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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Dec 26 2017, 3:43pm
Post #1 of 18
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It's the Merry Christmas reading thread!
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I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a very fine one with enough food and good cheer to warm a hobbit's heart. Herewith my annual greetings, just a day late 
May the Valar bless us all with:
Bilbo's charm
Thorin's majesty
Thranduil's elegance
Frodo's steadfastness
Sam's loyalty
Pippin's resilience
Merry's good nature
Aragorn's patience
Gandalf's intelligence
Legolas's grace
Gimli's sturdiness
Boromir's redemption
Eowyn's courage
Eomer's vitality
Theoden's second chance
Faramir's honor
Galadriel's wisdom
Arwen's compassion
 to you all!
As for reading...
I'd been saving the last Tony Hillerman book, Shape Shifters, and finally picked it up, only to discover I'd already read it, out of sequence. So I went on to the first Anne Hillerman book, Spider Woman's Daughter
She wisely writes from Bernie's point of view, separating her new series from her father's old one, especially with Leaphorn out of commission for the duration and Chee pretty much relegated to second banana until the final sequence of events.
The plot is a sequel to The Thief of Time and works as well as any of Tony's plots. I felt Anne's tone/voice was similar, and yet was a bit awkward in spots. Up until she took up the series, Anne was a non-fiction writer, and this book, at least (there are two other ones, so far) shows it in a few minor ways.
I'll eventually read the two later books, but for now am tempted to read the third installment in the Rivers of London series, Whispers Underground. Or perhaps the umpteenth installment in the Ladies No 1 Detective series, Precious and Grace. Or....
Well, having books to read is the best possible present, right?
So 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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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Dec 27 2017, 9:46pm
Post #2 of 18
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The Hobbit and A Christmas Carol
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Well I'd typed out this nice post and accidentally deleted it, grrr! Let's try that again.
I've watched "The Hobbit" movies so many times that I guess I decided to re-re-reread the book. I discovered some of the things I've complained were missing from the book were in fact there, like why Gandalf had to leave the Company at Mirkwood. (Still had that suck-rotten ending, though).
And after seeing "The Man who Invented Christmas" I decided to re-read "A Christmas Carol." I read that book sometime in gradeschool - it's even shorter than "The Hobbit." And it's the only thing by Dickens I've ever read. I'm familiar with "Oliver Twist" from movies; other than that I know nothing. Certainly read more Tolkien, but you know, even though they lived in different times and wrote different fiction, I think they would have had much in common as far as social issues and such.
I just picked up this YA book "Star Wars: Cobalt Squadron," which is about the character Rose in "The Last Jedi." Also not a very big book, and it shouldn't take long to read. After I'm finished, I'll give it to my oldest Granddaughter. Yep, that's the plan
Check out my blog: https://hobbitized.wordpress.com/
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Dec 27 2017, 11:55pm
Post #3 of 18
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Well I'd typed out this nice post and accidentally deleted it, grrr! Let's try that again.
I've done that as well, and I hate it when that happens! 
I've watched "The Hobbit" movies so many times that I guess I decided to re-re-reread the book. I discovered some of the things I've complained were missing from the book were in fact there, like why Gandalf had to leave the Company at Mirkwood. (Still had that suck-rotten ending, though).
And in the book, Gandalf makes it clear early on that he does not intend to remain with the company all the way to Erebor. That is actually one of the reasons that they need a fourteen companion in the first place (else Gandalf would qualify). And of course it is how Fili and Kili fare in the book that sealed their fates in the films.
And after seeing "The Man who Invented Christmas" I decided to re-read "A Christmas Carol." I read that book sometime in gradeschool - it's even shorter than "The Hobbit." And it's the only thing by Dickens I've ever read. I'm familiar with "Oliver Twist" from movies; other than that I know nothing. Certainly read more Tolkien, but you know, even though they lived in different times and wrote different fiction, I think they would have had much in common as far as social issues and such.
