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Decrepit |
Sep 12 2022, 01:51 AM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1919 this evening, 11 Sep 2022, I concluded an initial read of Blood on the Line, book 8 in Edward Marston's The Railway Detective. It doesn't spoil things much to say that this entry isn't a who-done-it, but rather a hunting down of two known criminals, one of whose capture our protagonist has a personal, vested interest in due to a traumatic event during his pre-detective past. As has become the norm for this series beyond its first few entries, railway trivia is sparse. These are comfort reads for me. I enjoy them. And as I have discovered, they're books I can read while otherwise in a reading slump.
This post has been edited by Decrepit: Sep 12 2022, 01:52 AM
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Decrepit |
Sep 22 2022, 12:45 AM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1635 this afternoon, 21 Sep 2022, I concluded an initial read of Jan Swafford's Mozart, the Reign of Love, hardback print edition. This has been my kitchen-table read since the turn of the year. It's too big and bulky to read lying down, which is how I do almost the totality of my "serious" reading. Consuming it two-three pages at a sitting is no hindrance in this case. I've read one other Mozart bio, and numerous articles on him and/or his music. This book is far and away better than that other Mozart bio, which bordered on incomprehensible at times. On the other hand, I far prefer Swafford's Beethoven: Anguish & Triumph, read some years ago. Interesting as much of Mozart's life is, Beethoven is, for me, one of the most utterly fascinating individuals to have walked the face of the earth. Too, while I greatly enjoy much of Mozart's musical output, Beethoven has long been my musical god.
That aside, a good chunk of Mozart RoL is devoted to discussion of individual works. I found this tedious at times. He does this in Beethoven A&T too, though not as extensively. There, I had no issue with it, possibly because I'm quite familiar with most of B's output, so can hear individual passages in my head as Swafford describes them. I'm familiar with much of M's music too, but not always to the same degree. BTW, in both books these musical descriptions are relatively nontechnical in nature. A solid grounding in music theory is not needed.
It might seem as if I'm damning Mozart, Reign of Love with faint praise. I am not. It's a well written, comprehensive biography. I'm glad to have read it. It's simply not, for me, in the same league as his Beethoven bio.
(I am extremely lucky in finding Beethoven: Anguish & Triumph Kindle edition on sale for $3.99US some months ago! I scooped it up without hesitation. It is, to date, the only book I own both digitally and printed, discounting a few "classics" DL'd for free off Project Gutenberg to give me alternative translations.)
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Decrepit |
Sep 23 2022, 08:53 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1401 today, 23 Sep 2022, I concluded an initial read of Oliver Pötzsch's mid seventeenth-century Bavarian-based historical fiction/mystery/detective novel A Hangman's Daughter Tale, book two: The Dark Monk, English translation by Lee Chadeayne. After a promising opening, my interest waned. I half-seriously considered DNFing it. Then, at around 30%, it grabbed my attention and didn't let go until the very end. As to the plot, it begins as a simple, or not so simple, death, which proves to be from unnatural causes. It soon morphs into a hunt for great treasure from long ago, purportedly stashed somewhere in the local area, with rival factions seeking said wealth. The hangman, his daughter, the young physician, and a new character I shall not name, take center stage. With the caveat that you too might find the book's early chapters slow-going, this end's up as a solid recommendation from me, especially if you liked book one or any other Pötzsch novels.
As with book one, Pötzsch's End Notes and other appendixes are well worth reading.
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Decrepit |
Sep 28 2022, 09:40 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1457 this afternoon, 28 Sep 2022, I concluded an initial read of the Project Gutenberg free ebook When the Movies Were Young, by Linda Arvidson, Mrs D.W. Griffith. Written in 1925, Mrs Griffith chooses to end her personal reminiscences with the 1915 release of Birth of a Nation, in a real sense when film came of age as a serious, respectable (and highly profitable) entertainment/art. What we read about is the time before that, when movie making was a much looser, more casual affair that didn't take itself over seriously. When movie cast and crew were, often as not, stage/vaudeville performers out to tide themselves over between "legit" engagements. When a film could be made in only a few days. As someone with a long held interest in silent cinema, I found the book entertaining and informative. As a free download, it's an obvious recommend.
