It's 2025 -- What Are You Reading?

Went with this instead. The old ex-cop turns private detective.

I just started re-reading my beloved copy of The Hobbit that I’ve had since the beginning of junior high school. I just needed to revisit that time and that book. :heart:

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I was hooked after i read the first paragraph…

" In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means
comfort.
It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. "

Loved it.

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Comfort is the key word! After all these years I was reminded of Bilbo’s parent’s names. I spent most of 7th grade glued to that book between other ‘required reading’ in classes. In 8th grade art class we made paper maché Hobbit sized characters. Such fond memories.

Howz you snow over there? We got 5” here yesterday. Beautiful pow for the day after opening day on the mountain.

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I am taking a break from NW Montana and cloudy weather.

So I am down here in Galveston Texas.
Where it is coudy and cool.

Rats.

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Couldn’t get through that one. It started to ring false for me.

Have either you or @Aubergine read Very Cold People? It’s not a memoir but in a similar hard-knocks neglectful childhood genre.

Sarah Manguso considers deprivations and predations in her novel ‘Very Cold People’ https://www.npr.org/2022/02/12/1079810856/very-cold-people-review-sarah-manguso-heller-mcalpin

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‘Separation of Church and Hate’ has been recommended by a friend. Any comments?

I’m in the middle of Anthony Hopkins’ memoir: We did ok, kid. Was on hold for a while, ebook loan from my library.

He’s been sober for 50 years but it took a lot for him to finally be able to cut away from alcohol. The movie Days of Wine & Roses affected him somewhat.

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Does he talk about being autistic?

I believe he’s estranged from his daughter.

That’s the sum total of Hopkins trivia I know.

I think I heard that he denied being autistic but I see some signs/inclinations. So far, in the book, he hasn’t mentioned the word autistic.

He was married to an English woman for 2 years when he was young, not yet famous. Had the daughter Abigail. Said he and wife were very mismatched, fighting, he left and had no contact, guess no bonding with the daughter.

He admits his drinking was a problem in the marriage.

Right now, he’s married to a good lady for 20 years, I’m hoping this one lasts. I don’t think they had kids.

This is a good book for someone who has trouble with alcohol, maybe they’ll recognize themselves and quit cold turkey.

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Oops. 25 years for 2nd marriage; now 3rd one is to an American. He became US Citizen in his 60’s.

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As I get older (and world gets scarier) I’m looking for more cheerful content. My memoirs these days are usually written by writers/actor/directors, food people, and fashion people. Going to start the Cameron Crowe memoir next.

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If you enjoy biography, I loved James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon.

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I’m now on the waitlist. From the photo on book cover I thought this was a woman. Why have I never heard of this guy?

I TiVo Jimmy Kimmel and usually just watch the monologues but I just watched his interview with Cameron Crowe … did you see it?

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I’ll have to watch the interview. I loved Almost Famous when it came out and it was basically his story of convincing rolling stone to let him cover the band in the movie and travel around with them at a very young age. He wrote and directed a few more great films but then kind of disappeared. Also was married to one of the women from the band Heart.

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