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Post by beth on Nov 9, 2009 17:33:21 GMT
We have Unseen Academicals to read - just going through Thief of Time at the moment again and might slip in Hogfather for Christmas reading Thief of Time is my son's favorite book. Any idea how Pratchett's doing - health-wise?
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Post by june on Nov 9, 2009 18:20:46 GMT
We have Unseen Academicals to read - just going through Thief of Time at the moment again and might slip in Hogfather for Christmas reading Thief of Time is my son's favorite book. Any idea how Pratchett's doing - health-wise? he's doing ok beth, he quite often appears on tv talking about his illness to raise awareness. I think he dictates his books in part at least so I guess he has some motor function issues. He's a good man if a little odd!
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Post by beth on Nov 10, 2009 16:43:53 GMT
Thief of Time is my son's favorite book. Any idea how Pratchett's doing - health-wise? he's doing ok beth, he quite often appears on tv talking about his illness to raise awareness. I think he dictates his books in part at least so I guess he has some motor function issues. He's a good man if a little odd! That's good to hear. Odd or not, I think he's very brave to go public and use it in a positive way. We wish him only the best. Have you seen the Hogfather movie?
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Post by beth on Nov 30, 2009 3:59:37 GMT
Just wondering - re-reading abt. Terry Pratchett and all - has anyone else read Good Omens? By chance, I ended up on a page with Good Omens quotes today and enjoyed it throoughly. That's one book I wish I had not read so I could read it for the first time again. "Rain hadn't been invented yet. But clouds massing east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one."
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Post by beth on Dec 10, 2009 5:20:23 GMT
Since nothing says this has to be books, I'm reading the new Vanity Fair magazine - the one with Meryl Streep on the cover. Several good articles and an excerpt from Dominick Dunne's last book. Some of the articles are here
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Post by beth on Dec 25, 2009 21:50:00 GMT
Did anyone else get Christmas books? I got 2 - Pat Conroy's South of Broad, which I had put on my short list , and another that's more unusual - Queen City Gothic by J. T. Townsend. QCG is sub-titled, Cincinnati's Most Infamous Murder Mysteries. We live an hours drive from Cincinnati, Ohio where this all takes place, and, though I read very little true crime these days, I have no doubt I'll find it interesting. Anyone else have a new one waiting by your favorite reading chair or on your nightstand?
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Dec 27, 2009 14:36:37 GMT
I've got loads of unread stuff...around 9 novels from Steven Erikson's "Malazan" series and the first 5 novels in George R R Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series (they better bloody be good, I've dropped a lot of cash on them based purely on reviews!).
Got loads of Robert E Howard stuff that is unread as well (but I've read enough of his works to know that anything I get by him is worth the cash).
My next batch of reading will be Brian Aldiss's "Helliconia" trilogy which I read every few years...it just captures me every time.
AH
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Dec 27, 2009 14:38:51 GMT
Oh, last book I read was "From A Buick 8" by Stephen King...pretty good, and loosely tied in with his Dark Tower series as well...but most of his books are tied to the Dark Tower in one way or another. AH
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Post by beth on Dec 28, 2009 20:08:20 GMT
Oh, last book I read was "From A Buick 8" by Stephen King...pretty good, and loosely tied in with his Dark Tower series as well...but most of his books are tied to the Dark Tower in one way or another. AH I've read From A Buick 8. Was a good read and not without comic relief. King does tie into Dark Tower. Also, a number of his older books all tie into Derry, Maine and It - especially Insomnia, but others, too. He has a new one that was released in October or November. Might try it after these two. I like SK a lot, but am not always in the mood for him.
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Post by beth on Feb 25, 2010 2:01:11 GMT
Almost finished with Pat Conroy's South of Broad. I'll write a reader review in a few days.
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Post by Ben Lomond on Oct 8, 2010 15:58:07 GMT
I've just finished reading "D-Day" by Stephen Ambrose; the author of "Band of Brothers" amongst others. It is a meticulously researched account of the D day landings in Europe, and the author has avoided simply regurgitating the historical facts, which have been recounted many times before, but has woven a chronological account of the landings on the 5 beaches from the viewpoint of those who were actually there. And while we all think we know what "Omaha" must have been like from sources such as "Saving Private Ryan", the accounts of survivors of the first wave really bring home the horror and the futility of war in terrible detail.
And yet, amongst the carnage, there is humour. One small passage still brings a smile, the more so because it is true. When the paratroopers were preparing to board their aircraft for the initial drop into Normandy, they were given the the challenge password and response, which were "flash" "thunder" and "welcome". The latter was chosen because the Germans would pronounce it " Velcom"--a dead giveaway.
As a captain was giving these details to his men, he was approached by the regimental dental officer, who was going on the drop. This officer was a German Jew who had escaped Berlin in 1938. "Captain" he said after learning these passwords, "Vat do I do if challenged?"
