What are You Reading Now?
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After a few months away from it, I'm back to reading Umineko. On book/episode 8 now, the last one, Twilight of the Golden Witch.
The truth of the murders being revealed in the previous volume - whodunnit, howdunnit, and whydunnit - this one is unique in being the only entry in the series with any degree of interactivity. That is: at this point, knowing everything, does the reader still value the truth more than they love this family of dysfunctional millionaires?
I do heartily recommend this series, if any of you dare to subject yourself to a cult hit with a word count of one million.
The truth of the murders being revealed in the previous volume - whodunnit, howdunnit, and whydunnit - this one is unique in being the only entry in the series with any degree of interactivity. That is: at this point, knowing everything, does the reader still value the truth more than they love this family of dysfunctional millionaires?
I do heartily recommend this series, if any of you dare to subject yourself to a cult hit with a word count of one million.
I just finished this one for the second time, last week. Love it!!
A Christmas Carol in Prose; Being a Ghost Story of Christmas ~ Charles Dickens
"The Herschel Chronicle, the Life-Story of William Herschel and His Sister Caroline Herschel" edited by his grand daughter, Constance A Lubbock, 1933.
I actually finished reading this book immediately before starting the last book I mentioned in post #675 of this thread... I finished reading this book and ran in and got that one, having half a smoke left in my pipe.
Being a long time amateur stargazer and being fascinated by history, I've read a number of books on the Herschels. That being said, I wasn't sure how much I'd get out of this halfway old, halfway new book on William and Caroline... This was a great book though, including many old letters I'd never read, and much illuminating commentary. It's one of those books where one not only learns about these people, you get to KNOW them. Some pipe-time very well spent.
Holy Cow... I just realized that the author or this book must be the daughter of John Herschel! Gotta do some more digging here... I hope she wrote something about life with her father...!
POST SCRIPT Yup, I just googled this... Lady Lubbock 1 - 新規サイト002 - https://www.ne.jp/asahi/mononoke/ttnd/lubbock-e1.html
I actually finished reading this book immediately before starting the last book I mentioned in post #675 of this thread... I finished reading this book and ran in and got that one, having half a smoke left in my pipe.
Being a long time amateur stargazer and being fascinated by history, I've read a number of books on the Herschels. That being said, I wasn't sure how much I'd get out of this halfway old, halfway new book on William and Caroline... This was a great book though, including many old letters I'd never read, and much illuminating commentary. It's one of those books where one not only learns about these people, you get to KNOW them. Some pipe-time very well spent.
Holy Cow... I just realized that the author or this book must be the daughter of John Herschel! Gotta do some more digging here... I hope she wrote something about life with her father...!
POST SCRIPT Yup, I just googled this... Lady Lubbock 1 - 新規サイト002 - https://www.ne.jp/asahi/mononoke/ttnd/lubbock-e1.html
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"Drummer in the Woods" by Burton L. Spiller. I recently obtained a first-edition (1962) copy of this book of 21 grouse-hunting stories and am enjoying it immensely.
A very good read, in the vein of "Earth Abides" and Station Eleven.
Chasing Graves by Ben Galley. A grimdark fantasy trilogy. All the grime, violence and unlikable/flawed characters that make it a good one!
Wow! All this grim masculine war, gore, and psychoses! Well, I've always marched to the rhythm of a different drummer...
Now reading The Making of The Wizard Of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM -- and the Miracle of Production #1060 by Aljean Harmets.
Featuring a foreword by Margaret Hamilton, better known as the Wicked Witch Of The West, this is a lively and informative book about the people and forces that begat one of the most beloved and famous movies of all time. It provides striking, and often revealing, sometimes hilarious, portraits of the various players at MGM, a portrait of the MGM itself in the 1930's, as well as the circuitous, and sometimes calamitous, route by which the film reached its final form. Richly enhanced with interviews with and quotes by the participants, this highly entertaining narrative may be the definitive study of MGM's golden age translation of Baum's book to the silver screen.
Now reading The Making of The Wizard Of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM -- and the Miracle of Production #1060 by Aljean Harmets.
Featuring a foreword by Margaret Hamilton, better known as the Wicked Witch Of The West, this is a lively and informative book about the people and forces that begat one of the most beloved and famous movies of all time. It provides striking, and often revealing, sometimes hilarious, portraits of the various players at MGM, a portrait of the MGM itself in the 1930's, as well as the circuitous, and sometimes calamitous, route by which the film reached its final form. Richly enhanced with interviews with and quotes by the participants, this highly entertaining narrative may be the definitive study of MGM's golden age translation of Baum's book to the silver screen.
I lived in the area in the late 80's. Spent a lot of time backpacking in the canyons where these guys hid out. I remember thinking when this was in the news, that if these guys knew what they were doing, they'd be difficult to find.
I’ll have to check it outNext up in my listening. "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," a series of radio plays produced by Jim Frank Productions out of the Seattle area. A collection of mostly original stories inspired by references in the original Holmesian canon. As I've found before, Holmes and Watson make nice companions to an evening on the patio with a pipe in hand.
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.Just finished reading Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol." This is a facsimile copy of the original 1843 first edition. I'd like an actual first edition, but while real first editions are available, getting one is more like buying a used car. This rather cheaply done facsimile filled the bill well for me at 23 bucks.
This was an interesting read. Having seen at least four well done movies of the story, and most of the spoken lines are familiar, Dickens obviously had to use much more descriptive narration of visuals than any movie.
I seldom smoke in the house by my own choice, but this was CHRISTMAS, I was reading a Christmas book, and it just seemed like the thing to do. I enjoyed my pipe and book down in my little room in the basement, and after I'd finished the book I had a good half a smoke left in my churchwarden. So, I set the book aside, lit 6 candles, and turned out the lights. I have 5 candles mounted on the walls in old brass holders, and one in an old glass candlestick that my grandmother gave me many years ago for Christmas. (She'd seen me admiring it once on a visit to her house.) As my eyes slowly adapted to the low light, I reflected on Dicken's wonderful story, my "times past" ambiance, and enjoyed my pipe.
I'm the guy who posted the "Midnight Christmas Eve" thing last night. Sometimes Christmas is what we make it.
This was an interesting read. Having seen at least four well done movies of the story, and most of the spoken lines are familiar, Dickens obviously had to use much more descriptive narration of visuals than any movie.
I seldom smoke in the house by my own choice, but this was CHRISTMAS, I was reading a Christmas book, and it just seemed like the thing to do. I enjoyed my pipe and book down in my little room in the basement, and after I'd finished the book I had a good half a smoke left in my churchwarden. So, I set the book aside, lit 6 candles, and turned out the lights. I have 5 candles mounted on the walls in old brass holders, and one in an old glass candlestick that my grandmother gave me many years ago for Christmas. (She'd seen me admiring it once on a visit to her house.) As my eyes slowly adapted to the low light, I reflected on Dicken's wonderful story, my "times past" ambiance, and enjoyed my pipe.
I'm the guy who posted the "Midnight Christmas Eve" thing last night. Sometimes Christmas is what we make it.
