Fiction: Old / New / Best Sellers ~ 6/04 Export


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
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jane

A new discussion WOW

I finished The Package and will be back when I get home from work to tell you about it.

Hi Alf

Hey Judy--- Welcome back. This is a nice, clean slate Jane has provided for us . I just returned from the library where I checked out Rebecca to discuss this week. Jim mentioned a book called Memorial Day by Vince Flynn that I tried to procur. It is checked out and there is a long waiting list for it in all 9 county libraries. Must be a good read, so--I'll have to check out Borders this week.

My husband is a fan of Vince Flynn. I think he may have read Memorial Day. He has read all of Flynn's books.

Vince Flynn is a author I have not heard of before. Alf let me know how you like it. I have so many books backed up I am buried. The Package is a terrific book I am sure glad its fiction. I can only say it gets ahold of you and its hard to put down. I read at night and the first night I though this is O.K. and the second chapter started with someone else and I thought this is going to be another where I can't keep track of all the people. The second night I thought well a chapter a night how long can it take??????? Wow I didn't put that down very fast that night. Took me 2 nights to finish it. Its so creepy and even more creepy when you think those thing could really happen. Thanks Frawny for recommending it. I can't get ahold of Frawny I hope I didn't offend her in any way.

The "Rebecca" discussion is now open for your posts. Please follow this link:
REBECCA

Bill H

REading the Anne Tyler... "Back when we were grownups" Neat so far, but I love Anne Tyler and read every one I can find.

I have read 4 of Elizabeth. Berg's books, Alf, but wasn’t aware of “Open House”. I will have to look into it. Also “The Art of Mending”. Thanks to you and to TigerLiley.

I also enjoyed “Five Quarters of the Orange”, Kathy. I like Joanne Harris, but none of her other books have caught my imagination like “Chocolat” did. I liked the mystical quality which doesn’t show up in her later books.

I am an Anne Tyler fan, also, Stephanie. I am waiting for the library to order the newest one, “Field of Battle”.

Did Nicklaus Maddox write “The Package”, Judy? I found that one listed on amazon.com. My library lists only a video by that title. Library of Congress lists a novel by Margaret Bacon written 1975 and a mystery by Laurie Anderson written in 1971.

I just started another Jodi Picoult book, entitled My Sister's Keeper. It's a wonderful story of a 13 year old girl who sues her parents for the right to her own body. For the last 13 years she has been her "sister's keeper" maintaining the sisters health with her own donated blood, bone marrow, etc. It's a very controversial subject and the author does a superb job of presenting both sides of the argument for and against stem cell research to maintain the life of an afflicted patient. The author takes you into each one of their lives and their personal thoughts. It's very well writtten and heart wrenching.

Alf that sounds like a wonderful book. Perkie I think one reason I had so much trouble finding The Package is it has two authors. Nicklas Maddox & Nea Williams. I got mine on Amazon, also the title actually says Have You Seen Me--The Package. Its worth looking for. I can't find Frawny who was I believe the first to recommend it. We are having a heat wave here and I think I could water from dawn to dark and not be done. I was disappointed in the outcome of the U.S. Open which has taken up a lot of my time since Thursday. QUESTION--------with so many different folders how do you pick and choose which books to buy and which ones not?? I am getting so behind and then someone else mentions one and there I go again.

I usually check out all the books that are mentioned and then choose which ones I want to read and discuss. Many times it depends on WHO is leading the discussion, who is recommending it and/or who is participating. Many times I just like the sound of it and jump right in and order it.

PERKIe- I agree with the Chocolat' being the best book that Harris wrote. It also is one of my favorite movies.

Francy Lou- I am so happy that you felt welcomed and have returned to our boards to chat with us.

Judy: I rarely buy a book. I get mine from the local library. There are very few books I'd open again after reading them, and I'd have wasted hundreds/thousands of dollars if I'd bought every book I've read in the last few years.

jane

“My Sister's Keeper” sounds excellent, Alf, and I can get it at the library on an audio book. I love audio books. They make the time doing repetitive chores, like washing dishes, pass so much more quickly.

I have requested that our library purchase “The Package”, Judy. I will see what happens. On the subject of choosing books, that is why I am a heavy library user. That way, if I don’t like a book, I don’t feel I have wasted anything but a little of my time when I don’t finish it.

“Pulse” by Edna Buchanan is one of those books that walks a fine line between novel and mystery. Our library system can’t even decide. It is about a heart transplant recipient and how his life is changed, and how he is changed, by the experience. Very well written, and at the end I was torn about his having to decide between his wife and the other woman. I think I would have been a little disappointed that he didn’t make the opposite choice no matter which choice he did make.

Perkie, I don't think that you'll be disappointed with My Sister's Keeper." Yesterday when I was at the liberary I checked out another Jodi Picoult. I don't care for this one. It's about child molestation and I have a very BIG problem feeling any sympathy towards that.

I'm with you Jane. There are very few that I would reread also. In fact I had to pause and consider which they would be and i keep coming back to a couple of Taylor Caldwell books that I've always wanted to reread at this age.

I've just finished Peter Mayle's new book, The Good Year and I enjoyed it, very much. It's a beach book type read, it's fiction, about a person who inherits a vineyard in France that he didn't expect, and it's got all kinds of nice mysteries and twists and turns, I really liked it. I love the way the publisher has presented it, too.

I'm now reading Brick Lane, by Monica Ali, which is THE book in Europe, you can't go ANYWHERE and not see it and it is SO good, you’re thrust immediately into the story, kind of reminds me of Pearl Buck for some reason, it’s really a great book.

Here’s one bit, I can’t find the one I thought was so great last night hahahaha, when you fall asleep with no pencil over a book you can’t find THE line again, but here’s one, Nazneen has just discovered ice skating on television, which seems somewhat of a miracle, to her, for instance, her thoughts on the female ice skater in competition: "Her chest pumped up and down as if her heart would shoot out and she smiled pure, gold joy."

Sometimes she switched on the television and flicked through the channels, looking for ice e-skating. For a whole week it was on every afternoon while Nazneen sat cross-legged on the floor. While she sat, she was no longer a collection of the hopes, random thoughts, petty anxieties, and selfish wants that made her, but was whole and pure. The old Nazneen was sublimated and the new Nazneen was filed with white light, glory.

I keep “mispronouncing” her name as Nanzeen for some reason.

I really like this book, is anybody reading it?

Gosh, Alf, I haven’t thought of Taylor Caldwell in ages. Which ones do you want to re-read?

Hooray, Peter Mayle's new book, “The Good Year”, is on audio book at my library, Ginny. I look forward to renting it. And I put a hold on “Brick Lane”. The review in Library Journal, as well as your review, has me looking forward to receiving it. Thanks for both titles.

“The Amateur Marriage” by Anne Tyler seems to drag a bit in the first third, but then I became engrossed and enjoyed the rest of it. I found the last line to be rather sad. It encapsulated a life spent floundering around.

Perkie, I think you'll really enjoy The Good Year, let us know how you like it! And Brick Lane, we may have to discuss that one, it's about...well wait till you see!

I am reading Brick Lane at night but by day am reading the PERFECT beach book! You know how people say what's a good beach book? Well I like stories of the rich and famous and how they fell, and Candace Bushnell (Sex and the City, 4 Blondes) has done it again in Trading Up.

It's hard to put down, we've already got a $100,000 rental house in the Hamptons and a struggling female protagonist, very similar to the one in Sex and the City, and if you watched that program you know this book is not for the....straight laced...or faint hearted... but so far it's fabulous, nicely PC and totally BEACH book, have any of you read it? I am loving it.

Hah.. Ginny is reading a book with a plain brown wrapper. Actually I loved Sex and the City, although I would have problems believing that women like that exist.. Will put down her new one to give it a shot.

hahaah Stephanie, I spoke too soon on the Bushnell, lots of the 4 letter word, with all its ramifications, it's STILL a great beach book, but maybe needs that plain brown wrapper! hahahaa

Ginny - I am listening to Peter Mayle right now on NPR. Did you hear the interview? No wonder that you enjoyed the book so much being the wine maker that you are.

Kathy

NO I missed it! Was it good?

Actually we're not vintners but vineyardists, we don't make wine, only grow the grapes, and I usually HATE books about vineyards because they are so fakey, this one's not, it's good.

Miss Ginny reading a brown paper bag book?? Many layers to her from latin to -------------? It is cloudy here today and that is fine with me. Just finished an mystery called The Alpine Menace by Mary Daheim who is a local writer and its fun to read about the area where you live especially when you have been up and down all the roads and neighborhoods that she mentions. Happy 4th everyone.

Happy 4th of July to USA
Belated Happy Canada Day

been trying to catch up on my piles of books - finished Charlotte Bingham's The Chestnut Tree a runner up when we choise to read Five Quarters of the Orange Ok - predictable - a romantaic look at WWII through the experineces of some young women in a sea faring village in England...

Finally finished Yi-Fu Than's Escapism Wow - interesting - what does it mean to be human - how we adapt to and transform nature while making the earth our home - the real reasons we like to own pets - all the deceptions we use to avoid terror the constent block to valour and love...not a sit down and finish the book kind of read...been working on this one for over a year...

like shaking hands with god a conversation about writing by Kurt Vonnegut and Lee Stringer who I never heard of - so I ordered and read Grand Central Winter - if you think Vonnegut is powerful wait until you read Stinger - whew - each sentence is a gem to behold - this guy can write like no other and he was a homeless drug adict - his stories are limited but my god what the man can do with words...

Finished A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss who it turns out lives in San Antonio - fabulous story, well written, witty, intelligent - eighteenth century London, families who are at the beginning of what we now take for granted - trading value in paper rather than gold coins - the advantage and disadvantages of gold are explained along with the very beginning establishment of what we now see as the Stock Market.

A thriller filled with descriptions that make you feel you are right there - a murder - and the intricacies of the first stock market crash explained so well, the whole area of money exchange and the people who engage in the pursuit of wealth are easier understood...this book was so good and so well written I have purchased his other book The Coffee Trader supposed to take place in Holland - haven't cracked the covers yet...

Now I am reading The Tragedy of Great Power Politics boy John J. Mearsheimer - underlining like crazy - actually I hate to mark a book - that old Catholic School education where a book is sacred and keeping notes on slips of paper to insert in the book was "THE" way it is done - wondered after visiting the home of the old Rutabager man himself Carl Sandburg if the Swedes and the Catholic nuns were all educated together since he has thousands of books with slips of paper popping out of most of them...

Of course I always have several books going at one time and the other that is capturing my attention is Yeats by Harold Bloom - another that I am underlining phrases so it becomes a keeper once a book is underlined...the next step for a keeper is it gets covered in some nice looking wrapping paper or old wallpaper scrape using the technique I learned from Sister Celistine O.P.

And finally reading for information or I should say slogging through for information The Clean Water Act 20 Years Later by Robert Adler, Jessica Lanman and Kiane Cameron - technical - technical - but until we have a Rachael Carson to write about the state of our Water it will have to do...

I see that Mary Daheim has 16 books in her Emma Lord series, Judy. Have you read any of the others? The titles all begin with Alpine. She also has 19 in her Bed and Breakfast series. She has been a busy lady!

My library has “Conspiracy of Paper” by David Liss, Barbara, but it has a long list of holds, so it may be awhile until I can read it. “The Coffee Trader”, on the other hand, is on an audio book that I plan to get. Thanks for the list of books. You have also been a busy lady.

My last audio book was “That Camden Summer” by LaVyrle Spencer. The author apparently has 11 New York Times best-sellers to her credit, but this is the first one I have read, or heard. It is placed in Camden, Maine, in the summer of 1916, and the leading character is a very strong, creative woman who is living with the stigma of being divorced with three daughters. She is a trained nurse who drives her own car and is a target for all of the horny men in town. One interesting description was the steps it took to start the cars. I didn’t realize that the early cars used carbide lights. I was interested because I used a carbide head lamp when I went cave crawling while in college. “That Camden Summer” has a romance, but it is not the core story. I enjoyed listening to it, but doubt that I would ever sit down to read one of Spencer’s books.

I've listened to books on tape in the car when I have a long drive ahead of me but never thought to get a romance novel - need to try that - still working on the last Harry Potter book - 16 tapes would you believe - I've done poetry and some of the thrillers like "Red October" and the like but never tried the likes of LaVyrle Spencer - hmmmm - the ones I wish were on tape that I read when they are in paperback for only $6 rather than hardback of the Agatha Raison series - they call them cozy mysteries now - but I love those stories even if they are getting a bit trite.

My goodness Barbara it sounds like you are reading some interesting books. Perkie I noticed when I finished the Alpine book that there are quite a few others. I went and looked at my book shelf (the to read one) and there is another one The Alpine Obituary so I will read that one too. There are lots at my book store and I think they end up costing me like 25cents. I am reading The Perfect Summer by Luanne Rice and of course when I got started I realized I had already read it but its good the second time since my memory is shot. I finished a book that is quite a departure for me but I enjoyed it. It is called The Newsboys Lodging-House by Jon Boorstin. Most of it is about the small boys who lived in NY in the early days and had to live hand to mouth. Its about William James but I have little idea of who he was but I enjoyed the book. You would not believe what some of those boys had to do just to eat. It is in 1870's. The construction is nearly finished and so am I, our painter comes this afternoon and the floor needs to be done and thats it for remodeling for me forever.!!!!!!Anyway thats what I say now.

I don't understand why my paragraphs all run together can anyone tell me?

Judy...

Just going to another line isn't enough in posting.

You need to either skip a line or use the HTML code for line breaks

 will give you a blank space between paragraphs/lines or wherever you put the code.

jane

If you are indenting to indicate a new paragraph, that doesn't work on here because the program eliminates "empty" spaces. All you need to do is double-space between paragraphs. If you prefer to code, rather than twice, once will also do the trick. (meaning break) is to force a hard return, as in a list of items, but (meaning paragraph) gives a double space to begin a new paragraph.

For further confusion, in the newest version of html (shtml), one puts at the beginning and at the end of a paragraph.

It certainly wasn’t your instructions, Zinnia, but my head was swimming by the time I finshed reading your posting. I think I will stick to putting in a blank line between paragraphs. My fuddled brain can handle that at least. Someone who was in the middle of making a pie before remembering that the oven hadn’t worked for two weeks can’t be trusted with complicated instructions! Actually, I have seen

in the middle of other postings, not necessarily here, and wondered what it meant.

You are wise to listen to Harry Potter, Barbara. The book was so heavy that my arms were tired when I finished. How do kids manage? Or am I just getting weaker? I don’t think I want to know.

The story line of “The Perfect Summer” by Luanne Rice reminds me a little of “That Camden Summer” by LaVryle Spencer – the seaside town, the profligate husband, the solid new suitor. If it bears a second reading so well I will have to try it, Judy. In “Newsboys Lodging-House” by Jon Boorstin, it doesn’t seem to matter that you don’t know William James. According to Publishers Weekly:

As a portrait of James, the novel is not altogether plausible, and the philosopher tends to be overshadowed by Boorstin's passionate portrayal of the city itself. But Boorstin's diverting, well-balanced mix of the cerebral and the visceral will please historical fiction readers, especially those whose interest in Big Apple history was spurred by Gangs of New York.

“The Loop” by Nicholas Evans, the author of “The Horse Whisperer” is the story of the battle between environmentalists who want to re-introduce wolves into the Rocky Mountain ranching area of Montana and the cattlemen who have allotments in the national forests to summer their cattle. I did some skimming of the confrontations, but the ambiance of the place and the interesting characters more than made up for it. Publishers Weekly disagrees and claims that Evans’ writing is graceless and his “passages on wolf behavior read like mediocre nature film scripts”. Oh well, I still liked it, but admit it was slow reading in the beginning.

Yes Perkie thats what I said hehehe I could never express myself like you do thanks.

Perkie, guess I disagree with Publisher's Weekly. I read "The Loop" a few years back and thoroughly enjoyed it, and "The Horse Whisperer" also. His "Smoke Jumper" is sitting in my yellow emergency TO READ bag, but I don't know just when I'll get to it. Have you read it?

Hi, my name is Sheila. I just found you! I am a 70 y/o widow,retired, and living 15 miles NE of Sacramento, CA. I love to read! I really appreciate reading your posts. I have made a list of five of your reccomendations, and will see if they are available at Books A Million. I have bought a number of previously owned books, from them, for very reasonable prices.

My memory is full of holes. I last read a series about three older women who take up residence, together. All of them have these words in their title: "Ladies of Covington". I am now reading the fifth in the series. Have enjoyed all of them.

I look forward to participating with all of you. Sheila

Sheila - welcome! A good source of books is our own Book Exchange right here on Senior Net. There is a huge list of books being offered. All you have to pay is the media rate shipment for the book that you want. Such a deal!

Kathy

click for the Book Exchange.

Sheila WELCOME WELOME. We are glad you are here. I am glad you have a sense of humor thats always welcome here. The suggestions are always good and you can pick and choose which you might enjoy.

We really hope you enjoy yourself here.

I had to laugh when I re-read my last posting just now. I wrote in the code for a double 'return' and ended up with a blank line in the middle of a paragraph! I proved that it works. How in the world did you write the code in your description, Zinnia, without it making a return?

I haven’t read “Smoke Jumper” yet, Pedlin. It is on my list.

Welcome to the group, Sheila. I hope you post often. 15 miles northeast of Sacramento, is that Woodland? I live in Marin County but have friends who live in Sacramento and Orangevale. I haven’t read any of the “Ladies of Covington” stories but see that there are 5 titles in my library.

Ladies Of Covington Send Their Love (2000)
Gardens Of Covington (2001)
From The Heart Of Covington (2002)
Spirit Of Covington (2003)
At Home In Covington (2004)

Have you read Jan Karon's Mitford series? The review I read said that the Covington series has a similar feel to Karon's books.

My latest audio book is “Left Behind” by Tim LaHaye. It has an interesting premise. In an instant, a large portion of the earth’s population has disappeared, leaving behind the clothing they were wearing and chaos. It is classified as a Christian religious fantasy and is the beginning of a series. It gives a lot of detail about The Rapture, but is not terribly well written so I don’t intend to continue it.

Perkie: There are some HTML "tricks" that can be used to show various symbols but they're not the actual symbol, so the coding shows up and it doesn't do what the code looks like it should.

For example: can be written here but there will not be a line break.

Those codes for the angle brackets can be found in any HTML book, I think.

jane

It is REALLY hard to figure out how to post the actual code for showing the P and BR without having them do what they are intended to do... LOLOL!!! I'll figure it out and post it when I get back from the grocery, unless someone has already beat me to it. Or you can right click on a blank space on the page and look at the code to see what it is. Then you can save it using notepad and re-use it anytime you need to do it.

If you do EDIT...FIND on the source code page, then put in a short text string from the post where the code was used, it should take you right to it or nearby.

I loooooove Jan Karon and have all her books. I re-read them every so often.

The code is as follows:

to make a <

use the following...ALL TOGETHER...NO SPACES

& l t ;

so

& l t ; B>

 will show up as a BOLD tag

If you want to do the other bracket...

the "code" ...all written together...no spaces is

& g t ;

There are some other variations on the code, but this is what I use.

Thank you, Jane, for the code information. As you can tell, I never use HTML. If I were 20 years younger, I would love to learn to use it, but my brain no longer seems to to process new information like it used to do. Very frustrating.

I tried a Eudora Welty novel, “Delta Wedding”, but it was so wordy and had so many descriptions of the family that were not interesting but were repetitive that I gave up on it. Now I will never know if Dabney married Troy, but don't seem to care. I know she is a well known author, but not for me, I’m afraid.

You and me both. My grandson built me a new computer, so fast that my hair plasters back against my head when I use it. It has enough capacity to hold the world. The myriad programs will do everything but cut my toenails. But it's wasted on me. To say that I am computer challenged is an understatement. (^;^) I really admire the ladies here on SeniorNet that whizz through "instructions" and can really USE all this stuff.

It's odd, isn't it, how one author can give you minute detail and you just lap it up and wish for more, and another can put you to sleep by telling you every little thing? I guess it depends on the subject matter.

Howzat

Sheila, Welcome. I've never been in Sacremento, but every time I see it in print I think of The Jane Austen Book Club, recently discussed by SeniorNet, which takes place near there. One of the chapters was set in that fabulous center, ballroom, whatever, that is part of Sacramento's library.

Last year SeniorNet discussed The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love. It was truly an uplifting book. I hope to read some more in the series.

Pedlin I am glad you mentioned the other Ladies of Covington book, I had forgotten I had it. I think I will start to read that now. Its cooled down here and its very nice now. We could use some rain and I hope it is on its way.

Just about finished with DaVinci Code. Don't know what the fuss was all about - although the history of religion was interesting. An author who did the same thing, only better, was Jostein Gaarder writing Sophie's World. Anybody read it? It's like Dan Brown followed the same template, just replaced philosophy with religion. Even used the same name for the female protagonist.

saw the movie "Sophie's World" - devistating...

Barbara - Are you sure you didn't see "Sophie's Choice"?

aha - and you win the million dollar prize - now I need to look up Sophie's World...

But, you're right. Sophie's Choice was devastating. I've just seen bits and pieces of the movie, but the book still haunts me. The other one that still haunts me is The Dollmaker by Arnow. I must have read it 40 or more years ago. Some things you just can't forget.

I recently read Sophie's World and really learned a lot from it. It's really a jaw-dropper and one I would read over and over. It is and has been used as a text in many colleges.

I was really confused when I first began reading it but got hooked after a bit. I had to begin twice because at first I started skimming or skipping the quotes ... they were just too dang long, I thought... but then I realized they were the meat of the book, so I began again and actually read them.

Sophie's World I bought quite by mistake and read it. It is one of the few books that I have kept on my shelves over the years. Many times I use it for references. Wouldn't that make a great book discussion? There would be thousands of URLs to access and learn from.

So glad I brought up Sophie's World.

May I add another to my list of haunting books? City of Joy - the book, certainly not the insipid movie. Could not put it down - cannot forget it.

Harper I am so glad to see you here, you have such great ideas about books that frankly I have never heard of. This is how we do it and I do enjoy finding new authors. As most know I am deep into May Sarton and have just finished her book which is actually a journal At Seventy. My 70th is in a couple of weeks and I am not looking forward to it.

Haeper, I read the Dollmaker years ago and have kept it always. I reread it every once in a while. Makes me weep at the courage and dispair..

Judy - Thank you. I get so many good ideas here that I'm most happy to reciprocate. I've never read Sarton - guess I have to see what I'm missing.

Yeah, Stephanie, the Dollmaker is one of those really affecting books - one of the few that have made me weep.

Our little library in our park - it's one of those that people just contribute books to and everyone reads them - has a new note in it. Says, "just contribute new, current books". I'm sorry to see that. There are so many old favorites. (Course I wouldn't part with my old favorites.) Oh well. they don't have much shelf space.

Help!! Judy - just looked up Sarton on Half.com. So many - which shall I read first?

It's so nice to have someone say, "I read that book, too, and loved it."

I also got Sophie's World quite by mistake... glad I'm not alone. It's a well-worn paperback from our library sale room and I was attracted by the cover, read just the first page and brought it home.

And the rest is history (pun intended... hahahahaha)!

Sophie's World is on my list at Amazon - looks like they no longer have the book with the CD that explains the history of philosophy that the book is based in...

Yes, Judy I had a terrible time when I turned 70 - I was swinging along in my 60s wondering what all the fuss was about - never had a crisis turning 30 or 40 or any other significant year - but 70 was just terrible - I had to try to convince myself I was not old - or rather I was no older than I felt the day before I turned 70 and then started to look for those in their 70s or older who accomplished something of significance -

That book we read about the women who aged was no help at all - I was so turned off by her and her attachment to her husband while she was saying she wanted a house of her own and then a dog...the gods should help us if that is our example of growing older.

This year is better and I just decided first there is nothing I can do to turn the clock and just do...but I must admit every twing gives me pause as I imagine now that every forgotten issue or thing or feeling tired or ache here or there is some fatal something or other...I have also decided I will feel more at peace once I have this house cleared out, realize some of the projects I have will never be worked on so get rid of them - I will feel good when I know that everything is in its place just in case something dreadful does happen. Almost like hehehehe when our mother's told us, always wear clean undies...

Along those lines I have also decided that I will no longer entertain as I once did and so I may just as well now start giving some of my china (I have several sets) and punch bowl etc. to my kids and start giving some of the family pieces to them as well - I thought as Christmas gifts with a note about the family history of the piece.

And so do something special for yourself Judy - for me it has been to get out in nature more often - in fact being without my DSL service for nearly 2 weeks taught me, I need to be less glued to this computer and get out more...from here on you just do not know how many more summers or winters there will be to enjoy - maybe 25 or 30 but maybe only 10 or 12...

Barbara I think you are in my head. I have been thinking thoughts similar to yours for this entire year. Like you no other birthday bothered me one way or another, This one is really really bothering me. I look at things or do something and think your going to be 70 and you might never get todo or see this thing again. Stupid thinking I know it is just another day. I also try to keep from spending too much time on t he computer I don't want it to be my life. I always think of you Barbara in Chicago so classy and put together and dressed so beautifully I thought you were a very special person.

Harper its hard to tell you where to start with Sarton. I don't know if you are a man or a woman. Some people think Sarton is more of a womans author. She has written poetry fiction non-fiction pretty much everything. I really enjoyed At Seventy maybe you could start there. I am sure I could pick her house out if I ever got to go to New Hampshire. I have never been a poetry reader so I have not tried any of her poems.

I learned about Sarton when we read Carolyn Heilburn's book The Last Gift of Time...Life Beyond Sixty. Heilburn spoke all through the book about May Sarton which prompted me to find a May Sarton book.

Judy - good heavens thank you - but you, especially when you were dressed for dinner, you were beau idéal...stunning!!

We ought to consider having a discussion - a real discussion of how we feel turning 70 and what we are doing differently with our life after turning 70 - and who are the role models accomplishing something significant after they turned 70 and who started new careers or intersts upon turning 70 etc. etc. etc.

If I could have as much spunk and fun as she does I won't mind turning 70,80 or 90.

“The Dollmaker” by Harriette Arnow is indeed a moving book, Harper. The scene where Gertie inserts a hollow reed in her child’s windpipe so the child can breathe is as clear in my mind as if I had been there watching her. Did you see the movie? Jane Fonda played Gertie with great compassion.

“The City of Joy” sounds like a real heart-breaker. I’m not sure I would be able to stick with it, so maybe I’ll watch the video first. I liked Patrick Swayze in “Ghost”. He plays Max Lowe.

Barbara, when you are checking out May Sarton, be sure to read “The Fur Person”. It is very short and the only one of her books that I keep on my shelf. The others I have read and enjoyed, such as “Plant Dreaming Deep” and “I Knew a Phoenix”, came from the library.

Judy, don’t think of your birthday as marking your age, but as being a vintage year, marking your growth and maturity, and marvel at the things you can do and the interests you still have which you will carry with you into your future.

I, too, stumbled on “Sophie’s World” by accident. It was on the library’s free shelf. I had to read it in fits and starts. I would read a chapter, then read a different book or two, then back for another chapter. Much of it puzzled me, mostly the science fiction of the two parallel worlds, but I can see using it in a philosophy survey course.

I liked the story of “The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love”, but I wish Joan Medlicott would tighten up her writing a bit. After I knew that each of the ladies had trouble handling problems and why, I felt like there was too much whinging. I’m sure that comes from my own upbringing, when I was told constantly to ‘stop whining’. I will definitely try the second book. I hope Charles doesn’t die.

I agree with you abut Joan Medlicott. The basic premise of her books is good, and the characters are endearing, but her writing isn't very good and much of is not even plausible. They are more like clumsy first drafts that need, as you said, a lot of tightening and editing. I thought the best thing about "The Ladies of Covington Send Their Love" was the title. I bought all three, read two (hoping for improvement or a smoothing out of her style or something), and gave up in disappointment.

On the other hand, I am crazy about the Mitford series by Jan Karon. Very well written!

Having faced death many times in the past four years, and not having expected to reach my last three birthdays, I treasure every one of them now. It's all in the perspective!

Zinnia, I admire your courage and your attitude. They must have a lot to do with the celebration of your last 3 birthdays. Here's hoping for many times more.

I borrowed "The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen. It comes on 14 cassettes and would maybe have made a good short story. He went into so much detail about the lives of the characters that I ended up feeling nothing but contempt for any of them. Blather, blather, blather. I listened to the first part of several tapes, and finally skipped to the last one to see how it ended. Unless you dote on minutia, I don't recommend spending time on this book.

I am now working on my attitude as my bithday approaches thank you all for your suggestions.

I had a balance on a gift certificate at B&N so I went to spend it today. Here are my choices

Isle of Palms by Dorothea B. Frank

Kiss The Girls by Patterson

Beach Girls by Luanne Rice

That took care of my balance and one less card in my wallet.

I am having computer problems and guess I will call MSN that is usually a 2 or 3 hour deal and I really don't feel like it.

Perkie - City of Joy is a heartbreaker - an awful, awful, yet wonderful book. Any resemblance between the book and the movie is strictly coincidental and probably accidental. They took a profound book and made it into an inane move. Not that I hold strong opinions.

I Read James Patterson's SAM'S LETTERS TO JENNIFER It was not as good as SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS. Finished SAYING GRACE by Beth Gutcheon and loved it. A quiet read. One you can just sit back and enjoy. THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB by Karen Joy Fowler was a let down. I got bored with and had to put it down and read something else and then go back to it to finish it. I LOVE YOU LIKE A TOMATO by Marie Giordano was the bes I've had in a long time. ChiChi grows from a child to a woman. She has had hard lesson to learn. Sad in places but very appealing. Try it.

Sage

"The Swallows of Kabul" about what it was like to live in Kabul, Afghanistan under the Taliban. It is a book of fiction, and shows what religious fanaticsm can do to ordinary people, and what being a witness to constant violence can do to the human mind. The swallows are the women in their blue burkas, and the fear that they lived under. The author is listed as Yasmina khadra, but is actually a nom the plume for an Algerian army office named Mohammed Moulessehoul, who published this under the pseudonym so as to bypass the military censors.

It's an easy read, but fascinating---so foreign to anything most of us have ever experienced, and so very sad that human beings have to live like this in parts of this planet.

. . . a heartbreaking book. But I have also seen the movie and was not disappointed. Movies are only a different medium, visual instead of psychological, with time constraints, acting ability constraints, and constraints of the camera. Whereas one can look into the psyche of a character in a book, in a movie one must read the psyche, and that depends a lot on the actors involved, the symbolism used, and the direction. I enjoyed both of them as far as one can enjoy heartbreak.

Beautifully written. I am going to look up the author after I post here. Didn't think it was fair before putting down my own impressions. OK: With Rayona, the message (from just one theme over several pages) is that she wishes she had a normal family life. Her desire to see the writer of the letter she picked up as trash as her Mom. Ida has lots to tell, her character always seems more mature in thought (but she did just nix Pretty Dog in a heartbeat, after getting pregnant) and generally that is a critcism for Ida, Christine, and Rayona. Their characters are mature in thought, Christine speaks almost as if she were another person rather than the one we first see. Ida's actions somehow make the personalitiy of flightiness we see in Christine, and her jelousy at being rejected is responsible for her brother's death. She wastes her life that Ida so forcefully saved by refusing to let the mother sell her. So much is going on and sometimes I wondered to where? Ida is depicted as being the archtypical "good" mother but she gets a disconnected daughter. Christine is a "good" mother, involving her daughter in learning and she gets a "wonderkind" that has survived all the bad stuff no one else does. And this sexuality, first with Lee and then with Rayona and the priest, where is all that going? Just window dressing? Just so much stuff, beautifully written. There are no relevation of lost lives, just wasted lives that seem to be the par for the course. Everybody continues, life goes on. Don't know why I read it.

I have been listening to an audio tape entitled "Ahabs Wife". Forgotten the author. Excellent book. It is about her, but thus far, there is also a wonderful word picture of a younger Ahab. I really love the tape.

Judy, I hope you have your computer problems worked out. I know what you mean about the time and energy drain that is demanded before problems involving repain (er, repair) people are fixed. Freudian slip!

Don’t hold back, Harper, tell me what you really think of the movie version of “City of Joy”! I did watch the video and wasn’t ready to move on to the book, but after your comments and those of MountainRose, have changed my mind.

I like the sound of "The Swallows of Kabul “, MountainRose. It is still on the New Books shelf at the library, so it will be awhile before I get my hands on it, but it is definitely on my list. It is interesting that it was written by a military man. I wonder what women living under the Taliban think of it. Publisher’s Weekly calls it “a superb meditation on the fate of the Afghan people.”

It never even occurred to me that Ahab had a wife, Stephanie. I have added "Ahabs Wife" to my list. I can get the audio book on interlibrary loan. I wonder what the reference in “Moby Dick” was that Sena Jeter Naslund based her book on.

Being a Welsh Corgi lover, I have read all of Emily Carmichael’s series about a woman who died and returned in a Corgi body. The books are not very well written, but I am so amused by the woman’s references to her stubby legs and sausage body that I read them anyway! Since the woman remembers her former life as a beautiful woman, the pull between her former values, or lack thereof, and the Corgi values, which try to distract her from trying to regain more control over her life, are also amusing.

I understand that movies are a different medium with certain limitations - so, instead of misleading people and maligning the book, name the movie something else - most of the time it's not even the same story anyway. I wouldn't have recognized City of Joy. (I get especially upset when I loved the book - they can do whatever they please with, say, James Patterson - can't ruin those books.) I will be really interested in your comments after you read the book.

Returned as a Corgi??? That's got to be good.

Reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's shaping up to be really good. Hope they don't make a movie of it.

"The Swallows of Kabul" which is fiction, you might also be interested in "My Forbidden Face" by Latifa (a pseudonym to protect her family). It is much in the style of "Diary of Anne Franck" because from the age of 16 when the Taliban took over Kabul she was under virtual house arrest until the age of 20. It's an incredible insight of what the people suffered in Afghanistan, through the eyes of a young girl while coming of age. And this is a true account, unlike "Swallows". It also gives an excellent view of Islam as a moderate and sensible religion as practiced by her family, and the fanaticism that has distorted it.

The strength of Ahab's Wife is truly amazing. I get more and more involved and dont want the book to end. Una is incredibly strong and intelligent. I also do not know what the reference was in Moby Dick that made her decide Ahab had a wife ( and son).. The opening sentence draws you in.. She says something to the effect..." Ahab was not my first husband or my last.. Whew.. That pulled me right in to discover more.

It sounds interesting, especially since I'm always intrigued by how other characters might see the main character or the issues in a particular book from their point of view. Even if the author totally made up Ahab's wife, I'm sure her viewpoint of Ahab will give us further insight into Ahab himself---if it's a well written book, and you seem to think it is. It would also be a female point of view, which is often totally different from the male point of view.

Such is the book "The Mists of Avalon" which gives the female point of view of the Arthurian legend. Fascinating, with twists in the plot that I never would have thought of myself! Amd "The Third Witch" which gives the female point of view of the witches in Shakespeare's MacBeth. Another one I found intriguing was "The Secret Diary of Ann Boylin" mother of Elizabeth I, from her viewpoint and how that might have shaped Elizabeth's life and decisions, such as never getting married or letting herself be used by males even if she loved them.

There's another one called "The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine", wife of Napoleon. I still have to hunt that one down.

I love to see various conjectures about a famous character such as Ahab, from other points of view. Sometimes it's like an awakening because we are so used to hear only one viewpoint, and even characters that might seem "bad" in the original novel might have had good reason for what they did. It's sort of fun to play with that.

Here's a review of "Ahab's Wife": http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=175kbcn9zS&sourceid=M000000266&isbn=0688177859&itm=1

Thank you for "My Forbidden Face" by Latifa, MountainRose. Sounds like a hard, but worthwhile, book to read. I have always liked Marion Zimmer Bradley and I loved ‘The Mists of Avalon”. Did you see that movie? It had Anjelica Huston as Viviane and Julianna Margulies as Morgaine. I don’t know "The Third Witch" but it also sounds intriquing. Has Rebecca Reisert written anything else?

I finished “The Seven Sisters” by Margaret Drabble. She uses an interesting technique in this book. The first third is told in the first person by Candida. The middle third is told in third person. The last third is in first person, but alternates among different people. And it is still easy to follow the plot. It didn’t grab me and pull me into the story as some books do, but I did care about the people who are portrayed with well-rounded characters. I also like the literary language and references. I had to look up several words, one being palimpsest. Once I knew the meaning, the passage took on a deeper meaning.

I love the Marion Zimmer Bradley Darkover series and have every single one. I was delighted to hear that Ahabs wife's writer has yet another earlier book about Sherlock in Love.. Will have to track it down.

I have not gotten into the Darkover series, Stephanie, leaning more toward myth, but they must be good if you have all of them. There seem to be quite a few.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Beachcombing for a Shipwrecked God" by Joe Coomer. Three vary different women live together on a 42 foot boat and the blending of their current lives and their pasts is intricate and absorbing. It is set in Portsmouth, N.H. I had forgotten that New Hampshire curls around under Maine. Their trip up the Canadian coast to Prince Edward's Island to visit Green Gables had good descriptions of the scenery.

Bradley designed a very very intricate alternate World in Darkover. Actually a lot world as you learn about half way in, but with a twist. She gave you all parts of society, not just a narrow band and some of the books are quite intricate on how the society worked and did not. Una in Ahabs wife ,,they mix real and fictional characters. Una has met Frederick Douglas and one of her friends is Maria Mitchell( the astronomer..so you are startled by the mix. She also has some decidedly unusual religious convictions, rare for the era written about.

Perkie, I love this proverb! I'd like to think that's why I don't sleep well!

Maybe there is some hope for those of us who can't sleep after all. Hahahahah!

I’m glad you like my quote, Tomereader and MountainRose. It obviously struck a chord in me!

I listened to “Peace Like a River” by Leif Enger, then the day I finished it, I walked into Barnes and Nobel and there it was. I even picked it up and read the last page, and yep, it was the same story. Not sure why I doubted it, one of those brain glitches, I guess. It was different, and I didn’t have to believe in miracles myself to accept that the narrator and his father did. Each of the characters was so well described that I feel that I might meet them some day. I almost looked up the sister, Swede Land, to see if I had read any of her books. Not that I get caught up in stories, mind you. It takes place in Roofing, Minnesota. I wish there had been some explaination why the sister was named Swede and the town Roofing.

Hi Everyone

Things have been pretty quiet around here. I have put Peace Like A River on my list today and I am going to my book store and hope I can find it.

Fell on my head a couple of days ago which surprises no one. I have to take it easy for a couple of days.

Finished a book Called Wild Orchid by Deveraux this week and what a great fun book. It had a different type plot and I laughed out loud 3 or 4 times what a fun and delightful book I hope some of you have read it. When I went to list it in my book I have read software I was amazed by how many of her books I have read.

SOCIETY by Michael Palmer has enough twists and turns to keep everyone reading to the last page.

Thanks Fran I will have to look for Society it sounds interesting.

My bookstore didn't have Peace Like a River. I sit here wondering why I just don't order what I want on the internet instead of running all over town. I went to find some rubber boots the other day and liked to run myself ragged and never did find what I wanted.

This is the first message on my new computer and I must say myself its cool. I hooked it up myself now there is a miracle right there hehehehehehhe

You and I doing the same thing today. I brought a new computer back from Texas and put the thing together today. It worked fine but my monitor went. was not working right on other computer. went out and bought a new one. Now fine.

