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What Are You Reading Right Now? ( Hwæt béon ðu bocrædung?)
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Bruce
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Sep 07, 2013 07:05PM
story of my life!
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I'm just coming towards the end of Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart which is, of course, the sequel to one of this months group reads ( Strategos - Born in the Borderlands ). Then I'll be on to the other group read for September The Road to Jerusalem.
Paul wrote: "Having read and enjoyed The Spear of Crom I picked up another of his books and am enjoying this one even more Lions of the GrailPB"
Thanks for saying that, Paul
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History
I just finished the The Bedlam Detective and started Susanna Gregory’s, A Wicked Deed, the fifth in the Matthew Bartholomew series. You can probably guess I’m on a “mystery” binge.
I'm a huge fan of Susanna Gregory-- A Conspiracy of Violence is one of my favorite historical mysteries/thrillers (not the same series as Wicked Deed but just as riveting)
Derek wrote: "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History[bookcover:Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise a..."I love this book. One of those stories that stays in my memory even long after reading it.
That's good to hear Lia.:) I've always been fascinated by the story of Quanah Parker & his mother, so I was thrilled to find this at the library.
Derek wrote: "That's good to hear Lia.:) I've always been fascinated by the story of Quanah Parker & his mother, so I was thrilled to find this at the library."Enjoy your read. A lot of very touching chapters in there. :)
Finished Paris (2 stars) and the following are my opinions of the book:This is my least favorite book by Mr. Rutherford to date. Jumping backward and forward in time style was tiresome after awhile. This writing style required total concentrations, which was difficult when the book is about 800 pages.
The story line was good in certain part, boring in certain part and melodramatic in certain part.
When the story was telling historical context, it was told in a very interesting way. However, when the topic was romance it was annoyingly soapy.
Derek wrote: "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History[bookcover:Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise a..."I have thought of reading this but never have done so.
Troy wrote: "I'm just coming towards the end of Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart which is, of course, the sequel to one of this months group reads ( Strategos - Born in the Borderlands ). Then I'll be on to ..."Can't wait to see what you think of The Road to Jerusalem, Troy. Seeing people's opinions so far has been very interesting. Opinions on translations are always fun to observe.
Susan wrote: "I just finished the The Bedlam Detective and started Susanna Gregory’s, A Wicked Deed, the fifth in the Matthew Bartholomew series. You can probably guess I’m on a “mystery” binge."That is one binge we wholeheartedly support around here. ;)
Lia wrote: "Finished Paris (2 stars) and the following are my opinions of the book:This is my least favorite book by Mr. Rutherford to date. Jumping backward and forward in time style was tiresome after awhi..."
Thanks for sharing. I have not seen much feedback on that one yet.
Derek wrote: "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History[bookcover:Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise a..."excellent book, and a darned good read - it has my whole hearated recommendation. Be warned it's not politically correct - it gives reasons for why "Save the last bullet for yourself" was an axiom of Indian warfare.
Since you live in Ok, have you visited Quanah's home?
happy wrote: "Derek wrote: "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History[bookcover:Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker ..."
It is a very interesting read so far, happy. :) I don't want a PC book...I want the truth, and so far this book seems to deliver on that front.
I have visited the Star House in Cache, OK. I have Kiowa roots on my mothers side, so I didn't have any choice lol. I need to go back though. I think I would appreciate it much more now. I've also been to Quanah, Texas..not much to see there, though.
Did you see his house while you were at Ft. Sill?
It is a very interesting read so far, happy. :) I don't want a PC book...I want the truth, and so far this book seems to deliver on that front.
I have visited the Star House in Cache, OK. I have Kiowa roots on my mothers side, so I didn't have any choice lol. I need to go back though. I think I would appreciate it much more now. I've also been to Quanah, Texas..not much to see there, though.
Did you see his house while you were at Ft. Sill?
Reading Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell about Queen Emma and King AEthelred of England. Very good so far.
Bobby wrote: "Reading
. Been a while since I've read a Western. this is Elmore Leonard at his best!"I read quite a lot of Westerns (as many as my grubby hands can get a hold of in Canada) and it wasn't until recently that I found out Elmore Leonard wrote them. I'm used to his more urban tales. Then again, I wouldn't know anything about him if it weren't for his non-Westerns being turned into films.
Derek wrote: "happy wrote: "Derek wrote: "Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History[bookcover:Empire of the Summer Moon: ..."Yep
The Ft. Sill muesem has a pretty good Indian War exihibt ( or did more years ago than I care to remember:) )
I'm reading The Fifth Knight, with an intriguing twist on the murder of Thomas a Becket. But something keeps nagging at me: the lead character, Sir Benedict Palmer, is referred to as "Sir Palmer" by all and sundry. Why not "Sir Benedict"? Was the usage different at that time (1170)?
I'll start by saying I know nothing of the period and how people were addressed, but the first thing I thought of was that perhaps there were two Sir Benedicts then and this was the distinction (even if not noted in the novel)?
Darcy wrote: "I'll start by saying I know nothing of the period and how people were addressed, but the first thing I thought of was that perhaps there were two Sir Benedicts then and this was the distinction (ev..."That's an interesting thought, Darcy. He's fictitious, though, so the author could have given him a totally different name if any real Sir Benedicts are to appear later on in the story.
Maybe send the author a message asking? I don't know if authors are receptive to that sort of thing. hmmm
I think they would both be Sir Benedict, in any case, even if they had different last names (assuming there were two—but why should there be, in a novel, unless the characters are too well known to fudge?).The most likely explanation is that the author made a mistake, thinking the usage for knights was the same as for lords. But "Sir Palmer" might also be a kind of running joke (palmer was another word for pilgrim), in the way that people said "Sir Knight."
