Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Has anyone here read Henry IV, Part 1?

The Shakespeare Festival is coming up soon and I usually read the plays shortly before going to see them.

I have plenty of experience with his tragedies and comedies but I don't think I've ever seen or read one of the histories.

Does anyone know if I'll need to read Part 2 right away? Is there a some sort of resolution at the end of part 1 or is there a cliff-hanger ending?

(The other play this year is The Two Gentlemen of Verona which I've never seen either, so both plays are new to me this year. Yay!!)

I haven't, Melanti.


Does anyone (in the northern hemisphere) miss the snow? (lol)


Got to be in the 80s here (Fº). I think I might MELT! omgosh, did last winter wreck me for warm weather? I can barely stand it! (heh)

MK wrote: "I haven't, Melanti.


Does anyone (in the northern hemisphere) miss the snow? (lol)


Got to be in the 80s here (Fº). I think I might MELT! omgosh, did last winter wreck me for warm weather? I can ..."


I am always yelled at by people when I say this lol but I hate summer.

Autumn is my favorite season, but its so short here in Buffalo. We get a lot of snow but i dont mind it so much. At least when you're cold, you can put on extra layers, get hot chocolate, a blanket, and snuggle with a good book.

In summer, you cant shed your skin. I'm a redhead too, so if I get too much sun I burst into flames haha
Heat makes me nauseous. I don't tan, I burn, so i tend to stay out of the sun anyways. And there's nothing grosser than sweat.

So yes, go away summer

lol! (Glad it's not just me, Alissa :D)

Nope, MK.

Melanti, I tried watching the Hollow Crown series made by BBC (in December) but I should have concentrated more. I can't remember how that part ended... (Unless it was the battle...Probably not.) I do think the plot continues from Part I to Part II, though maybe not "cliffhanger-like". (I had just seen Tom Hiddleston as Loki and now he was Prince Hal. :-P)

Tytti - I'm a bit envious perhaps, of the Finnish summer Maarit showed me recently :D

MK wrote: "Tytti - I'm a bit envious perhaps, of the Finnish summer Maarit showed me recently :D"

Well, some American meteorologist claimed we would get a heatwave at the end of the summer. And it seems next week will be warm again.

@Alissa

I also hate summer. It's so yucky and unpleasant. I hate the high temperatures and damp humidity that makes one perspire profusely! Where I live, the climate is humid like a swamp!

I stay indoors with the AC as much as possible. No sitting at "outdoor" restaurants and patios for me ;-).

MK wrote: "Got to be in the 80s here (Fº). I think I might MELT! omgosh, did last winter wreck me for warm weather? I can barely stand it! (heh) "

Uh, only 80? Is that your high or the morning temp? It's 9 am and already 80 out with 84% humidity. High for today is in the mid 90s. And this year seems unusually cool so far. (Not that I'm complaining! I love cool!) Still have 3 or 4 more months of summer to get through though.

And yes, I miss snow a LOT! I haven't seen more than a dusting of snow in over a decade.


Tytti wrote: "Melanti, I tried watching the Hollow Crown series made by BBC (in December) but I should have concentrated more. I can't remember how that part ended... (Unless it was the battle...Probably not.) I do think the plot continues from Part I to Part II, though maybe not "cliffhanger-like". (I had just seen Tom Hiddleston as Loki and now he was Prince Hal. :-P) "

Thanks for the info. I should just trust that the directors wouldn't leave us hanging at a cliffhanger, but after the travesty they made out of "Antony and Cleopatra" last year, I don't have as much faith as I used to. They cut out the vast majority of Acts III and IV and skipped from the end of Act II to the battle scenes and epilogue. In effect, they left out half the play!

But I guess that means that if there WERE a cliffhanger ending they might just cut that off too.

Melanti wrote: "Thanks for the info."

More like "info" because I really don't remember. I don't have much experience with Shakespeare.

Melanti wrote: "Uh, only 80? Is that your high or the morning temp? It's 9 am and already 80 out with 84% humidity. High for today is in the mid 90s. And this year seems unusually cool so far. (Not that I'm complaining! I love cool!) Still have 3 or 4 more months of summer to get through though.

And yes, I miss snow a LOT! I haven't seen more than a dusting of snow in over a decade...."

