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 Dutchbat
Captain
Joined: Aug 09, 2008
Member#: 22196
Posts: 1875
Location: Roosendaal
   
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 Posted:
Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:19 am Post subject: |
 
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Although I've started in the Willem III biography, I used some travel time to get through a little novella by Dutch acclaimed writer Tessa de Loo
And picked up two books at the store for piling up.
30+ French drama teacher gets crush on exam student and is confronted with history that repeats,french literature and an old-fashioned society. Nice read.
 
De Keizerin (transl. as " the Empress" )
Biography by Jung Chang (Wild Swans) about CiXi who ruled China for almost 50 years and paved the road for transition into the modern world.
Onze vrouw in Tripoli (Our woman in Tripoli)
Another Thomas Ross thriller written against the background of the captured Westland Lynx navy helicopter during the Khadaffi hunt in Libya.
_________________
take a look at my collection: My album list |
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 LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:57 am Post subject: |
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Abe Sapien-like, I am reading several books right now.
I just finished Chew, Omnivore Edition v.1. That was fun.
So now I'm reading...
The Yankee Way by Willie Randolph. This is in an attempt to broaden my horizons, as there are no lasers or elves in this book.
Short Stories By Jesus, by Amy-Jill Levine. This is home turf.
The Best of all Possible Worlds, by Karen Lord. This is sci-fi and a little dull. Get on with it, already!
I'm also reading a book about artist Remedios Varos, but I don't remember the title or author.
_________________
I have a book coming out. Wanna see it?
http://www.jessicalevai.com/sternendach-a-vampire-opera-in-verse/ |
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RobW720
Lieutenant
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Joined: Jan 04, 2006
Member#: 12946
Posts: 156
Location: Twin Cities, MN
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Posted:
Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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Ya know, I never read the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings, so I am going through those now. Wrapped up the hobbit the other night. I loved it. Now I am at where Frodo and his hommies are about to cross the Brandywine. So far so good.
Gives me something to do after the wife and kids go to bed so early 
_________________
Rob Wilson
Animator: Hybrid Medical Animation
www.hybridmedicalanimation.com
My views do not reflect that of my employers. |
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Dutchbat
Captain
Joined: Aug 09, 2008
Member#: 22196
Posts: 1875
Location: Roosendaal
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Posted:
Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Finally ended the two 500+ paged biographies.
Great read.
I now picked up a much discussed charter on atheïsm.
 
God is not great by Christopher Hitchens
Journalist and professor with a great knowledge on religions.
Pinpoints with many examples his aversion (and that of all atheïsts) against the
influence of religion in society and world politics.
Soumission (in French) by Michel Houellebecq
Recent Paris terrorist attacks made Michel leave his promotion tour for this book and take shelter as he is targeted by Islamic fanatists for this.
The book portrays France in a nearby future being an Islamic Republic after Muslims won the election. Terrifying warning by Houellebecq on what it could look like.
_________________
take a look at my collection: My album list |
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Dutchbat
Captain
Joined: Aug 09, 2008
Member#: 22196
Posts: 1875
Location: Roosendaal
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Posted:
Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:35 am Post subject: |
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The National Book Week is always interesting for getting new stuff:
   
