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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 14:13:47 GMT -5
I think, they've gotten used to me. I also tend to dig through the whole boy of prepaid phones just to find one with a catchy phone number... Because I have trouble remembering them otherwise.  By now, the local shop keepers are mostly bemused when I say that I need another phone... Oh, I know. Had to actually put my own number into my address list, because I can never remember the cell phone number. So, either I need the list if I have to give it someone, or I have to switch the phone on and look for "own number". |
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 14:16:14 GMT -5
Ah, I have many friends like that but I love reading in the car. I would take books with me but my bag is heavy enough as it is and my shoulders kill me from sitting over a keyboard, heavier bag wouldn't be good. Oh, I know, sitting at the desk all day. That's why I use a rucksack. Carrying heavy bags on only one side didn't do my shoulder and back much good. But I am lucky and usually don't have to drag too much around, and I try to read the really heavy books at home and the lighter one (paperbacks) in the train. |
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:23:32 GMT -5
That's probably the best way to do it. I don't even read books much any more. I really need to start reading them though because they are piling up on my desk and there are 2 that I'm halfway through and one is the first of the second trilogy in a series I'm reading.
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 14:25:36 GMT -5
Oh, I know, sitting at the desk all day. That's why I use a rucksack. Carrying heavy bags on only one side didn't do my shoulder and back much good. But I am lucky and usually don't have to drag too much around, and I try to read the really heavy books at home and the lighter one (paperbacks) in the train. *nods* That's why I usually use a rucksack, too. I've always had problems with my back, and it's a lot better if I don't put too much weight on one side. Add to that the fact that I always carry around way too much stuff. So, yeah. Rucksack = good idea. When I was younger, it was embarrassing because all the other girls had those stylish bags, and I kept running around with army backpacks but when I entered university I stopped caring. (At that point I started carrying around roleplaying books - and those were big and heavy, so the backpacks finally had a raison d'être. I still occasionally do that nowadays when it's clear that I'll have an hour or two free time at work.) |
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 14:28:54 GMT -5
That sounds very familiar. ;D
My pile grows besides my bed...
Which books are piling on your desk, might I ask?
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:36:56 GMT -5
The second trilogy of this one series. Not sure that the series actually has a name but the trilogy is called Journey to Wudang, the first trilogy is The Dark Heavens trilogy. Also Inheritence (still haven't read it except for a few chapters), 50 Shades of Grey =/, Hunger Games, Percy Jackson and others I can't think of.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 14:39:54 GMT -5
That's probably the best way to do it. I don't even read books much any more. I really need to start reading them though because they are piling up on my desk and there are 2 that I'm halfway through and one is the first of the second trilogy in a series I'm reading. Ugh, yeah. Don't even dare to count the unread books. Probably around 50 ... not sure I want to know. |
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:41:03 GMT -5
I have a garage full of unread books...
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 14:42:39 GMT -5
I have a garage full of unread books... Then you beat me hands down! |
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:44:29 GMT -5
XD My mother likes to by them for me even though she knows I won't read them. Same with my Aunt and Nan (though I think they don't realise I don't really read books now).
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Post by codygotkilld on Jun 16, 2012 14:44:31 GMT -5
Same here. I think I have about 30-40 books that I have only read the first 2-3 chapters still. Guess I really need to start reading this summer before I go as a full time student.
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:46:18 GMT -5
That's the thing I hate about working. We don't have all that time off any more. We have a set amount of days that we spread out over the year. It's only about 2 days a month. No 6 week reading sprees any more.  |
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 14:46:23 GMT -5
I have actually read all of the books on my shelves.
... which is why I pile the unread ones on the floor. That way I can immediately see, which one's I wanted to read.
Right now, those are:
The Knowland Retribution; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (it's a classic, that I always wanted to read but never got round to until now); Die Alchemie der Unsterblichkeit; Storm Front (I watched the Dresden Files on telly, but never actually read the books until now); MaschinenGeist (it's supposed to be a rather good German steampunk novel, so I wnated to take a look); An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England; and the Supernatural RPG Rulebook.
