|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 3:23pm
Post #1 of 21
(1025 views)
Shortcut
|
|
It's the birth-day reading thread!
|
Can't Post
|
|
No, it's not my birthday, it's my younger son's birthday. He's a mature, grown-up guy now, but a mom never forgets that actual birth-day. Nine pound, two ounces. Yowza! 
On my MP3 player, I'm almost to the end of Stolen Magic and am greatly anticipating the despicable villain's comeuppance. (I only listen for 20 minutes or so every evening---it's not that it's an epic novel!)
I finished listening to the CD audio book of The Innocence of Father Brown, and spotted a bit of business in one story that led to a completely different story for the TV series. But, along the way, the scriptwriters left out the twist that made the original story so good---which is generally my complaint about the dramatizations.
I'm now listening to Austenland, a light but entertaining novel about a young New York woman so obsessed with Pride and Prejudice and Colin Firth's Darcy that she goes to what is essentially a Jane Austen, role-playing, theme park in England. The dramatization (retitled Lost in Austen) is available from Acorn On-Line and I intend to watch after I finish the original book.
The premise has me postulating a Middle-earthland, where we could sign up to role-play an elf or a hobbit or whatever, and be guided through various Ring-related adventures. What fun! I'd get in line to play Eowyn, myself 
My eyesight issues continue to improve, but at a glacial pace, sigh. I keep reminding myself that the whole point is to have any vision at all way down the line, not to ensure perfect vision right now.
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....
|
|
|
Annael
Immortal
Apr 21 2015, 3:41pm
Post #2 of 21
(984 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Re-reading "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
my favorite of her books. I'm just a bit in love with Loyd Peregrina, and spend most of the book wanting to whap Codi upside the head. The descriptions of the Southwest take me right back there.
I'm looking forward to delving into a new book that a friend gave me yesterday, "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" by Muriel Barbery. She says that I will love the bits about choral singing, which was enough to intrigue me.
I hope "Austenland" the book is better than the movie. I thought the movie mean-spirited; the characters were caricatures and the final message seemed to be that a woman can only be happy if she's married and has kids, so grow up and forget your silly aspirations to "have it all." Which was sad because I thought the premise was great.
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Apr 21 2015, 3:42pm)
|
|
|
Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 4:53pm
Post #3 of 21
(975 views)
Shortcut
|
But rest assured that just as I have no problem giving up on a paper book if I don't care for it, I have no problem giving up on a video, ditto. In fact, if I get to the end of Austenland and decide it's not worth the time and energy, I'll skip the video entirely. Life is too short, and my vision is too precious!
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....
|
|
|
Eruonen
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 5:41pm
Post #4 of 21
(966 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Today is my birthday and I am reading Brent Weeks book 2 Shadow's Edge.
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
|
|
|
Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 6:14pm
Post #5 of 21
(961 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Happy birthday to you, too, then! //
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
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....
|
|
|
Annael
Immortal
Apr 21 2015, 6:52pm
Post #6 of 21
(961 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I'd love to visit Middle-earth Land for sure
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I wouldn't need to do anything more than just walk about in it.
Still holding out for holographic rooms in my lifetime.
Glad to hear you are slow-but-steadily improving!
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on Apr 21 2015, 6:52pm)
|
|
|
cats16
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 8:31pm
Post #7 of 21
(949 views)
Shortcut
|
I'm starting Within a Budding Grove tonight, which I remember being my favorite of the Search. Swann's Way read slightly different this time around, which was a neat experience.
Proust and Signs, by Gilles Deleuze, has been an interested read as well. Deleuze postulates Proust's narrator as an apprentice of signs--of kinds of love, of the world--who discovers art as the most essential mode of reaching through an abyss to eternity. (Vague, I know, but that's the essence of what I took from it.)
I'm also dabbling in a few other things now, but nothing more than a chapter here or an essay there.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
|
|
|
Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 9:45pm
Post #8 of 21
(946 views)
Shortcut
|
I'd love to just stroll around Rivendell, or Edoras, or Minas Tirith.... Although I maintain that playing Eowyn and doing so on Faramir's arm would be a good thing. 
So I watched the beginning of the video Lost in Austen and it turns out not to be the movie version of Austenland after all but a different story, if also based on the premise that a modern-day (in this case British) woman is obsessed by P and P. In the first of four episodes, she finds a portal back into the actual novel. Hm. We'll see....
