Devi Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Same here. When I was a kid I couldn't understand what the neighborhood girls loved so much about their dolls. Especially when there were bikes to ride, books to read, trees to climb....you know, the good stuff! This was me too! I didn't get the make up stuff either. I was too busy reading books to bother with make up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 ^ Same here! Although I did play with Barbies in the end, most of the time I was busy reading books. I've never bothered with make up (unless forced) and never will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 This was me too! I didn't get the make up stuff either. I was too busy reading books to bother with make up. I didn't wear any make-up as a teenager, but when I went to work, I did start with mascara and lipstick. I've never worn stuff on my skin though, can't stand the feel of it. ^ Same here! Although I did play with Barbies in the end, most of the time I was busy reading books. I've never bothered with make up (unless forced) and never will. I actually had a Barbie doll, didn't pay much attention to it.....it disappeared pretty fast. heh When I was a kid I had what were billed as Talking Records, Robin Hood, the Wizard of Oz...a few others, can't really remember them now. I think I wore them out. lol This was back in the 1950's, so it was pretty early on for that sort of thing, I believe. I remember they came in a box in which they stood up straight and were separated by cardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Kate The talking records sound like the books that came with records so you could read along . Was it about the same sort of thing ? And no makeup here. what you see is what you get . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 Well, so much for the kibosh on buying new books this year......time to 'fess up. More arrived from Amazon today. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (this is actually for Charles, he hasn't read it yet, I have....albeit as a child) Dancing With the Devil Confessions of an Undercover Agent by Louis Diaz and Neal Hirschfield The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates Last week arrived: Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary at War by Robert M. Gates (for both of us) These on Kindle, 99% on sale for cheap: The Cicero Anthology of Rome The Complete Works of Julius Caesar The Cardboard Crown by Martin Boyd (thanks Ethan ) The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean Divergent by Veronica Roth Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Fleming The Shining by Stephen King Rivers by Michael Farris Smith The Sisterhood by Helen Bryant Black Dahlia & White Rose by Joyce Carol Oates Ask the Dust by John Fante The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles Japan Town by Barry Lancet The History of Herodotus Vol. I and II by Herodotus I think that's all, for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 Kate The talking records sound like the books that came with records so you could read along . Was it about the same sort of thing ? And no makeup here. what you see is what you get . No, they were by themselves. As my perhaps faulty memory tells me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 (edited) Sounds like you have a whole new pile of books . The good thing about them is that you get "2 for the price of 1 ", in other words, you can both read all the books you buy ,so they will be equally enjoyed by you both . Edited February 1, 2014 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 How lovely to be reading To Kill A Mocking Bird for the first time, i'm so jealous of Charles, great book & great movie adaptation Out of your list the only ones i've read are The Sheltering Sky which unfortunately i didn't think much of & The Shining which i read when i was in my early teens & it totally creeped me out, so great read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 We watched Gosford Park, the film last night. Should have known Julian Fellowes did the screenplay. It looked like the downstairs of Downton Abbey! A murder mystery...no one is what or who they seem. Some fantastic actors. I hardly recognized Helen Mirren, or Kristin Scott Thomas at first.A couple of nights ago we watched one of the Timothy Dalton-James Bond films. License to Kill.Here is a quote from an IMDb biography of Dalton.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001096/bi...However, Dalton's interpretation of "Bond" in this film received critical acclaim in some quarters as being the closest to author Ian Fleming's literary "Bond".Dalton has always been a favorite of mine, and I was glad to see this quote, as some people have been quite nasty about his portrayal of Bond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) julie, on 31 Jan 2014 - 7:11 PM, said:julie, on 31 Jan 2014 - 7:11 PM, said:Sounds like you have a whole new pile of books . The good thing about them is that you get "2 for the price of 1 ", in other words, you can both read all the books you buy ,so they will be equally enjoyed by you both . H Julie, Would that it were so. Man o man you should see her fly through books, she reads so much faster than I do. She recommends them faster than I can finish them. And poor Cicero is still waiting. (Actually she stays awake longer than I do too.) Hi Kate /waves/ Edited February 2, 2014 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 H Julie, Would that it were so. Man o man you should see her fly through books, she reads so much faster than I do. She recommends them faster than I can finish them. And poor Cicero is still waiting. (Actually she stays awake longer than I do too.) Hi Kate /waves/ He's so cute when he snoozes. Cicero has waited these 2,000 years, a few more months/years won't make that much difference......