cphabs
The 2 stooges….
- Dec 21, 2012
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OT: The Good Book: What are you reading right now?
- Thread starter Runner77
- Start date
- Jun 24, 2012
- 84,102
- 151,811
I avoid translated works. I’d rather read the original in French or English. I think there is value in reading an author in his own words, where possible.
Damn you. Because of you I'm starting my vacay mornings with this. Have only read it in french, a long time ago and have never read another Gibson book, so I might just get into that.
It feels like a different read in English.
I have a tablet that I never use. I have more than enough unread hard copies that I can do without using one.
Which model are you using and what’s been your experience so far?
Grate n Colorful Oz
Hutson Hawk
Ditto, but here we're talking circa 92-96 in a French 'école secondaire' where I first encountered such authors as Gibson.
The 'so far' has been quite extensive. I started reading epub format on tablet around 2010-2011, when I bought my first Kobo Mini. A 5 inch B&W screen that could get up to 500+ books. Bought a second Mini a few years later. The first one got beat-up pretty badly as I had it on me most of the time.
Few people know this, but there are a ton a free (legal) books online. All the books that have fallen into public domain, like has recently happened to George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, are available in several free online libraries.
I highly recommend using a softwate like Calibre to manage your library outside of the maker's boxed-in software where you can only add from that seller (eg Kobo). It is essential for anyone looking to add from multiple online libraries. Beware, Pirates. Do not connect/synch to the Kobo store (or other) once you've copied illegal content bond by copyright laws. Unless it's a typed copy, there will be watermarks for the copyright.
The Mini got replaced by the Clara, which is about the same but has a bit of a bigger and better screen and comes in black instead of white. Better memory too. The one on the photo is my second Clara, which I bought last year. They last around 3-4 years, maybe more depending on the usage.
Interesting tidbit. The Mini was first sold for around 40$, but unusual shortage caused the price to double in only a few years. Bought the second Mini for 80$. The reason for the shortage? People were retrofitting the tablet software to create RC plane controllers.
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When you read his "Homage to Catalonia", you get a sense where and when the disillusionment began.
Scintillating10
Registered User
Read "Lightning Down" other day. Every Canadian/ USA citizen should read it. What our fore fathers went through in WWII. Price they paid for our freedom. A true story of an American P-38 Lightning pilot. Shot down over France a few weeks after D-Day. His capture and horrific months in the Nazi Concentration camp Buchenwald.
angusyoung
Back in the day, I was always horny!
Since watching the mini-series, ''A small light '', decided to get the book that inspired it to see how it differs.
Wrapped it up and the differences are noticeable. Having recently seen the mini series and still fresh,can see where they expanded and created content to get to that length. As riveting as the book and the mini series are,it is a reminder of the atrocities that man can do,shameful.
Wrapped it up and the differences are noticeable. Having recently seen the mini series and still fresh,can see where they expanded and created content to get to that length. As riveting as the book and the mini series are,it is a reminder of the atrocities that man can do,shameful.
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- Jun 24, 2012
- 84,102
- 151,811
This book caught my eye yesterday at Indigo.
Has a ton of favourable reviews over several sites. I’ll pick it up next time I’m at a bookstore.
Has a ton of favourable reviews over several sites. I’ll pick it up next time I’m at a bookstore.
Grate n Colorful Oz
Hutson Hawk
This book caught my eye yesterday at Indigo.
Has a ton of favourable reviews over several sites. I’ll pick it up next time I’m at a bookstore.
I'll read it unless there's no parrot in the story
HelloBellyvo
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2019
- 1,012
- 901
I read too many good books to list them all but the latest read A Man Named Doll, Jonathan Ames, is about an ex LAPD cop turned PI. OK, we've seen this outline before but not in this vein. As you see from the opening paragraph it has a noir tone. Think about the authors from the 40's. Its fast paced breezy and funny with lots of wisecracking. Hes usually in a Marijuana induced haze. Lots of action. You'll adore his dog George, too. Enjoy!
- Jun 24, 2012
- 84,102
- 151,811
I ordered it, I’ll soon find out. Several reviewers said that they couldn’t put it down. I’ll be looking for the parrot and its related accoutrements, the eyepatch, the hook hand, the do rag and the peg leg.
To @VirginiaMtlExpat — The Wager is also available in audio format.
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angusyoung
Back in the day, I was always horny!
You like parrot stories? Too bad I can't get footage from a former mrs as there was a rather cute and funny incident. A scarlet macaw ( Type of parrot )named Maria,her caretaker, a dive-master ( a professional certified scuba instructor,guide,paramedic etc ) His kiosk, long island ice tea ( a potent cocktail ) and yours truly. Ever see a drunk parrot? funny stuff!
