(no subject)

[shadesong]

Oh, good, it's Wednesday already!

Today's SARK calendar page is simply this: "What brings you pleasure?"

Well. That is the question of the day. What brings you guys pleasure?

The other question of the day: What are you reading? I'm still reading "Through Wolf's Eyes" at lunch, but I expect to finish it and start "Maximum Light" by Nancy Kress today. At home, I'm reading "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman and "Bitch Goddess" by Robert Rodi.

You?

Comments

[ga-sunshine.livejournal.com]

I'm still trying to catch up on journals!! But, it's still mostly the same -- "Dreamcatcher," "Toddler Adoption," "Mysterious Island" (Book 3 of Secrets of Droon with the 7 year old), and "The Hobbit" (again and again and again! Some people put a bible on their nightstand, I scoff at that!!!). :-)

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

How are you guys liking Droon? I bought the first book for Elayna, but we haven't read it yet...

Re:

[ga-sunshine.livejournal.com]

HE loves it! He is seven, but reading several years above his grade level, and is far superior to any mortal man in my humble opinion. We are on book 3 and we've both through book 7. He liked The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings better, but this is good bedtime reading. We alternate between the Droon series and the Baronet Great Illustrated Classics (we just finished Swiss Family Robinson and are on The Three Musketeers now, which he loves, too! Thatsa my boy!).

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, Elayna's still working her way through Narnia. I hope my parents are keeping her on track with that!

[yendi]

What brings me pleasure? Not much that isn't cliched. Spending time with you and Elayna, reading a good book, playing games that stretch my mind and imagination, watching the gerbils, etc.

Reading: Just finished One fot the Money by Janet Evanovich(damned good writing, horribly predictable ending -- anyone who didn't see it coming has just read their first mystery novel), and will be starting In the Company of Mind, by Stephen Piziks at lunch today.
At home, I'm still reading The Dream of Scipio in small doses, as well as Murder One, Body Trauma (research), and the omnibus of the first two Callisto novels (and realizing just how much the folks at Tellos borrowed from it).

[auryn29a.livejournal.com]

I've just read almost all the Ender books by Orson Scott Card. I just don't feel like going back in time and read Ender's Shadow just now. I also just read Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold. I really love that author.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I so love Bujold... I was laughing out loud all through A Civil Campaign...

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading Curse of Chalion for the first time. Like with all her universes, it was slow going through the first half of the book, while she introduces the characters, the concepts, and the world.

Favourite highlights near the end:
Cazaril (the main character) writing poetry to his lady-love's NOSE
The discussion between him and his best friend, Palli, regarding the idea that the Lady might have put his soul back in backwards..."So now you leak poetry. Huh."

::giggle::

[gallowglass.livejournal.com]

What brings me pleasure? A good book; being around people I like, scenery that reminds me of Scotland, or which is in fact Scotland, especially being on the Isle of Arran, still my spiritual home.

At work, I'm reading The Death of Clitus by Elizabeth Carney; The Tumult and the Shouting: Two Interpretations of the Cleitus Episode by A. B. Bosworth and Alexander’s Order during the Cleitus Episode by N. G. L. Hammond (note the theme <.g>).

Outside work, I'm still wandering my way through Lives of the Artists by Vasari as well as reading Year of the Hare by Mark Finn and a Bill Willingham short story The Possible Werewolf and the Practicing Witch.

[yendi]

Where could one find this Willingham short story?

[gallowglass.livejournal.com]

It's one of the stories at Clockwork Storybook (http://www.clockworkstorybook.com) which began as an online urban fantasy project created by Willingham, Mark Finn, Chris Roberson and Matthew Sturges, which has also expanded into offline published fiction. Its been around for three or four years now. Check the archive after you get to the main page.

The CWSB Forum is also home to the official Fables letter page

[yendi]

Thanks -- I knew about the Fables lettercol, but not the rest of the site.

[gallowglass.livejournal.com]

Someone mentioned it to me not long after it began and I've been reading on and off ever since.

[mfree.livejournal.com]

What brings me pleasure?

Enjoying my surroundings

Good, hard work that doesn't have stress attached to it

Getting all grungy under the hood (this counts as the previous)

Completing something... anything...

Knowing something I built works perfectly

Learning and understanding something totally new

Meeting new friends

Pleasure, hmmm

[deza.livejournal.com]

Snuggling the kids.
Watching someone I've taught have their "lightbulb moment."
Discovering a new favorite author--no matter how many times I've discovered them before.
Hearing Rowan recount her day.
Drinking the nightly mug of hot tea.
Accomplishing a goal that I've set for myself.
Spending time with my true friends.
And then there's the obvious answer, but you already knew that, didn't you? ;)

Pleasure

[manifestress.livejournal.com]

What brings me pleasure - most anything that engages my senses - skin, color, variations in texture - my friends, beauty in my surroundings. Dark Chocolate.

[iroshi.livejournal.com]

Dancing until I don't notice anyone around me, until there's just me, the music, and my Lady.
Sudden wind on a hot day.
Being smiled at.
Being the object of passion.

And, of course, all the standard answers: random hugs from my kids, spending time with my SOs, etc.

I just finished reading Bujold's Curse of Chalion, and haven't started anything else yet. Read a *very* nice long Due South fanfic by Resonant last night, The Teeth of the Hydra. Absolutely fabulous.

[ex-ilk.livejournal.com]

Giving pleasure brings me untold pleasure. Surprising myself and others.

Books?

I'm re-reading Stiffed by Susan Faludi and (slowly) The Fermata by Nicholson Baker.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Haven't read The Fermata yet - how is it so far?

