiotic to build stuff on barrier islands...

Also still working on Creativity Inc, by Ed Catmull, the Pixar guy.

Creativity Inc, nuff said. It's for all of us.

Na 'Aear, na 'Aear! Mưl 'lain nallol, I sûl ribiel a i falf 'loss reviol...
To the sea, to the sea, the white gulls are crying, the wind is blowing and the white foam is flying...





Meneldor
Valinor


Feb 27 2015, 6:01am

Post #16 of 16 (221 views)
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The King's Coat [In reply to] Can't Post

by Dewey Lambdin. First in an age-of-sail series, the protagonist is very much not Jack Aubrey or Horatio Hornblower, but a teenage rake and wastrel who is forced into the Royal Navy after getting caught in bed with his half-sister. The nautical adventure parts are good, but if the bedroom adventures continue, the only realistic outcome is a nasty case of social disease.


They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. -Psalm 107

 
 

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