Subject: What are you reading now?
Posted by: briansqueen
Date: Apr 26 04
Ok, whats everyone reading now, and how are you liking it, would you recommend it?
I am re-reading Stephen Kings' "The Stand", I read it years ago as a young teen, and it went over my head, so I thought I'd give it another shot, now that Im older and wiser(?). Wish Me Luck! S.
Posted by: briansqueen
Date: Apr 26 04
Ok, whats everyone reading now, and how are you liking it, would you recommend it?
I am re-reading Stephen Kings' "The Stand", I read it years ago as a young teen, and it went over my head, so I thought I'd give it another shot, now that Im older and wiser(?). Wish Me Luck! S.
1537 replies. 1 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77
Dagny1 
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Currently reading Lost Man's Lane by Anna Katharine Green. It's her second Miss Butterworth novel and shaping up to possibly be my favorite of Green's books, even surpassing her best known work, The Leavenworth Case. Reply #1421. May 04 19, 7:42 AM |
Caseena
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The Circle of Ceridwen Saga. I have not enjoyed a book like I have the first volume in perhaps years (and I read a lot, both physically and via audiobooks--I'm a librarian). There are six more in the series, and I have a feeling I'm going to read them all (I've just started the second). And perhaps write quizzes on the lot of them... It's set in 9th century England during wars between the Vikings and Saxons; we follow a 15-year-old Saxon girl as she lives among the Danes (Vikings) when her new friend is arranged to marry a Danish warlord to ensure peace. I love the characters, their interactions, and how their choices truly drive the story. I like that everyone is flawed and the people who would normally be designated the villains (the Danes) have admirable qualities and never come across as evil. I love the historical details that never become overbearing, perhaps because the story is told in first-person. It's wonderful; I adore the first book. In a way, it's what I wanted Kristin Lavransdatter to be--a book deeply entrenched in history and following a strong woman. I hope the rest of the series is as excellent. Reply #1422. May 06 19, 2:03 PM |
Mixamatosis
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Sounds good. Ceridwen is a Welsh name, not a Saxon one. Is she a Welsh character? Reply #1423. May 07 19, 7:01 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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Just re-read your comment where you said she was Saxon. Reply #1424. May 07 19, 7:02 AM |
| Caseena
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Mix, Ceridwen is named after a Welsh goddess, and her mother is Welsh. One of the subplots is her internal conflict between following the pagan beliefs of her uncle's people (rituals which are also practiced by the Danes) and the Saxons' Christian doctrines, which she learned when she was sent to a priory after her uncle died. It's presented very well, and there's a lovely bit in the second book where she compares and contrasts pagan and Christian deities. The first book stands on its own and comes to a natural conclusion, but leaves some dangling plot threads for sequels. Reply #1425. May 07 19, 12:00 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Ah, that explains it. Reply #1426. May 07 19, 2:24 PM |
daver852
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I have been reading a very funny book called "It Takes a Village Idiot." Title notwithstanding, it has nothing to do with politics. It's about a man and his wife who move from Manhattan to upstate New York. It's written by someone named Jim Mullen. I haven't been able to find out much about Mr. Mullen, but I suspect his brain and mine operate on the same wavelength. Reply #1427. May 16 19, 6:44 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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It sounds interesting. Can you tell us more Daver? On holiday I started reading 'The Winter of Our Discontent' by john Steinbeck. It was his last novel, published in 1961. Steinbeck is a great writer and the novel looks to be interesting. It concerns a young man from an old American family that was once wealthy but whose wealth was lost. The young man is now quite poor and has a lowly job serving in a store owned by someone else. He is an honourable man, but has lots of pressures on him to get rich by corrupt means. He resists these (so far) but I think I can see which way the wind is blowing. Reply #1428. May 18 19, 12:51 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've been reading 'The Winter of Our Discontent' by John Steinbeck. I'm about 2 thirds of the way through and I'm really enjoying it. It seems to me as good as the best stuff he's written, but it doesn't seem to be publicised as much. Perhaps the theme wasn't as popular, though my copy, in cheap edition, which is now falling apart, was the 9th reprint published in 1974 so it must have been popular when it came out in 1961. Reply #1429. Jun 09 19, 1:52 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've finished 'The Winter of Our Discontent' and thought it was a good read. I wondered why it wasn't as famous as some of John Steinbeck's other works and looked up about it. It seems the public didn't take to it so much. It was a departure from the location and themes of his earlier works. Reading reviews, it seems mostly well received these days but it is a bit like marmite, some people just can't take to it. I enjoyed reading it. Reply #1430. Jun 13 19, 3:25 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've started reading 'The Lion and The Unicorn' by George Orwell. It's one from our bookshelves I'd not read. Working my way through any old books I've not read, and throwing out afterwards any that fall apart. Reply #1431. Jun 14 19, 11:24 PM |
rubytops
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I just started Y is for Yesterday which is the final novel in the ABC Kinsey Millhone detective series. Unfortunately and sadly Sue Grafton died before she could finish Z for Zero and her request was that it should not be finished by a ghostwriter. Over the years I have read them all. I have just finished the novel A Place Called Winter by Patrick Gale. Beautifully written and well worth the read. Reply #1432. Jun 19 19, 2:15 AM |
pokho
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I'm reading 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky currently. I'm also reading... this is partly history but the format chosen makes it elligible to go here - "Soviet Light on the Colonies" by Leonard Barnes. (Posting link since second book sounds kinda obscure https://archive.org/details/SovietLightOnTheColonies ) Reply #1433. Jun 23 19, 4:34 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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I'm reading 'The Grapes of Wrath' by John Steinbeck. I started it once before, many years ago, but never finished it. I've started it again from the beginning. He's a great writer, Steinbeck. Reply #1434. Jul 30 19, 6:56 AM |
| Mixamatosis
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I've just finished Grapes of Wrath. It took me a little time to get into it. Spoiler: I was gripped from when they went on the road. It's a great book. Reply #1435. Aug 05 19, 2:15 AM |
| daver852
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"Food and Feast In Medieval England." It's quite interesting. The diet of the average person was much more varied than I would have imagined. Except during times of famine, brought about by poor harvests, when many people literally starved to death, most people had enough to eat. A surprising amount of food was imported. I was also surprised to learn about the lengths that authorities in cities like London went to in order to ensure that food sold there was of good quality. Reply #1436. Aug 18 19, 11:06 PM |
| Mixamatosis
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Daver, If you ever read 'The Road to Wigan Pier' by George Orwell, you'll know that even in his time, the poor were eating adulterated food often unknowingly, sometimes knowingly but it was all they could afford. I'm reading 'The Shakespeare Secret' at the moment, by Jennifer Lee Carrell (or J.L. Carrell) . It's quite gripping. I'm near the end now but still haven't worked out which way it's going to go. Reply #1437. Aug 22 19, 11:50 PM |
paulmallon
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The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy. I hope it lives up to all the hype. Anyone read it? Reply #1438. Sep 07 19, 3:35 PM |
kingruins
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I'm nearing the end of The Institute by Stephen King. It's quite different from a lot of his other books, but I like it. It has some strong Stranger Things vibes. Reply #1439. Sep 08 19, 5:52 PM |
| Caseena
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I'm reading "Suggested Reading". A high school girl in search of a scholarship starts lending out books that have been recently banned on school property. If she's discovered breaking policy, she will lose her chance at a free ride to college, but she wants to share books that had a profound impact on her. She also discovers, through loaning books, that some of her classmates are not as entitled and mean as she thought. I'm zipping through it. Reply #1440. Sep 29 19, 1:25 PM |
1537 replies. 1 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77
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