Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

A Room With A View both sucks and blows.

You just made my day. That's a great comment.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I'm reading the interactive version of the original War of the Worlds by Jules Verne (1898) on my iPad. Even after over a century, it's still an extremely fascinating and riveting sci-fi tale. Since radio communication was still largely confined to the laboratory at the time, it played no part in the story; hence I was fascinated by the idea of 100 foot tall killing machines that communicated via loud screeches. I read about half the book today, and I'll finish it when I get the chance. To view some of it's interactive features, click on the spoiler. I didn't want to junk up yet another thread with YouTube videos, but you may find it fascinating. Sure, it's a gimmick, but a fun one. I wouldn't like all books to be like this, but it's nice once in a while.

Spoiler:

Jules Verne wasn't the author of The War of the Worlds. H.G. Wells is the author. H.G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds in 1898. You've got the wrong author in your post.

[Anne Bradshaw]

I'm halfway through an amazing series of books, the first one of which is "The Brothers: A Novel" (The Great and Terrible, Volume 1 -- Prologue) by Chris Stewart.

These books are totally addictive. And totally eye-opening. Excellent, clean writing, and superb characters. They depict the last days on earth, although Volume 1 takes place in the pre-existence. There's high drama, romance, intrigue, politics, travel, military, and edge-of-seat, gripping excitement.

I highly recommend reading this series. There are 6 books in total.

Find them on Kindle HERE.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Jules Verne wasn't the author of The War of the Worlds. H.G. Wells is the author. H.G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds in 1898. You've got the wrong author in your post.

You're right, of course, and H.G. Well's name as the author is what I had in my list of books read in 2011 on my hard drive. I don't know why I affixed Jules Verne's name to that post.

Fixed it. Good catch, Jon! Keep the old man honest!

[ATDrake]

Read Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them by Leora Tanenbaum, illustrated by Vanessa Davis, which looked interesting on the new books shelf at the library.

I have this fondness for books about basically frivolous pop-cultural tangents which also happen to treat them like very serious academic business, and while this isn't quite one of those, it does have a set of lovingly commented and cited footnote references in the back which wouldn't disgrace a university press edition.

A fun mix of history of usage & sexual meaning & cultural pressures of & medical objections (even as far back as the 1700s, when apparently men created the current fashion) to high-heeled shoes, plus some trivia and personal anecdotes and tips on shopping for heels that won't kill your feet (I skipped this part as Not Being Relevant to My Interests), plus some truly scary stories about what women allow people to do to their feet in order to make them look "nice" (dear god, why would you pay someone to remove some of the bones from your toes?! ).

I should note that that last bit was about modern surgical options and there's an entirely separate chapter devoted to Chinese foot-binding.

A nice, fluffy (except for the surgical horror stories) light read with a lot of interesting references in the back I might follow up upon, and which makes me profoundly glad that I don't have to wear the damn things and am unlikely to ever voluntarily do so. Especially since they apparently not only deform your feet over time, but routinely cause knee and back injuries that can lead to unfixable chronic pain.

Also, it seems mildly weird, but the implication was that US people wear shoes indoors as a matter of course ("wear flat shoes with good arch support at home when not entertaining")?

I can understand if people live in rural environments with dirt floors and scorpions or in crack shacks with needles on the floor, but in reasonably clean suburban areas, doesn't that track filth all over the wall-to-wall carpeting?

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Read Bad Shoes & The Women Who Love Them by Leora Tanenbaum, illustrated by Vanessa Davis, which looked interesting on the new books shelf at the library.

I have this fondness for books about basically frivolous pop-cultural tangents which also happen to treat them like very serious academic business, and while this isn't quite one of those, it does have a set of lovingly commented and cited footnote references in the back which wouldn't disgrace a university press edition.

A fun mix of history of usage & sexual meaning & cultural pressures of & medical objections (even as far back as the 1700s, when apparently men created the current fashion) to high-heeled shoes, plus some trivia and personal anecdotes and tips on shopping for heels that won't kill your feet (I skipped this part as Not Being Relevant to My Interests), plus some truly scary stories about what women allow people to do to their feet in order to make them look "nice" (dear god, why would you pay someone to remove some of the bones from your toes?! ).

I should note that that last bit was about modern surgical options and there's an entirely separate chapter devoted to Chinese foot-binding.

