What are you reading in general?

Post by **aliantha** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:42 pm

Well, I was over at Amazon anyhow... Is it "Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language"? Haven't read that one. I've only read "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum". I'd heard good things about "The Island of the Day Before," but I don't think I ever read it.

Post by **caamora** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 11:57 pm

Who's on Goodreads here?

Post by **aliantha** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:02 am

caamora wrote:Who's on Goodreads here?

But I think we're already friends there, aren't we? Looks like I've got a few other Watchers as friends, too. But I'll let 'em speak for themselves.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:45 am

I am, but, uh, I've never actually gone to the site or used it or anything. Somebody invited me. Maybe Ali.

Name of the Rose is my favourite actually. The only thing that bugs me is he assumes you speak at least 5 classical languages.

I used to phone my grandmother for translations.

--A

Post by **peter** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:52 pm

aliantha wrote:Well, I was over at Amazon anyhow... Is it "Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language"? Haven't read that one. I've only read "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum". I'd heard good things about "The Island of the Day Before," but I don't think I ever read it.

No Ali, the one I was thinking off was "The Search for the Perfect Language" (Trans. J Fentress, Blackwell Press 1995). This is a difficult but truly fascinating book - can't recomend it enough. It delves into the idea of an original 'Adamaic' Language revealed by God in the Garden of Eden. When Adam undertook the naming of things he did so in a perfect (ie divine) language whereby the 'essential essence' of everything was imediately apparent in the name it was given (sort of like the EarthSight in the Land in a way). This perfect language was lost in the 'confusion of tounges' that occured at Babel, and the search to rediscover/reinvent this language is ongoing with such attempts as espiranto etc.

Post by **aliantha** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:36 pm

Av, if I invited you, I don't think it was deliberate.

I'm pretty sure I've never actively searched for any Watchers there. Sometimes Goodreads will troll my Facebook friends and try to link me up with them on GR, but I know you're not on FB.

(BTW, it's entertaining to watch indie authors in book-selling mode try to figure out how to market their books on Goodreads. They almost never want to put in the time to actually participate in any discussions -- they just want to post info about their books. Which doesn't work there.

)

Post by **Cleburne** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 11:39 am

Re-reading Feast of Crows and re-read Jordon/Sanderson last Wheel of Time book hopefully wont have to wait to long for the next installment.

Post by **Orlion** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:43 pm

Cleburne wrote:Re-reading Feast of Crows and re-read Jordon/Sanderson last Wheel of Time book hopefully wont have to wait to long for the next installment.

So, are you talking about the next installment in the Wheel of Time, or a Song of Ice and Fire?

Post by **Cleburne** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:02 pm

Orlion wrote:
Cleburne wrote:Re-reading Feast of Crows and re-read Jordon/Sanderson last Wheel of Time book hopefully wont have to wait to long for the next installment.

So, are you talking about the next installment in the Wheel of Time, or a Song of Ice and Fire?

Sorry Orlion I was talking about both of them but at present Song of ice and Fire is what I,m re reading , even though I,m more interested in the Wheel of time and how that will finish.

Post by **Orlion** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:36 pm

Cleburne wrote:
Orlion wrote:
Cleburne wrote:Re-reading Feast of Crows and re-read Jordon/Sanderson last Wheel of Time book hopefully wont have to wait to long for the next installment.

So, are you talking about the next installment in the Wheel of Time, or a Song of Ice and Fire?
Sorry Orlion I was talking about both of them but at present Song of ice and Fire is what I,m re reading , even though I,m more interested in the Wheel of time and how that will finish.

Well, you'll be happy to know at least that Sanderson is working on the last draft of the last novel in the Wheel of Time Sequence, and that it has a publication date of January 2013, I believe.

Martin makes no such promises and merely says that he 'has a lot of work to do.' He has also decided to call Winds of Winter 'Son of Kong'... soooo....

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Sun Jul 15, 2012 4:09 pm

peter wrote:Fair comment DOTD. The Name of the Rose and Foucalts Pendulum were two great novels.

I was kind of harsh, I admit. Those two above are the books of his I have read, and what my comments are based on. I think I feel harshly toward him because there is potential greatness in his writing, but somewhere along the line, he chokes. I was almost embarrassed by the climax of Foucalt's Pendulum. I felt manipulated and hung out to dry. The same for Rose only at least I cared about the characters more. I guess if the books just weren't any good, I wouldn't have cared, but I was actually disgusted and bitter. I guess that shows the guy's got something: I was emotionally involved.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Jul 16, 2012 4:58 am

Orlion wrote:...a publication date of January 2013, I believe.

About bloody time. (Say, take it to Gen sci-fi.

)

--A

Post by **Frostheart Grueburn** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 7:08 am

aliantha wrote:
caamora wrote:Who's on Goodreads here?
But I think we're already friends there, aren't we? Looks like I've got a few other Watchers as friends, too. But I'll let 'em speak for themselves.

I'm around, though mainly semi-regularly. Wouldn't mind some new friends.

Post by **aliantha** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 12:21 pm

Frostheart wrote:
aliantha wrote:
caamora wrote:Who's on Goodreads here?
But I think we're already friends there, aren't we? Looks like I've got a few other Watchers as friends, too. But I'll let 'em speak for themselves.
I'm around, though mainly semi-regularly. Wouldn't mind some new friends.

PM me your name there and I'll look you up.

Post by **Frostheart Grueburn** » Sat Jul 28, 2012 5:46 pm

aliantha wrote:
Frostheart wrote:
aliantha wrote: But I think we're already friends there, aren't we? Looks like I've got a few other Watchers as friends, too. But I'll let 'em speak for themselves.
I'm around, though mainly semi-regularly. Wouldn't mind some new friends.
PM me your name there and I'll look you up.

I think I found you already.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Aug 13, 2012 5:25 am

Cornwell's Azincourt.

--A

Post by **Avatar** » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:25 am

Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George.

GF told me it wasn't bad.

--A

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 5:16 am

Damn, ^that one^ dragged. It was ok I guess, but very slow somehow. Only picked up in the last 200 pages or so.

Took me like 9 days to read it. Not that I rushed.

--A

Post by **lorin** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:38 am

I just finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It is the autobiography of Louis Zamperini. He was an Olympic runner in the late 30's and 40's. He was shot down over the Pacific, spent 47 days on a raft and 4 years in Japanese prison camps. I just finished it. I cried for about an hour. What an amazing story. The guy is still alive. What a man. Really inspiring.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Sep 05, 2012 4:24 am

Mary, Queen of Scotland And The Isles by Margaret George.

Not too far in, but it's already better paced than Cleopatra.

--A

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

What are you reading in general?