What are you reading?

Films, TV shows, and books of the 'modern' era
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

norfious wrote: January 9th, 2023, 5:57 pm Ok, so I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that's exactly what I did when in the vintage books section of my favorite thrift store a few weeks back. What else could I do when the book had no complete dust jacket with the synopsis? I picked up a copy (which turned out to be a first edition(!)) of Rex Stout's "The Rubber Band" because I liked the cover art and was curious. I browsed Wikipedia on my phone ever so briefly in the store to know it was a 1936 detective novel, and that was enough to get me to buy it. Surprisingly, I had never heard of the Nero Wolfe series previously.

Well, I finished reading the story in late December and I absolutely loved it! So my next trip to the thrift store, I picked up five more of the Nero Wolfe books in paperback. Sadly, I found no other beautiful vintage first editions, but that's ok. I am fine with the 1970s Bantam reprintings. I just finished "Three Men Out" yesterday and am starting "And Four To Go."

Has anyone else read any of this series? I saw that a few movie adaptations have been made of them, but I have not yet watched them because I find the casting of Lionel Stander as Archie Goodwin to be horrendous in the 1930s films. It makes me wonder if the casting department ever read the books at all.
Yes, brilliant stuff. So easy to read, no frills or pompous language. When I was in college
I had the totally mistaken idea that great writers only wrote a few “masterpieces” and the prolific writers were hacks and not worth the time. My opinion now is completely reversed, I want to read a “writer” not an “author” now. Stout wrote close to a hundred novels I think, there are a good bunch who have done the same. If I can give a thumbs up or shout out I give it to Richard Stark, a.k.a Donald E. Westlake (another hundred or so novel writer) with the Parker series. If anybody likes Lee Child and his Jack Reacher you will LOVE Parker.
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

Lee Child, btw, is fun as all get out to read. The movies they made with Tom Cruise are God-awful and should be eliminated from the screen.
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

But I’m sure there is somebody out there that likes the Jack Reacher movies and will call me out for my derogatory post about the movies on a movies board. Probably will be Millstone.
User avatar
Hibi
Posts: 1354
Joined: July 3rd, 2008, 1:22 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Hibi »

Just finished the new bio on Elizabeth Taylor (first authorized bio that had access to her diaries and letters) which is very good. Found out a lot about her private life (particularly her later years) I hadn't known. Her charity work for AIDS is covered in depth.

Finished SHY awhile ago. Hilarious memoirs of composer Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard) with Jesse Green (NYT theater reviewer)
User avatar
EP Millstone
Posts: 1048
Joined: October 20th, 2022, 9:40 am
Location: The Western Hemisphere

Re: What are you reading?

Post by EP Millstone »

Thompson wrote: January 24th, 2023, 4:57 pm But I’m sure there is somebody out there that likes the Jack Reacher movies and will call me out for my derogatory post about the movies on a movies board. Probably will be Millstone.
Nope! I have zero interest in Jack Reacher books, movies, and TV series.
"Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields
User avatar
speedracer5
Posts: 249
Joined: October 20th, 2022, 7:24 pm
Location: Portland, OR Metro Area (Westside)
Contact:

Re: What are you reading?

Post by speedracer5 »

I'm about 80% through Alison Arngrim's (aka Nellie Oleson from "Little House on the Prairie") autobiography, "Confessions of a Prairie B itch." It's been an entertaining read so far. I especially enjoyed reading about her friendship with Melissa Gilbert (aka Laura Ingalls) and how much both of them disliked Melissa Sue Anderson (aka Mary Ingalls).
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/kayla622/
Reddit: kayla622
Twitter: kaylar622
Blog: Whimsicallyclassic.wordpress.com
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

norfious wrote: January 9th, 2023, 5:57 pm Ok, so I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that's exactly what I did when in the vintage books section of my favorite thrift store a few weeks back. What else could I do when the book had no complete dust jacket with the synopsis? I picked up a copy (which turned out to be a first edition(!)) of Rex Stout's "The Rubber Band" because I liked the cover art and was curious. I browsed Wikipedia on my phone ever so briefly in the store to know it was a 1936 detective novel, and that was enough to get me to buy it. Surprisingly, I had never heard of the Nero Wolfe series previously.

