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Eleonora

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Everything posted by Eleonora

  1. Hello! Look who's back! I didn't have much time to read lately, but I managed to read a couple of good books: Neil Gaiman's Fragile Things and The Man who Laughs, Victor Hugo. I found the latter a little disturbing here and there, and I admit I shed some tears too.. one of the best book I've read so far. Highly recommended.
  2. I had some problems with the log in.. but now I'm back!

  3. I wrote down every title you mentioned, my dears My wishlist is getting disturbing I'm in a "classic" mood lately: I'm reading the Bronte sisters and Edgar Allan Poe.. Halloween s coming.
  4. I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar yesterday in Verona.. amazing!! I love the movie, I've watched it dozen of times, so it was unbelievable for me to see JCS performed live in Arena by 3 of the original actors! Wow.. a piece of art.
  5. The closest one to me now is The China Study, a controversial book on diet.
  6. October?? Already?? Oh my .. is it only me or time is really running a little too fast? Anyway, I'm reading some italian authors, lately, not so interesting. But I tokk note of the books you mentioned, my dears, so I can start looking for them and read something "better" as soon as I ended my "have-to-read" pile.
  7. Reading some of this posts makes me want to give Mr. Stephen King a second chance! Finished Mansfield Park, Jane Austen, and I really enjoyed it.. Austen is the first witty lady in literature, in my opinion. I'm waiting for a book from the library (Jostein Gaarder, The Orange Girl) but I want to read another of his book, I think the title is something like Sophie's World.
  8. Hello!!! Look who's back?! Never really gone away, I've read the posts every few days but I didn't have time to write, sorry about that!! I had time to read though Now I'm reading some books on japanese culture (for the magazine in which I write) and a Jane Austen collection of novels.. Mansfield Park is the one I'm reading at the moment. I really miss you all!!!
  9. Calexa and Anna, I'm so sorry .. it must be very difficult for both of you. I have no words to express how sorry I am and how close I am to you. :friends0: Athena, I'm sorry for your grandfather too. How is he now? Now, time for the answers .. I was given that particular topic when I wrote the article on paedophilia in Asia, because I write for a magazine on the asian culture. Some asian countries do not have real laws on that, they seem to have more some sort of guidelines, which are not exactly powerful. On the other hand, there are countries, like Japan, that have a different sense of morality if we compare it to European and North America countries. What is considered a huge No No Subject here is not necessarly seen in the same way over there. What is more, some japanese men seem to have a problem in dealing with woman.. they're too shy or too secretive they could show some problems in their social lives, so they relate much better with younger women (but they actually are children, though) than women equal in age. I'm not talking about the whole asian population obviously.. But in those countries I think prevention could be a way to solve the problem: I mean, some parents chose to sell their children and they know what will happen to those poor innocents, but hunger - and cultural beliefs - are difficult to defeat. I agree with you as far as "our world" is concerned ( I mean Europe and North America: paedophlia is more a clinical disorder. Still, it's disgusting and disturbing to me. And now, my book club.. well, book clubs are rather common in the area around Mantua since the Book Fest has begun. There are 49 clubs in an area of 66 villages, which is a great success. My library started it in march 2013 because the librarian wanted to try a new cultural experience. It worked perfectly!! There are a lot of people in my club but some of them are too shy to speak and they come because they love books and they feel a little alone. We meet once a month to discuss the book we have decided to read, but then some of us (we became friends you know) sometimes meet to see a concert or to go to a museum. I think there are 15 of us who are definitely more "close" and we enjoy some good time together. It's wonderful!! I'm one of the youngest and I'm the sort of "baby chick" for the older men and women. The most amazing thing of a book club, in my opinion, is that I can read books I would never have chosen to read otherwise.. and I found some great stories I would have lost if I wasn't in a book club. Sorry for my english once again.. I hope you all could understand what I wrote.
  10. Angury, have a nice birthday!! I wrote an article on paedophilia in Asian countries last year. It was really difficult to do, I had to read really nasty stuff and it was so upsetting. But I had a mention for that article, from the japanese ambassy in Rome. I just wish it wasn't for a subject that disgusting. Athena, my dear.. so the moving is done!! Now, take your time and relax a little, ok?? Well, yesterday I had a great night. I don't know if you know but every september there's a huge book fest in Mantua, Italy.. I posted something about it last year. There are a lot of authors who come here to talk about their books and projects. This year the fest suggested a new idea: every book club of the area should do an event to promote the fest and introduce to an audience some of the authors who will come to Mantua. My book club said YES!!! so we did this wonderful lecture yesterday evening. Festival Letteratura (the book fest) gave us a list of authors last month, we chose some of them and we were given the books to read. My book club is rather big, there are 38 people in it now, but only 9 of us decided to introduce some of the authors. I chose Colm Toìbin and Collum McCann (and two others italian writers you haven't heard of). The event was on a wonderful boat on the river Po, at twilight. The light fading slowly, the gentle move of the water, the wonderful red wine (people say it's terrific, but I can't drink, so..), tons of books everywhere.. it was brilliant!! I wish you were all there with me.. with a good translator by your side
