What're you reading right now?

[Meg]

Amastie - I don't think I've actually seen Persuasion as a movie. I really liked the book, though. So far, it's coming in second place after Pride and Prejudice. The BBC adaptation of P&P is one of my favourite things to watch. I have several friends who love it as well and about once a year we cook up a very ladylike afternoon tea and watch all 6 hours of it. The guy who plays Mr Collins sure is a great actor. I don't think I'll be able to accept anyone other than Colin Firth as Mr Darcy or Benjamin Whitrow as Mr Bennet. Actually, the whole thing was very well cast. I didn't like the latest movie with Keira Knightley as Lizzie. But each to their own

At the moment I am reading a book by Peter Hoeg called 'The Quiet Girl'. I'm really enjoying it so far, but I'm only a few chapters in so I'm still a bit confused about what's going on. There's some big mystery about a child and I'm not in on it yet!

 

[Eye Stigmata]

Yeah...see reading is a problem for me...not because I can't read or don't like reading, but I start a million books at once...so...currently I'm reading,

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

I'm loving all three books, but 19 minutes is unreal! Actually...anything by Jodi Picoult is unreal.

Change of Heart is a really good one if anyone is in need of a healthy cry.

 

[suewatters1]

I am reading Taming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson

Sue

 

[amastie]

Amastie - I don't think I've actually seen Persuasion as a movie. I really liked the book, though. So far, it's coming in second place after Pride and Prejudice. ..... I don't think I'll be able to accept anyone other than Colin Firth as Mr Darcy or Benjamin Whitrow as Mr Bennet. Actually, the whole thing was very well cast. I didn't like the latest movie with Keira Knightley as Lizzie. But each to their own

Hi Meg,

I agree that the whole cast of that version of Pride and Prejudice was fabulous in every way. I bared saw the beginning on the more recent version but gave up on it as it didn't come close to the previous version.

If you and your friends ever get a chance to see the 1995 version of Persuasion (starring Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds), watch it preferably at a cinema to capture the full atmosphere of it. Otherwise, watch it at night with the lights off. I think you would really like it.

Speaking of classic books to film, I was very surprised to see a modern version of the classic film 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier starring Charles Dance and Emilia Fox, made for tv in 1997. I hadn't intended to watch it because the original version, starring Laurence Olivier, was such an iconic film for me - especially the way it ended with Mrs Danvers smiling as she burned the mansion down around herself as she clung to the memory of Rebecca. Bur I was surprised by certain aspects of the Charles Dance version. For example, it uses the motion of the sea in a very atmospheric way. I actually preferred Charles Dance to Laurence Olivier in the role, and Emilia Fox was more realistic than Joan Fontaine. Of course, the later version didn't have George Sanders who was *so* good in the first, and Faye Dunaway didn't help the newer version either. The biggest disappointment in this later version was the actress who played Mrs Danvers - Diana Rigg - who was not at all suited for the role. Totally different. Nowhere nearly as scary as the original who was played by Judith Anderson. But it still had qualities to make it worth seeing.

As you say, the most recent version (for tv) of Pride and Prejudice - and all the others which seem to have been in the same series of Jane Austen's books - were not nearly as good as the original.

For now,

take care

amastie

 

[Meggylou]

She's come undone is an amazing book!!! I love it so much. Same with "I know this much is true" that one is stunning.
I'm reading text books and journal articles....in the full swing of the semester (actually only 4 weeks of class left) and I have no time for pleasure reading.
I do want to get Hannah's Dream though, it sounds beautiful. It's about an elephant and I LOVE LOVE LOVE elephants!!!
The latest "elephant" book I read was Water for Elephants, it was fantastic. The BEST elephant book though is "The White Bone" by Barbara Gowdy...I think that's how you spell the last name.

 

[amastie]

Anyone into the Eckhart Tolle books? Such as A New Earth, which was covered in a series of downloadable 'lessons' from Oprah Winfrey program. Perhaps because I already come for a very similiar spiritu al viewpoint, I loved his boods so far.

amastie

 

[megk]

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom - Jonathan Haidt

 

[Daniel E.]

I liked The Happiness Hypothesis. I have it as an audio book from Audibe.com.

 

[adaptive1]

Just curious, these books all sound great, I try to read books and my mind wanders, I never get past the first few pages and even then I have read them over and over, does anyone else have this problem? How do you get past it, I dont want to miss out on some great books?

 

[dont be crazy]

Just curious, these books all sound great, I try to read books and my mind wanders, I never get past the first few pages and even then I have read them over and over, does anyone else have this problem? How do you get past it, I dont want to miss out on some great books?

hi adaptive1 i think i can relate to what you are saying. i have a some what simalar problem. seems i have to consintrate so hard sometimes to understand what it is i am reading. that i have to read the same paragraph over and over to get it. if it is not something i am totaly inthrawaled with forget it. good thing theres movies

 

[amastie]

Just curious, these books all sound great, I try to read books and my mind wanders, I never get past the first few pages and even then I have read them over and over, does anyone else have this problem? How do you get past it, I dont want to miss out on some great books?

Hi adaptive,
I have a similar problem. I can read very, very light reading, but can't get into anything else though I'd like to. My only suggestion (which I've tried with some success) is to choose a book you want to read and then set a goal of reading a certain amount before going to bed each night. Even one or two pages at at time. Hopfully, as you get into it, it will become easier, but at least if you keep at it you will eventually get through it. If you have trouble taking it in, the trick is to read each sentence very slowly. I can feel overwhelmed when I see too much small print, paragraphs which go on for ages and not enough white space. I need to visualize it in smaller sections.

Another more successul way I get around it, is to buy the book as an audio book as an mp3 file to listen on my mp3 player (you could also try to find it on CD/DVD). I sit on a bus or tram allowing the words to flow over the sound of people around me and it seems to be much easier.

But maybe your difficulty is different however.

Others may have better solutions

amastie

 

[Sparrow]

I just finished reading The Happiness Hypothesis and it was good to read... somewhat (the chapters being old news to me). But before I drown myself in Dostoievsky, can anyone suggest a more cheerful read that's intelligent while being humorous? Even dark humour?

 

[Jazzey]

Hi Sparrow,

I'm currently reading Tom Wolfe's "I am Charlotte Simmons". It's well written and intelligent - with the dark humour you're not opposed to!

I

 

[ladylore]

The Monk Who Sold His Ferari - The 10 anniversary edition

It's interesting because everything the Sages in Savana teach in this book I have learned through recovery therapy - mainly CBT.

Cool

 

[sister-ray]

Ive got my hands on a book by Robert Stroud The Birdman of Alcatraz!! Its called Strouds Digest on the Diseases of Birds, my local library were selling it off its in good condition. I dont usually go to librarys but I was waiting for my hairdressers to open and went there to keep warm Im glad I did now!!, its a fasinating book!

 

[ladylore]

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

 

[Jazzey]

"Peeling the Onion", G?nter Grass. Real cheerful...

 

[megk]

In Cold Blood ~ Truman Capote

 

[Jazzey]

I loved that book MegK...

 

[megk]

yes, it's good. I just finished One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. I loooove that book. I could read it over and over again.