Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART NINE (2013) (ongoing thread for 2013)
Jim wrote: "'English loanwords'? Nah, we just steal, fold, spindle, & mutilate them to our satisfaction. Toss on a few more meanings, discard, & then make up new ones as the mood strikes.English, it's not ..."
Heh, you can say that again!
Werner wrote: "Joy, the Wikipedia definition you found was for an English-language term... ... However, the word in the book title is Albanian, and has a totally different meaning, which refers to a person, not a plant. ..."Ah! Thanks, Werner. I wondered about that!
Jim wrote: "'English loanwords'? Nah, we just steal, fold, spindle, & mutilate them to our satisfaction. Toss on a few more meanings, discard, & then make up new ones as the mood strikes.English, it's not a language, it's a predator!"
LOL - Right, Jim! That seems to be the way we do it. As usual, you've made me curious. So below are a few sites I found re "Neologism" and also re newly coined words.
"A neologism ... is a newly coined term, word, or phrase, that may be in the process of entering common use, but has not yet been accepted into mainstream language." -from Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neologism
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/bio...
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ne...
http://theweek.com/article/index/2398...
http://www.rhymezone.com/r/gwic.cgi?P...
(not sure about the accuracy of the Rhymezone.com info re words coined by Shakespeare)
Mary JL wrote: "Still in my science fiction mode, I am reading a book about Earth's first interstellar exploration,Coyote by Allen Steele. Only 140 pages read as of now, but the beginning is pretty good."Coyote sounds interesting, Mary JL.
GR description: "The national bestselling story of Earth's first interstellar colonists-and the mysterious planet that becomes their home."
Jenni, I'm not exactly a hater but I didn't care for it all that much, 2.5 stars. I found Eye too predictable, I knew exactly what was going to happen in under 50 pages, making the next 750 pages a chore. I had no interest in going further, nor did I care about the characters. To be fair, I think if I read it when it first came out, I might have liked it better. After reading as much fantasy as I do, it's difficult to find truly original and unique works.
I finally finished World War Z. Oh man was that a waste of time. It took forever to read because I didn't feel compelled to get back to it.I thought the format would be cool, a series of interviews, but it didn't work for me in practice as I didn't get to know any characters, only in a superficial way.
It kinda irked me that when I finally decide to give zombies a chance, I read a book that should be about zombies, but it's not. The zombies are just a methaphor for all that's wrong with the world. A socio-political treatise more than anything else.
I want a fast easy read, something light and dark at the same time. Urban fantasy has fit that description for me so far, not that I've read much of it at all. A friend sent me the first Mercy Thompson book by Patricia Briggs: Moon Called and away we go...
Coyote does sound good, but too vague of a description for me to add to my list. I'll await Mary JL's final determination to see if I want to read it or not. Either way, I'm glad Mary JL brought it to my attention.
Jenni wrote: "Hola! :) I've just started listening to The Eye of the World, and if I like it, I think I'll continue listening to the series as I love the narrator. I've also just started reading Old Man's War...."Hi Jenni! Good to see you again. I'll check out the books you mentioned. Thanks for posting and thanks for the links.
Thanks all! Yeah, so far I'm enjoying Eye of the World, but I'm not very far into it, and I'm pretty much lost right now. I'll see how it goes and figure out if the series is worth it for me. Life is too short to read books that aren't worth it. :) That being said, I'm really LOVING Old Man's War right now. I'm 1/3 of the way through and can't read it fast enough. I'm looking forward to putting the kids to bed tonight.Jackie, what a bummer about WWZ. I was almost tempted to buy or borrow it, but I think I'll brush the idea aside. I've tried the zombie thing and have never really gotten into it. I went through a vampire phase, but can't stand vampire books anymore. Maybe someday.
Jackie wrote: "I finally finished World War Z. Oh man was that a waste of time. It took forever to read because I didn't feel compelled to get back to it.I thought the format would be cool, a series of intervi..."
Jackie, I know what you mean about not feeling compelled to read more of a book. I love it when a book has that "compelling" quality.
I can understand why interviews wouldn't be as compelling as straight story-telling.