  11. I went to see Robert Plant on monday and it was a great concert! And now I can't stop listening to band that played before his performance. Great band, great sound.. who said music is already dead??
  12. I read the article and I must say I agree with Ian: sounds like book snobbery. There's a shade of mockery through the lines that I think was meant to be wit. We should all feel free to read whatever we like without feeling ashamed. There are great stories in YA too and "transparently trashy" is pesky definition in my opinion.
  13. Just finished George Saunders' Tenth of December.. amazing!! I'm halfway through The Girl Who Saved The King Of Sweden - Jonas Jonasson (who is the author of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared) I'm loving it. But there's another book in my bag right now, and I can't wait to start it too .. it's called Everything Begins and Ends at the Kentucky Club, written by Benjamin Alire Saenz (never heard of him before, I must admit).
  14. Lovely idea!!! Italy has an embarassing team.. as the football one Bassani and Moravia shouldn't be there and there are no women in there. I'd change Moravia with Melania Mazzucco, a great woman. England team is great!
  15. Thank you so much everybody!! Today is a national celebration here: today we celebrate the Republic of Italy.. but I worked anyway. It's getting hot and I'm not too happy about it. I wish I had a little rain, but no clouds in the sky.
  16. Athena.. I love your baby chickens, they are so cute!!! I have some news, one bad and one good. My uncle passed away yesterday after a long disease. I'm not too sad now, because I think it was too much pain for him and it was definitely unfair. His daughter, my cousin and friend, just had her baby, a little boy named Davide, born ten days ago. My uncle, at least, met his nephew.
  17. I liked the finnish song, but voted them mainly because of Frankie here Then I voted the Icelandic Pollaponk.. they were funny. Nordic obsession this year
  18. I did and I loved it!! Wonderful book, I was so involved thet when I finished it I felt the cars and elecrticity were out of place I'm reading Uncle Oswald, Roald Dahl right now and it's really funny. What is more, last night I started The Mists of Avalon, written by M.Z. Bradley.. so far so good.
  19. I quote Michelle. I enjoyed it, it was funny. I liked the clip introductions to the artists as well, simple but nice. It's not a real competition, but I like it. I love the Icelandc band: so colorful and crazy The italian artist is usually that bad, but sadly she represents the low level of italian music.
  20. Except Lost, which is my all time favourite, the other ones are written in no particular order. Lost Friends Buffy the Vampire Slayer Gilmore Girls Once Upon a Time X-Files Criminal Minds The Big Bang Theory Dr. Who Prison Break But there are some other series I really enjoyed (like Father Ted and Alias..)
  21. My German teacher told us about Kaspar Hauser when I was at school She was born in Ansbach, where there should be a statue of him, if I remember the story correctly. I let all the explenations to LittleW, by the way I was born in a little village in the north east of Italy, which is now called Castelmassa, but when it was founded, back in the 900 d.C., it was called Massa Superiore. It was one of the greatest port on the river Po. Castelmassa had a huge castle built by Matilde di Canossa (known as The Great Countess Matilda of Tuscany). She was a great supporter of pope Gregory VII against King Henry IV. The legend says there are many underground tunnels that connect the place where the caste used to be to the church and other "safe places" outside the village. No tunnel has been found so far, but a dangerous pit with old knives all around is well known, maybe it was digged during the wars against Austria in the 1800s. During the Second World War, a group of young guys found it by accident and decided to use it to kill some Nazis who lived here and who tortured some prisoners. A Nazi young soldier fell in it and died. The italian guys were discovered and killed. More cheerful facts, the church and the square of my village are famous because they are on the italian version of the book The Little World of Don Camillo, written by Giovanni Guareschi. That's not interesting as the facts you've all mentioned before, but I think it's cool to have my village on a book http://www.naufragio.it/il-tempo-di-leggere/libri/donc.jpg
  22. Mmhhh, it's not so easy, but let's try. I usually watch movies that make me think or that make me cry.. so, in no specific order, here we go.. Good Night, and Good Luck I am Sam Dead Man Walking The Legend of the Pianist on the Ocean Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Pulp Fiction (ok, this one does not make me think nor cry, but I love Tarantino) Dead Poet Society Schindler's List Back to the Future The Ghostbusters .. I like to laugh too, you know
  23. This is so sad and horrible. I'm lost for words.
  24. Eleonora

    MOOC

    So.. I got it right We've already discussed this topic.. you can find it in General Chat, Online courses (I believe). Edit: link found http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/11727-online-study-learning/
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