Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 742870 times)

Gumtree · « **Reply #360 on:** March 01, 2010, 09:35:21 AM »

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

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

Discussion Leader: Judy Laird

You and me both Alf - Their conduct in pulling the plug without any warning or explanation was outrageous.

Tomereader1 · « **Reply #361 on:** March 01, 2010, 10:53:15 AM »

To Babi and Alf43, I certainly have no intentions of re-joining with SN, and was not inferring that anyone here should do so. I was merely passing on the information that they sent to me via their email newsletter (which for some reason I still get). I was very upset when they "dumped" us and was so happy to find SeniorLearn and SeniorsandFriends. And here I shall stay!

mrssherlock · « **Reply #362 on:** March 01, 2010, 11:23:15 AM »

I'm still so incensed at our shabby abandonment that I sent a blistering reply. Especially when they are reminding me that my membership is due for renewal!

Quote

After the shabby treatment we former bookie SeniorNetters received when we were cut off with no notice or explanation do you believe we would come back? We should take out an ad inviting those seniors who care about joining an online community that cares to join us in the alternative web sites we established when SeniorNet cut us loose. SeniorNet doesn't care is the message you sent and we received it loud and clear.

maryz · « **Reply #363 on:** March 01, 2010, 11:23:17 AM »

I never had any dealings with the old SN other than the discussion groups - never knew what else they did. So I completely lost touch when the discussions were axed - and don't care about anything else. Oh, well.....

Phyll · « **Reply #364 on:** March 01, 2010, 11:37:46 AM »

Yes, I received the pleasant reminder from SN, too. I simply deleted it...from my email and from my memory.

serenesheila · « **Reply #365 on:** March 01, 2010, 04:09:48 PM »

Well, I too, sent me info about renewal at Senior Net, and deleted it. However, several years ago I did take some lessons at my local SN.

Now, all I want to do is take part in Book Discussions.

Sheila

JoanK · « **Reply #366 on:** March 01, 2010, 04:46:08 PM »

They're really stupid if they think any of us want to come back (but clearly they ARE really stupid!)

Steph · « **Reply #367 on:** March 02, 2010, 06:02:57 AM »

I got a new ( to me) book that is about Guinivere. It is a compilation by a famous historian on whether Guinivere was based on some real women.. Interesting.

Gumtree · « **Reply #368 on:** March 02, 2010, 09:30:05 AM »

Steph - What a coincidence - My TBR pile has a book on Guinevere just begging me to read it. Mine is by the Arthurian scholar and historian Norma Lorre Goodrich and the title is simply Guinevere
I've had it quite a while and have browsed through it a couple of times but think it needs a concentrated effort to get the most from it. Is yours the same one?- I know there is a plethora of titles dealing with every aspect of Arthuriana - I've a good few of them myself

Fascinating subject.

Steph · « **Reply #369 on:** March 03, 2010, 06:01:36 AM »

Same book. She has written on Arthur and Merlin as well. Like you, I keep paging around, but I need to settle down and dive in..Looks good though. I love the Arthur legend.

Gumtree · « **Reply #370 on:** March 03, 2010, 08:30:01 AM »

Odd isn't it Steph -we're half a world away from each other and yet paging through the same book. Weird. I read the first chapter last night -she's just setting out possibilities. Might read another chapter tonight. Over the years I've taken a few courses on Arthurian literature. One was given by a Ph.D student and was really really strange -candles, meditation etc. Another was by a very seasoned Prof. who held me entranced at every meeting - funny how I keep wanting more. A couple of years ago I picked up a copy of a new edition of Mallory rendered into modern English orthography. As I read that I tracked it against the Vinaver edition of Mallory - interesting where it deviated and either included more material or left quite pertinent (to me) parts out.

Steph · « **Reply #371 on:** March 04, 2010, 06:07:42 AM »

Ican see where I had better start, the chapter at a time sounds like a good idea. I finished off a fluff by J.D. Robb last night, so something with substance sounds good.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #372 on:** March 04, 2010, 02:03:51 PM »

I picked up Guinevere at the library yesterday, i'll read along w/ you two. ....

..........but not for a week or so, i've got a couple TBR's that have to go back to the library next week.......sooo, one of us is in NZ and one is in Fla and one in NJ........anybody on the west coast interested?..............

...........jean

mrssherlock · « **Reply #373 on:** March 04, 2010, 04:20:41 PM »

Is Oregon far enough west? http://pics2.city-data.com/city/maps/fr165.png My library has it! i'll catchup when I pick it up.

Gumtree · « **Reply #374 on:** March 04, 2010, 09:06:22 PM »

Quote from: mabel1015j on March 04, 2010, 02:03:51 PM

I picked up Guinevere at the library yesterday, i'll read along w/ you two........sooo, one of us is in NZ and one is in Fla and one in NJ........anybody on the west coast interested?.........................jean

Jean: Wash your mouth with soap and water - one of us is in Australia not NZ - two different countries - two different nationalities -

But good Lord - all this interest in Guinevere ? You're going to read along with Steph and me ? And now Mrs Sherlock too! How fabulous! Do we want to discuss it ?

