What are you reading right now?

**Marie Monday** · 07-31-2020, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WWWP

It was recommended to me because I liked Ender's Game. They said "dystopian space politics" and I was sold, but your dunderhead comment has shaken my confidence.

That made me think of the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, even though dystopian is not really the right way to describe that book. Have you ever tried it?

WWWP · 07-31-2020, 03:29 PM

I haven't yet but I do love Le Guin!

The Batlord · 07-31-2020, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WWWP

Lmao no, I know nothing about it

Interstellar travel is powered by Satan.

Lisnaholic · 08-01-2020, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie Monday

That made me think of the Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin, even though dystopian is not really the right way to describe that book. Have you ever tried it?

I read that book years ago, Marie, attracted by the great title and its mysterious-looking cover art. I enjoyed it, as I recall, but I never felt any need to reread it tbh. That's partly because I favour non-fiction these days, and a book of fantasy has to be really exceptional to attract me now.

Today, for example, I just finished a short account: The Rosetta Stone by Richard Parkinson. As with any book of Egyptian history, it is punctuated with the phrase "now in the British Museum", which gives the account a kind of added, guilty pride to Londoners like me. We took so many artifacts from that poor country, but London's "Cleopatra's Needle", to my surprise, wasn't actually one of them: "It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Muhammad Ali, in commemoration of the victories of Lord Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Sir Ralph Abercromby at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801." Also, it had nothing to do with any Cleopatra: it dates from 1450 BCE and should more properly be called Thutmoses III's Needle. (The famous Cleopatra was on the throne of Egypt about 1300 years after the construction of the Needle: she probably saw it as some ghastly old piece of junk! )

Thanks to wikipedia for making me sound smart, and here's the link with various nerdy but curious details: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopa...Needle,_London

OccultHawk · 08-01-2020, 05:47 PM

The Heritage of Music by Anca Seidlova and Katherine Binney Shippen

I picked this out of the going to the garbage bin from a junior high library and it stayed in my to read closet for about a decade. It starts with ancient music from around the world then quickly jumps to the Ancient Greeks and ends with Stockhausen on the final page. I love the way the authors are so enthusiastic about every composer they cover.

It was published in 1963. Jazz was only mentioned in regards to how it informed classical music with what seemed like a careful omission of any names. Quite a bit was written about negro spirituals but nothing at all on the blues and rock’n’roll. Despite the uncomfortable omissions without even a slight nod to mention it’s out of the purview of the book it’s still a fantastic authoritative resource on the history of western music.

I can see using this book to help with new additions to Freak Fighter.

SGR · 08-02-2020, 01:45 PM

We got any Henry Miller fans here? I'm not as big on novels as I used to be, but 'Tropic of Cancer' is probably my all-time favorite novel.

Nowadays, I basically only read the weekly issue of the Economist and the occasional history book.

OccultHawk · 08-02-2020, 02:07 PM

I read Tropic of Cancer and I think Capricorn too (were talking around 25 years ago) and really enjoyed Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch

I know it’s widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th C but what did you like so much about it?

SGR · 08-02-2020, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

I read Tropic of Cancer and I think Capricorn too (were talking around 25 years ago) and really enjoyed Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch

I know it’s widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th C but what did you like so much about it?

I've also read Capricorn - and Black Spring. I wasn't nearly as impressed.

I like it because it opened up my perspective about what good writing can be. It was like Miller opened up an armory of verbosity and profanity and released it upon an unsuspecting world! He's like the drunken Dr. Seuss to me and I owe him a great debt.

TheBig3 · 08-03-2020, 12:15 PM

I went full shill and picked up The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History like some god damn normie. And it was a bad choice. It's well written and informative.

But the graphic detail of how influenze kills you in the early portion of the book was not what I need right now.

WWWP · 08-03-2020, 12:32 PM

^ Podcast recommendation - This Podcast Will Kill You. Two Ph.D epidemiologists break down the root, cause, symptoms, and effects of various diseases/viruses, with current and succinct information regarding transmissions and outlook, alongside primary documents. You'll hate it!

08-01-2020, 05:47 PM	#6915 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,033	The Heritage of Music by Anca Seidlova and Katherine Binney Shippen I picked this out of the going to the garbage bin from a junior high library and it stayed in my to read closet for about a decade. It starts with ancient music from around the world then quickly jumps to the Ancient Greeks and ends with Stockhausen on the final page. I love the way the authors are so enthusiastic about every composer they cover. It was published in 1963. Jazz was only mentioned in regards to how it informed classical music with what seemed like a careful omission of any names. Quite a bit was written about negro spirituals but nothing at all on the blues and rock’n’roll. Despite the uncomfortable omissions without even a slight nod to mention it’s out of the purview of the book it’s still a fantastic authoritative resource on the history of western music. I can see using this book to help with new additions to Freak Fighter. __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html

08-02-2020, 02:07 PM	#6917 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,033	I read Tropic of Cancer and I think Capricorn too (were talking around 25 years ago) and really enjoyed Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch I know it’s widely considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th C but what did you like so much about it? __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html

08-03-2020, 12:15 PM	#6919 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	I went full shill and picked up The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History like some god damn normie. And it was a bad choice. It's well written and informative. But the graphic detail of how influenze kills you in the early portion of the book was not what I need right now. __________________ I've moved to a new address

08-02-2020, 01:45 PM	#6916 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,326	We got any Henry Miller fans here? I'm not as big on novels as I used to be, but 'Tropic of Cancer' is probably my all-time favorite novel. Nowadays, I basically only read the weekly issue of the Economist and the occasional history book.