I wonder just how deep the Austen mine can go before it's completely depleted?
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....
|
|
|
Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Apr 21 2015, 9:47pm
Post #9 of 21
(943 views)
Shortcut
|
...that you're getting so much out of Proust! I suppose I need to make the attempt myself some day. But you know it is---so many books, so little time.
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....
|
|
|
Donry
Tol Eressea
Apr 21 2015, 11:10pm
Post #10 of 21
(941 views)
Shortcut
|
I read Joe Perry's book Rocks: My Life In And Out Of Aerosmith - I am not an Aerosmith fan, but a co-worker was reading it and I remarked that there most be some crazy stories, so he handed it over and told me I had til the end of his vacation....pleasantly surprised by it.....seems to be a fairly honest account of his life in the rock biz....the stories are not raunchy by any means, but you get the idea that in the '70's this band toured and toured and toured and drank.....
Also finished Martin Short's - I Must Say: My Life As A Humble Comedy Legend - I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, so I grew up watching Martin Short, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, Andrea Martin and Catherine O'Hara on SCTV. I have followed their careers since, so it was pretty cool to read about Short's quick love affair with Gilda Radner and his early days on stage in Toronto. I found the end of the book gut wrenching as he describes what he went through watching his long time friend, lover and wife die of cancer.
I read Justin Trudeau's book - Common Ground - Trudeau is a Canadian politician and leads the Federal Liberal party up here. His father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was a Prime Minister of Canada in the late 70's and early 80's. Justin is making his bid to become Prime Minister in the next Federal Election up here. I am a big fan of his father (Died in 2000), and have followed Justin's career quite closely. It was nice to pick up the book and read about growing up as the Prime Minister's son, meeting folks like Thatcher and Reagan to name a few. Great stories about being a young lad in Ottawa...trying to ditch his security detail on a bike with his friends.....as expected Justin goes into some detail about growing up under the shadow of one of the most loved and hated politicians the country has ever had. Married, with three kids of his own, he is in his mid-40's and attempting to become a nation's leader. I couldn't put it down.
I finished John Cleese's book a while ago as well. A very, very good book....however if anyone is looking for stories about Python, there are few. This book is about his early life....and wraps up just as the Python's are getting together. He does, however, add a chapter near the end that talks about the live shows the Python's did in England last year. I guess the Python years are stories for another day!
Currently reading Jack Soren's first book - The Monarch - Soren is a new Canadian author. I'm only a hundred pages in at the moment. This one is supposed to be a thriller! So far some dead bodies and some stolen art work! This is supposed to be a trilogy, so we'll see how things go!
What's the matter, James? No glib remark? No pithy comeback?"
Twitter - @DonryFetor
FB - https://www.facebook.com/donryfetortheouthouse
Instagram - donryfetor
Blog - donryfetorsouthouse.wordpress.com
(This post was edited by Donry on Apr 21 2015, 11:15pm)
|
|
|
Annael
Immortal
Apr 22 2015, 12:09am
Post #11 of 21
(931 views)
Shortcut
|
although at times I thought "no, that wouldn't have flown in Regency England."
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
|
|
|
Kim
Valinor
Apr 22 2015, 1:55am
Post #12 of 21
(924 views)
Shortcut
|
|
It's also the Queen's birthday!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Happy birthday to Queen Elizabeth II. And your son too. 
Just read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho for my book club. Had no idea what it was about, although I've heard about it vaguely for years. I guess I can see what he was going for, kind of a series of parables to impart life lessons. But it fell a bit flat for me - too lightweight on the story and characters.
"The earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
|
|
|
cats16
Half-elven
Apr 22 2015, 6:46am
Post #13 of 21
(909 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I was just thinking, actually...
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
...about how Proust would sound via audiobook (likely spurred by rereading the OP and seeing what books you've listened to recently). I'm sure it's quite the task for the voice actor, knowing Proust's affinity for page-length, digression-laden sentences.