This MS XP prof. going to be another challange.

JeanneP

Perkie I found Peace Like A Rive yesterday and will beging it soon. It is going to be a "sun room" book. I glanced through it and I am anxious to start.

Rain and nasty here today too bad as it is Puyallup Fair time and what horrible weather. For many years I remember that the weather this time of year was so nice here but this year the rain has taken over, Well at lwast we don't have Ivan

I like this how about you guys???

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

As long as the new trail you leave is not on private property (^;^).

Howzat

Do you often fall on your head, Judy Laird? I hope you are healing nicely and that your eyes are focusing so you can read! My library has “Wild Orchids” by Jude Deveraux, so I will look for it the next time I go.

“Kaaterskill Falls” by Allegra Goodman is almost a sociological study of a community of Hasidic Jews who live in New York and have summer homes in the Catskill Mountains. It really seems to give a look into the community and some of the families who are members. I have no idea how authentic it is, but it felt real to me and I find myself thinking of some of the people and situations. I wish she had included a glossary, since many words were unfamiliar to me.

Perkie if I don't fall on my head I usually do something equally as dumb. I like it when I fall forward I can catch myself but backward is a horse of different color.

I went to a Crone fair and poetry reading and singing and big function yesterday and did not enjoy much of it but the fair. Poetry is really not up my alley.

I did find something interesting in some of their literature.

" Why is it good to be old? Because I am more myself than I have ever been." May Sarton

What is a Crone Fair, Judy? It conjures up some mental pictures but I am not sure they are accurate! I like May Sarton’s quote. When I was in my twenties, my older neighbor has somewhat the same philosophy. Once she remarked that she was now old enough not to finish a book she found boring. It was quite a revelation to me.

I had not read any of Isabel Allende’s books but found “Eva Luna” on a library sale shelf when looking for books to take on vacation. I ended up liking it a lot. It is set in an unnamed South American country and has a collection of unusual and interesting characters. I may try her better known work, “The House of the Spirits.”

A lighter work is “Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend” by Robert James Waller, author of “The Bridges of Madison County”. It has the same basic theme of older man falling in love with a married woman, but has a decidedly different ending. Not a great book, but passed a pleasant few hours.

If anyone is interested in either, I haven’t posted them on the Book Exchange yet, but will have them added to the statistics if someone wants them. Email me at mannygordon@comcast.net

Perkie if you google crone you will be able to read about it. I believe the organization is wide spread. It is a group for older women who want to improve their lives and the people around them. Crones's are supposed to be wise older women.

My friend who wants me to become involved just got back from Europe and they are having a gathering (pot luck) and she wants me to attend. I am going to talk to her this week as I am not sure that it is right for me at t his time. I get the feeling that almost of all of them are single and I am not so I am hesitating.

That is probably way more than you wanted to know.

The Eva Luna looks interesting to me. I just got home from the Puyallup Fair and am exhausted so I think its my chair and TV now.

I have ALWAYS wondered about the pronounciation of Puyallup? Is it just like it looks?

Perkie I have a book called Cron's Don't Whine

Concentrated Wisdon for Juicy Woman

Author Jean Shinoda Bolen M.D. 13 Qualitaties to cultivate. Guess I have better get to reading.

Tomereader its hard to say unless you live here like Issaquah, Snoqualmie and Sequim along with many others. its says like pualup or pewalup

Better get to work have a great day today.

The discussion schedule has been posted in the heading of the Maltese Falcon. For your convenience please follow this link.
The Maltese Falcon

Bill H

If you want “Eva Luna”, Judy Laird, please send your address to me: mannygordon@comcast.net

An interesting and rather unusual story is “Down There By The Train” by Kate Sterns. On the cover it says “… a witty and wistful gothic romance by a writer of exceptional talent.” I would agree and would recommend it to readers who like the psychologically bizarre, as I do.

Click here for graphic

Oh, I do hope they like it.
New/Old.
An old favorite, "Books Into Movies" is coming back November 1st. This is the general discussion forum that Lorrie moderated for several years, and is being brought back by popular request.
The forum will include ALL books made into movies, both fiction and nonfiction, old-timers, and recent novels. You are invited to express your opinion of what you think of these movies that were adapted from the books, and what their authors should have demanded from the producers of the screen plays. I hope to see all of you there on November 1st
I sincerely hope that I can do as good a job as Lorrie. With your cooperation, I believe it will be a great general discussion. And just in time for the holidays.

Bill H.

I know I'm arriving a little late to the party on this one, but I just read, Empire Falls. I loved it, and can definitely see why it received the Pulitzer! The characters seemed real to me and the situations were believable. Very enjoyable reading. Russo's style of writing, reminds me very much of, Pat Conroy. (One of my favorites) Something about the detail, and the carefully drawn characters made me think of, "The Prince of Tides".

I wish I had read it two years ago, as I would have loved to join in on the SN discussion. This afternoon I plan to read the archived messages, and see what the local opinion was on this book? One good thing - I finished just in time to be primed for the TV series, which I hear will be shown on HBO, in December? What a great cast - Richard Harris, Helen Hunt, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman! It will be a good one to discuss in the new, "Books into Movies". Something to look forward to.

That Empire Falls sounds like something I would like to watch. Please remind us in Dec because I will surley forget. Thanks

Judy, I don't have any problem with pronouncing Snoqualmie and Issaqua, but Puyallup was a stumper. I kinda thought "pull y'all up" would sound about right. LOL. But that's just the Texan in me talking.

Ha Ha good try but there is no pull its puallup. Thats not the correct spelling but its the corrrect speek. Can't think of right word must be to early for me.

My library has “Empire Falls”, Marilyne, and it is on my list. I have never read anything by Richard Russo, but if he can be compared to Pat Conroy, I am sold already. I, too, loved “The Prince of Tides”? Did you see the movie? I thought Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand were excellent. And I didn’t know that Streisand was such a good director.

According to Mapquest,Tomereader, it is spelled Puyallup. That will help with the pronunciation, I think.

I didn’t realize that Herman Wouk was still around and still writing. I well remember “The Caine Mutiny” “Marjorie Morningstar” and “Youngblood Hawke” from the 1950’s and 1960’s. His latest work, “A Hole in Texas”, came out this year and is a gripping read about scientists vs politicians. The main character is dragged out of the Jet Propulsion Lab in Northern California and thrown into the maelstrom of national politics. His past leaps out to muddy the already murky waters. Wouk can still make his characters come to life.

A good psychological novel is “The Dogs of Babel” by Carolyn Parkhurst. It involves a linguistics professor whose wife falls to her death and the only witness is their female Rhodesian Ridgeback. He tries to train her to tell him what happened and during the course of his story, he paints a very clear picture of himself and his wife and their relationship. The story is rather like a bud slowly opening, revealing itself petal by petal until the whole complex picture emerges. Gad, I’m waxing poetic.

I believe that someone on this board posted about reading _THe Kite Runner_. I could not wait to post here and tell you that I just finished the book. What an incredible story! The characters just took hold of me along with the descriptions of Afghanistan. Wonder if it will be made into a movie? My thanks to whomever mentioned this fabulous book.

Hope that everyone is fine. I am teaching and soaking up the hot rays in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, for 2 months. Someone has to do it!!!

Kathy

Mexico Kathy your supposed to be in Alaska. Some people know where to go and at what time of the year haha.

Perkie every time I hear someone speak of Herman Wouk I have to go back and read my favoirte book. NOt well known but he wrote a book called Don't Stop The Carnival and if you have ever lived in the Carribian its a must read. He says it on the Island Of Amerigo but it sounds so much like St Croix that I laughed my way all the way through it. Good reading.

I am going to look for a Hole in Texas thanks.

"I be much ho-rrahsed, Mr. Papermon". Oh me, Judy. I love that book ("Don't Stop the Carnival"). I re-read it myself, from time to time. I'm cleaning, or something, and I run across the book and get to thinking about the amorous bartender, or the old guy who rows people across from the mainland (the quote above), or the day the new water delivery came--after a big rain--and get started reading it again. What a hoot! And the book never seems to get out-of-date. Go figure.

Howzat

I sure am happy to here that somebody besides myself has read Don't Stop The Carnival. I laughed so hard I cried of course I lived in St Croix for a number of years and the cisterns and the bartenders and everything were so much like his island. There is a small island off of St Croix called Hotel on the Key and if that isn't in the book I'll miss my guess. If the cistern at out condo water test wasn't good we went out and dumped a gallon of purex in it. Funny to this day.

The Maltese Falcon discussion is now open for your posts. For your convenience, follow the link below.
The Maltese Falcon

Bill H

Perkie - Pat Conroy, wrote some wonderful books, early on in his career. Besides, "Prince of Tides", there was, "The Great Santini". (made into an excellent movie starring Robert Duval.) In recent years however, he seems to have lost his touch, and he hasn't written anything that equals either of those.

Another author who has written some fabulous books is, Larry McMurthy. But along with his great stories like, "The Last Picture Show", "Terms of Endearment", and "Lonesome Dove", there have been a long string of forgettable ones.

Could be that we expect too much from our favorite authors? I get disappointed when subsequent books by the same author, don't hold up to the one that attracted me in the first place. Maybe, Margaret Mitchell, (GWTW), and Harper Lee, (To Kill a Mockingbird), had the right idea. Write ONE great book, and then retire and never write another one. Both of those books left us wanting more, but we never got any more. Maybe it's just as well ... maybe we would have been disappointed?

This is a good story of racing horses in the South. It's got some memorable characters and great adventures. The sequel to "Cotton Fields" is "Running Thunder" and is scheduled to be released in December.

Other great Conroy books, The Citadel and The Water is Wide, I agree that his first 5-6 books were great !!!!! His Beaches and the one about his Basketball career were not his best but still good.

Gail/VT

Chickenbones and Gail welcome welcome I don't remember seeing you here before, ofcourse I don't remember this morning so who knows. I love Pat Conroy and the SC beaches. Last time I was in Myrtle Beach (well the only time)_we went to Charleston and saw the Citadel among other things it was wonderful. I think SC has everything.

Please tell us what else you are reading.

Just for your info, Pat Conroy's latest book is a cookbook called "Recipes of My Life" due out Nov. 9 - seems like everyone has to put out a cookbook once in a lifetime, do you think he needs the money?????

Reading a Robert Parker mystery, one of his latest, I used to read all of them years ago but they got quite monotonous. This is the first I have read in many years, am enjoying the Boston scene and his style of writing, he is very humerous in a dry, quiet kind of way.

Gail/VT

I just finished reading "The Face" by Dean Koontz. It is great. It is one that I wanted to find out how it ended, but hated to finish it because I was enjoying it so much. I am a Koontz fan and have read a lot of his, but I would say this is his best yet.

Charlene

Hi Charlie

I have learned to enjoy mysteries but would have never started on my own. As most of the old timers here know I have a daughter in Alaska that read like crazy and when someone comes down they always bring me a box of books. In fact she is here now and I will get another box tommorow. Some years ago I guess she could tired of the usual books we read and she started sending down mysteries and now I really enjoy them . I can't go Kootz or King though just a little too graphic for me. I love Kellerman and am going to start a new D. Baladichi tonight. Let us know what else you are reading.

Hi: Yes, I enjoy Koontz also. The psychological thrillers are usually what I like best, the gorier the better.

Waiting impatiently for the next Anita Shreve book.

Gail/VT

Hi all; Judy, when I was younger I used to read like your daughter. I read all the time and could read a book in a day. Now, my eyes are not what they used to be and I can't read for very long at a time and it takes me a long time to read a book. I usually just check out one at a time at the library. However, once in a while I can't make a decision so I check out two and then usually have to extend my time. lol

I have always liked mysteries and I usually read either mysteries or thrillers. King is my favorite with Koontz coming in second. However, after seeing someone on the boards talking about "Don't Stop The Carnival" by Herman Wouk i decided to try it for something different and I started it last night so haven't got very far into it, but it seems like it is going to be really good. It is more a comedy; very funny. I am finding a lot of new authors to try since being on internet and haven't read any Kellerman, but will write down name and look next time I am at the library.

Gail; the psychological thrillers are what I like best also. "The Face" was a little different for Koontz. It had it all; mystery, suspense, thrills, and a lot of humor. I just really fell in love with some of the characters, especially the little boy. If you haven't read it, I would recommend it. I have not read any Anita Shreve, and will add her to my list to read.

Charlene

Charlie it was me about Don't Start The Carnivial. I am so glad you are reading it. I tell you its so true to live down there and I loved it soooooooo much. Of course living there helped out and owing a business but Its one of the best best books going.

Must go and pick up my Daughter who is out at my DIL house and bring her here so we can visit and then we will have brunch and take her to the airport. I really miss my visits with Candi and its a shame we can't have more time togeather. She is going with me to SC some of you ladies shouldconsider going we are really going to have a great time.

Judy, I’ve been here several times, reading. Thanks. Charleston is a great town. I used to live there a long time ago. At the moment I’m not reading anything. I’m working on my next book, “Yankee Diamonds”. South Carolina is an interesting place to live, great beaches and the mountains not too far away. And the weather is nice, except for last year when we had a monstrous ice storm that caught most everybody by surprise. If you like southern adventures then please read “Cotton Fields and Thoroughbreds”. And, if you would, send me a note to the address on the last page and tell me what you thought of it. Thanks.

Hi: Are you talking about the bash in Jan, Books at the Beach? I have been reading that discussion with great interest. I would love to attend that bash, it sounds wonderful. However, I still work part-time every Monday and Tuesday and then every other weekend, 1/2 days. That does not leave much time to scoot down to South Carolina, although I have been in love with the place for many years, having read all of Conroy's books eons ago. Maybe it is time to totally retire so that I am free for all these bashes, afterall, I will e 65 at the end of this month. Don't you think I should??? LOL

It sounds like such fun, I would have no time to discuss books, I would be walking the beach, visiting, and eating......hehehehehehehe

Gail/VT Oh,,,,,, and drinking wine !!!!!!

Gail if you could get the week-end of Feb 4th off you could run down for say 4 days.?/?????? Better than none. Some of the group that are coming also traveled to Manhatten and Chicago gatherings so it will be meeting ( long over-due) of many old friends. My daughter is coming from Alaska and also came to the other 2 trips. I plan to drive and am really looking forward to it. We are going to Conway, Myrtle Beach Charleston and all over. I think some expect just to king of hang out but I am not dead yet and when I go all the way across the country I am not going to let much grass grow. hehehe

I can't wait to meet you Judy. I can't let too much grass grow under my feet either, I used to live in that area.

I did not make the last New York get together. Hope another one comes up one of these days.

JeanneP

Judt; I am so glad you talked about "Don't Stop The Carnival" as I am really enjoying it. I have never been there and would love to go and this book is making me want to go even more. I know there is no such place as Amerigo, but I am sure it is based on a real island and it just sounds so beautiful and laid back and casual. Sounds like a good way to live to me.

I had read when I first came on SN about Books on the Beach in SC, but haven't found it since. I hadn't learned yet about subscribing and haven't had a chance yet to go back through and try to find it. It sounds like it would be so much fun, but I don't have a travel companion and don't travel well alone, especially in winter. It is nice that your daughter is going and you will get the chance to spend some time with her.

Gail; what are you waiting for girl???

Retire. I will be 59 in about 3 weeks and I retired a year ago, just a few days before I turned 58. October 31, 2003, was my last day to work and I have enjoyed this past year so much, just playing and doing what I want to do and watching movies, reading books and taking naps any time I want to. lol If I went to the Books On The Beach I would be like you. No time for book review. Have to walk the beach, visit and get to know all the other people and of course ""Eat"". That seems to be my favorite past time. lol

It sounds like the people on SN have a lot of fun together.

Charlene

To get to the Books at the Beach discussion,

1. Go to the top of this page by scrolling back up.

2. Click on Discussions.

3. Scroll down to Books and Literature and click

4. Scroll way down past Happy Birthday, then come to Books at the Beach and click on that

5. Be sure to Subscribe when you get there so that it will carry you back each time you go to your discussions.

Good Luck, Gail/VT

Another way to get to Books at the Beach is just to click here.

Thanks Gail and Marjorie. I will subscribe this time.

Charlene

Thanks for the clickable, I don't know how to do that, I'm sure it is quite simple but never learned the ropes.

Thanks, Gail/VT

Whenever I have nothing new to read, I go to my book shelves and pick our something to reread, that I particularly liked the first time around. This week I'm rereading, "Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe", by Fannie Flagg. One of those books that has a little bit of everything that makes a book fun to read. Lots of humor, plus a good love story, and also with the twist of a puzzling mystery. So many likeable characters. If any of you missed it, I highly recommend it..

Marlyn I love that book. The movie is one of my favorites also. I loved the old lady that played the main character Jessica Tandy I believe her name is or was.

Marilyn; I love the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes", but haven't read the book. I will have to see if I can find it as I always like a book better than the movie, so I am sure I would really like this book.

Judy; it was Jessica Tandy that starred in the movie along with Kathy Bates (who is also very good in anything she is in), Mary-Louise Parker (that name rings a bell, but can't remember what else she was in) and Mary Stuart Masterson (I'm not familiar with that name). I have the movie so can get all the names off the box. lol I will definitely have to read the book.

Charlene

This is a new novel by Chris Bohjalian which I enjoyed immensely....probably because he draws his characters so well and I am drawn to novels which have a family as the center of some crisis.

Thanks Charlie I figure if I get close thats good enough.

We watched a old movie last night called Chapter Two with Marsha Mason. Its getting so that there is little to watch on TV and what we do watch I TIVO If I had to listen to all that political BS I would have to turn off the TV from Sept to Nov. I really hate those adds. No one can be nice or talk about what they are planning on doin just bad stuff about the other guy.

Happy to know you enjoy Chris Bohjalian books, I have read all of his books and most of his columns in the Burlington Free Press Newspaper out of Burlington, Vermont. I live in Vermont maybe about two hours from where Chris Lives, I believe he lives in or around Middlebury, I live in Stowe.

One of his books, "Midwives" has been made into a play and it had its first night on Wednesday here in Stowe at the Stowe Theatre Guild. They put on about 5 plays and/or musicals every June thru Oct. They are wonderfully talented and have Sold-Out performances almost every night. Of course, along with the locals, we have many tourists here in that time frame.

How did you come upon Chris' books? Do you live in the Vermont area?

Gail/VT

Yesterday I went to my son and wife's house for a birthday party, and took both, "Fried Green Tomatoes", and, "Empire Falls", for my dil to read.

In turn, she gave me four books! Said they were all good. I don't know where to start, so if anyone has read any of these, let me know what you think? "The Buffalo Soldier", Bohjalian; "Life of Pi", Yann Martel; "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress", Dai Sijie, and "The Red Tent", Anita Diamont.

I see Gail and Judy, both mentioned Chris Bohjalian, so I'm inclined to start with that one.

Gail I have always wanted to go to Vermont, it looks so beautiful. I used to own a bar and resturant in St Croix and we had snow birds that came down and worked the season and then would go back and work the resorts. One girl I particularly like went back to Stowe and she would talk to me about it, sounded great.

Gail I believe I saw the new book reviewed in The NY Times book review........anyway it was really a good read .......I loved all his characters.......I am thinking now of reading Midwives........

I haven't read the others but The Red Tent by Anita Diamont is a very good read.

Another great book is Pope Joan by Donna Woolfork Cross.

Both Diamont and Cross brought their historical settings alive.

Hi: Thanks for your comments on Stowe, it is a beautiful, peaceful place to live, Those workers in your bar would come up here for ski season,,,, called Ski Bums,,,,, lots of them settle here and live and raise their families. I have only been here for 15 years so still considered a "Flatlander" Not really .................

Chris has done at least 7 or 8 books, read them all, you will not be disappointed.

Gail/VT

you call them Ski Bums and we called them snow birds. All in where you are at the time.

I really enjoyed the "RED TENT". Makes you realize that life for all women seems to be about the same when it comes to how they want their life to be reagardles of where they live, religion,. It is just that we in our side of the world have it so much easier.

JeanneP

I have just finished Reading Lolita in Tehran. It's still on the NYTimes list, I think. Might be a good companion book to Red Tent (which I've also read and liked), as it's a contemporary look at women in Iran as Islam took over from the shah's regime.

I'm in the middle of Reading Lolita in Tehran and very much enjoying it. I think it would make a great book for discussion.

Maryal

MARYAL: It is the selection for my Book Discussion group which meets tomorrow. We read Red Tent earlier this year. The contrast/comparison didn't occur to me until I saw that one mentioned here. I'm going to hunt up my copy and make some notes for tomorrow.

I'll bet you have a good time discussing Reading, I was thinking of it as a possibility for a discussion here.

I am curious. How long does your Book Club meet? Can you possibly fit in all that everyone wants to say about the book? Any details will be appreciated.

M

An old favorite "Books Into Movies" will begin November First. it will be a read only until that date. Some readers have requested a link to the discussion.
Books Into Movies
Hope to see you all there on November First.

Bill H

MARYAL: The 6-8 of us meet once a month Sept.-November, Feb.-May at 9:30 a.m. and stop between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. We meet in the homes - agreed long ago not to serve anything that required silverware, and only a limited amount of that on paper plates. Coffee, tea, water available. We don't spend much time on chit-chat unless some can stay longer than others!
Group was organized at my church and has been meeting for 4 years. Emphasis is not on religion/denominational beliefs, although any spirituality discoveries in book(s) are brought out.
The original leader is a former college English teacher (excellent!) but about a year-and-a-half ago, she asked for others to take a turn. And so we have. She continues to be a major contributor to discussions.
Discussion leads come from questions like the ones in the back of the paperback version of "Reading...", internet research and "general opinions" (of which there is no lack!!!).
We read fiction, non-fiction,classics, contemporary - usually trying to relate to current issues in some way. Choices for coming months are made in May, although we may change as time goes along.
It's a good Mind Exercise for me because I am not a "heavy thinker" when it comes to my casual reading.
I can give a list of what we've read over the years, if you're interested. Will e-mail or post - depending on how many are interested.

Thanks; that is very interesting information. Sounds like you have a good solid group that's been together for a while. I laughed when you said nothing to eat that required silver! That makes it almost impossible to try to "outdo" each other.

I've only been a guest at a couple of bookclubs, and I was always frustrated that the discussion ended so soon because it seemed to me there was a lot more to say about the book.

My husband and I did belong to a couple's discussion group that met every month. We may have met every two weeks. I remember one time we did a book on marriage (can't remember the title but it was contemporary), but I think we only did one section at a time. I know that it lasted a while. We also met in people's homes and desert was served. Plus coffee and tea. We kept it simple because we were all poor in those days.

Maryal

I have never read "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk, Judy, but it is on my list now.

Some of the Larry McMurtry stories I have liked, Marilyne, are “All My Friends Are Going To Be Srangers” and “Anything For Billy”. I have seen the movies of "The Last Picture Show" and "Terms of Endearment", but not read the books. I will have to rectify that. Thanks.

“Cotton Fields and Thoroughbreds”, an excellent combination for me who has lived in the South and loved horses all my life. Thank you for mentioning it, Chickenbones. Are you willing to share the story behind your pseudonym?

"Fried Green Tomatoes At the Whistle Stop Cafe", by Fannie Flagg would be a good title to add to the books into movies discussion, if I can just remember to add it to the discussion next week!

I picked up “The Story of Lucy Gault” by Willaim Trevor, but I can’t remember why. Did anyone here mention it? I searched and can find no reference to it. Anyway, it is an interesting story. It is basically a tragedy, set in Ireland, but told in such a low key manner that it never really touched me. I found the contrast fascinating.

gaj and JeanneP - Thanks for your response and for suggesting that I read, "The Red Tent", as the first selection from my new group of books. I havn't started it yet, but plan to this afternoon.

Perkie - I was trying to think other McMurtry books I've read, besides "Picture Show", "Terms of Endearment" and "Lonesome Dove", but I couldn't think of the rest, so I went to Amazon to see a list of his books. Wow, I knew he was a prolific writer, but didn't realize he shelled them out like Stephen King! LOL. Just skimming through the list, the only others I have read, are, "Texasville", which I didn't care for at all, (A poor sequel to "Picture Show"), "Desert Rose", and "Moving on". (liked both)

I've been meaning to ask if any of you have read, "Our Lady of the Forest", by David Guterson? If so, what did you think of it? It sure did hold my attention and I liked it, but not as much as I liked his other book, "Snow Falling on Cedars".

MARILYNE: I agree that "Snow Falling On Cedars" was the better of the two books.

The discussion on "Reading Lolita...." this morning was very animated! Everyone had something to say and our conversation went in several different directions. All who had finished the book liked it.

I think Larry McMurtry wrote "Baja Oklahoma", which - of course - caught my eye! Been a long time since I've read it, though. Maybe I'll go back and take a look.

He bought most of downtown Archer, TX and has a mega book store there. Some of my travelin' buddies and I hope to get there "one of these days".

I am about ready to begin "The Princes of Ireland (The Dublin Saga)" by Edward Rutherfurd, who wrote "London" and "Sarum". It "only" has 767 pages - who knows when I will finish!

I love well-researched historical fiction and very long books. (^_^)

I have not read "Our Lady of the Forest", by David Guterson, Marilyne, but loved “Snow Falling on Cedars” and “East of the Mountains”, so will certainly look it up. Thanks.

I picked up “The Jane Austen Book Club”, by Karen Joy Fowler, from the new book shelf and enjoyed it. It almost made me want to go back and read the books, but I waited a moment and it passed. I must confess that I am not enamored of Jane Austen but love the movies made from her books. Fowler’s book blends conversation about the books with incidents from the members lives in an interesting fashion.

“The Gardens of Covington”, by Joan Medlicott, is a pleasant book with nice people in it, but I am never really caught up in their lives. I am an environmentalist, but the fight to save the area from developers was rather boring so I skipped most of those parts. I think I was partly turned off by the soul searching. All that condemning by faint praise aside, I hope others will try it and come up with better reviews because it is not a bad book. It just doesn’t meet the standard set, for me, by Jan Karon’s Mitford series.

The general discussion Books into Movies is now open. Please use this link.
Books into Movies

Bill H

I just finished reading, The Red Tent, and liked it very much. Generally I don't care for books or movies dealing with Biblical stories, or even ancient history. But this was different, and really gave you a genuine feel for what life might have been like for women during that time. Now I'm going to have to look back into the archives, and see what the general opinion was here in SN?

The other books my daughter-in-law gave me, are: "Balzac and the Little Chinese Princess". I have to admit that this one doesn't sound like something I would enjoy, so I may set it aside for now. My husband started, "The Life of Pi", and is a slow reader, so I probably won't get ahold of that for awhile. The leaves me with, "The Buffalo Soldier", so I might give it a try.

I keep forgetting to ask - did anyone read, When You Go Away, by Jessica Barksdale Inclan? If not, I highly recommend it. A thoughtful, but heartbreaking little book.

I am very interested in “Red Tent”, Marilyne, and fortunately my branch library has a copy. Thanks for the recommendation.

How could one not be intrigued by a title like "Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress"? It is set in China during the cultural revolution, when two boys find a cache of authors in Chinese translation, and it explores the effect the books have on the lives of the boys and their friend the seamstress. After I read it, I will let you know what I think.

For some reason I requested “The Boy in the Lake” from my library. I searched this site but didn’t come up with any discussion of it. It is the memories of a man who returns to his boyhood home and includes a friend he had led into a trap that he still regrets. Somewhat interesting. Now if I could just remember why I wanted to read it …

Perkie - You made me take a closer look at, "Balzac ... etc.." I started reading, and sure enough, it captured my interest from page one! Now I'm anxious to get back to it, but will be gone the rest of the day and evening, so probably won't read any more until later tonight.

So many books so little time.

Just finished a good mystery book called Until Dark by Mariah Stewart. I enjoyed it lots of action and I thought I had the end figured out but was I wrong.

Glad you like "Balzac ... etc.", Marilyne. Sounds like you are off to a good start. Hope it keep up to the end.

I finally caught up with "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Unfortunately, I didn’t get in on the Discussion Group in 2002, so won’t hash it over again. Library Journal says it is “a well-paced and crafted Gothic debut that mixes humor with tragedy” and I can't argue with that. It is somewhat a coming-of-age novel as well as a search for the identity of a mother who died when the narrator, a girl of 14, was 4, and there is a lot of love there, also.

Perkie I know we dissused the Bee book but it doesn't seem like that long ago to me. If it was 2002 time is really flying hehe

Checking back in here for the first time in many, many months - and what fun to read over all the posts and gain some new reading ideas. Just to hark back over a few things that caught my eye - I'm a big fan or May Sarton; started reading some of her memoir/diary books about ten years ago. I think she offers some excellent guideposts in learning how to 'age.' Sitting near me now is one of her novels - "A Reckoning," but I'm not too far into it yet.

Someone mentioned Robert Parker - he's always a reliable read, isn't he? It's true that almost every book sounds like every other, but when you're really tired and want some sure-fire diversion, he always seems to hit the spot.

I'm looking forward to looking into the Swallows of Kabul and My Forbidden Face - sound like good possibilities for my book group. And Wouk's "Carnival" sounds like the perfect way to escape now that winter is bearing down here in NE Wisconsin.

At the moment, I'm about halfway through "The Known World" a novel by Edward Jones. Were any of you aware that there were slave-owining blacks before the Civil War? I sure never knew it. This is an exploration of that time in history - and it's fascinating. Well-written (though there are a LOT of characters and in the beginning you think it's going to be overwhelming to keep track). This book has received a lot of rave reviews - now, including mine.

Another one I enjoyed recently - as a light, quick read - is "I Don't Know How She Does It." When I read about it last year, I wasn't interested - since it's about the struggle of a high-powered working Mom to "keep all the plates in the air" and I'm a bit past that. But i picked up a copy on the library's 75cents table and I was surprised how well-written it was, and how it does touch on so many truths about the way women are treated in the workplace. But it's also VERY entertaining. Since most of my book club-mates are younger women with kids, I handed it off to one of them to circulate the minute I finished.

Is it kosher to post another site here - http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/known_world/

This is a reference I just discovered this evening, and a nice quick way to get a handle on a book you've heard about.

I look forward to keeping an eye open here to learn about more great reads....

Sally I loved your post. I am a fan of May Sarton and keep some of her books in my sun room so if I sit down for a time I can read a few pages. As for Woulks Carnival I am reading it over too what a great book. Thanks for all your suggestions.

LTSally don't know if it was me that mentioned Robert B Parker, but he is a must read for me. I have been reading his books for longer than he and I would like to count. lol

I've been meaning to get back in here to comment on, Balzac, and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I thought it was a fascinating story, and I learned so much. I hadn't read anything about the book beforehand, and was assuming that it was going to be a story about China, during the 19th century, or maybe in the early part of the 20th.

So I was surprised to find that it takes place in the 1970's, during the rule of Chinese Communist Party Chairman, Mao Tse-Tung. The story is about two teenage boys, who are sent to the remote countryside, to be "re-educated", during the Cultural Revolution. Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down.

Well, now you've really whetted my interest. Is that the title "Balzac, And The Little Chinese Seamstress"? I need to see if I can find it.

Howzat

was surprised to see how small it was. Library got it for me yesterday. Will get through it quick. Usually they give 2 weeks but this one came from other library in town and they gave a month. Knowing how many books I read in a week they all had a good laugh.

JeanneP

JeanneP - Yes, "Balzac", is a slim book, and can be read in one afternoon or evening. I think it was referred to as a novella? I'll be interested to see how you liked it.

Perkie - I meant to comment on, "The Secret Life of Bees". I also missed the SN discussion, on that one, as I did with "Empire Falls". I sure did enjoy reading, "Bees"! A great story, with lots of warm, likeable characters.

Don't think I have been in this group before, but want to comment on Barbara Taylor Bradford's "Emma's Secret." I finished reading it yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is about three or four generations of three families, all close friends, set in London, people with MONEY. I recommend it.

Many, many thanks for the "Balzac, and the Little Chinese Seamstress" reccomendation. I've started it, and it's gonna be GOOD.

Howzat

I listened to Balzac and the Little Red Shoes on Chapter A Day a year or so ago and it didn't really grab me. But I was at work and perhaps not giving sufficient attention. The raves here make me want to take another look. Has anyone here heard about a book called The Known World? Did you know that there were black slaveowners before the war? I sure was never aware of it, and that is the topic The Known World explores. It is not an "up" read, by any means, but I'd still recommend it just for the historical value.

I have just finished reading Maeve Binchy's "Quentins" and I have mixed emotions about it. I was enjoying it when the author took off writing about something else entirely. By the end of the book, she tied things up, but it was distracting to read of so many characters during the book. Have any of you read this? Normally, I like Binchy's books, but I was disappointed in this one. I'm glad I got it from the library and did not spend my money on it.

I couldn't agree more with Betty. Quentins seemed "canned" and contrived, and the ending was preposterous. It seemed for the first time, Binchey lost interest in her characters. Too bad, I usually enjoy her books.

I wasn't too crazy about Balzac either, now that I'm reading the comments here on it, I'm wondering if I missed the point or something. Judy S

I loved her first books such as "Tara Road' and others but I just took her latest one back to the library. Can't even remember the name now. That is how much it impressed me. Tried getting into it but couldn't. Why is it that some writer start out good but then get so awful. I believe that they just try to pump out books to fast once they get a good following on the first book. Happens to so many.

JeanneP

In defense of Maeve Binchy she has tried to retire more than once. Nights Of Rain And Stars is her current book. Quentins recently came out in soft cover. I haven't read her last 3 books,(yet), but I did listen to much of a unabridged book on disk. I was enjoying it,however, I had to return it to the library.

Ginny has been talking about Joy Fielding so I got one of her books and I must say it was great. Its called Whispers and Lies and it had me going right up til the end. A great read I highly recommend it.

Maeve Binchy wants to retire and she has a history of enjoying short stories more than novels.. That is why all of the characters in her books. She sort of ties several short stories together. I enjoy some of hers, although she wrote one about a lake, that made me want to shake the woman involved. Letting your children think you were dead for years is just plain selfishness.

I bought Barbara Bradford's new book today I hope its as good as the old ones used to be. It's called Emma's Secret.

Judy, I recently read Barbara Taylor Bradford's "Emma's Secret" and did not like it as well as some of her other books. As for Maeve Binchys' "The Glass Lake," I have that book, read it back in 1995 but do remember the fact Stephanie mentioned about the female letting her children think she was dead. Weird! I have that book listed in the Book Swap, or whatever the name of it is.

Jeanne, like you, I enjoyed "Tara Road" and in "Quinceys," she brings in some characters of that book.

Now I have also stopped reading hers. Same thing, started out so good. In her first book it was great because she was writing about the area of North England I am from. I could relate to all the area's she spoke about.

Did not finish her last one.

JeanneP

Well hell if I don't like Barbara Taylors I can give it to one of my DIL for Christmas. hehe

I liked Emma's Secret, but think BTB has now exhausted the subject!!!!

Stay tuned here for something big new and exciting !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The Known World” by Edward P. Jones is on my list, LTSally, but I haven’t found it at the library yet. Will keep looking. I remember reading a book about an African American professor whose family had owned slaves. That was the first reference I came across that indicated that there were Black slaveowners. I looked through my list but didn’t spot the title.

I like Barbara Taylor Bradford, Betty Allen, and have read three other titles. I will certainly keep an eye out for “Emma’s Secret.”

I don’t usually give up on an audio book, but I was willing to make an exception for “The Coffee Trader” by David Liss. The wheeling and dealing, back-biting and undercutting on the 17th Century Commodities Exchange in Amsterdam was just too boring. There are 9 tapes. I listened to the first 4 and then the last one and didn’t feel like I had missed a thing.

Come on, Judy. What's gonna be Big, New and Exciting? If you can't tell that, WHEN is it gonna happen? I'm always tuned in here.

I can't tell you when but Pat Westerdale is going to do something great, you'll see hehe

Tomereader here it is the new heading isn't it beautiful.

Thanks Pat for working on it for me.

Yes, Judy, it is beautiful. Thanks. what a nice surprise. Happy thanksgiving.

I found the book The President's daugher my Mariah Stewart to be a really good read. I believe this is my second one of hers and I am fan. Very cold here today but no rain.

Perkie:We're very lucky with a library system that is tied into a broader network. So have about 40 surrounding libraries from which we can find/request a book. Your favorite url interested me...I once worked with RE, many many moons ago.

I've been reading a bit of Wodehouse for the first time - he really can be a hoot. I've just finished a book called A Good Distance by Sarah Willis that I found to be quite engrossing. It explores family (mostly mother-daughter) relationships and the strains they sometimes are under. Another recent read explores the same theme in a different vein: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. Read one because I found it on the shelf and it looked interesting; the other was recommended by a friend. But it was interesting because in both books there are women who have a difficult time committing to relationships because of the loss of a parent early in life.

Last night I finished reading Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. In many ways it reminded me of the TV program Northern Exposure. An outsider is hired to be the Chief of Police by the mayor of the town of Lunacy, Alaska. There are a few murders to be solved. In investigating the murders the new police chief meets the residents of Lunacy. There is a female bush pilot, her mother, (she owns and runs the local inn/bar/hotel), his deputies, the mayor and an assortment of men who become his prime suspects in the murders. Roberts started out as a romance writer and has become a great novelist.

I have been over doing it on Linda Howard's books they are wonderful and I have not been sleeping well and I am enjoying them so much.

is another favorite author of mine. She knows how to make a story edgy. I will have to check my 'books read' file to share my favortites.

This book, "A Redbird Christmas" is a new book by Fannie Flagg. She is the one who wrote "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". This is a wonderful book and a quick read. I happen to see it when I stopped in at the Library yesterday. I heartily recommend this book. It is about a man who moves from Chicago to a small town in Alabama. He has been told by his doctor that he must move to a warmer climate due to his emphasema; and he can't afford Florida. The small town and it's inhabitants are wonderful. I read this book in one sitting and have passed it on to my Mother.

Judy

I have read 2 Linda Howard books latley.

Cry No More and Open Season and enjoyed them both. I need to go check my book shelves and see if there are any more by this author.

Cold rainy and wet here today.

Before I could get to another Linda Howard I had to finish The Program by Stephen White. It was a good book about the Witness Protection Program from inside and outside. Kept you on your feet, you never knew who the good guys were and who the bad guys were.

Someone mentioned "The Secret Life of Bees" - and if you liked it, you might want to read her earlier one "When the heart waits". It came along at a very helpful time, and so I have been a Sue Monk Kidd fan ever since. isak

Hello 'bookies', I'm happy to find this little group as I'm always shopping around for a good author.

Secret Life of Bees was a favorite and I'm going to check out "When the Heart Waits".

Believe it or not, I just yesterday finished "Chesapeake" by John Michener. Very old book, but I'd missed it earlier. I enjoyed it so much because we'd spent some time vacationing on the Eastern Shore and now would love to go back and see it with new eyes.

When Chesapeake was done I had a small book that my daughter got from a friend called "Drowning Ruth" by Christina Schwarz (2000). She tells me it is different and keeps you flipping back and forth in time and gives you clues about something thats happened and you are propelled along to find out what.

Interesting about Nora Roberts as I usually pass her over as a romance writer. Now I'll have a second look at her work.

You all will keep me busy all winter with these new ideas, thanks. Mary

Stigler, I'm happy to hear you liked Fannie Flagg's Redbird Christmas. I picked it up at Sam's, but haven't had a chance to read it yet. Maybe I should make it this Christmas' airport book -- along with all the other good recommendations that are "airport books."

