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Post by Stormrider on Jan 25, 2018 17:06:23 GMT -6
I saw the trailer when we went to see the last Star Wars movie! I thought it looked pretty good then.
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Post by Andorinha on Jan 27, 2018 9:30:14 GMT -6
Has anyone read Alan Garner, Weirdstone of Brisingamen? I see he has a new one out. I read Garner a year or two before I heard of Tolkien -- very rich in authentic British/ Norse mythological terms, creatures. Please note the author of this review is Ursula K. Lequin! www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/29/boneland-alan-garner-review
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Good Books
Jan 27, 2018 17:27:47 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Stormrider on Jan 27, 2018 17:27:47 GMT -6
Sounds intriguing. Another set of books to add to my To Read list!
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Post by Stormrider on Apr 4, 2018 12:27:06 GMT -6
This isn't a book, but may have been based off of a book ... We watched the movie, Downsizing, with Matt Damon. It was rather interesting even though it seems to only get about 3 stars rating. Scientists discover how to shrink people to 5 inches tall to help with over population on the planet. Not everyone does it but it seems quite a few did. Anyway, interesting to watch anyway.
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Post by fanuidhol on Apr 4, 2018 16:01:48 GMT -6
I've seen previews for it. It's on the list to watch whenever it gets to Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. But, since we are here on this topic.... Been reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio to my Grandson. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_(Palacio_novel)Grandson loves the book. So much so that I can use it as insentive/reward for a day of school well done. It's middle school reading level, but it has BLOWN ME AWAY. I have to keep a box of tissues handy, though it isn't a pity-party book. If anything I cry over the strength of the good characters and get angry and teary over the weaknesses of other characters.
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Post by Stormrider on Apr 4, 2018 16:49:08 GMT -6
That is a very deep book! It sounds like it will bring tears.
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Good Books
May 17, 2019 19:16:10 GMT -6
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Post by Stormrider on May 17, 2019 19:16:10 GMT -6
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Post by fanuidhol on May 18, 2019 4:46:11 GMT -6
Yes, I have heard of Vineland though have never been there. It is in the Pinelands (Pine Barrens) of South Jersey. I lived on the northern edge of the Pinelands. (It has over 1 million acres). South Jersey is "culturally" very different from North Jersey. I lived in Central Jersey, which I suppose is somewhat of a mix of North and South. I googled Mary Treat. She did most of her work in The Pine Barrens. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Barrens_(New_Jersey)
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Post by Stormrider on May 18, 2019 5:58:19 GMT -6
I googled her, too. In the book, she lived in Vineland next to the Greenwood family. The Greenwood's home was built shabbily and was leaky, cold, and drafty. Also the Greek family who lived in it in 2015, had it collapsing and falling in on them, too.
It is a weird story. I hated it at first, but now that I'm into it much further, it is making more sense.
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Post by fanuidhol on Sept 10, 2020 19:23:02 GMT -6
I borrowed Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski from the library. After HBO's "Game of Thrones" was over I looked at a list of "If you like GoT, you'll like...." and "The Witcher" series from Netflix was on it. Not going to lie, a long haired Henry Cavill helped seal the deal. I never read the books, nor played the game nor seen the other film or TV series based on the books. About a third of the time I watched it though, I asked myself "Why am I watching this?" (Oh yeah, a long haired Henry Cavill, that's why) Anyway, I was intrigued enough by the end of it to wait a long time for the e-book to be available at the library. And it is the wrong book to start chronologically. LOL. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_WitcherPart of the reason I decided to read the book is because the author is Polish. I am roughly a quarter Polish. I am uncertain if I have ever read a Polish author before. And in doing a minor look-see about Andrzej Sapkowski on his Wikipedia page, I read that The Witcher is heavily influenced by Slavic Mythology. I thought, perhaps, Tolkien. So, this has opened another line of future research since I do not know anything about Slavic Mythology. It's got Elves, Dwarves, Humans, and assorted other creatures. Back to the book. Even though it is not the first book I should have read, I know enough from the series to be aware of the backstory I missed. I am reading mostly during the day while Blake is working independently or taking his short breaks between classes. And I can't wait to be able to read, even giving him an extra minute or two. So, I guess you can say I like it.
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Good Books
Sept 11, 2020 10:55:56 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by Stormrider on Sept 11, 2020 10:55:56 GMT -6
Sounds like something I would like. I'll look it up when I'm done with a Clive Custler book I'm reading now.
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Post by Andorinha on Sept 12, 2020 10:07:27 GMT -6
Hmmm, from the Slavonic body of mythology, should check up on that, know very little beyond witches like Baba Yaga, and the "deathless" Sorcerer Koschei, whom some have seen as a precursor of the H.P. character Voldemort...
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Post by fanuidhol on Sept 12, 2020 10:16:14 GMT -6
I know Baba Yaga! I'm not completely ignorant then! Thanks, Andy!
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Post by Andorinha on Sept 13, 2020 11:47:37 GMT -6
Hmm, while the Finns stand largely as a linguistic isolate, I wonder how Slavic The Kalevala might be? Some of JRRT's earliest borrowings were from Elias Lönnrot, might some Slavic material have entered Middle-earth thereby? Hmmm, there is a shield maid in a Russian story: "Marya Morevna, the beautiful warrior princess..." (Wikipedia source below). Apparently Andrew Lang's great collection of Fairy Tales includes some Slavic stories, should be online, Red Book. The Werewolf tradition, used in The Silmarillion and HoMe volumes may be a Slavic original? www.worldoftales.com/Slavic_folktales.html#gsc.tab=0en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Fairy_Taleswww.google.com/books/edition/Fairy_Tales_of_the_Slav_Peasants_and_Her/P3EqAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Fairy+Tales+of+the+Slav+Peasants+and+Herdsmen&pg=PP11&printsec=frontcoverThe last is a free to read online version. "Christianization affected Slavic mythology as gods and goddesses were replaced with religious icons, and vampires and werewolves were fought now by a holy brotherhood of Christian believers. For the Slavs though, much to the vexation of the Priests, Christianity was more of an addition to their ancient beliefs than an actual replacement." (https://fairytalez.com/region/slavic/)
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Post by fanuidhol on Sept 13, 2020 12:55:38 GMT -6
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