Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 777064 times)

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #1560 on:** February 25, 2011, 11:39:50 AM »

This is the place to talk about the works of fiction you are reading, whether they are new or old, and share your own opinions and reviews with interested readers.

Every week the new bestseller lists come out brimming with enticing looking books and rave reviews. How to choose?

Discussion Leader: Judy Laird

Reese's Peanut Butter CUps, roshan? Absolutely my downfall. I will buy a pack of those, swear I will only eat one each day, and tomorrow will find the empty package. They are truly, truly addictive! As is most chocolate for me, but that one is tops.

ursamajor · « **Reply #1561 on:** February 25, 2011, 03:43:34 PM »

Krispy Kreme donuts is my "drug of choice". I haven' eaten one in ten years and they still call out to me in the grocery store.

JoanK · « **Reply #1562 on:** February 25, 2011, 07:57:23 PM »

ROSE: do you mean reeses peanut butter cups?

My SIL, who grew uop in London, turned me on to English chocolate. there's one with a "bit of orange": Can't remember its name. It has enough fans here, you can get it in a few stores.

pedln · « **Reply #1563 on:** February 25, 2011, 08:13:28 PM »

JoanK, were they kind of skinny sticks, absolutely scrumptous? But what were they called?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1564 on:** February 25, 2011, 08:46:14 PM »

Yes, two years ago at Christmas time I remember they were all over in nearly every grocery - there was one with orange and the other with raspberry. Longer than those chocolate make believe cigarettes and a bit skinnier.

roshanarose · « **Reply #1565 on:** February 25, 2011, 10:06:04 PM »

OOOOh Yes. Reeses'. Ex hub introduced me to many American treats, but I drew the line at peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1566 on:** February 26, 2011, 03:23:55 AM »

Do you mean Matchmakers?

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1567 on:** February 26, 2011, 05:55:17 AM »

These may not be what others are remembering but I cannot tell which of these two companies are the chocolate fruit flavored sticks that I remember from Christmas two years ago - one is Belgian candy, Rademaker and the other could be Lindt unless there is a company called Trianon

http://www.thefind.com/food/info-rademaker-chocolate-sticks

http://www.thefind.com/food/browse-trianon-chocolate-sticks

This is a thin mint from England - not a stick but a thin square.

http://store.dereuzegourmetmarket.com/577203.html

All this good stuff on-line - what temptation - even Amazon has these candies available - I did not push the instant order button and the page is gone so I should be in safe territory.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1568 on:** February 26, 2011, 06:06:14 AM »

www.qualitystreet.co.uk/products/matchmakers

They used to be made by Nestle and come in a long thin box - they now seem to have changed to this

Babi · « **Reply #1569 on:** February 26, 2011, 09:13:46 AM »

Oh, my, ROSEMARY, your Siamese has a hankering for fat and could
wind up losing her slim silhouette. I have also heard that adult
cats do not digest milk very well. I did offer a bit of milk to my
cats once, as a treat, but they sniffed and turned it down. Needless
to say, I'm not going to risk wasting my ice cream.

I love that name, Oedipuss, ROSHANA. He's obviously an accomplished
moocher. "Dom Kat" and 'Conway Kitty" are both great names, CALLIE.
I do love cats. Each one has it's own distinct personality.

I didn't know that about yogurt, STEPH. I've been classifying it as
a dairy product all this time.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1570 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:03:06 AM »

Babi - I'm afraid that the vet has already told me that they are rather "chunky" - they don't look anything like the Siamese you can see on breed websites! They look OK from the front, but from the rear they are somewhat wide - like many of us, I suppose

The trouble is, it's hard to restrict their intake (though I certainly do try to prevent access to cream, ice-cream, etc) because they scream their little heads off if they want something.

Rosemary

pedln · « **Reply #1571 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:28:09 AM »

Barbara, you found them. Delicious candies. Of course, you know that now you've had me "shopping" all morning.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1572 on:** February 26, 2011, 12:57:32 PM »

mornings about over - how's the sweet tooth doing - we wont tell

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1573 on:** February 26, 2011, 01:20:10 PM »

It's already dark here - definitely time for chocolate....

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1574 on:** February 26, 2011, 06:11:50 PM »

You people are killing me! Reeses peanut butter cups and Krispy Kremes! I just recently heard there's going to be a KK's store opening abt 10 mi from us. I had them last a few yrs ago when visiting cousins inGeorgia....... I'm salivating!

NO peanut butter and jelly? How can anyone turn those down? My kids grew up on peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sanwiches, now grandson is addicted, me too.

Steph · « **Reply #1575 on:** February 26, 2011, 08:53:14 PM »

Reese Peanut Butter Cups.. Heaven on earth.. There is also a chocolate peanut butter ice cream to die for.
No reading today. Worked on the book sale.. brought home way too many books. Oh to resist bargains..

roshanarose · « **Reply #1576 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:37:27 PM »

STOP - You naughty girls!