Jenni, I can loan you WWZ and you can see what it's like. Everyone has different tastes. I'm not a zombie fan, I usually make fun of them but with everyone I know going crazy over zombies, I thought I'd give it a go. Had I known this wasn't a zombie book, I wouldn't have bothered. The idea of an oral history seemed cool and I thought I would like it. I always thought I was equally a character driven and plot driven reader but I guess not, lol. I find I need to connect with at least one character and it's that very bonding that makes me love a book all the more.
I know what you mean about vampire books, I loved them when I was younger but they were different back then, they were scary as all get out, now it's all sexy vampires. No thank you, I want a vampire to scare the pants off of me, not charm me out of them. Every month I get a SFBC catalog and when it comes to those vamp books, I immediately look at the bottom, bypass the write up, and see if it indicates 'graphic sex' and yep, there it is. No need to read the write up, it's not for me. I've pretty much given up the idea of finding a good old fashion scare-the-hell-of-me vampire novel.
Joy, I've really gotta stop sticking with books I'm not enjoying, or feeling compelled to get back to. It always ends the same, with me feeling like I wasted my time and being unhappy with no only a bad book but the time I could have used reading something else.
Hi Jackie, how do you have WWZ? Is it an ebook or something? I'd be interested in seeing what it's like, but I sure don't want you to go to the cost of mailing it out when I bet I'll feel the same way as you about it. :)
Jackie, it would be swell if they all would compel! LOLBTW, you are so right about needing "to connect with at least one character." Without that connection, it's hard to stay interested.
Joy H. wrote: "BTW, you are so right about needing "to connect with at least one character." Without that connection, it's hard to stay interested."I couldn't agree more!
Jenni, it's a paperback.Joy wrote: it would be swell if they all would compel!
It sure would! It'd save me a lot of wasted time.
Connecting with characters is why I love Epic Fantasy so much, there's always at least one character for me. And EF novels are usually hefty tomes, giving me plenty of time to forge a deeper than usual connection.
Jackie wrote: "... And EF novels are usually hefty tomes, giving me plenty of time to forge a deeper than usual connection."Yes, when a book is good, we hate to see it end!
That's another great thing about Epic Fantasy, there's almost always more. We do love our series.
Jackie wrote: "That's another great thing about Epic Fantasy, there's almost always more. We do love our series."Jackie, can you recommend a "simple" one for me? I am "fantasy-challenged". :) Don't know whether it's my generation or if I can find one written at my level. For example:
Magic Kingdom For Sale/Sold, by Terry Brooks, was good but a bit on the "too-simple" side.
Zelazny's books are way beyond me, not "simple" enough. :)
I read "To Ride Hell's Chasm" by Wurts but it required too much concentration because of her unusual writing style (see my comments via my review of it).
I enjoyed "Ender's Game" which I listened to via audible.com. Perhaps is was the reader (as well as the story). I LOVED his voice! :) His name is Harlan Ellison.
(EDIT 8/11/13): It might be Stefan Rudnicki instead. See my post #679 below.)
Since you've read so many books in the fantasy genre, perhaps you can recommend one for me.
Below is a link to my "Fantasy' shelf. You can see that I haven't really read many of them, but my reviews will tell you what I thought of the ones I have read.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...
PS-Jackie, I probably should try some of the fantasy books which have already been recommended for me. I'll have to review the list.Meanwhile, I'm busy reading and enjoying:
Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn by William J. Mann
and
Confessions of an Actor by Laurence Olivier
Joy, have you read Wizard's First Rule? This was one of the first (if not the first) fantasy books that I read, and I LOVED it! It stands on its own, but there is a whole series that follows, which you don't have to read. I read the next six or seven books, but they really went downhill. This might be a great book... just don't feel pressured to continue the series.
Joy, since you liked Ender's Game, why not try Ender's Shadow? I liked it better than Ender's Game. And if you ever watch the upcoming Harrison Ford movie of Ender's Game, know that it comprises both books.