I have read more Dickens than you have; I even kinda liked Great Expectations, though tackling it as part of my own school curriculum is not the ideal way to approach the material. A Christmas Carol is by far my favorite work by Dickens. I'll add the caveat that I have not read several key works in his canon, including A Tale of Two Cities.
I just picked up this YA book "Star Wars: Cobalt Squadron," which is about the character Rose in "The Last Jedi." Also not a very big book, and it shouldn't take long to read. After I'm finished, I'll give it to my oldest Granddaughter. Yep, that's the plan
I have not read any Star Wars novels in a dog's age or more. I can't even tell you what the last one was that I did read. By contrast, I did break down and tackle a new Star Trek book a few years ago, and that was an atypical one: The Case of the Colonist's Corpse (subtitled "A Sam Cogley Mystery") by Bob Ingersoll and Tony Isabella. Sam Cogley was Kirk's attorney in the original series episode when the Captain was court marshaled. The book came out back in 2004.
"I may be on the side of the angels, but do not think for one second that I am one of them." - Sherlock
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Kilidoescartwheels
Valinor
Dec 28 2017, 3:44am
Post #4 of 18
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Other things in "The Hobbit," and Tolkien
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And there were many things in the movie that actually came from the book - you and I have had the conversation about the White Council defeating the Necromancer, but there were other things as well. Radagast was specifically mentioned to Beorn, just like in the movie. And (probably won't be able to find it now) Gandalf did mention the Were-worms; and the whole battle of Anzanulbizar(?) was also described. Seems the movies didn't deviate so far from the book after all, LOL! I might add that I probably liked the book better this time around (except for Fili & Kili, obs).
As for Tolkien, I remember hearing (or reading) somewhere that he was horrified at the sight of children going to work in factories and mines. Obviously Dickens was also very upset at the treatment of children in workhouses and such, which is what I meant by thinking they would have had alot in common. They wrote different fiction - Tolkien wrote fantasy while Dickens wrote contemporary fiction - but I think (from what little I've read of Dickens, anyway) that they both had a certain idea of moral justice. In The Hobbit, there was an expectation that Thorin should willingly share the treasure, giving to those in need, which was what A Christmas Carol was all about. Well, maybe I'll try reading some more Dickens next year - maybe
As for the Star Wars book, well I just really liked Rose in the movie, & think she could be a good role model for my Granddaughter. Neither a beauty nor a badass, but she was cute, funny, smart and loyal, which are IMO very good qualities.
Check out my blog: https://hobbitized.wordpress.com/
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Dec 28 2017, 6:24pm
Post #5 of 18
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Needed something to read on a long plane ride for the holidays, and this seemed passable. I have always thought King was at his best with short stories, and few of his novels merited novel-length. And for my taste, he probably peaked with The Shining 30+ years ago. So no, I didn't finish this book, just read the first 80 pages and then started skimming the parts told from the serial killer's perspective, not because he was appealing, but because the cop (the other point of view) was so boring. And the book seemed rather centered on what the killer was going to do anyway, with the cop of course always a few steps behind. 500+ pages of fluff, but it made the time go by.
King can still be funny & ghoulish:
That was when he killed his brother. And his mother covered it up.
Why would she not?
After all, it had sort of been her idea.
Then he can make shameless callouts within one work to his other works that not coincidentally also become new movies needing a plug ("It", in this case):
"Creepy as hell. You ever see that TV movie about the clown in the sewer?"
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Kimi
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Dec 28 2017, 10:31pm
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Andy Weir's first book was "The Martian", which I very much enjoyed (book and movie both). So I was looking forward to this one.
"Artemis" is set on the moon, fifty-something years in the future (it's mentioned that it's been a century since Apollo 11, so we're in 2069-ish). The protagonist is a young woman who's clever and resourceful, living somewhat precariously on her wits, and who's made some bad life choices. Artemis is the name of the lunar town where our protagonist, Jazz, lives. The moon is a harsh environment, and we're constantly aware that a misstep could mean disaster.