I loved Drowning Ruth.. A different sort of book indeed. If you like it, you might want to try "The Patron Saint of Lyers" by Ann Patchett. Again a different book and interesting in the same sort of way. I read all of Micheners early stuff, but I came from the Chesapeake Bay Area and the stuff in there that is so terribly off is amazing. Talked to a friend from Texas one time and she said that his Texas book is like that about Texas. Sounds good from the outside, but if you live there.. just annoying.

Stephanie, I understand what you are saying about Chesapeake. I read a book a while back about our little local village by a woman who claimed to grow up there in the '50s. She really stretched the stories that she told. We moved here in '55 and I had a hard time seeing things as she told them too. I gues you have to call that literary license?!?

Yo, fiction lovers, you are sharing interesting titles, here. Stephanie, I read Ann Patchett's Bel Canto with pleasure - your recommendation of Patron Saint of Liars is appreciated and will put that on my ever-growing list of must reads. Is yours like mine - so long that I'll need more than a lifetime to get to them all?

We are in the process of selecting a title - fiction - for discussion in January. Some books are good to read and savor alone - others leave room for sharing. Have you read any fiction recently that you think might make a good discussion? If so, please post here - in the Book's Café - we are planning for January and February. Thanks!

Hi Joan - I would recommend The Kite Runner by Housseni. One of the best that I have ever read. It is a story about Afghanistan, tolerance, the relationship between a father, a son, a friend...

Kathy

I can never ever die, since my book list is far too long for that. I keep trying to cut it down, but the stack next to my chair grows with each week. Cannot resist a book. I liked Patron Saint better than Bel Canto, but Patchett is an extremely interesting author.

Did anyone finish Don't Stop the Carnival?? I just did another Lina Howard's and it was so good I even sat up and read. It was On His Terms and I loved it.

I really enjoy her books, especially the MacKenzie stories.

Judy

Judy L "Did anyone finish Don't Stop the Carnival?? "
Do you mean the one by Herman Wouk? Yes, about a million years ago. We were living in Puerto Rico at the time and my in-laws lived in the Virgin Islands -- and all I remember about the book is that it took place on a tropical island. And the ending, I think.

I'm not familiar with Linda Howard, but you all give her good recommendations. Another author to add to the list.

Pedlin at one time in this discussion we talked about Don't Stop the Carnival and it is one of my all time favorites. I used to live in t he Virgin Islans, and it fits St Croix to a T. I am reading it and enjoying it as much as the first time.

Hi Judy - I read Don't Stop the Carnival a couple weeks ago - and I read it because I saw the earlier mention of it here. I wasn't crazy about the book. It caught my interest and I enjoyed it well enough, but not enough to recommend it. I love this discussion - - JudyS

Herman Wouk and Jimmy Buffett collaborated on a musical based on Don't Stop the Carnival several years ago. Buffett has a CD out with the songs he wrote, but I don't think the show ever got anywhere.

I just finished DON'T STOP THE CARNIVAL last week and enjoyed it. Couldn't believe all the problems he had but can understand how one thing leads to another. I, too, read it because it was mentioned here.

Good Golly, Nevil Shute fans are suddenly coming out of the woodwork! We will definitely have to discuss one of his books in the near future.

We listened to many of you praise Marilynne Robinson and her Gilead. You weren't alone, since the New York Times Book Review rated it as one of the top five novels of 2004! We'll start a discussion of the book here on SN beginning January 2 - IF we get a quorum (at least three more folks) to participate. You'll find the discussion here - when Marjorie comes by, she'll get it int the chart above. Gilead: A Novel

The author is Beth Lordan.....another book about people and their lives....set in Ireland......told in small stories about the characters....I liked it very, very, much....not a long book.easily read in two or three long sessions.....I think this group would like it very much........

I have read a lot of Nevil Shute, but that was years ago.. If it is a book we can find, lets go for it.

I just finished a book by a author I am not familiar with. The bppl os Dead Ringer by Lisa Scottoline. It is a mystery with some romance and she has a wonderful sense of humor which one does not expect in a mystery. Good book.

Judy, She is a well known mystery writer and has quite a few books in her arsenal. I like her and try to track down the older ones that I have not read yet.

Finally got "A Redbird Christmas" and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I think it is worthy of being added to my collection of Christmas books. A couple years back I decided to purchase some of the Christmas stories that I've enjoyed over the years. The first one that I really went on a search for was a very tiny little paperback titled "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson. Funny and touching at the same time, I first read it in the Reader's Digest years ago and had to have that in the collection. Last year I added "Skipping Christmas". My daughter tells me that "Shepherds in the Field Abiding" by Jan Karon is good too, but I haven't gotten there yet. Thank you for the tip on Redbird. Mary

Mary, I just finished Redbird Christmas while visiting my son and his family for Christmas. It's a book that could easily become light and fluffy and goody goody. But it doesn't. It's pleasant, gentle and uplifting story, even for those who don't believe in miracles.

Hi, funny that you put it that way. As I read, I've been thinking along the same lines, but you are right and the goodness of the people is a constant as the story unfolds.

Good to hear that you're all recommending "Red Bird Christmas". I took a chance, and gave to my daughter-in-law this year for a Christmas present. Usually I don't give books unless I have read them, and then can decide if it would be something the person would like. So i'm hapopoy to hear that you all liked it, and now I'm anxious to read it. I do like Fannie Flagg, very much.

While shopping for that one at B&N, I happened to spot a new soft cover edition of, "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter", by Carson McCullers, and bought it for my daughter. I havn't read it in at least 20 years, but I do remember liking it very much, although I can't recall the specifics. (Except the deaf mute man and the young girl.) I also bought myself, "The Time Traveler's Wife". Was that one discussed in here, or has anyone read it? I havn't started it yet, but it looks intersting.

I read this book, and although I can't remember specific incidents from the book, I do remember liking it. It had been recommended to me by my local librarian.

Judy

Yes Maryline, I read that and liked it. I have this odd discontent with what I think are maybe accidental departures from the "rules" regarding time travel in a few instances. I read the book last year, and because of that nagging little oddness, I want to read it again. Maybe I misunderstood the time-travel constraints or freedoms or or something. I hope when you finish it, you'll come back and help me figure out whether this is or isn't an accurate observation on my part. (sometimes I just drive myself crazy!) - JudyS

I love Fannie Flagg, Stigler and will definitely watch for "A Redbird Christmas".

I lived near Annapolis when I was a child and was delighted when Michener wrote “Cheaspeake”, Macou33. However, I found it dragged for me and I never finished it. I never visited the Eastern Shore and now regret that my family didn’t go over. Of course, the bridge wasn’t there then, so it was harder to get to.

Jan Karon seems to be doing a series of Christmas books. “Mitford Snowmen” in 2001, “Esther’s Gift” in 2002, and "Shepherds Abiding" in 2003. I was not aware of any of them.

Every once in awhile, I stumble on a Toni Morrison book. The last was “Song of Solomon” written in 1977. Interesting characters and story but not wholly engrossing. Maybe I am getting jaded, but it is harder to find books that capture my whole attention lately.

Am I the only one who doesn’t like Lemony Snickett?

Is anybody going to join us for the discussion of Beach House here? We will be meeting with the author in January.

Perkie, I thought that I might get stalemated with Chesapeake, but I was determined to see it through so when the story got a little slow, I just kept plugging and soon it picked up again for me. I had started "Texas" some years ago and got bogged down in Louisiana and never really got to Texas.

I know that someone commented that Chesapeake was not quite true to fact, but I found the history of the settlers interesting and especially the interaction of the Quakers with the slavery issue. Strangely enough the book and the Quakers' story led me into a good conversation with one of our grandsons just over the Holiday. He, at 22 is out on his own and beginning to look around and investigate various points of view and expressed some interest in the Quakers. Some of this stemmed from a question I posed to him regarding the possibility of a draft.
When I finished Redbird Christmas, I was without anything new to pick up so I started to reread a very old book that belonged to my parents called The Song of the Years by Bess Streeter Aldrich. They picked it up at a second hand book store back in the early '40s and it has a stamp inside indicating that it had been owned by a lending library in Philadelphia. Just a little interesting history of this particular copy. This book reads a lot like the Laura Ignalls Wilder books of the settling of the central states. Happy New Year Readers!! Mary

Perkie don't feel bad I never heard of Jimmny Snickett or what ev er the name is.

I'd better get over to the Beach House I thought it didn't start until tommorow and I am supposed to be co-leader. Better late than never I guess.

Being a Quaker and a Philadelphia quaker at that,, Chesapeake is sort of an exaggerated form of what happened. and I grew up on the Eastern shore in Delaware. As to the Long guns, have to say, I never ever heard of them and did ask a lot of people about them. Noone had any idea what he was talking about and a lot of them were duck hunters. On the other hand, I loved Hawaii..sigh.. Lemony Snicket.. I thought it was a childs book,,?? my granddaughter at 9 would not go to see it when she was here. SAid it looked too scary for her. Hmm.

Hello Stephanie, I'm sure there was much 'literary license' used in Chesapeake. I suppose that if authors didn't go that route the story of a place and of people would be kind of flat. Had to have those wily duck hunters and pirates, not to mention Rosalind and her strong personality to perk up the real deal. You ought to hear what they do to our local history in order to made it appealing and have sparkle for tourists.

Mary

Just finished reading. "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. He is from Afghanistan, This is his first book. I really enjoyed it and hope he writes more.

All enjoy your time at the Beach. Hope the weather is good to you.

JeanneP

Michener was interesting in that he loved to research and would spend several years in an area when writing all of those books.. Alaska, Texas,etc.

Michener wrote about Alaska? I've read Texas, Hawaii, the one about the Chesapeake, but how did I miss Alaska?

2002 for Alaska, Jackie...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0449217264/104-1911749-0903114?v=glance

over a 1000 page one too.

jane

Thanks, Jane. Didn't he die around that time? I' m going to look for that one. Going to an estate sale this weekend that promises books and bookcases, always a good sign.

Jackie...Obit says he died 5 years before...1997!

http://www.cnn.com/US/9710/16/michener.obit/

Must be like Ludlum...books out after the author's death...

Maybe the 2002 date is a reprint or re-release. Some publishers are kinda sneaky about trying to make some books look newer than they really are.

jane

2002 is definitely a re-issue of Michener's Alaska. I re-read it in 1998 while we were driving to and in Alaska - and I know it was out years before that. Note: I just checked our library catalog, and their copyright date is 1988.

Thanks, MaryZ! That makes a lot more sense...since Michener was 90 when he died in 1997, according to the obit.

jane

Thanks for the info, all. Reading about Alaska this time of year makes no sense, but what can I do? When a book calls your name, you must answer!

Speaking of Chesapeake, has anyone here read Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt and the other books in the Tillerman Series? I read Dicey to my youngest son and we were both hooked, Although they're meant for young adults they cover so many aspects of "grown up" life that I can't imagine anyone not being drawn to Dicey. Her mentally unstable mother abandons them in a supermarket carpark in Massachusetts? Not sure about the State, but Dicey decides to take her family on foot to a town near the Chesapeake Bay.

I was fascinated by the area and the great Blue Heron's, and I thought if I ever went to America I'd have a look. I'll be shattered if it's nothing like Voigt's description.

Jan

Jan that Dicey's Song looks like a book I would enjoy. How did you come across it. I think I'll go look on B&N

Thanks

Judy, they are children's books, I did say that didn't I? I happen to think that some children's books make great reading. I just got them from our Public Library, I was always looking for something to read to my son at bedtime, I'm passionate about reading to children. At school I had a teacher who read to us after "big lunch" every day. It was magical for me. He read The Last of The Mohicans and I was right there with them, every step of the way.LOL Also The Adventures of Tom Thumb.

I remember reading Little House on The Prairie, and my son made me read till midnight because it was such a cruel winter and they didn't know whether they could survive. My neighbour said "Don't you wish you could have just called up the Westpac Rescue Helicopter?" and we all laughed. Westpac is one of our major Banks. Chris was enthralled even though we live in the Tropics and cold weather is foreign to us. That's the magic of Books, they can take you anywhere in the world and make you believe in things you've never experienced. Once he felt that I knew he was set for life!

Jan

Jan, I, too, used Little House in the Big Woods. My daughter is dyslexic, and she was so cowed by "it" that she gave up on school in first grade. We didn't know what "it" was (this was many years ago), so we were no help. Fortunately she is very bright and she was placed in a special class for underachievers where she began to bloom. Reading, however, she couldn't handle. By fourth grade, she still was not reading. I started the LHITBW, and left off at a suspenseful moment in the plot, told her she would have to read it herslef to find out what happened next. Of course she took the bait, went from there to Nancy Drew and became as avid a reader as I. I had always read aloud to my children. It is such a special way to end the day, so loving and comforting.

A new Curious Minds discussion begins Sunday, January Sixteenth. A timely topic has been chosen for your thoughts and opinions. I'm sure you will enjoy…
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Presidential Inauguration Days

Bill H

I just finished a wonderful book: Standing in the Rainbow, by Fannie Flagg. It's a book that will be appreciated and enjoyed most, by people in our age group - those born in the 30's, and raised in the 40's and 50's. A heartwarming story, full of nostalgia, with lots of likeable characters. If anyone would like to read an excerpt, go here - Standing in the Rainbow.

Thanks Marilyne for sharing this title. I just finished A Redbird Christmas and will be looking up Standing in the Rainbow as soon as I finish One Shenandoah Winter by T.Davis Bunn.
I guess that many of the folks from this forum are at the book gathering in SC about now. We should be hearing from them all again when they return. Mary C.

A while back we read with the author Renato's Luck - the book was a delight as was the author who joined us with chatty wonderful posts addressing each of those who had posted.

Jeff has written a new book taking place in the same small town with the some of the same caracters that are in Renato's Luck - Jeff lives in Tuscany although he is from the Boston area - his mother who became widowed just as we were finishing reading his book, still lives on Cape Cod - Jeff was in Boston this past week promoting his new book Secrets of Sant Angelo and if you scroll down on this site there is an interview with Jeff on a Boston radio or TV show - only his voice - no photo - promoting the book that hopefully we will have him join us again as we read it later in the Spring.

http://www.boston.com/news/necn/Features/

And here is a photo of Jeff Shapiro

Thanks for the link. I got the voice and video of the Jeff Shapiro interview.

Thanks for the recommendation.

The "King of Torts" by John Grisham , has been moved to PROPOSED. If you would like to join the discussion, please sign up. You can use the link below.
The King of Torts

Bill H

If you could live in the time and place of a certain novel, which novel would it be? And maybe, which character would you be?

I would live on The Isle of Palms and be the turtle lady.

Just finished a good book called The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King. Has anyone else heard of her?? I plan to get the rest of her books.

LavaBear, what an interesting question. So may possibilities are racing through my mind. I will have to think of this. Seems like this we would a good discussion on its own. Can we do that do you suppose? Ginny?

I'd be the Lady of the Lake in "The Mists of Avalon". I love reading about the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur, Merlin, etc. I know their life was hard, but it seems that most novels romanticize that era.

Huck Finn, lighting out for the Territory all the time. You might call it "running away from responsibility," but I like to consider it "rearranging the landscape" for a fresh start.

(Oh. And guess I'll be needing a river or something as well...)

What a good question! I am going to have to think about which character I would like to be. It does sound like a good discussion.

Oh my there are so many - a Novel - OK if cross gender is acceptable I have always loved the adventure and skill of Natty Bumpo but as a women there are so few Novels that do not have us as clinging or being saved or somehow caged by our being women.

I think Agatha Raison in the cozy mysteries is a hoot - retired in the Cotswolds after a successful career in London she is a bit more out there than say a Ms. Marple -

As a stay at home protecting the families name I could easily be Edna Earle Ponder - Uncle Daniel would keep me busy.

Or Penelope Keeling in The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher - she is just independent enough while living a traditional lifestyle.

Oh yes and it would be a hoot to be Lucia in Mapp and Lucia by Benson.

I know I said I wanted to be the turtle lady and that stands. But If I could have 2 choices I would like to the the little lady in Airport that steals aboard the jetliners and pretends they are picking on her and always gets where she wanted to go in the first place. Love that movie

The first person who comes to mind for me is, Scarlett O'Hara, in, "Gone With the Wind". The first time I read the book, I was a young teenager, and was in total awe of her strong personality, and her ability to get what she wanted out of life. I've read the book a number of times since, and every time, I'm impressed all over again with her strength and determination. Of course, Scarlett had many qualities that were not admirable, but that's what made her one of fictions most interesting heroines. Also, the romantic era of the "Old South", and then the radical changes that took place during and after the Civil War, would have been a fascinating time in which to live.

Welcome, LavaBear! Love THAT name, I am expecting to see some lava in the coming months!

I love your question and I agree Jackie that would make an incredible topic, I'll bring it up with the Books Dicsussion Leaders, what super ideas we're getting in our discussions.

Oh I love that! I want to think about my response!

I have been rolling on the floor laughing for two days while reading Larry McMurty's Loop Group. It is hysterical and the amusing protaganist, Maggie, puts me in mind of the legendary Stephanie Plum. The loop group is a bunch of laughable misfits who sit low on the movie making industry's food chain. This group is responsible for all of the "human sound effects" that you hear while viewing a movie. Maggie must scrounge around and find "someone" that can wail like an indian while the other misfits circle a microphone "Trying to imitate the sounds of those being massacred with tomahawks." It is hysterical. Poor Maggie is despondent throughout the story because she has lost her uterus. It is priceless and I had to call my witty daughter to alert her to this story.

O.K. Alf that's another one for my ever growing list.

Alf, thanks. Sounds like a goodie.

Just finished a good book called Passing Through Paradise by Susan Wiggs who lives here in the PNW

McMurtry Loop Group is one of the first novels using the newest math all about loops -

It has to do with fractals which is for example taking the coastline of England and realizing to truly measure the coastline you have to measure all the juts, crannies and bays - measuring the irregularities would then give a true figure for the amount of coastline that must be cared for or guarded and therefore a better budget can be planned -

Well loops is taking a bit of that mapped coastline and blowing it up so that this small insignificant bit takes on major proportions as a map on the computer or wall AND this small section blown up becomes a model for the math equation that will be used to measure the entire coastline.

And so McMurtry uses this thinking to establish his characters and plot...I love it - have the book on my pile but have not read it yet - must get into it - thanks Alf for the Kudos - sounds like a great read.

It sounds more and more intriguing.

Just finished (today) a book called "A Sundog Moment" by Sharon Baldacci. I thought it had a slow start, but once I was into the story, I had to finish and it was well worth the effort. The cover states, "A Novel of Hope"....which it is! Mary C.

Mary do you know if she is any relation to the male author by that last name???

Wow. I like McMurtry, so will need to find that book. It sounds wonderful. A character.. Hmm. I really really want to be Harry Potter.

Judy, Sister I believe according to a comment on the book jacket. Mary

- by Dave King. This is King's first novel and I really enjoyed it. This guy will be doing a lot of selling along the way. It is a sad, poignant story of a man's journey down a difficult path. He has been unable to speak for the past 30 yrs. after sustaining an injury to his temporal lobe during the Nam war. He is also unable to read or write but is of perfect intelligence. The whole story is about human connection and kinship. He takes on the responsibility of caring for an old girlfriends nine year old child (while she goes through rehab). The presence of this nervous young lad makes Howard (our protagonist) realize how very important communication is and he's forced out of his ennui. It's a remarkable story for a first time novelist and I will be looking forward to more of his books as he progresses.

A Ha-Ha is a ditch with a retaining wall used to divide lands without defacing a landscape. A sunken fence, so to speak, that makes an interesting paradigm for this story. I wish that he had developed that one thought just a bit more.

Is it "The" Ha Ha, or "Tha" Ha Ha? I agree. Sounds interesting as all get out.

Wow,, In England they called an outside little building a "HaHa". Usually on large estates by water or a view.. open air but has a roof.

Howzat- It's The Ha-Ha.

I just finished a new book by Cassandra King called "The Same Sweet Girls".........if you like women's fiction, and a good quick read I think you will like this....about 5 women who have been friends since college.....sharing their lives.......a good read......

......"The Same Sweet Girls".........if you like women's fiction, and a good quick read I think you will like this....about 5 women who have been friends since college.....sharing their lives.......a good read...... This reminds me of "The Lady's From Covington Send Their Love". Good light and entertaining.

I just picked up "Standing in a Rainbow" today and am anxious to get going with it. Mary C.

The Same Sweet Girls is a little "spicier" than The Ladies of Covington.......I enjoyed that book too.......The book is set in the south which also made it very attractive to me.......I know I was a southerner in a previous life.........

I've wondered about that myself Nancy

as I always seem drawn to those stories set in that/those areas. I so enjoyed Robert Morgan's books about the early days in North Carolina and there was the books by Robert Inman that were excellent....IMHO. Mary C.

You probably enjoyed the "Ya-Ya's" then.......I understand the author of that book is soon to publish another...........can you name the title of one of Robert Morgans books?

It seems to me that there are quite a few books out now about groups of women. College friends, neighbors. I enjoyed the Ladies of Covington and am now re-reading The Book Club and enjoying it more the second time around. Of course that might just be my age. Glad to see you Nancy and Mary.

Hi Alf

Thanks Judy.........yes your right ......there was also the "Three Mary's" I think........"Circle of Friends"......I liked them all...I am really the old tigerlily but somehow couldn't get logged in with my old ID so just came in this way!

http://people.cornell.edu/pages/rrm4/ This is a link to Robert Morgans page,listing his books. I've read several and haven't found one I didn't enjoy. Hope the link works for you. Mary C.

oh I read Gap Creek! I shall have a look at the others.......looks like a treasure trove.............

The King of Torts discussion will open Tuesday, March 15th.
The King of Torts

Bill H

Here is a link to an author's site and a brief description of some of his books. My online book club is introducing one of his books this week and it reminded me how much I enjoyed his story telling and thought perhaps some of you here might also. The book being introduced this week is not mentioned in this site. It is called "Eventide". The first one I read was "Plainsong".
http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/1199/haruf/

Macou I read the link you were kind enough to put in and enjoyed it. The book Plainsong sounds so familiar. I went and looked at my book list and it wasn't there so I guess I haven't read it.

I just finished a book that I really enjoyed and am surprised I did. As most of you know I am at the mercy of my daughter when it comes to reading.

This book is called Fortune's Rocks and it is written by the author who wrote the Pilot's wife. At first I thought no this isn't your kind of book and then before I knew it I stayed in bed this morning and finished it, that doesn't happen often let me tell you.

I'm LOL at reading your post about staying in bed to finish your book, Judy. This past 3 days my DH and I have been suffering together with the latest variety of flu bug. The only good thing I can say for it is that I spent quite a big of time on the couch in a prone position and finished a library book. This was a good one calle "Baker Towers" by Jennifer Haigh. I may have gotten the title here, but can't remember. It is an especially good story for any one who grew up during the WWII years and like myself in a small town. I would recommend it. I'll check out the titles you mentioned. Mary C.

Hi Judy, I agree with you about Pilot's Wife, Fortunes Rock etc. These are books by Anita Shreve, I like her writing, have read all of her books and find them all of the type that "you just can't put down" I especially enjoyed her first 2 - 3 books, Ithink she has written 7-8 by now.

Gail/VT

Gail I think you are right. I think I started the Pilot's wife and put it down. As Fortune's Rock was a little hard for me at first I think I shall go back to The Pilot's wife and start again. BTW was the pilots wife made into a movie?

Judy, yes, the Pilot's Wife was made into a movie. But, of course, my mind is refusing to give up other information on it. I know the actress (I can see her face) but the name won't present itself. It was a pretty good movie! (as I remember).

These old timers diseases are not as much fun as I thought it might be.

Anita Shreve has a new book entitled Light on Snow. It's an inspirational book on the coincidences in life and the lack of control we have over them. Even more emotionally complex are her images of unexpected events that end in tragedy and the way we choose to live with the aftermath.--- quoted from Bookmarks.

Thanks Alf I will go to B&N and find it. I really enjoyed the one I read.

How's it going??

Just read another one I found. Sea Glass by Anita Shreve just great books.

Also read Lisa Jackson's Deep Freeze, very good.

Our long awaited rain has finially come so I am stuck inside with my flowers to be planted waiting outside.

To add to the list, The Last Time They Met and Eden Close, two very good books by Shreve,,, her earlier works. Good reading....with a twist or two.....

Gail/VT

This novel is women's fiction and I read it in two days as I liked it so much........from the back flap, "inspiring and beautifully rendered, Bread Alone is an uplifting debut novel, dusted in the gentleness of magic, full of humor, and guaranteed to warm the heart" Now that is just the thing I like to read! Wonderful characters and full of the smell of bread and baking..........The author is Judith Ryan Hendricks

Nancy I am off to find your book it sounds wonderful.

One of my all time favorite authors is Belva Plain. She is one of the few that I keep in my library. I don't know how I missed it but I just read After The Fire, a story about a woman who loses her children and is blackmailed by her husband and loses her children over the fire. It was a page turner and defiantly a keeper.

Let us know what you think of "Bread Alone"..........I have her newest book, "Isabelles Daughter" but not quite into it yet.......

I am reading the new book Ya-Ya's in Bloom and am loving it.......I have read all these books and have not been disappointed in any of them.....they are bittersweet and funny laugh out loud......You will see yourself in some of the characters......of course it is set in South I believe in Louisiana.............

Nancy is the Ya Ya book in paperback??

No Judy, not yet.......I got mine from the library...it will be one day though.......just another great read.............

My memory of rest hour after lunch at school is of the Peer Gynt Suite. Our teacher told us the story and then played the music and had us listen to the various parts and imagine the scene it depicted. I loved it, and my ears always perk up when I hear one of the themes.

I enjoy Fannie Flagg, Marilyne. "Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistlestop Cafe" is still my favorite, but I have liked her other books, also. I got a big kick out of Neighbor Dorothy in "Standing In The Rainbow".

I decided to read the prequel to "Dicey's Song" by Cynthia Voigt, Jan. It is called "Homecoming" and is in the Teen section of our library. I'm looking forward to it. My children's literature professor told us that children are more critical than adults and so their books need to be more carefully crafted. That must explain why there are so many good ones.

"The Rose Grower" by Michelle De Kretser is placed in a small village in Gascony during the French Revolution. Its characters include an American balloonist as well as the aristocratic family, the village doctor and the leaders of the town who are trying to stay alive and still keep the town together. It has very short chapters as the story line changes from character to another, but it is easy to follow. Not a sit up until midnight sort of book, but I found it interesting and rather sad at the end. I know very little about the French Revolution as it affected the citizens of France, so was glad to get a glimpse of what it must have been like to have lived in that place and time. It is definitely not my choice, LavaBear!

I enjoyed Dicey's Choice a while back. Good read!
Now reading "We Were the Mulvaneys". Just picked this one up by accident in a waiting room at the hospital. I wondered when I saw it there if someone had left it like the Book Crossing program, but then again maybe just forgot it so I'll read it and return it where I found it. It seems kind of slow going, but now about one third of the way through it is picking up some. I'm committed to this, but am anxious to get on to the Anita Shreve book mentioned here. Mary C.

I have been reading some advance reading copies of some books and boy do they make going back to reading regular paper backs tough.

Ann and Candi and I were on our terrific tour of Beaufort when we happened upon a book store. Had great fun and I looked down at a bottom shelf and saw a couple of books had stickeys that said FREE. well I never miss that sign.

I said Candi LOOK FREE !!!!!! The man said that's nothing look at the whole bottom shelf and low and behold they were all free and we dived right in.

Just finished Signs in the Blood by Vicki Lane. The paper is so nice and it tells about distribution and so on but the papaer is really white and smooth and I just love them.

Just found this site and want to agree with those enjoying Anita Shreve's books. Macou33 mentions the book "Baker Towers" which I have just gotten from the library. I picked it up this morning just to see how it began and 100 pages later..... I've been looking through the previous messages and noticed a mention of Plainsong. That too is a goodie for those who enjoy the kinds of books these messages seem to imply are enjoyed. (Hi Gail!)

I really did enjoy Baker Towers and others by the author of Plainsong. Now more than halfway through "We Were the Mulvaneys", though I haven't been much of a fan of the Oprah books, this one is quite an eye opener. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised at family secrets....most everyone has some kind of skeleton in their closet.

The other Oprah selection that I read some time ago and found it to be a shocker in the same vein was "Fall On Your Knees". That one really shook me. It wasn't one that I'd highly recommend, but just very different than what I'd expected.
Now....anyone have a good suggestion for keeping a reading record. I've tried keeping a notebook...didn't remember to write it down....have considered putting it online, but about that time I would probably have to have work done and it would be wiped out.

Any ideas welcome. Mary C.

Mary for a number of years I have used Prima Soft Organizer. You can get as fancy as you want and I just use the basic books. It keeps as detailed a list as you want. A light bulb finially went off the other day and I started entering the date I have read the book. It also allows you to back up to a floppy in case you are worried about losing your data. http://www.primasoft.com/collectibles/organizers.htm

Judy, Thanks, I'll be checking it out. I must admit that I'm probably the world's worst at keeping things like this. I've started a journal several times and after a few weeks.....just forget to do it. Must be a name for this problem!!

Mary

Long time no see !!!! Have not been in chat but will be getting back into the swing pretty soon. Spring is coming here in VT and it has been beautiful. Saw my first Robins yesterday.

Hope you are well. Gail/VT

Part of my software that came bundled with my pc is Microsoft Works Data Base. It has a template for a personal library. I personalized it for my use. Because I wasn't always able to put a read book right into the data base I have used a notebook and most recently a book I found at Barnes & Noble a few years ago. It is a book journal. I am behind on getting all of the hand written stuff onto my data base. But if I wonder if I have read a book all I have to do is check my journal, notebook or the data base. Someday it will all be on the data base.

If it is a book you own why not write lightly in pencil the date you finished reading the book. Place the book in a spot for books you have read. Then when you have time you can transfer the info into a hard copy journal or to a data base.

Another idea you might want to try is to use an index card as a bookmark. Then when you finish the book you can write down pertentant data on it. Then put the card in a file box. To help you remember to do this, keep a stack of cards and a pencil near your favorite reading chair.

Just finished a book by a author I don't believe I have read before. It was Flight Lesson by Patricia Gaffney and I believe I will look for some more of her books. I enjoyed it.

Most of the books I read come from the library. I save the receipt that shows the titles. "One of these days", I might have too much time on my hands (^_^) and start a data base of these.....but I doubt it.

My book group will be discussing "The Life of Pi" this month. I didn't expect to like it, but I do (except for the gory descriptions of animal behavior on the lifeboat).

I am not sure Callie but I think that was discussed here some time back. Of course the memory is gone so its possible that I am dreaming

Thanks, JUDY. I "searched" and found the discussion. Although I'm not leading the one at Book Club, I'm sure I will copy a few notes. I'll look SO "learned"! (^_^)

I have read Patricia Gaffneys books and Liked them all.......Have started Sue Kidd Monks new book "The Mermaids Chair" and am half way through......it has occured to me that I keep waiting to like it and I don't ! Loved her first book ..sooooooooo.......I am not going to finish it but am off to a different book...........

I've started hanging on to those Library slips too, and I've been pencilling little comments beside the Titles to jog my memory. Saves staring at them wondering what the heck they were about<grin>. In one book, the last remark on the comment sheet inside the front said "a load of tripe!" I made sure I let the Librarian know it wasn't me.

Good suggestions here for keeping track of read books. I like the index card idea and actually had thought that might be good for me. Also the slips from the library (which most of my reading comes from). I asked our librarian a while back if with the new computer system there might be a record of books that I've checked out. She said no, but I thought that might be a good idea and I'm sure it would be possible. I think I read a while ago that your library history could be tracked if necessary?!? Anyway, I've started my book list on the PC for the time being and now I need to go back in my vast memory

and recall what I've read BC (before counting). Last evening as I was recording titles and authors, I flipped back and forth from my files to our library catalog to put together correct spelling of authors names and in checking authors, I was reminded of other titles that I'd already read. I was reminded of some good titles that I'd forgotten about. Anyone read the Quilting series by Jennifer Chiaverini or the Gardening mysteries by Janis Harrison? All light and easy reading for fun. Mary C.

Mary: Most libraries these days try not to keep a long history of what people have checked out because of the privacy laws. Even years ago when we had the old sign out on cards system before automation, we were told to use black permanent magic markers to cross off people's names as books were returned so others wouldn't know who had read what. Some people hate that, for they like to know if they've read this or that book, but others felt it was nobody else's business which books they had checked out.

It's a tricky situation.

jane

I am worried that we may lose the privacy we now have at libraries because of security issues. We live in country founded on the belief of individual freedoms. The idea of Big Brother scares me.

Mary I generally cannot get into mystery's but am going to try the gardening series as I am an avid gardner.......maybe these are the ones!

The Jennifer Chiavarini books about quilting are great. My cousin, an avid quilter, told me they were good, and I'm hooked. Another series she recommended to me is about a group of women who are making a cookbook for their church. They have to meet regularly through the collection process. Each chapter begins with a recipe which ties in with the action in the chapter. The author, Lynne Hinton, is a minister as is one of the characters. Like Jan Karon's books, but more gritty. The Friendship Cake is the first one.

Has anyone else read the "Miss Julia" books. I have read each one and enjoyed them so much. I picked up the latest, "Miss Julia Meets her Match" yesterday at the bookstore. All of the books are most enjoyable.

Judy

Yes, Judy, I just discovered this series in February when we were in Texas and the first one was in the library of the condo building where we were. I loved them. The newest one out is Miss Julia's School of Beauty, which was published in March, I believe. I'm on the Waiting List at the Library.

Have you been to the website? http://www.missjulia.com

jane

JUDY: I've read all the "Miss Julia" books but the most recent one. Also heard the author speak at a local book-signing a year or so ago. She is as entertaining as the books!

So many good titles and authors to check out!! I enter these on my library book list and then when I go to the library, I can just check my list for what's available. The Miss Julia series puts me in mind of another series by an author by name of Miss Read. She writes about a small town in England called Thrush Green. These books are similar to the Jan Karon books including a small community of folk who you soon get to know like neighbors.
Nancy, I'm not much for mysteries either, but the gardening mysteries are light and easy reading and not too "thrilling".
Earlier I read and mentioned here a book called "A Sundog Moment". I believe I got the title here. Although the following is not fiction, along the same line, there is a book that I read some time ago by and about a man who had ALS. The title is "Learning to Fall, The Blessings of an Imperfect Life", by Philip Simmons. I bought the book as a gift to our library in honor of our son who has a Degenerative Neurological disease and found it to be inspiring. For anyone who has a connection to a person with a similar disease, it might be of interest.

Oh, I love the Miss Read books!!!!! Have never known anyone else who's read them. They are absolutely charming!
Is the author still living? Still writing?

Oh yes - I love Miss Read - my most favorite of her books is the Christmas Mouse - found this web site all about her - she was born in 1913 and it appears she is still alive - that would make her what - 92 - my oh my ?!?

Miss Read

Well this is just wonderful! I have one of the garden mystery's waiting for me at the library and I ordered Miss Read's "Thrush Green", the first novel from Amazon's used books for $2.98! I hope I love them as I need some new authors.........Have just finished "The Baker's Apprentice", by the same author as "Bread Alone" and liked it equally as well........more bread and baking of good things as well as some of the same characters in the first novel........I read several books at once......In the early morning I do my "heavy" reading which is non-fiction and doesn't belong in this folder.....currently most of it concerns aging.......politics.....and religion....not necessarily in that order........

BARBARA: Thank you SO MUCH for the link to Miss Read. I have bookmarked it to look over later when I have more time.

You will just love all these books. But start with the first one. I believe must be at least ten. All librarys have them. Me being from England then I can really enjoy knowing what village life was like. I was thinking that she was no longer with us and the last book was ghost finished. I could be wrong. Will research and see.

JeanneP

I plan to re-read as many of the Miss Read books as are available in the OKC Metro library system. I used to read them when life was stressful and I wished I could escape to a quiet English Village life! Went through "Miss Read country" on a tour but did not have time to stop and savor the atmosphere. Sigh.

Are Miss Read books and Miss Julia books the same?

I have really lost track here.

Having a party for Don's 75th birthday tommorow and its got me jumping.

I am sorry to say I do not go to the library. So many of you get your books from the library but I guess I have read mostly the books Candi sends down by the load that I never got into the habit. There is also a wonderful used book store here in Redmond which is very nice. There was a time in my life I never thought I would read a used book but this place most of the books seem to be almost new and they are very cheap.

Have a great day everyone.

Well, I was wrong again. Trying to think who it was that wrote same tiype books but passed away. It will come to me.

Miss Read

Miss Read, or in real life Mrs Dora Saint, was a teacher by profession who started writing after the Second World War, beginning with light essays written for Punch and other journals. She has written on educational and country matters, and worked as a script-writer for the BBC. Miss Read is married to a retired schoolmaster and they live in a tiny Berkshire hamlet. She is a local magistrate and her hobbies are going to the theatre, listening to music and reading. She was made an MBE for her services to literature in the 1998 New Year Honours List.

Miss Read is the author of numerous books, which have gained immense popularity for their humorous and honest depictions of English rural life, including, most recently, The Year at Thrush Green and A Peaceful Retirement. Many of her books are published by Penguin, together with nine omnibus editions. She has also written a cookery book, Miss Read's Country Cooking, and two autobiographical works, A Fortunate Grandchild and Time Remembered, published together in one volume as Early Days, with a new foreword by the author

I now want her cookery book. Will see if library has copies and the two autobiographical works. I know have not read those.

JeanneP

Thanks Jean I appreciate that

I just tried finding her cookbook on Web. found only 5 copies Used selling at $59 to $115. Don't think I will be buying for awhile.

Called library and they going to try to borrow one I can look thru. they don't own her auto Biog either called "Early Days" fortunate grandchild/time remembered and so going to have to borrow it for me.

JeanneP

My library has most of the Thrush Green books, but only two of the Fairacre ones, two of the three autobiographies, and Miss Read Christmas Book - but not Country Cooking.

I'm smiling (lovingly!) at the suggestion that feisty southern lady Miss Julia and gentle Cotswold Englishwoman Miss Read could be one and the same.

I picked up the Garden Mystery Book today and imagine my delight when I found that the author lives and works in the same county I was born in, in Missouri........the town she lives in , Windsor is only 17 miles from my birthplace........AND.....I am well into the book and am liking it very much.......my thanks for mentioning this series.....

WEll I just finished Kafka on the Shore and I am just as confused as I was while reading the novel. Has anyone read this yet? If so - please email me. I sure would hate to ruin the ending for anyone who has not yet read it. Someone on the boards here suggested a few things while reading a story and I followed her suggestions. I think it was either Barb or Maryal- I've forgotten who it was but anyway the suggestions were to imagine yourself in the story; to make notes and to ask questions. It was advised to pay attention to the author's message, deliberating each word, trying to reveal where that fits into the plot. Well I'm at a loss on this one. It's nearly as confusing as old Kafka and his existenalism was to me years ago. Please let me know if anyone else is out here in his metaphysical world after reading this story.

I just finished 'Baker Towers' by Jennifer Haigh and 'The Queen of the Big Time by Adriana Trigiana. Loved both books.

I just found this site. Now I am going to get a pencil and notebook to write down the recommendations. This is fun.

Hats, Glad you found this forum. I enjoyed Baker Towers too and for anyone who lived in the PA coal region there is another novel about the area that I read some time ago and can't find the title. I thought it was called "Coal Town", but can't seem to find anything under that name and don't have the author. I really enjoy the fiction that tells about different regions of our country and especially going back to the '30's and '40s. My daughter and I often read the same books and she says that she enjoys and learns of history so much better this way than as it was taught in school. Almost finished with "We Were the Mulvaneys" and though it is set in my part of NY state, I think that the author must have altered geography just a bit as many things just don't fit.

