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Post by grandpalovegood on Jul 26, 2012 14:20:25 GMT -6
OK...I've put this off for far too long. Currently, I have been hooked on this book I'm reading. I'm going to die when it ends. I know in the past I've mentioned how much I love short stories... faerie tales.... mysteries and such. Well, this book is called " Nordic Gods and Heroes" by Padraic Colum. I originally went to the book store hoping to get a children's book version of this one, but the one I have my eye on will not be released until mid September. Still, I'm much more happier with the one I brought home than I thought. So much more. Anyway, I love this book for many other reasons not just because it is a collection of short stories. I've always been interested in mythology. I've always watched just about any TV show out there about mythical creatures and figures. The Titian's and the stories from Greek mythology. Same for ancient stories about places like Egypt and the Pharaohs. I"m part Native American, so I've also loved listening to the things that they believe.. stories passed down to them and their own histories. Then again, I know I've mentioned more than once how I have always loved superheroes in comic books and cartoon shows etc. since I was a child. Also, the myths and legends of people like Merlin, King Arthur, Robin Hood etc. Then the fact that I lived in Germany for a good portion of my younger life, there was also a history full of lore and faerie magic and monsters. Then to also be drawn towards legends from Ireland and Scotland where my forefathers used to live before they came here.... fairies and leprechauns... dragons and much more. These all fascinated me so. With all of these things I've loved through my life, here was something that really took me by surprise, these stories from Ancient Germany, Scandinavia and the Anglo-Saxon peoples. We've all heard about them... Thor used to be a cartoon when I was six years old. A comic book character further back than that. Not to mention worshiped to be true since before Christianity. I"m hooked on this world, I guess because I'm just now really discovering it for the first time. It's right up my alley so to speak. I really can see where Tolkien and JKR did their homework when they came across these stories. Part of why I love their stories so. 'Nordic Gods and Heroes'by Padraic Colum ps.... Erin... remember when I said that I was going to look up the word Valhala? Well, I did.  |
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Post by rin68nyr on Jul 26, 2012 15:03:46 GMT -6
...and what did you find out, Miss C?
Erin
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Post by grandpalovegood on Jul 26, 2012 15:49:55 GMT -6
...and what did you find out, Miss C? Erin Well, Valhalla is where the "honoured" dead go when they die. See, they are only immortal if they eat the apples from Iduna. She is the one who tends to this tree of golden apples. Only she can pick them. Also, she has to be the one to literally hand them to the Gods herself. If someone else tries to, the apples will shrivel up and rot within their hands. Anyway, each night right after dinner, the people of Asgard will all line up at her garden's gate for her to hand them one. See, these apples have the power of rejuvenating the one who eats it. It keeps them from growing old, getting sick, growing weak or dieing. It keeps them in their prime. In a way, as long as they eat them they are immortal. BUT the people of Asgard can still be killed in battle... or without the apples they can die of natural means. So... Valhalla is where the honoured dead go when they die. Hel is where the dishonoured dead go. Gives a whole new meaning to the old saying, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." ;D |
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Post by rin68nyr on Jul 26, 2012 18:11:57 GMT -6
Wow who knew? When I looked up the info., I just saw who was buried there, and worked taht into my story (I would have loved to have gone deeper into that part, but the whole thing had to be under 500 words).
