Page 12 of 15
Re: Books!
Posted: July 10 21, 3:28 pm
by Famous Mortimer
I just finished "The Secret History", which I should have read years ago but just never got round to.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 13 21, 9:00 pm
by pioneer98
I recently read a self-help book called "The Drama of the Gifted Child" by Alice Miller. This book blew my mind. I definitely recommend if you've ever dealt with depression.
The negatives: It's not great writing and it's short and to the point - only 119 pages. It was written in 1979, and it is showing its age with respect to attitudes about certain things, as you could probably guess...but IMO that doesn't really detract from the main message of the book.
The positives/spoilers: The word "gifted" doesn't mean the kid was in gifted and talented class in school. By "gifted" she means the child could bend and suppress emotions from a very early age. Towards the end of the book, she described 3 different types of people with what she calls a "narcissistic disturbance". Each one of them perfectly described people I know very well. Each was only a paragraph, but it said so much in so few words. And there were other moments throughout the book that made me just stop because I had to process it because damn. I'm still processing it.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 14 21, 4:01 pm
by Famous Mortimer
Sounds like it's right up Mrs Mortimer's street. I'll mention it to her.
Just started on the Inheritance Trilogy by NK Jemisin, all three books and one extra novella in one hefty volume. Only 100 pages in and I'm already loving it. I've not read much fiction in recent years, but the last couple have been really good.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 7:48 am
by heyzeus
The Third Man wrote: ↑July 9 21, 11:01 pm
heyzeus wrote: ↑July 8 21, 8:28 am
So my kiddos (6 and 9 now) are obsessed with Harry Potter. They both finished the entire series awhile back, and I decided "hey, this weirdo book about child wizards channeling the occult...maybe I should read it too, just to make sure the thing they already read is appropriate for them." I'm a good parent.
Anyway, some observations:
-I appreciate the thinly veiled allegory to the rise of Nazi/totalitarian ideology. Rowling does a good job showing what gaslighting and propaganda is, without ever having to tell you that's what it is.
-I know Rowling is now considered Official Problematic because of her anti-trans stance, but the books have generally positive messages about acceptance and appreciation of people who are different than you.
-The hook-nosed goblins who control the wizarding banks did make me feel pretty meh, though.
-I could tell that the ending was gonna feature one of those "The fifth element is LOVE" kind of lessons. But it worked here.
-Harry can always read the mind of Voldemort, but it's never really explained why Voldemort isn't just reading the mind of Harry (since Harry never properly learns Occlumency). Thus, Voldemort should have had no trouble finding where Harry was hiding.
-Gotta love how Rowling names characters. If it's a bad guy, they get a name like Insidious Darkhouse. If you're a good guy, it's like Cloudlace Lovehaver.
-I won't say too much about Snape. Not sure I'm buying his story line, though.
-Am I supposed to now read all the other stuff too, like Cursed Child (the play) and the Fantastic Beasts stuff?
I will totally get into this tomorrow. I've read all those books a million times and as somebody who has lost a lot of his fondness for the material while still remaining admittedly indebted to the series for providing me with a memorable and enriching experience during a formative time in my life, it's a rich tension. [expletive] Rowling for sure, though.
Just following up. I want your hot Potter takes, Third Man.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 7:58 am
by sighyoung
I should ask my children what they really liked to read at that age, since they're both avid readers. The Potter books were coming out when my son was growing up, and at a certain point, we stopped as the books became a bit too mature and dark for his age. I don't know if he returned to them on his own, but we certainly liked the earlier books in the series.
It helps that my wife teaches and writes about children's and young-adult literature (she was president of the Children's Literature Association not too long ago). I'll pick their brains.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 9:37 am
by AWvsCBsteeeerike3
I haven't looked much into it, so sorry if there a lmgtfy link, but does anyone have any recommendations for a ~4th grade level series?
