What are you reading?

Y'all (should) know the drill...

Currently reading Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada. I'm about four chapters in and though there are many characters being introduced at once, I feel very connected with the story and deeply involved with it's characters. I can tell this is going to be an unforgettable read. I'm glad I finally picked it up!

Book Summary:

Based on a true story, this sweeping saga tells the tale of a working class couple in Berlin who decide to take a stand against the Nazis.
More than an edge-of-your-seat thriller, more than a moving romance, even more than literature of the highest order, it's a deeply moving story of two people who stand up for what's right, and for each other.

Hans Fallada wrote Every Man Dies Alone in a feverish twenty-four days, soon after the end of World War II and his release from a Nazi insane asylum. He did not live to see it's publication.

Beyond Belief by Josh Hamilton (rereading, actually). Very good. I would recommend it even if you're not a Rangers fan.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman. So far an interesting deconstruction of Harry Potter, Narnia, and similar "ordinary people discover magical world" stories.

~LCD

"The Writers Tale" by Russel T. Davies and Benjamin Cook. Amazing. Really awesome book.

Just finished "Mengele Zoo" by Gert Nygårdshaug ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengele_Zoo )

The book is extremely well written. It's important. It has a nerve. But I liked it less and less... By the end I was mostly glad I was finished with it. Didn't like the turn it took. I still rate it as good and important. It just wasn't for me.

I just finished Sex at Dawn, as was definitely a fan. It was very well written - something that both the expert and the educated layman can appreciate. It also has some very comical one-liners. Very well researched and not afraid to be blunt about dispelling previous ideas about human sexuality and personality.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. I loved Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day and have been meaning to read this one for a while, but I decided to get a move on with reading it as I hear a film of it has been made, and, of course, I'd like to have read the book first...

Behemoth, the second part of Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy. World War I with giant mecha and genetically engineered monsters--a must-read for any steampunk fan.

~LCD

Storyteller, the life of Roald Dahl. He's one of my favourite children's authors and I really enjoyed reading this book, it shows so many sides of one and the same man. The book up next will be The lovely bones, I haven't seen the film yet but I've heard that both the film and the book is really good. I usually prefer to read the books before I see the films.

Just finished Dumas the Three Musketeers, wonderful book, starting on Little Women again, read it years ago, one of my favorite books

ladygodiva wrote:Just finished Dumas the Three Musketeers, wonderful book...

I adore The Three Musketeers. The movie with Michael York is perhaps the best adaptation (so far) of the book. I watched as soon as I finished it.

I'm currently reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I like it, I can't wait for the movie coming out. And, after I finish, I plan to start on the 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' series. I've heard good things about that, and there is a movie and another adaptation of it coming out with Daniel Craig.

I am actually in betweet 3 novels, believe it or not:

Diana Gabaldon's "An Echo In The Bone"

Ken Kesey "One Flew Over The Cookoo's Nest" ((Great Movie with Jack Nicholson... interesting enough -- for those of you who haven't read the book, even as recomended reading in H.S. and/or seen the film version of the book -- the film [as it usually tends to be] is completely different than the book... in the film, Jack's character [keeping his character of what he is PC here] is the narriative... the book, it's the Native American's take).

And then, of course, I just HAD TO revisit ((for the 2nd time))...

Susan Kay's Phantom ((and yes, I have a reissued hardcover edition... with Raphael's artwork on the cover... he does ABSOLUTELY AMAZING work, if I do say so myself, as that budding artist within my very own rights))!

So, that's currently what I'm reading, and in between reading!

Highly recommended The Once and Future King, absolutely wonderful book on the King Arthur legend, this is what the Camelot musical was based on.

and I too adored the 3 musketeers movie with Michael York, wonderful adaptation, so close to the novel with one or to exeptions

Patti LuPone's autobiography. I can't wait for the ALW-related bitch-outs.

Scorp wrote:Patti LuPone's autobiography. I can't wait for the ALW-related bitch-outs.

