I might not always have a book finished and a review ready, but I’m always reading. Quotes From My Reading is a feature in which I invite you all to delve deeper into the books I’ve been reading through passages that stood out to me. Take a look at what I’ve been reading over the last week:
From Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne From Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose:
The contrast in appearance was almost as great as the contrast in numbers. The conquering army looked sloppy, unmilitary, ill-disciplined; the conquered army looked sharp, with an impressive military appearance and obvious discipline. Winters felt that the German soldiers and Austrian civilians must have wondered, as they gazed fascinated at the first American troops to arrive in the area, how on earth they could have lost to those guys. (page 274)
From My Secret War Diary, by Flossie Albright: My History of The Second World War 1939-1945 by Marcia Williams:
Sunday 6th September[1942]
This afternoon we all went picking hazelnuts, even Cook. After awhile it started to rain and I heard Cook swearing something terrible under her breath. I looked over and would you believe it — her stockings were running down her legs in brown streams! I nudged Tommy and Simon and we collapsed in a heap of giggles. Poor Cook. With clothes rationed, it’s ever so hard to get stockings, unless you knit them — and they’re a bit thick for Sunday best. So Cook painted some nylons on with gravy browning, seams and all. Oh my, oh my! (page 91)
From Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine edited by Kevin s. Decker and Jason T. Eberl
Do droids have capacities for mental states and language? There are plenty of examples of droids apparently engaged in behaviors expressive of mental states and language. One glaring example is the torturing of a droid at Jabba the Hutt’s palace in Return of the Jedi. When the droid’s “feet” are burned, the little guy appears to know what is going on, anticipates the pain he’s going to experience, and screams in pain and terror when the hot iron is lowered. (Interestingly enough, one also gets the sense that the droid administering the torture is enjoying what he’s doing.) (from “‘If Droids Could Think…’: Droids as Slaves and Persons” by Robert Arp, page 127)
From The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey:
“Aye, Slieve Gullion has seen a lot of sad stories in her time,” Da said, “but she keeps all her anger locked up in that volcano at her heart. She’s beautiful on the outside but troubled deep down.” He sighed. “Just like Ireland.” (page 15)
From The Last Storyteller by Frank Delaney:
If I’d had to vote on the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921, which divided the island into the twenty-six countries of what is now the republic and the six counties of what is now Northern Ireland, I’d probably have voted to fight on.
After World War II, though, and its horrors in France, and bombed corpses, and body parts bagged by men with shovels, I would never again in my life have voted for anything that fired a bullet or threw a bomb, even in the cause of independence or nationalism. (page 63)
Have you read any of these books? Tell me what you think!
© 2012 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
great quotes.
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Thanks. I’ve been reading some profound books lately. 🙂
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I love this idea! I am enjoying The Yellow House very much – and I loved The Last Storyteller – the best in that trilogy, in my opinion. I would love to reread Band of Brothers at some point – it was terrific.
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Thanks, Carrie! The Yellow House is excellent so far; I’ll be doing Parts 1 and 2 of the discussion together on Friday. Band of Brothers was very moving, so much so that it took me longer to read than I would have liked.
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Looks like you’re reading some meaty stuff! I haven’t read any of them, though.
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Yes, but so far it’s been worth it. 🙂 I’ll have to fit in some lighter stuff soon, though.
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I loved The Yellow House! I hope you’re enjoying it.
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So far I am!
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What a great idea! I haven’t read any of these, but The Yellow House is on my to-buy list. I love the quote from My Secret War Diary!
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Thanks! I’m loving The Yellow House so far!
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Great quotes, especially that first one. It’s an unusual way of looking at the two armies.
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Yes, especially when you read what leads up to that passage.
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That’s a powerful quote pulled from The Last Storyteller — having historical context for major decisions makes all the difference! I’m looking forward to reading that one soon — Frank Delaney has been on my radar for quite some time!
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Make sure you read the two books that come before The Last Storyteller first: Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show and The Matchmaker of Kenmare.
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