Hi Macou,

I am glad you enjoyed 'Baker Towers' too. I really came away from the book understanding the hardships of working in a coal mine. The book also helped me see the love of these families. They stuck together through thick and thin. I love the 30's and 40's too.

Mac - How about Coal Run?

I recently finished three very good, but very different books.

"Light On Snow" - the best of the bunch. This is Anita Shreve's latest, and well worth reading. I fell in love with Nicky, the 12 year old girl, who tells the story. She is surely one of Shreve's most likeable characters to date. The story takes an old familiar theme, and gives it a new twist.

"Cavedweller", by Dorothy Allison. I happened to spot this on the bargain shelf at Barnes and Noble, for $2.98! Just from reading the jacket, I knew it would be well worth the price, and it was.

"The Best Awful", by Carrie Fisher. This is fiction, but is obviously based on Fisher's life. It touches on lots of Hollywood celebrities, (names thinly disguised), but easy to spot her parents, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. The story itself is about her problems with a failed marriage, drugs, alcohol, bi-polar illness, and finally a complete psychotic breakdown. She's a good writer, and very witty. I read her first book years ago called, "Postcards From the Edge".

Marilyne I also read Postcards From the Edge and enjoyed it. Did she write someting with pink in the title? I am going to reserve The Best Awful at my library.

Carrie Fisher Novels

Postcards from the edge (c)hb 1987 pb 1988

Surrender the pink (c) hb 1990 pb 1991

Delusions of grandma (c) hb 1994 pb 1995

The best awful (c)hb 2003 pb 2005

Harper, Thank you for the "Coal Run" title. I've tried to get back to that title by various means of search, but hadn't been able to. Thank you so much. Having lived in Western NY all of my life and from the early war years in Niagara Falls, I have known many people who transplanted from the coal mining towns of PA to work in the war industries. We heard from them echoes of what those towns were like back in the boom years of coal mining. And now that those chemical industries that boomed here in the northeast during the '30s,'40s and '50s are mostly gone there are only stories left here of what this place was in its prime. It's the thing that good novels are made of....people and places and times. Mary

What a lot of books and authors I've never heard of. Do any of the rest of you ever wonder if you sometimes live in a vacuum? I've been travelling and am finally getting caught up on all the posts. Jennifer Chiavarini -- thanks for that -- I just sent one of our local mystery club members two emails about her. My friend is really into quilting. And Ms. Sherlock, I sent your comments about her also, and about the cookbook series. (Shoud have written that down, but will go back and find it.

Judy, I never used to visit used bookstores, but now I love to browse in them. While visiting my daughter I went to Charlottesville Historic Mall where they have at least 3 or 4 used bookstores -- one's called "Read It Again, Sam." Got the 4-pb series of Paul Scott's Raj Quartet -- I've been wanting that ever since seeing Jewel in the Crown on TV years ago. Sure wish I'd known about the Beaufort bookstore with the FREE shelf. We stopped there for lunch on the way to Savannah.

Hi Pedlin On 60 minutes last Sunday they had a special about a author who lives in South Miami Beach by the name of Carl Hiaasen which of course I had never heard of. But he said most of what he write is true, of course doctored up. I went to B&N and bought a Ridley book and Skin Tight by Hiaasen. It was the most outrageous book and funny and you think this is not possible. I read it in 24 hours and I'll tell you its not rocket science but I enjoyed it. In the back the is a chapter that tells you about the characters and what they went to jail for. The book was somewhat real and the characters were real its amazing.

Judy, my DH has read, loved, and howled laughing at Carl Hiassen for years. He's a bit over the top for my preference, but he's always a presence on our bookshelf. I'm sure you'll love all his books.

Mary he must be popular because I went to my bookstore and they didn't have him. The lady said he's so popular that they go out as fast as they come in.I imagine that the one I bought yesterday is gone by now. Rats I suppose I will have to buy another one.

Judy, I'm sure your library would have gobs of them. Was that your used book store that you checked?

Yes it was my used book store here in Redmond

Obviously, they stay sold out - not a surprise.

Carl Hiassen is a hoot. Have read everything of his. He is also a columnist down in Miami and besides the funny funny fiction, he writes seriously about the environment damage and greed in Florida. Yes the stuff is exaggerated, but truthfully,, it all stems from various horrid things happening especially in south Florida. I went to a reading once and he is good looking and extremely funny in person.

Have any of you read Tracy Chevelier's "The Girl with the Pearl Earring?" How did you like it? I checked the Library and they did not have it. Then, I checked "book exchange" but it was not there either.

I`ve been reading a series of books by Diana Gabaldon. The first one is Outlander. It has been a facinating read and I hate to put it down, although it is a heavy book and my arm gets tired. Now I am waiting for her next book of this same series to come out September 27th I believe. I will be the first one on the library list.

ROSEDA: There are four Diana Gabaldon "Outlander" series books out in paperback. Story begins to get a bit repetitious in the 4th one, but I think there's one more which will, hopefully, wrap up the story. Maybe it's the one coming out in September.

Soon after I read "Outlander", I was in Scotland and went to Culloden battlefield. Really neat to see the setting and imagine the characters in action.
The book must be well researched because it was on sale in the bookstore there and I bought my copy 'on site'. However, the Scottish title is "Crosstitch"; I don't know why.

Hello everyone on this rainy,cold morning. I've just been looking over the small newspaper called "The Book Page" that I picked up from the library this week. There is an advertisement for a book called "The Jane Austen Book Club" by Karen Joy Fowler. Sounds interesting. I wonder if anyone has already read it. The Book Page also shows a new one by Debbie Macomber called "A Good Yarn". Mary C.

MARY C. I liked "The Jane Austen Book Club", but it doesn't really have anything to do with Jane Austen.

Hi Callie, I thought as much after I read the review. Good to hear from someone who read it. Mary

Hi Callie and Macou, SeniorNet read and discussed The Jane Austen Book Club last summer, and yes, it does have a lot to do with Jane Austen. If you are well-acquainted with Austen, (I'm not, much to my detriment in the discussion) you will see parallels with her characters and those of the characters in JABC. It was a wonderful discussion, and author Karen Fowler participated as well.

Jane Austen Book Club

I'm just finishing an interesting little novel called "Some Things That Stay" by Sarah Willis. It puts me in mind of Dicey's Song as it is narrated by a 15 yr old girl and expresses her sadness of never belonging to a community as they move from place to place in search of fresh scenery for her artist Dad. A quick read. Mary C.

I just finished this book and enjoyed it. She has another one I believe called something like " the Cheese Makers." Going to see if I can find it at the library tomorrow.

JeanneP

JeanneP......anything that has bread or cheese in the title is for me! My library has both those books and I have placed a hold on them........ Blessed Are the Cheesemakers is the title of the second book you mentioned..............

Hello: We talked about Ms Shreve a while ago. I just wanted to let those interested, that I just read her book from 1991, "Strange Fits of Passion" It was an excellent story, the twists and turns that she is so good at. Finished it in two days, good thing it was raining most of the time, I didn't mind staying in and just reading. No Guilt !!!!!!!

Gail/VT

a novel by Wendell Berry........a lovely book about 190 pages in long..Mr. Berry is a farmer in Henry County Kentucky....He has received numerous awards for his work.......I had never heard of him but found out about him on a web-site devoted to Southern writers. This is a book about family, grief, relationships, and ageing......Beautifully written......I shall be reading more of his work..............

I am going from one extreme to the other. Am hooked on Carl Hiaasen's books and am trying to read them all. I just finished Strip Tease and started Where or When by Anita Shreve boy what a difference. When I finishe Where or When I will go back and read another by Hiaasen. Fun

I finished "Tears of a Giraffe" by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the second book in the series. I am now on hold for the third book in the series. I liked the second book better than the first one. I really am enjoying this series. I remember Pedln leading the discussion on the first book. Wonderful discussion.

I went looking for a new read at library and found that some things I had added to my personal book list on my library card hadn't registered. Sooooooo, I started browsing to see if I could prompt my memory on those that I hoped to get. I remembered the Miss Julia books and started looking there. I found another by Ann B. Ross that captured my attention and so far it's a good one....called The Pilgrimage. Mary C.

Thanks, Mary. I didn't know Ann B. Ross had written anything other than the Miss Julia series.

Hats, isn't that a fun series. I liked "Tears of the Giraffe," too, but haven't gone any further yet. He's also started a series about a Scottish lady private investigator, but I don't know the name of it.

And then, I did a really dumb thing -- signed up for the e-mail version of the Scotsman newspaper because they were going to have a new daily series by McCall Smith. Never saw the beginnings of the series, and checking another newspaper each day got kind of time-consuming, so I just gave up on it.

Now, today I found out that he has completed the series and published it in book form -- 44 Scotland Street. I don't know if it's a detective story or not -- all about the different people who live in a tenement at that address. Apparently it was a real hoot, because the daily readers would send Mccall Smith messages and tell him things like where a stolen car (from the story) was parked.

Pedln,

I will look for the Scottish lady detective. I am glad you enjoy the series too. I will look for "44 Scotland Stree too. I bet that one is fun.

For my nightime reading, I am reading "As the Crow Flies" by Jeffrey Archer. He is a new author for me.

Good morning and Happy Mother's Day to all!! While you are reading Jeffrey Archer, look at "As The Crow Flies". I read it many years ago and had forgotten who wrote it until you mentioned J.A.'s name here. It was a good one. Mary

I have finished these two books and they were delightful reads.....I like her second book, By Bread Alone the best........A great way to pass a lazy afternoon or two...............

Hi Mary,

I am really enjoying "As The Crow Flies." I am glad you enjoyed reading it too. At night I read it before going to bed. It is very hard to put the light off and go to sleep because I love the book.

Nancy,

I have read "Bread Alone." I remember enjoying it. Thanks for mentioning "The Cheesemakers." I hope my library owns a copy.

Jeffery Archer wrote
NOVELS
Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less (1976)
Shall We Tell the President? (1978)
Kane and Abel (1980)4 1/2*
The Prodigal Daughter (1982)4 1/2*
First Among Equals (1984)4*
A Matter of Honour (1986)4*
As the Crow Flies (1991)4 1/2*
Honour Among Thieves (1993)4*
The Fourth Estate (1998)4*
The Eleventh Commandment (1998)4*
The Accused (2001)

Sons of Fortune (2003)
(*)I know I have read it. May have read more but they weren't in my database
Interesting tidbits about his books are at:

http://www.authorsontheweb.com/features/authormonth/0301archer/archer-jeffrey.asp

Hats......By Bread Alone and Bread Alone are two different books......I read Bread Alone also and like it very much.......A little confusing indeed.....

Nancy,

That is confusing! I must have read "Bread Alone." The book is about a woman in a troubled marriage. She moves to another city and finds a new passion, baking.

Thanks Gaj for the list of books and the link. So far, I am enjoying his writing.

That's right Hats........You read "Bread Alone"........Now "By Bread Alone " is also a good read...You would probably like it too.......

I will try it, Nancy. I am going to write it on my list. Thanks for clearing up my confusion too.

Just finished Joan Medlicott's latest book "The Three Mrs. Parkers" and enjoyed it. It was fast and light reading with no real plot other than how these three women (different yet very much alike) learn to get along and make a family.

I've read and enjoyed all her Covington books. Some people like her writing and others don't. I read this type of book for enjoyment and relaxation and for me, she does a good job.

Mary

Has anyone ever read "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart? It was written in 1949.

Redbud I read The Ladies of Covington and have another book here someplace. I enjoyed it also

Jeane I have not heard of Earth Abide's maybe someone else has????

A disease destroyed most of the world's population. The setting is the East Bay of Northern California. It's the story of one young man who survived, the people who join him, and their struggles to survive without all the modern conveniences.

I believe this is the latest novel of Elizabeth Berg...I love the way she writes about women and their feelings, longings, lives, etc.......I read it in two days........

Hi: Thanks for the heads-up... I didn't know that Berg had a new book. I love her work also, will look for it at the library.

Thanks, Gail/VT

I'm just finishing The Pilgrimage by Ann B. Ross. (early westward movement from the view of a young girl) It has been a great read and I would highly recommend it. Next up on the shelf is The Shop on Blossom Street and Mrs. Miracle, both by Debbie Macomber.

I've made a note of Elizabeth Berg as an author to look for soon. Mary C.

That's a new title, "The Pilgrimage" by Ann B. Ross. I will look for it at the library. I love Miss Julia. I haven't finished all of those yet.

I love Elizabeth Berg, I will look for that book this week-end.Thanks for mentioning it Nancy.

Just finished Line of Vision by David Ellis and enjoyed it. Its a mystery but very different from the run of the mill. On the cover it said "The best sunspense novel I've read in a while" James Patterson, which is probably why my daughter bought it.

We are having such terrible storms here, thunder and rain, I can barley see out of my window. I swear I am never going to work like I did this year on my yard again. Its all beat down and broken along with my heart. hehe

Judy, Sorry to hear of your damaged garden....not to mention your broken heart. We have a lady in the RV forum who is out there "storm chasing". Bet she wishes she was in your neck of the woods just now. I'm not big on mystery stories....Mary Higgins Clark or Janet Evonavich is about as mysterious as I get, but you have tweaked my interest with Line of Vision. Mary

MaryC You just reminded me about a book I read a long time ago. With a Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich 1881-1954. After marrying Will Deal and moving to Nebraska, Abbie endures the difficulties of frontier life and raises her children to pursue the ambitions that were once her own.

Hi Ginny, I loved the book A Lantern in Her Hand". It was one of the first adult fiction I read many years ago. Not long ago I was cleaning out a shelf of older books and ran across another by Aldrich called Song of Years. I reread that just a few weeks ago and enjoyed it all over again. That one was about settlers in Iowa. Mary C.

I loved Lantern in her Hand too. I had forgotten all about it. THanks for the memory. I used to have it; but am sure it isn`t around after fifty + years..........going to get in from the library.....

novel by Beth Gutcheon........this is a well written novel spanning the lives of husband and wife during and after WW2........It is not a one or two day read. There is quite a lot about Denmark and how the Danes were treated in WW2.......The setting for the story is mainly in Maine.......I read another novel of hers titled More Than You Know and liked it so this new book caught my eye as well......

Have just finished The Hope by Herman Wouk. Fictionalized story of the birth of the nation of Israel after WW2. I found it to be very interesting since some of the characters were the real leaders, such as Moshe Dayan and David Ben Gurion.

Alice

It is my life time habit only to read in bed as if I din't I probably would do little else.

Today I spent half the day reading a book I had started called The Trade by Shirley Palmer. Never have I read such a book. It takes place in Malibu California and is the story of trafficking children from other countries to the U.S. It is bone chilling and partially true.

The United Staes is a major destination country into whic h individuals from more than 50 countries are routinely trafficked. Los Angeles is a mojor destination city. Over 4 million girls and women as young as 4 years are traded against their will every year into domestic, sweatshop and sexual salvery.

Judy I had read somewhere about this trade in women and girls...It is all most beyond my comprehension that this could be going on here in this country.........sickning......

Reading in bed is one of my very favorite activities too. Judy, that traffic in children is absolutely horrible, and to think it's here, in the USA. We are so quick to sanction another country for treating children badly; and now to find out that it's happening right under our righteous noses. When was that book published? - Judy S

Copy right 2003 Judy. She is a new author to me but it was tghe best book I have read in a long time. Of course it is fiction but based on a real probablem we have. I too had no idea!!!!!!!

I hope you are able to get the book.

I'm glad it's fiction, but the awful part is that it's probably based on some truth - I think I'll check it out. Thanks.

Forgive me for sounding politically incorrect, but I'm afraid that the trafficking in women and children in the US, is mostly run by new immigrants, who are not even citizens. A couple of years ago, a very wealthy Indian man (India) was arrested for smuggling poor Indian and Pakistani women into the US, by promising them a good job, etc. When they got here, of course, they were put to work as prostitutes in his brothels that were located around the San Francisco Bay area. Some were also used for "sweat shop" labor, in manufacturing or garment businesses that he owned. Of course they got NO money. They were nothing more than slaves.

Two of the women escaped from one of the brothels, and somehow got to the police in Oakland. (I don't remember the details.) Anyway, the Indian man was arrested, and the whole operation was exposed. It had been going on for years. He was an extremely wealthy man. He and his wife and children were living in the lap of luxury in a multi million dollar mansion. Of course he had never paid any income tax, over the many years he had been here either.

It was just an ugly, sickening story of greed and evil. I'm not sure what ever happened to him? If he's serving time, or sent back to India or what? My guess is that he's free and still living here, but I don't know. Unfortunately, as soon as a BIG story is pretty much over, you never find out what happened to the people involved.

Interesting that somebody could get away with bringing illegal aliens into the country, considering the current paranoia about foreigners entering the US at all. It's surprising that the Department of Homeland Security or the Justice Department (or whatever new department is doing the work that Immigration and Naturalization used to do) didn't stop that guy immediately. - JudyS

Marilyne, I remember that the two girls, sisters, were killed in a fire or something, in an apartment he owned which was substandard. That is how the police got into it.

Mrs. Sherlock - Yes, it's been awhile, so I've forgotten most of the details. Also, there has been another unrelated case since then, involving Chinese or Filipino women, so I could have them mixed up. Do you happen to know what ever happened to the Indian man? I believe he was not released on bail because of fear he would flee the country. Still, there have been no follow-up stories that I'm aware of?

judywolfs - I'll take a guess that you don't live in a state that borders either coast, or the Southern border with Mexico? Smuggling people into California by ship, from far East countries is very commonplace, also, many boats dock off the coast of Baja California (Mexico) and then the immigrants are smuggled across the border.

I realize that this subject of trafficking in people, has nothing to do with Fiction or Best Sellers, so we probably should get back to the discussion of books. But it is a fascinating subject, that most people are not aware of.

Marlyn, this is a discussion about a book. The Trade by Shirley Palmer.

It was my intention to put the book out there because its a great read.

Judy -

I think I got carried away with my local story and forgot! LOL Yes, I did see that post, and even wrote down the name of the book so that I could get it.

Right after I wrote this morning, I saw a related story in the local paper, (San Jose Mercury News) about this subject, and what is being done about it here in this area. Human Trafficking

On a lighter note....I just finished "The Shop on Blossom Street" and about that time my daughter brought over another one by Debbie MacComber called "Mrs. Miracle". Both were good, light and easy to read books. Mrs. Miracle put me in mind of a web sight called Heart Warmers. It's a nice story with a happy ending. Mary C.

another Anita Shreve book........we may have all ready talked about this......a very quick read and of course she writes beautifully. From the fly leaf." A tender and surprising novel about love and its consequences........." I have read all of her books and have never been disappointed.

Mary C have you visited the Romance Books Discussion? You will find suggestions for some great heartwarming books.

Thanks Ginny, Romance novels is not my strong suit, but once in a while I get "caught" and Debbie MacC. is better than some of the paper back stuff. It's funny, I have a lady friend who is mid to late 80s and she often tries to give me books, but I have already looked over her selections and don't care to give my reading time to what seems like trashy novels....to each his own I guess. These light stories are as close as I care to get. When I was a teen ager, I had my go at True Story magazine (probably because they were a little off limits with my parents!!) and guess had my fill of romance novels.

Oh my goodness, True Story magazine, oh my, another ginny here.

I had several go's at them when visiting relatives, I also was not allowed to see them by my own parents, but my relatives seemed to have no such prohibitions and oh boy, did I go thru them! I remember one about...Burt Lancaster, for some reason, do I have the same magazine, did they have stories about movie stars?? oh BOY, I devoured them AND the horror comics my relatives had my parents would not let me look at. OH boy the hidden vices of innocent childhood, think of what the kids of today have as possibilities.

I came in here to recommend Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, see the Read Around the World discussion for Andrea's (ALF) recommendation this morning. Some people don't like it, I loved it and she does, too. Pedln has started it and likes it, too, so if you're near a library, give it a look?

If you enjoy books, the pleasure of reading and a mystery, to boot, then you will love Shadow of the Wind.

Judy Laird, I had to laugh when I read that you mainly did your reading in bed. I've been doing a little research on British mystery writer Ian Rankin in preparation for leading a discussion of "Resurrection Men" for our local mystery group. Rankin is very popular, but was a little taken aback when a woman approached him and said, "You don't know how much pleasure you've given me in bed.

I've had to set some other reading aside because of the Rankin, and another book discussion, but hope to get back to "Shadow of the Wind" soon. It's a novel about book and book lovers, has a lot of appeal.

Have added The Trade to my "to read" list. There was something on the news last night about slave trafficking. Appalling subject and the international numbers are astounding.

People in US think that "Slave trading" ended with Lincoln. It has gone on and still is to this day. Now in importing people for prostitution purposes, for years it was to work in the garment factories, Railroad building. naming just a few. Lots of books out telling about it but people never hear about them and so little is known.

JeanneP

a novel by "Lee Martin"......Here is one I checked out today and FINISHED today........I could not put it down....from the flyleaf, " a remarkable and almost unbearably suspensful novel"

Will order it at library. This hot weather. Read 2 books in 2 days. The Trade being one of them. it was good.

JeanneP

I know what you mean with this hot weather! I barely moved from the chair all day but it was really that book.....I shall order The Trade from my library.............

My husband and I just returned from a short trip to Los Angeles for a granddaughter's graduation. He took along, "The DA Vinci Code", to read in case he had any spare time. Well, believe me, he made the time! He was absolutely enthralled with the book, and couldn't put it down. I havn't been anxious to read it, even though I know it's been on the Best Seller list for well over a year. Just doesn't sound like my style of book. However, he thinks I'll love it, wants me to read it, so guess I'll give it a go. What's the general opinion of the book here in this discussion?

We enjoyed it, Marilyne. It's fast-paced and almost makes you forget it's fiction. We liked Brown's other book, too (Angels & Demons).

I don't even like mystery's at all and I liked this book....I really liked the short chapters.........

I started it. Tried to stay with it but gave up. Some really liked it. Has been on the list a long time. Same with "The people we meet in Heaven" Now I really liked it.

Jeannep

I read it when SEniorNEt discussed. I thought it an enjoyable book and a good mystery. But the most amazing thing is the marketing of this book and all the hoopla over it. The spin-offs -- I think there's even a "DaVinci Code for Dummies." How? Why? It's not like he introduced new theories. What he wrote about Mary Magdalene and some of the other religous topics have been discussed for decades.

Dan Brown is a lucky man to have more than one best-seller on both hard cover and paperback lists for over a year.

Dan Brown must have hit a moment in time when people were willing to look at old ideas in a new way. It got me reading books that speak to the stuff he states as real. I am reading a nonfiction spiritual book and it isn't lent.

by Ian McEwan.........another very good read....can easily be read in two days......a fascinating look at man's day and the surprising end.....I think you readers will like it.............

Can't say I liked it or am even lukewarm about it. Dull and boring with surprisingly turgid writing. A book that is idea-driven rather than character driven. It is based on an idea which is quite different from having a plot. Not my cuppa.

A good book to put you to sleep if you're an insomniac.

Marvelle

Well there you have it.........tis wonderful that we have so many wonderful books to read.....there is no accounting for taste....I am a nurse and also worked on a neurosurgical area and that could account for some of my interest in the meticulous writing of the disease discription and some of the neuro procedures.........I can see how that would be deadly reading for some and quite possibly put one to sleep......Marvelle.....what was the last book that you liked very much?

Who was it that once said "In literature, as in love we are astonished at what is chosen by others." I always think about that when someone tells me what a wonderful book they've just read and would like me to read it. oye-vay

Oh Alf,, I do agree. I am always surprised when someone that I am close to tells me that they read a particular genre that I cannot bear. You just sit and look at them.. But everyone gets to chose their own escape. Went by Ocala today, coming home from two weeks in the coach kayaking all over north Georgia.. Raining there.

Stephanie.......I spent a lot of time in Ocala two years ago........

What is in Ocala that has you stopping and spending time there?

Barbara......for me it was the fact that I lived in a community called "Rainbow Springs" which was about 20 miles from Ocala.....Ocala was where we went for health care, etc.....lovely area........If I remember correctly Stephanie H. lives in Florida on the east coast?

Stephanie, glad you had a good time kayaking. Which lakes did you wet your boats in?

It wasn't the medical sections but the writing itself. Such as the beginning of the book where it takes umpteen pages (25 I believe) for the main character to put his feet from bed to ground and get past the bedroom door ("he moved with almost comic facility" - according to the author which is not writing to SHOW the comic facility but rather TELLING us).

Dull dull dull.

Truly poor writing as if the author was on autopilot and couldn't be bothered. The characters aren't engaging but rather stereotypical and the unknowing racism of the author's description of an African patient is off-putting.

Apparently it's the political idea behind the novel that garnered good reviews in the U.K. The idea being a negative reaction to the U.S. invasion of Iraq which the author alludes to as the novel begins on that particular date. I'm neither pro nor con on the author's politics, I can set such things aside in fiction, but I don't like novels of ideas when the concrete and specifics - character, plot, setting - are sacrificed to an abstract idea.

The last novel I read that I enjoyed? Orhan Pamuk's Snow although his My Name Is red is on the top of my list of moderns. Also finished the Kazuo Ishiguro novel Never Let Me Go which is a moving tale and while the idea is strong in Ishiguro's work he never subordinates the characters and the situations that arise out of their personalities. It is character which drives the novel.

Both Pamuk and Ishiguro would make good discussions but I don't believe I could bring myself to talk about Never Let Me Go where the plight of some of the characters hits too close to home for me. I do recommend Pamuk and Ishiguro.

Marvelle

I live in Central Florida. We spent two weeks in the motorcoach in Georgia. First Lake Blackshear in Cordele at the Veterans Memorial Park.., then Hiawasee, Lake Chatuge,,at the Mountain Fair Park and third at Lake Lanier Islands,, The first two were glorious.. Lake Lanier is a joy, but the park and boat access was awful. Wont go there again.. Alf lives in Ocala,, at Top of the World.. Rainbow Springs., We used to go there years ago when it was a park just like Silver Springs, only much much prettier.

Just finished "Resistance" by Anita Shreve and it was a time travel back to the early '40s and WWII in Europe. Also an eye opener into the life of the people in wartime Belgium and our servicemen who fought there. I brought home her novel called Sea Glass at the same time and have just started it. Her writing style is a bit different from recent things I've enjoyed, but I'm getting used to it.

Well Marvelle I am just flabbergasted at your critique of the novel "Saturday"........I will add the two books you mentioned to my list of "to reads"....

Those NE GA mountains are really pretty, aren't they, Stephanie? Glad you mostly had a good time.

Macou,

I find what you posted about "Resistance" by Anita Shreve very exciting. I love time travel novels. I knew about the historical backdrop in "Resistance," but I didn't know about the time travel part. I also want to read "Sea Glass." I love that title, "Sea Glass."

I am reading "A Year of Pleasures" by Elizabeth Berg.

Hats .......how are you liking Bergs new novel?

Nancy,

It's beautifully written. It's a sad subject, widowhood, but Berg seems to have that ability to make me look pass the sadness. It's really wonderful. I am enjoying it.

Nancy,

Have you read Berg's book? Did you like it?

Am fascinated by Marvelle's critique of Saturday - I just finished it and had enjoyed it though aware of how "dated" it will soon be - right down to the dissuasion of a crime by reading something inspirational (i.e. the woman who saved herself giving the intruder A Purpose Driven Life (?) ) I love McEwan's descriptions of ordinary events - i.e.listening to the news while cooking. You've got me thinking about plot-driven vs. character-driven Marvelle and I've jotted down your suggestions. Thanks for those.

Paulita,

I'm wouldn't even call Saturday plot-driven. I consider it to be idea-driven, i.e. the author's idea "I disapprove of the U.S. invasion of Iraq so I'm gonna write a book that critiques such things".

Idea-driven books subordinate plot, character, setting and, in my opinion, become lectures rather than novels. And then there's that elitism and unknowing racism, all the while the author and character pat selves on back for their supposed (and questionable) humanitarian outlook..... no, not the book for me.

Marvelle

Hats, Sorry if I mislead you about the time travel bit in Resistance. It was time travel for me in that it took me back to the '40s and WWII....not in a super natural way. Hope you like the book anyway. Mary

Mary, I like that feeling too. Feeling as though you were really living in a historical period. That's better that the supernatural.

Sea Glass is starting off to be that kind of a book too. It starts off in the late '20s and I get a glimpse of the way things were in my parents younger days. Today especially for some reason I've been thinking of them and the way their life was so different from ours in respect to the comforts and conveniences that we so take for granted. Mary

Probably not needed here but I couldn't resist.

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.

Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:

You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Remember:

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.

And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.

-- Love, Kathryn Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take - but by the moments that take our breath away."

Judy!! Well you got my attention with the boiling water down the throat!!

Mary

Yes Hats I read Bergs new book and like you really liked it.......I am reading the new book on Clinton at the moment.......The Survivor..Well written and doesn't seem overly partisan......

Nancy, I am glad you enjoyed it too.

Judy, I love your list especially the one about our normalcy.

"Everyone seems normal until you get to know them."

Rainbow Springs? Hey we golfed over there recently. I live 6 miles SW of Ocala. WHY in the world don't we all get together for lunch?

Oh Alf! I moved back to Missouri two years ago from Rainbow Springs.....I miss all my good friends I made there........

Have just finished a book by Catherine Anderson called My Sunshine.

I literally don't want to put it down I still want to hold it and maybe start reading it over again right now.

Its a love story, romance a little intrigue a Vet and dogs and cats and and and I LOVED IT

When I finished Blessings, by Anna Quindlen, I immediately went back to page one and started reading it all over again. There were so many things about the story that I wanted to read over and to savor. I absolutely love this book, and hope that someone else who looks in here, has read it?

The two main characters are an 80 year old woman, and a young man in his early 20's. It's the most heartwarming and heartbreaking book I have read in the longest time.

Anna Quindlen is always good, but this is her best so far, IMO. She also wrote "One True Thing", and has been a syndicated newspaper columnist for many years.

Can't resist sharing the definitions I found at www.about.com on types of stories:

Character-driven - much literary fiction is character-driven; characters are central and the events (plot) arise from the characters. Each new scene results from the reactions and interactions of characters. Requires deep characterization. Interest for readers is following around a character with whom they identify or sympathize or are interested in.

Plot-driven - intricacies of the plot are the most important aspect of the story. Plot-driven stories have characters, ideas, and setting but those are secondary to the function of the plot. (I think here of the mysteries I like to read.) Characters act in accordance with the plot and not for any other reason and may appear to be flat. Readers keep reading not because they are fascinated by the characters, but because they want to find out what happens next.

Idea-driven - focus is on a central idea or group of related ideas that inspired the story. The central idea structures the plot, and the characters and events are arranged as as to express the idea. The main idea of a story could be "Cutting down trees is wrong" in which the whole story aims to illustrate why cutting down trees is wrong. The central idea affects the plot - it must be constrcted so that the idea is expressed; it affects the characters - everything they do and say must contribute to the expression of the idea. The idea is central so all other aspects of the story must focus on it.

Marvelle

Marilyne, I read the book Blessings too, and enjoyed it. At first, I was mystified about why everyone liked the book. It turned out I had the wrong book - there are two books named "Blessings." -JudyS

I liked that post, Marvelle. And it got me thinking about the way that literature is taught in high school. It appears to me that even when a book is character driven or plot driven, the teachers seem to want the students to analyze it as though it's idea driven. - JudyS

I love most of Anna Quindlen. But for some reason, that one turned me off. I tried four times and never got into it.. Finally just passed it on to another person.

Marvelle I also appreciated that post.....it occurs to me that I like books which are character drvien I suspect......maybe not all ways...Anna Quindlins books are all ways on my list and I believe I have read and enjoyed them all.......I will have a look see at the Catherine Anderson book.........

I'm also most happy with a character driven book, Nancy. That's why I re-read books sometimes, the plot is less important. It doesn't bother me at all if people write "spoilers" during the book discussions here. And I'm not really impressed with mystery books. It just seems a mystery book is just event after event after event happening to cartoon characters. - JudyS

Judywolfs........now I know why I don't care for mystery's...lol....

I really believe that is some mysteries. There are other mystery writers, who write lovely intricate character studies. A good example might be Margaret Maron, who writes a series on Deborah Knott.. A judge who is a bootleggers daughter and the only daughter in a huge southern family. She struggles with all of this and is most interesting with her observations.

I enjoyed reading Marvelle's post about Character, Plot, & Idea driven stories.

Character driven, is by far my choice, which must be why I enjoyed "Blessings", "The Hours", and most books by Sue Miller and Anita Shreve. Right now I'm reading another good one by Jeannette Walls, called "The Glass Castle". It's a true story, or as she calls it, a family memoir, so maybe wouldn't qualify as fiction. However it's written in story form, so reads like fiction.

Mystery or action stories have never appealed to me, as they all seem basically the same. I agree with what Judy said - just one event after another, (usually unrealistic harrowing events), happening to unbelievable characters, or certainly characters that I can't relate to or really care much about.

Question: Could someone name some books that would be an examples of Idea driven stories? I'm having a hard time with that one?

I prefer literary works, that is, charcter-driven fiction which speaks to the human condition. Most of my reading time is devoted to literary authors and I still read authors, previously unknown to me, in hopes of making a delightful discovery.

Also, I do enjoy a well-written mystery, not cozy or cutsie types however, as a pleasant way to relax without the intensity which literary works seem to demand of me.

Marvelle

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, an expose of the meat-packing industry

George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, a critique of invasive politics; the corruption of truth, and loss of human freedoms including free speech

George Bernard Shaw's plays which are idealogical attacts on capitalism and explorations of moral and social problems, including "Widower's Houses", about slum landlords; "Major Barbara" in which a Salvation Army officer learns that money and power can be better weapons against evil than love; "Man and Superman", "Pygmalion" etc etc.

Don DeLillo's White Noise

Jennifer Egan's Look at Me

DBC Pierre's (Dirty but clean peter) Vernon God Little

Nicole Krauss's The History of Love

Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Phillip Roth's The Plot Against America

Some of the above I enjoyed but only some. I would say that Robert Stone is another contempoary author of idea-driven novels.

Marvelle

The following author is also one of my favorites......I have read all her books........Gail Godwin Born on Jun 18 (1937-____) US novelist, short-story writer, journalist. She is best known for "Glass People," 1972.

idea driven and popular.. How About "DaVince Code".. I can only read a few Anita Shreve.. Loved The Pilots wife, but others have not interested me and I have read a 100 pages and then quit ( 100 pages is my time to stop if I am not getting intrigued).

Stephanie......I did like the Davini code......for some unknown reason...I guess there is no accounting for peoples tastes in reading. Same for food, clothing, art, etc......tis what makes life interesting.......I like the 100 page idea.......I know longer finish books that do not interest me............

Currently I am reading a book that I hope sells well so he will be published again. Pegasus Secret by Greg Loomis. It is similar to The Da Vinci Code in that the Knights Templar play a role in the mystery. Both my husband Ray, who read it before me and I highly recommend it.

I'm well into Sea Glass now and talk about ideas!!! At the start I thought I wouldn't finish this one, but it is beginning to open up to more ideas than you would believe in one book. It is set in the late '20s and here are just a few of the things that are dealt with....so far!! Child labor, low (slave) wages in early industry, the dream of a labor union, the crash of the stock market and comparison of the lives of the very very wealthy,middle class and working poor. I can hardly believe it is all included in this short novel.

macou - I also liked, Sea Glass, and read somewhere recently that she's working on a sequel to it. Not necessarily the same people, but about the same house.

Someone in this discussion commented on her book, Resistance. It's one of my top three favorite books by Shreve. I read that it's the least popular (meaning fewer copies purchased) of any of her books, because most readers under age 60, are not familiar with the Resistance movement in Europe during WWII. They don't know about the courageous job that Belgian, Dutch, and French citizens did during the War, while their countries were occupied by the Nazi's. It's really an eye opener, and tells of the chances they took, and the price they paid.

I very much enjoyed the Davinci Code, much to my surprise. Stephanie, yes, idea driven, but also mystery (which I ususally don't like) and very interesting characters. Maybe it was such a well balanced book that most readers will find something to enjoy in it. I also liked Dan Brown's "Angels and Deamons."

I'm thinking of trying "Sea Glass" - but as far as Pilots Wife - I just couldn't stand it. I'm not even sure I finished the book. So I'm a little hesitant to start another one by the same author.

Marilyne, I was the one who mentioned Resistance, having just finished that before starting Sea Glass. I was young during WWII but knew some of the history of the Resistance though not how very dangerous it was for those folk. They were angels in disguise.

Mary,

I am looking forward to Resistance and Sea Glass. Two good books for the summer. Thanks.

My daughter just brought me another of the Oprah Book Club selections. This one is "The Rapture of Canaan" by Sheri Reynolds. This will be the fourth of the O.B.C. novels that I have read and all of them just by the accident of happening onto them. I've found her authors to be just a little different. First one I read that seemed to me kind of off the wall was Fall on your Knees by Ann Marie McDonald. Then there was Drowning Ruth....really different!, and the last one was We Were the Mulvaneys. It would be interesting to know how these books are selected. Mary C.

Mary, I read all those books, except "Drowning Ruth." I had a good time reading them, but I agree, they do seem a little off the wall. They certainly held my interest, though. - JudyS

I loved Drowning Ruth.. not so hot on the Mulvaney book.. I believe she also did one that had Pearl in the title that I liked and possibly an Ann Patchett book "Patron Saint of Liars"? She probably has a staffer who vets them out, but she does read them or at least it seems she does.

I was lukewarm about Drowning Ruth. It was a different type of story, and it did hold my interest, but I would not include it in my Top Ten favorite books so far this year.

It's been awhile since I've read We Were the Mulvaney's, so I don't recall details. But I do remember that the story itself was distasteful to me. I found the premise hard to believe - that a seemingly happy close knit family in the 1980's would treat their daughter the way they did over that single incident. (Don't want to give give away the plot!) It just didn't seem realistic to me - but then, not many of Joyce Carol Oates' books are based in any reality that I can ever relate to!

She is an interesting author though, and I have read and enjoyed many of the dozens of books that she has written over the past 30 years or more. Most of them are very depressing, and some are just plain bizarre. Others are so intriguing that you cannot put them down. She definitely has a unique style of writing.

I am with you on Joyce Carol Oats. She is always different.. Margaret Atwater is another one. You never know just what to expect, but it is always well written.

Stephanie, when I first saw your post above, I immediately thought "OH YES!!! The Handmaids Tale was excellent." But then I realized that I had Margaret Atwood in my mind, not the author you mentioned. I don't know that I've ever herd of Atwater - what kind of books does she write? - JudyS

Whew.. brain closure..ATwood is correct. If you can find it, she did a wonderful book a few years ago. Concerned a female who murdered in Canada.. Presents it from her point of view..If I were not an idiot I would remember the title. A truly remarkable book however. I had hoped to discuss it in Senior Net, but noone else was interested.

Margaret Atwood is amazing. The title you're looking for is Alias Grace, I think. A book of hers that has not received much "press" is Oryx and Crake. A weird title and a scary hypothetical yet possible look into the future. I listened to it on Books on Tape and it has stayed with me long after others have been forgotten!

Am reading a book I'd not heard of but picked up in the library. It won the Whitbread and Orange Prizes in England - Small Island by Andrea Levy. It is quite long but I am finding it fascinating. I'm not quite through but don't want it to end. I recommend to one and all to give it a try.

