What are you reading?

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
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moira finnie
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What are you reading?

Post by moira finnie »

So, what's on your bedtable? Are you reading a good mystery, history, classic, biography, philosophical tome, poetry collection, self-help book, graphic or romance novel? Here's a thread to share your interests in the world of books.
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ken123
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I am Reading

Post by ken123 »

The Howard Hunt, of Watergate fame, autobiography. " Palestine Peace Not Apartheid " by Jimmy Carter, Howard Zinn's " A Power government cannot suppress," American Fascists " by Chris Hedges, and Complicated Woman, Sex and Power in Pre - Code Hollywood ", by Mick LaSalle. Also " The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine ".The books that I have named I have read over the last month or so, plus many others. :wink:
Last edited by ken123 on April 17th, 2007, 12:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by SSO Admins »

I usually have a couple going at once. Right now they are "Tanar of Pellucidar" by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and "The Speed of Sound: Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution, 1926-1930" by Scott Eyeman.
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Post by mrsl »

Moira:

That picture just split my heart in two!!! Just yesterday, my Lynzi very proudly brought home a library book 'With Chapters!' (her words and exclamations). So of course she had to read a chapter to me. Everyday, she reads something to me after homework. Anyway, that pose in the picture, and the little girls' hair cut is a double of her.

Right now I'm in a new Nora Roberts trilogy. My wonderful friend saw it in a gift set and gave it to me with a chocolate bunny for Easter. He's seen my collection of 30 or more of her books, so thought it was a safe bet as a gift. It combines all the aspects of a flower nursery, and each of the 3 books is about 1. the owner, 2. her general manager, 3. her pregnant niece. I can't imagine how large Ms. Roberts crew of researchers is, but each book is always thoroughly researched, whether its flowers, antiques, art galleries, etc. Oddly her first books were just as researched as the new, so she, herself, must do a lot of it. BTW many of her books are based in Ireland, and her characters often speak in the brogue. Her descriptions of Ireland and its' people have cause great admiration in me for them. She also has a wonderful knack for comedic interchanges.

Anyway, there is a ghost in the house where they all live. But the ghost only appears to children to sing lullabies, or when a woman is pregnant, and the ghost has been there for decades. In addition to each woman finding an equally wonderful man, they are running the nursery with common disagreements, and group hugs. The gen. mgr. has two little boys who keep the house very active, and the niece has just had a little girl. I'm on book 2 right now, and the investigation into who, and why the ghost appears only at certain times is really getting involved. Nora also writes mysteries under the name of J.D. Robb. I have about 12 of them.

In my 'throne' room, I also have a history and language of bulemia, which a couple of people I know suffer from, and I'm trying to learn how to talk to them. Apparently when you say a common sentence, they misinterpret it, and this book gives different ways to express yourself to them.

Anne
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Post by mrsl »

Seeing what everyone else reads makes me feel like a dummy, but non-fiction is just not my thing. I can read a fiction novel all night long, but pick up a non-fiction and I'm asleep in 5 minutes. I spent my life on facts and figures both at home and at work, and now, they just knock me off my feed. That's why the bulemia book is in the 'Throne room'. I have to stay awake to read in there.

Anne
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Post by vallo »

I feel the same way Anne. I'll pick Fiction everytime. Give me a Dean Koontz or James Patterson and I'm in heaven. I do however like Bio's from time to time.

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Post by JulieMarch4th »

Hi Anne,

I'm also a JD Robb fan - I've read most of them, and just re-read a couple of the early ones before I pass them on to friends.

I have no idea how far you are away from western Maryland, but Nora's husband runs a bookstore in Boonesboro MD, and she gives signings 3-4 times a year. She also has a pretty active fan forum -- if you're interested I can try to find you a link.

Did you see the movies made from her books earlier this year? I have friends that saw them, and thought they were pretty good. She made cameo appearances in them.

I'm also with you on non-fiction -- most of what I read is frankly escapist!

Julie
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Post by SSO Admins »

mrsl wrote:Seeing what everyone else reads makes me feel like a dummy, but non-fiction is just not my thing.
Come on, I confessed to reading Edgar Rice Burroughs. That's hardly intellectual (although he did have a very dry sense of humor).
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Post by ken123 »

I have recelty finished reading All Governments Lie, a Bio of leftist journal I.F.Stone, and Dangerous Men by Nick LaSalle. :P
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Post by Sue Sue Applegate »

I haven't actually read The Count of Monte Cristo before, so I'm doing it now. Also, Doris Day by A.E. Hotchner, plus two textbooks, one I'm teaching and one I'm learning about.

