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The Worst Thing Today

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Madeleine
Bibliomaniac
Posts: 5860
Joined: August 2008
Currently reading: "Mania" by L J Ross
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Post by Madeleine » Fri June 26th, 2009, 1:37 pm

On a lighter note, my "real" bookgroup has finally closed. It was always erratic at best, but this week no one apart from me and my friend even remembered there was a meeting. The two of us dutifully went and waited for nearly an hour, then gave up and went somewhere else. We might carry on meeting regularly though, perhaps going to a film, or for a meal out, or just a drink. But somehow I can see that fizzling out too, let's just say that the group is a bit "cliquey".
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross

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nona
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Location: Oklahoma

Post by nona » Fri June 26th, 2009, 2:08 pm

I wish I had a book group however everyone I know thinks reading is a waste of time, or think I reading boring history or sappy romance if only they would get beyond the cover....

Chatterbox
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Location: New York

Post by Chatterbox » Fri June 26th, 2009, 3:21 pm

Nona, I can't relate to anyone who thinks book reading is a waste of time.

Went to Mary Stuart on Broadway last night, and suddenly found myself focus of attention in the intermission because I was the only person who seemed to know anything about the history. Evidently, the audience near us had spent the first half baffled. This includes my father, who should have known better. "Was Mary Queen of Scots Elizabeth's sister?" he asked me I explained, and explained some more, and then found people from two or three rows back & forward were asking me questions about the history. A bit scary, actually, that there is so much confusion between Mary Tudor and Mary Queen of Scots. "Was Mary Queen of Scots the daughter of Catherine of Aragon?" someone else asked me. "What's this about her being Queen of Scotland when she says her home is in France?" One of the rare occasions when I felt that reading too much was actually helpful to other people, even though they were making me feel too much like a know-it-all.

At any rate, the play is excellent for anyone who still has a chance to catch it. There are half-price tickets available at the TKTS in Times Square.

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Lauryn
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Location: Vancouver, CA

Post by Lauryn » Fri June 26th, 2009, 5:42 pm

[quote=""Chatterbox""]Went to Mary Stuart on Broadway last night, and suddenly found myself focus of attention in the intermission because I was the only person who seemed to know anything about the history. Evidently, the audience near us had spent the first half baffled. ......

At any rate, the play is excellent for anyone who still has a chance to catch it. There are half-price tickets available at the TKTS in Times Square.[/quote]

This is where a brief synopsis of Real History in the programme would have been beneficial. I was surprised in high school that - having already covered the relevant events in our history class - most of my classmates had NO IDEA that some of Shakespeare's plays drew on actual events for their drama. Many people (ie, not HF fans) seem to have the idea that a story is just a story, and the past is just the past.
Even the mighty oak was once just a nut that held its ground.

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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Fri June 26th, 2009, 5:54 pm

When I was in junior high my US history teacher (who maybe should've known better) told the class that Henry VIII beheaded all his wives, and when I corrected him that it was only 2, he looked extremely put out.

SM
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nona
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Post by nona » Fri June 26th, 2009, 6:05 pm

lol, thats bad and he was a history teacher? It's amazing they get away with it.

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SonjaMarie
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Post by SonjaMarie » Fri June 26th, 2009, 6:07 pm

I may be a little off on how many he said but it was definitely more then the actual 2.

SM
The Lady Jane Grey Internet Museum
My Booksfree Queue

Original Join Date: Mar 2006
Previous Amount of Posts: 2,517
Books Read In 2014: 109 - June: 17 (May: 17)
Full List Here: http://www.historicalfictiononline.com/ ... p?p=114965

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nona
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Post by nona » Fri June 26th, 2009, 6:14 pm

Now that I think about it I remember when I was younger it was said Henry VIII beheaded all his wives though don't remember where I heard it. Good thing we all grow up to learn the truth for ourselves.

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Ken
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Location: Truro, Cornwall, UK

Post by Ken » Fri June 26th, 2009, 8:03 pm

[quote=""nona""]Now that I think about it I remember when I was younger it was said Henry VIII beheaded all his wives though don't remember where I heard it. Good thing we all grow up to learn the truth for ourselves.[/quote]

I guess the fact that it was only two makes him quite a good guy, right?

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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Sat June 27th, 2009, 12:00 am

Well Ken, from a purely statistical point, if not redeeming him completely it at least makes him look less horrible than previously thought.

My worst thing today was that my daughter fell down the stairs. Worst less-than-a-minute of my life! (Even when redhead was on the train tracks there wasn't a train due.) I saw her fall and couldn't do a thing about it. Then she was on the floor, curled up with her little face all tight with pain, and crying so hard she had to gasp for breath. My training as a former EMTs daughter kicked in and I remembered not to pick her up, and to keep her awake. This much later she is just fine. Two minor bruises and a little bump on her head. But that was seriously scary! It took me over an hour to stop shaking.

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