Wasn't it Oscar Wilde who said "I can resist anything but temptation".

Rosemary - My favourite English chocolate is Fry's Vanilla Cream. To die for, truly. They used to sell them here and then they stopped. My other favourite, the sublime Polly Waffle, was also discontinued.

Gumtree · « **Reply #1577 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:42:19 PM »

Ha Ha! -I can easily resist all those goodies -I don't have a sweet tooth although if they're put in front of me I'll have one. My downfall is Cheese...cheese...and more cheese

roshanarose · « **Reply #1578 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:47:21 PM »

Hello Gum - Is it a nice day in Perth? It's lovely here, but we never get too complacent. My main passion is blue cheese, I adore that stuff. Having a wine and eating Blue Castello and crackers .... ahhhhh. What type of cheese do you like? A while ago they had a TV program about this guy who used to lurk around cheese makers places tasting cheese. Looked like a good job.

maryz · « **Reply #1579 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:48:59 PM »

roshanarose, one year, one of our daughters and SIL went to a cheese store and had them send us a package of assorted "stinky cheeses". It was divine!!!!

Gumtree · « **Reply #1580 on:** February 26, 2011, 11:54:57 PM »

Steph - glad your book sale went well. I've worked at many charity book sales so know how one feels afterwards. Tired but somehow exhilarated as well despite the aching bones and sore muscles we didn't know we had.

We have a large sale for a charity every year which runs for a full week. My son always gives his time driving a truck and unloading boxes of books etc to help with the set-up and I help on the floor. DH just swans around drinking tea with VIP's and chatting to old mates who turn up every year.

Apart from raising funds for a good cause (now in the $$Millions) The upside is that volunteers always get first pick of the books before the sale opens and the pickings are always good - sometimes very good.

roshanarose · « **Reply #1581 on:** February 27, 2011, 12:04:31 AM »

Yumbo MaryZ

Gumtree · « **Reply #1582 on:** February 27, 2011, 12:06:58 AM »

Roshanarose: so we're here together today. It's stinking hot in Perth - has been for weeks - we're going for the records now - already made one for longest period with minimum temps over 20C - next is longest stretch over 30C or 35C I'm not sure. Anyway, no mistake, it's a heat wave.

I watched part of that cheese show you mentioned. Made me salivate every time. I like strong cheeses too - good cheddars, strong blues, soft bries, even the nutty taste of jarlsberg is just the thing on occasion. Would rather have cheese after dinner than all the chocolate cream pies.Of course I try to restrain myself these days - note I said 'try'

We are way off topic here - maybe we should drop a Cheesy Book title into the conversation to make it legal....

roshanarose · « **Reply #1583 on:** February 27, 2011, 12:10:12 AM »

Sorry about the heatwave. Darned awful. Do you have air con?

Trying to think of a Cheesy title. I am fond of Jarlsberg too. I like the nutty flavoured ones, although I can't remember their names. Swiss is good.

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1584 on:** February 27, 2011, 01:13:30 AM »

How about

The Cheese Lover's Companion: The Ultimate A-to-Z Cheese Guide with More Than 1,000 Listings for Cheeses and Cheese-Related Terms

Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maître Fromager

Australian Cheese: A Guide to Cheeses Made in Australia by the Australian Dairy Corporation

and photos of cheese board to die for - float your curser over the photo and a large photo appears.

International Cheese Boards and Trays

Gumtree · « **Reply #1585 on:** February 27, 2011, 01:31:45 AM »

Barbara - YUM to the cheese platters - only looked at the first page - will save the others for later

I'm not sure about the book on Aussie cheese - I doubt that the Aust Cheese Board make the best cheeses in Australia. Some of the boutique cheese makers turn out fabulous stuff -

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1586 on:** February 27, 2011, 02:35:05 AM »

I just tried Google and there is a book called "Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates" in the Ottawa Public Library system!

Roshanarose - I have never seen Fry's Vanilla Cream, but in my childhood the only version of Turkish Delight that anyone in Britain had ever heard of was indeed Fry's. The TV advert was of a woman belly dancing across the screen whilst someone in a pseudo-exotic voice sang "Fry's Turkish Delight' in a sort of wavery, "mysterious" tone. The stuff was horrible. It was many years before I had the real thing and discovered that it was really rather good.

My children will eat practically any sweets, but I am sorry to say that their absolute favourites these days are jelly beans - I cannot begin to understand how the price of these things can be justified - they even sell them in Harvey Nichols!

To make us legal, I will throw in another, sweet-featuring, book title:

Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Steph - well done on finishing your book sale. I know I would be totally unable to resist all those novels just crying out to me to be taken home. If you hadn't bought them, you'd only be regretting it now and wondering if they were still there (well I would

This is why I am a bit nervous about visiting a dogs' home - I'll want to bring them all home. Books don't even have big brown eyes and I still can't abandon them.