I've just read the first two chapters - found the first a little dry but the second one had me totally hooked.

Steph - have you started on it yet?

mabel1015j · « **Reply #375 on:** March 04, 2010, 11:44:54 PM »

ohhhhh! i'm soooo sorry Gumtree - I tho't Caroline was from Australia and you were from NZ - don't we have someone from NZ on SL? ..........I know they are separate countries, i just got your "homes" mixed up...............soooo sorry. ...........my mouth is frothing w/ soap.........

. jean

Gumtree · « **Reply #376 on:** March 05, 2010, 05:42:11 AM »

Mabel-Jean - That's OK. I meant to make a joke but re-reading it now I see my post sounds a little cross. I wasn't. Just amused. Lots of the folk on SL and elsewhere get the two countries confused or think we are just one. I can't say I know Caroline but there is a Carolenz somewhere - she lives in NZ but has Aussie connections.

BTW you can rinse your mouth free of soap now

Steph · « **Reply #377 on:** March 05, 2010, 06:03:25 AM »

Hah,, today I can actually start Guinivere. I am going to the gym, then a book talk about an author who does those research books on small towns and then I should have the afternoon to do what I want.. Which is at least read the first two chapters.. So come on down every one.. We can discuss as we go along.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #378 on:** March 05, 2010, 11:50:14 AM »

Gumtree - i took it as a joke.............

....and loved your sense of humor.........jean

Frybabe · « **Reply #379 on:** March 05, 2010, 01:27:41 PM »

Ah Jean, I remember the soap. It was Palmolive and it tasted peppery.

Steph · « **Reply #380 on:** March 06, 2010, 05:42:07 AM »

Good Grief.. I read the first chapter and it was sort of dry, but then the second one. I have read that one twice. Whew.. This is one of those books, I wish I could read french.. and had a library of probably a dozen other books on this period and the Arthur legend. I am ready to reread the third chapter, because I got really lost in that one. The coronation .. but mostly the idea of killing off your wife when she has a female child, so you can control the land is horrifying and I would assume true.. Whew.. A silly aside is that I always thought of Guinivere as a redhead, not a brunette and the idea that there is actually a grave in Scotland for a Guinivere was really wild. I will put that on my list of things to see and do whenever I get back to Scotland.

Gumtree · « **Reply #381 on:** March 06, 2010, 11:40:28 AM »

Steph: I thought Goodrich said Guinevere was a blonde - perhaps golden tresses ? I have got a library of perhaps a dozen or more books on Arthuriana and they're not helping me much right at present

- have never read about GUINEVERE - it's always Arthur and Merlin and Lancelot, Mordred and Kay. I'm concentrating on this book to start with and hope then to do some wider reading.

I do have one book that contains extracts from the Prose Lancelot - just need a little time to search through it to see if anything is quoted relevant to the early part of Goodrich. If so, I'll post it here.

The 'grave' in Scotland is really a memorial stone -I don't think it is actually the grave - my copy has a depiction of it so I guess yours does too.

Have you read the part about the three Guineveres?

This is wonderful having someone to share a little of this book with - thanks.

JoanK · « **Reply #382 on:** March 06, 2010, 07:51:14 PM »

We do have a Caroline from NZ, but I haven't heard from her in a while. I miss her, a wonderful person, but quite sensative about being mistaken for an Aussie. Her computer name is Kiwilady, which would tell us Yanks if we knew enough to know that "Kiwi" is slang for a person from New Zealand. Through her, I know a lot more about NZ than I did.

mrssherlock · « **Reply #383 on:** March 06, 2010, 08:55:10 PM »

Joank: Kiwilady's name is spelled C-A-R-O-L-Y-N, the same way my mother spelled hers.

JoanK · « **Reply #384 on:** March 06, 2010, 09:33:35 PM »

Sorry, I can barely spell my own name.

Gumtree · « **Reply #385 on:** March 07, 2010, 12:19:42 AM »

Yes, Kiwilady's real name is Carolyn. The Carolenz I mentioned is another poster who also lives in NZ. I think they both post mostly on S&F now.

Steph · « **Reply #386 on:** March 07, 2010, 06:23:00 AM »

The three Guiniveres thing is interesting. science fiction author named Marion Zimmer Bradley did a fictional account of this period and all of the females many years ago. As I remember, she postulated two..
Somehow I never ever equated the french with the Arthur legend. But this author sure does. I am slowly going through this next chapter after the coronation, but she is getting more and more complicated in spots.
Ah,,just a memorial. I reread that and see what you mean.. I knew that in England, they consider Arthur as from Wales, but here it is mostly Scotland, I notice.

joangrimes · « **Reply #387 on:** March 07, 2010, 08:35:53 AM »

Went through a period of studying the Arthurian Legends but lost interest in that sort of thing. The mother of my oldest son's girlfriend when he was in high school and college was an Arthurian legend scholar. Wonder whatever happened to those people. Oh well I guess they are no longer important in my so-called life. So I guess I lost interest the legend too. Oh well so much for that. There do seem to be signs of Spring appearing in Alabama of fand on now. However it is still too cold and dreary. Have a good day Everyone.
JoanGrimes

Babi · « **Reply #388 on:** March 07, 2010, 09:07:46 AM »

I always enjoyed Kiwilady' s input. It would be nice if she could find time to visit us, too.

