Just Talking Showing 1,451-1,500 of 3,141

[GW]

Brina wrote: "Gary I did my reading during the day. I don't think I will get any reading done during the next 24 or so hours. Go Cubs!"
I'm too sick to read for now. And I agree Go Cubbies.

[Megan]

Brina wrote: "Goodreads choice awards are up. I think the people in this group should vote and give write in votes when applicable. We are as a group more intelligent than the average goodreads user and it would..."

How is this group more intelligent than others?

[Loretta]

Megan wrote: "Brina wrote: "Goodreads choice awards are up. I think the people in this group should vote and give write in votes when applicable. We are as a group more intelligent than the average goodreads use..."

Beats me!

[Sarah]

I voted in a handful of categories.
Most of the books nominated are either books I've never heard of or ones I have no interest in reading.

[Emerson]

I want to thank those who helped me decide on my sister's Christmas gift.

I finally got her the french Lancelot-Graal (thirteenth century, seven volumes) as well as an anthology by Chrétien de Troyes, Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory and The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth.

It takes up all the capacity of my hand luggage, I'll have to wear three sweaters and six pairs of socks on top of each other to pass security at the airport!

[Pink]

They sound like wonderful gifts, I'm sure your sister will be very happy with those :)

[Sarah]

Emerson wrote: "I want to thank those who helped me decide on my sister's Christmas gift.

I finally got her the french Lancelot-Graal (thirteenth century, seven volumes) as well as an anthology by "

Good choices. I have Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table and The History of the Kings of Britain sitting on my shelf.

At least you won't be cold on the plane! :)

[GW]

I'm back upright and taking nourishment so to speak and tacking on several books. It's my big push to finish David Copperfield and I still find it a little boring, but Ready Player One is highly entertaining so far being almost halfway through. And I'm getting in a book on Postmoderism from the Library any day now. I'm spending all my free time on this project until January.

[Lena]

Just saw The Arrival. Cried in the first and last five minutes. It was beautiful.

[Tytti]

I just read my first book from my new smart phone! (My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I wasn't too keen on getting one as I prefer not to be able to be online all the time but after moving it is easier to check the bus timetables (and maps) from it. So now I am learning how to use it. The funny part is that I still prefer my old mobile for talking and texting but this has other advantages, like it's better for loaning out ebooks from the library when I used to read them (or really not) from my laptop before. Though I am also trying out flipbacks for reading on a bus and they work nicely, too. But yeah, I might recommend it to some people in the near future...

[Nente]

I thought being published this year was the requirement for nomination in Choice awards. Isn't it?
And consequently, that this group has little to do with the voting because we try to be concerned with classics here, not with the recent publications, however good...

[Pink]

Nente wrote: "I thought being published this year was the requirement for nomination in Choice awards. Isn't it?
And consequently, that this group has little to do with the voting because we try to be concerned ..."

That's very true! Though I suppose lots of us read books other than classics too. I've read only one of the choices, which I enjoyed greatly and so voted for it, otherwise I don't really take much notice of these awards.

[Nina]

I just have to say, joining this bookclub has been the highlight of my year this year. I have always been an avid classics reader, and I have been building up a big collection over the years, but this group inspires me to actually read them! Plus I get introduced to new authors and stories I hadn't heard of. I absolutely love voting for the next month's reads and when I see who the winner is I go on the Book Depository and order it if I haven't got it! I have just ordered a bunch for December that I didn't have: Kidnapped, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Birds... what a great Christmas present. Thanks so much to organisers, you have made my year.

[Pink]

Nina, that is so wonderful to hear, I'm glad you've had such a good time reading with our group!

[Kristin]

I agree 100 % with Nina. Joining this group has introduced me to a lot of new books I would not have started reading otherwise. I was so sure I had read Madame Bovary many years ago as it was in my bookshelf, but when I took it out the other day it was obvious it had not been opened. I would never have read Far from the Madding Crowd if it wasn't for this group.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Nina wrote: "I just have to say, joining this bookclub has been the highlight of my year this year. I have always been an avid classics reader, and I have been building up a big collection over the years, but t..."

That is a wonderful thing to hear. Thank you Nina & Kristin, you have warmed my heart.

[Brina]

Someone here had mentioned serial reader. Is that an iPhone app or for kindle? I am curious how it works because I am looking into it to add Don Quixote for my challenge next year. Thanks

[Bat-Cat]

Brina, it is available on both the iPhone and Kindle and both have worked great for me. I recommend the premium version - I think it is a couple of dollars - because it has lots more features and a dictionary. ;-)

[Brina]

Great I am going to check my iPhone store because then I can join the three musketeers group read and attempt Don Quixote. Yes I love to read book the average length of the books I choose is 250-300 pages. Long books psych me out which is why it's a miracle I read Gone With the Wind this year.

[Bat-Cat]

I have read about 20 books with the app so far and it has been lots of fun and also has made the longer books much more manageable. Good luck with it. ;-)

[Brina]

I already downloaded both the books I mentioned. I'll start with Three Musketeers to get a head start for the long read.

[Nell]

Three Musketeers is one of my favourite reads, Brina! I hope you enjoy it.

[Brina]

I also do. I never would have considered it if it wasn't a group read.

[Sue]

Brina wrote: "Someone here had mentioned serial reader. Is that an iPhone app or for kindle? I am curious how it works because I am looking into it to add Don Quixote for my challenge next year. Thanks"

I'm going to do Don Quixote the same way Brina! Three Musketeers would be a good one for that also. I got the free Kindle/Audio whispersnyc combo when it was the special so I'm doing that one with those.

[Melanti]

Brina wrote: "Someone here had mentioned serial reader. Is that an iPhone app or for kindle? I am curious how it works because I am looking into it to add Don Quixote for my challenge next year. Thanks"

Iphone and Android.