Jean - one of my daughters loves peanut butter and jam sandwiches (jelly is quite a different thing here), but I'm afraid the rest of us couldn't face them - I don't even like peanut butter......

Rosemary

Steph · « **Reply #1587 on:** February 27, 2011, 06:14:59 AM »

Up ear ly.. Slept well, but I think in one position,so am stiff and sore.The dogs and I will walk it out.
I love cheese as well.. Favorites are the blues.. yum..
Hmm. titles. One of the cozy writers does parodies in the titles.. She writes of a housewife..Hmm. Charlotte Fluke?? no, that is not right, but just cannot quite recall.. One of the books was Ham and something..Oh well, not that important and I am still a bit on the crazed side for all of the books.. I did pick up finally a copy of The Help.. Have not read it and it was on my get it list and we got such deals for working. A whole box of books for 8.00.. But we had to pick five more hardbacks to qualify.. Did not have to pay for them. We still have tons and tons of books. Amazing the number of non fiction type books that are best sellers, but we get them by the ton and they dont sell again.. A good example was a book called.. A Purpose Drive Life.. it was enormously popular last year. I counted 9 copies just in my section alone.. Whew..None of them moved.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1588 on:** February 27, 2011, 06:48:35 AM »

Steph - I notice that in our charity shops - shelves of hardback "misery memoirs". I personally cannot stand this stuff, but someone must have bought them. I am sorry if people have had terrible childhoods, but I don't want to read about them - and as a friend on another book site says, "they need to get over it"

I was at the gym the other day, and for the first time, having done my swim, decided to use their free wi-fi. Not only did it not work, the whole seating area was dominated by a huge TV from which blared one of those dreadful day-time "confessional" programmes, with two appalling women yelling and shouting at each other about who had slept with whose partner. I asked one of the staff if they could change the channel, or better still just turn it off. She actually agreed with me, but said that all the programming is fixed centrally - can you believe that? Thank goodness I will only be there till the end of next month, and my husband has found a good public pool - a renovated Victorian one in fact - in Stockbridge. My current employer also has Sky News blasting out all day - I would not mind a bit of low background music, but I find all this loud stuff very intrusive.

Rosemary

Babi · « **Reply #1589 on:** February 27, 2011, 09:03:08 AM »

I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring up 'rear' views, ROSEMARY.
Or side views, for that matter. I have so few muscles left that
actually do their job.

"Polly Waffle"?? What on earth is..was..that?
GUM, I have no trouble at all gorging on chocolate AND cheese.
Cheddar is a staple in my household; feta a favorite indulgence.

Quote

I am sorry if people have had terrible childhoods, but I don't want to read about them - and as a friend on another book site says,"they need to get over it".

(Rosemary)
Terrible childhoods...and a good eye for a profitable market.
Nothing like royalties to help one get over it.

CallieOK · « **Reply #1590 on:** February 27, 2011, 10:05:25 AM »

Rosemary, you wrote "peanut butter and jam sandwiches (jelly is quite a different thing here),". That reminded me of a delightful book I bought when I was in Edinburgh titled "Don't Put Your Finger In The Jelly, Nellie". My grandchildren were quite small and loved the book - but had a hard time understanding that the "jelly" looked like our gelled dishes.

Chocolate?? Cheese?? Yes, please!!!!!

Oh, I am ever so happy to see others who don't like the "poor pitiful me" stories - about themselves or others. If one can't get over it, one should get past it - and get on with it!!!

My metro area library Book Sale is this weekend. I've only gone one time; the crowd behavior is ridiculous! People bring suitcases on wheels and scoop books off the tables into them. I heard that some used bookstore owners in Sturgis, South Dakota (more than 900 miles from here!) come every year to stock their store. This Sale is definitely not for browsers!!

BarbStAubrey · « **Reply #1591 on:** February 27, 2011, 10:18:39 AM »

OK another view point - there is a phase most adults go through coming to terms with what really happened - they kept quiet out of fear of offending or, to stay safe or, they were told, oh no it couldn't be - and so they never really understood how the abuse affected them.

During the process of healing they must acknowledge, and for many come to terms with what was done 'by' so and so - there is a level before anger that frequently happens that is best described as outrage, in addition, it is like needing confirmation and then announcing to the vast public who felt it was more important to mirror back that the experience belonged under wraps - which was as if being abused all over again - when that stage of healing is reached most want to stand on the steps of the courthouse or, for some the capitol or, for some write a newspaper headline and then for some write a book - much of it works both way - it makes what happened real - only after it sinks in that it is real and that it should not have been that way does anger set in or, for some the wall-off starts all over again.

