So... what are you reading?

**frank_a** · 6th July 16, 06:20 AM

Boy, all you history buffs sure put me in my place! I'm just finishing the third (and last) trilogy in the Shannara series. Druids, men, elves, goblins, trolls, demonms, evil overlords, stuff like that. I also read Time, Rolling Stone, Street Rodder and National Geographic to keep up with my interests. The current Time has a good article on Brexit and mentions the Scots maybe looking for another way out of the UK so they can re-join the EU.

Och!

Frank

**The Q** · 7th July 16, 02:28 PM

Stories from South Uist, told by Angus MacLellan, translated from the Gaelic by John Lorne Campbell.
These short stories were recorded on Wire!!! In 1949-50 on South Uist.
There a a fairly long intro of explanation , a short life story of A.MacLellan,
some very old stories which probably have some basis in history but have long been fancifully embellished.
Then into a long section stories which are definately local happenings some modern enough to include steamer ferries and cars. All these had been grouped into humourous/ ghost/ Adventure.

The translator includes copious notes on all sections, connecting events places and dates to real history, place and time. Also included for the Gaelic reader, are some sections in the Gaidhlig where the Gaelic just doesn't translate properly and translator has had to approximate.

Generally I liked the book, some stories just leave you. ??? Or puzzled as to why it was a story to be told at all. Others are quite interesting. In many places the word patterns of the Gaidhlig come through and of course having lived there it was most interesting to read of places I knew.

**slothead** · 7th July 16, 05:42 PM

"Washington's Immortals", so far a story of the poor performance of the American Patriots against the Redcoats and Hessians (I'm only about 1/4 of the way through).

**GMan** · 8th July 16, 05:34 AM

A Year to Live by Stephen Levine. How to live this year as if it were your last.

**Knight** · 8th July 16, 05:56 AM

I just began reading Dracula after returning from Edinburgh. One of the tours I took suggested that Bram Stoker was inspired in part in his descriptions of Castle Dracula by Edinburgh Castle. That seemed like good motivation to me.

But I'm also DMing The Curse of Strand, a vampire-themed D&D game for my wife and friends, so it helps to "Go back to the source" to find inspiration.

**SeumasA** · 9th July 16, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by slothead

"Washington's Immortals", so far a story of the poor performance of the American Patriots against the Redcoats and Hessians (I'm only about 1/4 of the way through).

Just pick this one up, but haven't started it yet. Looks interesting.

**slothead** · 10th July 16, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by Knight

I just began reading Dracula after returning from Edinburgh. One of the tours I took suggested that Bram Stoker was inspired in part in his descriptions of Castle Dracula by Edinburgh Castle. That seemed like good motivation to me.

Interesting thought. I would not have suspected that. Having visited Edinburgh Castle and lots of others as well, Edinburgh Castle seemed pretty mundane to me compared to the others (although it seemed like more of a fortress than a castle). Perhaps it is the specific detail of the steps and pathways (that I cannot recall) from Dracula that would suggest the similarity.

**GMan** · 10th July 16, 02:10 PM

The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf

**The Q** · 11th July 16, 12:32 PM

Fatal Rivalry Flodden 1513 by George Goodwin.

There are 21 chapters and a large section of references in this 288 page book. As is the modern way, each chapter has a theme and only chapter 20 is about the battle itself.
Most of the chapters range throughout history even occasionally reaching the present day!! There is a lot of background information about the relationship of Scots/English/French/Spanish and the rest of Europe.

There were several facts I hadn't noticed before, such as the fact There were no kings of Scotland, they were crowned King of the Scots, an important distinction regarding the Gaels, the Strathclyde Welsh, and the people of the Northern Isles.

Although I lost my way a little as the time line restarted in each chapter I generally enjoyed and can recommend this book.

**Jimmy the Celt** · 19th July 16, 09:51 AM

Currently re-reading volume 6 of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos. I have lost track of how many times I've read these books except for the last three. Epic American fantasy.

Also about to begin reading Shakespeare's Common Prayers: The Book of Common Prayer and the Elizabethan Age by Daniel Swift.