Low 80s has been the highs :p. I've turned into a total wimp! heh

It has rained here the whole day and only just about an hour ago it stopped. It was said in the weather forecast that it should get more warmer in here starting tomorrow and in weekend and next week it should reach something between 20 to 27 Celsius degrees (between 68 and 80 Fahrenheit).

Maarit wrote: "It has rained here the whole day and only just about an hour ago it stopped. It was said in the weather forecast that it should get more warmer in here starting tomorrow and in weekend and next wee..."

ahh, some rain would be a relief. It feels like the atmosphere is multiples of the weight it should be :p

There's a tropical storm brewing down off the southern Atlantic coast of the US. Might whisk its way up the coast this weekend (quickly, just in time to wreck 4th of July independance day celebration fireworks ... ). At least it would bring some relief tho! (I think :D)

Did anyone watch the World Cup? :D

I didn't! (But I know people who did)

Belgium knocked us out! :p

Melanti wrote: "Has anyone here read Henry IV, Part 1?

The Shakespeare Festival is coming up soon and I usually read the plays shortly before going to see them.

I have plenty of experience with ..."

I don't know about how cliff-hanger they are, but the history plays are written as a "series" with characters and events relating to one-anoter. More than reading Henry IV part 2 afterwards, I would recommend you read Richard II first. The list over the series is here https://www.goodreads.com/series/1020...

Kim wrote: "Did anyone watch the World Cup? :D"

It still continues...

*whooosh!*

whirlwind. My daughter and her Irish boyfriend just returned from a camping trip with three other friends, unpacked/repacked/ate/visited ... then left w/ two other friends to head two states over, to Vermont, to visit with some of her college friends over in Burlington :p.

I'm exhausted. Where does all the energy come from! They're on their 6th state in 2 weeks (2 just passed through ;-)).


Now I have multiple piles of laundry to do too :p (camping sleeping bags clothing towels etc ... )


(edit - although, the Irish boyfriend certainly IS getting to see a lot of the US! It's his first visit over the pond. He's seen the ocean, an island, mountains, forests, a national park, a Great Lake, flat country, and NYC. Even a Yankees-Red Sox game!)

Whoa MK!! Sounds like your daughter and her boyfriend are having fun. I think you are going to deserve/need a vacation when summer is over though!!

Tytti wrote: "Kim wrote: "Did anyone watch the World Cup? :D"

It still continues..."

Yes of course, but I meant the match between Belgium and the USA... :P

Haha, Lisa, yes indeed! :p

Kim, I had a feeling! WTG Belgium! (Um, I guess :P)

I got a new job!!!! I am SO excited!! The job I'm currently at, I'm miserable. I was stuck in a rut and there no room for job advancement or any new trainings on it, so I felt like there was nothing more to do here. Plus, the managers were incompetent (ugh).

I'm excited for this new job! It's still at the same company, which i am thrilled about because the benefits are really good here. When you're an adult with a child, benefits are SO important, especially in this day and age. My hours only change slightly (i'm now 7:30-4, the new hours will be 8-5), I have holidays off, better pay, a better work environment, and there's tons of room for career mobility. I'm super excited!!

The only downside is I won't have as much reading time (when it's dead here, I read. of course). My new job keeps more busy, which is a good thing! Looks like i just have to make sure I take advantage of lunch time and "Me" time.

I start August 4!

Wowwww, congratulations, Alissa !!! That's so great. I'm sure you will be happier, and best of luck with advancements and just having more interesting things to do!

Oh, so true, on benefits. True, on lunch time and me time!

It never fails though- people always want to catch up on how I'm doing...while I'm trying to read.

Go away people! ;-)

hahah! :D

Congrats Alissa ;-)!

MK wrote: "Low 80s has been the highs :p. I've turned into a total wimp! heh"

We had a first very warm day today for a while, and as you can see, even squirrels can feel it: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/kotimaa/art...

That squirrel looks almost like our rabbit, when it's relaxing on the floor in that way (minus the long tail, of course and longer ears). He's currently featured in my avatar.

I just discovered thriftbooks.com yesterday, so I've been on a book buying spree. It's a website where you can buy used books for cheap, and it's free shipping in the US. Plus fifty cents off additional books if you buy from the same seller. I ended buying over 60 books:-). I don't even remember now what I all ordered, so it will be a fun surprise when they start coming in the mail.

Lesserknowngems wrote: "I don't know about how cliff-hanger they are, but the history plays are written as a "series" with characters and events relating to one-anoter. ..."

