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What are you reading?


Jan McNulty

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My daughter told me the book was written as "Twilight" fan fiction and was posted on the net. The writer threatened to sue her, so all she did was change the names. A twitter friend says her daughter also told her the same thing. I would not read it if it was the last book on earth.

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Well bit further on now. I know nothing about Twilight series and know nothing about the 50 shades book so apart from the obvious I have no idea if there is a story or if it just continues in the same vein. All I can say is wish I'd been sensible to just buy the first book, on my Kindle, rather than all 3 . Maybe it will improve and become genuinely intriguing.

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I've just started 50 shades and not keen so far. But then I think I'm only just reaching "the good bits". Not enjoying the style of writing so far.

 

TBH not sure I am liking. Totally agree with Julie, her style of writing is irritating me as it is too formulaic and cliched for me. I do not feel the two principal characters are believable either, I am struggling to continue with it (bored.....come back belle du Jour haha). It certainly is Mills and Boon with knobs (love that!!), think I'll go back to my Jo Nesbo :-D

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I second Wolf Hall- absolutely adored it. For those who liked the Hunger Games I agree with someone else that Patrick Ness trilogy is great (better than the hunger games which I found quite derivative- but I have been reading science fiction since I was 10 so it takes a lot to impress me..).

I have just finished reading Johannes Cabal the Necromancer (Jonathan L Howard) and thought it was brilliantly written- a really well rounded anti hero. But probably my best discovery of this year is Kate Griffiths' A Madness of Angels (and the subsequent books in the series)- she's an astounding writer who published her first novel aged 14 (and I've read it, and it's better than many adult novels).

Fiz if you're interested in epidemiology you should read Ben Goldacre's Bad Science if you haven't already (in fact so should the entire population of the world). It's erudite, extraordinarily important (e.g. everyone should know this stuff) and really really easy to read.... as an epidemiologist I would highly recommend it to all non scientists...

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Bad science is brilliant! An excellent, non sensational read.

 

Books Iread and know I loved (though can't remember the ins and outs)

 

Bonfire of the Vanities,

 

Any Wilkie Collins (esp No Name.) Any Hardy and most Dickens.

 

Mrs Gaskell, any all brilliant.

 

I enjoy Phillipa Gregory.

 

My trouble is I can't remember what I've read.lol The kindle makes it worse as you don't even keep seeing the book cover.

 

Half a Yellow Sun is fantastic. About the Biafran war in Nigeria. Written by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Only just found this thread! At the moment I am reading "Under Heaven" by Guy Gavriel Kay - one of my favourite authors. It has taken me a while to get into this book but enjoying it - though not as much as his other works. I do have a copy of "Against all things Ending" by Stephen Donaldson - admit to having to have a dictionary very close when reading this author - at the moment I am just not "in the mood" but really must read it as the very final book will be out in the fall 2013 - may just have finished it by then!

 

I used to live just 4 miles from Waddesden Manor - admit that I miss it very much. Every Christmas they decorate the Bachelor Wing and it is the most amazing experience EVER!! Recommend booking a time ticket as it gets very, very busy there, but if you are near or passing by it is a must. Usually there is a theme and since the year that The Nutcracker was the theme we now have to have a Christmas tree decorated in white (DH instructions) and there is also has a bit of a ballet theme prevailing - although the small ballet slippers I bought from Bloch are pink!

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Last year I went to see the film "The Eagle" (I think I mentioned earlier in the thread that I like novels about the Romans). As we came out, I remarked to my friends that Rosemary Sutcliffe would not have recognised her story!

 

Anyway it made me buy Eagle of the Ninth and re-read it after many years. I was most surprised to discover that Rosemary Sutcliffe would very much have recognised her story as the film is faithful to the story line! Anyway I then got the other 2 books about the 9th Legion and I've just finished The Silver Branch. They really are cracking good books.

 

I'm saving the third book and am currently on a Ken Follet, which I am enjoying so far.

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Fiz, if you can make it around Christmas it is a must, there are so many decorated Christmas trees both inside and out. I'm hoping to persuede DH that we have to go back for a visit but it is quite a way now. None of the NT houses or other house down here seem to do the same thing. Claydon House is also worth a visit. Again they don't decorate for Christmas (or didn't when I was last there) - amazing that all the ceilings and fireplaces are not plaster, but are actually carved from wood.

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I re-read Eagle of the Ninth a while ago too. Also read the trilogy on Boudicca by Manda Scott. Really enjoyed them.

 

Another children's book I re-read was The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. Wonderful!

 

Every 10 years or so I read the whole Narnia bunch. I also do the same with his adult sci-fi books the Space Trilogy.

 

One series I really enjoy are Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next novels. Just about to get the latest. They work on the premis that fiction exists in a parallel place. They are tremendously clever, sometimes too clever, but great fun. If you like Douglas Adams you might well like these. I didn't enjoy his Nursery Rhyme series though. Mind you only tried the first.

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Speaking of re-reading a book....

 

I recently re-read Ivanhoe. The last time I read it I was about 12 yrs old and fell in love with the prose. Upon re-reading it - I fell in love with the prose once again.

 

It was time well spent to reaquaint myself with such a beautiful use of the language.

