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Post by Gabbin on Nov 14, 2004 21:47:32 GMT -6
Hello gang. I have just finished Eats Shoots and Leaves. This is an easy read, fun and all about punctuation. Highly recommended for you three-books-a-week readers (Joxcie).
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Post by Forever Xena on Dec 29, 2004 14:06:39 GMT -6
Reading War of the Flowers by Tad Williams , read about half the book and still not sure if I like it or not
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Post by chackattack81 on Jan 15, 2005 17:42:16 GMT -6
I read Sappho's Leap by Erica Jong recently...it's great.
She takes her view of Sappho from her existing poems and fragments and the world of Ancient Greece, Egypt etc. and writes a story full of Myth and wonderful imagery.
Got centaurs and amazons to boot! ;D I love it!x
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Post by Joxcenia on Jan 15, 2005 18:26:57 GMT -6
I mentioned that book on a similar thread at our old board. On page four... just scroll down, close to the bottom.
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Post by chackattack81 on Jan 15, 2005 18:27:28 GMT -6
Hey nice Jox! My sister works at a library and told me about it....I quite enjoyed it ;D ...even tho' some people don't quite likee ;D ah well
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Post by Joxcenia on Jan 15, 2005 18:35:00 GMT -6
You're very welcome...
The book didn't get good reviews, but I go by my own gut feelings when buying books anyway. We all have differents tastes, so I keep an open mind when book hunting.
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holly golightly
Whooshite Apprentice
you cannot win nor lose a thing if it belongs to you
Posts: 139
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Post by holly golightly on Mar 22, 2005 3:09:41 GMT -6
actually, if i start reading, i never stick to one book, so particularly i always read about 3 or 4 books at one time. and to make it even more varying i read them in 4 different languages. hehe right now i'm reading 3 books. the pest, by albert camus - in french, some strange metaphyics-stuff in german and miss marple (i can't help it, i love this woman) in english. and i guess i start as well with my favourite book of all times, the master and margarita, by m. bulgakov...yes, in russian.
(i hope i didn't show off...well at least it wasn't intended...really not.)
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holly golightly
Whooshite Apprentice
you cannot win nor lose a thing if it belongs to you
Posts: 139
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Post by holly golightly on Mar 23, 2005 15:52:29 GMT -6
by chance i found the link to a page where the whole book is transcripted, so if anyone is interested in reading "the master and margarita", here is the link: lib.ru/BULGAKOW/master_engl.txtof course, i have to promote for your interest, so here is a small... uhm promotion: "the master and margarita is a novel by mikhail bulgakov, with a steadily growing reputation as one of the greatest works of 20th century literature. the book weaves together satire and realism, art and religion, history and contemporary social values. the novel alternates between two settings. the first is 1930s moscow, which is visited by satan in the guise of woland, a mysterious magician of uncertain origin, who arrives with a retinue that includes a walking, talking black cat and a witch. the havoc wreaked by this group extends from the exclusive haunts of the literary elite, to the corrupt bureaucracies, to an insane asylum, where we are introduced to the master, a mad and disillusioned author. eventually, we are introduced to margarita, the master's mistress, who makes a bargain with the devil on the night of his midnight ball. the second setting is within the pages of the master's rejected novel, which concerns pontius pilate, his meeting with, recognition and abandonment of yeshua ha-nosri (jesus), and the consequences thereof. ultimately, the novel deals with questions of good and evil, guilt and cowardice, exploring such issues as the responsibility one has to support a truth that a system or society would deny."
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Post by Joxcenia on Mar 23, 2005 16:16:54 GMT -6
I would love to know other languages, but I have no one else to use them with, so I'd just end up forgetting what I learned. I think there should be at least 2 or 3 languages taught in the schools, and not just for one year in high school... but from when a child starts school until they finish. It would be more helpful if the world could communicate better... IMO
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holly golightly
Whooshite Apprentice
you cannot win nor lose a thing if it belongs to you
Posts: 139
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Post by holly golightly on Mar 24, 2005 3:26:21 GMT -6
joxcee, you are utterly right!! actually, right now i'm looking at the small globe on my table and it makes me wonder again and again how big the world is and how narrow-minded some people are. your place is on the globe a not even visible spot... well, actually i had ambitious grand-parents...when still living in russia i started to play the piano at the age of 5 and visited english and french lessons. here in germany they usually teach you 2 to 3 languages in school. either english and latin or english, latin and french (what i had). of course there are extra classes in other languages you can take. right now i'm handling with spanish and arabic. and i'd like to learn an asian language. i don't know...for me there is no problem learning other languages. and i always find some people with whom i can use them...you know, when there would be a profession traveling the world, talking to people, exploring cultures...hehe. you know.
