pontalba's 2013 reading list

[Little Pixie]

Yes!! They need to be drooled over.   Then you can lick them, and not settle for only sniffing them (Poppyshake can teach you about licking books if you are not yet into it )

 

 

 

 

 

But I like eating lemon sherberts and my books would get all stickified.

[Little Pixie]

I have just finished reading, in one huge gulp, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. 5+/5

 

One of the most hard hitting, moving, and intense dramas I've ever read.  Blanche DuBois, fragile and barely hanging onto sanity by a finger hold. Her sister Stella who left Blanche to deal with dying relatives in a run down plantation about to be foreclosed.  Stanley, the low life married to Stella.  Mitch the would be suitor.  They all explode onto the stage and not all survive.  The setting, a rather seedy apartment in post war New Orleans.

 

I suppose everyone knows the basic story.  No need to relate it again, or allude.  I want to try to impart the intensity and passion that Williams puts on the page.  It staggers the reader, rendering the reader dumbstruck, unable to focus.  The brutality, the violence washes over the reader in waves.  The play reeks of betrayal.

 

Read it!

 

If you like Tennessee Williams, I noticed that there`s a Charlie Rose interview with the cast of the Glass Menagerie...

[pontalba]

But I like eating lemon sherberts and my books would get all stickified.

 

I've found chocolate martinis have the same effect.......but possibly one wouldn't care?

If you like Tennessee Williams, I noticed that there`s a Charlie Rose interview with the cast of the Glass Menagerie...

Oooohhhhh!  Thank you so much!  Love Charlie Rose interviews!  I'm saving the link for after I read Menagerie! 

[Little Pixie]

I've found chocolate martinis have the same effect.......but possibly one wouldn't care?

 

Oooh, never had one. But now... me want one.

 

Oooohhhhh!  Thank you so much!  Love Charlie Rose interviews!  I'm saving the link for after I read Menagerie! 

 

 

Aw, you`re welcome - I really like Charlie Rose too, but he gets one showing at 10pm on Bloomberg TV here, and that tends to clash with lots of other shows for me. I don`t tend to get round to searching for and watching the videos.

[pontalba]

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

[Little Pixie]

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

 

Thank you   - I shall do my best.

[pontalba]

Thank you   - I shall do my best.

 

 

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.

[pontalba]

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

[Athena]

I haven't read any James Bond books, do you like them? (I probably would've bought some for Kindle when there was a sale a while ago but they weren't available for my region). I plan to watch some James Bond films sometime, I haven't actually seen any of the films in full. I've never been particularly interested, but my boyfriend likes the films so I thought maybe I should watch some at some point.

[Little Pixie]

I haven't read any James Bond books, do you like them? (I probably would've bought some for Kindle when there was a sale a while ago but they weren't available for my region). I plan to watch some James Bond films sometime, I haven't actually seen any of the films in full.

 

 

I think it`s actually obligatory in the UK to see them.

[pontalba]

I haven't read any James Bond books, do you like them? (I probably would've bought some for Kindle when there was a sale a while ago but they weren't available for my region). I plan to watch some James Bond films sometime, I haven't actually seen any of the films in full. I've never been particularly interested, but my boyfriend likes the films so I thought maybe I should watch some at some point.

 

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. 

 

 

I think it`s actually obligatory in the UK to see them.

 

Oh, yeah!

Edited October 10, 2013 by pontalba

[pontalba]

Oh!  A few additions were purchased today.  Husbands.

 

Beyond the God Particle by Leon Lederman  and Christopher Hill

Dirty Love by Andre Dubus III

[pontalba]

Here is the list (so far) from the WDC Book Fair.

 

The Stranger's Child by Alan Hollinghurst

The Tango Briefing by Adam Hall

A Spy for Hannibal by Elisabith Roberts Craft

J'accuse! by Andre Simone

The Pentagon's New Map by Thomas P.M. Barnett

Globel Disorder by Robert Harvey

War In A Time of Peace by David Halberstam

Raid! (The Untold Story of Patton's Secret Mission) by Richard Baron, Major Abe Baum, Richard Goldhurst

On the Origins of War by Donald Kagan

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson

Now & Then by William Corlett

Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene

Burr by Gore Vidal

Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa

Norwegen mit dem Postschiff

Norwegian Grammer by Bjarne Berulfsen

 

That is all for now.

[Athena]

Anthology of Japanese Literature compiled and edited by Donald Keene

x

Does this book include the literature or is it writings about the actual texts?

 

Great haul BTW .

Edited October 13, 2013 by Athena

[Little Pixie]

x

Does this book include the literature or is it writings about the actual texts?

 

Great haul BTW .

 

Ooh, I want to know too.

 

Tango Briefing : Adam Hall - brilliant.

[poppyshake]

Yes great book haul so far Kate. Do you go armed with a list or just freestyle?

[pontalba]

x

Does this book include the literature or is it writings about the actual texts?

 

Great haul BTW .

 

 

Ooh, I want to know too.

 

Tango Briefing : Adam Hall - brilliant.

 

The Keene is both the literature, and short introductions to same. What makes it more interesting for us, is that Keene was Charles's professor at Columbia.

 

Yes great book haul so far Kate. Do you go armed with a list or just freestyle?

