Casino Royale: Reading what I blog

Just a few days ago I blogged about Sean Connery. Mr. Connery is famous for portraying James Bond in he movies. When I wrote that post I had no idea I would be reading Casino Royale by Ian Fleming.


Opening credits from the 1967 film..

It was all by chance. Lately I have fallen into my bad reading habits of starting a book and then completely misplacing it. I think I have Gremlins that purposely hide them. Anyway on Friday I was picking my daughter up from dance. The way her schedule and my schedule works out I end up with an hour to kill. I stopped by a local Goodwill store and found a copy of Casino Royale in great condition and decided it would be my companion. Second hand stores are  where I pick up most of my books unless it is something specific then it is searching the world wide web.

Anyway Saturday, I worked and got off work just in time to go shopping with my girls. Time and money ended up vanishing from me on that day.

Today, Sunday was different. My daughter needed to read for school, so I told her I would read with her. That way she got to snuggle with me ad get her work done. Then the day became a rainy day and I ended up finishing the book.

The book was good enough to spurn two movies. The 1967 original and then the 2006 version.

The book was originally published in 1953. I hadn't watched the films in a while so i was able to read the novel with a fresh mind. I enjoyed the read. It had the James Bond action, the exotic car, and a bit of romance to it. It showed a different side of Bond. The book's end also had an interesting twist.

The book knocks off another category in one reading challenge I am doing from another blogger.
Book number 17 for the year. 

February Reads: The Classics

In his century I have found myself having an  interest in Eastern Culture. No I am not converting religions just exploring more.
  Tao Teh Ching by Lao Tzu was a short read. All about the Tao or the way.

It is a good thing I like to explore. Because as a reader I tend to go back and read more works by an author. In my March reads which aren't classics I am revisiting an author, I'll blog about that during the A to Z Challenge.

I read  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I had read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer a few years back so it was fitting that I read the sequel.



My classic reads were quite different and had many contrasts. I will read more classics I'm sure. Right now I am well to my second book for March. I have moved away from the classics for now and I am reading some contemporary fiction.

What are you reading? Are you doing any reading challenges?

Remembering Sam Cooke

On this date the great Sam Cooke passed away in 1964 at the age of 33. I celebrated his birthday in January of 2013 with a little tribute. Any reason is a super reason to share his music.

Let's start.. "Having a Party"

"Chain Gang"..

"Bring it on home to me"...

I hope you enjoyed and I will be back soon!

More Classic Reads

Updating a theme from this post http://mikespainwrites.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-ive-been-readingfiction.html, I thought I would update anyone who cares on what I have been reading. I have been reading a lot lately 9 books this month, 18 for the year. They range from self-help, to some Buddhist reflections, to stories of the seas, business and fiction. The linked post was more about classics and I would like to keep on that subject.

First up is "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson. The short book written in 1886 is definitely a classic. I enjoyed the read but it was a little slow for me to get into since it was written in 1886, not the authors fault..just a time fault. I did enjoy how the book took a look at the dual nature of man(probably true for woman as well). This book is supposedly a darker side of the author as well from his other books. I am sure I will check out some of his other books in the future.

The second classic is Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five." This book is a bit more modern having been published in 1969. Again I was slow to get into this book, but once in I was definitely locked in. The book is mainly about war, but there is time traveling sci-fi theme too. The book takes on flaws in humans. Considering when the book was written America was in Vietnam, the book shows the dark side of war and how unfortunately war will continue.

Again both of these books and authors were new to me, so it was like discovering something new.