Officially, I have two weeks paid vacation each year. Practically, I only work three days the week, so you'd think I'd have enough time to read... But you know how it is; Something else always comes up.
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:48:10 GMT -5
Right now, I really want to re-read Chinese Cinderella but I can't find it anywhere! When I get back into books I'll have to have it sent to my local library.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 14:51:12 GMT -5
What I need to get to is Das Foucaultsche Pendel - but not a book I can read in 15-minute-intervalls at the underground. And for the travel, it was too heavy and dirty (one of the books we had thrown out in the library). A few Ann Granger and two books about experimental sailing trips with reet boats. A number of old mystery novels. The Hobbit (for the third time, as refresher for the movie). Then there are some Terry Pratchett I wanted to give a try ... and a lot more I can't remember right now.
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 14:51:54 GMT -5
Can't you ask them to buy it. So they have it in stock? My local library ususally takes requests like that... especially when there's a chance that more than a handfull of people will read it.
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 14:54:48 GMT -5
Can't you ask them to buy it. So they have it in stock? My local library ususally takes requests like that... especially when there's a chance that more than a handfull of people will read it. That might not be necessary because in London, there are several boroughs, and several libraries within each borough and the ones in one borough are all linked, so if one has it in that borough I can ask them to have it sent to my library for no charge because I'm effectively a member of all the libraries in the borough. |
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Post by Dimcairien on Jun 16, 2012 14:57:11 GMT -5
I don't have a ton of unread books in my room, but there still are quite a few, though most of them are on my summer reading list.
I just finished reading A Game of Thrones which is the first book in George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It was a good read, though complicated at times.
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 15:04:48 GMT -5
I tried reading Das Foucaultsche Pendel once, but never finished it. Perhaps I should give it another try some time. But back then, it just wasn't my thing... I read Pratchett occasionally, though with his Discworld novels there are so many differnet types that you have to 'specialise'. I love the novels about Moist (Going Postal, Making Money), Unseen Academicals was a fun read too. Generally I like the wizard, the watch and the post novels, but I never much liked the witches-novels. Don't know why.
That does sound handy. For me it's either our local library, or the university library (I've got cards from both of them), wheras the university library card also works in the country library and the city library.
If I want a book that neither of them has, I'd have to order it through the GBV (the German Library Network), but that costs 1,50€ per book and you can't extend the loan period, so you'd have to return it after 4 weeks... on the other hand though, they'd send that book from whatever library in Germany currently has an edition on hand.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 15:14:50 GMT -5
Same here. Back then it was new, but I kept being interrupted and couldn't finish it. Then I had to return it because there were so many reservations on it. Later I got that old one - no time limit. One day when I have really time to read further than one page without being interrupted ...
Still not sure if I will like Pratchett, for some reason, I never had much use for fantasy save HP and LotR. But I'll give it a try.
I know both versions in regards to libraries. Ours has both - exchange between the central and the boroughs, and for stuff not available here, the interlibrary loan. Though if that hasn't changed, the latter is meant for non-fiction only. But it's been ages since I had anything to do with it.
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 15:19:25 GMT -5
There's this one trilogy of books that I remember really enjoying but I can NEVER remember their names. They were quite old and I know their names had Wolf, Dragon and a bird of prey (falcon?) in them (which order it was in, I don't remember). They were something like Revenge of the Dragon, Wrath of the Wolf etc.
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 15:26:09 GMT -5
Doesn't ring a bell. But then, who knows if they have ever been translated and under what titles ...