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

yay! Wednesday's Laundry Day! =)

what brings me pleasure? hmmm...

• petting and playing with my goofy cats


• spending time with my close friends -- doesn't matter what we're doing, it's the time spent that counts


• drawing -- again, doesn't matter what i'm drawing, it's the act itself


• cuddling -- doesn't matter who, i just love to cuddle [though cuddling someone i'm emotionally or romantically involved with is better still]


• a nice hot soaky bath


• a really good hot cuppa chai or coffee or tea

i'm a Mouse of Simple Pleasures...

[auryn29a.livejournal.com]

Pleasure: beauty, kindness, truth.

(Thank you, Dream Theater.)

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

Technically it's "kindness, beauty, truth". :)

You going to make any of the shows during the southeast leg of the tour?

cheers,
Phil

Re:

[auryn29a.livejournal.com]

D'oh! Thanks for the correction! I haven't heard the song in a while. Actually, I don't know when/where they're playing. I'll have to check that out.

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

Oops. The tour dates page (http://www.dreamtheater.net/tour.htm#usdates) says that the closest show to you is probably the one here in Atlanta at the Tabernacle on August 24th. No shows in NC. There've been a lot of complaints from people in various cities that the band is ignoring them, and I can kind of see that.

cheers,
Phil

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

Pleasure: reading, computers, writing, gaming, friends, and of course the perennial MUSIC.

Reading: Re-working my way through the Majipoor trilogy by Robert Silverberg. "Lord Valentine's Castle" is one of my favorite books of all time.

cheers,
Phil

[technomom]

I'm almost done with A Sorceror's Treason by Sarah Zettle. I read Sanctuary: An Epic Novel of Thieves World by Lynn Abbey Sunday.

[songwind.livejournal.com]

I like things I can abandon myself in. Physical pleasures, a challenging problem, play with the kids.

Right now I'm reading "Retief!", a collection of Keith Laumer stories about, naturally enough, Retief.
I am also reading "Shadowland" still, but that seems to have been overcome by the gadget lust inherent in being able to read books on my Handspring Visor.

[dslartoo.livejournal.com]

Dude! Where'd you find that Retief collection? I've only read one Laumer story, but it was a Retief story and I've been scouring used bookstores ever since looking for more Laumer.

cheers,
Phil

Baen Free Library!

[songwind.livejournal.com]

Definitely check out the Baen Free Library (http://www.baen.com/library). Baen authors are allowed to put their works up for free download for as long as they want. Retief! is a compilation edited by Eric Flint and it's available there for download. I am reading it on my Visor, but it's also available online as HTML or downloadable as PDF. There are few others as well - David Weber has 5 or 6 books (mostly older Honor Harrington stuff) up, and one or two by Misty Lackey, and several more that didn't lodge in my brain.

[mfree.livejournal.com]

Oof, missed the second part. Tonight I'm starting on "The arrogance of power", about the Nixon administration. Before that, though, it was "The Starship Titanic" for the second time, and another I can't remember, it was a murder mystery. I'll read just about anything...

More than one answer to these questions...

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

Pleasure: completing something/accomplishing goals, nature's variations, family, friends, tactility, engaging the brain, reading, singing, cooking.

Reading: In the middle of Story of O but I put it down over a week ago, haven't picked it up again; Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolf... and hypothetically the two textbooks for the class I'm teaching. (Coraline is waiting for me. Do you read his blog? It's already been picked up by Hollywood... Here's his webpage.)

Re: More than one answer to these questions...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

I keep forgetting to read his blog! Coraline is wonderful so far, of course. :) What are you teaching?

Re: More than one answer to these questions...

[avivasedai.livejournal.com]

I teach career development. We cover the job hunt process: self-assessment, researching the job market, looking at specific companies, preparing resume, cover letter, verbal and non-verbal behavior at interviews, mock interviewing, putting together a portfolio, and lots and lots of anecdotes from the students. It's a good class and so necessary, especially at my school.

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

I was going to do a laundry list thing but I've done that before. I realized that a major activity that brings me pleasure is finding new things that bring me pleasure. :)

As for what I am reading. I just finished Sword and Sorceress II, edited by MZB. I've started Wizardry Compiled by Rick Cook, I'm in the middle of Teckla by Steven Brust, I've read three of the stories in MetroGnome by Alan Dean Foster and I'm about a third of the way through Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter.
I tend to do better when I'm reading multiple books at the same time.

I am rereading the Taltos saga because I picked up the latest one and had no idea what they were talking about. It's a very enjoyable re-read.

I'm reading GEB for the third time. It's probably not a surprise that I get something new out of it every time.

[yendi]

I am rereading the Taltos saga because I picked up the latest one and had no idea what they were talking about. It's a very enjoyable re-read.

Ain't it, though? As you probably gathered from my screen name, it's one of my all-time favorite series. The third book in the Phoenix Guards series is coming out in just a few months. Two Brust books in just a little more than a year! A modern miracle!

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

I hadn't really thought about it. I associated the freakazoid picture with you so much that I hadn't thought about the name.
I'm in the middle of Taltos now. Have you ever seen anything that gave an earth-equivelent animal to each of the names? Yendi seems to be snake like, Athyra is bird-like, etc.

I hadn't heard about a new Phoenix Guards book. That's really exciting...

[yendi]

There's a good list up at http://www.math.ttu.edu/~kesinger/brust/houses.html
swiped from Dzurlord, an admittedly non-canon book (it was the choose-your-own-adventure Dragaera book).

There's a really good (and active) Brust mailing list (the Man himself is active on it) with a webpage at http://dragaera.info/ and lots of good links from there.

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

Dammit. I was trying to leave...
:)