Oryn was my least favorite book by her, but I adored Alias Grace. Oryx was some many puzzles all wrapped up. I kept thinking I missed the point. But Alias Grace, I itched to discuss that with someone at the time.

Tommorow is the big day Mary Alice Monroe's book comes out.

The Name is Sweetgrass and I can tell you she has outdone herself this time it is a wonderful book, somehow she has the ability to make you think she is right there.

I don't want to give away the plot but its a good one.

I would be interested in your opinion of the book I just finished, Marvelle, since you like works that speak to the human condition. It is "Pushkin and the Queen of Spades" by Alice Randall.

A review in the Library Journal states: "Windsor Armstrong is a Harvard graduate, a Fulbright scholar, and a noted African American professor of Russian literature. She attended college as an unwed mother, having been raped just before starting her first semester. Giving birth to a son, she named him Pushkin X after the Russian poet and Malcolm X. Windsor had specific expectations for her son, which went unfulfilled after he pursued professional football rather than Harvard. Pushkin X's decision to marry a white Russian immigrant lap dancer was the final blow to Windsor's dreams. Windsor writes a long letter to Pushkin X in which she relates her troubled childhood with an abusive mother and a doting though criminal father. Through Windsor's cathartic revisiting of her past and attempts to come to terms with her son's choices, Randall, the award-winning author of the parodic novel The Wind Done Gone, explores themes of racial stereotyping and color consciousness, Du Bois vs. Tupac, motherhood, and parent-child relationships. The reader may learn more about Windsor than they care to, but sprinkled throughout her confessions are strikingly true insights and epiphanies."

It drags a little here and there, but I was interested enough to keep reading and I am glad I did.

Thanks for the reading suggestion. I'm going to check out the book from the library this weekend. Feel like a loooong weekend of reading and this book may well satisfy my craving for a good story.

Marvelle

Last month we had a short Book Review in the Extra.

We would like to have another for this July 15th Extra.
A short 1 or 2 paragraphs,
about a book you would recommend (or even not recommend),
fiction, non-fiction, mystery, biography, sci-fi, romance, or -----
Reviews may be sent to BookBytes@seniornet.org by late July 14th or very early July 15th

Hello, I am new to the site but not to reading! I'm wondering if anyone has read Sandra Dallas? She has become one of my favorite authors.

I noticed a Jodi Picault discussion as well. She is another that I like to read...I can't say 'enjoy' as usually during the read at one point I want to toss something out the window. She sures causes my dander to fly!

Welcome - divinesunshine.

It's good to see you here. Chaeck out our other discussions in Books.

Books Main Menu

I had a lovely day yesterday. Pedlin was here and I took her on a whirlwind tour. We went to Kirkland where I had to pick up plans. Then to Redmond to a couple of banks, I had to squeeze in work also. They we came up here to my house and took some picktures with my flowers and tree's. Then showed her Redmond Town Center, then drove through the Microsoft Campus, then we went to Newcastle Golf course for lunch overlooking Bellvue, Seattle Renton and as far as you can see. Then to Elliott Bay book store where I found 3 of May Sarton's books than I didn't have. ( what a find) Pedlin bought Plant Dreaming Deep and then I took her home. WHEW what a day did I mention it was 85 degree's in SEATTLE. We visited all day and had a great time. We also talked to Ann just for the fun of it, but my cell phone broke up coming down the top of Newcastle.

Sounds like a wonderful little visit, Judy. Glad you two could get together.

"Silver Bells" by Luanne Rice takes place at Christmas but is not really a Christmas story. I loved Rice's use of description, especially the Christmas trees grown in Nova Scotia for the New York Market. It is also about the problems caused by a lack of communication, a basic inability to hear what other family members are saying, and is partially resolved at the end but leaves enough open for a sequel should Ride decide to write one.

Sounds like a good one, Perkie!! I'll be adding it to my list. Thanks. Mary C.

Hello, and I'll ditto Judy. It was a wonderful day and she is a most terrific hostess and tour guide. You should see her garden. That lady has a gift. I had a wonderful time.

I haven't had a chance to start the May Sarton yet, but am looking forward to it. She will be new to me.

Right now I'm reading a non-fiction one of my daughters sent me, Rebuilt by Michael Chorost, where he describes his failing hearing and subsequent cochlear implant.

I just finished The Rice Mother by Rani Manica, about a Maylasian family from 1930 to the present. Fascinating, and highly recommended.

Next I'll be getting into The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime which my local book group will be discussing first week in August. I'm not so sure I want to be there -- the emails from back home say they expect a 110 heat index come Saturday.

BTW, I really like the illustration in the heading.

Pedlin, I wish I was close enough to join in your discussion group when they do "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night." It gives the best insight into the workings of an autistic mind that I have ever seen, and the book was an epiphany for a friend who thinks she has Asperger's Syndrome. She read the book and said she felt like she had been validated because so many of her reactions to social situations are like Chris's, but not as severe. She always felt that she could do better if she just tried harder and it was relief to find out that it is a real medical problem. Then I discovered that one of my favorite nephews has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which explains why he has so much trouble making friends in school.

I listened to an audio book of "A Chance To See Egypt" by Sandra Scofield. It is a rather sweet story of a widower who goes to a small village in Mexico where he and his wife had honeymooned. He becomes a part of the village and marries a woman he meets there. The descriptions of the village life and the villagers is a wonderful part of the story. The biggest drawback was the reader, Mary Helen Fisher. She lilted in the wrong places and paused in middle of sentences so that I thought the story was headed in a certain direction only to be suddenly jerked in another direction. It was very disconcerting.

Pedln & Perkie - I read the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime a few months ago. I really enjoyed it - it seemed very real to me. And (strangely) there were parts of it that I thought were hilariously funny. JudyS

Perkie and Judywolfs, I finished "Curious Incident. ." in Seattle. Having read Paul Collins' "Not Even Wrong" -- his history of autism -- earlier this year, I thought that this book really gave an excellent picture into the thinking of an autistic person. Both my daughter and 12-year-old granddaughter had read it. My daughter said it took her a while but she eventually figured out that Christopher was autistic. I'm looking forward to our local discussion next week. Wish you all could be there.

In April, our local library had a discussion on "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime" and one of the women there has a daughter who is autistic. That gave us all an additional insight into the book.

I have recommended the book to other mothers who have autistic children. I thought that it gave a very clear picture of what was going on in the young man's mind.

Judy

Here's what I'm wondering about - I found myself chuckling during parts of the book. Some of the dialogue struck me as so funny. Am I the only one who found humor in it? I'm starting to feel strangely guilty. - JudyS

My discussion group read "Curious Incident...." last spring. We all found quite a bit of humor. We thought the author was trying to show the inner personality of the autistic, thereby encouraging readers not to make blanket assumptions about autism.

...whew... what a relief. Ha ha. Thank you Callie. - JudyS

You're welcome, Judy.

My group thought the young man in the book had a great sense of humor - as does the author.

I am about 2/3's through Grisham's "The Broker". It is a "goodie". Also, a chance to learn some Italian! (If I could retain it, LOL)

I'm going to Italy this fall. Maybe I should read this and try to learn a few phrases. Do you think I'd ever have a need for them? (I doubt it!) (^_^)

Only if you're going to be there quite awhile, Callie!! But reading the book is a good idea anyway. You just have to make time to do it in one or two sittings, because I couldn't put it down!! If they ever make it into a movie, they would have to cast someone in the lead role who is fluent in Italian already, thus making the lead character (who is learning the language) more believable. On second thought, it probably wouldn't translate well to the screen anyway. They'd most likely mess up the storyline.

I'll definitely read "The Broker" but it sounds like something I would enjoy more after I get home from the trip. It's only a week-long tour of three cities.

"The Nature of Passion" by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is set in Delhi and takes place in the heart of a large family. The father is a self-made millionaire and one learns about the closeness of the family as well as the infighting and the rebellion of the youngest children when are in their late teens and early twenties. I enjoyed the glimpses of family life, while skipping over some of the business and political passages, and was amused by some of the phraseology. The patriarch refused to send his youngest son to Cambridge because English-Returned and America-Returned men came home with modern ideas and refused to follow the old ways of subservience to the family.

Just got through reading a pretty good book and it mentioned a Church name St.Senara, Zenner, Cornwall. From there she got insperation for it. Book Name is "The Marmaid Chair"by Sue Monk Kidd. It is Fiction but a story is told about this Chair that is Famous in Zenner. Cornwall,UK I was just tracing it down on the Web. Never went to Cornwall, when growing up in UK. Looks a fantastic place. The Island in Carolina coastal area where the story takes place was founded by people from Cornwall as was a big part of Carolina, Come over for the mining I think.

JeanneP

For People who read the Book "The bridges of Madison County" and lots did. His followup to that story is out and I read it. Not quite as good as "Bridges" but I enjoyed. Did not end it the way I wanted.

JeanneP

I just wanted to share a 'find' of sorts with everyone. I discovered a new, to me, author a few months ago. SANDRA DALLAS Her books are very good IMO. I started with "The Persion Pickle Club" but really whichever one you start with I think you'll like her. She does make subtle references to her other books though so it's fun to look for them.

EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND....

Sunshine that sounds great.

How many have MAM's new book Sweet Grass???

JUDY My local library does not have the book...I will be reading the discussion anyway though!

Have made a reservation for the book when it is available at our library.

Great!!!!!!!!! BTW when does a book usually get to the library? Is their a certain period of time after it is published??

Hi: I don't know about all libraries but pretty sure they work somewhat in the same manner. At our library, they can get the books almost immediately. If they do not have a book and you desire it, they will order it and have it in stock within a few days or a week. If it is an older book and not on the shelves, they will do a search and borrow it from another library (within the state) for you to read. Guess it depends on their funding, our library is very wealthy with generous donations etc. so they will order just about anything, within reason, that you would like.

Gail/VT

Judy, it depends on when the acquisitions librarian orders the materials, if the book vendor through whom he/she works has the book in stock, etc. Very few libraries order directly from the publisher. In fact some publishers don't sell books directly to libraries, but go through book vending companies. Baker and Taylor is one, Ingram is another, Brodart is a third, etc. Some libraries order their books fully processed...ie, even the book cover is on it, and some sort of generic call no., etc. Other libraries order them plain...and do the processing inhouse. That can mean a difference in time to get it on the shelf. However, most public and university libraries make an effort to "process" those that are on a waiting list first.

Our little local library had Harry Potter in and processed before the date it was available for sale, but they were also requested to hold it for the date it was "released." Publication dates are kind of tricky things, as are copyright dates. It's not unusual to have a book in Nov. of 2005 with a copyright of 2006.

Publishing is interesting.

jane

Jane and Gail

Thanks so much for your answers on how the library's work. If you couldn't tell by my post I am woefully ignorant how they work. The last library I was during our trip to Chicago, and before that well-------------------------Guess I should go to the new one they have here in Redmond.

The constant going's on of my children is a mystery to me. Don came home Friday and said Randy's on a horse. WHAT says I . It seem to be that he went on a horse back ride from Spokane to northern California. Ye gads says I . Seems its called the old Cascade trail or some such trail. I never know what they up to. Since he built a place in Idaho it seems he has become a cowboy. He was in the office 3 days in July and doesn't seem to be heading for a much better preformance in August.

Hi Judy, Not knowing the age of your children, I'm just guessing that your son is one of the now generation that is determined to have an early retirement, if only part time. If he can handle it, I say more power to him. This is what I say to my husband when our children in their 40s are taking trips to exotic places and buying luxury boats. Who knows what the future holds......they might not see retirement years and then they would have saved up all those nice things to do for naught. You know the old saying...."Eat your dessert first, life is uncertain!"

On the subject of Fiction reading, I'm well into "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter". I'm sure I'm way behind all of you in getting around to this one, but it is very different, but keeping my interest. I brought home from the library this one and "A Member of the Wedding". I just couldn't get into that one at all, but I can see a similarity in the characters in the two books. I keep saying that I'm not going to read another "Oprah selection", but here I am again. Mary C.

Mary my kid's are aproaching 50. Oldest son will be 50 this December. I would be surprised to see any of them retire and you can only fish so much says my oldest son. But their lifestyles are like something out of a fairy book. They've got it made and they are making the best of it. More power to them I say. They all have top people to run their business and after owning their own business's for over 20 years I guess they have it coming.

Judy, don't stop at the Redmond LIbrary. You need to take a tour of the new downtown library in Seattle. We're only talking about $162 million and 400,000 sq. feet. Last summer I took the tour. This year I just stopped in to drool.

I have received Sweetgrass, but right now Queen Loana is keeping me busy.

We just came back from Seattle and saw the new library for the first time. We thought it was ugly. My sisters who live in Seattle say the same thing. We all really miss the old library. I can remember taking the bus to town on Saturdays and spending the day there.

Mary in TX

Well, different strokes for different folks. I was never in the old library so can't compare. As a retired librarian, I love the idea of spiral book stacks allowing for change and growth without having to shift shelves of books. And the accoustics are wonderful, so my hearing aids didn't buzz with background noise.

What blew my mind was the technology. My daughter simply put a stack of books she wanted on the table and this marvellous machine checked them out and printed out a list of what she had -- without anyone touching a single book.

I'm with you. So, the building is a box. Boxes are easier to secure, easier to heat and cool, easier to arrange the space enclosed, and, well, just easier. It's the books and ease of access to those books that count. Some of these architectural marvels I see seems to have so much wasted space. Of course, they are beautiful. And it's okay if there's lots of money. But, hey, libraries have enough trouble gettng the money to build bigger buildings and to buy technology and books.

We have just completed putting addition on ours. It is beautiful. Reason being that is is one of the oldest in Illinois. this is the second addition and it has all been matched up with the old stone so that soon it will look like the whole building old.. I think first built in 1870. I love the place. there almost daily. Now we are a twin City, Urbana/champaign, Illinois. Champaign being the larger of the two. Univ. of Illinois Is Urbana. Champaign built a new library no more that 10 years ago. Horrible. All glass. cost millions. Now not happy and trying to put together something like 14 million to tear it down and build a new one.

I like the idea of the way to check out books as noted above. Could hold onto the ticket so that I know what I have read. Getting were I keep bring home ones I have already read. As I read at least 4 a week after all these years, catching up with me. To me, money should be spent on Libraries more than anything. I starting using one in Europe when I was 4 I got my first card.

Jeannep

JeanneP

I'm having a good chuckle as you folks talk about your libraries! Here is a link to a quite new (maybe 20 yrs) library that was built in Niagara Falls a while back. It was supposed to have been a design to end all designs. Well it is ugly, the roof has leaked almost from the start and now the city has such financial troubles that there is great debate about cutting back services. http://www.niagarafallspubliclib.org/

I too like the advantage of having the titles of the books on our check out slips. Our own small village library uses the computer check out system and it is good. We also have access to the library computer system from our own PCs so that we can reserve, renew or search the catalog and that is a great help. One more thing I would like from the library computer program is for them to retain the titles of books that I have checked out. It sounds like a very tall order, but I'm not sure that it wouldn't be possible. Mary

macou: That's a privacy issue and most libraries are going to great lengths to not retain the listing of books anyone checks out. Even back in the old days of the name or number being written on a "card" that was in the book pocket, we were told by the Attorney General's office to obliterate that with a heavy black magic marker. Nobody else is suppose to have access (without a court subpoena (sp?) to whatever anyone else has checked out. For libraries with thousands and thousands of patrons, keeping each person's individual lists over the years would also probably take up a lot of computer space.

jane

I was just showing Ray the schedule for the move our library is going to be going through. They are moving to a temporary location (3 years?) A much smaller facility than they would like to be moving to, but the best they could do. They are expanding the old library. The big problem they faced was meeting the requirements of the city design committee.

Medina Library

We have the ability to reserve books from the whole ClevNet system, renew books and much more via home computers.

Your library looks to have been drawn up my the same architect as the one who did the Champaign. Just do not look like a library. Notice there is going to be a meeting over in Champaign Monday night as they are going to get started on a new one. Hope they take a good look at the drawings before they sign the O.K.

Will say that now they are computerized it is so easy to just take care of things at home on computer. Check for books and if they don't have they will get within couple days from another library. Even the new best sellers. I don't buy books anymore.

JeanneP

JeanneP -- do you have to pay when your library gets you books through interlibrary loan? I haven't used it at our public library for a long time, but the last time I checked they wanted $1.00 per item.

I need to keep my mouth shut because I know the people here are working hard and stretching the budget and offering some really good programs, and are really helpful and accomodating, but inequities in library service is a real pet peeve of mine. Especially when you have access to one library and its services and other areas offer networks or consortiums. It's the state's fault. I think Missouri screwed it up big time back in the '60s when they set the districts -- carved in stone, I guess. The city may grow, but the district will not. We have people living in the city limits who can't check out from the city library without paying $24 a year. They have to drive 10 miles to the next town because that's the district they're in. Talk about poor PR.

Here we have "Open Access"...so I have my library card here in my town of 5,200, but I can check out books with it from the Cedar Rapids system. I can return them here in my town's Library...and they have to send them back at their expense. The state pays an "open access" amount to each library, but it doesn't cover the costs. There is no way to cover the cost of ILL...so a charge finally had to be put on for those ordering over 5 books at a time. Some college students who live at home were ordering 40-50 books at a time and then not even bothering to come in and check them out -- big cost to both ends for that sort of misuse.

We have an old Carnegie library here and the addition to accommodate the disabilities act and add space was done with the same brick, same columns and design as the old front...but at ground level and with an elevator which takes you up to the main floor or down to the children's room/meeting room,genealogy room, etc.

This is a shot from the new entrance on what was the side...wing to the right is old, from the entrance to the left is the new part...

our Carnegie Library

Someone is doing a dissertation or paper on the old Carnegie Libraries and came to take inside photos of ours. They also matched the old oak woodwork, arched doorways, etc. The very old semicircular oak checkout desk now holds the computers patrons can use for internet access.

City funding is good; county funding is not. County Supervisors don't think any county residents really do read - in spite of all the stats to the contrary. One stated openly at the Grand Opening of the new addition that he'd never been in the Library before. He was amazed at all that was offered. He was in his 60s at the time, but he still wouldn't support more than the state's minimum for funding!

Life is good with a good library!

jane

Hi everyone...

I love to talk' library's'

If I could have chosen a profession I think librarian would have been it. I volunteered all through my 3 kids school years at their school library. I was at school so much most folks thought I 'worked' at school!

Here at my new home, the libraries are all connected in the county of course. My local little library town is about 300 people, maybe. the library is on the lower level of the town hall/civic center/ and even at that doesn't take up the whole level! What's neat though is the librarian has lived in the area for her whole life! She knows absolutely everything! It is fun to go get my books and chat with her!! What I do is go online, order the book/books

, and she calls me then they're in. The books come from all over the county but I have to say Missouri is very good with her dollar allotment for her own library. The longest wait I have had is now with the new Harry Potter! I am 16th on a list of 39...LOL

Everyone have a wonderful 'reading' kind of day now!

Hi Sunshine, nice to see another Missourian here. Welcome. I love the Lake of the Ozarks area -- used to go to state school library meetings there.

Leaving libraries for a minute, I'd like to invite everyone to stop by our Read Around the World Discussion. This is a new group that reads books by authors from places other than the US or Great Britain, currently reading and discussing The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco.

We'll be taking nominations for our October selection Aug. 24-Aug 27, and voting on them Aug. 28 - Aug. 31. We're always looking for new ideas, so if you have a book or author with an international bent, stop by and tell us about it.

Now I must check my library to see if it has received Pomegranate Soup , brought to our attention by Ann Alden. The author, born in Iran and raised in New YOrk, writes about a Middle Eastern woman who opens an ethnic restaurant in Ireland. (It also includes lots of recipes.) How international can you get?

Now I do have to pay $25 for my library card because I live 10 ft out of the city limit. No, do not have to pay for anything else. Allows me to use about 8 different libraries in the system. They get books for you. Only right that we pay something because people in the city a portion of their Taxes go to the Library. If you live in appt in city they figure a portion of your rent check pays and so people out city show what they pay in taxes and they pro-rate if from there. Seniors get a discount. I sure get my $25 worth and happy to pay.

JeanneP

I love libraries! I went back to complete my college degree so I could be a librarian. Got the degree but never got a paying job at the library.

Part of our state taxes goes to libraries. We also pay a county tax for our county library. My payment comes from my taxes. lol

Yesterday I was at the library and saw a large stack of Harry Potter Books. I bet they were all gone today.

I would consider $25/yr a fair amount to pay for my library use and if it would stop some of the squabbling between the Town I live in and the Village where the library is located, it would be a bargain!! Because of some fluke the Town has been supporting the Village library for a while and now that the Town is hurting for funds, the Village is holding to the earlier agreement and refuses to contribute.....it puts the library folks in the middle. Strangely, the Village is supporting a lovely beautification program each year. That is a great asset to the tourist business, but lets get serious about what is important.

Here is a happy little story about a librarian friend of mine. When she was in high school with our daughter, the Guidance Counselor advised her not to consider college as she wasn't thought to be able to handle it. My dear young friend was not put down by that. She went on to get her associates degree, then completed English certification. After a few year in the work force, she went back, got her Library certification and is now....in her 50s a librarian in California. She is delighted with her new career. I so admire her determination to follow her dream. Mary

A new book out in October by Anita Shreve.....I know some of you read everything she writes......I think the title is "Wedding In December"......I read Sue Millers'new novel and didn't care for it much.....could have just my mood at the time......I generally like all of her books..........

I really liked "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd, JeanneP. I have "The Mermaid Chair" on my list and have been looking on the new book shelf for it. The story sounds fascinating.

Our library has just instituted the service you want, Macou33. You can sign up to have the list of books you have read kept in your private file. Having read so much about the fight libraries continually have to keep the government out of their patrons' reading lists that I can't bring myself to sign up and keep my list myself. It is just on Microsoft Word, since I didn't have access to a spreadsheet program when I started it and it is now too long, 12 pages with double columns" of read and want-to-read titles, that it is not worth transferring. And that is just my fiction/non-fiction list. My mystery list is 18 pages. I take the lists with me to the library and write in the new titles I check out and then put them on the computer list when I get home.

Is "The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana" as good as "The Name of the Rose", Pedlin? The latter is the only thing I have read by Umberto Eco. For some reason, I keep thinking he was writing in the late 1800's!

I am currently listening to the audio book of "Hissy Fit" by Mary Kay Andrews. So far it is not that good and there is so much of it (12 CDs). It is set in Madison, Georgia, east of Atlanta, and I was half listening when they drove to Hard Labor Creek State Park and my ears perked up. I went to high school in Tucker, Georgia, and spent some time at a Girl Scout Camp on the edge of Hard Labor Creek. Also my high school class spent a couple of weekend retreats there. I was sorry to hear that the old mill is gone!

....jumping into the middle of the conversation...

PERKIE: I was intrigued with the title "Hissy Fit" - found the book silly but worth a giggle or two.

I live in the Oklahoma City area. The metro area reaches into several counties, but only residents of Oklahoma County have free library card privileges in the metro library system. Non-residents can come into the main library (downtown OKC) or one of the branches and use the computerized catalog or read there, etc. I think they can also access the web site to browse.
But they must pay $40.00 a year to have a library card and check-out privileges.
A recent letter to the editor from a librarian explained that the library funds are provided through a county tax. The fee reflects the estimated amount of tax paid by county residents.

I also tried making a data base of books read, etc. Finally gave up and keep receipts as many of you do. It's sometimes a challenge to sort out the originals from the re-checks!

Do any of you with library access via internet go a bit overboard and end up with more reserves to pick up than any normal person could read in the allotted time?

I'm currently trying to read James Patterson's "Lifeguard" (not holding my interest), "The Kite Runner" (for a fall book discussion) and several books about Italy (preparing for a trip there). Sometimes my brain feels scrambled.

Callie...re:Do any of you with library access via internet go a bit overboard and end up with more reserves to pick up than any normal person could read in the allotted time? Uh...errr..YES!

Yes Callie, I often have way too many books on reserve

And I usually have to renew some of them so I can either read or finish them.

I don't read that much during the summertime, but am trying to read a little before I go to bed. I'm going through a fibro flare with insomnia and reading oftentimes relaxes me enough to sleep.

Mary

JANE: (^_^)

Hi, MARY REDBUD: As you already know, I also have the dreaded fibro. A flare hit this afternoon and I'm headed for the pillows asap with one of those Reserves I hauled home in a tote bag yesterday.

I have also been fighting fibro symptoms today. Ended up napping way too long. Reading helps me relax before going to bed.

Kept falling asleep in front of the pc!

Too many books on reserve? What me, you must be kidding. Of course I have been there and done that.

Morning from MO!

PERKIE I will be interested in what you think of Kidd's "The Mermaid Chair". I also loved her "Secret Life of Bees"!!

I won't say more other than the fact that I almost didn't finish it.

I was also profoundly disappointed with Rebecca Wells "YaYa's in Bloom". I liked "The Divine Secrets of the YAYA Sisterhood" and consider myself a YAYA even but this latest was very bad.

I like Anita Shreve too so I'll be on the lookout for her new one.

Have you read Sandra Dallas? "The Persion Pickle Club" was my first by her but it isn't 'her' first!

And Barbara Kingsolver...do you like her books?

Wow so many questions....I am a book nut I guess.

I like Barbara Kingsolver very much.. Anita Shreve, I can take or leave.. I make these long complicated lists of books to look for. Of course I have tons of books already here. I love used book stores, used to own one and cannot resist dropping in on our travels and trying the new ones.

I just finished The Mermaids Chair by Sue Monk Kidd & was disappointed. It was a so-so book, in my opinion, as was Ya-ya's In Bloom by Wells. I agree with you divine sunshine about this story.

Hello everyone you are doing some incredible reading in here. Hi Stephanie I have ordered 2 times in the past weeks from Amazon that is so much fun when your old and can't remember yesterday.I talked to Ann Alden and she said I should get the book Lord Baltimore by Stephen Doster. So I ordered it from Amazon and am enjoying it because it is about the South. Naturally it said now if you only spend X amounts of dollars you will get free shipping soooooo the other books came on different days and I go why did you pick these or better yet WHAT THE >>>> IS THIS?

Next book now this is incredible and I would reccomend for anyone who likes true mystery's. I was watching a local talk show and they had a local author there telling about a true story he wrote. He start's telling this story about a woman in Seattle in the early 1920's that started up a Wellness clinic in the mountains above Port Orchard Wa. I cannot believe it is true. " A fascinating turn-of-the -century" story of medical malpractice and murder if you liked the Alienist you'll find Starvation Height all the more gripping because this story is true" Michael Connelly. I can't tell you how gripping this story is I hope some of you can get it. Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen. I begining to sound like I have stock in the book I will stop.

The other 2 that came with it for the "free" postage are looking good.

I'm enjoying this discussion group so much! I'm writing down all the suggestions and hoping the information is correct for internet searching. About lists: I've kept one on MSWord for the past few years and have a record of all I've ordered and all read..returned, arrived, etc. Really comes in handy! These are in the form of audio books, either purchased, ordered or whatever. Don't know what I'd do without a book going at all times.

Just finished Loretta Lynn's latest book "Still Woman Enough"...good grief! Gives you a different perspective and worth the read. I'm listening through all of John Irving's books....so far The Cider House Rules was best, but then, I loved the movie and saw it first.

Thanks to all who make the effort to "clue us in."

I am reading her "The Chili Queen" at the moment. My first of her books. Have not made up my mind yet if I really like her.

JeanneP

Jeanne P- don't you just hate to be on the fringe about a book? Usually if it doesn't grab me within 3 chapters I know i'm not going to like it. My only problem is that I must finish it, even if it means scanning the remainder of the book.

I didn't finish the "Mermaids Chair"......I figured if I didn't like by the time I was half way through I NEVER would....As we have said before.....I used to all ways finish a book...no more...to many books, so little time as they say...............

I was tempted to quit on the "Mermaids Chair" a couple times at the beginning but I stayed with it and rather enjoyed the book..won't say it is really good but lately I have picked out some far worse. I sometimes wonder who reads some of the stories sent in that get published. Awful. I stick mostly by author but some of the best books I have read seem to be their first and last. Shame.

JeanneP

Ok, now what about Jodi Picault?? She is new to me too. I have read "My Sister's Keeper" and 2 others. I 'like' them very much; I say 'like' with apostrophes

because at one point or another in her books I wanna throw something out the window. She writes very well and gets you hooked soon. It's just her subject matter is so absorbing I guess.

Anyhoo, anyone familiar with her books??

I remember feeling the same way when I read "White Oleander". Of course then I wanted to smack the mother figure!

Barbara Kingsolver's "Prodigal Summer" will always be a favorite of mine even if the 'love affair' left me cold.

HAPPY READING Everyone!

I loved White OLeander.. Like you, I wanted to grab the mother and smack, but oh me, such a book. Judy,, Talk about silly.. Tim and I always go our separate ways i n the used book stores. He loves only jury and lawyer stories and I read a wide variety of things. We discovered when we got home, that both of us had picked out and bought the same book. Wish the clerk had noticed. After all we put the books up there at the same time and paid together. Oh well. I now have two copies of Jury of One. Which seems to have looked good to both of us.

I spent the DAY yesterday reading Starvation Height's. Never read a book like it and could not put it down.

Perkie, to answer your question from awhile back -- Mysterious Flame is the only Eco I've ever read. I change my mind about it every time I pick it up, but right now, for me , it is more a trip down memory lane -- with comic books, sheet music, records, etc. all bringing up memories of the World War II era.

I ordered Sweetgrass (Mary Alice Monroe) and to flesh it out so I would get free shipping, also ordered I book I had seen at Seattle's Third Place Books -- The Fisherman's Quilt. It takes place in Alaska. Have any of you read it? It will probably be a while before I get to it. Besdies reading Umberto Eco, I've been sluffing off with a few used mysteries purchased on my trips -- Intensive Scare Unit by J.S. Borthwick, and The Hydrogen Murder by Camille Minichino.

Andy, I read somethere that it's a sign of maturity to stop reading a book you don't like. (Smiley face -- where do you get them, Smiley face.)

Oh shoot pedln-- someday when I grow up I'll be a mature reader. ahahahh- NOT! I'm happy that you are back home safe and sound. How is my favorite room-mate Bonnie doing?
I'm with you on the Eco book. I loved the first few chapters and I could feel myself growing old as I continued on into the comic book, World wars and his musings. I read it and returned it!

I have to share a small secret with all you lovely SN book addicts. Ever since I discovered SN a couple years ago, when I am at the library perusing books, if I see a "senior-looking" person, I ask them if they have a computer at home. Then I tell them all about Senior Net, book discussions, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of the people do not have a computer or use one. Ohhh, what they are missing! But I keep trying to spread the word. I love it here, and can't possibly keep up with all the lovely suggestions made about books! But I do my best. I read 4 to 5 books a week now. My library lets you reserve books on-line, and they email you when they're in. It's wonderful and you can even renew on-line. Keep up the reading and the sharing of things you are reading, good, bad or indifferent. Love to all of you.

Hae the Starvation book on my list Judy, since you are so enthusiastic. I am still plowing through magazines that came when we were away.. I am cutting way way down on them, but still get far too many. Some of them were up more than six months ago, but they still keep sending them and sending a letter with them, telling me its the last issue.. over and over.

Steph they will go away after awhile and in the mean time you get a bunch of free magazine's. After all you didn't ask for them.

I tell you what that Starvation Height's was incredible. While I read it I learned of another true crime name Belle Gunness, so I googled her and my goodness what a web site. Its black with red drops and those books sound very interesting. I intend to go back and order one I think there are many. I really hope some mystery fann's will get this true story also it tell's a great deal about the boat's that took these people around in the early 1900's. I for one did not know they got to Port Orchard by going to Vashon first. Very interesting. If you wanted to go you could hire a barge for like 5.00 rugged territory in those days which is why she put her "wellness sanatarium up there.

I am reading a book I can hardly put down......."Whatever Makes You Happy" by Lisa Grunwald...........

Don't know if anyone has mentioned that Anne Rivers Siddon has a new book "Sweetwater Creek" out.......I have it on request at the library as do I have the Monroe book "Sweetgrass".........Could get those two confused!

Just picked up "Sweetgrass" today at our library. My reservation number finally came up....and can't wait to get started. Two librarians were at the desk and commented on the inviting cover. We talked about Senior Net and about the "Books at the Beach" bash. They were intrigued and one spoke about an author by the name of Anderson who hosts get togethers for people who have enjoyed her books.
Thanks to all who have been posting other new titles in the past few days. I have already added some to my library list. Mary C.

My sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. A big, THANK YOU, to whoever it was in this discussion who recommended this wonderful book. This is a serious, thought provoking and emotionally charged story, that is definitely not for those who prefer light reading. I was near the end when I went to bed last night, and finally just couldn't stand to wait, so I got up at around midnight and finished it. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Picoult.

Good Grief, by Lolly Winston. A well written fiction story about a young women whose husband has recently died of cancer. It's a serious story, but it's filled with humor and compassion. I highly recommend it.
The Amateur Marriage, Anne Tyler. I don't like all of Tyler's books, but I did like this one.
Isle of Palms, by Dorothea Benton Frank. This is one of those good juicy Southern novels, with lots of goofy characters, and a heartfelt story.
Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiassen. This is definitely not my usual style of book, but my husband read it, and I heard him chuckling and laughing through the whole thing, so I decided to give it a try. It was crazy and outrageous, with a bizarre and ridiculous storyline, but I have to admit that it was funny, and highly entertaining.

Last but not least, My Life so Far, by Jane Fonda. I realize this belongs in non-fiction, but thought I would mention it in here anyway. Besides, it reads like a novel, because Jane's life WAS and still IS like a fictional novel! Wow, what a fascinating life she has led, and is still leading! It's worth reading, but expect it to take longer than your average book.

WOW!! Thank you Marilyn for all those good suggestions. Have added a few to my "want to look at" list. Mary C

I don't know if it was me who first mentioned her books, probably not, but I do think you'll find them all amazing. "Vanishing Acts" is another one that you just can't put down. Disturbing, yes, thought provoking, most definitely! I had no idea this kind of thing went on in America!

I just finished a Jeffrey Deaver/Lincoln Rhymes book. Not as good as "The Bone Collector" but still readable. I am still waiting for my new "Harry Potter"

. Hopefully my little library will call soon.

We should start a book exchange.....LOL

I have long been a Jodi Picault fan. I just finished Vanishing Acts and I believe the only one left that I've not read is Second Glance. I don't have a clue what that's about. I love the way she writes and her sentences always provoke a thoughtful pause.

I loved "My Sisters Keeper" but hated the ending. What did you think of it? Micki

I loved it too and the ending surprised me, which is good!!!!!! Life goes on.

The ending of "My Sister's Keeper", took me by surprise too. I thought I had it all figured out ahead of time, but I was way off. I guess that's one of the signs of a good author - unpredictability.

Now, after reading all of the books I mentioned above, I'm left with, The Falls, by Joyce Carol Oates. For some unknown reason, I seem to have an inablility to resist any of her books, even though she often misses the mark with me. Some are impossible to read, and others I have been unable to finish. Still, there is something about her style that I find intriguing. So I'll give this one a try, and let you know what I think, when and if, I finish it.

Maryline......"The Falls" is one of hers I didn't finish......Perhaps it will be one your really enjoy.that is the way we reader's are......'She has a new one out.........the name excapes me at the moment..........

That's it exactly...she always leaves you 'thinking'!! I'm reading her 2nd now..."Harvesting the Heart".

Front2 While reading "My Sister's Keeper" I wanted to throttle the mother figure...did you??

Marilyne..

Thank you for your comments about Joyce Carol Oates. I used to LOVE her books when I was YOUNG. Lately, I've the same opinion you expressed....thought it was perhaps my aging brain just couldn't stay interested in most of her newer novels. I did love "Blonde" though.

Joyce Carol Oates.. Boy I am with you. Some I love, some I loathe and some I simply cannot finish ..When she hits me, I fall way way into love though. Does anyone read Marge Piercy.. She tends to be a feminists, but I have read everything of her and love them. My favorite is call "La Vida" and is the story of a 70's protestor, who goes underground and stays there. Infinitely interesting and if you reamember the era, you can understand her.

It looks like we all have a sort of love-hate relationship with Joyce Carol Oates. Don't you wonder where she gets her bizarre plot ideas, and how she dreams up her strange and complex characters? She must be an extremely interesting person, herself.

I read her early books, in the 1970's, and was completely blown away by, "Wonderland" and "Them". I'd like to read them again, and see if I'm as fascinated now as I was back then?

I've read many many others since , but I'm sorry to say that I get the titles to her books mixed up, so I'm not sure what I've read and what I havn't unless I read a review. One I remember liking alot was, "You Must Remember This". I DID NOT like "We were the Mulvaney's". I havn't read "Blonde" yet, but I intend to, after "The Falls".

Thank's Stephanie I will have to get that book it sound's like it's right up my alley. I have 13 May Sarton's book's now.

Yes Stephanie I have read Marge Piercy , but it was many years ago....Have read most of May Sarton's things and like them.....Since many of us like the same things, (not all ways) I encourage you to read the Lisa Grunwald book about happines.......lots of food for thought in it............

Thank's Nancy that will join my ever growing list. Too much too read and too little time.

Since I adore Piercy and like Sarton ( sometimes more of a loner than I can deal with) will check out the Grunwald stuff. Carolyn Heilbrun ( who we have dissected several years ago) also wrote some interesting thought provoking femine stuff.

Stepanie.....I read Carolyn Hiebruns last book , or I think it was her last and she shared some interesting things about May Sarton and her temperment! I gather they were friends at later points in their lives...........

I find it somewhat strange that Carolyn H spoke often in her book about May Sarton but in the books I have read of MS she very rarley mentions CH. They talked on the phone but I don't feel they were that close. And in her books in the NE she had many many friend's some of who came over for tea or drink's all the time. No CH though. That is as far as I have read.

Judy.....let us just say that May S could be "difficult".......lol

MS seems to have reveled in being difficult. I read a lot of her stuff, but found some of it to be just a bit more Me oriented that I like. Still interesting though

I don't go overboard with reserving books, CallieK. My problem is keeping track of what is waiting for me and not checking out too many other books before arriving at the check-out desk to find two or three waiting. We are charged 50 cents to cover the cost of retrieving books from the shelf, putting them on the van, and notifying me. It is so reasonable that it doesn't slow me down!

Have you come across "Italy Out of Hand, A Capricious Tour" by Barbara Hodgson while doing your reading on Italy, CallieK? It is not a guidebook per se, but gives some history, famous people, artists, and a few favorite restaurants and interesting sites. I don't plan to go to Italy, but am enjoying the book anyway before I give it to a friend who is going!

I like most of Barbara Kingsolver's books, Divine Sunshine, especially the ones set in the Southwest. I was less intrigued by "The Poisonwood Bible", but was interested enough to finish it. I noticed "YaYas in Bloom" on the new book shelf and passed it by. Now I am glad. Now I come to think of it, I never read "Yaya Sisterhood", just saw the movie.

Same thing with "White Oleander", Stephanie. The mother in the movie was certainly a cold, dangerous woman. Her being in jail was probably the best thing that could happen to the daughter, even though she went through some ghastly experiences with foster care and juvenile hall. I may try the book, after your enthusiasm for it.

I can't imagine a humorous Carl Hiaasen book, Marilyne, but have put "Skinny Dip" on my list and look forward to reading it.