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 15:32:14 GMT -5
Still not sure if I will like Pratchett, for some reason, I never had much use for fantasy save HP and LotR. But I'll give it a try. Same here. I never actually managed to read LotR. I'm just not into high fantasy. Urban fantasy is more my thing. But as soon as a book has dragons, or elves, or even dwarfs - I usually put it aside. Strangely, most of Pratchett's books are fun for me. But I think that's because they are more parody of high fantasy clichés and those I read are more of the urban fantasy variety (they mostly play out in Ankh-Morpork). And let's face it: Pratchett has an incredible talent for creating memorable characters. Lord Vetinari is the greatest good guy/bad guy villain thingy ever. (He's the patrician, read: dictator, reigning the city of Ankh-Morpork and beliefs in the principle of "one man one vote" - he's the man, and he's got the vote. Everyone always dreams of getting rid of him, but no one ever truly tries because they know things will be worse once he's gone...). There is only one other fantasy book that makes my favourite list, and that's a vampire novel. It's back from the time when vampires were still "out", and it's really good: Barbara Hambley's "Those who hunt the night". It's a mix of a vampire, a spy and a detective novel. Set in London in 1907, I think. Where a vampire hires a former spy to help him catch a killer who's been killing the vampires of London. The story itself is cool and the characters are brilliant. The German version is surprisingly readable, too, even if the title sucks (as usual): "Jagd der Vampire".  |
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 15:38:08 GMT -5
Gave up on my first try on LotR, too. Just had read the Hobbit first to understand some stuff better, then to skip the Concerning Hobbits chapter in the beginning. Actually, in the end I did read it as part of a deal - Tolkien vs. Gabaldon - with a friend. What can I say? I started Saturday afternoon with Fellowship, and finished with Return of the King on Wednesday. Then I started again. And then I went to find fanfiction ... Have been living part-time in Middle-earth for 8 years, before reluctantly returning to the HP fandom that got me there in the first place. After reading that book for the first time, I thought now I'd finally found to fantasy. But no, still boring. Re-reading LotR? Always. Reading other fantasy? No. Strange, isn't it?
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 15:49:17 GMT -5
Not really, no. I have that with Sci-Fi novels. And Fantasy. And basically every other clear genre novel. ;D It has to do with what you like about the novels, I guess. If you are into the whole setting thing, then maybe you'll be happy branching out into other novels of the same genre. But if you are more interested in the specific characters (like I am) or plots then it's always a matter of luck to find a novel you like - and the genre doesn't play that big a role than. Me, I've never gotten the hang of high fantasy. I even needed 6 (!) attempts to watch the movie version of LotR. I kept zapping away to more interesting shows (and everytime I zapped back, Frodo was still walking so I figured nothing had happened). |
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Post by Kitty279 on Jun 16, 2012 15:56:24 GMT -5
Well, then you missed the other parts. Besides, the first one was a lot of walking, naturally. There happened a lot, though they had to cut some scenes out. To me it's a near sacrilege to not like the movies. But then, my own brother kept falling asleep in them - but he loves movies I'd never watch.
But I believe you are right about the characters. After I had read not only the books, but some fanfics, I was lost to the Elves. And to a slightly lesser extent, the Hobbits and Aragorn. And my favourites are mostly these who in the books only had very small roles - and you'd probably not even know, as they weren't in the movie.
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Post by Ithiarel on Jun 16, 2012 16:03:03 GMT -5
And my favourites are mostly these who in the books only had very small roles - and you'd probably not even know, as they weren't in the movie. Most likely. But just so you know: I managed to watch all three movies. Just not in one go. Instead I watched a part here and another part there until I had seen the whole thing. Took me years. But it means that there are certain parts I saw multiple times. Like the attack of the Elt's on Isengard, or the Battle of Helm's Deep. But that's about it. |
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 16:04:40 GMT -5
I did a marathon of those films in a day once. And then the next couple of days I did Harry Potter. That was a fun weekend.
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Post by codygotkilld on Jun 16, 2012 16:05:56 GMT -5
I'm glad I bought the extended blu-ray box set of LotR. It has 15 discs and over 120 minutes of extra footage for all three movies.
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Post by Silvertongue on Jun 16, 2012 16:06:47 GMT -5
...Wow. Seriously? Wow.
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