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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 5 2015, 2:15pm
Post #1 of 12
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It's the Cinco de Mayo reading thread!
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Here in Texas we're celebrating Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates a victory by Mexico over France in the battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. Nothing like a good excuse for a party!
When the clock-radio came on this morning, our classical-music station was playing a suite of music from TH: AUJ, which was a nice treat.
As for reading, I've been struggling through a Smithsonian magazine (I'm so behind on magazines!) with the aid of a magnifier, but I risk a headache even doing the crossword puzzle, sigh. I increased the font size on my Kindle and finished Shady Characters, an entertaining (really!) book about unusual punctuation marks.
I finished listening to the CD set of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods---I love Bryson's writing and his narration is good, too---and am still listening Elizabeth Peters' Serpent on the Crown, which I'm enjoying even as I'm reminded I haven't read the previous installments in the series.
Also instead of reading I've been watching videos. I have one episode left to go of Lost in Austen, which is entertaining and irritating at the same time. The script rings some interesting changes on the original story, but the main character, the 21st century woman who's dropped into the book, is just this side of annoying. I've also caught up with episodes of Wolf Hall, which is beautifully produced and acted but, by showing the complex politics of Henry VIII's time, is also unfortunately tedious.
I keep hoping eventually my eyes will be back to normal reading---reading glasses would not be a problem---but normality cannot come fast enough!
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....
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Annael
Immortal
May 5 2015, 2:33pm
Post #2 of 12
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I hope your return to normal accelerates!
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I'd go nuts if I couldn't read. (And not be able to work!)
I've been reading Cinderella and Her Sisters: The Envied and the Envying by Ann Ulanov, a Jungian therapist & writer I like very much - she brings a much broader perspective than just that of Jungian psychology to her books. This one is about how envy - whether you envy others or are envied by them - is possibly the most life-destroying emotion one can feel. Envy both longs for good and does all it can to destroy it, like the person who kills the longed-for lover so no one else can have them.
Really has brought home to me the quandary I have found myself in many times of trying to make myself "smaller" so others wouldn't be threatened by my positive traits - a huge mistake all around. And to be fair, I also see myself in the section on those who envy others. My one problem is that the book is aimed at therapists and so talks about how the therapist can help people through this issue much more than how people who are envied or envy can work it through themselves. Not a self-help book. But she does say that the solution for both is to "hold to the good" - not to hide one's light under a bushel, and to practice gratitude for anything good in one's own life, no matter how tiny, because the more one opens yourself up to "the good" (she never defines that), the more good there will be in one's life and the less envy will be able to overpower one.
A book that I had to keep putting down so I could think about what she was saying.
People with soul can identify with another person's basic human struggle without either judgment or indifference.
-- Thomas Moore
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NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Old Toby
Grey Havens
May 5 2015, 2:42pm
Post #3 of 12
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I've just started the second book in Jack Whyte's Camulod series. I really am enjoying his pre-Arthurian tales! And wow! I cheated a bit a looked ahead at some info on the upcoming books in the series and learned that the two main characters that are in the books at the moment are Uther's great-grandfather (Publius Varrus) and Merlin's great-grandfather (Caias Britannicus). So far a great series.
Also have waiting in the wings The Virginian, Airs Above the Ground and Dragonfly in Amber.
"Age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good." Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher)
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
May 5 2015, 2:46pm
Post #4 of 12
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I recently finished a Doctor Who novel that was a decent read even if it did have a twist that was telegraphed from a mile away. Engines of War by George Mann was a story of the War Doctor as played by John Hurt. The War Doctor is given a new companion in the book, Cinder, a young woman from a planet devastated by the Time War being waged between the Time Lords and the Daleks.
I've got nothing new on my plate right now, but I am anticipating receiving Ruins of the North, an adventure supplement for The One Ring Roleplaying Game, in the mail within the next few days (or so). I might even manage to get some writing done.
