Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
One reader's thoughts as she steps from book to book.
Books I've Finished
- "A Christmas Memory"
- by Truman Capote 12/8/12
- "Child's Christmas in Wales"
- by Dylan Thomas 12/7/12
- "One Christmas"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- "The Thanksgiving Visitor"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- Inside Mrs. B's Classroom
- by Leslie Baldacci 11/28/12
- The Bee Eater
- by Richard Whitmire 11/15/12
- There Are No Shortcuts
- by Rafe Esquith 10/28/12
- I'd Like to Apologize to
- Every Teacher I Ever Had
- by Tony Danza 10/21/12
- Corked
- by Kathryn Borel 10/15/12
- Year of Learning Dangerously
- by Quinn Cummings 9/30/12
- A Hologram for the King
- by Dave Eggers 8/23/12
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- by Harper Lee 7/18/12
About Me
- Christine
- I often have a few books with bookmarks in them at once. I enjoy classics more than contemporary works of fiction, often read historical fiction, and love to get glimpses into other people's lives by reading memoirs and biographies.
29 comments:
I'm apparently only reading books with "love" in the title.
Well, I finally got through the LOTR Trilogy after many false starts and dabbling through my life. I still hold to my opinion that the movies outshine the books. The books so often had me waylaid in convoluted descriptions of places and people, all of which had about half a dozen interchangeable names. The movies told the uncluttered story and did a better job of developing the characters. And heck! You've gotta love the movies' visuals. KWIM?
So Christine, I then turned to "The Red Hourglass" by Gordon Grice. I began to read it to the kids when you lent it to me a year ago, but decided to indulge myself and finish it alone. Grice is a true naturalist with his insightful, albeit sometimes macabre observations and analysis of common-place predators such as the black widow spider, rattlesnakes, pigs, mantids and canids. I've never been a fan of spiders but after reading the chapter on recluse spiders I now warn all spiders to stay out of my way, since my boot is the only part of me getting close enough to decide whether you are a recluse or not.
I've now migrated to "Chasing Monarchs" by Robert Michael Pyle. As much as collecting and studying insects has become quite an obsession with our family, I wondered how interesting a book could be about following Monarch butterflies on their autumnal route from Canada, south to California and Mexico. So far Pyle has enticed me along the trail from one monarch siting to the next, interspersing his catching, labeling and releasing with anecdotal accounts of people and places along the way. I feel immersed in the natural history of the west. And what really appeals to me is that Pyle is someone who has found a way to truly follow his passion.
*Sigh* Liking books better than movies. A tragic, foreign concept to me.
Anyway. Kind of reading Leviathan, by Thomas Hobbes, but some clever fellow thought he ought to stick a 62-page intro on the beginning, and I'm still struggling through that. Otherwise I'm reading The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold for the speculative fiction group at the library. DRD
Please tell us about the speculative fiction group.
Insomniac--that is TOTALLY why I gave up on The Fellowship. I refused to turn it into a family-tree assignment when I wanted it to just be pleasure-reading.
DRD--you are a bit of an arrogant elitist, no? ;) Just wait till The Golden Compass comes out. (And guess what, I just heard Marley & Me is going to be made into a movie, and they just signed Jennifer Aniston! Now excuse me while I throw up on a puppy...)
All barfing aside, I finished Slammerkin (which apparently was historical fiction, which I didn't know until I finished it and found it ended with "notes") and Jane-Emily, a "classic" ghost story (not my quotes). It was republished from 30 years ago, I am somewhat unsure as to how this makes it a classic.
Halfway through an ARC of No Time for Goodbye, a mystery/thriller (I know, I know) that will be out next month. It's actually not too bad for a mindless read. Also, just picked up Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.
This is a quote from the publisher:
"Dana Thomas, style and cultural reporter for Newsweek, brings a hard-hitting behind-the-scenes look at the world of "New Luxury" and how the massification of luxury goods has ensured that luxury isn't luxurious any longer."
Wow. I don't want to read the book anymore, I want to read the book or articles of whoever wrote the blurb. Massification? Luxury isn't luxurious any longer?
I just don't know what to say. Shock and awe, people. Shock and awe.
For the folks, ARC=Advanced Reader's Copy, something bookstore workers get a crack at sometimes.
Sorry to confuse, Christine :) I do that often. Also, that Deluxe book is not an ARC, it's already out for the reading public to revel in its wordy wordiness.
Harry Potter 4, the book on bridge, Fullmetal Alchemist(yes DRD, really reading it), a biography of the Monty Python boys and oh, that's probably plenty.
Hey Ins- I must respectfully but vehemently disagree with you about the LOTR books. The books are the tale of an epic journey, the movies are a series of set pieces. Kinda apples and oranges. And while I enjoyed the movies a lot, I think the whole point of the books was to enjoy the journey. As I've said, the books are about the journey, the movies are about what happens when you get there. Different strokes, eh?
On the other hand, I'm hella-pleased you are getting to enjoy the grice book. Now THAT'S cool writing!
