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What 📔book are you reading right now?
- Thread starter Elendil3119
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Rhiannon
is one hand clapping
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It's an enjoyable, original read. The sequel (Knight of the Word) is good too, but I was less interested in the ones after that (Angel Fire East was the title, I think). Not the greatest books ever written, but a worthwhile leisure read.
But avoid Terry Brooks' fantasy novels at all costs. Shallow, poorly handled Tolkien rip-offs. I must have read somewhere between five and ten of them when I was 13 and reading anything out of the fantasy section. Waste of time.
I finished re-reading American Gods, and now I feel kind of bereft. I've been hiding in it for a week now, and it was nice to be so absorbed in a novel (it'd been so long I'd even forgotten how it ended). Now what am I going to do? My impulse is to re-read Neverwhere, which I just re-read a few months ago. Or re-read Howl's Moving Castle, which I just re-read a few weeks ago. You can tell that this semester sucks because I want to read comics and familiar comfort books.
But avoid Terry Brooks' fantasy novels at all costs. Shallow, poorly handled Tolkien rip-offs. I must have read somewhere between five and ten of them when I was 13 and reading anything out of the fantasy section. Waste of time.
I finished re-reading American Gods, and now I feel kind of bereft. I've been hiding in it for a week now, and it was nice to be so absorbed in a novel (it'd been so long I'd even forgotten how it ended). Now what am I going to do? My impulse is to re-read Neverwhere, which I just re-read a few months ago. Or re-read Howl's Moving Castle, which I just re-read a few weeks ago. You can tell that this semester sucks because I want to read comics and familiar comfort books.
Rhiannon
is one hand clapping
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Since my last post I've read:
Novels:
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
Treasure at the Heart of Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce
Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones
The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook
Sabriel by Garth Nix (re-read, in progress)
Jujitsu for Christ by Jack Butler (in progress)
Graphic Novels:
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 by Bob Gale, Devin Grayson et al*
Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore et al*
Batman / Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman by Ron Marz, Igor Kordey et al*
Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham*
Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham*
Powerless (Marvel Heroes) by Matt Chernis, Peter Johnson, and Michael Gaydos*
Novels:
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones
Treasure at the Heart of Tanglewood by Meredith Ann Pierce
Hexwood by Diana Wynne Jones
The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
The Decoy Princess by Dawn Cook
Sabriel by Garth Nix (re-read, in progress)
Jujitsu for Christ by Jack Butler (in progress)
Graphic Novels:
Batman: No Man's Land, Vol. 1 by Bob Gale, Devin Grayson et al*
Swamp Thing Vol. 1: Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore et al*
Batman / Tarzan: Claws of the Cat-Woman by Ron Marz, Igor Kordey et al*
Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham*
Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm by Bill Willingham*
Powerless (Marvel Heroes) by Matt Chernis, Peter Johnson, and Michael Gaydos*
e.Blackstar
wanderer, not lost
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Re-reading Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card.
Persephone
Formerly known as Narya
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I'm currently reading The Temple and the Lodge by [SIZE=-1]Michael Baigent,Richard Leigh (a book about the history of Freemasonry), Just finished Good Omens (hilarious! This is by Gaiman and Pratchett, and one of the funniest books I've ever read! if you haven't read it, READ IT!), and before that Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy, very different book series.
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e.Blackstar
wanderer, not lost
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Alison Weir's "The Life of Elizabeth I", and re-reading "The Iliad".
Persephone
Formerly known as Narya
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Mike said:
A movie version of Paradise Lost is in the offing, if you don't know it yet. Sort of a prelude to another film that would be delving into much the same issue but focuses on an entirely different demographic.
Just thought I'd share.
Mike
Beowulf's lost son-in-law
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
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- 339
A...movie...of...Paradise...Lost?
Excuse me?
Milton's Epic Poem is becoming a film?
There is absolutely no way I can see this working. Absolutely none. How do you translate Milton's poetry, Milton's genius, Milton's spiritual vigour, onto the big screen? Without the words the poem is nothing--that's why it's a poem. And why it shouldn't be a film.
I think they've taken things a bit too far this time around...
Excuse me?
Milton's Epic Poem is becoming a film?
There is absolutely no way I can see this working. Absolutely none. How do you translate Milton's poetry, Milton's genius, Milton's spiritual vigour, onto the big screen? Without the words the poem is nothing--that's why it's a poem. And why it shouldn't be a film.
I think they've taken things a bit too far this time around...
Barliman Butterbur
Worthy Keeper/Bree Roué
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For all the hordes of TTFers who having been frantically searching for the story of the Swedish pop music industry of the 70s, look no further! The book Bright Lights Dark Shadows by Carl Palm, covers it all!
In short, the Swedish pop music industry back then WAS Abba, the most popular music group in the world in the 70s, eclipsing even the Beach Boys and The Beatles. They earned so much money that they were an industry unto themselves, second only to the Volvo car company.
