Winter reading

by **Adriana** » 30 Oct 2006, 13:01

Now that things are quietening down here and those long winter evenings by the fireside have become a reality, does anyone have any suggestions for the 'must read' list? :idea:

I've just finished J M Coetzee's 'Slow Man' which, though food for thought and all that, was not exactly something to brighten the mood, especially in the light of the recent rash of bike accidents. :cry:

by **Mille** » 30 Oct 2006, 13:13

I have a few must reads this winter, but I dont think they've been translated to English...
The first one is by Stieg Larson, M�nd der hader kvinder ( men who hates women) really really good!
The second one is the latest by Dan Brown
And then ofcourse Agatha Christie is always good to read over and over again.

by **Adriana** » 30 Oct 2006, 13:22

Some of the Scandanavian writers have been translated into German so I can pretend I am doing something 'improving' while reading thrillers etc!

Ah Agatha Christie - I also reread Dick Francis, Dorothy Sayers, Raymond Chandler, Margery Allingham...

ops:

by **benedetti** » 30 Oct 2006, 18:55

I am fan of J.M. Coetzee. I am just about to begin "Boyhood: A Memoir".
Wee Jimmy bought me 38 Shakespeare DVDs for my birthday on Friday so that should keep me busy this winter.

by **Mille** » 30 Oct 2006, 18:58

Happy B- day, Bene

by **benedetti** » 30 Oct 2006, 19:56

Thank you Mille. Was that wee lassie in the photograph with the baggy pants you by any chance?

by **Mille** » 30 Oct 2006, 20:09

Naah, me mum never stored me in a babyprison.

by **Kojak** » 30 Oct 2006, 21:05

I was given a copy of "Grumpy Old Men" :evil:

- from the TV series for my birthday earlier this year. Were they trying to tell me something?

ops: Anyway, that's next on my reading list - unless J K Rawling speeds up and finishes the next Harry Potter book of course....

by **Ozzie Geoff** » 05 Nov 2006, 04:35

I devoured books on Bali. Can recommend The First Casualty by Ben Elton, an excellent novel centred around the Western Front. LeCarre's new one is a bottler, centred around the corruption in the Congo..its hot off the press.
Read a John Francombe for the first time (Dead Weight), very similar in theme and style to Dick Francis.
Dug up an oldie, Ayn Rands We the Living. Would have to be one of the most poignant books I have read, bloody depressing. The first line says it all..."Petrograd smelled of carbolic acid". Has anybody read it?
Isn't reading one of life's great pleasures? I just shake my head when I hear somebody say that they never read a book. :?:

by **Adriana** » 06 Nov 2006, 08:10

Thanks for the suggestions - now to see what I can find in the book swap boxes on the island!

Haven't read Ayn Rand since Varsity, back in my idealistic 'change the world' days. Most of the stuff we really wanted to read was banned and books circulated the campus furtively, with brown paper covers... :twisted:

by **Ozzie Geoff** » 07 Nov 2006, 05:50

I guess you are talking about "Atlas Shrugged", Adriana.

by **Dave** » 08 Nov 2006, 22:04

Given the interest in alternative viewpoints and a certain interest in Bhuddism, try "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance" by Robert M. Pirsig.

Winter should see it through for, as short as it is - then smack yourself on the head and repeat after me ..... "What the f-f-flipping heck was that all about ?"

And if you get it/understand it drop me a short sweet note telling me why I'm a philistine !

by **Bina** » 11 Nov 2006, 13:46

Or, if you fancy non-fiction:

'Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox' by Victoria Finlay.

:mrgreen:

by **Joanie** » 11 Nov 2006, 18:13

"The Island" by Victoria Hislop about the leper colony "Spinalonga"a small island off the coast of Crete.It's a novel but parts of it are true,you probably heard of Spinalonga,seeing that you live in Symi.It's very good

by **merlin** » 13 Nov 2006, 14:46

Perhaps Adriana or someone could suggest a reading list so we can learn more about Symi - Dodecanese - Greece over the winter months before returning for Easter ( 8th April in 2007 )

by **Adriana** » 17 Nov 2006, 11:46

Hi Merlin,

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you - I don't have a phone line at the farm so I only check the forums on the two days a week I am in the office at this time of the year (the rest of the time I am doing rustic stuff).

Apart from the ubiquitious 'Bus Stop Symi' by William Travis there is the less known 'Meatballs and Mythology' by Daniel Spoerri. Then there is 'Astradeni' by Efghenia Fakinou (hope I have transliterated that correctly).

We also review in the Symi Visitor any books that we come across that we feel might be of interest to visitors to Symi, not necessarily because they are specifically about the island but because they provide background information or help to put things into context.

by **Richard** » 17 Nov 2006, 12:38

Unfortunately, Bus Stop Symi isn't that ubiquitous. The last copy sold on Ebay went for �35 last month, strangely enough to someone called Symi Visitor. Any relation?

by **Adriana** » 17 Nov 2006, 12:42

No - I have my own copy, bought from the stack room sale of Durban Municipal Library for four rand which is about 40 pence!

Probably someone flying under false colours - there seems to be a lot of that about at the moment :twisted:

by **Richard** » 21 Nov 2006, 12:34

I do have a copy of Spoerri's "Mythological Travels", which you mentioned above. I love the author's note "Magic, Meatballs and other Monkey Business Peculiar to the Sojourn of DS upon the Island of Symi, together with diverse speculations thereon". Did you use any of his recipes? It is very amusing about some of the residents, a few of which may well be identified. It was written in 1970 so some of them are doubtless still around.

by **OuVrou** » 21 Nov 2006, 14:17

Hi, you may be interested in the recommendations posted on the Halki Visitor site regarding books. "Knowledge of Angels" by Jill Paton Walsh is definitely worth a read and one, I intend to look at during the Christmas period is a George Eliot classic "Daniel Deronda". Another truly captivating read is "The Sparrow" (can't remember the author's name) and it's sequel "Children of God".

As you may have guessed (or not) I am a bookworm so any chat about books draws me like a moth to flame.

Happy reading.

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