The Times They Are A-Changing 5 Replies

Posted on September 22, 2008 in Misc & Site

At the end of this week, I will be moving to London, England for at least one year to do my graduate studies. The blog will change as my life does. My life will have less knitting (will be too poor for yarn), less time for books, and possibly less blogging overall as it usually the case when I am in school. The blog will include posts of London centric things from museums, galleries, parks, shopping, photos, and more. While I do not plan to have Grand European Tour, I will definitely make a requisite trip to Paris in the future so travel posts are ahead.

A big change such as this is hectic and blog updates may be less frequent and content will alter. I hope to blog about the things I have always blogged about especially books, but it is too early to tell how the blog will evolve when I get there. Thank you for reading and commenting.

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Sunday Salon: Autumn Changes 2 Replies

Posted on September 21, 2008 in Books

Busy that I am, I have not been reading very much the last couple of weeks. I will definitely read today. I will finish The Two Towers and The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (thus completing the whole Holmes canon). I will also read a graphic novel a friend recommended to me called The Wizard’s Tale.

The poll is still up on the right side of the page, and while I have decided most of what to take, I am still watching the results eagerly for any “dark horses” to take the lead. Sadly, a lot of the books are heavy and a couple of the top ones will be sacrificed for the sake of me dragging my luggage around the first day. I will be taking a lot of things as it is. This is why I have decided to just read LOTR before going now so I do not have to take the books.

Speaking of Lord of the Rings, it will be easy to finish The Two Towers today because my bookmark indicates that I read more than 1/3 of it six years ago. Yes, it has been on hold that long. That happens rarely, but I start a book and can not complete it due to time, boredom or my own schedule. A couple years ago, I started Little, Big and now own the book, but yet again, I do not know when I will pick it up. Same for Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell which I started this spring. Strange, a lot of the books that I seem to be put on hold are fantasy books.

By the way, there will probably not be a Sunday Salon next week because I am moving overseas next weekend. Likewise, from here on it, there will be fewer SS posts (and maybe posts in general) as I start graduate school. More on that later in the week. I do enjoy the Salon and will miss posting and reading fellow Salonists.

Have a good end of September everyone.

Literary Link:

75 Books Every Woman Should Read – A response list to Esquire’s 75 Books Every Man Should Read. Actually, the list only has 20 books and suggestions are in the comments.

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Booking Through Thursday — Autumn Reading 2 Replies

Posted on September 18, 2008 in Books

Autumn is starting (here in the US, anyway), and kids are heading back to school–does the changing season change your reading habits? Less time? More? Are you just in the mood for different kinds of books than you were over the summer? – BTT

Sad to say, but when the weather gets cold, I do have less time to read. Mainly because summer has holidays and I have school to start in autumn. Even this week I have barely read a thing because of other hobbies and thoughts of my impending move. I do not think my book tastes change between seasons though, but I definitely have more time to explore nonfiction books in the summer. I wish I could read lots throughout the whole year, but it is true to life that season changes, my reading does as well.

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Sunday Salon: A meme 5 Replies

Posted on September 14, 2008 in Books

This week, I read and finished Last Orders, The Good Earth, and His Last Bow (review coming soon). Today, I am reading The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien. LOTR was winning by far in the poll from last week so I’ve decided to just read it now before my move because I rather carry the even heavier Don Quixote and Possession with me.

If you have not taken the poll from last week about which books I should take and read from my TBR pile, please do so here or in the column to the right of the screen.

I’ll leave with a meme/survey I found last week among one of the Salonists.

On your nightstand now: I actually do not put books by the nightstand, but current books on the top of the TBR pile include The Tower Towers, The Return of the King, Cannery Row, and also numerous others.

Book you’ve “faked” reading: Actually, when I had English classes in school, I generally read all the books through so I did not fake much. In a rare case or two, I have said I read a book, but really, I skimmed most of it. This happened with Cold Mountain for some reason.

Book you’ve bought for the cover: This happened once, and it was not even that the cover was pretty, but it was good quality. It’s a book I never heard of from an author I’ve never heard of: William – An Englishman by Cecily Hamilton.

Favorite book when you were a child: Peter Pan, Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Pydrain (I read so many of Alexander’s books before the age of 13 and then stopped for some reason), The Arthurian Legends, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Road Dahl’s books.

Book that changed your life: In my childhood Peter Pan, in my teens, Anna Karenina. I think Tolstoy has been a big part of my life.

