Thread 6 - TalkExiles: "Yup, still round."

[Kucinghitam]

Continuation of previous threads (thread 5).

Gather here all ye refugees from the JTT Flat Earth Society, welcome to the reassuringly oblate spheroid of MN! Ye all already know the answers to the questions "How the heck do I format my post?" "Why can't I edit my typos?" "What do those acronyms mean?" and most importantly, "Where is everybody that I used to know?"

So really we're all here just to chat randomly.

Since being turfed off Twitter, I’ve been mainly re-reading Stephen King novels for the last 4 months to fill the time I used to spend there, and the loveliest thing about books is that the pages don’t turn themselves off if you leave it to make tea or go to the loo.

(I do sometimes look at the top left-hand page to check the time however.)

Currently on page 890 (of 1007) of The Stand, my favourite of them all. King says it’s a lot of people’s favourite, but he didn’t particularly enjoy writing it.

In slightly-related other news, I’ve been emailed an offer for NOT MY KING merchandise in time for the coronation next month.

I’ve just finished reading Cujo for the first time @MavisMcMinty. Although my book does turn itself off if I make a cup of coffee or fall asleep as I mainly read from my kindle.

I didn’t enjoy a lot of it if I’m honest (think his style of writing might just not be for me, is the only SK I’ve read) but the actual dog/car parts were very good. Not sure what I’d do in that situation.

I first read the Stand over forty years ago, loved it, and have read read it a few times over the decades. Lat time I read though, about three years ago, I no longer liked it, or at least I didn't like some of the writing. It's not that I've gone off King, some of his newer stuff is great, he has definitely grown as a writer.

I think Cujo is probably the only SK novel I’ve only read once. I’ve read The Stand several times, but this is the first time I’ve re-read the “complete and uncut” edition, with its extra 400 pages.

I just hope he a) keeps all his marbles and b) outlives me.

I read The Stand years ago and enjoyed it, but not sure what I'd think now. Not sure I could be bothered reading it again and certainly not with an extra 400 pages. Do they add much?

I'm mainly reading my car manual at the moment: 708 pages!

TBF, the manual for my old car was at least as long but I only needed to read about 10 of them - whereas this is a whole new world of motoring. Once I work out the controls it should practically drive itself, but there's an awful lot of button and menu learning to get to that point.

I remember pulling up on a slight slope when my car was new and then having to frantically read the manual because I couldn’t work out how to do a hill start. Someone had parked behind me while I’d been looking up whatever it was I wanted to check when I stopped and there was a point where I thought “well, I suppose I live here now” as every time I tried to leave the car rolled a bit closer to the car behind.

I have the opposite problem. My driveway slopes down towards the house and I'm used to parking by just using gravity. This car won't roll downhill so I have to park using active power, and that means going about twice the speed I'm comfortable with.

Oh, I think mine will happily roll forwards (maybe in D rather than B, which is what I generally drive in). My drive slopes upwards. I have an extra long charging cable because reversing up it is no fun at all (hedge one slide, wall the other, bins at the top; I can go forwards up it easily but reversing requires more thought)

Mine's a bit of pain to reverse into - bushes on 1 side, drop on the other - but much better than reversing onto the road. I never park forwards.

@duc748 there is a longer term solution but it all depends on them agreeing to do an operation. This was supposed to happen about three or four years ago - I can't remember the exact date of the last extraction of a "foreign body"(it was a stupidly large tablet that time). Covid has ruined any slight grasp I had on time - but I suddenly fell off the referred list which has been happening on and off for nearly twenty years. I'm part of a different health region now so my fingers are well and truly crossed.

I feel a bit rough as fuck today which is understandable as my body has been through a bit of trauma. I managed to go out to the shops and pick up some things and then wanted to lie down on the pavement and go to sleep on the way home. Obviously, I didn't do that. The good thing is that tomorrow I will feel loads better.

I read my first Stephen King about five or so years ago. I'd just never gotten around to it. My first King was The Shining which I'd not read because I really do not like the film. The book is a million times better. Then I read the sequel and then a few more. I'm a big fan of 11.22.63 because I bloody love time travel. Anyway, a firm fan of his now and I have so many more books to read!

