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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 10 2016, 3:07pm
Post #1 of 30
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It's the men-in-kilts reading thread!
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Yes, 'sibs, the year has turned and we're once more on the verge of the Texas Scottish Festival. Right now the weather forecast is for a break in the storms just long enough to get it in. Fingers crossed!
I only have three more CDs to go with Dracula. I have to keep reminding myself that the book was originally published in 1897, and that Van Helsing's long-winded tangents, the sentimentality, and, above all, the gender roles, were all perfectly normal at the time.
Likewise, at the time the audience wasn't familiar with all the conventions of a vampire tale, so it's not surprising it takes the characters a while to catch on to what's happening.
I'm also nearing the end of The Sanctuary Sparrow, which is, like all the Cadfael stories, very enjoyable and nicely plotted.
On paper I've read the first chapter of one of Stephanie Barron's Jane-Austen-as-sleuth mysteries, The Waterloo Map, which really isn't enough to offer any opinion other than, it seems entertaining and well-written.
What have you been reading?
(I've upgraded to Windows 10 and cannot now get the italics to slot into my message where they need to go. Any advice?)
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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Darkstone
Immortal
May 10 2016, 3:51pm
Post #2 of 30
(714 views)
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Re-reading Ring of Fire series
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If it be a fact that the great man may modify his nation in its structure and actions, it is also a fact that there must have been those antecedent modifications constituting national progress before he could be evolved. Before he can re-make his society, his society must make him.
-Herbert Spenser, The Study of Sociology
Starting off with the Central European Thread: the novels 1632, 1633, and 1634: The Baltic War, as well as dipping in and out of the short stories of the first Ring of Fire anthology.
(It's about how the town of Grantville, West Virginia is transported from the year 2000 back to Germany (or rather the Germanies) during the bloody Thirty Years' War. New history ensues.)
This time through the multitude of characters and locations are easier to keep track of as Flint and his later collaborators shift between subplots. As a result Flint's theme of the Spencerian rebuke of The Great Man Theory of History is more readily apparent as the great men (and great women) of The Ring of Fire find themselves riding the current of history far more often than guiding it.
And nice to meet anew old friends like Mike, Rebecca, and the indominable Gretchen.
-Highly recommended
******************************************
Elves and Men and Dwarves gonna cower,
When I finish building my tower,
When I finish building my tower with the Eye on top!
Watch that Eye and see how it glowers,
Ain't no contest between the Two Towers,
Nosey folks'll peek thru' palantirs and their eyes will pop!
The battlement's black and immeasurably strong, an adamant mountain of iron,
A buttress of steel, impossibly tall, held aloft by the power of Sauron!
See that Eye a winkin' and blinkin',
Ain't no finer tower I'm thinkin',
You can keep Orthanc if you're thinkin' that I'd care to swap,
For my black and shiny tower with the Eye on the top!
-Rodgers and Hammerstein, The Lord of the Rings
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Annael
Immortal
May 10 2016, 5:56pm
Post #3 of 30
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a wonderful take on the witch-in-training story. Terry Pratchett would have loved it. Highly recommended. One of those rare books I began re-reading immediately because I didn't want to leave the world or the people.
Also read "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress" by Dai Sijie, about two young Chinese men, sons of professionals, being "re-educated" by peasants during the Cultural Revolution. At one point they discover a secret stash of Western literature translated into Chinese, and it changes their lives. The author was himself "re-educated" and now is a film-maker in France.
I did read an essay by Umberto Eco about Dante & the search for the language that Adam and Eve spoke, but only because someone gave it to me. I'm on a break from Dante for the next couple of months - or trying to be, anyway.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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NottaSackville
Valinor
May 10 2016, 6:05pm
Post #4 of 30
(708 views)
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My least favorite 3 words to end a story
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Well, I'm back
And with that, my latest re-read of LOTR was over. Well, not really over, because there was the appendices to go through. As usual, I read the appendices up until they started dealing with language and then closed the book.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with those words, but it's always sad to reach the end of LOTR.