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Mij
Whooshite Apprentice
Mein ungew?hnliches Leben
Posts: 208
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Post by Mij on Apr 9, 2005 7:44:25 GMT -6
I'm finally (& this book had been almost required reading in some of the houses I have lived in if you wanted to get past the front door), finally reading
Anne Rice's "Interview With The Vampire"
and after a few pages, I can see why I held off on reading it for soooo long. She's a horrible writer. Don't know if it's worth soldiering through with in the hope that it improves, somehow I have my doubts it will....
Now, where's my Neil Gaiman books again?? (Seeks comfort in "Neverwhere")
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Post by Phalon on Apr 10, 2005 21:03:26 GMT -6
Mij. <shrugs> I loved "Interview with the Vampire", as well as "The Vampire Lestat", (the others in the series were okay, but I didn't like as well as the first two). Also really liked "the Witching Hour", and "Feast for All Saints".
But then again, I like description: long, drawn out, and melodramatic description. If you can say nothing else about Rice, she certainly has a flair for the melodramatic.
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Mij
Whooshite Apprentice
Mein ungew?hnliches Leben
Posts: 208
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Post by Mij on Apr 10, 2005 21:12:28 GMT -6
maybe it's just that Anne Rice's style has not aged well.
I remember recently rereading Stephen King's "Salem's Lot" & thinking what a load of overblown, self-indulgent tripe it was. But when I first read it many years ago I was quite impressed.
What did Neil Gaiman say about UK writer, Storm Constantine?? She's worth 10 Anne Rice's or something like that. Well, Storm is a decent writer, not the greatest in terms of style, but some amazing ideas.
Neil Gaiman, if he says something about literature, he's well worth paying attention too.
Eh, I'll soldier on with it & hope it picks up.
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Post by Phalon on Apr 10, 2005 21:19:16 GMT -6
Yeah, it picks up....and granted it has been awhile since I've read it; probably about 10 years or so, but it still sits on my shelf because I just can't get rid of it. (rolls eyes).
Maybe again, it's just not your style....a slightly erotic melodrama is pretty much how I'd describe it.
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Post by Grrlpower on Apr 10, 2005 23:53:40 GMT -6
You all are way too sophisticated for me. I read for entertainment which means it is bubblegum and relaxing. The last book I finished was Beebo Brinker written by Ann Bannon. I was written in 1962 and is very interesting to see how people act and felt then as compared to now.
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Mij
Whooshite Apprentice
Mein ungew?hnliches Leben
Posts: 208
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Post by Mij on Apr 11, 2005 5:06:07 GMT -6
Nothing wrong with a little light reading. Indeed, whenever I feel like I should get around to (re)-reading The Lord Of The Rings, I look at the 3 weighty tomes & think to myself.... "nah...." Then I reach over for the easily digestible "Bored Of The Rings". Same story (more or less) that you can knock over in a single sitting one evening & have lots of giggles at the same time Of course, this stripping down of stories just doesn't cease at Lord Of The Rings, oh no. The same can be done with The Hobbit. Not nearly so weighty as LOTR, but still an undertaking requiring a couple of nights solid reading commitment. So, instead of reading The Hobbit, I listen to Leonard Nimoy sing, "The Tale Of Bilbo Baggins". Knocks off the story of The Hobbit in 3 minutes. Pretty good going if you ask me
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Post by Grrlpower on Apr 11, 2005 19:37:56 GMT -6
My daughter ate up those books in a week. She is a testament to the library card idea, cause purchasing the books required to keep her attention on a daily basis costs a fortune. I did try the Anne Rice thing with the witching hour series and I have to say they were way too technical in the beginning. I didn't get into the story until three quarters through the book. I am having the same issue with Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. It reads like a textbook or test case study at the beginning which makes it hard for me to get into. I hope it gets better.
