I am mildly biased as my own story is the second one in the book, "Long Distance Love," on page 4.
This Chicken Soup anthology gathers stories from men and women of all ages, telling tales of lost loves, long marriages, or a second chance at romance after a death or divorce. The mix is just right: humor and tragedy, just like real life. The most emotional stories are the ones at the back, and three of them actually drove me to tears: "The Last Valentine," "The Girl Next Door,"and "Letting Go." There's just something about older people in love - especially those confronting Alzheimer's - that just rips my heart to shreds.
This Chicken Soup anthology gathers stories from men and women of all ages, telling tales of lost loves, long marriages, or a second chance at romance after a death or divorce. The mix is just right: humor and tragedy, just like real life. The most emotional stories are the ones at the back, and three of them actually drove me to tears: "The Last Valentine," "The Girl Next Door,"and "Letting Go." There's just something about older people in love - especially those confronting Alzheimer's - that just rips my heart to shreds.
- Mood:accomplished
Cahokia: Ancient America's Great City on the Mississippi – Timothy R Pauketat 
(The Penguin Library of American Indian History)
(New York: Viking, 2009)
Short version: "Almost a thousand years ago, a Native American city flourished on the banks of the Mississippi River, near what is now St Louis. Cahokia was a thriving metropolis at its height, with a population of twenty thousand centered round a sprawling plaza and scores of spectacular earthen mounds. The city gave rise to a new culture that spread across the plains; yet by 1400 it had been abandoned, leaving only the giant mounds as monuments and traces of its influence in tribes we know today.' (From the jacket flap)
( Commentary )
Out of 5
***¼
61 / 50 words. 122% done!
(The Penguin Library of American Indian History)
(New York: Viking, 2009)
Short version: "Almost a thousand years ago, a Native American city flourished on the banks of the Mississippi River, near what is now St Louis. Cahokia was a thriving metropolis at its height, with a population of twenty thousand centered round a sprawling plaza and scores of spectacular earthen mounds. The city gave rise to a new culture that spread across the plains; yet by 1400 it had been abandoned, leaving only the giant mounds as monuments and traces of its influence in tribes we know today.' (From the jacket flap)
( Commentary )
Out of 5
***¼
Hello there everyone! I posted back in January of this year here. I was reading through it earlier and wow, a lot has changed.
Name: Quinny, same as it was, same as it will ever be!
Age: 24 now!
Location: In January I said that I was saving up to leave the UK. Well now I live in Ireland.
About Me:
I live in the South West of Ireland in County Cork. In a small fishing village called Courtmacsherry. I moved in June because of my job and I love it here.
Well, not really. I have caused offense. If you want to know why this move isn't exactly all it was cracked out to be by all means come join the fun in my journal where the daily shennanigans in county Cork are documented.
I'm still very creative in photography, writing, and drawing. Writing is a big thing at the moment as I really want to get out of my job and be my own boss.
About My Journal:
My journal is not for the faint of heart. Really, I rant about a lot of touchy subjects and my flist are fantastic at either ignoring it or realising that it is just a challenge for debate. And I love them for that.
The big thing in my life at the moment is my move to Ireland. Lots of things are annoying me here and I'm over coming a lot of challenges. My writing doesn't get much mention in my journal at the moment as I want to keep it under wraps until I have a lot more of it done.
At the end of the day it is my journal and you always have the option to not follow me. I never rant about anything that hasn't directly effected me.
What I Write:
I've written pretty much everything. Well I have given it a go at least. The NaNo this year was a trashy romance that I will continue over the Christmas period. The big project is a sci-fi adventure. And we'll see how that turns out.
What I Don't Write:
Serious, straight down the middle, literature. I just can't. You should be able to lose yourself in a book, it should give you an opportunity to become something else in a world you don't have to worry about living in. Serious literature doesn't have an edge that I want so it nearly always turns into supernatural, romance, adventure or fantasy.
What I read:
I read good books (likewise I only listen to good music). It's more about the book on an individual level rather than the genre it fits in. My main genres are Fantasty, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller, Supernatural and Crime. Including any combination of those.
I have started reading trashy romance too, I call it my toilet read. As I pretty much read them on the loo. They're a guilty pleasure.
What I Don't Read:
Rubbish. I'll read anything as long as it's good!
Favorite Authors & Books:
David (and Leigh) Eddings,
Raymond .E. Feist,
John Connolly,
Ian Irvine,
James Herbert,
Jasper Fforde,
Trudi Canavan,
Brent Weeks...