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
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Riven Delve
Tol Eressea
May 5 2015, 7:24pm
Post #5 of 12
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I just needed to visit with somebody nice in fiction (kindhearted Freddy Standen, who nevertheless lands Jack a facer  ), which is what one is driven to after watching Wolf Hall. Politics is brutal (and also, life-threatening) in Tudor England.
“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.”
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 5 2015, 7:39pm
Post #6 of 12
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This was a surprisingly good read - I thought it'd be a useful time-filler but it was more than that, with better than expected plotting and a heroine who takes charge of her own destiny, even when she thinks she is powerless. The book hooked me right in and for two nights in a row I went to bed waaaaay too late after a case of 'just one more chapter' went a bit out of control. 
Anyway, the plot is of a warrior nation subjugating an urban nation and the Warlord claiming a Warprize - in this case, the ineffective King's half-sister. It's unashamedly a fantasy romance novel and I loved it - I'll be buying the four-book series for future re-reads.
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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Annael
Immortal
May 5 2015, 7:50pm
Post #7 of 12
(475 views)
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on all counts. May have to look into that . . .
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
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
May 5 2015, 9:02pm
Post #8 of 12
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Not much in the way of literature.
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I have been reading a book called "Chess Mazes", which are these fun little chess puzzles. I'm too stupid at chess to figure out the usual kind of "mate in two" puzzles, but these are different. You have one white piece and have to either check or mate the opposing king (depending on the piece you're playing). Nobody moves but your piece, but you're not allowed to put it in danger of capture. So the pieces on the board create a kind of maze with invisible walls. You're supposed to just study the diagram and figure it out, which I do sometimes, but I also enjoy setting up the board (my LotR set is fun). I got both the paperback and the kindle version, and have ordered the sequel.
Here's a continuing wish for quick healing for you, Lily. TTT (Things Take TIme).
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GNU Terry Pratchett
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"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."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on May 5 2015, 9:02pm)
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
May 5 2015, 9:13pm
Post #9 of 12
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to times in my childhood when my mom asked me not to play musical instruments because it would make my sister feel bad. Not that my sister ever complained; my mom was just always really in tune to both of us and could see my sister feeling glum. For example, when we were teens my sister had borrowed a concert harp from the university over Christmas break for some reason, and I sat down and started to play--without having played a harp before--and my mom asked me to stop. I do understand. It must have been hard to struggle at something that came easy to me. But it still felt bad to be asked to hide my light.
To her credit, my sister now has two daughters, one of whom has the musical drive, and when the other one complained, my sister defended the musical one, saying that she had been driven to practice and that's why she was good.
And now that we're in our fifties, I'm seeing some amazing gifts that my sister has, and am trying not to envy them. She talks about "bright shadow projection", and thinks I'm doing that to her, but honestly she really is a shining light.
Anyway, it sounds like a fascinating book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 5 2015, 9:31pm
Post #10 of 12
(460 views)
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But she does say that the solution for both is to "hold to the good" - not to hide one's light under a bushel
...there is a Maori carving style called Ataahua, and its meaning is to acknowledge the skills you have and put them to use - not in a bragging way but with humility, and for the benefit of the community. I have that carving as a bronze pendant. (I'm not sure if I wore it when we met last year.)
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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Kim
Valinor
May 5 2015, 11:51pm
Post #11 of 12
(451 views)
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The Pigeon Pie Mystery by Julia Stuart
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You had mentioned this a while back, and just finally got around to reading it. Light, silly, entertaining - a nice palate cleanser after some darker books. 
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Meneldor
Valinor
May 8 2015, 6:06pm
Post #12 of 12
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by Michael Scott Rohan. This is one of those books that I keep going back to every few years, like LotR, just because I like it that much. A modern-day businessman takes a wrong turn in a dockyard and is swept into a world of voodoo magic, flying ships, and immortal pirates. Every time I read it, I want to sign up with Captain Pierce and sail away on board the Defiance with Mad Mall and Jyp the Pilot. "Over the dawn! Over the airs of the earth! We're under way!"
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
(This post was edited by Meneldor on May 8 2015, 6:07pm)
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