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8.51pm
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1 May 2011
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Wigwam said
I grew up in Smallville…Gotham….and Central City. I loved Desperate Dan too. Comics got me reading but I have trouble reading graphic novels these days. Perhaps as a kid I relied on the pictures for meaning and loved the visuals too. Now i just want the words and form the pictures in my mind.Another sign of old age.
For anyone that likes historical fiction ‘Flashman Papers’ ………..Not for the politically correct…
When i was a young boy i got ‘The Dandy’ every week (which for those who don’t know featured Desperate Dan as the main character). I also bought the special magazines where he got a whole book to himself and was a member of the fan club. My brother got ‘The Beano’. Occasionally you’d get a free gift with it and the wait for a whole week to pass was excruciating.
I can still remember going in to the newsagent every Saturday morning with my father and my brother and the thrill of watching the shop worker zipping thru all the pre-ordered magazines to pull out mine. Holding it in your hands was like holding gold dust, you’d treasure it and the joy of that first read and diligently examining every work and picture cannot be described.
Later on that pleasure was taken with Beatles purchases; the insane amount of happiness at finding a cassette of ‘A Hard Day’s Night ‘ in Woolworths in Ayr, being allowed to buy it by my dad, and then opening it to discover there were liner notes and additional photos (my three previous Beatles cassettes had none bar the cover). I poured over those for hours, carefully putting the tape sleeve away only to have to take it back out to see John wearing his hat for the 99th time and read the words again before having no option but to play the album again as it sounded so damn good written down!!
The simple pleasures of a young boy.
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Wigwam"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.49pm
18 October 2013
Offline We have a lot in common……….How’s your knee?
11.20pm
26 January 2014
Offline ASOIAF series: Book 2
5.34am
Members
18 March 2013
Offline xskelterhelterx said
ASOIAF series: Book 2
I’m going rereading ASOIAF starting from next month with AGOT, then reading one book a month- then taking a break in December and reading ‘Feast’ and ‘Dance’ in January together.
I remember not really liking ACOK because of them damn Theon chapters where it only seemed like he was just shagging women and nothing else 
, but I think it needs a reread because I was ploughing through all of them when I first got them so I’d have them all read before Season 4 started.
Currently reading: Vanity Fair 
(I have 250 pages left, it’s not that it’s a bad book, it’s just the small print and the bulkiness of the book are really turning me off reading it because in an hour, I’ve only read around 40 pages of the damn thing and then I’m too tired to continue on.
I’m also reading a poetry and short-story collection from writers who were born/lived/worked in my county. There’s a nice mixture of Irish language and English language pieces and I’m really enjoying it so far.
Also reading a book about how my county helped in the “Struggle for Independence”, it’s really insightful. The people in my town were really bad-ass (and hooligans of course) burning down buildings where British soldiers were stationed and all that, the amount of murders that went on was ridiculous as well. It’s also really cool to see my friends’ great-grandfathers names mentioned as some of the rebels (of course my great-grandfather owned a seaweed factory whilst all of the fighting was going on- forever cowardly Scruffs.)
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
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5.35am
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1 May 2011
Offline Wigwam said
We have a lot in common……….How’s your knee?
To paraphrase Monty Python “it’s getting better” (i love that bit from ‘The Holy Grail‘). Should be back to normal-ish on Monday, tho its still soft and squidgy when i press the kneecap.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.14am
25 July 2015
Offline At the moment I’m reading Vol 2 of The London American Legend. It tells the story of every single issued on this famous U.K label.
4.24am
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline I’ve been clearing out the house ready for putting it up for sale and came across some manga my youngest daughter bought years ago. It took me a while to remember which way to read the pages and panels but some of it was quite entertaining after I worked it out. I can’t recall any of the titles though and they are now in the garage with the spiders 🙂
==> trcanberra and hongkonglady - Together even when not (married for those not in the know!) <==
12.58pm
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15 February 2015
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I officially declare war against @AppleScruffJunior’s efforts to turn this into a ‘what books have I bought recently’ thread– I shall turn it into a ‘what books have I been assigned to read recently’ thread! Mwahaha! (Or as Wigwam would say… 5555)
The first fruits of this effort being:
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’ve had it recommended to me several (ASJ, there’s that word again) times by various persons, but hadn’t got round to it till I was compelled to 🙂 .
I admit when I saw the title I thought the scarlet letter was a letter From Me To You style– only when I read it did it become evident that the scarlet letter was an actual letter A.
T’is a fair read so far; though one of my classmates was correct in saying the entire plot could have fit in one chapter, but then the whole point would be lost. It isn’t a plot-driven book.
([{BRACKETS!}])
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1.25pm
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18 March 2013
Offline Silly Girl said
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’ve had it recommended to me several (ASJ, there’s that word again) times by various persons, but hadn’t got round to it till I was compelled to 🙂 .
I have TSL on my bookshelves, I’ll probably pick it up sometime before the year ends. Although I already got the bloody thing spoiled by another book that just mentioned the ending out of nowhere, thanks for that 
.
What am I reading these days: Finally finished Vanity Fair on Tuesday night, sooo longggggg. I’m currently rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, of course it’s very enjoyable 
INTROVERTS UNITE! Separately....in your own homes!