Could I edit someone else's work:
I'm going to say no. I make mistakes myself and I have nothing to say I am any better than anyone else to correct a piece of work. I would have a buddy system going on, where two people would work on each others pieces, discussion etc.
What I'm Looking For:
Some one that I can get some creativity going with, round robins, writing challenges, that sort of thing. Or just someone to add to my already extremely creative circle of friends.
That's all folks! Hope to hear from people soon!
Name: Quinny, same as it was, same as it will ever be!
Age: 24 now!
Location: In January I said that I was saving up to leave the UK. Well now I live in Ireland.
About Me:
I live in the South West of Ireland in County Cork. In a small fishing village called Courtmacsherry. I moved in June because of my job and I love it here.
Well, not really. I have caused offense. If you want to know why this move isn't exactly all it was cracked out to be by all means come join the fun in my journal where the daily shennanigans in county Cork are documented.
I'm still very creative in photography, writing, and drawing. Writing is a big thing at the moment as I really want to get out of my job and be my own boss.
About My Journal:
My journal is not for the faint of heart. Really, I rant about a lot of touchy subjects and my flist are fantastic at either ignoring it or realising that it is just a challenge for debate. And I love them for that.
The big thing in my life at the moment is my move to Ireland. Lots of things are annoying me here and I'm over coming a lot of challenges. My writing doesn't get much mention in my journal at the moment as I want to keep it under wraps until I have a lot more of it done.
At the end of the day it is my journal and you always have the option to not follow me. I never rant about anything that hasn't directly effected me.
What I Write:
I've written pretty much everything. Well I have given it a go at least. The NaNo this year was a trashy romance that I will continue over the Christmas period. The big project is a sci-fi adventure. And we'll see how that turns out.
What I Don't Write:
Serious, straight down the middle, literature. I just can't. You should be able to lose yourself in a book, it should give you an opportunity to become something else in a world you don't have to worry about living in. Serious literature doesn't have an edge that I want so it nearly always turns into supernatural, romance, adventure or fantasy.
What I read:
I read good books (likewise I only listen to good music). It's more about the book on an individual level rather than the genre it fits in. My main genres are Fantasty, Sci-Fi, Horror, Thriller, Supernatural and Crime. Including any combination of those.
I have started reading trashy romance too, I call it my toilet read. As I pretty much read them on the loo. They're a guilty pleasure.
What I Don't Read:
Rubbish. I'll read anything as long as it's good!
Favorite Authors & Books:
David (and Leigh) Eddings,
Raymond .E. Feist,
John Connolly,
Ian Irvine,
James Herbert,
Jasper Fforde,
Trudi Canavan,
Brent Weeks...
Could I edit someone else's work:
I'm going to say no. I make mistakes myself and I have nothing to say I am any better than anyone else to correct a piece of work. I would have a buddy system going on, where two people would work on each others pieces, discussion etc.
What I'm Looking For:
Some one that I can get some creativity going with, round robins, writing challenges, that sort of thing. Or just someone to add to my already extremely creative circle of friends.
That's all folks! Hope to hear from people soon!
- Location:County Cork, Ireland
Title: Hunter x Hunter volume 2
Mangaka: Yoshihiro Togashi
Genre: Shounen
Themes: Hunters, tests, death, making friends, food, criminals
Book details: Manga, 192 pages
Rating: 5/5
Baka-Updates Manga Summary: Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.
My Review:
Love the JP cover for this volume!
This volume should've been titled "Hisoka's Happy Slaughter Time". Even though Hisoka is a murderer and creepy, I can't help but like him - such is the awesomeness of Togashi's writing. =P
Loved Hisoka's first official meeting with Gon. Hisoka's "pervy" creepy face...*snicker*
We see more of how Gon grows as a fighter, both mentally and with his attack skills. We also get to see Gon and Killua really start to be friends rather than mostly aquaintances. They kind of share the same energy. Leorio and Kurapika's relationship is also less fighting and more friendly.
We learn more about Killua and his family, and how Gon doesn't bat an eyelash at even that revelation.
Killua to Gon: "You're really strange... I can never tell if you're serious or if you're joking. That's what gives you your charm!"
I think it's more likely that you can't tell when Killua is joking with some of the things he says! ( Killua spoiler )
- Mood:awake
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
taste_budsHolidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.
naturesbeautyAlways on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.