Let me begin by saying that overall I enjoyed this book, and once I got past the first quarter I got through it quite quickly. But I did have some reservations. Weir has obviously thought through how a colony like this might work extremely carefully, and the technology hangs together convincingly. But there were patches when for me the detail dragged - not really about the technology (which I found interesting), but just plain logistics. I didn't want to know about every door Jazz opened. When she and a friend lifted a heavy load, I didn't need to know that one walked around to the other side first, and which corner each one caught hold of. My own rule of thumb for a scene that has complicated logistics is to work it out in fine detail, so that I know it's all possible and an action won't jar, then include almost nothing of that in the finished work.
And there was one moment when I metaphorically threw up my hands. It's a scene when Jazz is talking to a possible baddie, and she does the whole "get the suspicious person to slip up and offer a detail he/she couldn't possibly know without being guilty". Paraphrasing: "Why did you say X?" Jazz asks. "Because you said Y," says the guilty party. "Aha! But I didn't!" she says triumphantly. Except: she did! She said exactly that, moments ago in book time and a scant two pages ago on paper. How that slipped through editing, or just beta-reading, really brought me up short.
But like I say: setting my "hmm" moments aside, an enjoyable read. Weir has an engaging voice, which helps a lot, and he really does write very well about technology.
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
(This post was edited by Kimi on Dec 28 2017, 10:33pm)
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Dec 28 2017, 11:12pm
Post #7 of 18
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I wish more authors took your advice on handling action
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Certainly less description can be more.
My own rule of thumb for a scene that has complicated logistics is to work it out in fine detail, so that I know it's all possible and an action won't jar, then include almost nothing of that in the finished work.
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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Dec 29 2017, 4:26am
Post #8 of 18
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Devil's Brood by Sharon K Penman
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I've read a fair few historical novels but none as detailed as this, especially when Penman is revealing the subtleties of the shifting relationship between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine: two strong-willed people whose long marriage is being torn apart by a fundamental inability to see the other person's perspective. Really good writing and very hard to put down.
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
Dec 29 2017, 4:21pm
Post #9 of 18
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The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
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Brilliant book. Fiction based on stories of the first white journeys of exploration Alaska with quite a bit of magical realism (what if the Native myths are based on reality?), a couple of admirable heroines, romance, and a true Trickster figure, sometimes helpful, sometimes destructive, often just shaking things up to see what will happen. She also makes it clear in very few words what the repercussions over time will be for the land, the natives, and the mythical creatures.
Beautifully written & evocative. I shall be looking out The Snow Child, her earlier book, and awaiting anything new from her.
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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Annael
Immortal
Dec 29 2017, 4:28pm
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Mary Stewart has a great mano-a-mano fight scene in Airs Above the Ground where she makes it clear that during the course of the fight, which takes place in a kitchen, they crash about all over the room and things get broken and knocked over, but the only specific description is of the favorite dish of the wife getting broken and the end of the fight where the good guy gets a lock on the bad guy and forces his hand down onto a hot burner.
Sex scenes should be handled similarly. Otherwise they sound too clinical, imho.
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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Kimi
Forum Admin
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Dec 29 2017, 8:04pm
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I haven't yet read To the Bright Edge of the World, but it sounds great.
The Passing of Mistress Rose
My historical novels
Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?
- A Room With a View
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Kelly of Water's Edge
Rohan
Dec 30 2017, 3:13pm
Post #12 of 18
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Penman is my favorite historical fiction writer.
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She really does her research, and in my opinion is very balanced regarding clandestine events about which we'll never know the details, although like any other historical fiction writer she has to make decisions about certain things. Have you been reading her novels in order?
I believe she's taking a break from the senior medieval British royals and dealing with the Crusades in her next book, which I suspect may cover some of the supporting characters in A King's Ransom who Richard left behind when he rushed (or tried to rush) back to England. She apparently got very interested in the subject while doing her research and travel for Richard's story.
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Ataahua
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Dec 30 2017, 7:21pm
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No, I haven't been reading them in order.