***
Make Love, Not Wardrobes!
***
"Stop throwing jelly beans at me"- George Harrison
1.29pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline AppleScruffJunior quoted
Silly Girl as saying
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’ve had it recommended to me several (ASJ, there’s that word again) times by various persons, but hadn’t got round to it till I was compelled to 🙂 .
I have TSL on my bookshelves, I’ll probably pick it up sometime before the year ends. Although I already got the bloody thing spoiled by another book that just mentioned the ending out of nowhere, thanks for that
.
TSL? Tasty Snacks for Lovers?…. 
The ending? Oh, of course it has a happy ending. The lovers and the little girl sail away together into the sunset and live happily ever after! And yes, of course you must believe me! I read it so I should know!
([{BRACKETS!}])
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4.37pm
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline AppleScruffJunior said
Silly Girl said
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’ve had it recommended to me several (ASJ, there’s that word again) times by various persons, but hadn’t got round to it till I was compelled to 🙂 .
I have TSL on my bookshelves, I’ll probably pick it up sometime before the year ends. Although I already got the bloody thing spoiled by another book that just mentioned the ending out of nowhere, thanks for that
What am I reading these days: Finally finished Vanity Fair on Tuesday night, sooo longggggg. I’m currently rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, of course it’s very enjoyable
Of course? I don’t really like the books in that series – I found them boring and repetitive.
==> trcanberra and hongkonglady - Together even when not (married for those not in the know!) <==
4.45pm
Moderators
15 February 2015
Offline trcanberra said
AppleScruffJunior said
<snippety snap> I’m currently rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, of course it’s very enjoyable
Of course? I don’t really like the books in that series – I found them boring and repetitive.
Of course only applying to ASJ because she loves ’em (and yer know that can’t be bad). Doesn’t have to apply to you.
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5.21pm
18 October 2013
Offline Silly Girl said
I officially declare war against @AppleScruffJunior’s efforts to turn this into a ‘what books have I bought recently’ thread– I shall turn it into a ‘what books have I been assigned to read recently’ thread! Mwahaha!
I sympathise……….O’level A’Level Eng’ Lit’ ruined my reading tastes………
I give the Classics aisle a WIDE birth and have done for 40 years. I often ponder how much better 16 year old boys would do if they were given Fleming to read instead of Under (bloody) Milkwood!!
5.31pm
1 November 2013
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5.34pm
1 November 2013
Offline Silly Girl said
trcanberra said
AppleScruffJunior said
I’m currently rereading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, of course it’s very enjoyable
Of course? I don’t really like the books in that series – I found them boring and repetitive.
Of course only applying to ASJ because she loves ’em (and yer know that can’t be bad). Doesn’t have to apply to you.
A horse is a horse, of course of course, and no one can talk to a horse of course, that is of course, unless the horse, Is the famous Mister Ed!
5.39pm
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1 May 2011
Offline I’ve seen about 10 seconds of the Harry Potter films and read none of the books and never will. I do not have any interest in the series.
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trcanberra"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.49pm
18 October 2013
Offline meanmistermustard said
I’ve seen about 10 seconds of the Harry Potter films and read none of the books and never will. I do not have any interest in the series.
Well you see ,there you go……
I tried 3x to read the first one……..But couldn’t suspend my disbelief, mainly because I kept being jarred by what seemed to me to be it’s derivative nature…….reminding me amongst other things of Le-guinne’s ‘Wizard of Earthsea trilogy…..
BUT……kids love it and adults too. I’m sure many children,(and some adults) got the reading habit thanks to Harry…….And that’s great! It’s exactly my point. There are wonderful classic writers …..and I’m grateful I suppose that I was led to them……..But some were Trollop!!…….And painful to boot.
Why not keep the ‘Romantic Chick’ Fic’ for those that want it but stick in some well written populist authors for the boys….? I’m talking novels here not plays or poetry.
Whatever people think of The Harry Potter series……It crosses over age and sex barriers more than anything else I can think of…..It became a cultural phenomenon. If I were a teacher i’d use that to my and the child’s advantage.
In 1967…..my music teacher said, ‘Today I’m going to play you a modern classic……..That will stand alongside the great music of any era…….” And he put on Sgt. Pepper . I never forgot that. My, (almost) generation being taken seriously by our poe-faced, (we thought snobby), music teacher and that meant a lot to the whole class.
I don’t see this approach as dumbing down……I see it as dumbing-up…If you learn to love reading first then the classics will be a wonderful discovery instead of a mawawawa chore.
Thought for the day was given to you by Rev. Wigwam.
PS. Right now I’m reading ‘Black Ops’ by Stephen Leather.
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29 August 2013
Offline “mainly because I kept being jarred by what seemed to me to be it’s derivative nature”
Incredibly so. Maybe it’s familiarity helps its popularity.
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4.09am
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1 May 2011
Offline It (Harry Potter) is a great series for getting kids to read books, an activity that should be heavily encouraged. I’d far rather folk read books than sit playing computer games 24/7 or watching tv all the time.
Its just personally it holds no interest to me.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
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