 

Hah, anytime I start with my list, there is nothing on the list anyhow.  So, I simply freestyle.  More productive for me.

[Athena]

The Keene is both the literature, and short introductions to same. What makes it more interesting for us, is that Keene was Charles's professor at Columbia.

x

That is pretty interesting ! 

[Little Pixie]

The Keene is both the literature, and short introductions to same. What makes it more interesting for us, is that Keene was Charles's professor at Columbia.

 

Aw, nice synchronicity. Hope the book`s good - it`s something I`d be in the market for.

[julie]

Kat

 Great list you have there. Burr was really a good book . Quite an interesting character !

 

I'm wondering about the Stranger's Child .. was that a novel based on a true story or person ? I thought it was, but I'm probably wrong .

 

Looks like you guys have some good reading ahead .

[pontalba]

I'm not sure, Julie.  I believe it is only fiction, but I'll investigate. 

 

Well, back from our travels, tired, but happy.   The train ride (25 hours) was tiring in a way, but very interesting.  Lots of interesting people board and detraining.....families, couples and some singles.  You see their baggage, and wonder what their story is.

 

The State Dept Book sale was in full swing when we arrived there Saturday morning.  Our train pulled into WDC about 7:30 a.m., and we'd checked into the hotel by 9:30 a.m.  The hotel was incredibly nice, allowing us to check in that far ahead of official check in time.  So we changed and showered and hoofed it over to the book sale.  Good selection, I've posted that list above already.

We also visited Kramer Books, a wonderful book store with a Café in the back with the most wonderful, mouth watering crab cakes I've ever tasted!  /groan/  Wonderful!

I'll list the Kramer books we bought as soon as they arrive here.  We boxed and shipped them by Post Office (book rate).  They should arrive next week.

 

We were fortunate that the Phillips Museum was open, no shut down there, it's privately owned.  The Van Gogh Collection had only just arrived a few days prior to our arriving in DC, and I can't begin to say how wonderful and absolutely gorgeous seeing his (own) replications and originals were.  The differences in his portraits and scenes are amazing. 

We ate in great restaurants, and took the Metro almost everywhere.  The Metro is a mind boggling experience to me, as, if here in N.O., we dig that deeply, we hit water!  wow!

 

When we returned, there were a few book deliveries waiting for us...

 

That Awful Mess On the Via Merulana by Carlo Emilio Gadda

Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill

Livia, First Lady of Imperial Rome by Anthony A. Barrett

 

I managed some reading on the train, first I finished A Daughter of Warwick by Julie May Ruddock one of the many books on Anne Neville, Richard III's Queen.  I suppose I'd give it a 4/5 rating.  It kept me involved and filled in some holes in my knowledge.  It presented Anne in a wonderfully loving relationship with Richard that dated back to their childhood.  I thought it realistic, and jived with the Philippa Gregory novels I just finished a few months ago. 

 

I'm almost finished The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham.  I love it, I think more than The Kraken Wakes.  It's on kindle and I'm about 80% finished.  I just got too tired to finish. 

I also read several chapters of An American Spy by Olen Steinhauer.....picked up in the airport, whilst waiting for daughter to arrive in WDC. 

She stayed with us for 24 hours for a whirlwind visit. 

 

We both picked up a cold on the train ride home, but it's not too bad, so far.

[julie]

Kay

Thanks for taking us along on your book journey. Sounds like you guys had a wonderful time . Do you ever write inside the covers of your books where you got them ? Like if you go on a special trip to buy them or get them in a specific area, so you'll remember ? Since you have so many, it'd be hard to keep track of where you got them ,although I can sometimes remember where I was when I read a specific book, something very memorable and a favorite book, I can recall that I read it once on a camping trip, or down at our family reunion hotel, etc ..

 

Hope your colds don't get any worse ! No fun ...

[pontalba]

On our Library Thing account, I put the out of town books on a labeled shelf.  I should write on the book itself though. Hmmmm.....

 

We did have a great time.  I was just thinking about the escalator that comes up out of the Metro at Dupont Circle....that's where Kramer Books is...the escalator is double the height of the others, and it's like emerging from the bowels of the earth.  That day was beautiful sunshine, it makes an amazing experience!

[julie]

Yea, I've never been anyplace like that ,that had the subway type systems either .All we have here is cars, trucks and John Deere Tractors .

[pontalba]

Yea, I've never been anyplace like that ,that had the subway type systems either .All we have here is cars, trucks and John Deere Tractors .

ROTFALOL!  Good one, Julie.   

 

It's about the same here, we live 12 miles from the nearest small town, and about 50 miles as the crow flies from New Orleans.  Of course, New Orleans has a large and invasive transit system.  Busses and of course!, the streetcars downtown.  Nothing up here,  at all.  No busses, no streetcars, nuttin' I tell ya!  If you don't have a car, you are royally screwed. 

I'd love to live downtown in Washington D.C., or New York even.  I love the idea of being able to walk anyplace I want to visit, or take reliable public transport.  Just walk outside, and viola!, there is everything.   Way too expensive though. 

I grew up in a suburb of New Orleans, and had the transit, and only had to walk two blocks to it.  I hate being car dependent.