Joy, you might like The Soprano Sorceress by L.E. Modesitt Jr.. His writing isn't as simple as Brooks nor as complex as Wurts or Zelazny. It's about a lady singer who gets transported to another place where her singing makes her into a sorceress. Quite good.
Joy wrote: I enjoyed "Ender's Game" which I listened to via audible.com. Perhaps is was the reader (as well as the story). I LOVED his voice! :) His name is Harlan Ellison.Do you know if that's Harlan Ellison, the author?
Jenni wrote: "Joy, have you read Wizard's First Rule? This was one of the first (if not the first) fantasy books that I read, and I LOVED it! It stands on its own, but there is a whole series that follows, whic..."Thanks, Jenni! I'll put Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind on my keep-in-mind shelf. I appreciate the recommendation.
Jackie wrote: "Joy, since you liked Ender's Game, why not try Ender's Shadow? I liked it better than Ender's Game. And if you ever watch the upcoming Harrison Ford movie of Ender's Game, know that it comprises b..."Good suggestion, Jackie, especially since I want to see the movie and both books are in it. Thanks very much! I'll add Ender's Shadow to my ever-growing keep-in-mind shelf. Eventually I'll get to these books! :)
Jim wrote: "Joy, you might like The Soprano Sorceress by L.E. Modesitt Jr.. His writing isn't as simple as Brooks nor as complex as Wurts or Zelazny. It's about a lady singer who gets transported to another ..."Thanks, Jim. Sounds like another good possibility. I'll add The Soprano Sorceress to my keep-in-mind shelf.
I know that one thing I MUST do when I read fantasy or SF is work on my "willing suspension of disbelief" (Coleridge’s famous wording). Sometimes my mind fights the magic in the stories. But if they're interesting enough, I can get past that.
If you have to fight it, it's not worth reading. That's the best part of Fantasy and being able to just go with it makes for a better experience.
Jackie wrote: "Do you know if that's Harlan Ellison, the author?"Hmmm, it might be Stefan Rudnicki.
Ender's game is narrated by BOTH Stefan Rudnicki and Harlan Ellison.
SEE: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?...
(Listen to the sample.)
I just listened to both their voices and it seems to me that Rudnicki's voice sounds more like the deeper voice which I liked.
Stefan Rudnicki: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_10...
(Listen to the sample.)
Harlan Ellison: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_5?...
(Listen to the sample.)
Jackie wrote: "If you have to fight it, it's not worth reading. That's the best part of Fantasy and being able to just go with it makes for a better experience."I wouldn't say I "fight it" but sometimes I can't buy into it (the magic). Other times I can, if, as I say, the story is interesting enough.
BTW, would you call "Ender's Game" fantasy of SF? Or both?
Ender is SF to me, not fantasy. It doesn't incorporate any of the elements integral to fantasy.I did a search about the 'integral elements of fantasy' and look what I found! Top of the google list is from right here at goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2... This might help define the difference between SF and Fantasy. Why they're grouped together I never fully understood, I get that some elements of one can be in another but I still feel they are completely distinct genres and should not be grouped as one.
They ARE completely distinct genres (and I'd argue that what I call "supernatural fiction" is still another). But they all do share the common element of speculating about some kind of reality that's distinctly different from the everyday, humdrum world of common-sense observation that we all know, instead of just describing the latter (hence the terms "speculative fiction" and "descriptive fiction").The critical establishment, which is prejudiced in favor of descriptive fiction as REAL literature, tends to group the speculative genres all together as "that weird stuff out there that's liked by weird philistines;" and like some people who are racially prejudiced, they're inclined to think "they all look alike." :-( The book trade often groups them together for a less invidious and more commercial reason --fans of one genre very often like the others, too (and will buy all three). But for comparative and analytical purposes, I totally agree that they should be distinguished!
Jackie wrote: "Ender is SF to me, not fantasy. It doesn't incorporate any of the elements integral to fantasy.I did a search about the 'integral elements of fantasy' and look what I found! ... http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2..."
Thanks, Jackie. I know we've had this discussion before (about the differences between SF and fantasy). I think I had saved the results but now I can't find them! So I have to start all over trying to distinguish between the two.