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Decrepit |
Oct 2 2022, 09:44 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1443 this afternoon, 02 Oct 2022, I concluded an initial read of Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Mine is a free Project Gutenberg e-book edition. This is my first exposure to Hemingway "in print", aside from The Old Man and the Sea, a required reading option during my long ago school years. I recall nothing of that earlier experience beyond the general gist of the story,
I like Hemingway's writing style here. He handles character interacts very well. As to the plot, if someone were to ask me what it's about, I'd be tempted to say: "About 275 printed pages". We witness the day-to-day goings-on of a group of youngish perpetual drunks who act like spoiled brats much of the time, sometimes cloaked in a veneer of wit and sophistication. I had no empathy with these characters, and little sympathy for them. I did feel a bit sorry for Cohn near the end. If it weren't so well written, I suspect I'd have DNF'd TSAR ere the end. That said, I can see what the fuss is about. Being an acknowledged "classic", it's beyond the likes of me to either recommend or disavow it.
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Decrepit |
Oct 10 2022, 06:43 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1217 today, 10/10/2022, I concluded an initial read of International Cartoons of the War, by H. Pearl Adam. Published 1916, the title of course refers to WWI. It's a short, quick "read" once past the introduction. Sad to say, it is flawed on the Paperwhite, being mostly captioned illustrations as it is. A good number of images don't reproduce well enough to fully enjoy. A few I couldn't decipher well enough to grasp their intent. When all was said and done, I returned to Project Gutenberg and opened the book's Online version in my browser, which solved its Kindle image and formatting issues. If any of these images were originally colored, as I suspect a few might have been, that has been lost either during the original printing process or while scanning for e-book issue. It's an okay acquisition for those interest in the subject.
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Decrepit |
Oct 14 2022, 02:36 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 2024 yesterday evening, 13 Oct 2022, I concluded an initial read of Edward Marston's Peril on the Royal Train, book 10 in his The Railway Detective historical fiction whodunit/crime/detective series. I enjoyed this entry, as I have its predecessors. It centers on activities nefarious along the Caledonian Railway during the mid 1850s. I appreciate that here, unlike some entries, the railway is key to the entire storyline. We also get a bit more railway trivia here than is sometimes the case, a plus for me. As to how it ranks among its peers, I know not, the crime/detective genre being one I am not normally drawn to. I can say that it kept my attention from start to finish.
Anyone interested in this series should begin with book 1, later entries often referencing earlier volumes.
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Decrepit |
Oct 19 2022, 02:19 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 0750 today, 19 Oct 2022, I concluded an initial read of A Ticket to Oblivion, book 11 in Edward Marston's The Railway Detective historical fiction crime solving series, set in 1850s England. I had not planned to continue the series so soon after finishing book 10. But nothing on my Paperwhite held my interest any length of time. I eventually admitted defeat, visited Amazon.com, and bought book 11. As suspected, it proved an easy read and a page turner. That said, it's a solid entry but is not among my TRD faves. Nor is there much railway trivia here. Like most entries, the plot begins on a railway. Otherwise, railways are not involved other than as a means of transportation.
This post has been edited by Decrepit: Oct 21 2022, 03:35 PM
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Decrepit |
Oct 21 2022, 03:31 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 0840 this morning, 21 Oct 2022, I concluded a read of George Eliot's Silas Marner, a free Project Gutenberg e-book download. As with Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, I'm conflicted as to whether it's a re-read or an initial read. In this case, more so than Twain's books, I lean towards re-read. If so, it'll be my first bona fide re-read this year! Quite a change for someone who, until mid last year, existed primarily on re-reads, with few new-to-me titles read during any given year since the early '90s.
As to the book itself, I had some trouble acclimating myself to the old-style rural dialect pretty much every character uses. (It's a very "wordy" book.) Once adapted, it became another quick-read page-turner. It at first seemed merely okay for its type. As the story progressed, and I became more and more invested in the main characters and locals, I came to like it more and more. By the end I was hooked.
This post has been edited by Decrepit: Oct 21 2022, 05:46 PM
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Decrepit |
Nov 17 2022, 10:50 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At around 0935 this morning, 17 Nov 2022, I concluded an initial read of Stephen Fry's Greek Myths, book 2: Heroes. A good read. While passingly familiar with isolated events related to a few heroes mentioned, I knew none of their life stories in full, some not at all. I do now, though the vast number of heroes, gods, demigods, titans, other mythological creatures, and their associates/relations was more than my decrepit brain could absorb. There's one further volume in the series, Troy. I'll likely read it at some point but am in no great hurry. Alas, the Nov 2022 ballot initiative to slash the city/county public library budget in half passed. It surprised me, though in hindsight it probably shouldn't have. I refer here to the city nearby. The little town I live in is far too small to sport a library of its own. That city, a University City with a population of some 80K, now has no general-purpose or used bookstores and, thanks to the initiative, will soon have reduced library functionality. Admittedly, I've not visited the library in years. But I fully appreciate them. (At the moment the library is trying to figure out what it will have to cut to operate within the new funding, but can't rule out that it might not be possible to remain in operation.) This post has been edited by Decrepit: Nov 17 2022, 10:51 PM
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SubRosa |
Nov 19 2022, 11:23 PM
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Ancient
Joined: 14-March 10
From: Between The Worlds
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I have been going through some audiobooks of Robert E Howard's horror stories. Roland Wieffering has them on his YouTube channel. I presume he is the one doing the readings. He has a lot of Clark Ashton Smith, and other writers too. So far I have listened to the Black Stone, which might be the best. The Noseless Thing and The Thing on the Roof were ok. I like the mythology he built around his mythos book, Nameless Cults, which features in most of them. Most of these I have read before in the past. You can get a lot of them from Project Gutenberg. The copyrights are all expired, so they are free to download. I am looking forward to the Fire of Assurbanipal. I remember that was a rollicking one.