The Art of War Classic, illustrated book on warfare and strategy by Sun Tzu. For long on my wanted-list
Mocromaffia Two journalists give an in-depth look of rivaling gangs in Amsterdam and the reason of recent outburst of liquidations.Interesting.
Koerier voor Sarajevo Yet again a novel from my fav. thriller author from the Netherlands, Tomas Ross. Award winning book about the mysteries of the UN involvement during the Balkan war and the famous lost photo roll.
(It's concerning the 'Dutchbat' bataljon)
De zomer hou je ook niet tegen by Dimitri Verhulst.
Recently read his "Problemski hotel" and this novelle was a gift during the National Book Week
_________________
take a look at my collection: My album list |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Fri Mar 13, 2015 4:31 pm Post subject: |
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I'm reading A Heart of Flesh, by Sr. Joan Chittister. I like it, but I'm not sure what to do with it.
Also, I just finished reading a truckload of midterm papers. |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Sat May 02, 2015 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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I have a brief lull before the final papers come in.
I just finished reading Palace of Illusions, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. I read her Mistress of Spices a couple years ago and liked it. This one is a retelling of the Mahabharata, from the point of view of Draupadi. I liked it.
Now I'm reading The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore. Kinda scratching my head, but it would probably help if I could devote real time to it and pay better attention. Lots of data.
I'm also doing my usual pattern* through Lazarus, The First Collection by Greg Rucka and... someone else.
*With comic books, I tend to read the whole thing really fast (like 4-6 issues in an hour) to get the plot, and then reread parts of it as I feel like it. If the book speaks to me, I will end up rereading it something like ten times before I put it aside. |
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 plus1
Ensign
Joined: Apr 27, 2015
Member#: 37063
Posts: 46
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Posted:
Mon May 04, 2015 11:48 am Post subject: It does end! |
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I just finished re-reading the neverending story by Michael Ende after I did not remember a lot from when I first read it about 10 years ago.
Though the title seems to suggest something else, the story does have an end, but the author gives some kind of an explanation for that (even though the book does have to end at some point, the story does not and in that respect all stories are neverending).
Even though I found the middle part rather weak, I generally quite liked the story. It moves forward at a quick pace, is full of rich and colourfull ideas and intoduces you to a vast host of highly individual, fantastic characters. Most of them are only mentioned in their relation to the protagonist Bastian B. Bux and much of their personal history/future is not elaborated on. So even after finishing the last chapter, there remains a lot to dream about. |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Mon May 04, 2015 4:33 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, plus1. Welcome to the forums!
I read that book a long time ago. I remember liking it a lot. I should probably dig it up again and see what I think of it as an adult. |
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plus1
Ensign
Joined: Apr 27, 2015
Member#: 37063
Posts: 46
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Posted:
Tue May 05, 2015 1:17 am Post subject: |
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Hello LadyInque,
thank you for welcoming me. The SST community is really amazing. As for picking up the neverending story, I can only recommend that if you have the time (for me this is always kind of difficult, because I have so many unread books, that I hardly find time to reread the very good ones).
As Mr. Koreander says in the film: you never read the same book twice - they are different when you pick them up for a second (or third, or forth,...) reading.
If you go on a second journey to Phantasia, please let us know how it was and if you liked it after your return.  |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Tue May 19, 2015 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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I got a bunch of comic books at the library. They included the last volume of Azzarello's run on Wonder Woman, and a couple volumes of Tiny Titans. Y'know. For my kids.
I also just downloaded a whole bunch of M.R. James ghost stories to my Kindle, as those were recommended by Guillermo del Toro as prep for Crimson Peak, which I cannot wait to see. But that's for another thread. |
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Dewar
Cadet 1
Joined: May 08, 2015
Member#: 37117
Posts: 2
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Posted:
Wed May 20, 2015 6:38 pm Post subject: My current reading |
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Still in the middle of the John Carter series. Also HG Wells, Mark Twain, Alice Munro short stories. Have a thing for reading John Clare and Katherine Mansfield amongst others. |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Wed May 27, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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I got a bunch of new books from the library, but none of that matters, because I found out today that Tanith Lee, my favorite author, has died at the age of 67. So if no one minds, I'm going to reread The Silver Metal Lover. (And so should you.) Then I'm going to go through some of my other favorites, and mourn that not only will the rest of the Flat Earth series not get reprinted, but Tanith will never finish writing the danged thing. 
_________________
I have a book coming out. Wanna see it?
http://www.jessicalevai.com/sternendach-a-vampire-opera-in-verse/ |
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plus1
Ensign
Joined: Apr 27, 2015
Member#: 37063
Posts: 46
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Posted:
Thu May 28, 2015 5:34 am Post subject: |
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„Robinson Crusoe on Mars“ would probably be the shortest way to describe Andy Weir’s „The Martian“. However, the challenges Mark Watney has to face on the red planet are obviously somewhat different from those posed by a lonely Caribbean island. After surviving a freak accident which left his crew mates no other reasonable option than to leave him for dead, Watney knows that his only chance to survive is to endure until the arrival of the next manned Mars mission in about four years’ time. Not only does he have to stretch his food supply which was calculated to last for only a couple of months, but he also has to worry about water, air and last but not least about how to cross the approximately 4,000 km to the next mission’s landing site.
While it is very exciting and thoroughly entertaining to see Watney come up with ever more daring solutions to the problems he faces, it somehow draws on the story’s credibility that there is not even the slightest instant of doubt or despair. The protagonist’s completely rational reaction to any problem or setback seems to be mechanical, superhuman or at least Vulcan. For me, this is the book’s biggest weakness. All the scientific aspects seem to be very well researched and are quite convincing (maybe except the rocket launch that failed because of liquefied protein bars), but some more effort could have been put into illustrating characters’ motivations and making their reactions believable (especially with regard to Mark Watney).
Given the fact that the book sold reasonably well and because it seems to be written to be filmed it is no surprise that Hollywood will present a film version of “The Martian” before the end of this year. I hope they don’t mess it up, I hope it gets all the attention it deserves (with “Gravity” and “Interstellar” in mind people might think “Oh no, not another one of these…”) and I am really curious how Matt Damon will perform as Mark Watney.
PS: I just checked IMDB – Harry Gregson-Williams will be responsible for the music! |
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LadyInque
Captain
Joined: May 20, 2005
Member#: 10281
Posts: 2224
Location: Eastern Massachusetts
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Posted:
Fri Jun 19, 2015 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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I just finished reading Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Part of my once-in-a-while effort to broaden my horizons. I think it's a good book, but I didn't like it. Sorry.
I'm trying to read Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan LeFanu, but that is a serious slog, and I understand that there won't even be any ghosts in it. Yeesh. (4 months to Crimson Peak, 4 months to Crimson Peak...)
I downloaded Laudato Si, and I'll read it as soon as I get around to putting it on my Kindle.
_________________
I have a book coming out. Wanna see it?
http://www.jessicalevai.com/sternendach-a-vampire-opera-in-verse/ |
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