What's in your reading queue?

Post by **Linna Heartbooger** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:44 pm

I've just figured out that these two are in my queue of things that would probably be a really good idea for me to read:
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
"Confidence: How Winning and Losing Streaks Begin and End" by Rosabeth Moss Kanter

I read that "The Yellow Wallpaper" was written in response to the devastating "prescription" of an isolating "rest cure" that the author was given for her depression.
She then sent it to the man who had prescribed that for her, and caused a change in the way that he practiced psych.
I WANT to see this writing.

I read "Just Courage," and it was inspiring.
Failed at starting/reading all the other ones I just listed... even though I had "Quiet Talks on Power" on an inter-library loan... fail!

Post by **Vraith** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 3:34 pm

Linna Heartlistener wrote: I read that "The Yellow Wallpaper" was written in response to the devastating "prescription" of an isolating "rest cure" that the author was given for her depression.
She then sent it to the man who had prescribed that for her, and caused a change in the way that he practiced psych.

I quite like that story [and a little play in a similar vein called "the insanity of mary girard]. Think I recall seeing a short film version once, too??
She did send it to her Doctor...but he didn't change a damn thing [he was still actively promoting his "cures" 15 or 20 years later IIRC].
I'll be interested in what you think it means, particularly the ending.

Post by **Linna Heartbooger** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:02 pm

Vraith wrote:She did send it to her Doctor...but he didn't change a damn thing [he was still actively promoting his "cures" 15 or 20 years later IIRC].

Seriously?
I'd read the opposite, (that it majorly impacted the way he did things) but it was just some random webpage.

Drat, I am so disappointed.
Oh well, better go in knowing reality than some made-up story.

Vraith wrote:I'll be interested in what you think it means, particularly the ending.

cool... I hope to actually finish this one, as opposed to other books lately.
hrrmm, just reading Wikipedia because of that factual accuracy thing you pointed out ...hope this isn't another book I end up deciding is "too much" halfway through.

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:46 pm

I ordered Against All Things Ending after giving up on finding a copy in West Africa so I might get it by mid-summer.

I will be doing a lot of professional reading during summer "break" because I'm changing from a Kindergarten teacher to high school!! So in between I'm going to need some really interesting fiction to spice things up. I have a few fic books passed on to me from others that I know nothing about. Tony Hillerman, can't recall if I've read any? I really would like to read more fantasy but not enough people have left those behind and anything decent in the Library is missing or falling apart.

Post by **Orlion** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:42 pm

deer of the dawn wrote:I ordered Against All Things Ending after giving up on finding a copy in West Africa so I might get it by mid-summer.

I will be doing a lot of professional reading during summer "break" because I'm changing from a Kindergarten teacher to high school!! So in between I'm going to need some really interesting fiction to spice things up. I have a few fic books passed on to me from others that I know nothing about. Tony Hillerman, can't recall if I've read any? I really would like to read more fantasy but not enough people have left those behind and anything decent in the Library is missing or falling apart.

For Tony Hillerman, I did a book report on The Talking God in seventh grade. It's a really good one, better than the other popular one A Thief of Time (though that one was really good, too.) My personal favorites are People of Darkness and The Dark Wind. Jim Chee was always my favorite one... oh! and Skinwalkers! That one was pretty deep and action-packed as well...

There's a couple of his I haven't read yet, mostly the really early Joe Leaphorn mysteries and his later ones, but I've mostly always enjoyed Tony Hillerman.

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:16 pm

Thanks for that, Orlion. I think one I have is Listening Woman. Can't remember the other name...

The Yellow Wallpaper has zero appeal to me, after reading people's reviews of it here. A book about a woman's depression... meh... I wrote that one myself, a couple years ago.

Post by **aliantha** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 12:30 pm

I've got Listening Woman too. I agree with Orlion -- I like pretty much all of what Hillerman wrote.

Post by **sgt.null** » Thu Apr 26, 2012 4:59 am

Moby Dick - Melville.

julie and i were watching a ast reality show two seasons or so ago. an artist on there read Moby Dick in four hours. if i do it (and pass a test) Julie will buy me extra comic books. waiting for the right day.