And so suggestion - you may not want to be burdened any more than they did - therefore, just look at these books like a Funeral Hearse going by - you have no idea who has met their last but you stop and maybe say a prayer - acknowledge in your head, probably not your heart if you do not know them, but you know and can acknowledge that something sad is happening and then go on with your life.

These books are just funeral hearses - someone's personal war story. .

MaryPage · « **Reply #1592 on:** February 27, 2011, 01:13:55 PM »

Port Salut is my favorite cheese. Anyone else love it?

Macaroni and Cheese should always be made with Colby's Longhorn.

Octavia · « **Reply #1593 on:** February 27, 2011, 08:12:09 PM »

Oh dear, I was coping well with my dry cracker, till I landed here. Chocolate, mmmmh!
I love it. My sister and I went to a Family Forum at my mother's Nursing Home, and, probably to sweeten the pain of listening to residents complaints, they gave us heart shaped Dove chocolates. I have read that chocolate releases endorphins or some thing in our brains, so it was probably good thinking on the part of the staff.
I read on a tourist feedback site that one of our(Aussie) best kept secrets are Cherry Ripes, an American was stockpiling them to take home. Violet Crumble bars are a good old favourite.
When my son comes over from London he's always dying for iced coffee. For some reason it's not sold over there. I love Tasmanian Brie.
I'm looking for a book to read. One of those you can't put down, and you have to eat with one hand till it's finished. I'll keep browsing around here.

Steph · « **Reply #1594 on:** February 28, 2011, 05:58:51 AM »

I have the latest BookMarks Octavia and I will tell you if I see a review of something you might like. The closest I have come so far is is a new book featuring Clara Driscoll who was the woman who worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany and designed the original lamps.. I want to get it and see it.The reviews sound interesting. They say that the process of design, color blowing, cutting and arranging of the stained glass is compelling.
There are some book that are compelling.. Jeanette Walls.. Glass Castle is the story of a horrible horrible childhood and a good present.. Beautifully written.
I dislike the movie star type books that think that a25 year old blond actualy has a story to tell.. Or that terrible little boy singer the little girls are thrilled with.. Or god forbid,,one more story about the Jacksons. That sort of thing drives me nuts.
On the other hand, I am reading on myIPAD,, Laura Bush's memoir and it is quite charming.

Babi · « **Reply #1595 on:** February 28, 2011, 09:24:53 AM »

Quote

These books are just funeral hearses - someone's personal war story.

What a great line, BARB. And what a great way to look at it.

I enjoyed Port Salut back when I bought from a cheese club, MARYPAGE.
But that was in more prosperous days. Now one has to balance small
pleasures against necessaries. Don't worry tho', I'm obviously
still well fed.

octavia, do show your son how to make iced coffee. It's simple
enough, isn't it, that he should be able to enjoy it at home. I well
remember, after my son moved out, his coming back and demanding I
show him how to cook three of his favorite dishes. He said he was
starving!
If you find that engrossing book, do let me know. My current crop
isn't all that great.

Gumtree · « **Reply #1596 on:** February 28, 2011, 09:54:23 AM »

Octavia: i'm reading Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence - but it's one to read slowly - for me anyway. The chapters are quite short and I find a couple at a time are great. I'm not too far into it so can't yet say whether it will live up to the hype. It's interesting but it's not a page turner -

You might find a suitable title among the nominations here in the Suggestions for Future Discussions page -I believe the vote will be quite soon. I've only read one (Ukrainian Tractors) but the others have absorbing topics.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #1597 on:** February 28, 2011, 01:39:37 PM »

This interview with the author of When We Were Strangers was in my Women and History newsletter. It's fiction abt a young Italian needlewoman in the 1880's as she moved to nirthern Italy and then immigates to the U.S. Sounds interesting. My library has it but it's out at the moment.

http://www.historyandwomen.com/

JoanK · « **Reply #1598 on:** March 01, 2011, 02:15:33 AM »

STEPH: " One of the cozy writers does parodies in the titles.. She writes of a housewife..Hmm. Charlotte Fluke?? no, that is not right, but just cannot quite recall.. One of the books was Ham and something.."

Could the housewife with ham and something be "Silence of the Hams" by Jill Churchill? Someone is killed by being hit by hams. I like her early books, starting with "Grime and Punishment", for anyone who likes "cozies" (light mystery stories). (Her later books really go downhill).

Joanna Fluke also writes cozies; each has the name of a sweet treat (e.g. the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery). Her detective owns a cookie store, and the books are full of cookie recipes.

rosemarykaye · « **Reply #1599 on:** March 01, 2011, 03:25:26 AM »

I have just looked up J Fluke on our library catalogue and practically all of her books are out on loan, which may be a good recommendation - or maybe it's just the recipes! I must say a novel featuring chocolate chip cookies sounds just what I need.

Rosemary

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 777064 times)