I've read so many books, and seen so many movies, based on the Arthurian legend that
I simply got tired of the whole thing. One can get too much, you know, even of a good thing.
Chocolate comes to mind.

Gumtree · « **Reply #389 on:** March 07, 2010, 10:21:46 AM »

Steph: There are many French tales either dealing with Arthur or which touch on his story. I gather the French consider Arthur was their literary property long before the English got round to writing about him. He is reputed to have travelled far and wide so it is no surprise that many places throughout the British Isles lay claim to him - exactly where some of the places actually were in the 6th century is another question. Goodrich seems to put up a lot of information in quick succession and gives a plausible explanation but as always we're left wanting more substantiated FACT - which, of course, with these legends we will never get.

I tend to immerse myself in Arthuriana from time to time usually when a book or a conversation piques my interest - then just as suddenly I put him aside - until the next time.

Steph · « **Reply #390 on:** March 08, 2010, 05:36:25 AM »

Yes, I have always loved Arthur and from time to time get involved with the legend. The coronation chapter has gone on and finally gets around that Wales is considered ARthurs home in many cultures. But somehow she involves Danish preroyalty in this.. Wow.. That one came from out of the blue..
I always remember Mary Stewart and her retelling of Merlin.. Possibly called The Crystal Cave??

joangrimes · « **Reply #391 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:19:36 AM »

Oh I read the Mary Stewart things too.That was a phase I went through. At least I think it would be described as a phase. Not sure though.

Babi · « **Reply #392 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:47:23 AM »

Mary Stewart wrote three books about Merlin, STEPH. "The Crystal Cave" was the first, then
"The Hollow Hills" and some title with 'Enchantment' in it, which I can't quite remember. I
devoured them all.

Gumtree · « **Reply #393 on:** March 08, 2010, 10:07:35 AM »

I remember reading Mary Stewart long ago - can't recall the titles but they weren't about Merlin. I'll see if my library has those mentioned here.

salan · « **Reply #394 on:** March 08, 2010, 11:02:08 AM »

Ahhhh! Mary Stewart-another author that I had forgotten about. I read all the Merlin books (loved them) and any thing else she wrote. I think I must have burned myself out on her. I haven't read her for years. Maybe I'll go back and read some I missed. Isn't it funny how we sometimes take authors by spells??
Sally

Gumtree · « **Reply #395 on:** March 08, 2010, 11:16:04 AM »

Quote from: salan on March 08, 2010, 11:02:08 AM

Isn't it funny how we sometimes take authors by spells??
Sally

It sure is Sally - I think they put a spell on us.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #396 on:** March 08, 2010, 11:38:04 AM »

Just finished reading Rosellen Brown's "Half a Heart." This was the first on of hers i had read. It was the story of a white woman from Texas who had taught at a Black college in the 60's, had a baby who was taken from her when the baby was 8 mos old. 18 yrs later they find each other. It was a good characterization of mother/dgt relationships, black/white relationships, family/friends relationships. Much of the book is written as the introspections of the character being focused on at the moment, rather then dialogue between characters...............There was a lot of back and forth btwn today and 2 decades ago, that's not my favorite process of story-telling........................... There were sev'l places where the author was very verbose, saying in 200 words what could have been said in 50 and i skimmed thru much of that. There were passages that didn't have any effect on the story and again i skimmed. ..................... i will probably try another one of hers, but if that one is the same, it will be my last one of hers................it was about C+ for me. ................jean

nlhome · « **Reply #397 on:** March 08, 2010, 08:27:15 PM »

Reading about the Mary Stewart books brought back memories. I can remember when I read The Crystal Cave, we were living in California in a Navy enlisted community. One of my husband's friends asked me what I was reading, and I told him the Crystal Cave, and I loved it, but I didn't think he would like it. The next time we saw him, he chastised me for saying that he wouldn't like it, because he thought it was great, too. I wonder what I would think now if I reread it?

marjifay · « **Reply #398 on:** March 08, 2010, 09:04:17 PM »

I'm going to have to get something by Mary Stewart now that some of you have praised her work. I'd never heard of her.

Has anyone read Hilary Mantel's WOLF HALL? I'm reading it now and enjoying it. It's about Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell and the argument over Henry's wish to marry Anne Boleyn. I hadn't realized Henry was so interested in theology. The book takes some getting used to in the way it's written, with no quotation marks around the talk. But very well written, making me want to read more about some of the characters and about English history.

Marj

mrssherlock · « **Reply #399 on:** March 08, 2010, 10:28:19 PM »

HenryVIII and his daughter Elizabeth are subjects I love to red about but when i started Wolf Hall I got no more than 1/3 into it before I gave up.

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Author Topic: Fiction ~ Old ~ New ~ Best Sellers #2 (Read 742870 times)