1,900 some odd pages. will be 500 pages an hour. not sur even I can do that. but if anyone can...

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Sat Apr 28, 2012 5:40 pm

How did anyone know if he was cheating or not?

Post by **sgt.null** » Sun Apr 29, 2012 6:11 am

deer of the dawn wrote:How did anyone know if he was cheating or not?

no idea. but when i read it, it will be aboveboard.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed May 02, 2012 5:41 am

500 pages an hour?

It takes me an hour to read 120 pages or so, and I'm pretty quick...

--A

Post by **Holsety** » Wed May 02, 2012 8:14 am

Man, Moby Dick ain't 1900 pages. At most it's 1000. I read the Barnes and Noble Version and it wasn't even as thick as War and Peace, which I'm working on now, and I think it had plenty of notes too (I mean Moby Dick)!

If it was 1900 pages they would've sold it in volumes in a cardboard box like they sell Chinese novels (the great classics tend to run about 2000 pgs there).

I think the most I've read ever was 300 pgs in about an hour. It was Terry Brooks the Sword of Shannara, I was probably in about 3rd grade, waiting for school to start at early care in the basement cafeteria. I actually noticed that day how much I had read and realized I had gone from around pg 400 to around pg 700, close to the end. It was an easy read AND I was probably not reading really effectively (by which I mean closely).

Post by **sgt.null** » Wed May 02, 2012 8:50 am

about Allen Ginsburg in India

about the author sing back up with Jan & Dean

both were birthday presents from julie.

Website · Post by **Iolanthe** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:24 pm

After I've finished the Silmarillion, which is becoming interesting.

Post by **aliantha** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:29 pm

I guarantee you that mine will be an easier read.

(Yay, it got there!

)

Website · Post by **Iolanthe** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:37 pm

Hm, it's a bit like reading the bible - style not content - and I shall never remember all those names (or be able to pronounce them) but at least I'm now getting to the bit where I know some names! Looking forward to reading yours.

Post by **Frostheart Grueburn** » Wed May 09, 2012 4:56 pm

Iolanthe wrote:Hm, it's a bit like reading the bible - style not content - and I shall never remember all those names (or be able to pronounce them) but at least I'm now getting to the bit where I know some names! Looking forward to reading yours.

Read the Kalevala, and you'll see where Tolkien snagged some of his names and themes.

Website · Post by **Iolanthe** » Wed May 09, 2012 5:08 pm

Zorm wrote:
Iolanthe wrote:Hm, it's a bit like reading the bible - style not content - and I shall never remember all those names (or be able to pronounce them) but at least I'm now getting to the bit where I know some names! Looking forward to reading yours.
Read the Kalevala, and you'll see where Tolkien snagged some of his names and themes.

Talk about snagging names and themes - I see that there is a Handir in the genealogical tables at the end.

Post by **lorin** » Wed May 09, 2012 11:10 pm

deer of the dawn wrote:I ordered Against All Things Ending after giving up on finding a copy in West Africa so I might get it by mid-summer. .

I would have sent it to you.

Website · Post by **Iolanthe** » Mon May 21, 2012 8:54 am

Finished The Silmarillion just before the weekend. Enjoyed it very much in places but not in others. It was hard going at the beginning, but later on there are some more gripping tales.

Everyone having at least two different names, and sometimes three, is very confusing, and I had to constantly refer to the genealogical tables at the end, and to the fold up map stuck to the inside back cover as many of the places mentioned were also given more than one name. I found it difficult to remember who everyone was, and where the places were, which was annoying.

I have however managed to remember some of the names - Tuor, Turin, Morgoth, which means that I was able to get into their stories, and the history of the Elves and the Numenoreans (?) I found fascinating.

It has made me want to read other books that give background to the LotR, but I must get a copy of the Hobbit first and read that again. I've only read it once and borrowed it from the library.

Now started on Seized!

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

What's in your reading queue?