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Hi Jule 2 Milner - I do the same with the Narnia books. Due for a re-read but I threw out my childhood copies when we moved - the sticky tape I'd used to repair them had gone yucky. Will have to buy them again - they were such loved and read copies. I don't consider a book to be a good book unless I've read it 3 or 4 times.

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I have to admit I'm not much for reading fiction, especially modern fiction. I did, however, love The Far Pavillions. As I fnished the last sentence - I turned back to the first page and started again. It's 900 pages long - and much too short. I fell in love not only with the story but just as importantly M. M.Kaye's prose - as when she describes the green sky of India.

 

Ashton Pelham-Martyn and (who else?) Anjuli Bai. :)

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Finished Under Heaven. Loved the film but never read the book so found non-dd'c copy of Goodnight Mister Tom. A few differences from the film and this may be the only case where I prefer the film but enjoying it much the same. Keep hearing John Thaw's voice all the time I'm reading it - he was so magnificant in this role.

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I would not read it if it was the last book on earth.

 

Is that because it's fanfiction, Fiz, or for some other reason? (FWIW, I know there's at least one rather good (former?) writer of fanfiction on this site)

 

Anyway it made me buy Eagle of the Ninth and re-read it after many years.

 

Rosemary Sutcliffe was an author I used to struggle with when I was young. It may have been my aversion to most historical novels :)

 

I recently re-read Ivanhoe. The last time I read it I was about 12 yrs old and fell in love with the prose.

 

I must re-read it and see if I can get beyond being really irritated at Ivanhoe being such a wimp the whole time :)

 

Hi Jule 2 Milner - I do the same with the Narnia books. Due for a re-read but I threw out my childhood copies when we moved - the sticky tape I'd used to repair them had gone yucky. Will have to buy them again - they were such loved and read copies. I don't consider a book to be a good book unless I've read it 3 or 4 times.

 

Probably about time I re-read Narnia again - I used to read them on my commute when all the other adults were reading Harry Potter! And I rarely buy books unless I'm intending to read them more than once - that's what libraries are for!

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Ivanhoe a wimp? Oh, prith thee - tis not so!

 

For much of the book he is gravely wounded. But he arises from his bed not quite healed to defend a woman, Rebeca of York, he barely knows and does not love. She tended his convalescence and he knows her to be not guilty of the crimes of which she is accused.

 

Not quite healed from his wounds he enters the lists with both lance and sword. This contest is to the death - both his life and Rebecca's are on the line. He faces the finest champion of the Knights Templar, Brian de Bois Guilbert, who is fully intent on killing Ivanhoe and grabbing off Rebecca and then fleeing abroad. Unhorsed, Ivanhoe, continues courageously battling on until by skill he overcomes Guilbert.

 

In the end, he returns to Rowena, his long time love and he never falters from that love. He is also a faithful subject to his rightful king, helping to see he returns to England from his imprisonment abroad.

 

Ivanhoe also frees the faithful (and witty) Wamba the Witless. If sterling character make for wimpyness - let's hope for more wimps in this world.

 

:)

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's a lovely piece.

 

I left the office this evening and had to dodge a woman who was so engrossed in a book that she couldn't even walk straight. Guess what it was? Sigh.

 

BTW, is 50ShedsofGrey (or Gray) on Twitter any reflection of the real thing?

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Janet: Delighted to hear of another Tallis convert. First time I heard it live was years ago in St John's, Smith Square - 40 singers spread around the galleries and at the end of the evening, repeated on the floor around us. And then about three summers back, one of the ladies in the Cambridge Phil chorus arranged a 40th Birthday present for herself and got her brother, Director of Music in one of our national cathedrals, to come down and run an afternoon workshop on "Spem in Alium." I sang Tenor in Choir 5 - what a feeling!

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Some years ago I was there when 'Spem' was sung live in the Birmingham Oratory by Ex Cathedra and friends. As an intro, Jeffrey Skidmore explained it was a difficult piece to perform; getting 40 choristors together is difficult enough, but getting them with the correct vocal range as well is a tall order. They performed it twice, with 'Missa Et ecce terrae motus' (The Earthquake Mass) by Antoine Brumel in the middle and something else which I forget. Brilliant concert and I wish they would do it again.

 

I've also saw this http://www.cardiffmi...inst/motet.html in the Walsall Art Gallery, which I thought was pretty pointess.

 

So as not to get completely off the track of the thread, at the mo I'm reading "Programming PHP" by Rasmus Lerdorf & Kevin Tatroe and by jingo, it's gripping! yawn.png

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Well, well! I recall coming across that "Spem in Alium" installation in a Canadian paper one Links morning, months ago, and I'm pretty sure I put it in "Not Dance" at the time. Looking at the Gallery, it has certainly travelled since then, yea even unto Walsall - and I've a feeling my sister caught it at the time in Montreal.

 

The piece is written for SATBB in each choir, so a conductor is looking for 24 chaps and, unless using some counter-tenors, only 16 women - not the customary balance for most non-professional choirs. There is a version -"Sing and Glorify" - with an English text praising Henry and Charles, sons of James I, of uncertain provenance. Most are likely to prefer Tallis' original.

 

But back to the books ......

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