We bought little AW about 12 Captain Underpants books at the beginning of the pandemic that he finished in about 12 days. So, something more advanced than that. He got a Star Wars book but it's too advanced for him to read on his own so we take turns reading pages now at bedtime. But, he needs something he can read on his own that he won't finish the same day he starts it.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 12:08 pm
by heyzeus
AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote: ↑July 15 21, 9:37 am
I haven't looked much into it, so sorry if there a lmgtfy link, but does anyone have any recommendations for a ~4th grade level series?
We bought little AW about 12 Captain Underpants books at the beginning of the pandemic that he finished in about 12 days. So, something more advanced than that. He got a Star Wars book but it's too advanced for him to read on his own so we take turns reading pages now at bedtime. But, he needs something he can read on his own that he won't finish the same day he starts it.
Zeus Jr is going into 4th grade, and he really likes a series called Wings of Fire. It's like Lord of the Rings lite, and worth checking out if your kid likes the fantasy stuff.
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 12:11 pm
by heyzeus
sighyoung wrote: ↑July 15 21, 7:58 am
I should ask my children what they really liked to read at that age, since they're both avid readers. The Potter books were coming out when my son was growing up, and at a certain point, we stopped as the books became a bit too mature and dark for his age. I don't know if he returned to them on his own, but we certainly liked the earlier books in the series.
It helps that my wife teaches and writes about children's and young-adult literature (she was president of the Children's Literature Association not too long ago). I'll pick their brains.
I'd love to get their take! Harry Potter was designed for readers to be exactly the age of the protagonists of the books; when the books start the protagonists are 11, and the book is written on a reading and content level appropriate for an 11 year old. By the 7th and final book, the protagonists are 17, and the content is much more mature (even a few bad words like b!tch and b@stard are sprinkled in, which I didn't know when I let our precocious 5 year old read the entire season).
My other observation is that a whole [expletive] of kids die at Hogwarts. I gotta say, as a parent, when I'm looking into a boarding school, one important question is "what is your policy on your students dying gruesome deaths here?"
Re: Books!
Posted: July 15 21, 12:24 pm
by AWvsCBsteeeerike3
Thanks @heyzeus
Re: Books!
Posted: September 2 21, 2:40 pm
by The Third Man
heyzeus wrote: ↑July 15 21, 7:48 am
The Third Man wrote: ↑July 9 21, 11:01 pm
heyzeus wrote: ↑July 8 21, 8:28 am
So my kiddos (6 and 9 now) are obsessed with Harry Potter. They both finished the entire series awhile back, and I decided "hey, this weirdo book about child wizards channeling the occult...maybe I should read it too, just to make sure the thing they already read is appropriate for them." I'm a good parent.
Anyway, some observations:
-I appreciate the thinly veiled allegory to the rise of Nazi/totalitarian ideology. Rowling does a good job showing what gaslighting and propaganda is, without ever having to tell you that's what it is.
-I know Rowling is now considered Official Problematic because of her anti-trans stance, but the books have generally positive messages about acceptance and appreciation of people who are different than you.
-The hook-nosed goblins who control the wizarding banks did make me feel pretty meh, though.
-I could tell that the ending was gonna feature one of those "The fifth element is LOVE" kind of lessons. But it worked here.
-Harry can always read the mind of Voldemort, but it's never really explained why Voldemort isn't just reading the mind of Harry (since Harry never properly learns Occlumency). Thus, Voldemort should have had no trouble finding where Harry was hiding.
-Gotta love how Rowling names characters. If it's a bad guy, they get a name like Insidious Darkhouse. If you're a good guy, it's like Cloudlace Lovehaver.
-I won't say too much about Snape. Not sure I'm buying his story line, though.
-Am I supposed to now read all the other stuff too, like Cursed Child (the play) and the Fantastic Beasts stuff?
I will totally get into this tomorrow. I've read all those books a million times and as somebody who has lost a lot of his fondness for the material while still remaining admittedly indebted to the series for providing me with a memorable and enriching experience during a formative time in my life, it's a rich tension. [expletive] Rowling for sure, though.
Just following up. I want your hot Potter takes, Third Man.
I wrote a huge thing and I think it got eaten. I'll have to rework or dig it up. Damn it!