SeniorNet does have a book exchange, Divine Sunshine. All it costs if the postage. Could the URL be added to the top of this website, Judy, along with the B & N Bookstore, Books Main Page, and Suggest a Book for Discussion?

http://discussions.seniornet.org/cgi-bin/WebX?50@@.77391ad6

PERKIE: If we were charged for Reserves, it might slow me down....just a little bit!

The only books in the OKC Metro Library System by Barbara Hodgson have to do with hallucinogenic drugs! Nothing on Italy. That's too bad, because the one you mentioned sounds interesting.
This tour will only go to Rome, Assisi and Florence - so I'm limiting pre-trip research to reading about Umbria, Tuscany and Rome...and watching Food Channel programs on the food there. Yum!!!!

I'm currently reading "Time Traveler's Wife". What a weird story. How did the author keep track of where the characters were as she wrote?

"White Oleander" was too intense for me - may have been the mood I was in when I read it.

Am trying to read "Kite Runner" for a book discussion later this Fall but am finding it disturbing, also. I actually had a nightmare after reading about their escape from Afghanistan. Don't even know if they made it. <shiver>

I'm sure I've read "Poisonwood Bible"; would someone gently give me a clue about the story. CRS here!

The more intense the better for me! Likely the reason why I can't resist an Oates book, even though I don't always like all of them

"White Oleander", (VERY intense), is one of my favorites in recent years. I absolutely loved it, probably partly because of the Los Angeles/Hollywood setting. Being familiar with every street and district that was mentioned in the book, made it seem very real to me. Each and every character (good and bad) was so well written, and so interesting.

"Poisonwood Bible": I've read it three times, and get more enjoyment out of it every time. I'm sure I'll read it again. The story was excellent I thought. I tend to like big sweeping novels, that are set against an actual historical event. In this story, it's the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, (late 1950's) and the missionary family that gets inadvertently swept up in the struggle.

"The Time Travelers Wife": I tried to read this book, but just couldn't get into it. This is unusual for me, as I'm very compulsive about finishing a book once I start it, even when I'm lukewarm. This one was just too confusing for me. I couldn't keep anything or anyone straight, and it didn't seem worth trying.

MARILYNE: Thanks for the "nudge" about "Poisonwood Bible". I thought that's what it was about - and I now remember that I liked it.

'Time Traveler's Wife" is also a book discussion choice this Fall. I'll be very interested in finding out what the others thought about it. I'm glad I have until the end of September to finish it!

Just read several weeks worth of postings - Fun! I loved Secret Life of Bees but thought Mermaid's Chair a big disappointment. I finished it but cared nothing about the characters....

Time Travelers Wife was terrific to listen to on tape. I wondered at the time if I would have enjoyed it in book form.

Gosh - Marge Piercy has always been a favorite of mine. I loved "Gone to Soldiers" but rarely hear of anyone who's read it. There's another about different women - one is a homeless woman who cleans lovely homes and stays overnite when the people go traveling. Any help with the name?

And May Sarton - those journals of hers were a real discovery for me in the 1970s when I was trying to be a real "housewife". And I've continued to enjoy them as they came out. She sure didn't like anyone "messing up her routine" and how she hated answering her mail.

I remember that Carolyn Heilbrun (sp?) discussion on SN - scared me off of the book discussions - but I love this board where people throw out names of books they've liked. Hope everyone has read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night....and if possible, listen to the taped version. The voice of the boy is just amazing. It is really effective.

Okay, I'll give it a rest. Just got to mention Jhumpa Lahini - "The Namesake" and "Interpreter of Maladies" (short stories). I've never tried Picault and will look for Lisa Grunwald. Joyce Carol Oats is sooooo dark...but she is a prolific and talented writer.

Sorry to be so lengthy but it sure hass been fun reading your posts. Thanks.

Please Paulita don't be put off on that one discssion as I was put off and I was the DL

Oh Paullita, I have read allof Piercy and know the book you are talking about, but the name is stuck firmly somewhere deep in my skull.. If I wake at 3 in the morning with it out there, will try and write it down. It was an excellent book, but then I think all of hers were. I am currently back in the 50's, since I found an excellent used book store when we were away and found James Blish (SF) Cities in Flight, 2.. So I am up up and away for a few days.

PERKIE Thanks for the 'heads up' about the book exchange! I'm going to check it out...

I'm reading "Starvation Heights"...Gregg Olsen True crime story set in the pacific northwest...egads! To think it's true is ghastly.

I think one of our own seniornetter's recommended it...

So what about Sandra Dallas??...I think she is terrific!

I loved the Poisonwood Bible too; and have also read it 2 or 3 times. I did like the Time Traveller's Wife, found it quite fascinating, and I'm a little unsettled about how it kind of "breaks the rules" about typical science fiction time travel. Didn't know it was scheduled for Sr Net - I'll certainly participate in that. This is one of the most interesting discussions on the whole site! - JudyS

When is "Time Travelers Wife" scheduled for a discussion here?

Oh Sunshine I am so please you are reading Starvation Height's is it not the most incredible thing?? I am so glad somebody took my suggestion.

Stepanie have you got it yet.???

It is really hard to believe but what an amazing history of the early PNW absolutly riviting.

I took "Starvation" back to the library today Judy. TY for the suggestion....I love true crime stuff. Ann Rule was a fave too. This book was so disturbing...she murdered so many in such a gruesome manner and only got 2 years! The photographs were so interesting too. The one of Dora shortly after being rescued was just ghastly. She looked hardly more than a corpse...like the holocaust victims of WWII.

Now, I'm reading....HARRY POTTER and the Half Blood Prince!

The phone will go unanswered and the doorbell will too. Paul and Chester(my cat) are on their own...cuz I'm readin my "Harry"!!!

Just brought John Irvings new book home from the library......It's BIG........Will let you know soon how I like it...........

When I read that book Sunsine I read about a true story of Belle something that I have to look up again. It would be nice if my memory wasn't just a memory haha I am going to order that book too.

I think someone here was asking about Marge Piercy's novels - titles. She has many: Woman on the Edge of Time, Three Women, Summer People, Braided Lives, The Third Child and a historical novel, City of Darkness-City of Light. I don't think I read that one, but have read most of her others. Very talented writer, also writes a lot of poetry.

judywolfs and paulita - You make me think that I most likely didn't give, "Time Travelers Wife", a fair chance. I'm going to borrow it back from my daughter-in-law, and have another go at it.

Still looking for Starvation. May order it from Amazon, since they are about my favorite for books. I had to go get some books for my soon to be 10 granddaughters birthday,, went to Borders, but they did not have Starvation.. Did get her the Jeronymus Stilton books that she wanted. Seems to be a small series of detective type for children. She had read the first and loved it. I love true crime. Have probably read all of Ann Rules, although the "Stranger beside me" is my favorite. Imagine working on a suicide hotline with Ted Bundy.. Now theres a weird weird thing.

Stephanie, I just bought a copy of Starvation on ebay for under $5, including shipping. Give that a try - I really like to buy books through the mail because even if they ship very fast, it always seems like a nice little surprise when they arrive. -JudyS

Is t here anything more fun than getting something in the mail even if you ordered it yourself?? More fun if y ou had a senior moment and forgot you ordered it.

Isn't it cool how Judys so often agree with each other!

Ebay.. will check it out..

We book worms have like minds for sure......I use Amazon for many of my books, most of the used and have had such good service and all of my used books have been in excellent condtion......I don't think I am going to read all 6 hundred odd pages of Irvings new novel.......going much to slowly for me........just cannot get into it right now as have more books which are more interesting to me at the moment............

Nancy, I'm in the middle of that book. I know what you mean about it being slow going. I think it's a bit of a weird book, but then, most of his are. I remember I had trouble getting into Garp at first too. Overall, I think Irving is a wonderful writer. Except for his obesssion with wrestling. - JudyS

Judy, Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meaney were my favorite John Irvings. You wonder how many books a mind such as his can turn out. Did anyone read A Widow for One Year (or something like that)? That disappointed me. Whether one likes his work or not, gotta admit he's one imaginative guy. I walked by the new one at Costco and almost picked it up....but didn't.

I may pick it up later when I am more in the mood for that kind of long book.......I liked his other books very much.........Not the Widow for One Year much though..........Cider House Rules may have been my favorite..........

I have always like Irvings books, but they tend to be strange. Cider House made me cry, but the rest sometimes infuriated me, which I think was what he wanted. No ebay.. You must use pay pal for all of the used books and darn it all, when you want your money, you pay through the nose. I have sworn off Pay pal except for things I absolutely cannot do without. Pay pal used to be free.. or very very cheap. NO longer

I plan to give "Time Traveler's Wife" a try, CallieK. Does anyone else make cheat sheets when the characters get too complicated? Just jot down the names and relationships and an incident or characteristic to bring the person back to mind. I don't do it very often, but it sounds like it might help with this book!

An interesting website about "Starvation Heights" by Gregg Olson. I am on the fence about reading it, especially since our library doesn't have a copy.

http://www.starvationheights.com/

Perkie thank's so much for that URL I am keeping it to read when I get a minute.

I am now on the search of all I can get on Belle Gunness One of The Mistress of Murder Hill by Sylvia Shepard there is also one by Janet Langlois. This is another true story and I guess Starvation Height's got me going.

Paulita, if I didn't know better I'd thnk you were my friend Amy in disguise. You like so many of the same books. She was the one who recommended "Prayer for Owen Meany" to me. I loved that one. ANd "The Namesake" -- wonderful, I haven't read any of her others.

Judy Laird -- yes, the packages. When I was a high school librarian that was one of the really fun parts of the job -- opening up the boxes. Especially if there were kids around because they'd get excited too and get first dibs on a book to check out as soon as it was ready.

When I ordered Mary Alice MOnroe's Sweetgrass, I also ordered "The Fisherman's Quilt" to pad out the order so I wouldn't have shipping costs. Has anyone read it -- by Margaret Doyle, about a young mother who settles in Alaska with her husband and new baby.

It's voting time between now and Wednesday at Read Around the World. There are eight very interesting international titles. If there's one you want to discuss in October, please come by and make your wishes known.

Stephanie - I have Starvation Heights and will be glad to send it to you. I'm about halfway through and will finish in couple of days at most. How do we do this??? Marjorie

----- Original Message ----- YOU KNOW YOU ARE LIVING IN 2005 when...

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4 You e-mail the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You pull up in your own driveway and use your cell phone to see if anyone is home to help you carry in the groceries.

7. Every commercial on television has a web site at the bottom of the screen.

8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

10. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

11. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. : )

12. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

13. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

14. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

15. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

AND NOW U R LAUGHING at yourself.

Go on, forward this to your friends -- you know you want to!

Marjorie, if you want to do it like the exchange, then email me, since your email is blocked. I will email you my address. then when the book arrives, I sent you either money,check or stamps for your postage and handling? Is that OK..

Paulita, I did read Widow for One Year; although I didn't hate it, I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. I didn't like "Water Method Man" one bit. I think the first book of Irving's I read might have been Hotel New Hampshire, which was very good, and got me hooked on him.

Stephanie, I don't pay any extra money at all buying things on ebay via PayPal. I think if you sell things and accept paypal you pay for that, but not when you buy things.

and then Stephanie put the book on the book exchange.......I would really like to read it too............

Hmm, I think you are right. I just know how annoyed I got with Pay pal when they charged me to retrieve my own money.. Never again is my theory on that one. I also do not like that Pay Pal is one that the scammers love to imitate. Have changed my id several times to stop the spam from them. I always put up books that I got anyway on Senior Net on the exchange. Just seems fair somehow.

Due to the kindness of Marjorie, Starvation Heights has arrived. Thank you so much.. Now if I can pry myself away from the tv.. I dont even like tv, but this hurricane and New Orleans has wrung my heart. All of those poor poor people.

By Marge Piercy. First one of her books I have read. Really enjoyed it. It is a long one but worth reading. Which are others of her books that are good?

JeanneP

Stephanie - glad you got the book okay. This hurricane stuff is just appalling.

Stepanie..........me too....glued to the t.v. so many broken and grieving people.......looks today like they are finally in high gear.....can you imagine 90,000 square miles of ruins.......I am reading "Sweet grass" now........so far nothing spectacular but may be just because I am distracted...........

Jeanne - A Marge Piercy I enjoyed was Gone To Soldiers (I think that's correct) - WWII. I think it's another long one but I remember being totally into it sometime back. My interests change with age I find. Some books I loved, on rereading I wonder why, but others that I perhaps didn't "get" speak to me now.

I loved Gone to Soldiers and adore Ma Vida.. That one blew me away. Seems to me there is another one that might be named?? He , She and It.. very odd one perhaps. I h ave read every single book ever published by Pierce.. She also writes poetry. A lot are out of print and hard to obtain.

I'll look for Ma Vida - Isn't there one about a patient in a mental hospital? I've always thought it interesting that she can change tone and topic as she does. For whatever reason I never was absorbed in other Howatch books the way I was in Penmarric and Cashelmara.

Marge Piercy also wrote a novel about the French Revolution concentrating on women being the influence.

Susan Howatch. Good heavens, I adored Penmarric and Cashelmara, but then she got very religous and I did not like the series she did on the Anglican church. Shame.. the first two were just great.. ah well. Dorothy Sayers thought her religious stuff would be the thing that people remember and of course Lord Peter is what they think of..

Have any of read Diana Gabaldon's work? If so did you like or dislike it?

NANCY, I have read all of Diana Gabaldon's books about Scotland. Loved the first two. Bought the first one in the gift shop at Culloden Battlefield; that edition, published in Scotland, is titled "Cross Stitch". I think it must have been well researched to have been for sale there. What fun to walk along the pathway and visualize the scenes in the book.
I didn't like the books set after the main characters left Scotland. By the last one I read, I felt DG was running out of crises for them to deal with.

Experiences were repetitive.
Hopefully, she will write one more to get them back where they are at the beginning of the saga (maybe she has?)......and then Stop!

I'd forgotten all about Susan Howatch -- used to love her books, but don't remember them too well anymore. Will have to take a trip back.

Washington Post's Fall Preview this Sunday mentioned a few favorite authors with new books. Nicholas Evans -- who could forget "The Horse Wisperer" has a new one, The Divide about an eco-terrorist found dead in a mountain creek.

Then there's Robb Forman Dew (Dale Loves Sophie to DEath) with a new title The Truth of the Matter - a war widow thinks her husband's death may not have been an accident

And lawyer Scott Turow's (Presumed Innocent)new title Ordinary Heroes where the protagonist stumbles on dark secrets from World War II.

I have really enjoyed these three writers so am delighted to see they have new books coming out.

Also, Kentucky writer, Bobbie Ann Mason (In Country, Feathered Crowns) has a new one -- An Atomic Romance.

Bobby Ann Mason. Oh my word, thats an author I used to read and had totally forgotten. So she is still around and writing. Have to try and catch that one. She was always interesting. Better at short stories actually.

Here's another "old" author, come out of the woodwork. Remember The Outsiders, movie, book about teenage gangs, written by S.E. Hinton when she was 17 years old. Those of us who dealt with "reluctant readers" loved her. Just like one's little basic wrinkle-free dress, Hinton never failed us. Here she is in an interview in today's New York Times. S.E. Hinton She's now written an adult novel, albeit one with mixed reviews.

Pedlin......I put the Bobbie Ann Mason book on hold at the library.....love her stuff........I am taking "Sweetgrass" back today......I read many chapters and just couldn't get into it.....I am surprised at myself as I love all things southern....it seemed a little "fluffy" to me.......

A lady I drove to the dr yesterday asked if I had ever heard of Elie Wiesel. She loves him and is reading a book now called the Judges. Have you heard of him??

You know I get so many idea's from the internet I think I sometimes forget my favorite's, the old stand by's. I am reading a Belva Plain book now called The Site of The Star's and am just loving it.

We went to the movie yesterday afternoon Constant Gardner and I got sick and we left about 10 minutes before it was over. Dizzy nautious sweating weak. Thought I had died. Went straight to bed and feel fine this morning, Maybe it was the butter popcorn?? They have dispensers now that you can squirt on your own butter. I think I will just buy the DVD's now and stay home. We actually didn't understand what was going on about half the time.

Elie Wiesel - Yes!! I read his Night - So horrific - one of those books you never forget - haunting. Also read Judges. He is one great writer.

Judy, I hope you're feeling better. Shame about not seeing the end of Constant Gardner. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to the DVD when it come out. Netflilx doesn't give a DVD release date, so I guess it will be a while yet.

Thanks for the reminder about Belva Plain. I remember Evergreen, forgot the other titles. It was kind of neat the way she would pull a minor character from an earlier book and make him/her the protagonist of a later one.

Hi Pedlin I am really loving this book. Thank's for asking the shoulder is a different deal now. I do not have a torn rotor cuff as the doctor said I have bursitus and a bone spur which is pressing on the rotor cuff. Well I guess its pain pill's and shots. He put another one in my should friday. Not a lot of fun.

pedln - Thanks for posting link for the NYT interview with S.E. Hinton. I enjoyed reading about her, and remembering all of her books, and how much I enjoyed them. I especially liked "Tex", and recall what a good movie it was, with Matt Dillon and Meg Tilly. ("Agnes of God").

The books you all recommended by Marge Piercy, sound very intriguing to me. I went to the library today, but only one of them was available - "He, She and It". I checked it out, and put my name on the waiting list for some of the others. I especially wanted "Gone to Soldiers", as I generally love books that take place during WWII.

Nancy - I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like "Sweetgrass". I havn't read it yet, but I did buy a copy for my daughter-in-law for a birthday present last month. I knew that she liked "Beach House", (and I did too) so figured this would be a sure thing. I should know better by now, that it dosn't always work that way - that just because we like a particular book by an author, that we will like the next one. A recent example is "The Mermaid Chair" by Sue Kidd. Everyone I know loved, "Secret Life of Bees", but I havn't heard many raves for "Mermaid".

I'm one of those disappointed by The Mermaids Chair but will certainly check into her books in the future.

Elie Weisel is one of the great figures of our time. It's hard to read but important that his voice continue to be heard.

Ahhh S.E. Hinton and the Outsiders has turned the tide for many kids who claim to "hate to read"... I have a grandchild I'm about to spring it on and hope it does its magic.

And was Random Wind Belva Plain's first? - or Evergreen? Whichever, I liked those two long ago books better than any since.

Fun to be reminded of authors not thought about recently. I just finished The Distance Between Us (Masha Hamilton) - a different look at the Palestinian-Israeli situation. Warning: Disturbing descriptions of violence. And have just started Philip Roth's The Plot Against America (what if Lindbergh rather than FDR had been president). It has definitely captured my attention. I really liked American Pastoral - but lots of his are not my cup of tea. How long do you stick with a book when it just doesn't seem you're going to like it?

Marilyne....don't dispair! It could just be personal taste...I too liked the "Secret Life of Bees" and couldn't finish "The Mermaids Chair".......Now I waiting on "Sweetwater" by Anne Rivers Siddon....I have read all her books and loved each one.......we shall see!

Nancy I want to read that Sweetwater book.

I finished Bellva Plain's book this morning and I loved it. Both Siddons and Plains are in my library and they are put back on the shelves with the hope of the time to read them again someday.

I just finished "Sweetwater Creek" by Anne Rivers Siddons. Can't say it's my favorite among all of hers that I've read, but I enjoyed it.

Also read "Anywhere I Hang My Hat" by Susan Isaacs. Also not my favorite, but o.k. Descriptions of the main character's hang-ups got a bit tedious by the last chapter, but it all came out just fine.

I love Weisel, but he is a difficult author to read.. Not very cheerful at the best of times. There is also another author Chaim Potok.. Wrote, "The Chosen" Davitas Harp and a number of others. All about the jewish community and the differences in their own beliefs and how it sometimes tears them apart.. Fascinating books, I loved them.

Stephanie did you like Starvation Height's or have you got to it yet?

They mentioned a woman named Belle Gunness in that book and I ordered that and am reading it now.

Hmmmm - I'm beginning to wonder if there is someone else who posts (or lurks) in this discussion, who lives somewhere within my county library system?

Whoever it is, they're always a couple of steps ahead of me when it comes to checking out a recommended book! lol. Everytime I read in here about a book that interests me , I go online to see if it's in my library systerm, and it's always just been checked out. I recently looked for, "Five Smooth Stones", "Starvation Heights", and any and all books by Marge Piercy. The only one available was one by Piercy - "He, She and It", which I did get, but havn't started yet.

But I don't mind waiting, as I have a big stack of books that my dil gave me last week. Also, my brother sent me a bunch of Martin Cruz Smith books, which are not my style at all, and I doubt that I will even open. Right now I'm finishing "The Pact", by Jodi Picoult. It's an excellent story. I'm pretty sure that I've figured out the ending, but I'm probably way off, and in for a surprise, as I was in "My Sister's Keeper".

Some of Martin Cruz Smith are really good.. Not the one about los alamos, but the russian detective is great fun and at the beginning of his career, he wrote at least two books about a Gypsy.. Neat sort of things. No, Starvation Heights is sitting there. We are leaving tomorow for a week at John Campbell Folk School. As a general rule, I dont get much reading done, but will probably take it and something lighter.

Stephanie, have you been to the Folk School before? If not, you're really in for a treat! I've been twice, and thoroughly enjoyed it. What are you taking?

Stepahie what is the John Campbell Folk School??

Judy, you asked Stephanie, but here's a link to the John C. Campbell Folk School . It's in Southwestern North Carolina, about a hour or so from Chattanooga.

Wow thank's Mary that look's so great. I don't think we have anything like that here in PNW. We do have rain tho and its been raining all day off and on, and boy did we need it.

Stepanie what are you going to take there???

While I was away I read a great, great book!! The name of it is Snow flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See. It's kind of a corny title but a riveting read (IMO.) I love a story that informs and teaches as well as charms and entices at the same time. I knew next to nothing about the Taiping Rebellion of the 1880's, the Yao people or the extraordinary mores of Chinese families. I learned so much about the 19th century Chinese culture reading this story about two young Chinese girls who lived through rigid rules of conduct. Together, they endured foot binding to give them "lily whites." They lived in what the author called "nei which is the inner realm of love and the wei which is the outer realm of men. It's a heartbreaking tale as these two girls explore the issues at the heart of Chinese women. There is a great deal of agonizing "sexist" material as daughters were considered only "chattel" and nothing to be proud of in that culture. They reached out of their isolation and formed a laotong (meaning an intimate friendship between "old sames")via nu shu. Nu shu is a secret writing that helped women struggle against their oppresion. This writing relies on Chinese standard phrases and images and they corresponded on a silk fan for 40+ years. The narrator is Lily, now an 80 year old Chinese woman seeking solace after her lifelong friend dies. It is the best book I've read since Shadow of the Winds.

Alf wecome back your book sound's wonderful. Glad you had a great vacation, rest up and you will catch up haha

Has anyone read the Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri? I've recently read two fiction books by Indian authors. One being The Namesake and the other Brick Lane, and found them very interesting and entertaining.

Fenway

I have not heard of that author, but there may be others in this folder who will be in later and I am sure they will have.

Have a great day its raining cats and dogs here.

Hey Fenway gal - Go Sox - I listened to the tape of The Namesake (unabridged) and absolutely loved it. I've been singing her praises to whomever would listen. Also read The Interpretation of Maladies for myself and again for a book group. I haven't tried the Ali book but know of it. The tape of The Namesake with the Bengali accents made it particularly - what's the word? - real, engaging - well, you know what I mean.

Another book that is pretty amazing on tape is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - The voice of the autistic boy really has an effect on the story. I highly, highly recommend listening to it if one is planning to read it.

The classic sea fairing adventure Treasure Island , by Robert Louis Stevenson, is now a PROPOSED discussion. Two great discussion participants have already signed on for the voyage/discussion. I hope you folks will come aboard also.
My thanks to the folks in Books into Movies for requesting this novel.
Please use the link below to begin the search for the treasure and sign on for the sea voyage.

Treasure Island

Bill H

I was just reading some of your August postings.

A great book by an autistic woman who finally earned her doctorate and is teaching in a college is "Song of the Gorilla Nation." I'm sorry i forgot her name and i forgot to write it in the notebook i keep the list of books i read. Our local book group read it and had a wonderful discussion about it.

It sounds like several of you live in the state of Washington. Are you familiar w/ KPLU? It's the PBS/jazz radio station at Pacific Luthern Univ. Altho I live in New Jersey, I listen to it quite often because i can get it at www.kplu.org and have it stream through my computer while i'm working. ON Saturday and Sunday nights from 6 - 12(pt) they play blues. This Friday they are celebrating B.B.King's birthday and will have a marathon of his music and interviews. I know this is off the subject, but it is so good and i enjoy it so much i tell everybody about it.

I just read MAM's "Beach House" and found it enthralling. I'm going to recommend it to my book group. We all have daughters and there would be a lot to talk about. I'm trying to get "Sweetgrass" through the inter-library loan program. It costs nothing in my hometown......Jean

Hi Jean,

"Skyward" by Mary Alice Monroe is great too.

I am currently reading "Sweet water Creek" by Anne Rivers Siddon ......I like it very much as I have all of her books.....the descriptions of the "Low country" are just beautiful...can all most smell the river and see the countryside..and since I adore dogs I most especially liked it....that last sentence just a teaser

Nancy,

I am anxious to get that one. Glad you are enjoying it. I love the title and the cover of the book.

I can't wait to get Siddon's new book, I believe I have everyone she has written, she is great. Actually I hate to put them down. I've been reading things I really don't care for and don't know why I am reading them. Last night I started Amanda Quick book which I know I going to enjoy.

Treasure Island had been moved to Upcoming Discussions and is scheduled to begin November 15th. And a formidable crew has signed on board.

Don't miss out what promises to be a fun discussion.

Treasure Island

Bill H

I know I'm way behind here in the reading of pop authors, but just finished "Queen of the Big Time" and "Rococo" by A. Trigiani. Both were delightful and kept me smiling most all the way through. Now I'm on to another "Oprah Book" called Jewell. Again I didn't choose this one, but DD brought it to me and recommended it. It's different, but I think I'll like it. If DD doesn't bring me another, I'll be looking for Beach House when this one is finished. Oh.....then in between there was Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray that was a darling story, especially for folks over 60.

It's interesting that I've found a group of readers in our Euchre group at the Senior Center and they love having these goodies circulated around and have a few of their own to share. Mary C.

Macou......just look at this way...if you are way behind you have all this wonderful reading to do! I am now reading Bobbie Mason's new book, "Atomic Romance".....It has possiblities....I have read three chapters and have not thrown it away yet......sometimes I do if I don't get hooked in the first few chapters......I have liked her books before so will read on for awhile..........

Fenwaygal, it's been a while, but I really liked The Namesake. As I remember, it gives a lot of insight into families adjusting to a new culture while trying to keep on to their old one. Haven't read any of Lahiri's other books.

Stephanie and Mary Z, the folk school at Murphy sounds like a fantastic place. My next-door neighbors go there every year, as both students and teachers. Jack teaches dulcimer making there, cuts out lots of parts and pieces ahead of time and takes them down.

You'll have to come sometime, pedln. And Chattanooga's the nearest "big" city.

Mary Z and Judy.. This was our fourth trip to John Campbell. This time, I took Meditteranean Cooking by the Folk School head chef and Tim took Chair caning.. We loved our courses and of course the Folk school itself is such a special and treasured experience. We go each year to renew ourselves internally. A week with no tv, no phone, no newspapers ( unless you really want to get the shared one). communal meals. We make it a firm policy to walk all over the grounds and leave our car in place. All in all a lovely shared existance. EAch year we meet so many people.. Some new to the school and many others who have been coming for many many years.

I really would like to take one of the cooking classes, Stephanie. When John took wood turning, I was hoping there would be one - but, alas, it was not to be. It is a special place, though.

On Sunday I watched the 1946 movie, Black Narcissus, based on the book by Rumer Godden. It was an excellent film, and made me remember how much I enjoyed reading just about every book she ever wrote. But that was a long time ago, and I wonder if any of them are still in print or available at the library? Some were written back in the 1940's, but she continued writing up into the '80's.

She lived most of her life in India, which is where the majority of her novels took place. But many of her books were not set there. Besides "Black Narcissus", I'm wondering if any of you recall reading, The Greengage Summer, or Battle of the Villa Fiorita? It was around the mid 60's that I read those, and remember loving them both. I wonder how they would read now? A couple that I especially liked that were set in India, were, Kingfishers Catch Fire, and The River.

Maarilyn we read Black Narcissus in a book group about a year ago. One of the women felt as you do about Rumer Godden....(maybe you are she??)... I've been looking for the movie ever since but haven't come across it in a library. Perhaps it's at Blockbusters - I don't go there .

Both of the Godden sisters wrote and I think I have read most everything that either had written. Their India was a place I would have loved to see.. but current day India does not interest me at all. Strange the mental pictures you get from someone who lived in a foreign place when young. Another good book in that line was Flame Trees of Thika.. This was also a series on PBS.. That Afrika is what I dreamed of as a young girl. Nowadays.. not really.

Stephanie - I agree with you. The India that Rumer Godden wrote about, seemed romantic, mysterious, exotic, and filled with a certain intrigue. Her novels were written before India gained independence from England, so I'm sure there was a love/hate relationship of sorts, as far as the Indian people were concerned.

I checked my library, and found that "Black Narcissus", is the only book of hers that's available, and I had to put a hold on it. Someone else must have beat me to it, after watching the movie on Sunday.

I'm going to look into Amazon and ebay, just to see how the used books are priced. There are four of her books that I would especially like to read again, and maybe buy, if I can find them.

The most outstanding book by one of the sisters was about a cloistered nun.. I must have reread it a dozen times and cry every single time.

Some links:

Rumer Godden Official Website

Rumer Godden

Bartleby on Godden

I'm currently reading Mercy, Pity, Peace and Love, stories by Rumer and Jon Godden

Marvelle

The book I just finished called Final Scream by Lisa Jackson is really a keeper. I had the end all wrong and it was a shocker. Takes place in a small town in Oregon and its 530 pages but it kept me up at night. Not really scary but you just want to know what happens next.

Marvelle, thank you for the links.

Judy, I have never read Lisa Jackson. For some reason, I thought of her name yesterday. Does she write romantic suspense or chilling thrillers???

Hats this is what I call a romantic suspence thriller. It had a little bit of everything. Great book, keeps you really hooked. Most books for me I am just reading them but this one you keep thinking about it and wanting to get back and see what's up ????????????

Judy,

I like that kind of book.

Still staggering on with Starvation Heights. I keep wondoring how stupid those two women were to believe this woman. The only one with sense thus far is the governess..

I started that book a couple weeks ago. I can't stick with it, I find it so unpleasant and miserable. Oh - I just don't like it at all. It's a struggle for me to even pick it up to finish it. How revolting to know that this REALLY HAPPENED. - JudyS

Judy, I am with you. I keep putting it down and marveling at how these things could occur. Why would the women permit themselves to starve.. Why did everyone just let this lunatic woman and her crooked husband just run rampant. What a strange period of medical history, this must have been.

The discussion schedule has been posted for TREASURE ISLAND.
Four questions have also been added to the heading that may help you set a true course.
Please chart your settings on the link below.
Treasure Island

Bill H

One does marvel at Starvation Heights, but, you know, the same sort of thing goes on now. Doctors are still considered gods to a great degree (especially by themselves). And people are willing to follow what they say without question. Take chemotherapy, for instance. We had patients in our hospital whom the staff knew were terminal - and soon. These patients were still given chemo until the very end - if anything it made them, if not sicker, certainly more miserable.

We had patients in our hospice whose pain was not controlled because the doctors "didn't want them to become addicted". Give me a break!

And there are still people who starve themselves to death - not in the name of health, but in the name of "beauty". When you think about it, the book is not so far fetched. Well, maybe for most of us. But there have always been people who are willing to self-destruct. Especially for a guru of one kind or another.

Harper , sad but true though I think you are being a little hard on Phycians.......I also think people are generally more knowlegable these days and participate in their care with the Dr.'s more...... Pain control is also being handled with much more intelligence......many times by experts in that field.....the "addict" thing has gone out the window for those who need pain relief.............

The further I go with Starvation Heights, the more I wonder about states and how they regulate medical providers. At least in that period. This woman had already been in trouble in other areas and she simple seems to have walked away many times. She also married a man that she knew was married to another woman.. Almost as if she felt that no laws were for her to obey. Very strange lady indeed

Just the title would make you want to read it! By Alexander McCAll Smith......A fun, well written, and very entertaining read......If your in for a little light and a quick read think about this......Also not one vulgar word or phrase in the entire book!!!!!!! Imagine........I liked all the references to Scotland also.............

A couple of weeks ago, someone in this discussion recommended a book called, Julie and Romeo, by Jeanne Ray. Whoever it was - THANK YOU for the suggestion! I really enjoyed the book so much.

It's a delightful love story, about an older couple in their 60's who meet and fall in love. They're both so likeable, that you're rooting for them from the very beginning, and wanting everything to work out for them in spite of almost insurmountable obstacles. A great story, with lots of wit and charm.

An interesting bit of trivia: The author, Jeanne Ray, is the mother of Ann Patchett. ("Bel Canto")

Oh my gosh, thanks for that information. I read Julie and Romeo a couple of years ago and loved it and of course we all love Ann Patchett.

Jeanne Ray supposedly has another book out. Forgot the title. but someone mentioned it on this forum in the last month.

I have to plead ignorance. I've never heard of Ann Patchett. I put the name into IMDb and got a reference to having written a screenplay, and no photo shown. Where would I have known her from?

Ann Patchett wrote "Patron Saint of Liars" and "Bel Canto". Both are good, although I truly love the Liars book.. Bel Canot is hard to get into and one of those books, where you are puzzled at the end. Still excellent writer.

"Julie and Romeo Get Lucky" by Jeanne Ray just came out this year, Stephanie. She has also written "Eat Cake", of which Library Journal says: "Ray writes with such love of the process of baking that most listeners will be inspired; her prose makes bakers want to rush to the kitchen. The author narrates her novel with humor and warmth. Her reading is sometimes not quite as smooth as a professional's, but that small flaw is overcome by her affection for the characters and their identity is always clear." And of "Step-ball-change": Funny, believable, and full of surprises, this novel, like time with a good friend, is over far too soon.

Perkie that sound's like a fun book. Some have read another one about food that has recipies in it. I think it's called Pomegranate Soup. What do I know?? I for the first time in my life am having trouble reading. I can't remember which I am used to but I am putting books down which I have never done because they are not good. I started a book a couple of nights ago so last night I read it over nothing_______________ I hope its because of all my stress lately, I always said if I couldn't read and drive I would give it up. WOW

"Read Around the World" is finishing up its October selection, Shadow of the Wind and will soon be nominating selections for January. (Since December is usually a busy month for many, we have postponed our international book discussion for one month.

Nominations -- Monday, Nov. 7 throught Saturday, Nov. 12

Voting -- Sunday, Nov. 13 - Friday, Nov. 18

If you enjoy discovering new authors or like to read books set in other than the US or Great Britain come by and offer your suggestions. Let's see where in the world RATW is going this time.

Read Around the World

I hope the stressors in your life will ease and become more under control so you can to back to enjoying the books that have meant so much to you, Judy. I find that when I am stressed, I tend to read more to live different lives with problems that I don't have to solve!

I just finished "Belle Ruin" by Martha Grimes. It is the third in her fiction series, "Cold Flat Junction" and "Hotel Paradise" being the first two, which I enjoyed. "Belle Ruin", while entertaining, was too long and then just petered out with nothing resolved.

I did enjoy "The Sugar Camp Quilt" by Jennifer Chiaverini, even though I missed the modern characters in the earlier books in the Elm Creek Quilts series. This one picks up a thread in an earlier book about a quilt that was used on the Underground Railroad to help runaway slaves go from one station to the next one. The book centers on the people who ran a station and created the quilt and it shows how divided people were, even in Pennsylvania just prior to the Civil War.

I'm wondering if anyone has read the latest Tom Wolfe book, "I am Charlotte Simmons"? I've been on the waiting list at the library for a couple of months, and finally have it. It's huge and daunting in size - has 675 pages, (small print), and weighs a couple of pounds.

I remember when it came out last spring, there was alot of publicity, and it was all good, but I havn't heard anything from anyone who has actually read it? It's about a young girl from a poor family in N. Carolina, who wins a scholarship to a prestigious Ivy League university. From what I can recall in the Time magazine review, Tom Wolfe did lots of research, and the college lifestyle depicted in the book is supposed to be accurate.

I have not liked all of Wolfe's books, but a few of them are excellent - mainly, "The Right Stuff", and "Bonfire of the Vanities". I'm looking forward to this one, and plan to start reading it tonight.

I got the book a long while ago from the library and it is just as you describe in lenth and heft......I couldn't wade through it....may just be me as I find my taste in books is changing......

I read it and I'm afraid it's pretty realistic even if exaggerated. Change is inevitable in this world but I'm glad I'm well past the college-aged kids stage of life! Wolfe is a social historian really. You can skim and not miss too much. I find myself wondering what becomes of Charlotte.....Maybe he'll write a short sequel.

I followed someone's recommendation and listened to "The curious incident of the dog in the night-time" by Mark Haddon. I agree that the reader did an excellent portrayal of Christopher. It is such a good book I gave a copy to my shrink!

I fail to understand why "Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding was so popular when it came out. All she does is moan and complain. It is supposed to cover a year, but I barely made it to Valentine's Day! I was never like Bridget even when I was her age, or half her age, so I felt no sympathy or empathy.

Perkie,

I can't wait to read 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.' I have heard so much about this book. When I go to the library again, I am going to check it out.

The Curious Incident is really a good book. I am maybe a bit odd in that I ended up with such sympathy for the parents. I cannot imagine dealing with a single minded child who insists on "me..me" and that is the way life is with autism.

Can't wait to read it.

I'm half way through Jan Karon's latest (and last unfortunately) book in her Mitford series. It's just as good as all the others and I'm really going to miss Father Tim, Cynthia and all the others.

Mary

Hello redbud (incidently redbud is such a favorite tree of mine!!!), Would you please give the name of the last of the Mitford series. I've been preoccupied with reading some books given to me along with a trip to visit "folks" and haven't been in the Sr. Net forums for a time. Thanks and when we pass through WV in the spring, I'll think of you. I did plant three redbud seedlings in our yard this summer, so I'm hopeful of seeing them right here in Western NY one year soon.Mary

Hi Lady's are both your names Mary?? I would like to know about the last Karon book too. I read most of them a few years ago and they seemed to peter out. I say a new one( I thought) bought it and they are re-issuing them with new covers, always irrataes me when they do that. Took it back and bought something else.

I am reading Nelson DeMille's new one Night Fall and am enjoying it, he is on my list of keepers and I have most of his books in my library. I will never forget reading Charm School.

Mary, redbud is also my favorite tree. I fell in love with them when we lived in south-central Oklahoma, but had to move to Texas to get one in the yard

In fact, I have several as they reseed themselves like oak trees.

"Light from Heaven" is the last book in the Mitford series. Father Tim and Cynthia are farm sitting for a year and he was called to revive a mountain church nearby that has been closed for forty years. There are a number of new characters as well as old favorites from the other books.

I think the series got somewhat sidetracked and continuity was lost when they issued some of the off shoots like the Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbooy and Esther's Gift to name two.