Favorite line from a book: Going through some of my collection quotations:

Dreaming is not merely an act of communication (or coded communication if you like); it is also an aesthetic activity, a game of the imagination, a game that is a value in itself. Our dreams prove that to imagine–to dream about things that have not happened–is among mankind’s deepest needs. Hereinlies the danger. If dreams were not beautiful, they would quickly be forgotten.
— Milan Kundera, The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Top five favorite authors: To be rebellious, I am going to name ten since I can never really pick top favourites: Leo Tolstoy, William Shakespeare, Nick Hornby, Neil Gaiman, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, John Steinbeck, E. M. Forster, Philip Pullman, Edith Wharton, and Jane Austen.

Books you recommend as regeneration when people say, “I’m bored by almost all contemporary American writers.”: Oh well, I’m wary of giving book recommendations unless I know the person well and has a high likihood of liking the books. Some American contemporary authors I like are Jeffrey Eugenides, Audrey Niffenegger, Marilynne Robinson, Anthony Bourdain (for travel and food), Bill Bryson (travel and nonfiction), Madeleine L’Engle, and Adam Gopnik. I read a lot more from British authors and their oeuvres.

Book you can’t believe that everyone has not read and loved: Going along the lines of why I’m not big on giving recommendations as whole, I do believe there are books people else loves and others don’t.

Book you are an “evangelist” for: From my reading list, I seem to like my classic books. It’s hard to say really.

Book you most want to read again for the first time: Anna Karenina, Howards End, Pride and Prejudice and on it goes.

Books you wanted to begin again immediately after finishing them: Strangely enough, War and Peace, but I know it’ll be a few more years before I try that again. The rare chicklit book such as when I read Bridget Jones’s Diary (P&P and Persuasion too) for the first time.

Have a good Sunday!

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Booking Through Thursday – Villainy 2 Replies

Posted on September 11, 2008 in Books

Today is the 7th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I know that not all of you who read are in the U.S., but still, it’s vital that none of us who are decent people forget the scope of disaster that a few, evil people can cause–anywhere in the world. It’s not about religion, it’s not about politics, it’s about the acknowledgment that humans should try to work together, not tear each other apart, even when they disagree.
So, feeling my way to a question here … Terrorists aren’t just movie villains any more. Do real-world catastrophes such as 9/11 (and the bombs in Madrid, and the ones in London, and the war in Darfur, and … really, all the human-driven, mass loss-of-life events) affect what you choose to read? Personally, I used to enjoy reading Tom Clancy, but haven’t been able to stomach his fight-terrorist kinds of books since.
And, does the reality of that kind of heartless, vicious attack–which happen on smaller scales ALL the time–change the way you feel about villains in the books you read? Are they scarier? Or more two-dimensional and cookie-cutter in the face of the things you see on the news? – BTT

It makes things more visceral to me. As I have studied genocide and human rights violations, it has not changed the things I have read. In some cases, I sought these things ought. I read Night and Maus after I came back from Auschwitz. As for comparing real life villains to fictional ones, it depends on the author really. I find books are worlds to themselves. I do not read many spy thrillers or books that are often black and white. Villains are not always an issue, but my enjoyable or appreciation of them depends on the author’s ability to write characters and define them.

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The Good Earth 3 Replies

Posted on September 10, 2008 in Books

Pearl S. Buck’s classic story of family and life in pre-revolutionary China. This did not take as long as I thought, and while sad at times, I liked the book. I think the prose is distinct, the story compelling and honest, and the characters very real. I liked the themes of the novel which explored man’s relation to the earth, changing fortunes, China at the turn of the century, and women’s role in society and family. She writes everything so deftly and without judgment; a very true story teller. On a more personal note, the book touches on something in my own life. I am very familiar with Chinese culture, family, and livelihood. Buck said she wrote about China because it was all she knew. She might have been a foreigner, but there is such an candid and wonderful perspective in her writing. Dare I say it, but this book is very Chinese. It is difficult to describe how she captured the Chinese characters and cultural identity so well. Once again, I found so much honesty in her writing. I liked how she painted the picture of O-Lan and the other women in Chinese society. While I appreciated the writing and the book, I do not think I will continue with the trilogy because I am not particularly attached to the characters beyond this book, and the stories can be rather sad. I would be interested in reading more of Buck’s other stories.