I've now started on Neil Gaiman's book of short stories, Trigger Warnings. I like Gaiman best when he is moderated either by writing a children's book, Odd and the Frost Giants and The Graveyard Book, or by another author, Good Omens with Pratchett. I think full, unadulterated Gaiman is a bit too dark and wacky for my tastes. But I liked his previous book of short stories, Smoke and Mirrors, well enough, so maybe this is a third category of beneficial moderation. Anyway, I'm a few stories in and it's pretty good.
Lily - for what it is worth, I just put italics in by typing left-square-bracket i right-square-bracket to start and left-square-bracket /i right-square-bracket to end.
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
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 10 2016, 7:42pm
Post #5 of 30
(692 views)
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I know what you mean about coming to the end of LotR. It's like waking up from a wonderful dream and facing a rainy morning.
Than you! I figured it out. You have to click on the italic icon before you type the word to be italicized rather than coming back at the end of the message, highlighting those words, and THEN clicking the icon.
Now if I can figure out how to link photos and change URLs to hyperlinks, since the icons for doing that have disappeared completely.
Old dogs, new tricks....
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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Meneldor
Valinor
May 11 2016, 1:55am
Post #6 of 30
(675 views)
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and apparently I'm having the same problems, though I didn't realize it until you said something.
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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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
May 11 2016, 3:00am
Post #7 of 30
(668 views)
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I always finish with the longer ending,
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the one in HoME that the editor nixed. I love seeing Sam with his family <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
May 11 2016, 3:03am
Post #8 of 30
(662 views)
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Still poking along through War and Peace.
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Silly Pierre just fell in love with the Masons.
I remember how much I loved Anthony Hopkins in that role when I was a kid.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 11 2016, 3:11am
Post #9 of 30
(660 views)
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I’ve started re-reading A Song of Ice and Fire
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It’s my first re-read of the series so I’m picking up a few things that I had glossed over entirely the first time through. I did snicker in an unladylike fashion when Jaime, commenting on how Bran was paralysed by his fall, said it would be horrible to live a life maimed.
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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zarabia
Tol Eressea
May 11 2016, 6:12am
Post #10 of 30
(650 views)
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a wonderful take on the witch-in-training story. Terry Pratchett would have loved it. Highly recommended. One of those rare books I began re-reading immediately because I didn't want to leave the world or the people
.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
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zarabia
Tol Eressea
May 11 2016, 6:26am
Post #11 of 30
(648 views)
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A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
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I haven't made it very far yet -- I have a lot on my plate right now-- but I'm enjoying it so far. I don't think it's up to the standard of some of her earlier books like Accidental Tourist, Breathing Lessons, and Saint Maybe; but it's still able to draw me in which, considering my lack of focus, says something. It's not the sort of book you'd think could keep the attention of someone who, like me, is a bit scattered. There's no action, little in the way of an actual story so far, but Tyler doles out little hints that there's more going on than is at first apparent. It's a bit like a low key mystery where the mystery is what exactly is the family dynamic and what caused it.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
(This post was edited by zarabia on May 11 2016, 6:29am)
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NottaSackville
Valinor
May 11 2016, 11:35am
Post #12 of 30
(638 views)
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That is a nice way to wrap it up //
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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
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Annael
Immortal
May 11 2016, 3:14pm
Post #13 of 30
(636 views)
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why would that affect how the html works on THIS page?
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A rhetorical question . . .
I not only have to click on the italics button before typing and then untoggle it afterwards, I have to do it as I type; if I try to position the cursor before a word I've already typed and toggle the html button, it puts the html code at the END of my post. (You can copy & paste it if you forgot to do it as you go, but . . . annoying).
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
(This post was edited by Annael on May 11 2016, 3:15pm)
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 11 2016, 3:43pm
Post #14 of 30
(628 views)
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Even if I open TORn in good old Internet Explorer (as distinct from Edge, the Win 10 browser) there are changes to the reply box. I used to be able to highlight what I wanted italicized and then click on the italics icon. Now I have to do as you described.