Has anyone read the Uncle John's bathroom reader about Hollywood?
Most of the stories I was familiar with on some level, but my son zipped through the whole thing.
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Post by mrsl »

JulieMarch4th:

Her site is Nora Roberts.com, and I signed up as membership. I saw the movies, but wasn't thrilled with the choices of actors. I would love to see some of the J.D.Robb mysteries made into movies, but I can't see anyone, at this time who could effectively play Rourke except maybe George Clooney. Eve Dallas, believe it or not, I can see Sandra Bullock, if you saw her in Murder by Number - good example.

I'd love to see her Irish based trilogies also - the one I just finished, the 'Born In . . ." series would be great. I know I'm a fan, but Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Joely Fisher would be perfect - they are all at the perfect age right now.

Anne
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Post by moira finnie »

The Nora Roberts' references make me wonder if anyone's read Rosamund Pilcher's books? Among her titles are The Shell Seekers (1987), which I believe Angela Lansbury starred in as a made-for-tv movie and Winter Solstice, which became a good Emma Thompson vehicle. I like Pilcher's humor, understanding of human nature, and unsentimentality. I'm particularly drawn to her short stories and the Scottish settings of many of her books. There was a splendidly illustrated book about her fictional world and its relation to Scotland, called The World of Rosamund Pilcher.

I rarely read alot of fiction anymore, but do like short stories, particularly those of Guy de Maupassant, W. Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, and the annual collections of American Short Stories. Most of my current reading is nonfiction, such as Jon Meacham's American Gospel about the ethical underpinnings of the founding fathers, a fascinating & well written memoir called My Father's Secret War by Lucinda Franks, about her research into her WWII father's role in the conflict. 2 other books that live on my night table are a collection called Women's Letters (America from the Revolutionary War to the Present). Right now, I'm reading some contrasting letters from two eyewitnesses to the assasination of Lincoln, though the letters also deal with daily living in an entertaining and unguarded way. Our straitlaced female ancestors were made of flesh and blood, believe me.

The other one is Behind the Lines, edited by Andrew Carroll, a beautiful collection of letters to and from American combatants from the Revolutionary era to the present and is part of The Legacy Project maintained by Carroll. It's very engrossing and devastating at times. To complete my preoccupation with history, I've Richard Harris' new novel, called Imperium, which tells of the life of the Roman Senator and noted letter writer Cicero from his secretary's viewpoint. Jeez, I guess I'm on a letter streak?

Anne, I'm touched that you liked the child with the book. The picture that appealed to you at the beginning of this thread is by one of the greats from American illustration's 'golden era', Jessie Wilcox Smith. Here's another one of Smith's pictures:

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ken123
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Post by ken123 »

Does the 2007 Baseball Register, published by The Sporting News, count ? :wink:
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Post by Mr. Arkadin »

I just finished "American Film Criticism" by Stanley Kauffman. He does a series of essays in the back on various films that are great.

His insights on "Persona" (1966) are better than most full volume books I've read on that film. He also did a great essay on "Way Down East" (1920).

I re-read Remarque's "Three Comrades" recently because of the showing on TCM. The man has a beautiful way with words and that book never gets old.

Since Vonnegut just died, I was thinking of revisiting "God bless You Mr. Rosewater" as that was my personal favorite of his works.
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Post by mrsl »

Moira:

You're breaking my heart with those pictures! I do scenery in oils but never attempted a person's portrait. I can do it in chalk, but I'd be afraid to try oil for fear I would mess it up. The reason I say that is, are you familiar with a painting, I think it's called Girl reading a book? It's a side view of a girl in a yellow dress (circa 1900) reading. Years ago, my friends' mother painted that picture, but she put Kate's face on the girl. I have always wished I could do that, especially with my daughter who passed away two years ago, mainly because she will always look like that and never age. See, I've never had any formal training, so it's all hit or miss with me. Years ago I did a chalk of my sister, in Vegas I did one of the guy I was dating for a long time as a Christmas gift for his Mother, and I did my grandson recently. I'm thinking maybe someday I'll work with my new photoshop and learn how to do pictures, and maybe I could enlarge and print one where I can draw the face in myself. That's cheating, I know, but who's going to care?

Anne
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