I also hate it when they reissue books and make them seem like new ones. Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts are two that come to mind. Now, when I see their books, I check the copyright dates, as I have read nearly all if not all of theirs, and I hate to pick up a book and find I've read it before. Gone With The Wind is really the only book that I will re-read and re-read and re-read

Mary

P.S. My daughter buys books and then brings them to me to read first as I have time to read. She's a teacher and most of her reading comes on vacations

She just brought me Debbie Macomber's Christmas book - "There's Something About Christmas".

Like you my daughter gives me most of my reading. She lives in Alaska and everytime someone comes down she sends me a box of books. Saves a whole lot of money now a days.

Yes, I guess we are both Marys, so I will use my Mary C. as I do in another Sr. Net site where there is also another Mary.

On the subject of Gone With the Wind, someone loaned me a copy of Scarlett and I have read a very small portion of it. My friend who loaned it is a snowbird so I have all winter to get through it....if I can.

Debbie Macomber's Something About Christmas sounds like a good holiday read.....I'll be looking for that one.

The last Karon book I read was the one where they went to Pastor the church at the shore after retirement. It was good, but she reuses the characters and situations so often that it seems like you are re-reading another book. I enjoy it when the author sort of echoes a character from another story, but these seem just a little too much. My apologies if I am being too critical about this. Mary C.

Mary C, I don't think you're being critical as everyone has their own opinions. If we all were the same, this would be a pretty dull place

I don't mind the same characters and/or situations as I feel each new book is just another chapter in the continuing saga of Father Tim.

I read "Scarlett" when it first came out and watched the mini-series. One time for each was enough and it was an effort at that. Alexandra Ripley is no Margaret Mitchell.

When I was younger, if I started a book, I read it until the end even if I didn't like it

Now, if a book doesn't capture my interest in the first few chapters, out it goes. I was talking to my sister last night. She was reading a Julie Garwood novel that a friend had loaned her. She has to give it back next week, and even though she doesn't like it, she is going to persevere to the end!!!

Mary

We probably have a lot of opinion's here. I have all my life been a read it til the end no matter what. But as I enter the "golden years" I find myself thinnking if you aren't enjoying this book why don't you put it down.

I am planning a trip to Georgia and I think we are going to see the plantation where Gone With The Wind was filmed. We are also going to see among lots of things the Whistle Stop Cafe.

I loved the Mitford books. It's such a peaceful and beautiful place. I hope Ms. Karon continues the series.

I haven't tried the Cape Light series by the artist. I can't think of his name. Is it a good series?

I love the Miss Julie series too. I haven't finished the whole series.

Hats: Me, too, on Miss Julia. I've gotten through the series to date and always await the new one. Her devotion and love for Little Lloyd warms the heart.

jane

Jane,

I am glad you like the series too. I will have to catch up with you. I love Little Lloyd too.

Add another fan to the list of those who like Miss Julia and the Jan Karon books.

I listened to the Jan Karon books and enjoyed them, but when I tried to read one, did not like it.. Must like it edited down. I love Gone with the Wind and periodically reread. Loved the movie as well. Hated Scarlett however. I think it is horrid, when an author dies and someone else decides to write in that world. Just not the same ever.

Oh! Forgot to mention that I read my Mother's second edition copy of "Gone With The Wind" every summer during high school and college. Did you know you can follow the movie dialog in the book? It's almost word for word.

I didn't like "Scarlett" at all - nohow - no way! What was Alexandra Ripley thinking?!?

Even now, I can probably quote Gone With The Wind word for word

I still re-read it occasionally. My son bought me Gone With The Wind on VHS for Christmas several years ago. I need to get it out and watch it again.

I have never heard of the Miss Julia series. Will have to add then to my list.

Mary

You guys lost me are the Cape Light Series and the Julia series all by Karon or is it different author's.

Judy,

The Cape Light series is written by Thomas Kinkade. You know he paints those beautiful paintings. Now he writes fiction.

The Miss Julia series is written by Ann B. Ross. It takes place in the south.

I read Gone With the Wind in the summer too. I have never read Scarlett.

Be sure to read Miss Julia in order...

Thanks Hats and Jane I am trying to get up to speed here. If its about the South I will read it.

I read a book latly that one of my DIL gave me, I was surprised as I didn't know she was a reader. It was Dorothea Benton Frank the Plantation. I politly thanked her but was going to put it on a shelf, but I started it and really enjoyed it. I have a couple of her other books here and I didn't like how they started out because it was like 3 party or somethingbut this one was great. I would highly recommend it to enone who enjoys the south.

We are planning a trip in Dec to Georgia and S.C. and I am getting excited we are flying into Atlanta.

Judy,

I hope you enjoy your Christmas trip.

Judy, I'm excited about your trip and the visit the Whistle Stop Cafe!! We went to NC last month and my big regret of the trip was missing the Fried Green Tomato sandwiches at the Tamarack in WV.

If you get to Alphretta, GA, a suberb just west of Atlanta) don't miss Harry's Farmer's Market which is a Whole Foods store there. Our grandson works in the meat market and tells me that it is a great tourist attraction. Lots of ethnic foods along with everything natural. If you go...look up Nate in the meat market and tell him Gram sends a hug.

Now back to the books....you said you like anything about the south. Have you read "Dairy Queen Days"? and that author wrote another one that I liked but can't say the name just now. Robert Morgan has written a few about the southwest part of NC bordering on SC that were really good too. I don't know why, but I seem drawn to the fiction of the south myself.

This forum was so busy since yesterday that I feel that I'm missing responding to someone. Is it the fall weather that has us all hitting the books more? About Scarlett, I don't know whether or not I want to waste my time on that character. She does get me riled at her selfish ways. I may or may not finish....no obligation. Mary C.

Thanks Mary I am excited too. We are going to wander all over Georgia so if I can find Alphreta I will take a look. We leave Myrtle Beach ont the 26th and and have 2 nights on our own and thenthe 28th the Westin in Atlanta at the airportand fly out the next morning. So far I have Warm Springs, Jerrell House the antbellum trail Macon, Savannah, Hilton Head, Beaufort, Charleston, Myrtle Beach then work our way back to Atlanta.

Hi again Judy, Your trip sounds so very interesting. When our eldest son and family lived in Columbia TN he was so excited about showing us the Antebellum homes in that area. We took a tour sponsored by the local historical society and it WAS interesting. He just seemed to be "at home" in TN after growing up in the N.E. Strange how these attachments happen, isn't it? Mary C.

This is my 3rd trip to the south and I just love it. I told Don I was going to buy a farm while we are there haha The truth of the matter is we wouldn't be making such a extensive trip if my youngest daughter did not work for the Starwook chain of hotel's.

I liked the Mitford books too - easy to ready, cheerful, almost predictable, but lovely for passing a few hours on a warm, sunlit porch.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night ; I was charmed and touched, Enjoyed it.

And at last I finally dragged myself to the end of "Starvation Heights." And I do mean dragged. Utterly disturbing and unpleasant subject, not impressed with the writing style. I don't recommend that book, although I do recognize that it has a certain historic and social value. - JudyS

Oh, no, not the last in the Father Timothy series. I will miss all the people in Mitford. They are such wonderful books, I feel like I could walk down the street and recognize everyone I meet. I will read it with very mixed feelings, glad there is one more, mournful that there is only one more.

Are you going to visit The Cyclorama and Stone Mountain while you are in the Atlanta area, Judy? Be sure to eat catfish and hush puppies. If you go to one of the big grocery stores, be sure to check out the shelves of grits in every imaginable flavor. I was going to rave about Mammy's Shanty, my favorite restaurant when I lived in Atlanta, only to discover that is is gone. Sigh.

Mammys is gone? Oh me, I did love that stupid place.. Funny, but not the least bit socially correct nowadays. I am reading Wicked.. which is a strange strange book purporting to tell the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from OZ.. This is his second book. The first told the story of the ugly Stepdaughter in Cinderella. This is a truly odd book indeed, but sort of compelling. I dont think I will think of the witch the same way again.

Perkie I don't think we are going to spend any time in Atlanta. When we land we will go straight to Warm Springs where we will spend 2 nights. I have been reading about Stone Mountain and would like to try to sneak it in. What can you tell me about Cyclorama?? We have never been to Georgia before only to drive thru from Savannah. I am anxious to pick up the last book in the Mitford series I am glad you enjoyed it.

Judy I guess it takes all kinds both you and Stepanie did not like Starvation and I and my friend Janet Sue could not put it down. Maybe it was because we live in the same area and were fascinated about the ferry service and getting around in areas that are so changed now. It was also a true story and I thought how can you be so ttrusting?? Of course without the means of communication its not like now. I can understand following a charleton and becoming completely a believer, JS and I are always doing that. But I just remeber it was in the early 1900's and things were a lot different then.

The Cyclorama.. It is in Atlanta and is a building. You go in and are surrounded by the battle for Atlanta from the civil war. REally really neat. A southern tradition for years Stone Mountain is just outside of Atlanta and worth the trip. Again it is a most southern place. My husband and I love the area and try to go there every other year in the coach. Starvation.. The thing that bothered me so much was the stupidity involved, but you are right. It was a different time.

What about Jonestown back a few years as well as a couple more since then? I guess my answer is that all folks are at different stages and has different needs. I just finished a small book though non-fiction called "Embraced by the Light" by Betty Jean Eadie. It was her account of a near death experience, but the interesting thing was her eye opening about our quickness to judge others while not really knowing them well enough to know the whys of what they do. Mary C.

It is also a musical now on Broadway.

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/

Judy, I hope you have a great time visiting our part of the country. There's lots to see and do. We'd love to have you just north of the GA state line here in Chattanooga, but the things you've mentioned are all great, too.

OHHH Chattanooga has the greatest vertical cog train. Whew.. up up and away. I loved it, but it is scary at the end.

Stephanie, around here, we just call it "The Incline". The last time I went up, we had taken our daughters, some other family, and a couple of then-baby grandchildren. Two of our daughters absolutely refused to ride back down, and John rode down, and drove the car back up Lookout Mountain to get them. We've laughed about it for years. It is a fantastic view, and really a great attraction.

Mary, It was a great ride, but whew.. it is a hoot to come back down. Loved the little national park at the top. So peaceful and loving. Looks like a neat place to live up there.

Just finished DeMille book Night Fall if you are a fan its a great book. I stayed in bed this morning and finished it and what a ending I am still reeling. Wonderful book.

Just finished Wicked and put it up for exchange. Man I will never be able to think of Oz the same way again.

Stephanie, I heard the author of Wicked and his new one, Son of a Witch, on NPR a few weeks ago. I was so intrigued by the idea that I bought both books. John plowed through Wicked, and I just couldn't get into it -- much to our surprise. I gave them both to our daughter. She has read many of the author's other books based on fairy tales and absolutely loved them. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Hi. Right now I am reading Life Expectancy, by Dean Koontz. I am finding it rather interesting, and a bit different. It a story tolf from the perspective of a young man who was born at the same momebt his grandfather died. Apparently just before his death, the grandfather made 5 predictions of things that would occur in the man's life. So far, I am at the point where the first is beginning to come to pass. The story is actually hard to explain without giving things away, but it is good.

Back in the '50s, when I visited Lookout Mountain, I loved the cogwheel train ride, up and down. And the view from the top was spectacular. According to the maps on top, you could see seven states, though I was a little skeptical.

Good description of the Cyclorama, Stephanie. The thing that fascinated me the most is the way they blended the three dimentional figures in the middle with the painting around the walls. There is one fallen soldier whose head and torso are three dimentional and whose legs are painted and I couldn't tell where the transition took place.

A light, fun read is "Julie and Romeo" by Jeanne Ray. It is set in Boston and involves rival families who run florist shops and have a Hatfield and McCoys feud that started with the grandparents of Julie Roseman and Romeo Cacciamani. It was a pleasant change from some of the darker books I have read recently. There is a romance between the two, but I would not classify it as romance fiction per se.

We loved Julie and Romeo. You are right that it is a light and fun read. My daughter found it at our church rummage sale, read it, passed it to me and then it has circulated along to several friends. We've all had her 50 cents worth out of it. I need to check out Kick Ball Change. That title didn't really turn me on when I first heard it, but since that time my husband and I have started to learn to line dance and the term has become familiar, so no the title makes some sense. I have that one on my list.
Today she and I Christmas shopped at Sam's Club and in browsing the book isle she whipped out her little notebook and pen and made quick notes of what she wants to check out in the library.
If you haven't read The Christmas Train by David Baldacci, now is an appropriate time to look that one up.

A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg: I highly recommend this short and very sweet book. It's an uplifting and warmhearted story that would be enjoyable reading any time of year, but it's especially meaningful for the holiday season. This is not as intriguing a story as, "Fried Green Tomotoes", or as good as "Standing in the Rainbow", but it definitely grabbed my attention, and left me with a good feeling.

I Am Charlotte Simmons - Tom Wolfe. I've read all of his books, and IMO, this is the best writing he's done since "Bonfire of the Vanities". I really liked it, but I have to say that it does NOT leave you feeling very hopeful about the future generation! This book had lots of publicity when it came out last year, so I'm sure most of you know that the story takes place on a fictional, but very true to life, university campus. Apparently Wolfe really did his homework on this book, and besides interviewing hundreds of students, he spent real time living and observing life on various college campuses. It's witty and cleverly written, but it's a sad commentary on the lives of young people today. I'm curious to know what others think of it?

Perkie and Macou - I liked Julia and Romeo, very much too. I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago in this discussion, but will say again how refreshing it was to read a story about an older couple in love!

A Redbird Christmas was indeed a nice story. My daughter and I read it last year from the library and we noticed it in Sam's yesterday along with some Debbie Macomber Christmas selections. That reminds me that our library will soon have their shelf of Christmas books on display and I should check them out. Mary C.

Macou and Marilyne,

I agree with you. I really, really loved Redbird Christmas. Of course, I love Fannie Flagg's books too. I hope she writes another Christmas story this year.

Read Around the World has four fascinating and diverse titles to choose from for its January selection. If you would like to read, and help choose a selection by an international writer, come to RATW and place your vote (Nov. 13 - 18) Read Around the World

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi [Iran] [runnerup in last vote]
Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie [China]
The Clown by Heinrich Böll [Germany]
The Farming of the Bones by Edwidge Danticat.[Haiti]

Hats, Macou and Marilyne -- I loved Redbird Christmas. Just noticed it the other day again on the shelf. Perhaps I'll reread this year.

Re: Wicked. I didn't know it was a book and until a month ago didn't even know it was a musical. (Must live in a vacuum ) My son lives in DC and tried to get tickets for his family for December. They missed the first day of ticket sales and by then the ticket relocators had them all for scalpers prices. He then tried Philadelphia because it's a doable day trip. All sold out except for poor single seats. Some long faces at his house, but that's life.

My daughter just told me that in 2007, Jan Karon will publish a new series called "Father Tim Novels". It sounds like we'll see more of Father Tim.

Mary

Sounds as if Wicked the musical is fun.. Wicked the book is sort of much much darker.. Full of conspiracies and thwarted love.. Odd.

Mary,

Thank you for the news about the new "Father Tim" novels. That is so exciting!

Hi Stephanie!

And the winner is

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie [China]

A novel about the power of books. More later. A proposal will be up soon.

My local Book Discussion group read "Balzac and The Little Chinese Seamstress" last year. Good story.

Callie, I hope you will join us in the discussion of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. You may have some different perspectives to offer us, having read and discussed it before.

Thank you, pedln. I'll hunt up my notes and peek in.

I've subscribed to "Reading Around The World...and the winner is". Should I look for another folder, also?

Callie, we'll have a "proposal" up soon, to be sure we'll have enough participants for a discussion (3 plus the discussion leader). Then the book itself will be a separate discussion, but like all the books discussed here on SeniorNEt. Glad you kept notes.

After reading and enjoying "Julie and Romeo", by Jeanne Ray, I wanted to take another look at "Bel Canto", written by her daughter, Ann Patchett. I have it here, and every so often I pick it up and try to get into it. Somehow it just doesn't click with me, and I always end up setting it aside for something else. My daughter-in-law recently gave me Patchett's first book, The Patron Saint of Liars, so I decided to give that one a try.

I loved it! It has likely already been discussed in here, but I must have missed it? I'd like to know what others thought about it? The story really held my interest, and all of the characters were unique. Some were likeable, and others not so. Kind of like people are in real life.

I loved Patron Saint.. It was a marvelous engrossing book. I felt like you do about Bel Canto.. I finished it because I had adored the first book, but it was nowhere near as compelling. I mentally can picture so many scenes of Patron Saint.. One of those books that stay with you always.

I just finished Redbird Christmas and loved it. I'm now starting Debbie Macomber's new Christmas book "There's Something About Christmas".

Mary

I've just finished reading Pretty Birds by Scott Simon (of NPR). It was recommended by somebody here, I'm sure. It's a wonderful book. I really enjoyed it, and certainly learned a lot about the situation in Bosnia and Sarajevo that I had never known before. Thanks to whoever recommended it.

I also checked out The Ladies' Auxiliary. John's reading that and thoroughly enjoying it.

It was a SeniorNet trip to the library. Got the new Agatha Raisin, and waiting after that is Julie and Romeo.

I've just finished reading a book by a new author to me. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon. It takes place in Venice and was very interesting. It says by the internation best selling author of Acqua Alta and Uniform Justice.

Donna Leon has written a whole series on Venice and a detective there. I cannot get into it, but I know lots of people who adore it.

Hi Steph I enjoyed the book like you say after I got into it. I grabbed it because of the cover it was gripping. I wonder unless we have a specific book list how much the cover's influence our decisions to buy or not buy??

Some of them really grab you and other you just drift on by. haha

I buy authors.. but for the new stuff.. I read the squib at the back. I know that there are types of books that I love and will start. I also know that if it is gripping spies, too much romance, or mostly courtroom, I will not get into it. There are always exceptions, but I try to stick to that one.

Years ago, before the major outburst of romance novels, a librarian friend told me that she didn't read "books with castles on the covers". I've always loved that.

When I was shelving books at the local library, "Victorian" romance paperbacks were put in a special section. I was taught that the way to identify one of these was to look for a castle with a light in the window and a scantily clad girl fleeing into the night. The light in the window was the main clue.

We pages would entertain ourselves by reading the opening line of these books. Our favorite was: "The rats of panic scampered through her breast".

LOVE it, Callie! I think there's an annual contest put on by somebody for the worst opening lines of novels. That'd surely be a winner!

Callie, what a hoot. I love it.

Judy L, Donna Leon was new to me, too, until our local mystery book club read that same title earlier this year. Now I'm hooked.

Please join us in January when we will be reading the Read ARound the World winner, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

I am reading a Lee Smith. I have always loved her novels. This one is about a trip down the Mississippi, first on a raft in college and now years later when one of them has died to scatter her ashes. Very good if you like the south and southern women.

Is "The Last Girls" the story by Lee Smith about the college friends on the Mississippi River, Stephanie? "Fair and Tender Ladies" also sounds good. Another Lee Smith Southern novel.

I just finished "To the Power of Three" by Laura Lippman. An interesting story about three girls who had been best friends since third grade and are now graduating from high school. Their friendship ends in tragedy, and the reason for the tragedy seemed so unimportant to have led to the consequences. I was engrossed the whole way through the book, but felt like I didn't have the full story at the end (surely there was more to it than THAT) and a little let down.

I have read all of Lee Smith's books and am praying for another......

Boy I will have to look up Lee Smith sounds great. Just finished Bright Eyes by Catherine Anderson, I just love her books fun healthy happy they are just all around pleaseing books.

Boy time is creeping up we leave next Thursday for our trip. Getting excited now.

The Lee SMith was "The Last Girls".. I put it up on the books for trade, etc. if anyone wants it. I like Laura Lippman. She writes a series on a Baltimore private investigator.. She also writes some other stuff, which is sometimes quite odd.. But still good.

Just finished Joan Medlicott's newest book in her Covington series. I enjoyed it and spent the afternoon ensconced in my recliner and wrapped in my fleece blanket. Texas broke low temperature records yesterday along with freezing rain/sleet/snow. Good reading weather

Her next book in the series is due out June 2006.

Mary

I just saw a new release by HarperCollins Publisher of a Marge Piercey book.......could this be new? Title is "Sex Wars.a novel of the turbulent post civil war period......I know some of you like her....I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long while.....couldn't put it down....written by a southern author (so you know I will love it) by the name of Tom Franklin......His first novel....from the fly leaf."Hell at the breech..a stunning and beautifully crafted first novel that weaves together historical fact, lyrical prose, and blistering action........) All true.......

Will check my Amazon site for a new Marge Piercy.. Sounds like it could be good. She is quite a writer. I am reading Memoirs of a Geisha and it is very interesting. They have recently made a movie, that looks good as well.

What a great evening we had. We went to see a special Chattanooga premiere of the new movie, Memoirs of a Geisha.

The movie is one of the most stunningly beautiful movies we've ever seen - cinematography, sets, actors - everything. We had read the book a couple of years ago when it first came out (the author is from Chattanooga). There's no way a movie can capture the whole scope of the novel, but, in our opinion, the movie stands on its own. Try to see it in the theater if you can - it's that gorgeous!

Loved the book, although it dragged in a few places. But will see the movie. The book is very very visual, so am expecting a lot of the movie.

Thanks Mary for the heads up on the Memoirs of a Geisha. Not so many movies worth the $$ of late, so we'll look for this one.

I am getting close to finishing Scarlett and am so happy that I continued on with it. She wasn't my favorite character, but the history in the last half of the book was well worth it. Mary C.

The new Curious Minds' discussion: "The Patriot Act" is now open. Here is a link:
The Patriot Act

Bill H

I finished 'Astonishing Splashes of Colour' by Clare Morrall. It was very, very good. One of those books I didn't want to stop reading until I had finished. It was shortlisted of The Man Booker Prize 2003.

I don't know what shortlisted mean. I guess it's a good thing.

I put "Astonishing Act of Colours" on hold at my library.......I like books which people are unable to put down!

Nancy, I hope you will like it.

short listed.. simply that it was one of the finalists. They give you a list of finalists.

I have added 'Astonishing Splashes of Colour' to my reading list, Hats. Thanks. It sounds interesting. It will be nice to have a book that I am not relieved to have reached the last page. Or maybe I am just getting jaded!

After 60+/- pages of "Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire, I had to give up. It was so weird that it was boring, and it wasn't the Oz of my childhood memories. We had the entire set of Oz books between Christmas and birthdays for my brother and I. Oh, well.

Perkie, I had said earlier that I just couldn't get into Wicked either. John "plowed" his way through it, but it was tough going, he said. On the other hand, our daughter has loved the whole series. Different strokes, as they say.

Astonishing Splashes of Color: I am down to the last few pages. It is a different story. It's surprising that the Oprah book club has not selected it by now. Because of some situations in our family it has been a thought provoking and somewhat sad story. I'm sure will not appeal to all.

We are having a nice quiet day after Christmas with time to reflect. Mary C.

I am so glad to find others puzzled by Wicked. That series is so popular, but I used to read the Oz series to my boys when they were little and I really did not like Wicked.

I never expected Wicked to be similar to the Oz books - more like a weird take on how this character grew up. But it was too weird for my taste. We've all loved all the Baum Oz books, and one of daughters has a large collection of them.

Mary C,

Astonishing Splashes of Colour is thought provoking and sad too. Situations happened in the book I did not expect.

I finished the book "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" by Anne Rice....I din't particularly like it all.......a little boring as a matter of fact.......Am now reading an old book by Wendell Berry titled, "Jayber Crow"......It is a beautifully written story .....I will comment more on it later.....I somehow have missed this wonderful Southern author.............

Just came from the library. They still had the Christmas book display out so I came home with "The Golden Ring" by John Snyder, "Esther's Gift" by Jan Karon, " A Christmas Journey" by Anne Perry, "Julie and Romeo Get Lucky" by Jeanne Ray (not Christmas, but a sequel to the earlier story). These will be short quick reads and I'm looking forward to getting started. Mary C.

I love Jeanne Ray.

I just finished 'An Unfinished Life' by Mark Spragg. Good book.

I really enjoyed the audio book of "Jayber Crow", Nancy. It was an interesting look into a small Kentucky town as told by Jayber. I liked the descriptions and the pace. I have never read any of Wendell Berry's poetry, but think I will give it a try, now.

For some reason, I always think of Umberto Eco as living in the 19th century and am always surprised when I come across a new book by him. It is probably his name and the fact that "The Name of the Rose" was the first contact I had with him, first the movie and then the book. The latest work is "The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana" and is the story of an older man who has had a stroke and lost all of his memories of his life while retaining everything he learned from books. It drags a bit when it turns into bibliographies from time to time, but the philosophy and the search for clues as to who he was held my interest enough to finish it.

Hi I finally got home and am trying to get organized.

Read a couple good books on the way.

Barbara Taylor's Unexpected Blessings, Silver Bell's, and Patterson's London Bridges.

Happy New Year to All

Judy,, Did you have fun in your south tour?

1981 vs. 2005

YEAR: 1981

1. Prince Charles got married. 2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe 3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament. 4. Pope died.

YEAR: 2005

1. Prince Charles got married. 2. Liverpool crowned soccer Champions of Europe 3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament. 4. Pope died.

In the future, if Prince Charles decides to remarry, somebody please warn the Pope!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Norm T - 07:36am Jan 2, 2006

Stephanie it was wonderful. I was thinking I have spent 5 weeks in 2005 driving a rental car around the south. My boys have been kind enought to point that out and think its time I got back to work. I will work a few days before I tell them I am going to Vegas in Feb. hahaGrand Wisteria plantation, Jerrell Plantation, Callaway gardens light tour for Christmas. Pine Mountain, my beloved Savanah with Miss Martha on another Midnight Tour. Miss Wilk's boarding house,Lady and Son's. Hilton Head absolutly georgeous, miniture golf which I fell in love with. Walking the beach. Charleston back to CUE resturant where we had that lovely lunch in Feb. Slave market another Gullah basket, Myrtle beach Christmas with friends shopping. The topper 2 days in Greenville the highlight being a day with Miss Ginny. Drove the Campus of Furman College where she teaches. The damage from the ice storm was absolutly the worst thing ever. They had been cleaning for 10 days and hadn't hadrly made a dent. Played minuture golf with Ginny found the Mast's store. This is only a very small part of our travels. Oh forgot Windsor Hotel and Andersonville. I could go on and on.

OR........if the Pope gets sickly, warn the Charlie's wife to keep her eyes and ears open.

Judy, NOw you know why we all love the south so much. Andersonville is awesome. I cried the first time I went there. It is so small for so many people. One of the saddest places in the world..Not as bad as Dachau, which is dark and bloody and evil. Andersonville is just sad.. Did not realize Miss Ginny still taught?

Our Miss Ginny does everything!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had no idea what to expect when we went to Andersonville. Two girls at the Whistle Stop Cafe told us it was awesome. I came out of the show presentation a little depressed I don't know what I expected but it was very bad.

I also must tell you that Miss Martha says that Savannah is now a town or a city it is a STATE OF MIND. We loved Warm Springs and Pine Mountain too.

I agree Savannah is definitely a state of mind. I love the squares and we walk and walk every time we go. Charleston is just as much fun.. I have never done a presentation at Andersonville. We just go out to the prison fields and walk and think of the deaths and suffering involved.

Stepanie I also discovered Tybee Island and I must live there. I scrambeled all over a sand dune and took pictures of this place I wanted, figured I coulld fix it up. Got around to the front and there was a rock with a sheet on it and price was 2,2000.000 I said oh crap That was for basicially the lot.

What a wonderful trip, Judy. What did you eat when you went to Lady and Sons? We always watch the Paula Deen cooking show on HGTV on the weekends. She surely loves her butter! For a look at some of her recipes, try: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_pa

Have you ever read "Andersonville" by MacKinlay Kantor? It gives a very graphic view of the bare existence of the Union soldiers kept there. Since you have seen the prison, you don't really need to read about it. Duh! I didn't realize that it was a National Historic Site. Actually, I didn't even know that it was still standing.

"Drives Like a Dream" by Porter Shreve is very light, fun reading. Set in Detroit, it is about a woman who has lived there all her life, whose Father helped design the Tucker Torpedo automobile and whose Grandfather worked for GM on the assembly line. The woman is a (an?) historian who has published several books about the automobile industry and is now struggling with a book about her Father and also struggling with family problems. It is all told in first person with an upbeat quality to the telling.

Perkie....speaking of Paula Dean she has a new magazine out as do most celebrities now a days.......I liked her first issue........

Perkie I had the southern buffet. Just keep those biscuits coming honey haha So good. But on the other hand we made it to Mrs Wilke's Boarding House this time and let me tell you HONEY that was food like I have never tasted. You sit at a table of 14 and when your are seated you just start passing the food, I have never seen so many different item's. Never tasted fried chicken like that I mean this was the best. It is only open 11 to 2 and youd better be in line at 11. They have huge lines when it gets warmer and people are always getting too much sun and they tell me one man died last summer of heat stroke standing in line.

In Andersonville we went to the P.O.W. place and the cemetary and a museum that we walked through. Mind blowing.!!

Perkie, Yes, Andersonville has been a national park and cemetary for many years. It also have a card file and I believe a computer file on deaths there. So if you are a genealogist and wondered about an ancestor, they can help. The actual grounds are now just grass, but they partially rebuilt one area to show you what it looked like, they have signs showing the only water( pitiful indeed) and the actual dimensions and how many people were there. It is a hard hard place to visit, very beautiful, but so full of memories.

Come join us in the discussion of "Pomegranate Soup" which will start on Feb 1st. Its a good story about three young women escaping from Iran just before the Shah left and how they ended up in Ireland, starting up a new Middle Eastern restaurant while trying to fit in in a small Irish village.

Pomegranate Soup

I have been reading 2 books that I believe the authors were mentioned here.

The Last Girl's by Lee Smith and Home Song by Thomas Kinkade.

Both were good I enjoyed the girls on their second trip down the Mississippi. The Home Song was just O.K.

My library just got me a copy. Will try to pick it up tomorrow.

JeanneP

Judy, i read the last girls a few months ago. I like Lee Smith and have read all of hers. One of my favorite authors actually.

I just found out that Hal Crowther is Lee Smith's husband....I like reading some of his articles and essays about the south.....

I will try to look for Hal Crowther..After all if I like his wife, maybe I will like his writings.

I'm gong to put in another plug for Ann's suggestion for February reading.

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran.

It's the story of three sisters, originally from Iran, who open up a Middle Eastern restaurant in Ireland. The young women, each different from the other, are all major players in the novel. Recipes are included. It's an international bestseller, read and reviewed around the world. Described by a Belgium newspaper, " A tasty book about love, food and the mix of cultures. Bon appetit!"

The novel's web page tells the fascinating tale of how the story came to be.

How the book came to be

When I think what some of these young international writers have been through in their short lives, it's amazing what they've accomplished.

I am looking for Pom Soup Just read Iris Johansen's Fatal Tide. I doubt she could write a bad book.

Did I see mention of a discussion on Time Traveller's Wife? That book so impressed me, I was recommending it to all my friends who are readers. Would love to read it again and discuss it.

I'm going through an Angela Thirkell phase right now. So comforting to read about the trials of Barsetshire residents, wry mentions of Trollope's characters' descendants. The hierarchy of the C of E, Dean, Bishop, Rector, etc. is confusing. My library published a list of authors for fans of Jan Karon's stories, and I am devouring them.

Can you let us know some of these writers.I loved the Jan Karon's books. (My library published a list of authors for fans of Jan Karon's stories, and I am devouring them )

JeanneP

Lee Smith's husband Hal Crowthers latest book of essays....."Gather at the River".......

I picked up the somewhat controversal book In A Million Piece's, the person that told me about it said you can't put it down and I am beggining to believe her.

JeanneP: There is a series about Miss Julia, a feisty Southern childless widow (author Ann B Ross) who opens her door one day to the former mistress of her banker husband, clutching the hand of a child who is the image of the banker. Seems he had not "taken care" of them im his will. The mistress is on her way to Atlanta for 60 days, where she can learn hairdressing, and she wants to leave the child with Miss Julia! Subsequently, Miss Julia discovers that the entire town had known about the situation but no one told her! Ross' tongue is firmly in her cheek, and the complications get more and more complicated! I'll dig out the list and name some of the others. It (the list) has been keeping me smiling for weeks.

Ann Ross was also the author of The Pilgrimage. You are right about her humorous style. I highly recommend that one and have added A.Ross back to my library list.
At present I'm just finishing At First Sight, by N. Sparks. It had a slow start (for me) but once I reached about halfway, it picked up.
On Saturday we went to a musical program that was music from the movies with film clips to go along with each piece. I had just finished Scarlett a few weeks ago and when I saw the Gone With the Wind clips, I looked at her in a little different light.....Interesting!!

Yes, I read that book by Ann B.Ross. Liked the Miss Julies. That one was really good.

Judy, Yes, I guies that the Book. "In a million Pieces" getting bad publicity at the moment. Some say it should come under "fiction" as lots he was claiming true, now not so. Look like Oprah is still pushing it. It will stop a lot of sales I would think. I will read it later. Now can make up mind between the fact and fiction.

JeanneP

I agree with your assessment of Iris Johansen, Judy. I will look forward to reading "Fatal Tide".

I also enjoyed "Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind", Mrs. Sherlock. Just thinking about it makes me smile. I am looking forward to the next one.

Jan Karon is one of my favorite authors, also. I just finished "Light From Heaven" in which Father Timothy becomes a vicar to a small mountain church. Karon makes her characters so real that I feel I could walk around in Mitford and greet people by name! After reading so many books about dysfunctional families, it is a pleasure to enjoy the closeness of Father Timothy and Cynthia. "What don't you love, Kavanagh?" is one of my favorite word-plays between them.

This book In A Million Pieces is a true story I think, he may have beefed it up some and taken a literary licence if thats what that means. It one tough book and hard to put down. I could do without the language but I realize its part of today's world. Maybe not our's but many people's.

I am going to look for the Miss Julia's series it sounds like fun.

I love the Miss Julia series.

Just finished another book by Donna Leon I really enjoyed her writing. This one was A Venetian Reckoning. You learn aboout Venice and its canal's very exciting.

Judy, I will get to see the canals in March and I am very excited about it. One of those places that sound so romantic, but it makes you wonder, when people who have been there, say.."Oh good, thats early spring and they dont stink at that time" Wow.

Venice. That is one place I have not seen but have been told that in the Summer time the Canals do smell. Can't see how they couldn't. People do throw lots of stuff into them. Lots of Tourists. People live right along side of them. If gets were you can smell anything. Put a tiny little vicks in your nose. (Thats a old tip for places with not the best sewer systems.). Then have fun.

JeanneP

Has anyone here read Family Linen by Lee Smith? I followed up on this author when someone here mentioned her. This story is kind of unusual and I'm surprised that it hasn't been one of the Oprah Book Club selections....it's about her speed. I suppose that it might have been as I haven't followed her selection faithfully.

I love Lee Smith. Have read every single book she has written. I dont think she has ever been an Oprah selection though.

For Christmas, my daughter-in-law gave me, The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory. It didn't seem like my style of book, so I put off reading it until I had absolutely nothing else to select from. Well, once I started it, I couldn't put it down! I am not too knowledgable about that period in English history, and had only known about the six wives of Henry VIII, from the old PBS series. I did some research after I finished the book, and found that Gregory was spot-on accurate with her facts, names, dates, etc. I know she's written lots of historical fiction, and I definitely plan to read more of her books.

That book rings a Bell. Now was it about the Queen Elizabeth the first time? Does the Boleyn go back to the Wife of Henry, mother of Elizabeth?

JeanneP

Hi Jeanne - the story is narrated by Mary Boleyn, younger sister of Anne. She was mistress to Henry VIII, and had two children by him, while he was married to Katherine of Aragon. It wasn't until later that he married Anne Boleyn. The book is all about life and intrigue in and around the palace, the people, the lifestyle, during his first two marriages. (About 1520 to 1535) I recommend it as a very good read. It's a long book though - something like 660 pages! I like long books much better than short, so that was fine with me.

Macou I have read all of Lee Smiths books and just cannot remember the jest of that one......I never read one of her books I didn't like...Gail Godwin is another author I like and I see she has a new novel out.........

I've added Gail G. to my list. Thanks for the tip. If I haven't read all titles mentioned here, this has been a great resource for new authors and I've enjoyed many of them. Our library has an online book club and I noticed last week that their book was Sweetgrass, which I had read on the recommendation of this site.

Have you been watching the "Wives of King Henry VIII" on the PBS channels? Each week a different wife is presented. I loved the Anne Boyln portrayal. Check your local listings. They are very well presented.

Eliabeth has always fascinated me, not the least because my middle name is Elizabeth. About 50 years ago I read a book, Young Bess, (author Margaret Irwin) which made much of her connection to Thomas Seymour to the extent that she bears his son (who was murdered immediately after birth). Google tells me that this becaue a movie with Jean Simmons playing Bess. Anyway, it piqued my interest so that now I grab books about ER I, Henry, Anne, et al. There are two mystery series about ER I, one where she is young and one where she is old. Got me hooked on historical mysteries.

I am also a fan of the Elizabethan Renaissance and the Tudor family. Click on my name, it should take you to my Home Page. There are links to the different pages I have composed. While it does need up dating, there is a good selection of Elizabethan fiction listed. Non-fiction and a time line of dates related to the printed word. It starts with:

1430 - Modern English begins to emerge from Middle English. It ends with:

1603....... Plague kills 38,000 Londoners .................Death of Elizabeth I of an abscessed throat .................Accession of James I

Mrs. Sherlock and gaj - I think you'll both really enjoy reading, "The Other Boleyn Girl". Now that I've done a little research and checked some facts, I can see that the author did an accurate job with history - names, births, line of succession, etc. It's a fascinating book that was hard to put down.

ALF - My two PBS channels havn't been showing "Henry VIII", in recent weeks, as far as I know? Right now, the Masterpiece Theater productions being shown, are "The Forsyte Saga", on one channel, and "Bleak House", on the other. (I think Pledge Week started this past weekend, which of course disrupts the regular schedule anyway.)

Just \had fun reading a old mystery book I found in my book store. I liked the cover. The Pumpkin-Shell-Wife by Susanna Hofmann McShea.

It says a hometown heroes mystery and it was about 4 senior's going to NY city to look into a death of a friends wife. It was fun.

Judy, I like the title, "The Pumpkin-Shell-Wife. I hope my library owns it.

Philippa Gregory write historical fiction and is really a good writer. Quite accurate on detail. I have not read the newest one, but have read others.

I'm laughing my way through Miss Julia Speaks Out. Being a Presbyterian myself, it really hits home in many parts.

Macou: Isn't Miss Julia a hoot? I heard her speak at a book-signing and she said the Presbyterians in her home town weren't quite sure what to think about her characterization of the Presby. pastor/wife. She said the rumor was "well- we all know she was really writing about the Methodists".

I agree on Miss Julia...she just makes me smile from page to page. I also got a chuckle out of Pastor Larry, is it...having been raised Methodist and educated at a Presbyterian college...and think Miss Julia, as always, says it like she sees it! She loves to think she's so tough...but, oh does she have a warm heart toward those she loves...from Lillian to Little Lloyd to his Mama, etc.

I've read them all now, having discovered the series last Feb. while vacationing...and can't wait for the next one.

jane

Hi Jane and All, I envy you. I'm still not finished the series. I have gotten as far as Miss Julie Throws a Wedding. I do agree. Miss Julie is a "hoot." She lives across the street from the church, doesn't she? If Miss Julie doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.

Oh, indeed she does, Hats! All the better to keep an eye on those Presbyterians who get a bit ....uh...out of the Presbyterian line, as Miss Julia sees it.