I've not got to The Stand but it's a favourite of a long-term King fan friend of mine. If you liked that you might enjoy The Passage trilogy by Justin Cronin. The first book is a monster at nearly 1000 pages but a cracking good read.

I love nearly all Stephen King books except the Dark Tower series. I enjoyed it all the way through and then when I got to the end I was so outraged I chucked it at the wall.

I enjoyed the first volume of The Passage - can't think why I haven't read the rest.

Crows, if you like time travel books (I do!) you might enjoy Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's series. They can be read separately, but there is a story arc so it's best to start with the first - Just One Damned Thing After Another. I love the series.

Bloody hell, @NotDrowningJustCrowing , I hope you can get a procedure sorted. Every good wish. 🍀

Ooh, thanks for The Passage recommendation, and I’m always happy to see other people liking Stephen King. The Shining was the first one I read, in 1978, then The Dead Zone - one of my favourites - then Carrie, then Salem’s Lot (don’t much like this, either then or now), and after that read them all in order as soon he published them. For 3/4 of my life I’ve been impatiently waiting for the next Stephen King novel! I envy people who have that vast back catalogue all there, ready to go, no waiting.

@NotDrowningJustCrowing

I'm a big fan of 11.22.63because I bloody love time travel.

I'm about a fifth of the way through that, but left it on the filing cabinet and only brought the Kindle away.

@MavisMcMinty it's a bit vampire but not in the usual vampire way. They're sort of odd and it in no way feels like a vampire chronical. It's about the people and the vampire type things are the danger not actual characters except the odd one or two and even then they're not all Twilight or Interview With The Vampire types.

This evening I watched the first three episodes of The Power on Amazon which is very true to the book and pretty cracking. As a big ol' feminist I see that book as total wish fulfillment. Apologies to the men here but if I had the electric powers I would use it on some very deserving men.

You lot are making me think I should re-attempt King. I read several in my late teens/early twenties and didn't enjoy them very much, I think something about the style of his writing. My brother OTOH is a big fan, has all his books and urged me to have another go.

@NotDrowningJustCrowing I'll keep my virtual fingers crossed that your treatment gets sorted speedily. I do hope you're feeling better this morning!

@Kucinghitam I only have Cujo to go on but I found his writing style difficult too. I highlighted some of the more unpleasant imagery

I fancied watching The Power - must try it. I'm currently watching and enjoying Shadow and Bone.

I read a review of The Power which complained that it didn't have the strong hit of the book but I mostly disagree. I don't think it can have that level of impact because if you've read the book, you know what's coming. If you haven't then I think it's gripping enough on its own terms. I give it a big thumbs up.

I don't know if I mentioned it here already but I was reading and have now read my first ever Agatha Christie. I'm sure she'd be very pleased to know that I agree with the consensus that she's a cracking read. There were real shades of the dry acerbic wit of Jane Austen in her writing. I'm definitely going to read some more. It was the first Miss Marple, Murder at the Vicarage.

And thank you @Kucinghitam. I'm, a bit exhausted today because I slept a bit badly but everything is back to normal apart from my lips which are a bit bloody minging. They were dry and cracked, now they're dry and cracked with added cold sores. It's a good job I haven't got anyone who wants to kiss me because if I did, well, they wouldn't want to! I am so much better though and it's such a relief. I've been reading through my discharge papers and bugger me backwards with a rolled-up newspaper but my gullet is a wreck! I will bore keep you all up to date with what happens when they see me again in four weeks.

I know it's been horrible for all of you but while I'm not glad that there was such a mahoosive fall out at the old place I really am glad that so many of you ended up here. It really is such a pleasure to know that they're be at least a little something here every day.

Glad you're on the mend. I've found the Compeed coldsore plasters very good - Zovirax through the day and put a plaster on overnight, and they heal up very quickly and neatly.

I was thinking about Zovirax but hadn't thought of Compeed. I'll pick them up tomorrow.