And BOY! Are THEY EVER going to be the ALW-related bitch-outs on this!!!!! ((However, I am ABSOLUTELY NOT one to judge on the topic))!!!!! ROFLMAO!!!!

Say... has ((or does anyone know if Glenn Close ever worte an autobiography??!!!! My aunt Beth did her hair for the Oscars at one point, so I thought I'd surprise her with a copy of Close's autobiography with the Christmas Holiday Season coming up!!!!! ((I know completely out of context of this post... sorry)).

Anyhoo...

My aunt Beth said that she couldn't be ANY nicer than she ((Glenn Close)) is... her demure is just as that in interviews and in real life!!!!! Go figure! But isn't that how it's SUPPOSED to be??!!!! Just a thought! That is all!

Scorp wrote:Patti LuPone's autobiography. I can't wait for the ALW-related bitch-outs.

Those bitch-outs were intersting and very insightful. Though a bit over-dramatic at points, and very doubtable sometimes, it was wonderful that an actor wasn't afraid to speak out against the Lord. He may be a 'Lord' but he certainly isn't (or his PR team, for that matter) a 'patron saint'.

Anyway, absolutely adored the autobiography. She mentions from time to time that she has more that could probably be used for a second book and I wonder what else could be told?

re reading The Mists of Avalon by Marion Ziimmer Bradley, great book although I hate the dipiction of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere) as a whinny whimpering complainer, the worst version of Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), in this version Guinevere is a fanatical Queen, Bradley in this version made the Morgan Le Fay character the lead.

one of the characters Kevin , a horribly disfigured hunchback, having been burnt by a fire when he was a child, but can sing like an angel. He becomes Morgaine's lover and later her worst enemy. Foreseeing the demise of pagan ways, he betrays Avalon. In an ultimate attempt to unite Christianity and Avalon, so Avalon will survive, he brings the Holy Grail to Camelot. To punish him for this atrocity, Morgaine sets up Nimue to seduce and then betray him, and wants to torture him to death as a traitor. But before the torture begins, Morgaine changes her mind and has him executed swiftly out of mercy, and at the same time, a bolt of lightning incinerates the Holy Oak of Avalon. Morgaine understands that Avalon is doomed

I wanted to like Mists of Avalon, but after page upon page of being hit over the head with "MEN ARE EVIL!! CHRISTIANITY IS EVIL!!" I found it impossible.

~LCD

LadyCDaae wrote:I wanted to like Mists of Avalon, but after page upon page of being hit over the head with "MEN ARE EVIL!! CHRISTIANITY IS EVIL!!" I found it impossible.

~LCD

I am in agreement with part of your assesment, and I did not like the anti-Christianity and anti-men, one more item that I was uncomfortable with was an almost incest between Arthur and Morgan, and yes it was an over the top womans movement pre mordial style, but, I would recommend it for people who are interested in the Arthurian legends, now however, I would recommend the Once and Future king more than the Mists of Avalon any day of the week any hour of the day.

I'm more than halfway through American Gods by Neil Gaimon but dear Lord, the whimsy! There's only so much I can take
It's almost time for my yearly reading of Leroux's Phantom, so...

ladygodiva wrote:

LadyCDaae wrote:I wanted to like Mists of Avalon, but after page upon page of being hit over the head with "MEN ARE EVIL!! CHRISTIANITY IS EVIL!!" I found it impossible.

~LCD

I am in agreement with part of your assesment, and I did not like the anti-Christianity and anti-men, one more item that I was uncomfortable with was an almost incest between Arthur and Morgan, and yes it was an over the top womans movement pre mordial style, but, I would recommend it for people who are interested in the Arthurian legends, now however, I would recommend the Once and Future king more than the Mists of Avalon any day of the week any hour of the day.

I remember seeing that book lying around a library when I was in middle school and liking the cover. I wanted to read it, but it was another six or seven years before I got a copy and I ended up being very disappointed by it. I gave it another try a few years later and liked it even less.