Well, I finished reading the story in late December and I absolutely loved it! So my next trip to the thrift store, I picked up five more of the Nero Wolfe books in paperback. Sadly, I found no other beautiful vintage first editions, but that's ok. I am fine with the 1970s Bantam reprintings. I just finished "Three Men Out" yesterday and am starting "And Four To Go."

Has anyone else read any of this series? I saw that a few movie adaptations have been made of them, but I have not yet watched them because I find the casting of Lionel Stander as Archie Goodwin to be horrendous in the 1930s films. It makes me wonder if the casting department ever read the books at all.
Did you change your name, Norfious? How did you do that? Erle Stanley Gardner of Perry Mason fame is quite the writer. Check him out sometime. Another prolific and terrific crime writer (police procedural they say) is Ed McBain, a.k.a. Evan Hunter. But when all is said and done, Charles Willeford is king with his Hoke Moseley novels, there are only four because he croaked out from his bad habits, but reading Willeford makes Bukowski seem like an amateur.
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

I could change my name to LP Millstoned and confuse folks, use a similar avatar.
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

Har har - I’ll bet you five bucks nobody knows what a . . . Hold on I gotta the spelling right . . . a misologist is.
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

There seems to me to be a lot of misology going around and a growing number of misologists perpetuating misology. I’m not for this trend, and if I knew how to create a thread I would name it Beware the Misologists and their Misology.
User avatar
laffite
Posts: 1891
Joined: October 27th, 2022, 10:43 pm

Re: What are you reading?

Post by laffite »

Thompson wrote: January 27th, 2023, 11:27 pm There seems to me to be a lot of misology going around and a growing number of misologists perpetuating misology. I’m not for this trend, and if I knew how to create a thread I would name it Beware the Misologists and their Misology.
I took college courses in Misology. Aphrodite was my favorite Goddess. :smiley_happygroup:
Sabine Azema in Sunday in the Country
Thompson
Posts: 662
Joined: November 30th, 2022, 3:04 pm
Location: New Orleans

Re: What are you reading?

Post by Thompson »

I’m serious sort of in a way because misology is a word, in the dictionary, but I have not found one person yet who has heard of the word.
User avatar
laffite
Posts: 1891
Joined: October 27th, 2022, 10:43 pm

Re: What are you reading?

Post by laffite »

I had not heard of the word until you became obsessed with it.
Sabine Azema in Sunday in the Country
User avatar
LawrenceA
Posts: 937
Joined: October 22nd, 2022, 1:04 pm

Re: What are you reading?

Post by LawrenceA »

It's the scientific study of missiles. Or maybe it's misers. One of those mis-es.
Watching until the end.
User avatar
HoldenIsHere
Posts: 641
Joined: October 22nd, 2022, 7:07 pm

Re: What are you reading?

Post by HoldenIsHere »

speedracer5 wrote: January 25th, 2023, 2:33 pm I'm about 80% through Alison Arngrim's (aka Nellie Oleson from "Little House on the Prairie") autobiography, "Confessions of a Prairie B itch." It's been an entertaining read so far. I especially enjoyed reading about her friendship with Melissa Gilbert (aka Laura Ingalls) and how much both of them disliked Melissa Sue Anderson (aka Mary Ingalls).
My sister and I used to watch LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE on Superstation TBS. We both liked the Nellie Oleson character even though (or maybe because) she was a b***** . Interesting that neither Alison Arngrim or Melissa Gilbert liked Melissa Sue Anderson.
In the early episodes the scenes with Nellie and Laura were my favorites. I love the episode where Nellie fakes being paralyzed to guilt Laura into being her slave.

As a kid I crushed on the super cute Andrew Garvey (Patrick Labyorteaux).

Image


When searching for images of Patrick Labyorteaux, I found this one with his real life brother Matthew (who played Albert on LITTLE HOUSE).

Image

Here's hoping crop tops for men make a comeback.

Image


At moments like this, I really miss LornaHansonForbes from the TCM message board . . .
Post Reply