Erin
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Post by grandpalovegood on Jul 26, 2012 18:54:03 GMT -6
I know what you mean. I not only have read the first half of this book, but I"ve looked online for all else I could learn. Much of what I found made the book make better sense during my reading. There just is too much info out there to hear it all.. but I'm going to give it my best try. |
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Post by grandpalovegood on Jul 27, 2012 12:53:47 GMT -6
I found a HUGE Harry Potter connection in the book I'm reading. Turns out that Fenrir is the name of the son of Loki and an evil witch-giant. He takes the form of a giant wolf. He's very strong and very dangerous. You know JKR did her research on this character for hers. |
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Post by grandpalovegood on Aug 8, 2012 9:21:11 GMT -6
OK now that I've finished that book. I had to go look up other versions of this one. See, these are normally a collection of short stories that all make up one big story. If I am reading it right, as to where the origin of these tales come from, they are taken from two different people's poems. THose were written in an ancient language so you have to take into account the language translation would be different depending upon who translates it into english. Before all of this, they were stories collected, taken from ancient runes. Not to mention by word of mouth handed down from generation to generation. A Norse religion still worshiped as late as 800 years ago. Then of course depending upon who the person was who did the translation, it's been said that the Christian translator entertwined some of these stories to mimic those of their own religion. I understand why they did that was to make this Pagan religion more easier to adapt to Christianity with time. Hey, I think it worked. LOL... Still, I want to read both version or see some of the stories the book I just finished didn't add to their book. Yes... I'm hooked. So yesterday, another Norse Mythology book I ordered just arrived in the mail. I've already noticed it has about double the stories as the one I just finished has. I love that it also has a place in back that tells me the difference in other versions of each and every tale they have. COOL!!!! I started it last night. (still in the into though. LOL.) OH it's called The Penguin Book of Norse Nyths Gods of the Vikings by Kevin Crossley-Holland. I"m having so much fun with this. I love discovering cool stories that people once believed in. Some of these crack me up. Some gross me out. ;D .................... On the other hand. I also went to the Comic Book Store yesterday. I know I've mentioned how I am a superhero fan. I loved the Avengers film as well as the first Thor and Captain America films. I'm looking forward to next year for their part two's. Why am I posting this here? I went to the Comic Book Store when I heard that I can catch up on all of the OLD 1960's and 1970's comics.  I thought in order to refreshen my memory of Marvel's version, I was going to have to buy one comic at a time. No way. I've been down that collector's alley before. I don't want to go down it again.  Someone told me that they have sets of copies of the original comics from back in the day. They are all in one binding. They did this just in case someone from that time might have missed a comic or two for their reading pleasure. WOW. I have one on order that has the first 29 Thor comics that that character began with. There are 5 volumes to date of the one I have my eye on. For the time being, I bought one of another that is like The Essentials that I'm waiting on. THis one I bought yesterday has only 9 and it's one of many volumes of it's collection. I read the first comic... I cracked up laughing the whole way through. It was so much fun. I forgot how goofy comic books were... and now that I'm supposed to be an adult, they look so different to me. OH this one is called, 'Marvels Masterworks Vol 30 OK.... I"m hopeless. |
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Post by fangsfan1 on Aug 20, 2012 19:09:53 GMT -6
Rereading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and A Feast for Crows by George Martin.
Also reading The Sorceress by Michael Scott and Sir Thursday by Garth Nix.
POA is fun to read with all the references to Scabbers and the sneakoscope going off, etc, knowing what I didn't know when I read it for the first time.
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Post by fangsfan1 on Sept 22, 2012 19:48:13 GMT -6
Almost done rereading POA.
Also reading 11/22/63 by Stephen King, interestingly another book involving time travel.
Also reading The Black Candle by Catherine Cookson and rereading A Dance With Dragons by George R R Martin.
And books by two of my favorite authors, JK Rowling and Libby Bray, are coming out. SO I have lots of good reading ahead.
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Post by misscharlotte on Sept 23, 2012 7:45:20 GMT -6
They have been playing POA on tv a lot recently. I've had it on in the background when I catch it on. So what is The Black Candle about? Sounds spooky. ANd I think I've heard of A Dance with Dragons somewhere? Please do tell.  Yep... Getting prepaired for new books to read. I know that one well. I have so many I am looking forward to cracking open but mine still sit on my shelf. It's going to be a good winter. Then just yesterday, when trying to find something on tv to watch while I ate a quick sandwitch... I caught a documentary on Joan Crawford's will. Seems like when we all saw Mommie Dearest on tv, we were only given part of the story. I didn't recall her ever adopting a set of twin girls before? She remembered them in her will and left out Christina and Christopher... the two we saw. Now, it makes me want to go out and buy the book to see what the film left out. UGH! Why do movies do that to me?  ;D ...... Nearly forgot.... I"m about half way through volume one of my Thor comics. I thought there were about 30 comics in there, but I was wrong. That is all they have listed on the table of contents. Some comics have two stories in it. The main story and then another one called Tales of Asgard. The second ones are my favorite. Still, if feels good to finally put my bookmark in the middle of this two inch book. I"m also still reading Game of Thrones. For some reason, I guess my comic book reading has made me feel like reading a real book is taking forever. Every time I pick it up I get a lot of story to think about.. but very few pages turned. It's all packed in there. This is what I'm getting ready to do. My house is quiet. My dvr is recording this series as I type this up now. Off to an out of the way, quiet corner with this book. Tootles  |
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Post by fangsfan1 on Sept 28, 2012 19:07:41 GMT -6
Dance With Dragons is the fifth and most recent in the Game of Thrones series so that was probably why it seemed familiar Miss Charlotte. As for the Black Candle, your right it does sound like a scary book. It's actually a novel about a family in England in the 1800's, they had a candle factory, thus the title.
I know it takes me a long time to read the Game of Thrones books too, I read all the time but I am a slow reader. I think because there's so many POV's it's almost like reading a whole lot of books at once, maybe that's why it takes longer?
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Post by misscharlotte on Oct 4, 2012 6:35:19 GMT -6
OH... Then you know Dance With Dragons will be on my to get list. That is a certainty. Please, let us know what you think about the Candle book. Sounds interesting. Hey... Does anyone have JKR's book that is out now? If you do, how is it so far? |
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Post by misscharlotte on Oct 4, 2012 7:23:07 GMT -6
I found this a couple of weeks ago by accident. Still, I loved it. It makes me think of books and friends. Note: Harry Potter places is the only one mentioned twice. I know this is not really funny, but I think it's cute. For all of you.  ![]() i50.TP .com/eunjao.jpg[/img] |
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Post by fangsfan1 on Oct 4, 2012 8:46:38 GMT -6
I love this Miss Charlotte. I've read all those books except for the one after the Shire that I can't make out. This is so cool, thanks!
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Post by misscharlotte on Oct 6, 2012 15:29:46 GMT -6
I know what you mean. I've only read a few but I know the refrence to many of the others. I wonder what that other one is?
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Post by Duddahs on Oct 6, 2012 16:16:02 GMT -6
I am presently reading Casual Vacancy. Not too far along but I like it so far.
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Post by misscharlotte on Oct 7, 2012 11:37:29 GMT -6
YAY for someone here reading JKR's new book! |
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Post by misscharlotte on Nov 14, 2012 15:52:05 GMT -6
YAY for someone here reading JKR's new book! So what do you guys think about it? |
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Post by Duddahs on Nov 15, 2012 11:11:02 GMT -6
YAY for someone here reading JKR's new book! So what do you guys think about it? A very good ADULT book! If you are not too offended by some off color language, then I would highly recommend Casual Vacancy! I see a movie in the making too! |
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Post by misscharlotte on Nov 16, 2012 15:03:50 GMT -6
Really? It's that good? Cool. I've seen other people's opinion of this book and I could not help but think they were expecting it to be in the style of Harry Potter, so since they said it was not like that, that they were disapointed. I thought I'd rather hear what you guys thought about it here first. Sounds like something to add to my Christmas wish list. thanks.
Anyone else here have thoughts?
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I thought in order to refreshen my memory of Marvel's version, I was going to have to buy one comic at a time. No way. I've been down that collector's alley before. I don't want to go down it again. 
Someone told me that they have sets of copies of the original comics from back in the day. They are all in one binding. They did this just in case someone from that time might have missed a comic or two for their reading pleasure. WOW. I have one on order that has the first 29 Thor comics that that character began with. There are 5 volumes to date of the one I have my eye on. 
;D
