Angury
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Posts posted by Angury
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That's beautiful.
I also really like this one, it's very simple but the colours work well together:
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"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"
Out of interest, what about the book didn't you like?Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is utter dross, but I didn't think many people rated it these days.
I have not read it, but here in the U.S. Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was very popular for a long, long time. Did anyone here who read it think it was overrated?
I thought it was alright, but there didn't seem to be much of a story. I didn't know it was that hyped about in the first place. I wouldn't call it a bad book, but not something I would recommend either.
Anyway, my list of overrated books:
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - I couldn't even finish this mammoth. I've heard it's the book people have given up on the most, and I can see why. It just didn't seem to go anywhere, and the writing made it a chore to get through.
- The Alchemist by Paul Coelho - I still don't understand why this is so popular. It seemed to be more of a self-help book than an actual story. The writing was very simple which was the biggest disappointment for me.
- The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - perhaps I had big expectations for this, but I couldn't get into it. I didn't find anything funny about it, nor was it an interesting read.
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Funny I came across this thread, I was just having a similar conversation with CuriousGeorgette.
Looking back, I think the book was quite simple and I'm surprised at how popular it is, especially all the rave it receives in the media.
As for social competence, I agree that it is subjective, but I think there are certain behaviours that are expected of you, simply as etiquette. And that normally differs from culture to culture.
I'm not sure what you mean about leadership and there being no way to be accepted? I think as a leader you will always have people who don't agree with your style, but as long as you listen to everyones opinion with equal weighting and explain your decisions, as well as accept feedback, then you will receive respect.
If you can complete the task at hand efficiently and use everyones abilities (division of labour etc), then I think you will be accepted as a leader.
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I'm so glad to have found a thread about the Wheel of Time - it's one of my all time favourite fantasy series.
Has anyone read the final book? I was a bit disappointed by some of the scenes.
I expected the reunion between Rand and Moiraine to be much longer and in more detail. I may be biased though as Moiraine is my favourite character.
Here's a brilliant image of Moiraine from the cover of the ebook Fires of Heaven:
http://www.tor.com/images/stories/blogs/FiresOfHeaven_DanDosSantos.png
She looks exactly as I imagined her. There's also some articles on the Tor website where a fan has analysed every chapter in the books (or so I remember).
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Has anyone read Pratchett's new novel, Raising Steam? I looked it up, and it seems to be about the character Moist von Lipwig, so I'm going to start reading Going Postal (which is apparently the first novel he appears in) and work my way through to Making Money, then Raising Steam.
I know you can read the novels in any order, but I prefer to begin at the start of a characters storyline to see how they develop. It was particularly interesting seeing Vimes change throughout his story arc.
What did you think of Guards! Guards!Hi Angury, glad you're enjoying Discworld!
I've read a fair few of them myself, not necessarily in the 'correct' order, and found that it doesn't really seem to matter what order I read them in since I almost always enjoy them. I have heard that it's better to read them in their 'groups' (all the Watch books together, all the witches, all the Rincewind etc.), but I really don't think it matters too much. I think I started with something like book #31, then read book #28, then went right to #1.
I did start buying and reading them in series order, and oddly enough I'm up to Guards! Guards! as well (it's on this year's TBR). But I've read others on their own and enjoyed them much more than the earlier ones which I read in order. Hogfather and Going Postal are both fantastic, as is The Truth and Night Watch.
Gaia, I love the witches too, especially Nanny Ogg and her drunken singing.
Which was everybody's favourite TV film? Mine is Hogfather, I think.
ETA: Angury, Death is one of the main characters in Hogfather, and I think you'll enjoy it for this reason!
I'm currently reading The Reaperman, although I've taken a short break as it seemed to be turning into a chore for me. I do love Death though, so I'll come back to it. The Hogfather is also high on my to-read list.
I agree with you Athena, I think you need to be in a certain mood to read them.