A nice, fluffy (except for the surgical horror stories) light read with a lot of interesting references in the back I might follow up upon, and which makes me profoundly glad that I don't have to wear the damn things and am unlikely to ever voluntarily do so. Especially since they apparently not only deform your feet over time, but routinely cause knee and back injuries that can lead to unfixable chronic pain.

Also, it seems mildly weird, but the implication was that US people wear shoes indoors as a matter of course ("wear flat shoes with good arch support at home when not entertaining")?

I can understand if people live in rural environments with dirt floors and scorpions or in crack shacks with needles on the floor, but in reasonably clean suburban areas, doesn't that track filth all over the wall-to-wall carpeting?

There are two schools of thought on wearing shoes in the house. Those who do (and who clean their floors a lot) and those who don't (and as far as I can tell, clean their floors just as much!).

I always have worn shoes in the house, at least when it's cold. (In the summer I prefer to go barefoot as much as possible). My husband kicks his off at the door. I have been told by reliable sources that Chris used to be quite adamant about no one wearing shoes in "his" house, but apparently that changed when I got here, because he never said a word to me when I moved here. My reasons go from my feet are cold (and no, socks don't cut it), to "I'm going to have to go outside to take out trash, check mail, see what the weird noise was, etc." and socks sure aren't going to do it now that there's snow everywhere (substitute rain, mud, whatever for the snow). I don't want to have to stop and put on shoes every time I need to step outside, so I just keep them on. However, I don't have wall-to-wall carpeting either...we have hard wood floors, tile, and three area rugs (and those are in low traffic areas). So a quick sweep is all it usually takes.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

There are two schools of thought on wearing shoes in the house. Those who do (and who clean their floors a lot) and those who don't (and as far as I can tell, clean their floors just as much!).

I always have worn shoes in the house, at least when it's cold. (In the summer I prefer to go barefoot as much as possible). My husband kicks his off at the door. I have been told by reliable sources that Chris used to be quite adamant about no one wearing shoes in "his" house, but apparently that changed when I got here, because he never said a word to me when I moved here. My reasons go from my feet are cold (and no, socks don't cut it), to "I'm going to have to go outside to take out trash, check mail, see what the weird noise was, etc." and socks sure aren't going to do it now that there's snow everywhere (substitute rain, mud, whatever for the snow). I don't want to have to stop and put on shoes every time I need to step outside, so I just keep them on. However, I don't have wall-to-wall carpeting either...we have hard wood floors, tile, and three area rugs (and those are in low traffic areas). So a quick sweep is all it usually takes.

And that's what you are reading?

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by kennyc

And that's what you are reading?

No, that's the answer to the question the poster before me asked. As you well know .

I'm still reading A Discovery of Witches.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

No, that's the answer to the question the poster before me asked. As you well know .

Oh.

Want me to smash a hard drive for you too?

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Oh.

Want me to smash a hard drive for you too?

Is that a trick question??

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

My reasons go from my feet are cold (and no, socks don't cut it), to "I'm going to have to go outside to take out trash, check mail, see what the weird noise was, etc." and socks sure aren't going to do it now that there's snow everywhere (substitute rain, mud, whatever for the snow).
[...]
However, I don't have wall-to-wall carpeting either...we have hard wood floors, tile, and three area rugs (and those are in low traffic areas). So a quick sweep is all it usually takes.

Well, that makes more sense, though it still seems a bit weird to wear outdoor shoes inside. But then I think we may get more regularly inclement weather and snow up here, so there's a good chance of tracking mud and drippiness inside if we do so. Thus, people like my dad wear indoor-only slippers during cold weather.

Thanks for the explanation! (Now back to your regularly scheduled reading; I'm currently on Jane and the Damned, an obvious Austen-derivative by Janet Mullany.)

[JSWolf]

I am currently reading Maskerade which is a Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett. This one is a bit slow going and I only have about 60 pages left. I'm hoping the next one is better. Not many laughs in this one.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

Is that a trick question??

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...ostcount=15330

[Rumpelteazer]

My Barnaby book didn't arrive today so I started with the second of the Hunger Games. I have delayed starting this book because the first one was so good I was afraid the second would disappoint, luckily it hasn't so far.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Care

I liked Firefly, but I loved Buffy a million times more, still do. I think I liked Farscape more than Firefly as well. It was way out there, but so awesome.

I don't know what to read right now. I have started and stopped 3 books, which is so unlike me. I am just not in the mood for some books right now.

Congrats on your 500th post Iridal!

I found Firefly to be just OK at best and boring at worst. For those that do not know, it was a movie that needed a TV series to explain the movie and none of it was any good overall.