*sigh* Very true. At first I was a bit mixed about rereading it only one year later. Still, time is incredibly valuable and I'm finding plenty of 'new' things this time around. All good, I suppose.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
(This post was edited by cats16 on Apr 22 2015, 6:48am)
|
|
|
Annael
Immortal
Apr 22 2015, 2:20pm
Post #14 of 21
(881 views)
Shortcut
|
page-length, digression-laden sentences
I might be able to handle reading him. One of my lit profs tended to ramble; one time I amused myself by diagramming his lecture and found that he he took FOURTEEN tangents while trying to make a point, which in fact he never managed to reach.
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
|
|
|
cats16
Half-elven
Apr 22 2015, 3:10pm
Post #15 of 21
(870 views)
Shortcut
|
What throws me off even more is when a prof goes on a dozen tangents while asking the class a question. I can handle a rambling lecture, but can't stand the awkward silence when nobody remembers/understands what question was asked.
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
|
|
|
Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Apr 22 2015, 4:33pm
Post #16 of 21
(865 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I'm reading "Shakespeare's Star Wars: The Phantom of Menace"
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Some of you may remember how much I love this series. The physical books themselves are sooo yummy, and only eleven bucks apiece (don't get the kindle versions; the formatting is unreadable.) It's Star Wars in iambic pentameter (except for Yoda, who speaks in haiku.) The author delves into the characters' motivations in charming and sometimes moving soliloquies.
In this volume, his main goal was to redeem Jar Jar as a character, which he does by making all the stupid talk a kind of cover in the face of racism. The gungans are considered inferior by the humans, so Jar Jar puts on a clown persona as a way of interacting with them to try to manipulate them into helping his people. It works for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Apr 22 2015, 7:25pm
Post #17 of 21
(843 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Oh, and I enjoyed Austenland a lot
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
as well as the sequel.
The movie had a fun LotR reference: Brett McKenzie is in it, playing an actor, and at one point someone says, "Why are you here and not in New Zealand? Couldn't get a part in Lord of the Rings?"
The sequel is a murder mystery, so you might enjoy that. It's called "Midnight in Austenland".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
|
RosieLass
Valinor
Apr 22 2015, 8:28pm
Post #18 of 21
(840 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I actually finished two books this week!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
But I've been working on both of them for more than a month, so maybe that's not that impressive.
One was "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo, There was some food for thought there, and since we're hoping to move sometime in the next few months, it was good timing to read this book now.
I also finished "Jane Eyre's Sisters" by our Annael. I enjoyed it very much. I have some new authors to try noww, and even got a new perspective on Jane Eyre, which I have never been able to finish. I just wish that I'd purchased the print book instead of the Kindle book, because this is definitely a flip-through-and-refer-back book, and not just a whiz-through-and-finish.
I didn't agree with everything in the book, but found myself nodding in appreciation a lot more than not. And part of the reason I wish I had a flippable version is so that I could have gone back to those "oh yes, that's right" moments.
My full review is posted on Goodreads, and I'll post to Amazon later. Highly recommended for fans of women in literature as well as anyone interested in women's issues in general.
"Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it."
--Joyce Meyer
A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP
--Leonard Nimoy
|
|
|
Riven Delve
Tol Eressea
Apr 23 2015, 2:35pm
Post #19 of 21
(797 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Happy (belated) birthday to your son, Lily!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Sounds like you could have used a uterine replicator for that birth! (Yep, been rereading a Miles Vorkosigan book this week again... )
I too enjoyed Austenland the book. Regarding the movie, "My feelings are so different. In fact, they are quite the opposite."
Glad to hear your eyes are ever-so-slowly improving. Take care!
“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.”
|
|
|
swordwhale
Tol Eressea
Apr 23 2015, 5:02pm
Post #20 of 21
(785 views)
Shortcut
|
ordered a Dana Girls mystery, The Haunted Lagoon, (related to those nancy Drew things), even though I'd never read Nancy Drew or any of that...
this one happens to be set on Chincoteague Island which has been part of my life since I read Marguerite Henry as a kid, and went there the last year Misty was alive.
I did a two-day back country paddle years ago, and the campsite I stayed in, on the Maryland/VA line is, I believe (with its crumbling dock and "haunted" fish factory) the actual haunted lagoon.
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
Apr 24 2015, 5:18pm
Post #21 of 21
(762 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I didn't know that one was out!
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Forsooth, I did verily love the first three with unseeming glee, kid.
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
|
|
|
|
|