You could theoretically install it on a Kindle Fire but not one of the e-ink Kindles. And it's not in Amazon's app store yet, so you'd have to install the Google Apps before the Serial Reader app.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Brina wrote: "Someone here had mentioned serial reader. Is that an iPhone app or for kindle? I am curious how it works because I am looking into it to add Don Quixote for my challenge next year. Thanks"

I am currently reading Don Quixote; I have tried to read it three times before & just got bored with it. With the Serial App (using my iPad) I am further along than I have ever been & am pretty sure I will finish this time.

[Renee]

Is the serial reader app a US only app, or does it work in Canada as well?

[Melanti]

It uses only out-of-copyright books, so I don't see why it'd be limited to US only - though I have no idea how to check.


I like the concept but in practice, it hasn't quite caught on with me yet.

[Lena]

Anyone have a link for this app?

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Lena wrote: "Anyone have a link for this app?"

https://www.serialreader.org

[Melanti]

Here's the website: https://www.serialreader.org/

[Susan O]

Melanti wrote: "It uses only out-of-copyright books, so I don't see why it'd be limited to US only - though I have no idea how to check."

Copyright laws are different in different countries. Something public domain in the US might not be so in another country.

[Lena]

Thanks guys this is awesome!

[Brina]

I don't have a kindle but I got serial reader for my iPhone and downloaded Three Muskateers. There are 90 installments so if I do 2-3 a day I can finish during the quarter read time. Very exciting to try this.

[Bat-Cat]

Brina wrote: "I don't have a kindle but I got serial reader for my iPhone and downloaded Three Muskateers. There are 90 installments so if I do 2-3 a day I can finish during the quarter read time. Very exciting ..."

That's awesome, Brina, but I think you have miscalculated. 90 installments is 90 days which is roughly 3 months (the length of the quarterly read). That way all you have to read is 1 per day to get it done. ;-)

[Brina]

I didn't miscalculate. I figure if this is an action and adventure story I will want to read more than 1 installment a day.

[Bat-Cat]

Brina wrote: "I didn't miscalculate. I figure if this is an action and adventure story I will want to read more than 1 installment a day."

Sorry, my mistake, I totally understand. There have been several books I have read on the Serial Reader where 1 installment just wasn't enough. It's loads of fun however one chooses to read them - that's one of the things that I really love about the app, it's versatility. ;-)

[Tytti]

And to those wondering, yes it seems to work outside of the US, as well. Though of course I won't be reading works that are translated into English, so unfortunately no Three Musketeers for me.

[Lena]

That odd moment when Goodreads says all your friends have read the same number of books.

[Pink]

Haha, how strange, I'm assuming it's a glitch or else that is a huge coincidence!

[Lena]

Definitely a glitch!

[Nente]

And it's exactly the total number of books you have on all your shelves. They say round at Goodreads Feedback that they're fixing that: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Abbey]

Quick question...I was in a link for the never-ending country challenge, but I can't find it now. Any clue where I can find it?

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Abbey here is the link to the challenge- https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I ran through the posts and did not see your name I can't tell you where it might be.

[Emerson]

Does anybody know where I need to look for the original Robin Hood story? I keep finding the Dumas one, but it can't be the oldest...

[Tytti]

It's the 99th Independence Day in Finland today!

After the difficult first 30 years (four separate wars actually), we have now had pretty good 69 years, so the next year is full of celebrations and for example I am hosting a Finnish classic reading challenge in my group here. (The group also has an English section now for international readers: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...)

[Brina]

Tytti I hope you enjoy and celebrate. I enjoy reading your posts.

[Christine]

Emerson wrote: "Does anybody know where I need to look for the original Robin Hood story? I keep finding the Dumas one, but it can't be the oldest..."

I'm not sure which version you're looking for. It seems that the legend of Robin Hood is something that evolved over centuries, first appearing in poetry and ballads. Here's a starting place for more info: Robin Hood - Wikipedia

[Tytti]

Brina wrote: "Tytti I hope you enjoy and celebrate. I enjoy reading your posts."

Heh, we don't really "celebrate" the independence day like you may think of it. Right now I am watching a documentary about what a war does to the soldiers and the mental problems it can cause. Before that I watched the movie Unknown Soldier from 1955, again. Then I will probably watch the military parade from TV (Nice weather there, too, something like -21 degrees Celsius and feels like -27 C. One can see that the conscripts, reservists and officers are a bit cold after standing there for some time.) and maybe a quick sauna before watching the Independence Day Ball at the Presidential Palace, which starts with the President and his wife shaking hands with the guests (about 1800) and that lasts for almost two hours (here is the start from 2012 https://youtu.be/kSuBfE6SOK4?t=8m45s). Sometimes I've gone to the university students' torch procession but it's pretty cold for that now (this is from Helsinki: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeKjA... and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNz_c...). And even that visits the war cemetery, so all in all this is traditionally a pretty somber day. Probably it doesn't help that it's almost the darkest time of the year and usually winter weather.

[Melanti]

Emerson wrote: "Does anybody know where I need to look for the original Robin Hood story? I keep finding the Dumas one, but it can't be the oldest..."

Christine is right. Robin Hood started as a set of ballads.

I read a handful in the original 15th/16th century English, then read a couple of modernized ballad collections.

If you can find a copy, I really enjoyed The Song of Robin Hood. It slightly modernizes the language of the original, but IMO, doesn't go so far that you can't get a sense of the original.

And, if you're musically inclined, it includes the sheet music for the ballads so you can hear what it originally could have sounded like.


Oh, and there's Rymes of Robyn Hood, which I thought sounded good. It has some of the original ballads, then some poems and play excerpts. But I haven't read that one yet. It does look like a more scholarly collection, though, and it might be pretty dry.