Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine So what are you READING?

Yeah, knowing that beforehand definitely makes the read more rewarding and has always been one of the more fascinating aspects of Dickens work for me over the years. There's a cool website (forget where) that shows Dicken's work as originally published, and how it was presented in chapters. From a historical curiosity, it's very interesting to see.

Your commentary on Carton is dead-on. Even moreso, I think, is Stryver who starts out much more agreeable but ultimately evolves into a character that isn't very likable at all. And in a way that totally fits with the story and the character, which the reader can totally understand. It makes me think Dickens hadn't thought about where Stryver would up, which makes his minor role at the end, and generally annoying qualities, even more excellent.

As I recall, when I did my complete Dickens read a couple of years back, I actually tried to read some of the books in the chunks in which they were published in (so one serial chapter per day or something).

Okay, now I must read A Tale of Two Cities again. I still have the copy I read in high school, with margin notes ("personification") and a few words circled (probably words that were unfamiliar,.. "tumbrils" and "pecuniary"). Some sections were marked "S.P." and I don't recall what that meant.

I just finished "This Immortal" by Zelazny. First time I've ever read it.

Not his best, but that old Zelazny magic is there, no doubt about it.

Currently reading "The Haunting of Hill House". Good stuff.

Couldn't find anything to read so I'm re-reading The Sparrow. Figured it's been long enough I'd have forgotten a lot.

Still amazing. I'm really vested in the characters, they all have such unique and real personalities even the aliens. Russell's use of linguistices to describe alien culture is inspired.

I bought The Sparrow a few years ago but haven't yet read it. Must do so based on BB's recommendation.

I'm reading an online story called Sailor Nothing. It's not a Sailor Moon fan story, but it uses Sailor Moon as an inspiration.

It's about a girl who was a magical warrior called Sailor Salvation, with a talking cat named Dusty and an adviser named Magnificent Kamen. She fights monsters called the Yamiko. And she hates it. She just, she is so worn down and tired she basically quits.

But she still has her powers and the Yamiko keep coming. So she becomes Sailor Nothing.

I'm only on the second chapter but this looks to be a really good story. It is so in depth and well done. It's an old piece of fiction, from like 2001-2002, but the website is still up. And from my understanding, this is a pretty dark story, and it's going to get darker.

I've never read any of those manga stories. Is that the right word? I remember seeing even old guys with thick paperback novels of them on the trains in Japan. I should give it a try.

I always have trouble keeping track of who is who on message boards, can't identify without a face and voice but are you the one who sings? Or is that Rockhopper?

If music is an interest, you'll be hooked into The Sparrow rather quickly.

Just finished "The Leftovers" and enjoyed the hell out of it. The synopsis is that a percentage of the population just vanishes one day, and the rest of the world is left to deal with the result. Was it the rapture? Was it Aliens? Something else else else? The characters (and the reader) never find out, which is part of the narrative: that people just don't know. Several very different characters react in different ways, and in many ways it's a reflection on grief, frustration and the breakdown of North American social conventions (or the re-reinforcing of them).

There was an HBO series made from the book earlier this year, that I also really dug (though others certainly didn't). The series expands some minor characters, and completely changes others, but still addresses the same issues and keeps the same tone. It was a worthy adaptation.

Rocky and I both sing. Music is my profession, so I'd better start The Sparrow right away.

I've been looking up learning to speak/read latin. Not modern, but old, for things like text etc.

I've also been on the NASA site and re-reading the Garrett, P.I. novels by Glen Cook.

Latin is pretty easy to learn to speak. The vowels are consistent throughout.

Got'ne good sites to recommend, LT? I haven't had a lot of time this last couple of weeks, things have been hectic.

Rick, here's a Latin pronuniciation guide.

Thank you. I'll add it to the sites i'm checking out.

EDE's post on the inane one word thread has me posting here.

About a month ago I was reading an article about how GIs in World War II who had been in serious combat were comforted by reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". So, I got the book out of the library.

The novel was written in 1943 by Betty Smith. It focuses on the Nolan family and in particular the young daughter Francie. It starts in 1912. It also includes mother Katie Nolan's two sisters, Aunt Evey and Aunt Sissie. The Nolan's are poor mostly due to the father, Johnny, being a drunk. But despite this flaw, Johnny is presented as a sympathetic character who loves his family and does his best to provide for them. Similarly Aunt Sissie is described as loving men and not caring if they or she are married. But she is also shown to be loving and full of life. There is a little bit of humor (especially if you read between the lines), but it is mostly just a slice of life type of story. I got the sense that it is semi-autobiographical. The version I read had a bit of a biography of the author.

All in all it is a pleasant read. I do recommend it.

The Iron Druid series.

Currently reading David Cronenberg's novel "Consumed".

Cronenberg's my favourite director/screenwriter, so I was excited to get his stab at a novel for Xmas. So far it's like a super-distilled Cronenberg movie: sex, disease, cannibalism, technology fetish and flesh mutilation. All cranked up to a degree he would never get away with in film. Digging it so far and interested to see where it goes.

Been wanting to read the follow up to The Sparrow but the library didn't have a Kindle version so I tried the audio.

It's REALLY difficult to stay focused. The reader has an interesting voicing of the different characters, some even make me giggle but audio takes some getting used to. I keep falling asleep.

Wait David Cronenberg has written books?

That sounds terrifying in and of itself.

been breaking out my how to books lately. Brick masonry, decks and pools so far.

J.F. Lewis's redneck vampire series (at least, it reads redneck, which is a fun take to me).

The Radioactive Redhead, can't remember the two author's names though.