Hi,
on tonights show we have people on to talk to us from 'viv campisina'., we got
someone in from the anarchist black cross to give some sage advice and words of
wisdom. We've also got some more from the bike bloc, and some stuff form the
buses on the way from london to copenhagen.
Helen from the 'angry mermaid awards' tells us about the candidates and how
evil they are, and we've got some noise from the streets.
Aside from that we got some tunes and some chat, so tune in tonight at 9,
tune in and cop out.
http://live1.radiovague.com:8000/cop15r
To access this show and other information about the happenings in Copenhagen,
check out www.indymedia.dk
on tonights show we have people on to talk to us from 'viv campisina'., we got
someone in from the anarchist black cross to give some sage advice and words of
wisdom. We've also got some more from the bike bloc, and some stuff form the
buses on the way from london to copenhagen.
Helen from the 'angry mermaid awards' tells us about the candidates and how
evil they are, and we've got some noise from the streets.
Aside from that we got some tunes and some chat, so tune in tonight at 9,
tune in and cop out.
http://live1.radiovague.com:8000/cop15r
To access this show and other information about the happenings in Copenhagen,
check out www.indymedia.dk
Book #89 -- Richard Castle, Heat Wave (Nikki Heat)
, 198 pages.
Yup, *that* Richard Castle. This is the tie-in book to the show Castle. It's actually a pretty decent mystery, although if Richard Castle were a real person I'd tell him he needs to run his Jameson Rook character through a Gary Stu detector. As it is, the book reads like an extra-long episode of Castle, and I have no problem with that at all :)
Book #90 -- Francesca Lia Block, The Waters & the Wild
, 111 pages.
This one packs a punch -- it's short and a quick read, but despite that, it's well-written and has hidden depths. I think anyone who has been a misfit teen will identify strongly with this book, and the supernatural element only serves to enhance this connection, at least for me.
Book #91 -- Gerald S. Hawkins, Stonehenge Decoded
, 190 pages.
This is actually a fascinating book, published in 1966, interpreting Stonehenge as an astronomic calendar and calculator for predicting events like solar and lunar eclipses. Sadly, many of Hawkins theories relied on assumptions of building schedules that have been since been proven false. The fact that Hawkins' theory works in the abstract is a victory for chaos theoreticians everywhere . . . score one for coincidence.
Progress toward goals: 348/365 = 95.3%
Books: 91/100 = 91.0%
Pages: 22812/25000 = 91.2%
2009 Book List
cross-posted to15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
gwynraven
, 198 pages.Yup, *that* Richard Castle. This is the tie-in book to the show Castle. It's actually a pretty decent mystery, although if Richard Castle were a real person I'd tell him he needs to run his Jameson Rook character through a Gary Stu detector. As it is, the book reads like an extra-long episode of Castle, and I have no problem with that at all :)
Book #90 -- Francesca Lia Block, The Waters & the Wild
, 111 pages.This one packs a punch -- it's short and a quick read, but despite that, it's well-written and has hidden depths. I think anyone who has been a misfit teen will identify strongly with this book, and the supernatural element only serves to enhance this connection, at least for me.
Book #91 -- Gerald S. Hawkins, Stonehenge Decoded
, 190 pages.This is actually a fascinating book, published in 1966, interpreting Stonehenge as an astronomic calendar and calculator for predicting events like solar and lunar eclipses. Sadly, many of Hawkins theories relied on assumptions of building schedules that have been since been proven false. The fact that Hawkins' theory works in the abstract is a victory for chaos theoreticians everywhere . . . score one for coincidence.
Progress toward goals: 348/365 = 95.3%
Books: 91/100 = 91.0%
Pages: 22812/25000 = 91.2%
2009 Book List
cross-posted to
15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynravenBurmese Days – George Orwell 
(London: Penguin, 1986, orig.publ. 1934)
The Outsider – Albert Camus
(London: Penguin, 1983, trans. 1982)
Two more books from this term's module on the Literature of Empire and Settlement, read in this order.
( Commentary )
Out of 5
Burmese Days ****
The Outsider ****
60/50 books. 120% done!
(London: Penguin, 1986, orig.publ. 1934)
The Outsider – Albert Camus
(London: Penguin, 1983, trans. 1982)
Two more books from this term's module on the Literature of Empire and Settlement, read in this order.