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Last Orders Leave a reply

Posted on September 9, 2008 in Books, Movies

This Booker Prize winning book by Graham Swift tells of four men on a day trip to scatter their friend’s ashes to the sea. The chapters are short and the narratives switches with each chapter. Most are told by Ray, the closest friend of the dead man Jack Dodds. There are numerous flashbacks revealing the lives of all the men and a couple of others in their lives. At first the book reminded me in a slightly of Trainspotting, the writing was colloquial but far more intelligible. They also share the a similar theme of friendship and endurance over time. As I read it, it became much more. The dialogue is quite sharp and well written; Swift has a knack for characterisation. The language and changing perspectives makes it evocative. I sometimes managed to feel the bitterness and the anger that some of the characters do when they narrate. It is very English; all the characters have a working class background and there is something very stylistic and true about the way he writes about their livelihood. If anything, it feels sincere even if real working class Londoners do not all the issues these characters did. I liked the book for the most part, but it got bit depressing the further you went. The flashbacks reveal missed opportunities, unsaid things, wrong choices, bad luck, and estranged relationships. The ending, as with life, is open ended. Not a very uplifting read, but Swift does have a good voice throughout the story.

As with the book, this is not exactly an exciting film, it has a slow languid pace, but is actually decently adapted. I thought the script made the efforts to really weave the plot, narrative switching style and flashbacks really well. As with most British movies, the cast really make it. Michael Caine, Helen Mirren, Bob Hoskins and a few others are in this. I adore Caine and Mirren so it was wonderful seeing them together. Even more delightful was the young versions of their character was played by JJ Feild, another favourite of mine and Kelly Reilly (who was in L’Auberge Espagnole; I still really want to see the sequel to that). Every time I watch a British movie, I play a game of 50 Actors and see what else I’ve seen them in. Anyway, the movie showed the characters in even a better light than in the movie and has a more hopeful tone than even the book. Well adapted.

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Sunday Salon: Which books should I take? 3 Replies

Posted on September 7, 2008 in Books

This week, I have been reading Last Orders by Graham Swift and listening to His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have not had very much reading time this week so I will spend today doing that. First though, I have a little request for you Salonists.

At the end of this month, I am going to be moving overseas for at least a year. I have been deciding about which books to take and subsequently to read when I move. Since I will not return for awhile, it’s difficult choosing which to take with me and read in my time abroad. While I will be moving to an English speaking and may buy a couple of books and frequent the library, I want to take some books that I own with me, probably around five. Help me out, by choosing the books you think I should take and have not read. I own all the books below and have not read any of them in full. Most of them are paperback. If anything, the poll would serve as the type of books people who visit the blog like. Thank you!

[poll id=”2″]

Have a good week!

Literary Links:

Times Online has Philip Pullman’s Reading List.

7 Writing Habits of Amazing Writers

Planet ebook – Yet another ebook site; this one uses PDF.

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In Bruges 1 Reply

Posted on September 6, 2008 in Movies

Things I generally like include Irishmen, funny crime plots and characters, on location filming where the place becomes a secondary character, and Ralph Fiennes playing an evil bastard. He wears it well; he’s always disturbingly attractive when being a supreme psycho except when he’s Voldemort. I really liked this movie. It was funny yet had some very decent moments of poignancy, the usual dose of good acting from a British-Irish film (expect nothing less), and a very good script from first time feature director Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell fit nicely in this flick. I’ve never found him particularly attractive and generally do not watch most of the films he’s in, but he can have pretty entertaining and decent turns in such things as Daredevil and Minority Report. He’s better when he keeps his accent, and sticks to comedy with appropriate amounts of drama. McDonagh is originally a playwright, and at certain points in the film, it does feel rather like a theatre play mostly in terms of characterizations and in the deep moments. One can definitely compare it to Layer Cake or Guy Ritchie films which are also British movies about criminals and feature violence, this one has a more sober note and setting yet still remains hilarious throughout. I look forward to McDonagh’s future films, and hopefully he works with Brendan Gleeson (already their second project), Fiennes, and Farrell again as he knows how to use them.

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Vinland Leave a reply

Posted on September 5, 2008 in Knitting & Crafting

Project 174/365 - Vinland Socks

As much as I like toe-up sock patterns, this pattern bored me quite early on. The pattern is well written and charted though especially since it is designed for people for small and wide feet making it versatile. Sadly, I think it was the chart that made me indifferent. The foot is fine since half the sock is stockinette, but the leg takes forever as you do the chart on the front and back. Maybe it was all those purls and m1s; it did not make for mindless knitting. I just grew really bored with it, and rushed to finish the socks so I could move on to something else. Both the socks have a shorter leg than the pattern or I would like. For my size 7 feet, I did four chart reps on the leg, and four more on the leg.

I did a lot of my usual mods. I love the Judy Magic CO, learned a new method to do increases for the toe, and I used a different BO than the recommended k2p2 grafting (see below). Once again, I used misocrafty’s short row heel tutorial which claims hole less heels, but for some really strange reason, I always got holes on one side of the heel and not the other. Namely the side where you pick up wraps from the RS side. The other side of the heel is perfect. I experimented with picking the wraps in front, in purl, in the back, etc., but it still looked sloppy and holey. Next time, I am going to pick up the wraps on that side of the heel the “normal” way for a short row heel or learn another heel altogether.