The thing that the Americans never "got" was that Abba never was based in rock and roll, and that's why America (whose doctrine was that to be any good, it had to be rock and roll) was the ONLY country in the world that didn't understand and appreciate them for their music.
Some other things they didn't get: Abba wrote their music in terms of the recording studio and not the stage. The recording studio, with its mixers and sound engineers were additional musical instruments for them. The relied on overdubbing and special effects. Another thing: they weren't particularly interested in how the public would be satisfied with their music. THEY were their own judges, and nothing left the studio until THEY were satisfied with what they'd done, and the public go hang. Of course what they did, the public lapped up virtually every single time — with the exception of the thickheaded Americans, who were into rock and roll and nothing else.
The music has its roots in SWEDEN, folks! Those who don't understand this miss everything. Their musical bases were Swedish folk music, schlagermusik (European pop music, sort of "Lawrence Welk-ish"), classical music, jazz, the Beach Boys (for the harmonies), the Phil Specter "wall of sound" concept, and at the end, some of disco. America just never understood this, or that fabulous pop music could actually have a basis in other than rock and roll.
Abba was just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg was Polar Music, run by Stig Anderson, who put the group together, and who — starting with their winning the international Eurovision Song Contest — was absolutely determined to take Swedish pop music into the international market.
The biographies of Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Anderson, Agnetha Fältskog and Ani-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad are some of the most fascinating characters ever to figure in the annals of popular music, and their biographies range from the hilarious to the deeply human to the downright harrowing. And all this without drugs!
The book is perfectly titled, for indeed: behind the bright lights of their sparkling public personas lay the dark shadows of their private lives. I recommend the book highly: Click here
Barley
In short, the Swedish pop music industry back then WAS Abba, the most popular music group in the world in the 70s, eclipsing even the Beach Boys and The Beatles. They earned so much money that they were an industry unto themselves, second only to the Volvo car company.
The thing that the Americans never "got" was that Abba never was based in rock and roll, and that's why America (whose doctrine was that to be any good, it had to be rock and roll) was the ONLY country in the world that didn't understand and appreciate them for their music.
Some other things they didn't get: Abba wrote their music in terms of the recording studio and not the stage. The recording studio, with its mixers and sound engineers were additional musical instruments for them. The relied on overdubbing and special effects. Another thing: they weren't particularly interested in how the public would be satisfied with their music. THEY were their own judges, and nothing left the studio until THEY were satisfied with what they'd done, and the public go hang. Of course what they did, the public lapped up virtually every single time — with the exception of the thickheaded Americans, who were into rock and roll and nothing else.
The music has its roots in SWEDEN, folks! Those who don't understand this miss everything. Their musical bases were Swedish folk music, schlagermusik (European pop music, sort of "Lawrence Welk-ish"), classical music, jazz, the Beach Boys (for the harmonies), the Phil Specter "wall of sound" concept, and at the end, some of disco. America just never understood this, or that fabulous pop music could actually have a basis in other than rock and roll.
Abba was just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg was Polar Music, run by Stig Anderson, who put the group together, and who — starting with their winning the international Eurovision Song Contest — was absolutely determined to take Swedish pop music into the international market.
The biographies of Anderson, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Anderson, Agnetha Fältskog and Ani-Frid (Frida) Lyngstad are some of the most fascinating characters ever to figure in the annals of popular music, and their biographies range from the hilarious to the deeply human to the downright harrowing. And all this without drugs!
The book is perfectly titled, for indeed: behind the bright lights of their sparkling public personas lay the dark shadows of their private lives. I recommend the book highly: Click here
Barley
Last edited:
DGoeij
Pan Narran
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- Dec 3, 2001
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- 933
Barliman Butterbur said:
Mind if I pass?
I recently started in the Farseer series, by Robin Hobb. Quite a good read IMHO. Funny thing is, the series got recommended to my girlfriend by a employee of our local bookshop, while she was searching for a birthday present for me. Apparently, describing me as both a Tolkien and Pratchett fan, made him point her (and htereby me) toward these books.
Barliman Butterbur
Worthy Keeper/Bree Roué
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Barliman Butterbur
Worthy Keeper/Bree Roué
- Joined
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Starbrow said:Um, Barley, you know, some Americans did "get" Abba. Please don't lump us all together.
Exactly. Some did. It was a small lump.
These days it's still uncool to admit a love for Abba, although there are a few stalwart rockers who honor them openly, such as Erasure, The Corrs and U2. (When Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus surprised Bono by showing up onstage at one of his concerts, he fell to his knees in joy!) And if you ever watched the utterly charming and hilarious The Last Video, you even saw Cher do a cameo.After 30+ years, a few more Americans are finally getting it.
Barley
Barliman Butterbur
Worthy Keeper/Bree Roué
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What non-Tolkien 📔book is like Lord of the Rings, and should be read?
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