( Commentary )
Out of 5
Burmese Days ****
The Outsider ****
And Justice There is None
Deborah Crombie
Who killed young and beautiful Dawn Arrowood is the question that Gemma James must answer.
Suspicion seems to fall on Dawn's rich, aggressive, posessive husband, successful antique dealer Karl Arrowood; especially when it comes to light that Dawn has been having an affair, and was pregnant at the time of her murder. However, when Karl is also found murdered, the case becomes even more baffling.
As newly-promoted Gemma James works to find the murderer with the help of her significant other, Detective Inspector Duncan Kincaid, she is also working to adjust to the many changes that have taken place in her personal life. She is pregnant, and she and Duncan have decided to move in together, with her son, Toby, Duncan's son, Kit, Kit's dog, Tess, and the new family dog, Geordie. Not to mention that it's Christmas time.
I'd forgotten how much I liked the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. Deborah Crombie's writing is so very, very good and solid. It's excellent, as a matter of fact.
Title: Hunter x Hunter volume 1
Mangaka: Yoshihiro Togashi
Genre: Shounen
Themes: Hunters, family, animals, treasure
Book details: Manga, 184 pages
Rating: 5/5
Baka-Updates Manga Summary: Hunters are a special breed, dedicated to tracking down treasures, magical beasts, and even other men. But such pursuits require a license, and less than one in a hundred thousand can pass the grueling qualification exam. Those who do pass gain access to restricted areas, amazing stores of information, and the right to call themselves Hunters.
My Review:
"If you want to know someone, start by finding out what makes him mad." - Gon, learned from his Aunt Mito
This is maybe my third? reread. Saw the anime, too. It's just such a good manga! Rereads can offer such new insights (and you pick up foreshadowing you wouldn't have gotten with a first read through), and makes you think of new questions you wish you could ask.
It's interesting to see how the art has changed since this first volume! I do prefer the later art, but the early art has it's own appeal.
I adore Gon. He can be so energetic (not to mention optimistic even when he knows the harsh truth of things) and sometimes simple-minded, and yet he is really smart.
I love the story of how Gon decides to become a hunter, it's really touching and gets your attention. I also love when Kurapika and Leorio are introduced! Really, I really love how everyone has such a personality. There's more to each of them that you can easily see and not so obviously see.
The chemistry between the characters is a delight to read. Everyone's personalities really shine. =)
I love the ideas Togashi comes up with, like the rat-fox story, and the way the characters are introduced to the story and to the other main characters.
( Spoilers )
- Mood:
good - Music:ELF on TV
First book of my new year, which started December 11th. =)
Title: Guilty Pleasures
Series: #1 of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genres: Fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal, fiction, horror
Themes: Vampire hunters, raising the dead, vampires, vampire junkies, zombies
Book details: Paperback, 272 pages
Rating: 5/5
Goodreads Summary: When St. Louis's most powerful vampire comes to Anita Blake for help, she is faced with her greatest fear-a man capable of arousing in her a hunger strong enough to match his own.
My Review:
It took some rereads to notice how certain sentences repeat themselves in this book.
Besides that, I really do love Guilty Pleasures. It's *really* entertaining, it always keeps me reading on even after several rereads. It's probably my favorite Anita Blake book. Also, I cry *every* time I read certain scenes at the end.
- Mood:
okay
I've recently read The Virgin Suicides, and I LOVED it, so I was wondering what books would be good if I really enjoyed this one. Help please!
- Mood: horny
87. Tallgrass, by Sandra Dallas (book on CD -- narrated by Lorelei King). ALA's 2009 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. A provincial Colorado town is changed forever during World War II when a Japanese internment camp opens nearby. The murder of a young girl further fuels a tense situation. The events are seen through the eyes of 13-year-old Rennie Stroud. This story is a real treat all-around. While there is a lot of tense action and suspense, with the murder mystery and the backdrop of the war, there is a lot of warmth and humor to prevent the story from becoming too weighty and dark. Rennie is a charming and naive girl who is trying to understand and make sense of her changing world, and her reflections can be both humerous and profound by turns. I also enjoyed the dynamic of the Jolly Stitchers, a quilting club Rennie's mother is a part of. While there are times you want to roll your eyes and even detest some of its members, Rennie observes that when a woman in the town is in trouble, they come together as an efficient army, toting casseroles and words of comfort. I can imagine reading the book and enjoying it, but I loved the audio CD. I was familiar with King, the narrator, through Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels and knew when I checked out this book on CD I would be in for a treat. The narration did not disappoint. Lorelei King is definitely one of the better "book actresses" out there.