It would bother me, too.
If my memory serves me, the name after the 'sir' relates to social position in the 1100's. For example, Regency England had the convention that only the eldest daughter was 'Miss' Doe, the younger sister was "Miss Jane". I am pretty sure that the 1100's had something similar, even for the 'sir' which related to knighthood rather than birth precedence.
Deborah wrote: "If my memory serves me, the name after the 'sir' relates to social position in the 1100's. For example, Regency England had the convention that only the eldest daughter was 'Miss' Doe, the younger ..."Interesting. Do you mean that knights referred to as Sir Palmer were higher (or lower) status than knights referred to as Sir Benedict?
I've never seen that usage before, but 12th-century England is not my specialty.
In the last month or two I've had trouble keeping concentrated on any one book. I've begun many and have run out of book-markers. I even started using receipts, then I recalled that the last few books I did enjoy quite a bit were by Bernard Cornwell, and a couple of Westerns. So I decided on Rebel and had to force myself to stop and go to bed last night. Will this be the book that re-energises my want to read? I hope so; this can't go on.
Last night I started Romans and Barbarians: Four Views from the Empire's Edge 1st Century AD by Derek Williams, a nonfiction book on various barbarian peoples and how the Romans viewed them and their countries. There is much history here. I finished Section I: the poet Ovid in exile on the Black Sea; excerpts from his poetry written in exile; and much on the steppe peoples. Now I'd like to read Ovid's "Tristia" and other exile poetry. He even wrote poetry in Getan, a tribal language, and learned some Sarmatian.
Between writing and teaching I'm back on Sons of Thunder. I'm enjoying it far more than I did the first, which I read four years ago.The flora descriptions do upset me a bit though. I live next to the sea and try as I might, I can't smell anything from thrift - unlike Raven apparently.
I am reading
Its a fascinating non-fiction history of 17th Century witchcraft shenanigans on the place I moved to last year.
Darcy wrote: "In the last month or two I've had trouble keeping concentrated on any one book. I've begun many and have run out of book-markers. I even started using receipts, then I recalled that the last few bo..."I have been in that place before. many times. Reader's block is as bad as writer's block. It is hard to get passed them.
Jane wrote: "...Now I'd like to read Ovid's "Tristia" and other exile poetry. He even wrote poetry in Getan, a tribal language, and learned some Sarmatian."I had no idea he wrote a bit of poetry in the tribal languages? I have a novel on Ovid in exile (The Last World) and have seen others. Want to explore them now. Does 'Tristia' talk about the locals, do you know?
PS. Just bought a Kindle book of "Ovid's Poems from Exile: Tristia, Ex Ponto & Ibis" 99c
@Bryn, I'll check my book again but as I remember, he only talks about the landscape and weather, nothing about the people, but I could be wrong. AND, these are only excerpts. Romans and Barbarians: Four Views from the Empire's Edge 1st Century AD
Cheers Jane. I'd read them for the sake of landscape and weather, anyway. --I'll go and find out more about them.
He does do a lot of complaining why he's been stuck away there and asking to be recalled to Rome, but at least Tomis is a CITY, not some dumb island in the middle of nowhere. His statue is in Constantsa [what Tomis is called now.]
Conn Iggulden re-reading the final book in the Conqueror series ConquerorIt has been two or three years since I last read these books. It is the right time to do it again. For anyone in the group, I recommend this series which starts with Genghis and ends with Kublai. Read them in order.
Linda wrote: "Conn Iggulden re-reading the final book in the Conqueror series ConquerorIt has been two or three years since I last read these books. It is the right time to do it again. For anyone in the grou..."
Hi Linda, have to say I loved the first three books with Genghis & to an extent the 4th book as his empire evolved, if thats the right word, without his Iron fist but was really turned of part way through Conqueror & felt it was a book to far.
Well it's been on the shelf for a whilst now so it's time to pick up Ship of Romehttp://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62...
& give it a go.
Am about 1/2 through The Twelfth Transforming, about the monotheist ic Egyptian pharaoh, Akhenaten. None of the characters are sympathetic--either they are deceitful and manipulative or slipping into madness. Good story and evocative of time and place, though.Am also rereading Strategos - Born in the Borderlands. Am picking up more on the prejudice theme this time. Apion's learning there are good and bad on both sides.
Andy wrote: "Well it's been on the shelf for a whilst now so it's time to pick up Ship of Rome & give it a go."I'm sure you'll like Ship of Rome Andy. It's a great story on the first Punic war.
I five-starred Dreaming the Eagle. Enjoyed the writing and the story, going on with that series.I began The Last World. Ovid at the Black Sea. Gorgeous description (even in translation) but it's avant-garde stuff, with a film projectionist in the 1st century. The film was one of the stories from the Metamorphoses, and more characters from Metamorphoses are in the audience. We'll see.
Sounds odd -- keep me posted, please, Bryn. I did like the author's The Terrors of Ice and Darkness which was pretty straightforward.
Bryn wrote: "I five-starred Dreaming the Eagle. Enjoyed the writing and the story, going on with that series.I began The Last World. Ovid at the Black Sea. Gorgeous description (even in translation) but it's ..."
I think I five starred it, maybe it was 4 star. The bed hopping exhausted me. :) But I did really like the book. nearly loved it.
Dawn wrote: "Andy wrote: "Well it's been on the shelf for a whilst now so it's time to pick up Ship of Rome & give it a go."I'm sure you'll like Ship of Rome Andy. It's a great story on the first Punic war."
1st chapters a good hook! Nowt like a good sea chase Arrrrrr :)
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