My favourite novel in the series so far is Small Gods - I loved the humour tied in with religion, particularly the idea of the "Great God Om" being stuck as a turtle.
Poor guy. -
To be honest with you I zapped through it in about an hour - deep it is not. I think there were some things that he said that were valid to any personality type, namely there is a right way and a wrong way to approach people with your ideas. I think it is more aimed at people who truly have no clue at how to get along with others rather than some one who has some understanding of how to interact successfully. You can sum up his thoughts quite simply - find common ground, talk to people with respect, listen more than you speak, and convince people gently rather than with a hammer, which is where the listening comes in. Present what you are selling (yourself, thoughts or item) as being the solution to what they want / need, but you have to listen to them to know what that is.
Yeah, I found it a bit simple as well. It just surprised me how popular it is, and how much it is raved about in the media. Then again, self-help books seem to be gaining popularity, and perhaps I just had high expectations from the beginning.
Best of luck with your reading.
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I've always felt that Lolita kind of knew what she was doing.........as far as a kid of that age can know. She did have some small sexual experience the summer before with some boy at the camp, so she was no virgin. She was horny, and curious. That being said, even if she deliberately set out to seduce HH, she didn't fully understand the ramifications of what she was doing. PLUS, she had no inkling of what HH really was, or what he was capable of doing. She thought of him as she thought of the movie star picture she had pinned to the wall of her bedroom. Something to dream about, wondering.
She was only playing at seduction, I think. As we know, HH was quite serious and deadly.
Any responsible male would have gently brushed her off.
Also, there is the "father figure" bit to think about. Lo's father was dead, she was searching in all manner of ways.
Those are some very interesting points you've made, I've never really thought about the story from Lolita's point of view. I just thought of her as an innocent girl.. but I guess that's because of the biased narration. I have to keep reminding myself that Lolita didn't always know what was going on in Humbert's head, and Humbert himself must have been a good actor to hide his feelings.
I agree with your last point - I think the absence of a male figure in Lolita's life previously had quite a role to play in their relationship.
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What did you think of Dale Carnegie's book on "How to Win Friends and Influence People?"
At the time I thought it was a good read and believed it would even help my personality. But after reading Susan Cain's "Quiet" book on introversion, I've taken a bit of an opposite view on it.
Would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the book. Perhaps the reader's reaction is based on whether they see themselves as more extroverted or introverted?
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I find it rather interesting that you're aiming to keep acquired books to a minimum and only buy books you know you will be able to read quite soon after. I've noticed that I buy way too many books, then end up getting confused about which one to read first! I may steal your idea.
I looked up the "101 Experiments in Philosophy" book on Goodreads, it sounds thought-provoking, I have put it on my to-read list. As a fantasy fan, I looked up Steven Erikson's books as well, and have added "Gardens of the Moon" to my list.
I also wanted to comment on "House of Leaves" by Mark Danielewski that you've got on your list. You've got some stamina to be willing to read that book I have to admit - I finished it last year after goodness knows how many months, but I think it's worth the trek.
You also have three of Stephen Fry's books on your list - excellent taste.
You've got a long list of Haruki Makurami's books on your to-read list - have you read 1Q84?
And I also love the fact that you have a list dedicated to Books on Madness.
By the way, would you recommend Candide by Voltaire (I realise it's on your recommended reading list)? I would like to give it a go, but am worried it may be a bit dense for me.
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Interesting idea.
I nominate:
- Vladimir Nabokov
- Terry Pratchett
- Oscar Wilde
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Amazing reading log, I spent a long time looking through it and marvelling at your collections.
Have you been collecting for a while now? I would love to buy more books once I get my own place.
Reading through your lists, I also wondered how you manage to find the time to read so much!
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Oh, you are so right! His prose is the most gorgeous I have encountered.
Lolita was the first of Nabokov's I read, and it's truly magnificent. The idea that VN is able to make HH even a little sympathetic is an amazing feat. And yes, you are quite right.....one can feel a bit of sorrow for him, without forgiving the deed(s). Although, I think Lolita forgave him, in the end, herself.
