pontalba

Ahhh, James you've gotten me interested in another series! Good reviews.

He is a beautiful baby! Congratulations to the whole family!

Your trip sounds fabulous June! I'm so pleased it went so well. Athena, did I hear something about new books? heh heh Well, we are in Washington, D.C. tonight, will be for a few days. We went to the Book Fair first thing and bought a few books. We were fairly conservative though. Yes we were! Will post list on book thread. We'll do some shopping and sightseeing tomorrow. We took the train from New Orleans, a 25 hour train ride, went well. More later.

Recently a friend on Good Reads shared an email to her from Sharon Kay Penniman in response to a question regarding the release of the new edition of Sunne in Splendour. She told me it was ok to share it with y'all, in fact she is going to ask SKP about getting a complaint deluge going to the publisher. I'll let the email speak for itself. I just think it is a bloody shame it can't be sold in the U.S. Also rather strange!

I like Deighton as well. Have you read any of Charles McCarry?

Ok, get kraken..... Groan.....hope your car is fixed!

Ahh, glad I was wrong! Thanks.

Just so you can see.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirk_Bogarde Interesting man. Actor. Writer. Thanks for clearing that up. I've only seen a few, but loved him in later films.

I hadn't looked at your article before...didn't want to read it before I'd finished the book. Thanks for reposting. I have to take exception to her blasting of Phyllis though. Re-linking the article, for copyright's sake. http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/10/the-way-the-world-ends-john-wyndhams-lemgthe-kraken-wakeslemg Um, you guys, it was the 50's. Maybe I'm the only one around here that actually lived through them, but that is an accurate portrayal of the time. In character. And don't let "modern" women fool you......we still do the same thing, perhaps more subtly, but we do it. Remember the old adage, 'you catch more flies with honey than vinegar'? Right. I rest my case. I didn't feel Phyllis was patronized. Bloody heck, has the author of the article ever seen the present day media in action??? Criminy!

Oh! A few additions were purchased today. Husbands. Beyond the God Particle by Leon Lederman and Christopher Hill Dirty Love by Andre Dubus III

One thing to remember is that the books, on the whole, have little to do with the films. Some are more changed than others, but all are (very) different. I read them all when I was in my teens and twenties and enjoyed them at the time, however, upon rereading a few years ago I was a bit disappointed. They can be flat in places. Some are better than others of course. I remember one in particular, The Spy Who Loved Me...I loved the book, and the film was totally, totally different. In name only! Infuriated me at the time. Oh, yeah!

Good advice! But I'd also advise getting more than one opinion on the advisability of removing or not.

I have the Isherwood on the shelf, I so want to get to it! Good review!

Oh, piffle. Your post was on target. Ahhh, hah! You've proven what a poster on a forum, long ago and far away said to me some years ago! She claimed that readers that enjoyed Jane Eyre tended to dislike Wuthering Heights. At the time I had not read WH, so was in no position to judge one way or the other. A few years ago I finally got around to reading WH, and frankly, had trouble finishing. While it certainly is not necessary to "like" characters, one shouldn't want to shake and slap them at every turn, and absolutely dislike them so intensely one can hardly pick up the book. I could not find one redeeming character, or one redeeming trait in any of the lot of them. Now, I have loved Jane Eyre since first reading at about 10 or 11 years old. Of course I didn't understand all of it at that age, but I burned with indignation for Jane's mistreatment at the hands of her guardian/aunt, and loved the relationship she had with the little girl....daughter (?) of Rochester, and her generosity and love for Helen Burns. Of course in rereading as a teenager and then as an adult broadened my views on other matters. Anyhow, I'm so tickled to hear your views on WH, and your stories of playing on those very moors! Thanks. Absolutely. It was indeed the greed of not only her family, but Rochester's father. Click the third from the left little square (Special BBCode) at the top of the reply box, click down the menu and choose "Spoiler". Type the spoilery bits into the box that appears. Ta daaaa!

It seemed to me that Wyndham said there was no real resolution, not in the classic sense, at any rate. Doesn't it seem more realistic this way? I mean if it tied up neatly, I'd complain about that! Hah, I thought the title meant the monster awakens......didn't even consider anything else. And I'm very glad you did! Persistence pays!

