The book thread

Jul 21, 2008
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E-readers are great for traveling as they take up no room. But at home it's a physical book or nothing. Have read several books on both formats and a physical book just reads better and you get more involved in the story
Yeah I prefer the physicality of a book to the portability of a piece of technology, except I think when I am traveling. Even still, if I could pick up 2nd hand or cheap new books along the way, I would prefer the book to the pad, kindle or reader.
 
Might be the ghoul in me, but one place I find intriguing is the Tarpeian Rock.

It's the place where in Roman Republican times, the state would execute traitors by literally hurling them off a sheer cliff called the Tarpeian Rock which is supposed to overlook the Forum.

Assume it's still there.... although this was over 2000 years ago.

If you see it and post a photo that would be something else...... no expectations mind you.

Enjoy the holiday!
Well this turned out to be quite an adventure!
Thanks Dawes:)
It wasn't what, or where, I was thinking it was; in fact when I found it it was very unimpressive, considering its history, and relatively unknown by the locals.
It was only by googling it and finding a recent photo that I managed to identify it.
However the search led me on a great adventure!
I ended up walking the entire perimeter of the Roman Forum, taking me into new areas, and linking things up from a different perspective, finally arriving at 'Capitol Hill'

So here is the infamous Rupe Tarpea

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1447319112.797533.jpg


Given that the ground is probably built up 20 metres it was obviously high enough to achieve its purpose, but now .....
 

The Dawes

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Well this turned out to be quite an adventure!
Thanks Dawes:)
It wasn't what, or where, I was thinking it was; in fact when I found it it was very unimpressive, considering its history, and relatively unknown by the locals.
It was only by googling it and finding a recent photo that I managed to identify it.
However the search led me on a great adventure!
I ended up walking the entire perimeter of the Roman Forum, taking me into new areas, and linking things up from a different perspective, finally arriving at 'Capitol Hill'

So here is the infamous Rupe Tarpea

View attachment 192649

Given that the ground is probably built up 20 metres it was obviously high enough to achieve its purpose, but now .....

Go to the top of the Class!

Outstanding.

You're right it doesn't look overly impressive, but it obviously did the job.

Sounds like you're having a fantastic time.
 
Reading book 3 of Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose fiction series.

Highlight so far is Princess Margaret's performance at a dinner party.

St Aubyn writes like Evelyn Waugh would have if he was born 60 years later.


What are you guys reading that you would recommend?

This sounds interesting. Fiction, but with real life events/characters? Evelyn Waugh was a wonderful writer. Such biting insights into the always fascinating British upper classes.

Have to say I've had a mostly disappointing year with reading. I started this thread in May with reference to Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and cant say I've read anything better since. Still highly recommended.

Am currently reading M L Stedman's The Light Between Oceans, which won several awards back in 2013. An Australian author, with the novel about a WWI return soldier who takes up a lighthouse keeper position on a remote Western Australian island. Not far into it, and the jury is still out for me.

Was recently discussing Xmas reading with my daughter and son-in-law. She has recently had something to do with a building in SA, which was designed by the Antarctic explorer Thomas Mawson. I recommended she read - and recommend this to everyone - his (non-fiction) account of his disastrous 1911-12 Antarctic expedition, The Home of the Blizzard. Its a ripper, hard to put down. I've read it twice and thinking of going a third time.
 
Yep, she uses key historical figures, events, etc and weaves them into a narrative. Probably takes some literary licence, but it's great reading.

I'd never read any of her books before now either - not sure I would read the Thorn Birds for example, but the Masters Of Rome series is quite fascinating and very informative re the Roman way of life, body politic, etc.

It's been a real eye-opener for someone like me who had never really been 'into' Rome as such.

Enjoy what I hope will be an ongoing obsession with the Romans! I was interested in the Republic/Empire for a while before I found the Masters of Rome series, but those books brought Sulla and Marius to life in a way that historical works never could.

Sulla--Has there ever been such a brutal romantic?

The line between history and fiction can be blurred, but after you've read the series (or even while you're reading it) you might consider the more historical but no less colourful work of Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars. Back to fiction, I can't recommend highly enough The Claudius Novels by Robert Graves.
 

The Dawes

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Enjoy what I hope will be an ongoing obsession with the Romans! I was interested in the Republic/Empire for a while before I found the Masters of Rome series, but those books brought Sulla and Marius to life in a way that historical works never could.

Sulla--Has there ever been such a brutal romantic?