I'd certainly recommend Pnin, The Real Life of Sebastian Knight as well. I've read about half of VN's books, and loved all. Let me also recommend Stacy Schiff's bio of VN's wife, Vera. It is an insight into their lives, beautifully done. And, of course Speak, Memory by VN. Both fantastic.
Regarding the bit in bold, I wonder how much of the blame can be put on Lolita. I've read a couple of reviews where the reviewer puts some of the blame on Lolita, as they thought she knew what was going on and seduced Humbert.
I can't say I agree with that view at all though, and even find it a bit bizarre. Regardless of how much Lolita may have known about what was going on inside Humbert's mind, she was still a child at the time. I feel that most of the blame lies on Humbert as the adult in the situation (although not all of it).
Thank you for those recommendations, I shall look them up on Goodreads. It sounds like you are a big Nabaokov fan - which book of his would you say is his best?
Have you read any of his short stories? I've read Signs and Symbols, which got me hooked enough to make me buy a collection of his short stories.
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Has anyone read any of Lydia Davies' short stories? They introduced me to the genre, and made me realise how the most mundane everyday tasks can be transformed through writing. I'd recommend her work, she has a gift of making you see things differently.
I've also recently bought a collection of Vladimir Nabokov's short stories. I loved his novel Lolita, so decided to read one of his short stories, Signs and Symbols and was hooked - it's also available online for free! Here's a list of some of his short stories:
I'm really starting to get into short stories now, I've found some of them make you think more than a lot of novels I've read.
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I think what is wrong or right depends on the context, the time and the place. Homosexuality was considered "wrong" and was illegal in the UK, but now is legal, and indeed homophobia is now considered to be "wrong." Incest is currently thought of as being wrong, but I'd like to hope that changes in the next few decades.Then we are back where we started - I agree with you that we can understand WHY some one does something, but regardless of context, society, etc some things are wrong, will remain wrong and should always be forever and amen wrong regardless of how much we can follow the twisted logic society, morals, pressures of the moments, etc that lead to a person doing bad stuff. However if you are victim of aforementioned bad stuff - truly you don't care how bad the person's childhood was, how much he/she thought they needed to do this to advance themselves, protect themselves, or whatever, you are still maimed, injured, damaged, hurt or dead, making the action wrong. In addition to being an optimist I'm also a firm believer in personal choice and accountability. I believe there is always a choice, that there are no moments ever in which there is no choice whatsoever - you may not like the consequences of all the other options making you feel like there is no choice, but there are nonetheless always options. Even in a life and death decision there is still a choice - you can choose your death, or even the death of others to avoid doing a wrong thing or giving in to a tyrant, or giving up things you don't want to give up. A horrible choice, but a choice is still a choice however horrible. And for every choice any one makes there are consequences.
Bringing that back to GoT, there are some things which would probably be considered to be "right" in the GoT world - such as executions and beheadings, but would be entirely wrong in the Western World. In fact, in some countries in the real world, executions are still considered "right." Right and wrong is a manmade concept which changes over time.
I currently thing execution is wrong, but if something ever happened to one of my family members, I would probably back the execution of the person who committed the said crime against my family, and to me that execution would seem right in my eyes.
I also don't think there is always a choice - some people have more knowledge and experience than others, and therefore will have more choices available to them (not to mention the fact that money and power can open up a lot of choices as well). Sometimes it may appear that a person has a choice, and to us as the reader it may seem obvious what the "right" choice is, but that may not be the case for the character - they have a different background, different motives and a different perspective. You used the example of a life and death decision - I think death is quite an easy choice to make. A harder choice would be either to do something or see your family suffer. Some people may not see a choice in there at all, because they could never do anything to hurt their family - I don't think I would see myself as having a choice in that situation. To an outsider it may seem obvious that there is a clear choice, but it's the perspective of the person affected that matters.
