Bye bye PC - NOVA this week (July 30, 2016)

Observations from my weekly wanderings, usually in Northern Virginia (NOVA).

After more than 25 years of frustration with PCs, I’ve finally made the switch and NOVA this week is coming to you via my shiny new iMAC. I’m not going to say I absolutely love it yet – still getting used to the different buttonology. But, I’m pretty sure I won’t miss having processes slow down after a few months use, and I’m pretty sure I won’t miss Microsoft changing the operating system every couple years, and I’m pretty sure I won’t miss the irreparable hard drive crashing, and on, and on, and on.

Why did I wait 25 years? I'm Cheap. But I finally realized PCs aren’t cheaper if you replace them every 2-3 years. Now, I know the jury is still out. My iMAC hasn’t gone the distance yet and proven it’s worth the premium. But if everyone whom I know, who has made the switch is right – I should still be using this machine 4, or 5, or 6 years from now. Stay tuned.

The packaging is even more user friendly.

The Classics Club – July Meme: Question #43

A meme reboot from February 2015: Pick a book published since 2000 and say why you think it will be considered as a “classic” in the future.

I don’t think I answered this the first time, so...

Reading mostly classics, I don’t read many published since 2000 – exactly one in fact in the first 70 of 100. And then of course, it’s already considered a classic. So it’s the obvious choice, but a worthy one regardless.

Atonement by Ian McEwan. The “why?” is simple. It’s superbly written, with a compelling theme, and believable characters.

Now that I’ve been faithful to the precise rules of this meme, I’m going to cheat a little and mention one other that comes close: American Pastoral by Philip Roth, published 1997.

Recap of Novels 61-70

Average rating of novels 61-70 – 3.7 out of 5 stars

61. ★★★½        The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

62. ★★★½        A Farewell to Arms

63. ★★★★        American Pastoral

64. ★★★           A Bend in the River

65. ★★              Money
66. ★★★★        The Sheltering Sky
67. ★★★★        Tom Jones

68. ★★★★        Pride and Prejudice

69. ★★★★        War and Peace

70. ★★★★★     The Count of Monte Cristo

 

 

 

Favorite: The Count of Monte Cristo

Least Favorite: Money

Best Hero/Heroine: Princess Mary Bolkonskaya from War and Peace – she isn’t really heroic in the traditional sense, but she is the best person in any of these tales, and hence my choice.

Most Villainous: Danglars from The Count of Monte Cristo

Most interesting/Complex character: The Count of Monte Cristo aka Edmonde Dantes. Close second: a different count, from a different book, Count Pierre Bezukhov from War and Peace

Best Quotation:

…for the wicked are not so easily disposed of, for God seems to have them under his special watch-care to make of them instruments of his vengeance.  ~ The Count of Monte Cristo

Best Subtitle: Money: A Suicide Note  Opposite of a subtitle, Tom Jones is not the actual title of Fielding's novel, just a common shortened version of the full title: The Adventures of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Best film adaptation: I’m going to go out on a limb and say the 1963 rendition of Tom Jones (though I have not yet watched it). It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and was nominated for 6 more.

Worst film adaptation: 2002 version of The Count of Monte Cristo

A - Z survey

I got this from Zezee, and she says the origins are: Read Books and Drink Coffee. It was created by Jamie, the Perpetual Page-Turner.

It looked like a fun survey, and I’m bored with my current read. So here goes.

Author you’ve read the most books from:  Charles Dickens (but I still have more Dickens TBR than I’ve read)

Best sequel ever:  Hmmm…classics don’t give me a lot of sequels, so going back away when I was reading all of Tom Clancy. I’m gonna cheat a little, cuz this is actually a prequel. Clancy received so much mail asking about the origins of the character Clarke, that he finally wrote Without Remorse. It was probably my favorite Clancy novel…but it’s some pretty grim reading.

Currently reading: The Ambassadors (not loving it)

Drink of choice while reading: Wine (usually Malbec)

E-reader or physical book: eReader, but I own a hardcover of all the classics I’ve read, my bookshelf is a trophy case.

Fictional character you probably would have actually dated in high school: Jenny Gray from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Glad you gave this book a chance: Ender’s Game. I don’t read a lot of Sci-Fi, but I had to read this before the move. It was very good.

Hidden gem book: I’m not really sure what “hidden” means, other than perhaps, not that well known. So, I’ll say The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

Important moment in your reading life: Reading a novel in entirety at the Library of Congress.

Just finished: The Count of Monte Cristo (loved it)

Kinds of books you won’t read: Occult themes.

Longest book you’ve read: War and Peace

Major book hangover because of: Ulysses because it was such a chore to read.

Number of bookcases you own: 8

One book you have read multiple times: The Lord of the Rings

Preferred place to read: A bedroom in our home that serves as the library

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read: First, and I know I’m rather fussy about this, but it’s a quotation, not a quote. And this you can know—fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe. ~ The Grapes of Wrath

Reading regret: Long Story: I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was 10. In the back of the editions that I read, there was an address to join the Tolkien fan club. I always intended to – never did. And then the fantastic Peter Jackson films, and lo and behold ALL of the members of that original fan club had their names in the credits of the final movie. I shoulda been listed there.

Series you started and need to finish (all books are out in series): Dune (aka the Duniverse)

Three of your all-time favorite books: The Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Flies, and To Kill a Mockingbird (sorry Jillian, if it was FOUR all-time favorites Gone with the Wind would have made it.)

Unapologetic fangirl for: Ummm…yeah, I got nothin

Worst bookish habit: again, nothin

X Marks the Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book: Tom Jones

Your latest book purchase: Money

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late): The Count of Monte Cristo