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Charlie I know what you mean about not being able to read as fast as you'd like. I'm a much slower reader now than I was when I was younger .As long as we can still read, then I guess that's a good thing ! I know Kate can really wind through the books ! He's so cute when he snoozes. Cicero has waited these 2,000 years, a few more months/years won't make that much difference......... Kate You're so funny ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Congrats on the new books! I hope you (both) enjoy them ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 (edited) Thanks Julie, Athena, We are doing our best. I'm posting, she's reading. Starbucks in a bit -- we both read. Enjoy your day. Edited February 2, 2014 by Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidsmum Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Starbucks in a bit -- we both read. Nothing better than a large cappuccino & a good book..... i usually go to Costa though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Athena, thanks! KM, oh, so very true! But make mine White Chocolate Mocha Latte, with whipped cream on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York by Ian Fleming 5/5Four Bond adventures, three of which are probably about novella length and one, the last, a short story are pared to the bone. No fluff, straight up stories that give the reader an insightful view into what James Bond's life was actually like. Some show his doubts about his job, but all show the business end of the job.The stories have Bond dealing with a washed up Major in Jamaica who plays dangerous games with an octopus, another tells of a double agent and her probable downfall. The Living Daylights actually bears some very slight resemblance to the film of that name. Remember, I did say it was slight. In the last short story, 007 in New York we learn a few of Bond's true fantasies, and what it takes to satisfy them.Unlike the films, there are no sexual antics, probably his worst habit is smoking. Oh, well, and killing for a living. But it's all government sanctioned, so, it's fine.I loved all four of the stories, they showed Bond getting the job done. They were straight to the point.Well done!Recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Octopussy, The Living Daylights, The Property of a Lady and 007 in New York by Ian Fleming 5/5 Four Bond adventures, three of which are probably about novella length and one, the last, a short story are pared to the bone. No fluff, straight up stories that give the reader an insightful view into what James Bond's life was actually like. Some show his doubts about his job, but all show the business end of the job. The stories have Bond dealing with a washed up Major in Jamaica who plays dangerous games with an octopus, another tells of a double agent and her probable downfall. The Living Daylights actually bears some very slight resemblance to the film of that name. Remember, I did say it was slight. In the last short story, 007 in New York we learn a few of Bond's true fantasies, and what it takes to satisfy them. Unlike the films, there are no sexual antics, probably his worst habit is smoking. Oh, well, and killing for a living. But it's all government sanctioned, so, it's fine. I loved all four of the stories, they showed Bond getting the job done. They were straight to the point. Well done! Recommended. I'm not a fan of the James Bond films, but I would be tempted to read the novels. That's if the books aren't as cheesy as the films? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Someone told me the novels are quite different from the films. I haven't actually seen a lot of James Bond films to be honest, but do you think I'd like the novels. I would've bought them on Kindle on a sale but Amazon.com said they weren't available in my region, then I lost interest. It'd great to hear there's no sexual antics in the books, this is one of the things that puts me off the films. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 I'm not a fan of the James Bond films, but I would be tempted to read the novels. That's if the books aren't as cheesy as the films? Someone told me the novels are quite different from the films. I haven't actually seen a lot of James Bond films to be honest, but do you think I'd like the novels. I would've bought them on Kindle on a sale but Amazon.com said they weren't available in my region, then I lost interest. It'd great to hear there's no sexual antics in the books, this is one of the things that puts me off the films. The films are a completely different critter than the books. Completely Different. At least for the most part. The new Casino Royale with Daniel Craig is actually quite close to the book, story wise. The film is "sexier" than the book, and the technology is, of course, far more advanced. But the premise is the same. The Living Daylights film had the seed of the book, but blew it up completely, and added sex. The story is quite simply an assassination set-up. Period. It's been a long time since I read the other Bond books, but for the most part, the filmmakers bought the title of the book, and made the film any way they wished. Last night we watched the Roger Moore Bond film.....Live and Let Die (has to be the worst one ever!). Again the teeny seed of the book was in the film, but was so far from the book, so as to be very different. Plus, I've never liked Roger Moore as James Bond. He was too suave, too coy, too smooth for Bond. I remember, as a child, seeing Roger Moore as The Saint.....it was a television series. He was great as The Saint, and I like Roger Moore...........just NOT as James Bond. Ok, I know that was more than anyone wanted to know.....! