Jump to content

kala_way

Member
  • Posts

    40
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by kala_way

  1. Yea, it's not a very big school. I majored in Research Psych. I'm using the 'research' side a lot more now--I do a lot of statistics and such in my job. What's your major?

  2. That's because CS Lewis was an apologist, Bunyan was a preacher. CSL thought you converted people by going for their logic, getting under their skin with appeals to nature and root moral sense, rather than fire and brimstone.
  3. It's definitely one of those books that you have to go into with a certain perspective and expectation. If you accept it for what it is, and especially if you're a Christian yourself, it really is a beautifully written book in it's original form. How it came about and it's history in the church add another dimension to it.
  4. :) I went to Biola U. It's a school in Southern California, sorta near Disneyland. I graduated almost 4 years ago now.
  5. I rarely read non-fiction. I have quite a few fiction books with prefaces and forewards written by the author for a later printing or by the translator or publisher or by another author talking about the book/author. I've never found them very useful, but that's just me.
  6. That's exactly the book I was thinking of, and I completely agree. That's a case where it was used correctly and to good effect! I read prologues if they are actually part of the story and important to it's opening, otherwise, no. Prefaces and forewards and such like that I never read, let the book speak for itself
  7. Very true! I think you just have to approach fanfiction with a different mindset than a normal book. It's like Youtube vs. regular television. Most YouTube videos are boring and stupid but if you find good people and follow good recommendations you can find some great, entertaining stuff. I think maybe 3 or 4 times ever I've thought, "Wow, this is good enough to be published if the HP references were removed." 99% of the time fanfiction doesn't warrant serious consideration, but it's a fun distraction if you have the time for it
  8. This trailer ran before The Soloist! I think it will be one of the few that might be better as a movie than as a book. The way the book flows and the simple story I think will really lend itself to the movie format.
  9. whew, good luck with finals! I worked all through college as well, so I know how that goes. Hopefully you have an understanding boss.

  10. I came to the end of several all at once: 20. The City of Ember - The writing style was more childish than I usually read. It was definitely meant for maybe 8-10 not young adult, but it was good story. I don't know that I buy that there would be so little crime in such a place but whatever. I must have not really been paying attention because I didn't 'get' the point until almost the very end. I think a little more could have been done with the story because the bones were very good yet it ended rather abruptly, but then it wouldn't have been a children's book I guess if it went into a great amount of detail about heavier things. - 6/10 21. Lolita - Well written and interesting. I found the way his opinions were so clearly reflected in his descriptions to be very unique. I've never read an author who did this more effectively. Thinking back on all he said about her, she seems like a twiggy little brat without any natural grace of character, yet his love for her is all consuming. It was perfectly voiced, but he was almost too logical for his lack of logic if that makes sense. But I guess smart people do stupid things all the time, and hindsight is more sensible. The shape of his guilt is rather sickening though. - 7/10 22. The Charioteer - This book was just too lovely. I cried at the end. I underlined all kinds of stuff. It was just one of those books where I was always saying, "Yes, it's exactly like that!" The only thing I could have wished was that it was a tad more descriptive, and maybe less timid in places. But it was just so completely lovely The love triangle was well setup and really exemplified Laurie's main weaknesses. It's a side of the war you don't really think about, and a side of that generation that you never hear about. Overall I was very impressed with it, and plan to pick up more of Renault's books.- 9/10 23. The Inheritance - Well, I read this book because I've seen the movie and I thought it was a cute sappy romantic movie and that the book was probably better and more detailed and exciting. It wasn't. The movie I think was actually better than the book in some ways. The book was like a sugar overload. She was only 17 when she wrote it though so I can understand it to a degree, but whew, it really needed some balance. It was almost like it was written as a penance to be given to a priest in order to show how the 'righteous will overcome' It was blessedly short at least. - 5/10
  11. I'm fabulous :) How are you?

  12. Well that's just what it sounded like on the audio book. HP's actually one of the few I have read more than once-especially the later books. I skip a bit, but it's such a fun read
  13. probably! I like the idea of re-reading but whenever I try to do it I'm reading and then start thinking "Oh this part was boring" *flip**flip**flip* "Where did they do such & such" *flip**flip**flip* So it just ends up being me re-reading the handful of scenes that I really liked and skipping the rest--which isn't really re-reading Oh and I found the paper with the irritating bits from SoIaF = "island of light in a sea of mist" *gag* A character named Urine? "It takes a man to make a woman" ?? They all punched him to welcome him. "wield your cudgel proudly" ... The only character I remotely liked was Leo, at least he was different! And I only read the first chapter.
  14. I think I've read maybe 15 books my whole life that I'd like to read again. I'm really not a multiple reads person. I'm well into Lolita at the moment. It's making me feel dirty. It's written very well though, but...eugh...he's freaky. Like 'Silence of the Lambs'. I'm absolutely adoring The Charioteer though. I've underlined several things Renault might not be Austen but she definitely has a way with words and an observant style. Very smooth. The Inheritance is rather dull, though for a 17 year old it's pretty awesome! I'm embarrassed by how much I liked such a sappy movie, but it's fun to see the differences between it and the book. At the recommendation of several people I tried one of the Song of Ice and Fire books again.... just not good. I really don't like books with "fantasy name generator" names! I actually wrote down a few of the lines that made me laugh out loud because they were lame, but I can't find the paper now. That'll probably be my last try for that series.
  15. kala_way