The line between history and fiction can be blurred, but after you've read the series (or even while you're reading it) you might consider the more historical but no less colourful work of Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars. Back to fiction, I can't recommend highly enough The Claudius Novels by Robert Graves.

Great suggestions, thank you.

I can feel the obsession growing already!
 
Anyone read this?

It's amazing. 3/4 through it and incredible story. I visited Jerusalem and Palestine a few years ago and I wish I'd read it prior.
Also amazing that I brought home a coin of around 31BC set in a necklace of Mark Anthony's ship of the Caesar / Cleopatra era. Incredible history
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Zombie Myths of Australian Military History (Sub titled: 10 Myths That Will Not Die) by Craig Stockings

Haven't read that one, though I'm familiar with one of the contributors, Peter Stanley. Stanley's Bad Characters is a study of the underside of the Anzac legend, as entertaining as it is insightful.
 
DinoSoar following Jodi Picoult's recent visit, went out and bought her latest book. 'small great things', thoroughly recommend.
Think that this is one of her best.

Normally I sit down and read a few chapters a time when I am enjoying a book, but I am finding it difficult as get really angry, then have to put it down.

Let me know if you are reading and I would be interested in how you found it.
 
Oct 14, 2015
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Currently reading: Flaubert's Madame Bovary and David Marr's The Prince.

Have a bit of a crush on Emma Bovary even though I know she is a heart-breaker.

Marr describes the rise of George Pell and his connection to the abuses by clergy. The writing is powerful because it is casual, economical, and forensic.
 
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DinoSoar following Jodi Picoult's recent visit, went out and bought her latest book. 'small great things', thoroughly recommend.
Think that this is one of her best.

Normally I sit down and read a few chapters a time when I am enjoying a book, but I am finding it difficult as get really angry, then have to put it down.

Let me know if you are reading and I would be interested in how you found it.

I haven't read it as yet but will put it on my to do list and then we can dissect it when I'm done. I've always wanted to be part of a book club but never managed to find the time - this thread is awesome :orangebook::D
 
Currently reading: Flaubert's Madame Bovary and David Marr's The Prince.

Have a bit of a crush on Emma Bovary even though I know she is a heart-breaker.

Marr describes the rise of George Pell and his connection to the abuses by clergy. The writing is powerful because it is casual, economical, and forensic.
Love Marr, very dry and yes casual and doesn't suffer fools.
Doesn't hold back when discussing Pell.
Might check the book out.
 
DinoSoar following Jodi Picoult's recent visit, went out and bought her latest book. 'small great things', thoroughly recommend.
Think that this is one of her best.

Normally I sit down and read a few chapters a time when I am enjoying a book, but I am finding it difficult as get really angry, then have to put it down.

Let me know if you are reading and I would be interested in how you found it.

Finally getting myself organised with my Christmas break and holiday reading and so I've logged onto my local library to borrow my reading list. Small great things is waitlisted and I've placed my hold but there are 30 people ahead of me across 5 copies :eek::eek: ... going to be a little while before I get my hands on it. I've read the synopsis and it looks like a quite challenging and thought provoking theme, hopefully the wait for a copy won't be too long.
 

deltablues

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A song of stone by ian bainks... very original and different book. Great read... interesting twist. Also bainks publishes a sci fi series under ian m bainks whIch take some getting into initially but once youre there you are hooked big time. Again very original and full of wonderful sci fi technology and concepts.

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For those of us who have some literary pretensions, confessing to like sci-fi is akin to asking the help desk at your local bookshop directions to the section on pornography (it's usually at the back, according to a friend)- but I have been a sci-fi fan from Isaac Asimov days, and Iain Banks was a recent star, especially with his Culture series. Unfortunately he was taken from us by cancer 18 months ago.

I wonder if anyone here has read W Somerset Maugham's collected short stories, set in pre-War England, Asia and South Pacific? Excellent plots and wonderful concise English.

The short story is technically quite hard to achieve, as Oscar Wilde realized when he apologized to an acquaintance after returning from vacation - "I was going to write you a postcard but I didn't have time".
 
Oct 14, 2015
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For those of us who have some literary pretensions, confessing to like sci-fi is akin to asking the help desk at your local bookshop directions to the section on pornography...

Yeah, good writing is good writing whatever genre

In case you haven't read it, a great piece of speculative fiction, and of novella length, is Kafka's Metamorphosis
 
Yeah, good writing is good writing whatever genre

In case you haven't read it, a great piece of speculative fiction, and of novella length, is Kafka's Metamorphosis

Bless his melancholic soul. We all know how Gregor feels on the morning of a hangover.
 
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