I believe everyone has a limit, and will do something they would never have dreamed of because they feel trapped and don't think they have a choice.
Have you read about Milgram's experiment or ZImbardo's experiment? (this isn't related to GoT
) They're interesting experiments that show how people will do things they wouldn't normally do because of the situation they're in. -
I agree there will always be people who can live in a brutal world while holding onto their moral values.. but I think most people need to adapt to their environment. No one is perfect, and when it comes to people we love, I think many people will do things they would never dream of doing otherwise to protect them. The circumstances someone is in can have a huge impact on their behaviour - no one is courageous or moral all of the time. Also, morals change. Some of the things Cersei did may have been acceptable in the society she lived in.Even in a brutal world there are people who manage without resorting to brutality themselves. This has been true throughout even our own brutal periods. There are those who choose to act with violence and brutality citing the same validation you give as being the reason for their actions and those who do not. I would argue such people are found where-ever and when-ever circumstances give them 'permission' to act violently and often even when they do not. If there were no people who felt that they were justified in acting out their rage at the world in violent action we would have no war, no murders, no riots, no terrorism, no violent protests, no child abuse, no rape, no violence against women ... aah I can't wait .... (yes I am the eternal optimist).
I can see you're an optimist, just as you can probably tell that I'm pretty pessimistic. I'm not sure if I can agree with your final point, I think there are many factors that lead to the sorts of things you mentioned. In some societies these things are acceptable to do.. such as women seen as being inferior to men etc.
I think what I'm trying to get across is that I can see where Cersei is coming from. I can't say I agree with all of her actions, but love, money and power can make you do stupid things, and we are all flawed.
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To change the direction of the discussion - with regard to your 'spoiler' comment - does doing the wrong things for the right reason make them right? I don't think so. Just because we can understand the motivation behind actions, that does not make the wrong actions excusable.
I don't think it's as black and white as that. The actions may be wrong for us, but for the character they may be the right thing to do - the GoT world is so brutal, I don't think anyone would survive for very long if they acted the way we do in reality. Given the circumstances, and her position both in power and as a woman, I think Cersei has done what was needed for her and her family to survive. She's done some brutal things, but I don't think that makes her a bad person.
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I've recently discovered Swedish House Mafia, so currently listening to their track Greyhound (the music video to Save the World is adorable as well!).
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I didn't really enjoy The Book Thief, but seem to be in a minority compared with my friends.
I'm looking forward to watching Noah when it comes out. Mostly because it's directed by my favourite director, and the trailer looks good.
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When I tell people this is one of my favourite books, I often receive weird looks. I think it's a bit of a brave topic to write about, particularly from the point of view from Humbert. I actually began to feel a bit sorry for him near the end - not that I forgive him for his actions.
What kept me going though was the writing. The first paragraph is pretty famous, and I think the rest of the novel maintains that level of writing.
I've become rather fond of Nabokov since reading Lolita, and I recently bought another book of his - Ada or Ardor. I've read a couple of his short stories, and he writes just as well as he did in Lolita. I'm glad that Lolita wasn't just a one off, and I hope Ada or Ardor is consistent with his beautiful way of writing.
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This is one of my favourite books. The way it's narrated through Scout's eyes makes it a fun read, especially regarding such a difficult topic. Some of my favourite scenes in the book come from Scout's innocence throughout the book - it gives such a refreshing light to the racist background revolving around the trial. My favourite quote comes from Atticus though:
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what."
That quote gives me a boost when needed - Atticus is a bit of a hero of mine.
I was a bit surprised to see that Harper Lee hasn't published anymore books since, but I guess all the fame means you've got a lot of expectations to keep up with.
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I don't mind waiting for him to publish the final books. I prefer the fact that he takes the time to flesh out the plot and work on the writing.
GoT is my favourite fantasy series at the moment (with The Wheel of Time a close second), and although it is a bit frustrating having such a long wait in between books, I guess I can use that time to reread the series. I've forgotten some of the plot points already.