    Non Fiction

    I got so sick of reading only non-fiction in college that for the last few years I haven't read much at all. It's definitely a very different feel than fiction so I have to prepare my mind for it I just mooched Blank Slate by Steven Pinker, but it's well down on my list I read the occasional autobiography but I prefer the pace and style of fiction personally.
  16. Yep, I have. When I was a teenager I read through a One Year Bible. It separates the whole thing into small sections, a couple paragraphs of the boring stuff and a paragraph of interesting stuff everyday to get you through it in a year. I've read through the New Testament many times, but books like Chronicles and Kings are quite a slog!
  17. The guy who opened for her wasn't very good, I don't even remember his name. Sound of White is one of my faves as well.
  18. yea, I saw her live in December. She was great! Probably 'Going North' or 'Peachy'. I haven't heard a song of hers yet that I didn't like! What about you?
  19. okay, top 6 because I can't follow directions/can't decide which I'd take off Rufus Wainwright The Decemberists Jason Mraz The Killers Missy Higgins Panic! at the Disco
  20. Oh really?!? Never woulda guessed. Thanks for letting me know. I thought Rainer Maria Rilke was a woman for years so it's nothing new for me Must be the feminist in me
  21. I just read Brideshead Revisited about a month ago and I absolutely fell in love with it. The subtlety and dry humor was just magnificent. I can't say enough good things about it. I liked every single character. I watched the first part of the more recent movie made of it, and I just couldn't finish it. The subtlety was completely lacking and while the casting was good, the dialogue felt heavy handed and forced. I generally do like the 'novel of manners' type of books, but you're right that this was nothing like that. Very unexpected and thoughtful. I definitely want to get some of her other books. I'll look into Scoop and Vile Bodies Cheers!
  22. 19. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min Synopsis (from Amazon) A poor girl from rural China auditions for a job as royal concubine, winds up as emperor's wife number four, gives birth to the "last Emperor," rules China as regent for 46 years. The fascinating, implausible life of Tsu Hsi, or "Orchid," was reviled by the revolutionary Chinese, but here it receives a sympathetic treatment from Min (Red Azalea; Becoming Madame Mao). Sexually assertive, intellectually ambitious, socially striving, Min's Orchid is also "isolated, tense, and in some vague but very real way, dissatisfied." Even after giving birth to the emperor's only son, Orchid feels trapped by the stultifying imperial rituals and persecuted by the other residents of the Forbidden City: six other royal wives, 3,000 invisible concubines and 2,000 scheming eunuchs. In addition to these powerful distractions, she has to discipline her overindulged son, outmaneuver the ruthless politician Su Shun (who wants her buried alive when the emperor dies) and advise the ailing emperor how to fend off both the Boxers and the Western "barbarians." Review I knew next to nothing about this period in history previously and it was definitely enlightening. I appreciated how strong a woman Orchid was, that even though she was constrained by so many rules and rituals and prejudices that she was able to take action and kick against the goads so to speak. Nuharoo was excessively banal, and it's hard to believe their society succeeded for so many generations with the counterproductive way they brought up Emperors. It makes me want to look into the actions of the English at that time. It seems terribly unfair but the opinions were from the mouth of accused. The writing itself was nothing special, to the point and fact filled, a bit bland at times if you take out the flowery names given to every room and hall . Unusually, the first half was far better than the second--mainly because the story was more interesting. Less gossipy court intrigue and more rise of the underdog. If you're already interested in China or royalty or that period of time I'd definitely recommend it. If not, then it's quite a slog. 6/10 Next I'm picking up Lolita
  23. It does take a certain kind of mindset. You have to train yourself not to hear it as background music, but at the same time not to zone out into the book and forget what you're doing! I think it helped me that I took a lot of music classes throughout school where every week I had to listen really attentively to different pieces and take notes and answer questions--trained my brain to not zone out. It's not everybody's cup of tea though.
  24. I grew up with one of those rebellious teenagers so it just read as a bit ridiculous to me. If she had made him a kinda dorky social outcast I could have bought all the other stuff *shrug* I did like what she did with Anna's catch 22 type of decision and I was really interested to see how she'd resolve it. I think if she had found an honest way to do that then things like the weird guardian/lawyer relationship and evil (step)mother bits I could have overlooked. Well I'm all in favour of good abridgments for books like this. To me it's just like the author having a better editor who knows their audience. It's not like the unabridged copy are his unedited words anyway. I have a copy of the full book and it's over 1400 pages!! the abridgment was about 400
×
×
  • Create New...