I envy YOU having more of the books to read without having to wait. Miss Ross doesn't write fast enough to suit me!!

jane

While on a trip in the summer of '04, I met several people from Ann Ross' home town of Hendersonville, N.C. One of them sent me a local magazine with an article about Ann Ross. Quoting:

"While there are definitely parallels between Miss Julia and Ross - (both live in North Carolina), both are of approximately the same 'retirement' age and faith is the central motivating force for each- Ross says that Miss Julia is definitely not based on her or anyone she knows."
"'...when I picture Miss Julia in my mind, she looks nothing like me, although she may be a conduit that allows me to say things I was never able to say', Ross says."

I've read the whole series and I think AR is beginning to run out of story line. It's still a delightful set of books about delightful people.

Callie...I has somewhat the same thought after reading the Beauty School one...don't quite know where she'll take it from there, but I hope she has a plan.

jane

Elizabeth Spencer's memoir caused me to read a novel of hers.....I loved it! The title is "The Salt Line" and takes place on the Gulf Coast AFTER hurricane Camille.......she was devastated by this hurricane and I wonder how she feels after Katrina.....even worse I am sure.......some interesting southern characters in this novel and oh so southern.........

Has anyone read anything by Adriana Trigiani? I've read one book in The Big Stone Gap trilogy (keep missing the others at the library) and have just finished "The Queen of the Big Time". Great stories.

Adriana Trigiani.....Yes, I've read some of her books and enjoyed every one. Mary C.

MaryC, I enjoy her books too. I finished the Big Stone Gap series. I loved "Lucia, Lucia."

I really enjoyed "The Poet of Tolstoy Park" by Sonny Brewer. You have to love the main character, Henry Stuart. He moves from out west to Fairhope, Alabama because of a terminal health problem. It's not a sad book. It's just such a good book about how to look at life and death. Joan Grimes recommended it up in the Book Nook.

.K. you folks have gotten me all excited about this Miss Julia series so I stopped at B&N today and can hardly wait to start.

Of course Monday I went to Elliott Bay book store and bought Pom Soup and am envolved in another book also. This is the first time in my life that all the book cases are stuffed and now books are stacking up.

Got a bad report from the eye doctor the other day and now I have to have cataracts removed from both eyes. I said to him not the second week of Feb I am going to Vegas. He said well you need to get your priorites straight and I said they are thank you very much.

GOOD LUCK in Vegas Judy and then good luck with the eyes when you set that up.

And you might relate to your eye Dr. the old adage..."Life is uncertain, eat dessert first"

macou33 now why didn't I think of that?? I am not as quick on the come back as I used to be. I usually think of a good one about 2 days later. hehe

Judy, nobody wants to have surgery - but believe me, cataract surgery is about as easy as anything going. I had both my eyes done a couple of years ago, and John had both of his done last fall. I still am wearing glasses, but John wears them (Dollar Store readers) only to read. His main correction was for astigmatism, and now they can implant a new lens that corrects for that. This is the first time that he's gone without glasses since he was a teenager (he's 71), and he's thrilled! BTW, have the two procedures done as close together as they'll schedule them. The time between will drive you nuts, with one eye fixed, and the other one not. John wore his old glasses with the lens taken out on the operated side between surgeries. Good luck - you'll do fine!

Judy, you made me laugh.

Have fun in Vegas. I am glad you are getting your eyes worked on too.

Good luck Judy. I do echo the last post. I had some problems and had to wait 3 months inbetween the surgeries and that is misery..

Well jee thanks everybody. I actually am not too worried and you know me I want to get it over with and done. I asked him if he could do them both in one day, he looked shocked and said I had only better trust him with one at a time. He actually has been in Time or somesuch tehing as one of the 50best eye doctors around. I wasn't in a particular hurry he said see how much the new glasses help. Well they don't I can tell that in a hurry. I am going to call this morning and make the appt for may the 2nd or 3rd week in Feb, right after Vegas of course.

No worry about the cataract job. I've had two friends the last couple of months go through it with wonderful results. One said it was easier than going to a dentist. When in Vegas, be sure to check out the Bellagio gardens (a freebie). They're unbelievable! Although I live only a short way from the Strip, I only get there when people visit and there's a lot to see, aside from gambling and shows. Have a ball!

Char I have seen most the site's my friend makes me go to "something" everytime we go but believe me we don't spend much time there. I am a plain old gambler and if I can see a show from my seat or machine fine but is not-----------------haha Get 33 full pulls on a 1.00 blazing saddles machine this trip besides free food and lodging.

You're a girl after my own heart..I do love poker video. Our weather should be great for you. We'll check out some other books while you're away.

I just finished a wonderful Southern novel called Tobacco Sticks by William Elliott Hazelgrove. It is very similar to To Kill A Mockingbird with the same strong sense of place. The story is of a lawyer who takes the case of a young black woman. The story is told through the eyes of a young boy. It is a very enjoyable novel with strong courtroom scenes and very good writing. Enjoy.

Char thanks for the offer of looking in. Wait for the big annoucement when I return for my big hit. Should be in day now I've only been trying since the 50's hehe

kit44.....thanks for the heads up on the book...I am lucky in that my libaray has it and I have placed it on hold..........will let you know how I like it.......

Kit44, thank you a new title. I hope my library owns it.

"The Pumpkin-Shell Wife" by Susanna Hofmann McShea sounds intriguing, Judy. I have requested it through my library. And did the same for Elizabeth Spencer's "The Salt Line", Nancy. Thanks to you both.

I have read "The Big Stone Gap" and "Big Cherry Holler" by Adriana Trigiani, Callie, but have not caught up with the third in the trilogy "Milk Glass Moon". I like the trilogy, but hated "Lucia, Lucia". All of that petty competitiveness irritated me.

I listened to "Contact" by Carl Sagan. I liked the movie with Holly Hunter and was curious about the book. The parts about mathematics went over my head and my mind wandered until the people came back into the story. I can't really compare the two because all I remember about the movie is Holly Hunter finding her father on a beach on a planet in the center of the Milky Way. I don't remember that it was only a simulation of her father and she never saw the beings who lived on the planet. Still, I liked the book very much.

I am creeping through "Pomegranate Soup" by Marsha Mehran. I am about a third of the way through the rather slim book and just can't get interested in the characters. I'm not sure I will finish it. I'm glad others like the book and am sorry I am not one of them.

Isn't that amazing how one persons opinion can differ so greatly from anothers? That's what is so great about Senior Net, if you don't like that book you can move on to another. Sometimes I blame my state of mind when I can't quite get into a book or the character s. I didn't find that the case, however, with Pomegranate. It grabbed me right away.

Alf, "Pomegranate Soup" grabbed me right away too. Plus, the story is better and better on each page. I am truly enjoying it.

Don't tell Pedln or Ann but I finished the book last night. I see that they have added a reading schedule so I will have to mind my P's and Q's when commenting.

I didn't think I would enjoy Pom Soup either but I actually loved it. It almost made me want to cook something but so far nothing has kicked in.

I just read a book by Lorenzo Carcaterra who I had never heard of. Again for me it was the cover. The name is Street Boys. This book was published in UK Its a novel about a true happening in Naples when the Nazi's were invading and the town was evacuated except for a group of children and a misplaced soldier, it was fascinating and a real page turner, I intend now to go and look up this author on B&N as I would really enjoy reading some more of his books.

There is something up in the sky this morning and its yellow I will have to ask Ginny what it is. The rain has continued unabated for weeks and high winds and power outages, tree's down across the roads. A marvelous place to live.

GO SEAHAWKS

Often I will fall madly in love with an author, after enjoying his or her first few books, or first best selling book. Then I look for everything the author has written in the past, or I wait impatiently for him/her to write something new. I'm usually disappointed, because after a couple of good books, they never seem to live up to my expectations.

Such was the case this week when I tried (for the second time) to get into "Picture Perfect", by Jodi Picoult. I really liked the first two or three books I read by her, but this one just doesn't grab me at all. Right off the bat, the characters seem trite and the story very predictable. But I know Picoult has the ability to surprise the reader, so I may try to stick with it a little longer and see if I have a change of heart.

Two other authors who come to mind who eventually disappointed me are Anita Shreve and Pat Conroy: I loved Shreve's first three or four books that I read, and thought they were so cleverly written - especially the way she wove her characters together from book to book. But I guess the novelty must have worn off for me? Her recent books have became downright tedious - almost all the same. I think maybe she shelled out too many books, too fast, and just couldn't keep up her original quality? As for Pat Conroy - I always list, "The Prince of Tides" in my top ten favorite books of all time. I also liked, "The Great Santini" very much. After that, I tried reading everything else he has written since but they have all fallen flat for me.

It almost makes me reluctant to read more than one or two books by a particular author, but it could be that I am setting my expectations too high? Does anyone else have this problem?

My take on, "Time Traveler's Wife": I disliked it from the beginning, and found it just too confusing and bizarre. I gave up on it after about a third of the way through. I like reality, and the ability to relate to and care about the characters in a book.

Hi: My thoughts exactly on Conroy and Shreve and several others. Could it be a part of the "you can't go home again" mentality?????

Gail/VT

Marilyn - I agree with you. Sometimes I feel that when the author has a "hit" that they rush to get the next one out. I had the same feeling with Time Traveler's Wife. I bagged it soon after starting it. Too many other books out there for me to read.

Kathy

I agree with those who are disappointed after reading several books by an author. It often seems as if the basic story-line/theme is the same - just a change of location and character names. Sometimes, it's as if the publisher has said, "Time for a new book" and the writer hurries to comply.

'The Time Traveler's Wife" was a Book Group choice several months ago. We all struggled with it - not one of my favorites.

Did anyone watch the Hallmark Hall of Fame production, "The Water Is Wide" last week? It's an adaptation of Pat Conroy's autobiography, which is one of his books that I've never read. I have reserved it at the library. I loved "Prince of Tides" but hated the Barbra Streisand movie version.

Callie I didn't know (duh) that was Pat Conroy's autobiography I watched it and thought it was a great movie.

CallieK, we taped "The Water is Wide" by Pat Conroy. I will have a chance to look at it tomorrow. I haven't read the book. Usually, I like to read a book before seeing a movie.

Is it Pat Conroy's autobiography? I didn't know that either.

The "blurb" in my tv guide said it was an "adaptation" of his autobiography. It only deals his teaching on Yamacraw Island, not his whole life.

I liked it a LOT! The children who played the students were awesome actors.

Alfre Woodard, who plays the other teacher, was quoted as saying that this version is more like the book than the 1974 Jon Voight film "Conrack". I have to think hard to remember where I was and what I was doing in 1974 - couldn't possibly remember what films I saw!

All of Pat Conroy's books are autobiographical. We loved The Water is Wide, The Great Santini, and Lords of Discipline (and the movies made from them). We haven't really liked any of the later ones (and didn't see any of the movies). Go figure......

Conrack. The Water is Wide is the original title and it was Pat Conroys first book. It is mostly true as far as I know. I lived in South Carolina at the time the book was written and the island and the people are accurately portrayed in the book. I liked him then and still do, although he has gotten wordy as he gets older. I do agree on authors however. Look at Patricia Cornwall. I adored her first books and wont even try to read the junk she writes now. Too much Lucy, etc. I also feel that Anne Rice wrote really well at the beginning, but wow is she off the wall now. At this moment I love finding older books that for one reason or another I have not read or read so many years ago, I have forgotten them. After seeing Capote this weekend, I am trying to see if I kept In Cold Blood. I know I read it many many years ago, but cannot remember if I kept it or not. I did like it, I remember that.

I found "Sarah's Quilt" and read it avidly this weekend - a real treat to be able to just sit and read for a long period. The book was wonderful - set in Arizona about 80 miles from Phoenix. The character Sarah is holding on to a ranch in adverse conditions, but is such a terrific character that you immediately care what happens. There was a preceding book "These is my words" (Spelled that way) Has anyone else read either or both. I will have to check Overstock for this book - it would be a keeper. isak

Hi all: Yes, that Water is Wide was Pat's first book and as someone said, most of his books are taken from his own life experience. I loved that first book and then the next 3 or 4 but after that, they left a lot to be desired. I even bought his cook book 2 years ago and have barely looked at it.

Gail/VT

MaryZ and Gail, I am glad you mentioned the fact that Pat Conroy's books are autobiographical. I had no idea.

Before I take this book back to library I want to make sure that I tell you about it. Fantastic. Best one I have read so far this year. Named "Hanna's Daughters" about 3 generations of women. Written by Marianne Fredrikson . First in Swedish then translated in 1999 Specialy people of Scandinavian heritage should read this book as it took place in Norway and Sweden.

Off to Library. Hope she has written other books.

JeanneP

Jeanne: There was a discussion of that book here at SN several years ago. You might want to look up the discussion in the Books Archives.

jane

O.K. I did not remember that. Did you read it?

No, Jeanne, I didn't, but the discussion is here...from 2002:

Barbara St. Aubrey, "Hanna's Daughters ~ Marianne Fredriksson ~ 11/02 ~ Book Club Online" #1, 21 Oct 2002 8:29 pm

I have just finished another of my "finds".....a novel by Caroline Ivey.......This book was praised by Elizabeth Spencer the Southern author and teacher whose memoir I wrote about......It is said this lady was the forerunner to Gail Godwin and Anne Tyler......It is from the Library of Alabama Classics and I got it from Amazon.com for 3.95 in excellent condition......This from the flyleaf, "A story of subtleties and manners, "The Family" focuses on civility, or the lack of it, between the sexes, races, classes, and sections of the United States, during an era when southern society is framed by disintegrating traditions from the past and the greed that characterized the immediate post World War II period...." she was a life long resident of Smith's Station Alabama............

Goodness. 2002 that long ago. I was at the library today and picked up the two books that she wrote after Hannahs Daughters. I think they are going to be good also.

JeanneP

I have read four of Marianne Fredrikson's novels, JeanneP, and liked them very much. There is pain and sadness in the stories, and great strength of character.

Caroline Ivey died in 1972, Nancy, and "The Family" is apparently the only book that she wrote. It is not in my library, so will have to look elsewhere for it.

I find that if I don't read all of an author's oeuvre at once, but allow some time between books, I am more likely to like the later books. Doesn't always work, but I think I tire of one style and want variety. One fiction author that I have been able to read without little vacations is Anne Tyler. There are several mystery writers that I can read as fast as the author can write them.

I have grown tired of Barbara Taylor Bradford. And there was a long hiatus from the previous work. So many 'heart wrenching' entanglements that they became boring. The book was "Unexpected Blessings" and is apparently a continuation of the Emma Harte story. I don't believe I will read the two prequels!

Perkie I agree with you.......It is usually best to wait a bit between and author's books.....I have another of Elizabeth Spencers waiting for me on my shelf........I do not like the authors much who just spit one out after the other......I find them boring and all about the same.........Now I didn't say I wish I couldn't do it!......I would have a big fat bank account.............

Anne Tyler never writes the same book twice and I love her. She always leads you in such unexpected ways. I am continually surprised with her. Title escapes me, but the lady who walked away from her life from Ocean City, Md. and began another life entirely was wonderful. I suspect the dream of many wives and mothers of our generations who had never ever worked.

Anne Tyler is one of my favorites as well........

I love Anne Tyler too. I really enjoyed "Amateur Marriage."

I think that Anne Tyler touches deep inner thoughts of many people. I know that the Accidental Tourist made me really think of how many people float on the top of life and never want to dig in at all.

Stephanie, I think so too. I can't remember reading the Accidental Tourist. Thank you for mentioning it. I have never seen her interviewed. Does she do interviews?

Isnt that funny,, no I dont think she does do interviews. She does in fact live somewhere in or around Baltimore for sure. The Accidental Tourist was first a book and then a quite marvelous movie with William Hurt and Gena Davis. Worth renting if you can find it.. And for a bonus, one of our beloved Corgi ( A cardigan) is in it.

I just finished reading "Tobacco Sticks" which was recommended here.......What a very good read! It was mentioned that it reminded her of "To Kill a Mockingbird"........It has been a very long time since I read that book and may do so again........I liked this book very much and may look into his other one by the title, "Ripples"..

Nancy - I just finished "Tobacco Sticks" also, and really enjoyed it. I can't remember who recommended it in this discussion, but I'm glad they did! I keep a list here beside my computer, of all the books that sound interesting to me. Then when I go to the library, I always take my list. Next up is "The Salt Line", by Elizabeth Spencer.

Just remembered - my husband started "Tobacco Sticks" yesterday. It will be interesting to see how he likes it? We generally have different tastes in books, but occasionally will be in agreement on the same one. Most recently he read "House of Sand and Fog", which has been here on my bookshelf for years, and is one of my all time favorites. He was crazy about it, and went right down to the video store and rented the movie. I enjoyed seeing it again too, although it was not nearly as good as the book.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…

…has been moved to the UPCOMING and PROPOSED discussion table. I plan on doing a two week discussion of the Stevenson's classic, and I will post a schedule if it achieves a quorum. Please use the link below if you wish to sign on. With your posts, I'm sure it could develop into a fine discussion.

Jekyll and Hyde

You can use the link in the heading to reach the online reading web site that has included chapter numbers to help the reader to keep tract of the schedule pace.

Bill H

I wasn't turned on by the two books I took with me to Vegas so I bought the Kristin Hannah book Home Again. What a great fun read, I really loved it. Believe it or not its about heart replacement surgery and the story is wonderful. I think it was first publised in 1996 and she got so many requests to re-release it that she did. If your a Kristin Hannah fan do read it.

Judy,

I love Kristin Hannah. I have never read "Home Again." Thanks for mentioning it.

Funn, I read a Kristin Hannah book years ago when I owned the book store. A customer just loved it and I read a lot of the same type of books. I thought I would hate it , since I dont like romance stuff, but I liked it. Now to remember which one it was.

Not too long ago I posted in here about how much I enjoyed the Ann Patchett book, The Patron Saint of Liars. I was surfing through my TV Movie Menu today, and was surprised to see that it had been made into a movie, and was playing on the Lifetime Channel tonight! Of course I watched it, and did think it was pretty enjoyable. Dana Delany played the part of Rose, and did a good job of capturing her repressed and secretive nature. Others in the cast were Ellen Burstyn as June, and Sada Thompson as Sister Evangeline. Not nearly as good as the book, but still worth watching.

I loved The Patron Saint of Liars, but had no idea it was made into a movie. I think I prefer my inner pictures more than most of the movies however.

I just finished sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra and boy was that quiet a ride. I think I have read them all and I believe they are stories of his life but boy what a life. I am ready for some light reading.

Speaking of light reading, I just finished the Miss Julia books and my daughter and I both agree they are great. She had passed a LaVyrle Spencer book to me a while back that I have now started. It is "A Camden Summer". I usually avoid the romance novels, but this looks to be a good story. It is set in the early 1900s before women had really come into their own, so the contrasts are good reading.

I just finished the Accidental Tourist, which I thought was very well written. Now I should rent the movie, since I think Geena Davis won an Oscar for her performance.

I think there is a writing book that uses the Accidental Tourist as a guide to writing.

I loved Accidental Tourist, both the book and the movie. Do rent the movie. It is slightly different from the book, but still has a point to make. I have read the first Miss Julia book and have two more here, but I take them inbetween my beloved mysteries and science fiction.Sort of like the Jan Karon books.. A little too sugary to take all at once.

I agree Stephanie.....good in small doses.

I am looking forward to the new Anne Tyler, but holding off for the airplane ride. Need compelling books for the noisy noisy crowded planes.. And I like Tyler a lot.

I just finished a book by Kate Pepper called Seven Minutes to Noon a very good book about a group of friends and murder. Also read a Evanovich book called Manhunt I am afraid those books are not my cup of tea.

Well wish me luck I have my second cattarct surgery today.

Good Luck, Judy!

jane

Best wishes to you Judy for a successful surgery and good recovery.

Mary C.

I belong to a feminist book club composed of members of the Older Women's Network (Ont. Canada) We have read dozens of wonderful books, fiction and non-fiction. We are currently reading "Wild Swans", a marvelous book about three generations of Chinese women. We would greatly appreciate any suggestions of books about the lives of women, real or fictional, including books by women authors. Books written by men are OK, as long as they provide opportunitites for feminist analysis. Any ideas?

Judy, best wishes, also. I'll be having that surgery when mine ripens.

Judy , My very best wishes. When you get well. Try the Evanovich series of Stephanie Plum. The rest of the stuff is light romance, But Stephanie is a real piece of work..

To TorontoWOW:

Have you perused the books that have won or been considered for the Orange Prize? They are ALL by women.

http://www.orangeprize.co.uk/

I will think about the books about women that I know and post again if I come up with any. Oh! Have you read the one about Edna St Vincent Millay called SAVAGE BEAUTY? I LOVED it!!!

My folks live in Richmond Hill, Ontario and I visit them yearly. I love visiting the bookstores there as many Canadian authors cannot be found here in Texas.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Jane Mary Mrs Sherlock and Stephanie.

Well thats all done with and I go today for my follow up appt. and I suspect I will just be wearing window glass til the end of the month and then probably will only need glasses for reading. Everything looks great this morning although its a little hard to get used to everything being so bright.

Thanks again

Wear your sunglasses!!

Yes Mam even in the house???

Judy, good luck. The couple of weeks between having the different eyes done can be very frustrating. John has his done last fall, and is THRILLED with the results. He's not wearing glasses at all, except the dollar readers, for the first time in over 50 years. He compared the difference as having a dirty film lifted off his eyes (like in the allergy medication commercials).

Between the two surgeries, he took the "new eye" side lens out of his glasses, and left the other lens in for his "old eye". It wasn't perfect, but he managed.

Scootz,

Thank you for the link.

Judy, How great for you.. I waited until you were done. One of my eyes was worked on perfectly. The other was a failure and left me with a perpetually dry eye, that is radically worse than the other one.. Not much fun, so I am not a fan of cataract surgery.

Stephanie I had dry eye in my left eye going in and I have learned it is not curable with Catarract surgery so I still have it. Did you know that computer users are at least 50 per cent likely to develope dry eye after 65???? I have drops and can live with it. I might ask him if there is a cure for it, but for now I am just happy to be able to see. I am typing this a reading the monitor without any glasses at all, cant get over it. April 5th is my finish up appt then I will get hew readers and be totally done.

Judy,

I am happy that April 5th will end your appts. It's great you are able to use the computers without glasses.

Have just gotten well into this book and it is a real nostaglia trip for me. I didn't grow up in the south, but the '40s were such a pivotal time for us all and I want to weep for our general loss of innocence. This seems to me to be a great discussion book, though there would be such varied opinions because of our backgrounds and beliefs.

I forget who recommended this book and am to lazy to look back, I liked it very much too.............

Just finished Kellerman's new Rage and found it dull not funny with Alex and Milo I don't know it just drug for me.

I wonder when you crank out these every year or more maybe they just lose their edge. I have read almost everyone of Kellerman's books and loved them, but something was missing. Too Many Too Often???

Here are some obvious titles, which you have probably already read: The Secret Life of Bees, Ya-Ya Sisterhoood, Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe, The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow, Poisonwood Bible by Kinsolving, A 1000 Acres by Jane Smiley, Revenge of the Middle-age Woman. If you read non-fiction: Personal Story by Katherine Graham.

Not for book groups necessarily, but I too like the Miss Julie series and I agree that the only Evanovich worth reading are the Stephanie Plum series and they are hilarious. Of course, i live in New Jersey, so it probably adds to my enjoyment. One of my all time favorite books is Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy, our book group had a good discussion w/ it.

It's wonderful how many great books there are to look forward to. Being on SN has lengthened my "must read" list to the size of Webster's Dictionary....LOL......jean

My thanks to Scootz and Mabel for their suggestions.

I want to share a great gentle read by author Katherine Valentine. It's called the Dorsetville series and since its first release, A Miracle for St. Cecilia's I've been hooked with this funny, lovable host of characters. It's the ongoing story of a small New England and a long suffering priest and the ups and downs of everyday life. What I like about this series the most is that it's life affirming. No matter what you're going through, these charming books help the reader to rediscover faith in mankind and in His maker. In fact, it makes me want to pack my bags and go life there!

Pat, These sound very much like the Jan Karon (Mitford) books. have you read those also? I'll have to give these Dorsetville books a look-see.

Has anyone read this.........i am blown away by dr. farmer.....only half waythrough - any comments

Pat I am going to my book store today and I will certianly look up your series Dorcetville it sounds really great.

Barmull what is the mountain book about??

Your names are not familiure to me are you both new to this site or am I hopelessly behind?? Please lets hear about you. I am hunting and pecking due to eye surgery haha

I'm fairly new, but have done a few groups here and hope to become more involved in the book groups. Haven't branched out much from there. My name is Cathie. I'm 55. I live north of Dallas, Texas.

Welcome Scootz.....know you will like it here.......many other fine discussions as well...........

Welcome Kathy you will fit right in here.

I see you have a shitz, I just got one and named her Miss Martha she is an enjoyment that we never figured we would get. She is so funny and so much fun. She is a lot of work tho---I had forgotten how hard it is to have a puppy. She thinks she's a retriever and is always out side in the dirt and leaves, my house looks like a tornado hit it. I thought Shitz's were supposed to be lap dogs. haha

I hadn't heard of the Dorsetville Series. Will check out. I loved the Jan Karon books. these sound lot like them. I love all the "Miss Reed" books of a few years back.

JeanneP

Judy,

Shih tzu are lap dogs, but they are also little clowns in fur suits. My dog is seven this year, a male, and he is my constant companion- right at my side every moment.

Nancy- Thanks for the welcome. Which other groups do you enjoy here?

well I jump around quite a bit......Current Affairs, What Do You Really Eat, of course the one we are on.........I did like the political forums for awhile but no longer go there......Go and you will probably see what I mean.........Just jump in and look at all that you thinkk you might like.......lots of fun.........

A well written suspenseful book, but very disturbing. You start putting the pieces together at the beginning, as the facts are slowly revealed to you. Then when the painful reality of the story hits you, it's not a pleasant feeling. I'm really curious if anyone else has read this book, and what they thought about it? It left me with a hopeless and depressed feeling, although I kept thinking that there could have been other options, even under the inevitable circumstances?

Ishiguro also wrote "The Remains of the Day".

It seems like I started that book but gave up on it. I very seldom do that. I picked it up because of him having written "Remains of the Day". That I liked.

JeanneP

Don't believe I'd care to read that. especially after your comments about it, Marilyne. Just finished "A piece of Heaven" by Barbara Samuels which I thoroughly enjoyed. We get our books from the library and it's pretty difficult to find other than mysteries which we don't really enjoy. Believe we're in the minority.

June

Barmull, Please, who wrote it?

June

June...B&N shows this:

Mountains beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World

Tracy Kidder

Link to B&N

jane

Thank you, Jane. Will check for it at our public library. Seems difficult ,at times, to get books that are not mysteries. Neither Gil nor I care for them. We enjoy adventure mostly.

Just finished "a Piece of Heaven" by Barbara Samuels, which was interesting even though there was a love story in it. Heavens! Don't have anything against love! It's what makes the world go around

.....June

Hello,

Just a friendly reminder that the discussion of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" opens April 1st. Follow the link below to the discussion.

Jekyll/Hyde

Bill H

Just discovered a fantastic new John J. Nance fiction! Titled "Orbit" Talk about a book that needs to have a movie made from it. He has two others that were made into movies "Pandora's Clock" and "Medusa's Child". This new one is set in 2009, when it is possible to take a trip into space commercially. Ideally, the spacecraft does four orbits and returns to earth. If "Houston, we have a problem" brings anything to mind, this one will keep you up "waaaaay" past your bedtime. Political intrigue, going on against a backdrop of a man who decides to be totally honest with himself since he knows he's going to die. A computer plays a giant part in the story. Don't want to give away anymore of the plot, but wow. This may not appeal to many people who post here, but it is an exciting read!

Saving Cascadia, also by John J Nance, is keeping me awake these nights. Nance's scenario combines volatile Washington state politics, USGS, the grand opening of a gambling resort on an island off Washington's Olympic peninsula, and hidden earthquake faults. The players are engineers, pilots, seimologists and politicos. He has a vivid imagination but writes like the former Air Force pilot he is. Fun.

Mrs Sherlock I wonder how I missed out on that book. I am going to look for Saving Casadia tommorow, can hardly wait it sounds right up my alley

I did read the Amateur Marriage while in Italy. Anne Tyler never fails to surprise me.. I disagreed with the ending, but loved it just the same.

Just finishes Accidental Tourist and don't feel any urgency to pick up another Ann Tyler book right away. I felt as though I was walking uphill almost all the way though and the ending disappointed me, though I saw it coming.

MrsSherlock, I have just finished Saving Cascadia. I had missed that one also. The book says 2005, and I kind of keep an eye out for books by authors that I really like, but obviously my library didn't have a copy out on the New Fiction shelf when it came out! After reading Orbit, I went back to the shelves and found Cascadia. He sure can keep you on the edge of your seat!

Living in Oregon, within sight of several active volcanoes, the book caught my attention. These volcanoes can erupt at any time, i guess, though there are no danger signs at present. The so-called Three Sisters, really a cluster of seven of so, has a growing bulge between two of the peaks. I've got a front row seat, but hopefully not in danger here. Ash blows east, bad news for Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, etc. Lava and other stuff that flows is another matter. Tsunami zones on the coast are posted and the residents are warned if they hear the siren, run immediately for the hills, don't stop to get your purse! Oregon is an exciting place to live.

Mrs Sherlock, I was living in the Seattle area in 1980 when Mt. St. Helens blew. We got some ash but not like they did east of us. Have been up there twice since it blew - the Spirit Lake side in 1988 and the west side where they have built the visitors center in '92. It's unbelievable given the amount of damage, how it has come back.

Every part of the country has its own weather phenomna. Lived thru the earthquakes and volcano on the west coast and now I live in tornado alley!!!

I had never heard of Saving Cascadia. Our library has it and I put it on reserve.

Mary in TX

When I was at the library a day or so ago looking for some of my favorite authors, I ran across a book call Saints at the River. This is a brand new author for me, but within a few short chapters I am caught up in his story. It is set in the White Water Country at the S.Carolina/Georgia border. Since we visited there once with a young friend who has been in that business since college, the setting was interesting to me and I am surely now caught up in the people and situation.

When a book is recommended, I enter it into my Bookpedia database. It called up all the books by Ron Rash, and lo, he has written several books of poetry in addition to his novels. A great find to explore.

Here is a fun site

What Should I Read Next

Went into that site but do not quite understand what can do in it.

JeanneP

Is "bookpedia database" something you created, or is it a software program on its own?

My scribbled notes, both in a notebook, and on spare pieces of paper lying beside the computer, don't seem to do me justice as far as keeping track of things to read. I do keep a spreadsheet type thing for books I have read, showing title, author, date read. I started doing that when the City sponsored a "Seniors Get Caught Reading" program a couple years back. Alas, I didn't get in on it soon enough to be in the running, but it made me at least keep a list.

I do make lists occasionally of new fiction/books I want to read, but tend to leave the lists at home when I'm out at the library/bookstore. Oh, me, I'm such a dunderhead sometimes!!

Bookpedia is a MAC shareware program. What I did was Google "shareware" and then searched for book shareware, If you have a MAC i will send you the website. I'll look at Windows programs for you, my laptop is WIndows and I need the same type of database for it Stay tuned.

JeanneP - It took me awhile to figure it out, but finally did. Write the title and author of one of your favorite books, (something that you have already read and enjoyed), and then click the box that says, what should I read next?. Then a list of books will come up that were recommended by readers who also liked your book. (That doesn't make much sense when I try to write it down!)

LOL. I typed in "Empire Falls" by Richard Russo, and a whole list of books came up that were recommended by people who liked Empire Falls. I was surprised to see that some of the books on the list, I had already read and liked!

JeanneP.......I loved your website for books........thanks for posting that........

I did that with about 5 of the latest books just read. All came up saying something like "None Found". Will play more later.

JeanneP

I had the same results as Jeanne. Maybe I read old books.

Macou i AM GOING to find this book Saints by the River. I devour every book I can about the south as I am totally obsessed over it. In 2005 I spent a total of 5 weeks in the south. 3 in Dec and 2 in Feburary I think. I have been to Charleston and Myrtle Beach 3 times so far.

Ginnyann thanks for the URL it looks good but I don't have time today but will do it later, today its raining and I am going to shut the door and do our taxes. YIKES

My library has "Moumtains Beyond Mountains" on cassette, Barmull, which will hold my interest better than reading this biography of Dr. Farmer and I am looking forward to it. My mind tends to wander when I try to read non-fiction, but I can listen with pleasure. Tracy Kidder, the author, seems so familiar to me, but I don't recognize any of his other titles in my library catalog.

I used to live in Georgia, so love books set in that area. "Saints at the River", by Ron Rash, is one that I look forward to reading. Thanks, Macou33

Every once in a while I come across a Kurt Vonnegut I haven't read. "Timequake" reads more like a memoir. I thought he made up the character of Kilgore Trout but found that it is the pseudonym of Phiip Jose Farmer, author of "Venus on the Half Shell". One of Trout's quotations from that book is: The universe is a big place, perhaps the biggest. It tickles me because it seems so incongruous.

I am not putting it off this time or using any gas to drive around and look for things. I just ordered Saving Cascadia and Saints by the River from Amazon. On my way home yesterday the price of gas was 2.63 a gallon and I just got a new truck last week. That sucker will be parked on the week-end would be my guess. Just did my taxes and filed them so I guess I can relax and play my game now.

Perky, Tracy Kidder has written some really neat stuff. House,, which I loved, one about a nursing home.. OK.. and several othrs. He bears down and concentrates on a single subject and burrows in.. Good author.

He write The Soul of a New Machine, about the development of a new computer in that area of Massachusettws which rival California's SIlicon Valley. I couldn't put it down.

Had forgotten that one. Our older son who is an engineer was in college when Tracy wrote that and our son absolutely fell in love with the book. Even went to a signing and got his copy signed.

macou33 - Thanks for recommending "Saints At The River", Ron Rash. I got it at the library on Saturday, and read it right straight through until I finished. It's a good, fast moving story that's hard to put down. I see he also wrote a book called "One Foot in Eden", which sounds familiar to me. Maybe it was mentioned in this discussion? I also checked out, "Mountains Beyond Mountains", so will start reading it this evening.

Marlyn I am one step behind you I bought both books and am now awating the mail hoping the amazon order will be here. More shopping on the internet now as the gas prices just keeping on keeping on!!!!!!

Judy - Don't you love getting a box of goodies from Amazon! I generally buy on-line, rather than doing the library thing. I love to own the books so that I can read them again in the future, or pass them along to my daughters, or son and daughter-in-law. I probably would have ordered both "Mountains" and "Saints", but had just received a big shipment of books, CD's and one DVD from Amazon last week - so decided I had better take it easy for awhile and be more conservative!

My husband goes to the library a couple of times a week, so I will often check my Senior Net list and have him pick up something for me. I think it drives him crazy that I like to order books, when I can check them out for nothing. Fortunately, he is a good natured guy, and doesn't hassle me about ordering stuff.

I havn't read "Mountains Beyond Mountains" yet, but plan to sit down this afternoon and get started. I think you'll like, "Saints At the River".

Marilyne, Glad you liked "Saints". It was a quick read but had some good thoughts in it as well. After the serious content of that one, I am well into "Step,Ball Change" by Jeanne Ray and it is good for many smiles.

Judy, was it you who likes any story set in the south? Have you read Robert Inman's books? Here is his website http://www.robert-inman.com/novels.shtml I read those a few years ago, but haven't forgotten. Also Robert Morgan is another that has set his stories in the Carolinas and you might enjoy those.http://www.robert-inman.com/novels.shtml Can't figure out why this web address is not working like a link should since I copied it same as I did the other one.

Macou33.......I orderd his first novel from Amazon for 0.45.......I all ways like to read the first one first......thanks for suggesting this author.....another find of a southern author!

Which one Nancy? Inman or Morgan? Both good. I buy some used books and CDs also. Usually good buys.

There are so many wonderful southern writers, although I tend to stick to women.. Walker Piercy however is an outstanding writer, very southern indeed.

Macou thanks again for recommending Saints at the River. It came yesterday and I devoured it and just loved it so much I couldn't put it down. Marlyn good book haha, I see you read it in one sitting.

I must look for Robert Inman now and Mountains Beyond Mountains.

I also got Saving Cascadia yesterday in my Amazon order and am starting it today.

I finished a Julie Garwood book called Murder List and I tell you it had me reading way into the night. Thats what I call a can't put down book. Very exciting, of course a very different kind of book from Saints.

Anyone...please tell me - is mountain beyond mountains by Tracy Kidder fiction or nonfiction?

Thanks to whover. June

Tracy Kidder has never written anything but nonfiction. However I have not seen that particular book.

Wow, lots of titles I've never heard of here, authors too. Will have to check out Robert Inman, and the Julia Garwood.

I think these Southern writers are gone now, but I loved Olive Ann Burns' Cold Sassy Tree -- both book and movie (made for TV?). Another favorite was Ferrol Sams, the doctor from Georgia who wrote about the boy who was "raised right." I'm not sure if the first in the three book series was "Run with the HOrsemen" or "Whisper of the River."

Marilyne, I love an Amazon order, but am ending up with more books unread than read. I don't buy very many DVDs, but would love to get those Southern ladies, "Steel Magnolias" and "Driving Miss Daisy" if the price ever gets right. I did break down and buy the new Bleak House of 15 episodes. It's wonderful. I'm trying to stretch it out and make it last, but will have to finish it by May so I can take it East with me and give it to other family members.

pedln - I do tend to get carried away when I start making up an Amazon order! Because the shipping is free once you hit $25, I always plan for that, but of course I usually go way over that amount!

I do order CD's, because I'm a music nut, and love to listen to my favorites when I'm on the computer, and especially when I go to bed at night. However, I rarely ever buy a movie. If there is a DVD, that I particularly want, I always check out ebay first. There are hundreds of brand new unopened movies up for auction every day, and they usually sell for way below the store prices. I guess sellers maybe receive them as gifts, or "impulse buy" them, and then decide they don't want them? I recently bought "Frida", for $1.99. Parcel Post is inexpensive for a small package, or a video or DVD qualifies as Media Mail, which is even cheaper.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: I'm reading it right now, and find it to be a fascinating true story of a remarkable modern-day hero.

What do you think it is about these southern novels? I've been giving it some thought and wonder if it is the small town, folksy atmosphere that we all sort of think of as an ideal way to live.

In any case they make me feel comfortable and "at home" like the small home town where I lived my first 9 years. We knew everyone and most of the elders had known my father since he was born and in fact many were Aunts,Uncles etc.

Cold Sassy Tree was a good movie that we enjoyed from our local library.

Now I have Ferrol Sams on my search list, thank you very much.

Happy Easter readers!

You give me a book that has SouthCarolina, Georgia and antebellum in the first paragraph and I am hooked. I love the south and would love to live there. Someday maybe__________. I enjoyed the river book so much and read it so fast that I am considering reading it again. Never can tell what I missed. I am reading Cascadia now and its a different type book for me and I hate to read those long words over and over but its got me hooked and I am looking forward to seeing what happens.

Marlyne I know what you mean, I go to amazon and put two books in and they pop up and say spend 6.43 more and you get free shipping so I leap back in again and buy another one or two always more than 6.43.

A sucker born every minute and most of them live haha

A Happy Easter to all of you and CONGRATULATIONS TO US 1000 POSTS YEAH YEAH YEAH