Werner wrote: "They ARE completely distinct genres (and I'd argue that what I call "supernatural fiction" is still another). But they all do share the common element of speculating about some kind of reality tha..."Thanks, Werner. I suppose we are safe when we use the term "speculative fiction" for both SF and Fantasy! :)
PS-On 4/19/13, Werner posted the following clarification of the difference between SF and Fantasy:===============================================
"Another way of distinguishing them is to say that SF deals with speculative elements that it explains naturalistically, while fantasy/supernatural fiction speculates about things that it explains supernaturally. (So, for instance, they might both use time travel as a plot device; but the SF writer will explain it by the use of a time machine, the operations of quantum physics, etc., while in the other genre it will simply be achieved by magic. :-) ) "
FROM Werner's post at: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
(Message # 3747)
=================================================
PPS-On 4/9/13 I posted the following:----------------------------------------
"BTW, I finally learned a succinct way of distinguishing SF from fantasy:
=================================================
'Science fiction deals with things that might possibly happen.
Fantasy deals with things that never could happen.' "
=================================================
---------------------------------------
FROM: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
MESSAGE # 3744
Don't know where I got that, but there it is, for what it's worth! :)
OOOPS! I got it from here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...
It's by ROBERT J. SAWYER, Science Fiction Writer
Joy, I've learned that my comment in message 648 was inaccurate in one respect. The word stratiote is neither Latin nor Albanian; it's Greek, and means "soldier." As a botanical term, it's applied to plants called "water soldiers," so the connection is easy to see. It was also used in the 1400s and 1500s as a term for Greek and Albanian refugees who escaped from their Turkish conquerors and became mercenary soldiers (light cavalry, to be exact) originally fighting against the Turks for the Venetians, and eventually in other European wars as well. That's the meaning it has in LeAnn's book.
Werner wrote: "Joy, I've learned that my comment in message 648 was inaccurate in one respect. The word stratiote is neither Latin nor Albanian; it's Greek, and means "soldier." As a botanical term, it's applie..."Werner, thanks for following up with that information. If you have time, you might go back to your Message #648 and post an addendum to that effect. (Or you can just say: "See Message #687.")
Werner wrote: "Will do, Joy!"Thanks, Werner, for posting that addendum. We don't want to mis-inform the millions of people who are reading our posts! Ha! Ha!
I finished Moon Called, it was good, and a fast engaging read, 4 stars. I'll be out all day today and hope to start Mercedes Lackey's The Fairy Godmother tonight.
Jackie wrote: "I finished Moon Called, it was good, and a fast engaging read, 4 stars. I'll be out all day today and hope to start Mercedes Lackey's The Fairy Godmother tonight."Jackie, please let us know how you liked The Fairy Godmother. Sounds like an amusing plot. Do you think I'd like it?
I haven't started it yet but it sounds like it'd be fun. Since you said you never liked fairy tales, I don't know that this would be something to interest you, Joy.
Jackie wrote: "I haven't started it yet but it sounds like it'd be fun. Since you said you never liked fairy tales, I don't know that this would be something to interest you, Joy."Jackie, on the contrary, I always loved fairy tales when I was a kid.
See the following post where I said on 2/22/13: "As a kid, I LOVED fairy tales." --->
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
See Message #145.
When I was a kid, back in the 1940s & 1950's, I used to listen to fairy tales on the "Let's Pretend" radio show, aired on Saturdays. Below is a sample at YouTube. The opening musical theme is very nostalgic for me.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjNpBL...
The "Let's Pretend" radio program "began in 1934, running for two decades before the final show in 1954. Adaptations included such classics and fairy tales as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Arabian Nights, Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let%27s_...
My mother had record albums she would play for me at bedtime, someone telling the fairytale stories. I don't really ever remember her reading to us, though I know she did. I remember those record albums though! She'd probably be disappointed that I remember them over her reading.
Funny how selective our memories are!"Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never know what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things." -Pierce Harris
I've recently been watching a series called 'Your Bleeped Up Brain' and one of the episodes was about memory, it's quite inaccurate, the brain can change memories and even remember false memories.
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Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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