88. Bird, by Zetta Elliott ; illustrated by Shadra Strickland. 2009 John Steptoe Award. A touching picture book about Bird, who loves to draw what he sees around him. Through his drawings, and through his relationship with his grandfather (and later his grandfather's friend "Uncle Son) and his parents, Bird also learns to understand and cope with his brother's drug addiction. The illustrations are lovely, with the people done in full, warm color and the background very spare. Many of the backgrounds look as if they are Bird's work. This is a book that deals with some heavy topics though -- drug addiction and death -- so this book would be best read by an adult to a child, with discussion later. It's a bittersweet story, and I'm not sure what haunts me more: the story itself, or the realization that a lot of children are going to relate all too well with what Bird experiences.
89. Peace, by Richard Bausch. 2009 W.Y. Boyd award. A small army patrol in Italy has been charged with the task of scouting around and finding any straggling enemy soldiers towards the end of World War II. This is much harder than it seems. The fast-paced novel mostly follows three of the soldiers and their Italian guide, a 70-year-old man whose loyalties are unknown. The reader can feel the oppresive cold rain that pours for days, followed by the heavy mountain snow. The three soldiers suffer not just from the elements but their memories of home, their regrets and the war. The three main characters -- Cpl. Robert Marson, Joyner and Asch -- are well-developed, and change through the action of the book. The ending is open, and offers little sense of closure -- but then, the war is not over at that point. It fit the story. "Peace" is hard to read at times, for -- like with the soldiers -- there's little rest from the brutal environment except when they are recalling more pleasant times. But it's honest and well-paced.
88. Bird, by Zetta Elliott ; illustrated by Shadra Strickland. 2009 John Steptoe Award. A touching picture book about Bird, who loves to draw what he sees around him. Through his drawings, and through his relationship with his grandfather (and later his grandfather's friend "Uncle Son) and his parents, Bird also learns to understand and cope with his brother's drug addiction. The illustrations are lovely, with the people done in full, warm color and the background very spare. Many of the backgrounds look as if they are Bird's work. This is a book that deals with some heavy topics though -- drug addiction and death -- so this book would be best read by an adult to a child, with discussion later. It's a bittersweet story, and I'm not sure what haunts me more: the story itself, or the realization that a lot of children are going to relate all too well with what Bird experiences.
89. Peace, by Richard Bausch. 2009 W.Y. Boyd award. A small army patrol in Italy has been charged with the task of scouting around and finding any straggling enemy soldiers towards the end of World War II. This is much harder than it seems. The fast-paced novel mostly follows three of the soldiers and their Italian guide, a 70-year-old man whose loyalties are unknown. The reader can feel the oppresive cold rain that pours for days, followed by the heavy mountain snow. The three soldiers suffer not just from the elements but their memories of home, their regrets and the war. The three main characters -- Cpl. Robert Marson, Joyner and Asch -- are well-developed, and change through the action of the book. The ending is open, and offers little sense of closure -- but then, the war is not over at that point. It fit the story. "Peace" is hard to read at times, for -- like with the soldiers -- there's little rest from the brutal environment except when they are recalling more pleasant times. But it's honest and well-paced.
I have a three-year-old sister and one night before bed, i read the giving tree to her. it made me cry, it just really touched me, and i would love to read more books like that to her. does anyone have any recommendations?
The Virgin Suicides
Rating: 5/5
Jeffrey Eugenides's hauntingly beautiful masterpiece deserves 5/5 stars. He tells the story of five boys obsessed with the five doomed Lisbon sisters, Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux, and Cecilia, whose demise results in "the year of the suicides." Set in the mid-seventies, in Grosse Point, Michigan.
Cecilia's demise begins to break the family apart. But when school hunk Trip Fontaine and Lux Lisbon become interested in each other, it begins to change. Trip asks Lux to the homecoming dance, and her father and mother give in. The remaining 4 Lisbon sisters go to the dance. While on the football field, Trip and Lux make love, and after that Trip abandons her. Mrs. Lisbon takes the girls out of school because of Lux's failure to make curfew. Sightings than begin of Lux making love to random men and boys. The 4 Lisbon sisters make a Morse code to the 5 obsessed boys for them to come over, While there, they discover that Bonnie had hung herself, Therese dead on sleeping pills washed down with gin, Mary's head stuck in the oven (later dead on sleeping pills), and Lux, poisoned by her dad's car fumes.
