Kevin's Watch

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

for book study. i was going to suggest it, but our leader had already picked it.

Two really good books:
THE MERCY OF THIN AIR by Ronlyn Domingue
THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold

Both are about young women who died, and how, after they die, they relate to the people who were important to them. Same subject, different handlings, both hard to put down. Between the two books, I think they are strong enough to start a new genre: afterdeath fiction.

I have read The Lovely Bones...wow! That was a really good book!

I agree, it is a Wow experience. I liked THE MERCY OF THIN AIR even better. The main character dies several years older than Susie in THE LOVELY BONES, and has different interests -- in a way.

I think one of the important things about both these books is that they treasure humanity. There is no straying into the horror field. The authors also manage to avoid the thinly disguised lessons that would have turned these books into metaphysical parables.

More, I say, more!

Taking a quick break from WoT, with Bernard Cornwell's Stonehenge. Historical fiction about why it was built. Just started, but I usually enjoy his books.

--A

I have started reading a historical novel by Diane Haeger called The Ruby Ring. It is about the great artist Rafael and the working class girl who becomes his mistress and his great love, a baker's daughter...

Here is a link which shows his portrait of her...
www.ima-art.org/featuredExhibitionForna ... exhibition

I'm reading a short story of Foul's. I'm glad he's writing a group of stories in this universe.

Also back to Rosemary Jarman's WE SPEAK NO TREASON. It's written as 4 distinct and separate stories about imagined associates of Richard III, so it was ok to pause after the second one to read some other books and stories.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a massive four volume Chinese epic set during the fall of the Han Dynasty...half way into volume II but it may be quite awhile afore I can finish it.

Also:
The Prehistory of Colorado by Cassells
The Chacoan Prehistory of the San Juan Basin by R Gwinn Vivian (Highly recommend for students of Southwest archaeology, assuming there are any)
The Prehistoric Pueblo World 1150-1350 by Adler

For classes:

English: Simone Weil, The Need for Roots; already read Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and The Temple by George Herbert
Philosophy: Plato, Symposium
History: already read The Prince by Machiavelli and On Christian Liberty by Martin Luther

Books to look forward to:
Augustine, Confessions, On Free Choice of Will
Dante, Inferno
Virigl, The Aeneid
Descartes, Discourse on Method, Meditations on First Philosophy
Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

I expect those will generate plenty of tidbits for the Close

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's DARK OF THE SUN, set in 535 AD. At the moment we're still in China, but it looks like the hero is about to travel back toward Europe. Interesting cultural details, though I have no way of evaluating them.

Prom_STar wrote:I expect those will generate plenty of tidbits for the Close

We look forward to it.

--A

CHAINS OF FOLLY by Roberta Gellis. If anyone is following the Magdalene la Batarde series, this is the 4th. Year 1139 in England, so we are in the chaotic reign of Stephen.

Cauldron by Larry Bond. Techno-thriller type war book. Speculative very near future type of thing. Good writer. Knows his equipment and armies etc.

--A

Today I read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It was a pretty interesting read, and a nice portrayal of what must have been a difficult character to write.

Finished rereading BONE OF CONTENTION, the 3rd in the series I mentioned above, and picked up OUT OF THE HOUSE OF LIFE, a Vampire Saint-Germain novel set in two different eras of Egypt. I'm intrigued by the possibility that the vampire will be able to provide real-time commentary to go with the archaeological discoveries his friend makes about his old life.

Dragonlily wrote:Finished rereading BONE OF CONTENTION, the 3rd in the series I mentioned above, and picked up OUT OF THE HOUSE OF LIFE, a Vampire Saint-Germain novel set in two different eras of Egypt. I'm intrigued by the possibility that the vampire will be able to provide real-time commentary to go with the archaeological discoveries his friend makes about his old life.

That does sound as if it would be very interesting. I have not tried the Saint-Germain books yet. Are they all as unique as the one you describe? That does not sound like any other vampire novel I have heard about.

And Murrin - I love Curious Incident. It was very well written, and it gives you a taste of what autism must be like.

I have read very few vampire novels, Duchess, so I can't really compare. I don't particularly care for most of them. Gradually I have begun to find the Saint-Germain books fascinating. This evening I was astonished to discover I am halfway through OUT OF THE HOUSE OF LIFE. Most of the action takes place on the archaeological dig in 1825, with a side track consisting of Saint-Germain's memories.

Prom_STar wrote:Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil

Damn fine book.

Going to finish Wuthering Heights this weekend. Of all the books I've been reading in my English Novel class, I'd say Heights and Pride and Prejudice have been my two favorites. We still have yet to read Tess of the D'urbervilles.

Wuthering Heights and P&P are great, indeed.