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Decrepit |
Nov 24 2022, 11:46 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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At 1402 this afternoon, Thanksgiving Day 2022, I concluded an initial read of Master of Furies, book 3 of Raymond Feist's Firemane Saga. Enjoyed it, as I tend to do with all Feist's writing. My theory of a connection between this series and the Midkemia books, mentioned last post . . . well, let's just say the matter has been firmly settled, one way or the other. I am not displeased. (Note that I inaccurately used Riftwar instead of the more apt Midemia in that earlier posting.) QUOTE(SubRosa @ Nov 19 2022, 04:23 PM) I have been going through some audiobooks of Robert E Howard's horror stories. Roland Wieffering has them on his YouTube channel. I presume he is the one doing the readings. He has a lot of Clark Ashton Smith, and other writers too. So far I have listened to the Black Stone, which might be the best. The Noseless Thing and The Thing on the Roof were ok. I like the mythology he built around his mythos book, Nameless Cults, which features in most of them. Most of these I have read before in the past. You can get a lot of them from Project Gutenberg. The copyrights are all expired, so they are free to download. I am looking forward to the Fire of Assurbanipal. I remember that was a rollicking one. I began what seems to me to be an excellent audiobook of 1984 on YouTube sometime ago. Not sure why I abandoned it. Not for lack of interest. My problem with audiobooks in general is that I'm a slow person. I think slowly. I read slowly. I absorb knowledge slowly. Too many book readings are simply too fast for me. Now, one area where audiobooks would be a godsend for me is anything written in verse / poetry. I've never in my life been able to read verse writing. It's sort of odd. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting on my mom's lap as a wee lad while she read poetry to me. Yet I never developed the ability to grasp it on the written page. Yeah, one can find a wealth of Sci-fi, Action/Adventure, Mysteries and so-on, culled from magazines/periodicals, at Project Gutenberg. New stuff appears regularly. I'm tempted, but not yet taken the plunge. No, I take that back. I downloaded a couple of early Conan stories, but have not yet read them. (At least I "think" I DL'd them from PG.) This post has been edited by Decrepit: Nov 24 2022, 11:49 PM
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Decrepit |
Nov 28 2022, 09:47 PM
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Master
Joined: 9-September 15
From: Mid-South USA
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Amongst recent Project Gutenberg acquisitions is the title The Blue Castle, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. It is high on the list of PG's "most popular downloads". Having no prior knowledge of the author, I assumed the book to be an obscure work by and obscure writer, that for some reason has become popular with the PG crowd.
Looking for something to read after finishing Feist's Master of Furies, I sampled Blue Castle's opening. I liked what I read. Ms. Montgomery obviously knows her craft. I decided to give it a go. Cut to the chase, I am highly impressed. It's very well written, with interesting characters, character interactions and a compelling storyline. I finished it at 2004 yesterday, 27 Nov 2022. Despite being a genre I'm not normally drawn to, I enjoyed it start to finish. And as I found out after the fact, Ms Montgomery and her books are far from obscure. Very far.
All that said, I don't know that I will seek out more of her output any time soon. As to what I'll take up next, I've no idea. Between Master of Furies and Blue Castle, both of which I devoured, I assumed my reading slump at an end. It isn't. I've not been able to focus on anything I attempt, abandoning book after book, with no end in sight.
I almost forgot to mention that Blue Castle is my fiftieth completed read of the year. Yes, I did it again. Two years in a row. Who would have thought? I'm not sure if I'm pleased or not. I don't need the self-imposed mindset of thinking I need to read fifty (or more) titles each year. Then again, I certainly don't mind reading that many (or more). I most definitely don't plan to read less solely for the sake of staying under the fifty-mark!
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