Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Trilogies...and Other Multi-Book Series.
Last year I read my first multi-book series. I realize this is absurd, 26 is too old to first pick up a series book, particularly when you are an avid reader. Which leads to another confession. Most of my life I have been hung up on classics. I really like them, and there are so many of them you can go on reading them forever. So when that's all you read you don't really realize how much work they are. You don't really get that books can have a more pure element of joy and fun to them. You get snobby and you think why would I bother reading that when I still have all these other books to read....
Anyway, that ended last summer when I was convinced to pick Harry Potter, we all know I did this begrudgingly, and then I loved it. And then I went crazy with series'. Twilight. Sookie Stackhouse. Outlander. And yesterday I finally picked up Lord of the Rings. All this to say, I am hooked. So when I saw that Abe books put out a Top 10 Trilogies list, I thought, I must put this up on Luminous (okay, yes, there are other factors too, living in a new city, no job, lots of reading time and all those 10 best lists going on over at Panda's...still.) So here is what they say are the 10 best. Most of these I don't even know:
1. Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine
2. Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials
3. Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast
4. Robertson Davies' Deptford
5. Louis de Bernieres' Latin America
6. Paul Auster's New York
7. Phillip Kerr's Berlin Noir
8. Roddy Doyle's Barrytown
9. Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars
10. Peter Dickinson's The Changes
So tell me, what are your 10 best...multi-book series?
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A Fond Farewell
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Archivist by Martha Cooley
Thursday, October 23, 2008
To Read Or Not to Read...Harry Potter
Right, so you may have noticed my lack of posting over the last few months. There are many reasons for this, but lack of reading is not one of them. I finally started the Harry Potter books, years after the rest of the world, in August. And today, I closed the cover on book seven--The Deathly Hallows. It feels a bit absurd to be posting about Harry Potter. In part because it's like posting about some fad that has come and gone. And what can I say that has not been said already?
So I write this post to anyone who has not read the books. Those people whose camp I was in just a few months ago. Maybe you are like me? You read the first few books, and you were not feeling it! I mean really how many books do you have to read in a series to start getting into it? Or you have seen all the movies, and while you like them, they have not inspired you to read the books. After all why read them when you can watch them in two hours. Possibly, you are just so sick of hearing about them from everyone else that it puts you off. Trust me, I understand.
But here is the thing. Generally, if nearly everyone you know is raving mad about something, be it good or bad, there is some truth to it. And its probably worth checking out. I admit I begrudgingly picked up the books, but I am so glad I did. Particularly books five, six and seven. They are so good. The ending so very much lives up to seven books of climax and that my friends is quite a feat! Yes, I know the writing leaves a bit to be desired but Rowling more than makes up for it with the story and I promise the writing does get better as the books go along. I promise, you will not be sorry. Even if you hate them--you can hate them with just cause!
On a final note, I will say this. I think the first two books are easily replaced by the movies, so if you are on the edge and don't have time for all seven, watch the first two movies and start with the third book!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Your Old Book
Friday, September 05, 2008
The right to read.
Politics is not something that I have ever brought to the pages of Luminous before, but this story isn't just politics, it is about books and politics and therefore I feel confident that the story fits well to luminous' mission. That is: anything related to books.
Sarah Palin has been the talk of the town for a whole week now. A few disturbing things have come to our attention about Mrs. Palin but this bit of news takes the cake for all of us who have dedicated our lives to the right for intellectual freedom.
Shortly before becoming mayor Ms. Palin approached librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, at the Wasilla town library about the possibility of banning some books, which books Mrs. Palin would not say. Anne Kilkenny, a Democrat "who said she attended every City Council meeting in Ms. Palin’s first year in office, said Ms. Palin brought up the idea of banning some books at one meeting. 'They were somehow morally or socially objectionable to her,' Ms. Kilkenny said."(NYT.)
Mrs. Emmons, of course resisted all efforts at censorship, in accordance with the Library Bill of Rights. And how did Mrs. Palin respond to not getting her way? She fired Ms. Emmons shortly after taking office. Mrs. Palin under estimated her constituencies, who made a great show of support for the librarian in question, and she was untimely given her job back.
So what is the big deal here?
Our whole system of government was based on the idea that the purpose of the state was to preserve individual liberties, not to dictate them. The founders uniformly despised many practices in
How then, can we claim that the founders would support the restriction of access to a book that really is just about an idea, to be accepted or rejected as you choose? If the library is doing its job, there are lots of books in the collection that people won't agree with; there are certainly many that I object to. Library collections don't imply endorsement; they imply access to the many different ideas of our culture, which is precisely our purpose in public life. The best way to know your stance on an issue after all is to have a grasp of the opposing view point. Libraries, of course, provide evidence that not everybody agrees with each other; but that's true, isn't it?
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Harry Potter Book Club?
Now, part two. Harry Potter (henceforth referred to as HP). I read the first two HP books a long long time ago. Like in the late 90's. And, well, this was before the craze and I just did not get that into them. Years go by and slowly HP creeps into EVERYONE'S LIFE. But I refuse to partake, because I tried, and we did not work, and that was enough for me.
So along comes a certain friend, who shall remaine anonymous, with a sneaky little idea. The friend tells me he wants to start a book club, obviously I am giddy with joy, as he predicted. "What shall we read?" I wonder aloud. I should have seen it coming. "Harry Potter." Dang it! What is a girl to do? She has no choice. So I am in a Harry Potter book club. We have already meet once, for the first book, after which we watched the movie. I'm was probably the most negative. But it was really great anyway.
We are meeting again for discussion of books 2 & 3 next weekend. And, believe it or not, I've read both the books already. And even started the fourth one prematurely. Suffice it to say, I've moved past the poor writing and am totally into the story. I LIKE HARRY POTTER! Who woulda thought?
Now here is a fun little video for you to enjoy: