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Apr. 22nd, 2005 09:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonJust a quick reminder to myself: resist the temptation to get more books. No, not even absurdly cheapie ones on half.com or similar. I've got books coming out my ears! Library books, gift books, unread magazines, pdf articles, books borrowed from friends, massive stack from when I used to have $. I am NOT suffering a dearth of reading material!
:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - finished about 2/3 but had to return to the library today (had holds). Good enough to keep me hooked, though not so fantastic that I can't be patient waiting to check it out again to finish. Premise: England has an alternative history of magical practice, which has mostly died out by the early 19th century, save a few "theoretical" magicians who read but don't practice. Out of years of secluded study, a Mr. Norrell revives English practice and takes on a student, and things turn out.. not as he'd planned ;) The writing is well done - it really gives the mood and syntax of the early 19th century and I think the author does a good job of "world building". Book geek note: many tantalizing descriptions of libraries full of rare books :)
Seeing Through Clothes - not as far along as I'd like, mostly because I was trying to finish "JS & MN". Very academic, but enlightening look at how clothing and textile is represented in art. The first chapter ("Drapery") reminded me that clothing in paintings doesn't always represent costumes worn in life; I'm barely into the 2nd chapter ("Nudity") and I am further reminded that artistic representation of the ideal nude is also heavily influenced by contemporary fashion in clothing. Very difficult for me to "sum up" what is obviously a heavily researched book with tons of examples. If you're interested in the social history of costume or the body, check it out.
The Catalyst and Other Stories - am in the middle of "The Catalyst", the novella which makes up the last part of the book. The "catalyst" in the story is an explicit S/M movie attended by a variety of couples/groups of partners, providing a frame for the following chapters which describe how the movie inspires them to new erotic adventures ;) Um.. need I say, yummy!
Unsolved Mysteries of History - birthday gift from my mom; covers some of my beloved Weird Stuff: Were the Neanderthals our ancestors? Could the Titanic have been saved? Did Richard III really kill the Princes in the tower? Standard fare in a single easily digested chapter for each, but plenty of endnotes if you want to go more in-depth.
Next up: "Demographics, sexual behaviour, family background and abuse experiences of practitioners of sadomasochistic sex: a review of recent research", an academic article that's about just what it says, Surpassing the Love of Men, The Passive Voice and/or Their Master's Voice.
:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - finished about 2/3 but had to return to the library today (had holds). Good enough to keep me hooked, though not so fantastic that I can't be patient waiting to check it out again to finish. Premise: England has an alternative history of magical practice, which has mostly died out by the early 19th century, save a few "theoretical" magicians who read but don't practice. Out of years of secluded study, a Mr. Norrell revives English practice and takes on a student, and things turn out.. not as he'd planned ;) The writing is well done - it really gives the mood and syntax of the early 19th century and I think the author does a good job of "world building". Book geek note: many tantalizing descriptions of libraries full of rare books :)
Seeing Through Clothes - not as far along as I'd like, mostly because I was trying to finish "JS & MN". Very academic, but enlightening look at how clothing and textile is represented in art. The first chapter ("Drapery") reminded me that clothing in paintings doesn't always represent costumes worn in life; I'm barely into the 2nd chapter ("Nudity") and I am further reminded that artistic representation of the ideal nude is also heavily influenced by contemporary fashion in clothing. Very difficult for me to "sum up" what is obviously a heavily researched book with tons of examples. If you're interested in the social history of costume or the body, check it out.
The Catalyst and Other Stories - am in the middle of "The Catalyst", the novella which makes up the last part of the book. The "catalyst" in the story is an explicit S/M movie attended by a variety of couples/groups of partners, providing a frame for the following chapters which describe how the movie inspires them to new erotic adventures ;) Um.. need I say, yummy!
Unsolved Mysteries of History - birthday gift from my mom; covers some of my beloved Weird Stuff: Were the Neanderthals our ancestors? Could the Titanic have been saved? Did Richard III really kill the Princes in the tower? Standard fare in a single easily digested chapter for each, but plenty of endnotes if you want to go more in-depth.
Next up: "Demographics, sexual behaviour, family background and abuse experiences of practitioners of sadomasochistic sex: a review of recent research", an academic article that's about just what it says, Surpassing the Love of Men, The Passive Voice and/or Their Master's Voice.
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Date: 2005-04-23 12:08 pm (UTC)