Weird. At least the Win 10 changes have fixed the odd paragraph spacing that cropped up on TORn several months ago.
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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a.s.
Valinor
May 11 2016, 3:58pm
Post #15 of 30
(631 views)
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Thank goodness, I thought my memory was failing...
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...although, I suppose, this doesn't actually rule out dementia.
So, I came back and can't format ANYTHING, Win 10 Edge or Chrome, either.
I guess you can't go home after so long away and expect nothing to have changed. 
a.s.
"an seileachan"
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." JRR Tolkien, Letters.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 11 2016, 6:28pm
Post #16 of 30
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It's nice to see your nick on the boards again, a.s. :)
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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a.s.
Valinor
May 11 2016, 6:34pm
Post #17 of 30
(618 views)
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Still pssstting after all these years :-)
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That makes me sentimental. I do love this place. Thanks for the psstt.
a.s.
"an seileachan"
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." JRR Tolkien, Letters.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 11 2016, 7:16pm
Post #18 of 30
(599 views)
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Good to see your pixels, a.s.! //
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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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Meneldor
Valinor
May 11 2016, 8:30pm
Post #19 of 30
(600 views)
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Are we all stuck in the basic mode?
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That's what it looks like to me.
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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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
May 11 2016, 9:04pm
Post #20 of 30
(594 views)
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Are we all stuck in the basic mode? That's what it looks like to me.
Same here.
"He who lies artistically, treads closer to the truth than ever he knows." -- Favorite proverb of the wizard Ningauble of the Seven Eyes, the "Gossiper of the Gods"
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a.s.
Valinor
May 11 2016, 9:56pm
Post #21 of 30
(579 views)
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"an seileachan"
"A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds." JRR Tolkien, Letters.
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Meneldor
Valinor
May 16 2016, 11:14pm
Post #22 of 30
(498 views)
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by Anne Hopkins. The author bought an old biplane, flew it around, and wrote a book about it. Really more of a collection of essays, but well-written in a plain vanilla style. Most readers would probably find it dull and slow, but for those of us who dream of flying around in our own biplanes, it's a good read.
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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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 17 2016, 3:30pm
Post #23 of 30
(453 views)
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It's the post Scottish Festival reading thread
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We had wonderful weather for the Festival, with lots of good music and the entire family in attendance. Here is my own small collection of men in kilts, my sons and their father.
(Obviously I've now figured out how to post an image, I just can't figure out how to eliminate the excess code.)
When I had time during the week I finished listening to Dracula (whew!) and have started on The Charming Quirks of Others, one of Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie books.
(And now I can't get the italics to work properly, sigh.)
I'm almost finished with the audio of The Sanctuary Sparrow, a Brother Cadfael mystery by Ellis Peters. I'm tempted to sit down with the DVD next, to study how the adaptation was done.
I'm hesitating among several paper books, including the Jane Austen mystery I started awhile back, but with a guest arriving tonight and staying all week, I'll probably have to wait.
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....
(This post was edited by dernwyn on May 17 2016, 3:50pm)
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 17 2016, 4:01pm
Post #24 of 30
(441 views)
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Excess code eliminated and italics corrected.
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That should look better! I usually just type the italics in myself, using (i) and (/i) (with [ and ] replacing the ( and ) ).
I've been checking out some of our Young Adult books lately, currently reading Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist. It's a well-thought-out alternate world story, with the United States being an archipelago called United Islands, and magic involving chalk drawings - circles, lines, beasties that crawl up your legs...
Recently finished Joelle Charbonneau's The Testing, a Hunger Games-type story with an intellectual twist. And a well-laid-out device for carrying the heroine into the next story.
Love those kilts! 
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"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
May 17 2016, 4:48pm
Post #25 of 30
(433 views)
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I'll try just typing in the italics in the future, since the little coding boxes seem to have minds of their own any more.
Yeah, I'm pretty partial to kilts myself. Not to mention my guys
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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