Grate n Colorful Oz
Hutson Hawk
:disgust:
Why oh why?
Rand was absolutely oblivious of human nature, reduced everything down to ego. She was an extremist, just as much as those she detested on the far left. I've read Anthem, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged long ago and have never felt like going back to it. I even spent some time, like over a decade ago, arguing with pompous ignoramuses on the facebook Ayn Rand page.
If you want a good critic of socialism in fiction, you'll be much better off reading Orwell.
angusyoung
Back in the day, I was always horny!
Picked this up,contemplating but some are too deep,beyond my comfort zone.
angusyoung
Back in the day, I was always horny!
Managed to get my hands on an English copy that the mrs MUST read,all kidding aside,she tried reading the Dutch version but did not go well.
It reads different in English but still fascinating and we often would speak about the connection and curios as more than a few foods and cookery etc are unique to Japan and the Netherlands.
Even many moons ago when Montreal had a news anchor team comprised of a male Dutch descendant and a woman originally from Japan, when I was introduced to her through the mrs at a party we got along fine and had so much to talk about,she was also intrigued by the associations and similar items,and it was never clear who introduced what to whom,puzzling. Hopefully when great grand-fathers journals are finished being transcribed into modern text that it might lend some insight to all this.
It reads different in English but still fascinating and we often would speak about the connection and curios as more than a few foods and cookery etc are unique to Japan and the Netherlands.
Even many moons ago when Montreal had a news anchor team comprised of a male Dutch descendant and a woman originally from Japan, when I was introduced to her through the mrs at a party we got along fine and had so much to talk about,she was also intrigued by the associations and similar items,and it was never clear who introduced what to whom,puzzling. Hopefully when great grand-fathers journals are finished being transcribed into modern text that it might lend some insight to all this.
sampollock
Registered User
VirginiaMtlExpat
Second most interesting man in the world.
I'm "reading" Master and Commander on Audible. Patrick O'Brian.
A lot of nautical terms as well as formal British speech of the early 1800s. Takes getting used to.
A lot of nautical terms as well as formal British speech of the early 1800s. Takes getting used to.
Ebook format is your friend here, with term definition a tap away. There’ll will still be a few obscure terms which will stump online dictionaries and search engines… in part because O’Brian invented a few of these words. Mind you, I read the series first in paperback and thoroughly enjoyed it, even with so-so mastery of English.
With its colourful characters, historical setting, drama, world-building and humour, I highly recommend the Aubrey-Mathurin series, even if the last few books are less memorable. The movie, if you haven’t seen it, is also a masterpiece.
O' Brian is certainly entertaining. Sailing in the early 19th Century was a complicated affair especially something like a frigate or a ship of the line so I'm not sure you can avoid nautical terms. Tide and gybe waits for no man
I found that Forester immerses you more in early 19th Century Britain including press gangs, official corruption, deportations to Australia, the sheer misery of serving in the Royal Navy and the tremendous social inequality of the times. No violins or cellos. More like amputations done under fire by a drunken barber/surgeon, starvation and mutiny, the cat o'nine tails, corrupt Navy officials, the squalor of the midshipmen's berth, a world where even the slightest mistake means complete disgrace and half pay.
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Scintillating10
Registered User
How'd ya like it? I put hold on it at library, but be awhile. I am #41 in line
VirginiaMtlExpat
Second most interesting man in the world.
I use it will driving, Bluetooth-connected to my car speakers, so there is no tapping feasible. I saw the movie, which predisposed me to get the novel on Audible. I may indeed do a few of them, though I think that I'm more hooked on the Last Kingdom series. I have a barbaric streak, which aligns with being a hockey fan.
I'll look into it.
Edit: the narration on Audible appears execrable. https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Wager-Audiobook/B0B9T9GJ5H
Mother of G*d.
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VirginiaMtlExpat
Second most interesting man in the world.
Not complaining about the nautical terms. I wouldn't want to denature a novel like that by purging it of those terms, but not being a sailor, it calls for a little preparation.O' Brian is certainly entertaining. Sailing in the early 19th Century was a complicated affair especially something like a frigate or a ship of the line so I'm not sure you can avoid nautical terms. Tide and gybe waits for no man
I found that Forester immerses you more in early 19th Century Britain including press gangs, official corruption, deportations to Australia, the sheer misery of serving in the Royal Navy and the tremendous social inequality of the times. No violins or cellos. More like amputations done under fire by a drunken barber/surgeon, starvation and mutiny, the cat o'nine tails, corrupt Navy officials, the squalor of the midshipmen's berth, a world where even the slightest mistake means complete disgrace and half pay.
- Jun 24, 2012
- 84,102
- 151,811
A quarter of the way through it, it’s a fun read. Loving the way the author is making his characters come to life.
