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Going into quite a significant story, that I'd forgotten much of! ( spoilers )
Finally arrived, my hardback copy of The Hobbit translated into Scottish Gaelic. Looks superb, and includes Tolkien’s original full page illustrations.
The printing/delivery was slow. I ordered two weeks ago. But finally have it! There's no way I can read the text consistently yet. My Gaelic learning is still much too rudimentary. But viewing it as a life goal!
The printing/delivery was slow. I ordered two weeks ago. But finally have it! There's no way I can read the text consistently yet. My Gaelic learning is still much too rudimentary. But viewing it as a life goal!
Binge reading ...
Mar. 24th, 2025 10:14 pmBinge reading another in my current favourite manga series, and grateful I've another two of the books on order after the next one! Also still avoiding spoilers for the ultimate ending. It is still being published in English translation, with additional volumes coming out every few months. Got to get them all ...
Volume 5 in the series was my 16th book finished in 2025. Just tonight. I've now started reading volume 6. And volumes 7 and 8 are on the way.
Volume 5 in the series was my 16th book finished in 2025. Just tonight. I've now started reading volume 6. And volumes 7 and 8 are on the way.
Gaelic Hobbit
Mar. 22nd, 2025 08:46 pmDelighted to see the imminent publication announced of the Scottish Gaelic translation of The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. A must buy for me.
Just caught up with Homer translator Emily Wilson chatting yesterday at the Edinburgh Book Festival. I studied both the Iliad and Odyssey as part of my Open University history/classical studies BA(Hons) degree 1998-2000. A very part time degree, but one that was greatly shortened thanks to credit transfer from my St Andrews BSc(Hons). Which meant I could leapfrog the first year's courses. Though that made it a much harder transition from studying hard science to studying humanities at degree level!
I was using Richmond Lattimore's translations of the Homer poems in my OU degree. I have a vivid memory of one night we'd driven over to Dundee, and Martin was nipping into supermarket Asda, with me waiting in the car. And reading the Iliad, full of hefty anatomical descriptions of battle injuries. And desperately wanting to read out some of them to him when we came back! I haven't read Emily's new translations yet, but hope to, health permitting. I did have her hardback Odyssey book for some time, but struggled too much with it due to my neurological illness. I may yet get the Kindle versions to read, with a gigantic font I need now.
The book festival chat was interesting. Emily was a very good speaker. Though the lady interviewing her talked far, far too long between Emily's bits. At one point Emily was repeatedly struggling to get a word in. And also, very frustratingly for the online audience, the interviewer totally ignored the many questions that had been typed up online to be asked to the speaker.
I was using Richmond Lattimore's translations of the Homer poems in my OU degree. I have a vivid memory of one night we'd driven over to Dundee, and Martin was nipping into supermarket Asda, with me waiting in the car. And reading the Iliad, full of hefty anatomical descriptions of battle injuries. And desperately wanting to read out some of them to him when we came back! I haven't read Emily's new translations yet, but hope to, health permitting. I did have her hardback Odyssey book for some time, but struggled too much with it due to my neurological illness. I may yet get the Kindle versions to read, with a gigantic font I need now.
The book festival chat was interesting. Emily was a very good speaker. Though the lady interviewing her talked far, far too long between Emily's bits. At one point Emily was repeatedly struggling to get a word in. And also, very frustratingly for the online audience, the interviewer totally ignored the many questions that had been typed up online to be asked to the speaker.
Setting reading goals for 2024
Jan. 4th, 2024 10:28 amLast year I finished 60 books. In some previous years I've finished more, sometimes less. For 2024 I'm setting myself a reading target of 25 books, though will probably smash it. But I want to focus on more longer books, albeit interspersed with and alongside shorter ones.
Long books that I plan to read include rereads of Lord of the Rings and Our Mutual Friend. But I also intend to read a couple more Wheel of Time books, which are pretty chunky, and can take some time.
I'm also intending to read more books in translation, including some long ones. Will be drawing up a list of those soon. It depends which ones I can get in Kindle format, so I can read them with an utterly gargantuan font. Due to my progressive neurological illness audiobooks haven't been a good option for me since the 1990s, but gigantic font ebooks work well for recreational reads.
And of course there will be lots of non fiction books read alongside the fiction. That is already underway, and I expect to keep that more flexible.
But yup, a year of quality reading over quantity this time.
Long books that I plan to read include rereads of Lord of the Rings and Our Mutual Friend. But I also intend to read a couple more Wheel of Time books, which are pretty chunky, and can take some time.
I'm also intending to read more books in translation, including some long ones. Will be drawing up a list of those soon. It depends which ones I can get in Kindle format, so I can read them with an utterly gargantuan font. Due to my progressive neurological illness audiobooks haven't been a good option for me since the 1990s, but gigantic font ebooks work well for recreational reads.
And of course there will be lots of non fiction books read alongside the fiction. That is already underway, and I expect to keep that more flexible.
But yup, a year of quality reading over quantity this time.