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 (edited) I grew up watching the james bond films with my parents, so love them all. I didn't even know they were books originally. I like the older movies compared to the newer ones. I love roger moore as an actor! Edited February 4, 2014 by Devi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 The films are a completely different critter than the books. Completely Different. At least for the most part. The new Casino Royale with Daniel Craig is actually quite close to the book, story wise. The film is "sexier" than the book, and the technology is, of course, far more advanced. But the premise is the same. The Living Daylights film had the seed of the book, but blew it up completely, and added sex. The story is quite simply an assassination set-up. Period. It's been a long time since I read the other Bond books, but for the most part, the filmmakers bought the title of the book, and made the film any way they wished. Last night we watched the Roger Moore Bond film.....Live and Let Die (has to be the worst one ever!). Again the teeny seed of the book was in the film, but was so far from the book, so as to be very different. Plus, I've never liked Roger Moore as James Bond. He was too suave, too coy, too smooth for Bond. I remember, as a child, seeing Roger Moore as The Saint.....it was a television series. He was great as The Saint, and I like Roger Moore...........just NOT as James Bond. Ok, I know that was more than anyone wanted to know.....! x Thanks for the explanations ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 5, 2014 Author Share Posted February 5, 2014 The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan 3/5An fascinating Chronicle kept by several women, over the course of 400-odd years. From Moorish Spain to the West Coast of South America a story of hardship, sacrifice but most of all, love. Love for their Order, love for their husbands, and children and above all faith in God. It isn't until the end that we are told what we have already surmised, the origin of this particular Order of Catholic nuns. The nuns survival of the Spanish Inquisition, and hardship of sea travel in the 16th Century are told with flair and realism.It culminates in the person of one child in the latter 20th Century. Partially accidental.....although is it a contrived accident? This was one of the weaknesses for me, but I am not a particular fan of Magic Realism. The book also smacked of a little too much Romance for my taste, but I'm not a fan of that genre either. In spite of all of that, I truly enjoyed the book, and it's softer approach to Historical Fiction.The Sisterhood is trying to encourage the empowerment of women, and it does to some extent. However, for my money, it still ends up relying on the big, strong man to rescue them. And, while that is not necessarily a bad thing, it kind of kills the idea of the Female Empowerment theme of the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 'The Sisterhood' sounds interesting, great review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Thanks, Weave. From Russia With Love by Ian Fleming 4/5What a blast from the past! Although Fleming's writing holds up well, in my opinion, it is a little dated. The world political situation has changed since the 1950's, at least superficially. Some of the players have changed hats at least. But that is another book.Bond is sent on a mission to collect a cipher machine that is being supposedly offered by a young woman that has a "crush" on him. Of course it is all a SMERSH plot to discredit The Service through Bond. How Bond handles the assignment is the basis of the story.We learn a great deal also about the operations of the old Soviet system. Fleming had a background that would be familiar with the technical details. In fact, in his Author's Note there is an interesting bit noting that the descriptions in the book are, in fact, accurate. Depicting actual meeting places and participants in the real SMERSH (a contraction of Smiert Spionam - Death to Spies).I was happy to see that this book was rather faithfully followed, at least the basics, by the film of the same name. Quite a few of the later books were not given that happy fate. I'll also add here that I've reread Dr. No by Ian Fleming...a 3.5/5 rating here. In this particular novel, the reader has to remember the time and place the book was written. There are some stereotypical, and racist ideas that are used. But all in all, it is an interesting story, and what I mostly appreciate in all the recent Bond books I've reread is the interior monologue that Fleming gives Bond. When you watch the films, all we see is the suave spy, and while some of the actors that have portrayed Bond have been able to project those emotions, some haven't. Everyone has their favorite James Bond....mine always was, and really still is, Sean Connery. But there have been a couple of others, mainly Timothy Dalton. Who according to IMDb is known as the Bond closest to Fleming's idea of Bond. I also very much like the newest Bond, Daniel Craig. He may actually be the best, in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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