January 29, 2014

Mark it nuncle...

So, I got a bit sidetracked. Let me explain.


from

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P.S. I plan to finish King Lear, and post about it on the 31st - just in time to keep my promise about January! And announce February's play (which I plan to be more vigilant about)  - which if you have read the comments on the first post *spoilers* - will be announced. Fair warning, it's Twelfth Night. Enjoy!

January 20, 2014

2014 with William Shakespeare

Image components from Penguin's 1967-1987 edition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Edited by Stanley Wells. For More information on the source of the images and (most of) the text, see the "2014: Shakespeare" page.
I love a bit of Shakespeare.

Reading the plays, watching the plays, watching an adaption, reading an adaption, watching a film performance - anything!

The beauty of Shakespeare (for me) is the timelessness. Whether you set the Taming of the Shrew in 1593 when it was first performed, or in the 1999 adaption into 10 Things I Hate About You, the stories stay the same through their universal themes.

That's why I have decided to make 2014 Shakespeare's year.
Every month I am going to read and talk about 1 of his plays. I will also probably be watching various adaptions of the play, and, if applicable, might read a re-do of the selected play.

For this month (January 2014) I have selected:

King Lear


I look forward to hearing from everyone, and discussing King Lear throughout the month.

Any suggestions for discussion topics? Let me know in the comments!

January 08, 2014

Yet to be reviewed…

I have a lot of work ahead of me. Freedom has gotten to me, I feel a bit like Napoleon Dynamite...



Which means that I have not been writing down my thoughts on books that I have read. Which means that I am going to be very busy over the next few weeks as I review eight books. Whoops. Now I feel like Pedro in this picture. Hmph.


Anyway, the point is that I feel as if I should take up writing in the margins so that I don't forget what I want to say about a book. Which can be a problem sometimes, leaving me staring into the distance like a dead fish, with a major squint on, trying to figure out the specifics of what I thought.

This guy's got marginalia down pat!!!
The eight books that I have yet to review are the following - just to tease you... and maybe incite you to read one - you really should, they're all good!



(Pictured)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore: An awesome high fantasy with a strong heroine and a plot that incorporates adventure, and romance, not leaving you behind for a moment.

Reboot by Amy Tintera: a very interesting twist on the zombie concept with a dash of robo-cop tossed in.

Legacy by Cayla Kluver: Richly drawn characters (like velvet) set in a medieval time, where the heir to the throne is unsure if their enemy is really her enemy. Please, just read it, as it is awesome.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith: a cute chick-lit novel that has a great atmosphere to it, and makes you feel light, giddy, and fluffy, with a bit of substance on the side.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon: AMAZING!!! An extremely complex, fantasy dystopian novel with congenial characters, and a tantalising promise of 7 books and a movie.

The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth: A dark historical fiction novel that takes you behind the (fictitious, I think) story of the collection of the Grimm Fairytales, and the life of the 'Wild' girl who inspired them.

(Not Pictured)

The Originals by Cat Patrick: definitely original, an intriguing addition to Cat Patrick's trick of writing stand alone novels that tease you with an awesome concept, great characters, and then leave you after one book (unfortunately so, as I do enjoy them!).

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley“The body you are wearing used to be mine.” This line sets the tone for the whole novel - brilliant opening line. Need I say any more?

January 03, 2014

Books I need to finish.

I am always reading at least three books at a time. Which is great when accommodating a change in taste due to a change in mood or weather!  However, this does mean that I often leave books unfinished, if, and when I really get into another book.

So, this month I am going to make it my personal reading mission to finish some books that I have lying around.

To start, I have chosen to finish:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Well, we all know what this one is about; especially with the upcoming movie!

&

Socrates: A Man for Our Times by Paul Johnson
I started reading this one because I love the cover, and I was studying the Peloponnesian War at the time - how fitting! 
Be sure to check out the cover too - I love it! 

A brilliant portrait of the Greek philosopher who personified philosophy Socrates was undeniably one of the greatest thinkers of all time, yet he wrote nothing.

Throughout his life, and indeed until his very last moment alive, Socrates fully embodied his philosophy in thought and deed. It is through the story of his life that we can fully grasp his powerful actions and ideas.

In his highly acclaimed style, historian Paul Johnson masterfully disentangles centuries of scarce sources to offer a riveting account of a homely but charismatic middle-class man living in Athens in the fifth century BC, and how what this man thought still shapes the way we decide how to act, and how we fathom the notion of body and soul. Johnson provides a compelling picture of the city and people Socrates reciprocally delighted in, as well as many enlightening and intimate analyses of specific aspects of his personality. Enchantingly portraying "the sheer power of Socrates's mind, and its unique combination of steel, subtlety, and frivolity," Paul Johnson captures the vast and intriguing life of a man who did nothing less than supply the basic apparatus of the human mind.

 A great starting point I think! Let me know what you are reading for the New Year! 
     Isme

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