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Post by Joxcenia on Apr 21, 2005 18:17:45 GMT -6
I've been doing quite a bit of reading these past few weeks:
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers 2nd Edition
by: Renni Browne & Dave King
- On Writing
by: Stephen King
- The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
by: Ralph Keyes
These 3 books had listed other books that were worth a read, so I ordered two that had been mentioned and just finished them:
- To Kill A Mockingbird
by: Harper Lee
- Practical Magic
by: Alice Hoffman
And I've just started reading:
- No Plot? No Problem!
by: Chris Baty
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Post by Phalon on Apr 26, 2005 23:23:41 GMT -6
Mij...just saw you logged in for a bit, and wondered if you gave up on "Interview with the Vampire", or stuck it through to the end, and if sticking it out, what'd you think?
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Mij
Whooshite Apprentice
Mein ungew?hnliches Leben
Posts: 208
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Post by Mij on Apr 27, 2005 0:45:55 GMT -6
Mij...just saw you logged in for a bit, and wondered if you gave up on "Interview with the Vampire", or stuck it through to the end, and if sticking it out, what'd you think? Still fighting my way through it. Occasionally it seems like it might pick up only to bog back down again. But I'll get there to the end. (only book I never finished that I started I can remember was Robert Heinlein's "The Number Of The Beast", such a far cry from the man who wrote "Starship Troopers"). Bought some trashy easy to read fantasy novel as a side book when IWTV gets too much. I usually have a couple of books on the burner at any one time anyway
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Post by Phalon on Apr 27, 2005 9:45:17 GMT -6
Just wondering, Mij, if it's the story you don't care for, or the way Rice writes long-drawn out descriptions, sometimes taking pages to reveal a single thought.
I like description, but can see where it might bog the story down for those who enjoy things faster paced.
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Post by Forever Xena on May 8, 2005 2:31:21 GMT -6
Reading the Wicca series by Cate Tiernan I am on book 7 and like it so far anyway
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Post by Joxcenia on May 14, 2005 18:07:01 GMT -6
I am currently reading:
- The Modern Library Writer's Workshop
by Stephen Koch
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Mij
Whooshite Apprentice
Mein ungew?hnliches Leben
Posts: 208
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Post by Mij on May 24, 2005 15:44:51 GMT -6
Finally finished Inerview With The Vampire.
It was hard going but actually improved a bit once Armand put an appearance in, not enough to redeem the previous parts of book, but enough to make it interesting.
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Post by katina2nd on May 25, 2005 21:00:28 GMT -6
Jox, what did you think of To Kill a Mockingbird? Probably my favourite book, and seeing it mentioned here has got me thinking that I must drag it out and reread it, been quite a while.
Hard to believe that she [ Harper Lee ] could write such a superb novel with her first, and unfortunatly last, book.
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Post by Joxcenia on May 25, 2005 22:12:43 GMT -6
I came across some sites online that claims that Truman Capote is the real writer of the book. As for what I think of the book, I liked it. Although I saw the movie playing in my head as I read it. And since I saw the movie first, it's hard to really read/see the book through fresh eyes. Usually I prefer the books to the movies, but in this case I feel both book and movie are equally superb.
As for Practical Magic... I prefer the movie to the book. I suggest borrowing it from the library, and not buying it. That's just my opinion though.
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Post by katina2nd on May 25, 2005 22:24:57 GMT -6
Thanks Jox, i'm glad you liked it. I'd never heard that about Capote before, quite interesting.
Have you read any of his works, and if so, does Mockingbird seem to be written in his style?
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Post by Joxcenia on May 25, 2005 22:35:07 GMT -6
I don't recall ever reading any of his books, but after coming across those claims I'm thinking about maybe reading at least one. Someone gave me a couple of boxes of books from years ago that are under my bed right now... I think one had his name on it, so I'm gonna dig them out and see later on. They stink really bad. They were in a shed, and some got wet... and some were covered in ants, so I haven't really messed with them much. I just wiped them off and stuffed them into a plastic storage container and shoved them under the bed. I probably should have put something in there with them to get rid of the smell.
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Post by katina2nd on May 25, 2005 22:50:27 GMT -6
Guess now is as good a time as any, seeing as how I see that all your favourite t.v shows are finishing [ don't you just hate it when that happens? ] that's if you can stand that musty smell. Be interested in hearing your thought's about it, that's if your memory is correct and there's a Capote in there. Take care, it could be pretty nasty under there.
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Post by Joxcenia on May 25, 2005 22:59:15 GMT -6
Yeah... Summer is a good time for reading.
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