Vinland, started August 17th 2008, finished September 3rd, 2008 Ravelry Project Page
Pattern: Vinland by Becca Compton in The AntiCraft Ravelry Pattern Page
Size: 8.5″ foot circumference
Yarn: Regia Loop Color (75% New Wool/25% Nylon – 100g – 460 yards ) #5763 – 1 ball
Needles: #1/2.25mm 100cm/40″ circulars magic looping
Modifications: Judy Magic Cast On, misocrafty short row toe, and the following BO from Grumperina: “Work 2 sts in pattern (either knit or purl). Move yarn to back (if the last worked st was a knit, this is already the case). * Transfer the 2 worked sts to the LH needle, and k2togTBL. Work 1 st in pattern (move yarn to back if it was a purl), * repeat between *.”
Cost of Project: Yarn was on sale for less than $10/ball, but can’t remember exact price
Would I knit it again? If I did, I wouldn’t do the chart on the back of the leg. Otherwise, it’s unlikely.

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Booking Through Thursday — Peer Pressure 1 Reply

Posted on September 4, 2008 in Books

I was looking through books yesterday at the shops and saw all the Twilight books, which I know basically nothing about. What I do know is that I’m beginning to feel like I’m the *only* person who knows nothing about them.

Despite being almost broke and trying to save money, I almost bought the expensive book (Australian book prices are often completely nutty) just because I felt the need to be ‘up’ on what everyone else was reading.

Have you ever felt pressured to read something because ‘everyone else’ was reading it? Have you ever given in and read the book(s) in question or do you resist? If you are a reviewer, etc, do you feel it’s your duty to keep up on current trends?  – BTT

I havre actually read books that everyone else is reading before including the Twilight books, and a few years ago, The Da Vinci Code. I do it on occasion and what really convinces me to read popular books is when someone I know has already done so. In the case of Twilight, a lot of people I know liked it and I decided to give it a try. It does not hurt to give a book a try, but at the same time, I do not have many bibliophiles for friends and the pressure tends to be for books we have similar interest in. If the book is critically acclaimed or won an award, I am also more inclined, but sheer bestselling numbers does not always pursuade me. Resisting reading a book is not the same as resisting watching a television show for me; maybe, it’s easier to stop reading a book or finish it earlier. I usually can find some or at least one positive in the books. As a reviewer, I feel there is no obligation to keep up with current trends especially since I read and review so many books that are old. I do like contemporary books too, but it does not mean I follow trends..

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Aristocrats Leave a reply

Posted on September 3, 2008 in Books, Movies

Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa, and Sarah Lennox, 1740-1832 by Stella Tillyard is the biography of four high born sisters. As with many of the books I read, this languidly lay in the TBR for awhile. This one for almost a year, but I have quite forgotten where I read or learned about the books only observing that it seemed well criticised and popular enough for the BBC to make mini series on it. It is a thick history book around 450 pages hardcover and very in depth as it covers the lives of these four women. While I enjoy history immensely, I actually do read that many historical books, and to be honest, many of them are dry. This one was not only well researched, but Tillyard makes the prose feel, at times, as if one is reading a novel rather than a distant historical account. There are many academics who are readable and comprehensive, and there are many who are far from it. Tillyard is not only readable, but her writing is accessible to the public which is why this book is a bit of an oddity being very historical, biographical, and a best seller. As a result, one learns a lot about the lives of people in the UK and Ireland in the 18th century. It is not necessarily a page turner for everyone though, and I really only picked it up because I am interested in history, but you may not be curious if aristocrats, rich dead people, biographies, and English/Irish history are not your things. An interesting read none the less.

This six episode BBC series which also aired on PBS Masterpiece in 1999. I had not heard of it until I knew of the book which goes to show you that the series is not the most excellent. I have seen better to be sure even in the British costume drama. I do not think it’s necessarily a bad series; it’s actually difficult to adapt because it is a true story. The adaptors were quite faithful, and I think as with most series of this type, the acting and cast make the most of it. I quite liked Geraldine Somerville as Emily; she is very attractive in it. I did not like the Emily voice over, and the portrayal of Caroline’s storyline left me feeling depressed. The portrayal of Sarah at the beginning was difficult to see though. All in all, I thought it okay because it was a bit slow, but it did not merit too much censure or negativity. I’d take the book any day though.

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