I think this is one thing that's kept me from ever trying the histories. I don't want to commit to a whole series of the plays. I like Shakespeare, don't get me wrong, but he's so much work!

@Kelly re thrift books

Thanks for mentioning. I just did a little "preliminary " poking around there. That is awesome that they don't charge for shipping!

Well that was a slaughter...

"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." - Gary Lineker

Just saying hello :)

I guess I took a few days off there, with my daughter winding up her visit, and her boyfriend here at the end as well. Then I needed a few days to decompress. And catch up all the laundry :p.

I'm back. I think! :D heheh

Kelly wrote: "I just discovered thriftbooks.com yesterday, so I've been on a book buying spree. It's a website where you can buy used books for cheap, and it's free shipping in the US. Plus fifty cents off addit..."

WHYYYY!
I want to live in the US too! :(

Anyway, just wanted to say "hi, I'm back", since I haven't been very active these past days. I don't know why, I've just been so out of it. School's over and I should have so much time to read and discuss now, but somehow I've been so extremely busy doing other things that I've hardly picked up a book. It makes me sad though! I want to read!
Luckily I'm going on a holiday to Spain on Saturday and I should be calming down a bit over there and I'll have plenty of time to chill and read in the sun. So I just wanted to say hi I'm back, and I'll be more active again. :P

I hope you're all having a lovely summer so far!

*waves madly to Kim*

Enjoy Spain!! I'm feeling the same with reading time.

MK wrote: "*waves madly to Kim*

Enjoy Spain!! I'm feeling the same with reading time."

Thanks!! I think I will, I love that country. :)

Someday I will get to visit ..... sigh.


Bob will be scarce the rest of the month too. I think we can count on many of the group being crunched for reading time, if they're in summer months. Southern hemisphere is in prime reading time, though, aren't you (Samantha, Renato, ... not sure who else off the top of my head :D ... Gavin? ... ?)

Tytti wrote: "Well that was a slaughter...

"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win." - Gary Lineker"

Oh yes.

Hey guys!
I've just started listening to Great Expectations and my Audible version (David Ian Davies is brilliant, by the way!) wasn't on Goodreads yet. So I clicked on "add a new edition" and filled out all the blanks. My problem now is that "my" edition exists, but it's not linked to all the other editions. It is shown as if it was a completely different book.
Any suggestions on what to do now?

@Phil

I think that you have to merge your edition with all of the others.

Andrea (Catsos Person) wrote: "@Phil

I think that you have to merge your edition with all of the others."

And how do I do that?

I've just looked it up and it says that only librarians can do the combining.

Fixed.
(I happen to be a librarian.)

Thank you Melanti!!!!!!

It's been a hot day today, infact it was the warmest day of this summer so far. The record temperature got up into 31,3 degrees Celcius (roughly 88 Fahrenheit) in the city where I live in. It was just before the thunferstorm (very mild one, though) arrived, so now the temperature has dropped to 21 degrees Celcius (70 Fahrenheit), which is still warm.

MK wrote: "Bob will be scarce the rest of the month too. I think we can count on many of the group being crunched for reading time, if they're in summer months. Southern hemisphere is in prime reading time, though, aren't you (Samantha, Renato, ... not sure who else off the top of my head :D ... Gavin? ... ?) "

Yep, we're in winter over here! It's never too cold though, I wish it was colder!

Hey everyone :)

Spain is HOT HOT HOT as well! But that's how I like it on my holidays. :D

*tip toes in*

Hey everybody!

*sheepish* Look, I'm just having a hard time focusing this month. My many weeks visit, the warm weather, and just various silliness have turned my head and made it hard for me to focus this month. I'm going to have to just slowly ease back in, I think.

It's HOT here too, Kim! Okay, maybe not as hot as Spain, but still. :p

BIG crashing loud t-storm just a bit ago. boom!

Earlier this year I read Reza Aslan's Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth and liked it enough that I'm currently following it up with No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. Aslan's approach is to look at the cultural and political context of the books/religions - i.e. what was going on in the area when the religion was being formed and how may those events have helped shape the religions.

I thought it might be interesting to make a clean sweep of things and read up on the history of Hinduism and Buddhism as well.

Does anyone know of any books that take a similar approach to Hinduism and/or Buddhism as Aslan's books take to Christianity, Islam and to a lesser extent Judaism?