"Doc" said the captain, "when you land, don't open your mouth!!!!"
For anyone interested in the history of WW11, I cannot praise this book too highly.
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Post by beth on Nov 4, 2010 21:14:36 GMT
There's not much to say about South of Broad, but I see I promised something.
I was disappointed .. it was not as good as Conroy's other books I have read. It is pretentious, but since most of the story is set in Charleston, S.C., which is a very pretentious locale, that might have been deliberate. The main character is very likable ... interesting even, but the entourage surrounding him is made up of stereotypes of the worst kind. I wouldn't recommend this one.
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Post by DAS (formerly BushAdmirer) on Nov 4, 2010 21:32:58 GMT
Ben - Thanks for the tip on D-Day. I do enjoy military history books that are well done and informative. There are two that I've read in the past year that I can highly recommend. The Battle of the Atlantic by Andrew Williams is the story of the battle against Hitler's U-Boats. It is well written and a quick read. In 1941 and 1942 there were few defenses against the U-Boats. Merchant sailors, mostly Brits and Americans, were risking their lives to sail on those unprotected freighters. Later in the war, things evened out with the advent of Sonar, Radio Direction Finders, destroyer escorts, and aerial surveillance. It is a fascinating read. is.gd/gIZ1MA friend who is a history buff recommended a biography of Napoleon written by August Fornier and published in 1903. It has been published online by Google Books. You can read it here is.gd/gIZNRIt's hard to believe this book was published more than 100 years ago. It's easy to read and quite well done. I highly recommend it.
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Post by aubrey on Nov 4, 2010 22:07:12 GMT
Dracula.
I am ashamed to say that I've never read it before. 51, and never read Dracula. I have read Frankenstein, though.
Dracula gets going very quickly. 30 pages in, and already the old bugger is crawling head first down the walls of his castle.
Very good atmosphere, very well written.
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Post by beth on Nov 5, 2010 3:51:09 GMT
Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth rereading ... almost finished
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Post by pumpkinpie on Nov 19, 2010 5:25:07 GMT
I'm reading a book right now called Lovely Bones. It's actually pretty good. It's about a girl who gets murdered, and when she reaches Heaven- she begins to tell her story, describing Heaven, and looking down on her loved ones at there grief. It's pretty good so far, although I have so much going on that I hardly have time to read.
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Post by ♫anna♫ on Nov 19, 2010 16:07:05 GMT
I'm reading a book right now called Lovely Bones. It's actually pretty good. It's about a girl who gets murdered, and when she reaches Heaven- she begins to tell her story, describing Heaven, and looking down on her loved ones at there grief. It's pretty good so far, although I have so much going on that I hardly have time to read. OMG! I have the book and the film on dvd of "Lovely Bones". An extremely sad story! It has it's virtues though in reminding us that we need to show our love for those we care for and it marginalizes the predators, who wish to harm our loved ones!
I posted the film trailer here: biglinmarshall.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=culture&action=display&thread=293&page=5
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2010 16:40:28 GMT
I'm reading a book right now called Lovely Bones. It's actually pretty good. It's about a girl who gets murdered, and when she reaches Heaven- she begins to tell her story, describing Heaven, and looking down on her loved ones at there grief. It's pretty good so far, although I have so much going on that I hardly have time to read. I haven't read that, but did read another by the same author, (Alice Sebold) called "The Almost Moon" which I made the mistake of taking on holiday. It was so grim it gave me nightmares . I left it in a bed and breakfast and feel guilty abut it - I should have binned it!
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Post by beth on Nov 20, 2010 0:23:25 GMT
I found The Lovely Bones a pretty good book - not my choice of subject matter but well written and worth the time it took to read. However, the movie version wasn't good at all. I'm sure it was difficult to transfer to film, but surely they could have done better.
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Post by pumpkinpie on Nov 20, 2010 3:34:03 GMT
I'm reading a book right now called Lovely Bones. It's actually pretty good. It's about a girl who gets murdered, and when she reaches Heaven- she begins to tell her story, describing Heaven, and looking down on her loved ones at there grief. It's pretty good so far, although I have so much going on that I hardly have time to read. OMG! I have the book and the film on dvd of "Lovely Bones". An extremely sad story! It has it's virtues though in reminding us that we need to show our love for those we care for and it marginalizes the predators, who wish to harm our loved ones!
I posted the film trailer here: biglinmarshall.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=culture&action=display&thread=293&page=5 So far I am pretty into the book. And it is a very sad story. I'm sure I'll watch the movie when I'm done with the book. I remember not to long ago, the movie was playing at the theater, but I didn't get to go see it. I rented the book from the library when I happened to come across it. I kind of like to read the books first anyway, because if I see the movie first, then I won't bother finishing the book. The book is very interesting and unique in nature. I do believe that this author probably has her aspect of the after life, pretty close to head on...
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