Please allow me to introduce myself after reading all of the SeniorLearn book discussions, I have to jump in. My name is Pat Cook and I retired a year ago from CA public education all the way from teacher to principal to working with new teachers at San Diego State. I am LOVING retirement because I finally have time to read what I want and now have 3 books going at once all the time

. I lead 2 book clubs - The Bookies which has 15 members and we are in our 10th year and The Renegades, an offshoot of 5 member who like to read MORE. We have such fun!
Just a few replies to what I have been reading here in your wonderful Library section of Senior Learning. At our last Bookies meeting one of our member brought her Kindle that she had received from her husband for Christmas. We had discussed the Kindle at our last Renegade meeting and agreed that we didn't think we would like not having an actual book in our hands. After her demo, we were more receptive to it because it had a cover like a book and felt like book. One feature we particularly liked was the ability to enlarge the font and of course, we are all about to be run out of our house by all of our books. Anyway, 3 of us including myself ordered one the following week and were delighted to learn that we were going to receive an updated Kindle 2! They are scheduled to be shipped the 24th of this month; we are so excited. I am happy to know that it will read to me when I am in the car. With daughters in NM, OH and PA, I am on the road a lot and have relied on audio books on my IPOD; now I can use the Kindle!
AND, I loved The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I picked it up at B&N right after it came out at 50% off having read all of his other books. This, to me, was his best; I read it in less than a week - couldn't put it down. Being a teacher and having a daughter who lived in Highland Ranch, CO during Columbine gave me two reasons for being drawn into the story. My daughter actually worked with Eric's mother when the shooting occurred. I think Wally wrote a credible fictional account of the incident with enough factual info to make one feel like you were there. His account of teachers living with the horror was extremely sensitive and realistic. While I was a high school principal, we dealt with a favored teacher's suicide and it is something that haunts you for a long, long time.
Sorry to go on and on! I promise not to occupy so much space in the future, but one last thing - even as a CA girl, I LOVED Bruce's performance at the Super Bowl so well, I downloaded his Working on a Dream CD which I am listening to as I type. It is excellent, and I, too, have it at a volume that drives my husband to his shop outside

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Love your discussion, and I hope you will allow me to keep in touch. Pat