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I'm sure I've read a book or two of hers years ago but I don't remember which ones. 
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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CuriousG
Half-elven
Dec 31 2017, 6:14pm
Post #14 of 18
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that magical realism is not purely the domain of Latin American authors.
I think it would be hard to pull that off as a writer. When elements of magic are introduced in a story, readers naturally look for more, like reading Harry Potter where Rowling had a new magical device/custom/explanation up her sleeve right around corner and delivering the characters from every predicament.
You also strain credibility by having one part of the book dealing with the fantastical while the rest is grounded in reality, often harsh reality (such as "The Snow Child" where they had farming woes, or all the social/familial problems in "One Hundred Years of Solitude"), leaving readers to wonder why there's no magical solution to them. But it brings a fun twist to ordinary perspectives.
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Meneldor
Valinor
Jan 2 2018, 6:42pm
Post #15 of 18
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by Ian Doescher. More Shakespearean SW hilarity; I think the author is getting better at this genre with all the practice he's had. I'm actually tempted to read his versions of the PT. Happily, he has chosen to supply editor's translations of Chewbacca's lines in this book.
REY: What shalt thou do?
HAN: Whate'er hath been my wont:
Employ my tongue to rescue me.
CHEWBAC: Egh, auugh!
(Editor's translation: A jest, forsooth! When hath thy tongue e'er solv'd
A problem sans creating seven more?
It ne'er hath work'd, in all our years together.)
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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Ataahua
Forum Admin
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Jan 2 2018, 7:06pm
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Who knew Chewie was so loquacious?
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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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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Jan 2 2018, 7:59pm
Post #17 of 18
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It's the Happy New Year reading thread!
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I'm tucking this thread into the old one since there have hardly been any new topics this last week. Not surprising, with everyone out hopefully spending time with family and celebrating---although I suspect some of y'all are digging out of the snow and ice, which isn't anything to celebrate.
I'm listening to His Last Bow, one of Arthur Conan Doyle's collections of Sherlock Holmes short stories. I've read them all multiple times, and I've seen a good number of them dramatized, so this isn't the most compelling listening. Besides, the gender and class prejudices of the time are jumping out at me much more strongly when I listen than when I read, I can only assume because listening is slower than reading. But the narrator, Simon Prebble, does a good job with the voices and the stories have kept me entertained in the quieter moments of the holiday week.
I'm reading number 17 in the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, Precious and Grace. We have the usual characters going about their usual business in their usual quiet and contemplative way. In this installment a Canadian woman who spent the first few years of her life in Botswana comes to the detective agency trying to find her old nurse.
As always, I find the gentleness of the stories appealing, and the characters enjoyable (not that Grace Makutsi can't be annoying!). Plus, this time around, reading about the summertime warmth in Africa is helping to take the edge off our unusually cold temperatures here in Texas.
So 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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Elberbeth
Tol Eressea
Jan 6 2018, 4:35pm
Post #18 of 18
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Written by Alastair Urquhart (along with a ghost writer, I expect). In a nutshell: He was a young fellow from Aberdeen, called up in 1939 and sent out to "impregnable" Singapore. It was, of course, not impregnable at all. He and all the troops there (British, Australian, American, Dutch, Canadian and a few more from more local areas) were captured by the Japanese and those that survived the initial onslaught were used as slave labour. They were starved, brutalized, tortured and suffered from malaria,cholera, beri-beri, dengue, and just about everything that could be caught. Urquhart was sent along with thousands of others to build railways through the jungle, including the famous bridge over the River Kwai. He became so ill he was sent back to Singapore, then sent on a prison ship to Japan, torpedoed along the way by an American submarine, re-captured by the Japanese and ended up in a prison camp near Nagasaki. Eventually he was repatriated to Scotland, where the authorities had kept a tight lid on any information about the conditions in Asia during the war. He lived to be 94, but suffered the rest of his life from the terrible treatment he received, but was one of the few who survived.
A terrible but true story. I had to read it in snatches because I couldn't do much at one time.
"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
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