My favourite character has changed throughout the series, which I think illustrates George's ability to show his characters as human - no one is inherently good or evil.
I'm beginning to feel sorry for Cersei now - I know she has done some horrible things, but she did them as a mother thinking about her children.
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1Q84 is the first book of Haruki's that I'm reading, mainly because it seems to be such a popular novel. Although I've been told Norwegian Wood is a better book to begin with if you haven't read his books before, since 1Q84 is pretty long. Despite only being 100 pages in, I'm enjoying it - I think he writes very well and there are some beautiful sentences in his chapters.LOL I to am a fan of fantasy and have also noticed, not so much a lack of humor in fantasy, but more of a limited amount of people who write fantasy with humor. I am glad that you liked my idea, I had just finished reading a Discworld book and had just started a Xanth novel when I thought of it so that might be why it feels a bit Discworldy
. Vimes is a favorite character from Discworld as you may have noticed lol. I read an article about writing and they suggested you should write about 750 words a day, they said that it didn't matter what you wrote, what mattered was the fact that you were writing and thinking about what to write. They said that it helped with ideas and improved the amount you were able to write in a day as well as improve your writing. I thought that it was interesting idea and started to write everyday but other things got in the way
P.S I noticed that you are readind a book by Haruki Murakami and was wondering if you had read A Wild Sheep Chase? It was the first book of his that I have read and I injoyed it and want to read some of his other books but haven't been able to find any
lolAnyway, I forgot to say what I would write about if I wrote a book.. I think I'd probably write a fictional book about mental illness - maybe from the point of view of the person suffering from it, but you don't realise they're ill because you're seeing everything through their perspective. I think I'd start off with a short story though.
I'd also like to write a nonfiction book about healthcare, particularly mental health - things like how people view the mental health services, differences between physical and mental health, and the way medicine is changing as more patient-centered. I also think the placebo effect is very interesting, and the argument on how it can be used to benefit patients, what with deception being a big issue.
I have a lot of ideas being thrown around my head, so I think I'd probably just write some blog posts to begin with, to try and find my voice.
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I use Goodreads a lot to track my to-read list as well as books I'm currently reading. I've stopped looking at reviews before I read a book now though, because I've found myself disagreeing with the reviews a lot of the time. I guess I'd rather read a book with a clear perspective before looking at what other people have to say.
It's a great community though - bookworms unite.
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I am that way at least, I read a book and think that paragraph could be something and then sit and think up whole books about that idea or a sit and rewrite the book in my head because I don't like were the story is going!
I think that your first idea with the lottery could be fun to read if you thought up some really crazy things for them to do.
One idea that I had was for a wizard in training to suddenly inherit a kingdom from a very long lost uncle only to find out that it has a few problems with it, mainly the huge dragon that had taken over the castle and the odd creatures that were running around stealing plates.
I like your idea of a young wizard inheriting a kingdom, sounds like a fun read. I'm a fantasy fan myself which is probably why it appeals to me so much. It'd be nice to have some more humour in the genre rather than the typical good vs evil archetype.Your idea reminds me of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (love the username btw
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I have to remind myself of this often. I used to have an English teacher back in school who published a book and won many awards for it. At the time I wanted to be just like her, but what I didn't see was the years of work that went on behind her success, all the competitions she entered and the hours of work she put into her craft everyday.Writing is very much a form of art and as such it is hard work and years of practice with very little reward, then suddenly one day you write of paint something that is perfect and all the years of effort is suddenly worth it.
I've decided that my aim isn't to be published, but just to write everyday. I've found it reveals so much about your mind and how your thoughts come together, not to mention the improvements you notice as you keep writing.
pontalba's 2014 Reading List
in Past Book Logs
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That quote is beautiful, thanks for posting it. I'm going to find out more about this novel now.
The list from Columbia University looks enticing, although they seem a bit dense for me.
Best of luck with your reading.