Jeffrey Eugenides creates a vivid and compelling story, a wickedly funny tale of terror, sex and suicide, memory and imagination.
Rating: 5/5
Jeffrey Eugenides's hauntingly beautiful masterpiece deserves 5/5 stars. He tells the story of five boys obsessed with the five doomed Lisbon sisters, Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux, and Cecilia, whose demise results in "the year of the suicides." Set in the mid-seventies, in Grosse Point, Michigan.
Cecilia's demise begins to break the family apart. But when school hunk Trip Fontaine and Lux Lisbon become interested in each other, it begins to change. Trip asks Lux to the homecoming dance, and her father and mother give in. The remaining 4 Lisbon sisters go to the dance. While on the football field, Trip and Lux make love, and after that Trip abandons her. Mrs. Lisbon takes the girls out of school because of Lux's failure to make curfew. Sightings than begin of Lux making love to random men and boys. The 4 Lisbon sisters make a Morse code to the 5 obsessed boys for them to come over, While there, they discover that Bonnie had hung herself, Therese dead on sleeping pills washed down with gin, Mary's head stuck in the oven (later dead on sleeping pills), and Lux, poisoned by her dad's car fumes.
Jeffrey Eugenides creates a vivid and compelling story, a wickedly funny tale of terror, sex and suicide, memory and imagination.
- Mood:
nauseated
I'm looking for a book that my husband has been looking for, but he can't remember the name or author. I really want to get this for him for Christmas since he has been looking for it for years! Can anyone help me out? ( info about the book under here )
The Making of the English Working Class – E.P. Thompson 
(Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968)
I'm going to cheat slightly and let Wikipedia describe the book's content because I'm not sure I can do it the necessary justice on one reading. I'm neither a historian nor a sociologist and I found the book, important as it is, a bit of a slog at times, not least because Thompson was discussing a lot of previous published research (often very critically) that I wasn't familiar with.
Having said that, he is tracing out a fascinating story of ordinary people struggling to take control of their own lives, and trying to convince the government that it would ignore them at its peril. It's a complex account of grassroots political and social movements among working men at the mercy of employers and new technology not to mention legislators who did not consider them entitled to voice an opinion, acquire an education, correspond with one another on political and social issues, and so forth. The thing that struck me throughout was the endless concern of those in power that working people might gain any kind of voice, and the lengths to which they went to ensure that didn't happen.
It's dense reading but well worth it to get a slightly different take on how the working-class movements of the late 18th and early 19th centuries engaged with the government of the time.
Out of 5
**** (for importance of subject rather than writing style)
58 / 50 books. 116% done!
(Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1968)
I'm going to cheat slightly and let Wikipedia describe the book's content because I'm not sure I can do it the necessary justice on one reading. I'm neither a historian nor a sociologist and I found the book, important as it is, a bit of a slog at times, not least because Thompson was discussing a lot of previous published research (often very critically) that I wasn't familiar with.
Having said that, he is tracing out a fascinating story of ordinary people struggling to take control of their own lives, and trying to convince the government that it would ignore them at its peril. It's a complex account of grassroots political and social movements among working men at the mercy of employers and new technology not to mention legislators who did not consider them entitled to voice an opinion, acquire an education, correspond with one another on political and social issues, and so forth. The thing that struck me throughout was the endless concern of those in power that working people might gain any kind of voice, and the lengths to which they went to ensure that didn't happen.
It's dense reading but well worth it to get a slightly different take on how the working-class movements of the late 18th and early 19th centuries engaged with the government of the time.
Out of 5
**** (for importance of subject rather than writing style)
Tanglewreck – Jeanette Winterson 
(London: Bloomsbury, 2006)
The Battle of the Sun – Jeanette Winterson
(London: Bloomsbury, 2009)
These two children's books are closely related, though to describe one as sequel to the other is to suggest a simple linear/chronological relationship between the two that doesn't quite exist. I have mixed feelings about the pair of them. They're pitched at a child audience, but I have a strong sense that Winterson is not that confident about writing for children. There is a strong sense that she is reining in her storytelling to somehow accommodate her perceived audience, and I felt throughout that she was engaged in a struggle between her natural storytelling style and a belief that she needed to write more plainly for children. I liked it better at the points where she clearly forgot herself for a while.