At the moment, I'm between books. I was about to start re-reading Anne Bronte's Tenant of Wildfell Hall hall, but I'm also tempted re-read Rebecca first.

Rereading A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth right now, but I bought about 20 books today from a bookstore that's going out of business, so I'm excited to start chipping away at that stack.

phantomphan1992 wrote:Rereading A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth right now, but I bought about 20 books today from a bookstore that's going out of business, so I'm excited to start chipping away at that stack.

I like Kristin Chenoweth, she is absolutly perky, I loved her book..

It is sad that Book shops are going the way of the Dodo, I do hope that the actual, book that you can feel and smell in your hand are not going the way.

I heard on the news that a lot of Borders bookstores have closed, and rumor is that Barnes and Noble will close some stores. Sad state of affairs when the big bookchains like-Borders, Barnes & Noble muscled out all but a few of the smaller bookstores, and now it seems like they are suffering now.

Oh, lord, no, I love to read real books in my bed!

Finished reading True Grit last night. It was a nice, short story. I really liked the narrator. The title, however, refers to one having 'True Grit'. And that person seemed to be Rooster Cogburn. But I think that Mattie was the one who had the real 'grit'. She was fourteen and really put everything in motion to find Cheney. I can't wait to see the new movie, didn't really like the John Wayne one. That one butchers the book.

Now I'm reading Water for Elephants. That narrator is awful ; he flipped out on some guy when he was 93 (the book starts in the present - 1960's?) and it was over the dude saying that he gave an elephant water every day at the circus. I laughed. It was so odd. I like the idea of the young adult running away to join the circus, it just seems too rushed.

After I finish that I begin the 'The Girl...' series.

I am re reading No Turn Unstoned edited by Diana Rigg, she is perhaps best known as Mrs. Peel on the 1960's Avengers tv show, (Mrs. Peel always kicked-ass and took questions later) Diana Rigg was also a fantastic stage actress,

for the idea for this book, One Critic at one of her performances was particularly nasty, she was upset by the review, until one day a major stage actor, said to her take it on the chin you should have seen my reviews. she did and she complied a book of the nasty reviews and the performers reactions to them, a good non fiction book to read.

Lord Ruthven The Vampyre
Contents:
- The Vampire, the original 1819 John William Polidori novella which created the character;
- Two extracts of letters from Polidori;
- a fragment from an uncompleted novel by Lord Byron which Polidori used as his inspiration (in those days plagiarism was allowed);
- The Vampire, an 1820 play by Charles Nodier;
- Being Lord Ruthven, an 1821 vaudeville play by Eugène Scribe;
- The Adventure of the Beneficent Vampire, a new story by Frank J. Morlock,
putting Ruthven together with Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown.
Great fun!

RoseOfTransylvania wrote:Lord Ruthven The Vampyre
Contents:
- The Vampire, the original 1819 John William Polidori novella which created the character;
- Two extracts of letters from Polidori;
- a fragment from an uncompleted novel by Lord Byron which Polidori used as his inspiration (in those days plagiarism was allowed);
- The Vampire, an 1820 play by Charles Nodier;
- Being Lord Ruthven, an 1821 vaudeville play by Eugène Scribe;
- The Adventure of the Beneficent Vampire, a new story by Frank J. Morlock,
putting Ruthven together with Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and Father Brown.
Great fun!

I am thinking about getting that at the libray myself and reading it.

I really enjoyed it!

I was taking down some bookshelves to clear a room for repainting and found my long-lost copy of the complete works of Oscar Wilde. So, I'm very happily re-reading "The Ballad of Reading Gaol." I had an orthodontist - an older man who'd also done my mother's braces - who used to quote verses from this poem while he worked and I think that was my first "introduction" to Wilde...followed by a wonderful English teacher who read "The Happy Prince" to my class one day (the end of that one *always* makes me cry).

I've missed my Wilde....