(Can any of you tell I'm avoiding doing the schedule right now? Thought so, errr.)
*whispers to Don* Schedule me Tuesdays, Don, Toooooooosdaaaaaays...
Don, you are only allowed to talk about the bridge book if you say the name (or the author, I can't remember). You know, whatever part of it that sounds funny :P
Insomniac, don't listen to him re: LOTR. It's not apples and oranges. It's like bananas and pomegranates. The book is like a boring banana that you have to peel all the gross icky stringy bits off of in order to eat it (and it's boring) while the movie is pretty and red and full of wondrous things to look at, each as beautiful as the next (and yes, Orlando Bloom as Hottie Elf Boy Legolas).
Just finished a reread of Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Also reading a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale here and there out of an anthology of his stories. My favorite remains "The Six Swans"; my heart always breaks over the youngest brother.
I just gotta jump on the bandwagon of LotR books vs. movies. Prose and film are such different media that I tend to evaluated them on their own merits. (And to heck with Legolas. Glorfindel is way hotter.)
In that same vein, I recently saw the film version of Stardust. All I can say is I madly fangirled Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert DeNiro, 'cause man, they stole that sucker.
(Yay, Christine, I can finally comment!)
NO! NO! NO! Forget the pointy ears, the best scenery was Aragorn.
And my analysis of book v movie is based purely on my measure of enjoyment. I'm not usually so philistine as to chose movie over books. This time I can't help it - passion fruit versus mashed banana (thanks Martha).
Finished "The Golden Compass", and enjoyed the read. Now on to "Three Cups of Tea", about a man who opened schools in remote parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Yeah! Erin has computer power and can join our little chats.
DRD, did you mean to say, "liking movies better than books"?
Insomniac, so glad you like the Grice book! I see you've read it too, Don. Rats, I was going to suggest it to you. Hey, you know what? I think I learned about it from your sister-in-law. Small world.
And look at Sophia, sidestepping the whole LOTR discussion. Not a word. Such restraint.
Well, I started in on it, and began to blah on about how I heard something about how Tolkien wrote it to be a sort of legend for England, and how it feels like the recording of actual events and all, but then I figured that people prob knew all of that, and reading it is somewhat of a chore at times...I had it read to me as a child, and had real images in my head about what all the characters were like. I would always want to play Legolas, my sister was Aragorn...we loved Gollum. The movies strip that personal vision away, but I loved them anyway. Besides, watching them was a choice. Uh...so there it is...
Uh, yeah. Whoops. Thanks for the editing, Christine. I'm embarrassed.
Thank you, Don. Thank you.
And, yes, I can very much be an arrogant elitist, especially when it comes to Philip Pullman. DRD
Oh, yeah, the speculative fiction group. Haven't actually gone myself yet, it doesn't start til September 5th. It's called Destination Wonder, and it's at DeKalb Public Library every first Wednesday of the month. The blurb on the bookmark they hand out says, "DeKalb's Speculative Fiction discussion group--bringing you the best Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction every month...Open to adults and older teens." It's one of Steve's groups (shut up, Martha) so I think it'll be really cool. And like I said, this month's book is The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, and it's really, really good. DRD
Yesterday I finished reading Sin in the Second City, but I was without an internet connection and therefore couldn't submit my report.
I'm not sure I have anything interesting to say anyway...I liked it. Gave me a delectable slice of Chicago history that I was completely unaware of before, and it made me think about the everchanging roles of men and women in society.
Now I want to read Maddox's _The Alphabet of Manliness_, so I'll probably turn in SITSS and check that one out in its place. After that it will have to be the new B&N recommends, and Blackwater. One of these days I might read a book about the Freemasons like I keep saying I want to do. And I need to finish Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things, too.
Whoops, I forgot to sign that last one.
It was me.
~Lisa
Ooooh, DRD loves her LIBRARIAN!!!!! *kissy noises*
P.S. Lisa, I just picked up said Recommend. I'll have to let you know how it goes. Jodi and Patsy both loved it.
What's it called? I haven't been paying attention. DRD
^^Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's _Garden Spells_.
~Lisa
Ooh, that one actually sounds mildly interesting. I might have to read it. DRD
By the way, the fact that "Garden Spell" is the new B&N Recommends is TOTALLY Top Secret!
That's why I referred to it as "said Recommend" and not the title...
Nothing like calling something top-secret to have it all over the internet. DRD
Oh, sorry. I didn't even realize it was top secret. Well, I guess they'll be hunting me down now. I already talked too much about the filming of _Rory's Primary Smooch_ (not the real title or even the real alias), so I fully expect to be sued by WB shortly.
~Lisa
Oh, well. Was nice knowing you. DRD
Hey, Lisa, Jim and I were in Chicago (Crowded House at House of Blues) and saw a film crew packing up stuff with "Rory's First Kiss" on it. No sign of Ledger or Bale, but we saw some masks inside the truck. Cool!
^^Sweet! :D Yep, that was it. I'll have to tell you about my on-set adventures! Whee!
Post a Comment