( Commentary )
Out of 5
Tanglewreck **¾
The Battle of the Sun ***
57 / 50 books. 114% done!
(London: Bloomsbury, 2006)
The Battle of the Sun – Jeanette Winterson
(London: Bloomsbury, 2009)
These two children's books are closely related, though to describe one as sequel to the other is to suggest a simple linear/chronological relationship between the two that doesn't quite exist. I have mixed feelings about the pair of them. They're pitched at a child audience, but I have a strong sense that Winterson is not that confident about writing for children. There is a strong sense that she is reining in her storytelling to somehow accommodate her perceived audience, and I felt throughout that she was engaged in a struggle between her natural storytelling style and a belief that she needed to write more plainly for children. I liked it better at the points where she clearly forgot herself for a while.
( Commentary )
Out of 5
Tanglewreck **¾
The Battle of the Sun ***
WHEN CHIPS WERE DOWN
A Welsh Climate Camp faction turned their attention to Port Talbot this week and targeted a biomass power plant in Margam. The only one of it’s kind in the UK (although more are planned for the local area), the plant takes hourly deliveries of 20 tonnes of woodchip during working hours to keep the fires burning.
Activists locked on using bicycle locks to close off the plant’s entrance and stop the deliveries, while others climbed the chimney and unfurled a banner reading ‘Clean Energy: Dirty Joke’. The demo lasted three to four hours before a squad of police officers removed the campaigners, took their details and searched the group and their vehicles.
With Port Talbot air pollution levels already exceeding EC limits, another biomass plant in Holyhead is planned which will be the largest in the world. The two stations will require an area of managed forest plantations half the size of Wales to feed them, land that could be used to feed a third of Britain.
* See http://climatecampcymru.org/?p=932
DUBAI NOW, PAY LATER
So the jewel in the capitalist crown has finally fallen off this week as Dubai World, the emirates holding company responsible for conjuring up much of the desert city asked as nicely as they could for a six month debt holiday from their creditors.
Described as a dream location where ‘expansion has no limit’, Dubai was built on cheap immigrant labour (with obligatory absence of worker rights, squalid housing and a high rate of worker injuries and deaths) - all financed with borrowed money from the big global investment players. The creditor list includes plenty of UK interest with all the credit crunch villains involved, including RBS, Lloyds, HSBC and Standard Chartered PLC. In all British banks have a tidy £30bn ‘invested’’ in Dubai.
In a state with rapidly dwindling oil reserves and few natural resources, the idea was to stay afloat with income from property, trade and tourism to hold face with super-wealthy oil rich neighbours like Saudi Arabia and Oman. Well, you’ve got to keep up with the Al-Jones’ haven’t you?
A Welsh Climate Camp faction turned their attention to Port Talbot this week and targeted a biomass power plant in Margam. The only one of it’s kind in the UK (although more are planned for the local area), the plant takes hourly deliveries of 20 tonnes of woodchip during working hours to keep the fires burning.
Activists locked on using bicycle locks to close off the plant’s entrance and stop the deliveries, while others climbed the chimney and unfurled a banner reading ‘Clean Energy: Dirty Joke’. The demo lasted three to four hours before a squad of police officers removed the campaigners, took their details and searched the group and their vehicles.
With Port Talbot air pollution levels already exceeding EC limits, another biomass plant in Holyhead is planned which will be the largest in the world. The two stations will require an area of managed forest plantations half the size of Wales to feed them, land that could be used to feed a third of Britain.
* See http://climatecampcymru.org/?p=932
DUBAI NOW, PAY LATER
So the jewel in the capitalist crown has finally fallen off this week as Dubai World, the emirates holding company responsible for conjuring up much of the desert city asked as nicely as they could for a six month debt holiday from their creditors.
Described as a dream location where ‘expansion has no limit’, Dubai was built on cheap immigrant labour (with obligatory absence of worker rights, squalid housing and a high rate of worker injuries and deaths) - all financed with borrowed money from the big global investment players. The creditor list includes plenty of UK interest with all the credit crunch villains involved, including RBS, Lloyds, HSBC and Standard Chartered PLC. In all British banks have a tidy £30bn ‘invested’’ in Dubai.
In a state with rapidly dwindling oil reserves and few natural resources, the idea was to stay afloat with income from property, trade and tourism to hold face with super-wealthy oil rich neighbours like Saudi Arabia and Oman. Well, you’ve got to keep up with the Al-Jones’ haven’t you?
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