Sounds ominous!

A few additions to the shelves. The Cambridge Companion to Thomas Pynchon The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Orpheus Descending by T.N. Suddenly Last Summer by T.N. Solo, A James Bond Novel by William Boyd

Oh, sigh. I'm 5th generation pack rat. However. I am the first one that is able to throw stuff out. I couldn't get rid of much stuff before, my Aunt just couldn't let go of stuff. So, now I have the unhappy task of sorting the good from the trash and junk and either throwing away, selling or donating stuff. I have managed quite a lot of give away and throw away already, but it's been a couple of years since I've tackled the project. Getting married kind of put the temporary kibosh on it. heh. But I'm working up to getting on with it again.

It makes 6! Here is the list..... http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/189-4798274-2883844?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=The%20Adventurers#/ref=sr_kk_2?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Aflavia+de+luce+series+by+alan+bradley+in+order&keywords=flavia+de+luce+series+by+alan+bradley+in+order&ie=UTF8&qid=1381254361

Yup. sure did. Vintage Wyndham.

muggle, I read years ago that North Carolina charged a tax on the furniture in your home. Is that true?

I won't post a review (now at least) of my latest book, The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham. It's being discussed over on the October Read Circle. Suffice it to say I enjoyed reading another Wyndham, and give it a 4/5 rating.

I loved George Sanders, he was the epitome of elegance. I'd forgotten he did the films!

Well, I finished last night, and I'll have to give it 4 out of 5 stars. Yes, it's slow, but typical Wyndham, so I enjoyed it. A lot. Now to the questions. 1. Were you engaged immediately with the story, or did it take you a while to get into it? I felt pulled in right away. The gimmick of starting after the story is really over, but the real outcome being unknown was a good hook for me. Plus the gentle bantering of the couple made me feel at home with the characters. 2. Did you have a favourite character? And a least favourite? Hmmmm, I liked Mike, but Phyllis was right behind him as really, it was she that held him up. I also really liked the scientist, Bocker. I can't think of a character I hated, or truly disliked. The ones that were possibly unsavory were so because of circumstances and mostly "off screen". 3. Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest? Several actually. Mostly the parts where Mike and Phyllis were going it alone especially the end...on the small boat trying to get out. But when they were observing the ships in the beginning was a fav part as well. The details of where and how London and environs flooding were excellent as well. 4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? I can't say there were. 5. Was this the first book you've read by this author, and has it encouraged you to read more? No, I read The Day of the Triffids more than 50 years ago, and many times since. I've always wanted to read more of his writing, but somehow didn't. Will do now though! 6. The book opens with Rationale where Mike and Phyllis the book he is thinking of writing. Did you feel it took away the sense of peril to the two leads throughout the story, as you knew they had survived? No, as I mentioned above, it was a hook for me. Yes, we knew they survived, but didn't know in what circumstances or condition they survived, so that tension was still there. 7. Also in Rationale, Phyllis suggests an opening for the proposed book, using an excerpt of poetry, but Mike has decided that he prefers The Kraken by Tennyson. Which did you prefer? Although I thought hers poignant, I much preferred the Tennyson. Much more appropriate in my eyes. 8. The "kraken" itself was relatively unknown throughout the book, and the effect of its actions on the human race took precedence. Did you find it believable as a villain, for want of a better word, or did you think it was less important and that the purpose of the story was more about how man would cope in a global crisis? I think it was realistic, at least with the technology available at the time of writing. Naturally I'd have liked knowing more, but the effects were really the important thing. Very believable. I felt Wyndham's take on the reactions of governments and the media were spot on....for the time. I wonder, if nowadays, the media would be so tame. I doubt it, frankly. 9. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? Very much so. I liked the main characters, their relationship with each other, and with their co-workers and other personnel was always well written and realistic. 10. Would you recommend the book to others? Yes, with the caveat that one must enjoy the slower paced and 'stiff upper lip' dealings with emergencies.

One part vanilla Stoli vodka, one part Godiva chocolate liqueur, add a little heavy cream. Shake and enjoy!